BEFORE AMEN - (Lucado) - Father, Daddy

Post based on Max Lucado's book, BEFORE AMEN: The Power of a Simple Prayer, 2014.

FATHER...DADDY

Keypoints from Max Lucado:

• Prayer begins with an honest, heartfelt "Oh Daddy!"
• Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy. 
• Forget greatness; seek littleness.  Trust more, strut less.  Make lots of requests, and accept all the gifts. 
• It's hard to show off and call God "Daddy" at the same time.  Impossible in fact. 
• God apparently likes to chat in the closet.  He's low on fancy, high on accessibility. 
• Just as a happy child cannot mis-hug, the sincere heart cannot mis-pray. 
• If prayer depends on how I pray, I'm sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, and if the One who hears the prayer is my Daddy, then I have hope.

12.29.14  Abba, Baba, Dada....
Luke 11:1-2 MSG

One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”So he said, “When you pray, say, Father,....

     Prayer begin by directing our attention and focus, by addressing God with the childlike, Daddy.  The term Jesus uses is Abba, which is the Papa or Daddy equivalent in Aramaic for Father.  This isn't a formal type of language.  This isn't a stuffy, highbrow type of address.  It is the joyful, exuberant, honest approach of a child to the source of strength and assurance.  It doesn't HAVE to be Daddy.  For some, to address God as Mommy feels very right and good.  The key is to come into the conversation as if sitting in the warmth of a parental lap, snuggled into the security and strength therein, ready to share joys, hopes, hurts, and know God has his/her hands wrapped around with love.  'Come as a little child' really has merit here.    (BTW...Baba is father in both Chinese and Greek!) 

Further research on word Abba:  (http://studentsoul.intervarsity.org/names-of-god)

Recent scholarship has shown that, although the New Testament was written in Greek, the main language that Jesus and his disciples spoke was undoubtedly Aramaic, an ancient regional language. The Aramaic word Abba appears three times in the New Testament (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6) and each time it is immediately translated as Pater for readers unfamiliar with Aramaic. It seems that when Jesus spoke of God as Father in Aramaic, he used the term Abba. It is particularly remarkable, then, that Abba is an intimate word for father. It indicates some of the very first syllables a baby might pronounce in reference to his father — something like Daddy or Papa, but even more like Dada.     God, the Father of Jesus and his disciples, is Dada.

Dada....that certainly puts our relationship with God Almighty on a little different basis.

This prayer to Abba includes prayers for family, healing, gratitude for moments of Creation glory and medical personnel, world events and places, members of our church family, and more.  

12.30.14  Child-Like
Matthew 6:5 MSG
And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
     Come before God as a child - with childlike innocence, humility, exuberance.  Come using the word 'Daddy' 'Papa' 'Abba' 'Dada' - it is hard to impress another when using these terms.  God doesn't need eloquence, God wants honesty.  God doesn't desire a Broadway play of liturgy.  God wants the simple expression of our hurts and pains, our joys and desires.  I wish more people who vow 'I can't pray in public' would remember this.  Fancy words aren't important.  Heart is everything.  May we share our heart with God, curled up in our loving Daddy's lap, and pour out our thoughts and feelings.  And then, while still wrapped up in that love, to be still and listen.  What is my loving Abba telling me?

12.31.14  Closets?
Matthew 6:6 MSG
Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage.  
     God wants me in the closet?  That would work, but probably any spot where we are alone and can focus on what's important: God.  If we are to come as a child, maybe that spot would be in the middle of the playroom, among the toys.  Actually, I like that analogy - come to God in prayer in the midst of WHEREVER we are.  At work?  Pray.  Outside?  Pray. In the kitchen?  Pray.  Driving?  Pray.  Sometimes driving alone or taking walks alone is my best time to chat with God.  The key is to find a place and time when you can come honestly and simply.  God is accessible everywhere and anytime.  Prayer doesn't have to take place only on Sunday morning in a fancy church.  Daily prayer. Hourly prayer. Living prayer.  And maybe even in the closet.

  

BABY JESUS: d365.org Devotions

INVOCATION: "If you have ever spent time around an infant, you know that they are completely helpless. Besides breathing and crying, they need assistance to do practically anything else.   And yet the Creator of all, God Almighty, enters the world in this way — vulnerable, dependent, and helpless. It’s in this kind of vulnerability that we understand the love and nature of God.   Take a moment to consider how this little baby changes your life, how baby Jesus changes everything.  Consider the difference it makes that Emmanuel, God with us, is in the world and in your life."   (d365.org - Bill Buchanan)

MONDAY, December 22  Bow to a Baby? 
Psalm 96 (excerpts from The Message)
Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!
For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.
Bring gifts and celebrate,
Bow before the beauty of God,Then to your knees—everyone worship!   
     When you read the text of Psalm 96 with its magnificent lines of worship and praise, the image that comes to mind is NOT a helpless, newborn baby.  Totally unexpected.  So unexpected that even the Hebrew people, who had been waiting for a God-sent King, didn't recognize that the miracle had happened.  Yet, it really shouldn't have been unexpected, because that had been God's modus operandi  for centuries: use the unexpected people at unexpected times.  Life will change. 
     Ask any new parents and they will tell you: ANY baby changes life forever.  This particular baby has the potential to change EVERYTHING.  'Bring the gifts and celebrate'!  A new baby has been born! God on Earth!
From the humblest thing that lives
To the Name that is highest of all
Kindle in my heart within
A flame of love.  (Celtic Prayers from Iona by J Philip Newell)

TUESDAY, December 23 Together
Luke 2:1-5 GNT excerpts
     Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken...Everyone...went to register himself, each to his own hometown...Joseph went from the town of Nazareth...to Bethlehem in Judea...He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him.  She was pregnant....
     Even in the twentieth century, showing up to register at a hotel unmarried and pregnant would have caused a stir.  It is unimaginable what it was like in Biblical culture.  Surely it would have been easier, less embarrassing, if Joseph had just made the trip alone.  But God had other plans - go together and know that God was present as well.  Together we can do great things!  When situations seem to be too hard, too challenging, too impossible, may we remember that we are not alone - we are in it together with God.  
Generously given, profusely displayed,
Your graces of goodness pour forth from the earth. 
As I have received so free me to give. 
As I have been granted so may I give.  (Celtic Benediction by J Philip Newell)


WEDNESDAY, December 24  
Luke 2:6-14 MSG
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel..There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.....
     I absolutely LOVE the Christmas story for the humility of it all.  God uses the lowly, the outcasts of the society, to make God's entrance.  No big parade, no kingly procession, just a few shepherds moving into town to check out an unlikely announcement.  Just a poor stable, a bed of straw, a overfilled inn.  Where, how, can God be found in this?  
     Perhaps when we look for God in the fancy churches, among the affluent Sunday worshippers, at government offices and ruling judges, we miss the God-in-action who is right in front of us: serving meals at a cafe, cleaning our rooms, teaching our children, and growing our food.  Seek God, seek the face of God's Son, in our neighbors, our friends, our community, in the lowly among us.  There we will find the gift of Christmas. 

Today has been  a most different Christmas Eve.....
No delivery of fresh baked goods to friends next door or housebound in the country, but a gift of coffee delivered to the hospital waiting room, the opportunity to receive the gift from another. No fellowship of friends and family, but the grace of digital messages of support, encouragement, and prayer. No candlelight service, just a bright star amid a clear and glorious sky. No Christmas Eve gathering to warm our hearts and fill our belly, but the service of a nearly-closed cafeteria to deliver some much needed sustenance. No 'Silent Night' echoes of chimes and choir, but the melody of monitor beeps and the chorus of angelic nurses. A day spent not in church and worship, but in hospitals and waiting, seeking 'room at the inn' and finding offers of hospitality emerge. Yet ultimately? A day of thanksgiving - for doctors old and new, surgeons, nurses, and all the medical support staff; for safe travels on icy and snowy roads, and mostly for healing in a sick son who is now on the way to recovery. Merry Christmas to all, Christmas blessings and grace from our God of all. And thank you to all. PS...The baked goods are in the freezer, awaiting delivery later!!! I seek your touch of healing, O God, for there you reside.  Amen. 

THURSDAY, December 25  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!
Luke 2:19-20 MSG      
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told! 

     Two very different reactions to an incredible event.  Loud outbursts of praise and adoration from the shepherds!  Quiet moments of reflection and prayer from Mary.  And perhaps this is how our day should be!  Sing carols and laugh with friends and family!   Open the presents and exclaim thanksgiving and praise!    Declare 'Joy to the World' for a Saviour has been born.  And then....in moments of quiet with God, ask yourself, 'What difference does this make?  How am I changed by the events of this day two thousand years ago?'  
     Happy Birthday, baby Jesus!  Happy Birthday, Jesus, Savior!

The light of the Christmas star to you,
The warmth of home and hearth to you. 
The cheer and good will of friend to you,
The hope of a childlike heart to you.  
The joy of a thousand angels to you, 
The love of the Son
And God's peace to you.  Amen.  (www.irishamericanmom.com)

Christmas Day prayers from the Grande Ronde Hospital

FRIDAY, December 26  Slow Down!
Titus 2:11-13 MSG
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears.
      It's the day after Christmas, the stores have opened for the 'exchange time' sales, many take down the tree, and 'clean up the mess'!  All the chaos of the season can be over and we can get back to 'normal'!  Hey folks!  Slow down!  We haven't opened all our gifts, our Christmas ham is still in the fridge!  What happened to the twelve days of Christmas that START on Christmas day??  Because, really, we are still waiting...waiting for Christ's return; waiting for heaven on earth.  But this is a 'days of Christmas' wait.  Active, involved, LIVING Christmas every day.  
     Maybe our forced 'slow' Christmas this year will help us stretch out the celebration, reflect on the beauty of God's gift coming again and again and recognize the gifts of grace that arrive every day from God.  I put one Baby Jesus into the manger yesterday morning, perhaps today we shall add another.  Maybe we will spend the Twelve Days of Christmas adding the gift of Jesus each day!  (Might have to double up on a few days!)  
May the Blessings of Christmas be with you,
May the Christ Child light your way,
May God's holy angels guide you,
And keep you safe each day.
(www.irishamericanmom.com)

SATURDAY, December 27  MESSIAH 
Luke 2:25, 28  GNT
At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him...Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:  “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise  and you may let your servant go in peace.  With my own eyes I have seen your salvation..." 
      Simeon KNEW what he held in his hands - the ultimate gift from God to the world.  God with us.  How well do we acknowledge the gifts we have been given?  How often do we say thank you for all the graces bestowed upon us.  How often do we reflect on the amazing difference it makes in our lives that Jesus truly was and is Emanuel - God With Us - Messiah?  
As I have received, so free me to give. 
As I have been granted so may I give. 
     The gift is not ours to keep alone.  What shall we do with such a gift?  What shall we DO with Emanuel - Jesus - Messiah - God?   
May you be blessed 
With the spirit of the season, which is PEACE,
The gladness of the season, which is HOPE,
And the heart of the season, which is LOVE.  (www.irishamericanmom.com)

SUNDAY, December 28   PAPA! FATHER!
Galatians 4:4-5 MSG
You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? 
     Adopted into the family of God through Jesus.  For all those who have a baby or addition to the family near Christmas, this family adoption business must be particularly poignant.  I'm thinking of our friends who brought home a new baby on Christmas Day.  All the emotions of Mary and childbirth, the vulnerability of the infant God, the wealth of love that surrounds a strong family unit....
     When we are fully part of a family, boundaries change.  We are free to abide within a set of rules because those 'rules' are for the common good of the community.  They are not just Laws, but a loose structure that actually frees the family to fully live.  And in Jesus, the family changed.  The old laws were set aside for a new family construct based on intimacy with our parent God and our brothers and sisters in faith.  
    We have been feeling that community of faith surround us this holiday season through messages, prayers and calls as Jed slowly mends from his ruptured appendix surgery.  We are all family - adopted by God.  Merry Christmas... on the 4th Day of Christmas!  
Give us wisdom to seek you, 
Light to guide us to you,
And joy as we come before you, 
Our God and King forever. (www.religiouscard.printeryhouse.org)

BENEDICTION: (D365.org - Bill Buchanan)
"Now go out into the world knowing that God goes before you, walks beside you, stands behind you, and is at work within you, empowering you to make a difference in the world.Go now into the rest of your day, knowing that God is out there doing amazing things. Go now, rejoicing that you get to be a part of it!"

Prayer of the Creches

CHRISTMAS PRAYER PICTURES

SATURDAY, December 27
     Today I prayed for everyone from whom we have received Christmas cards this year - it was a chance to review the cards and say a brief prayer for each as I penned their names into the 'card tree'.  Also included on the lights are special prayers for healing and strength.  

Christmas Card Prayers

FRIDAY, December 26
     Well, this has been an eventful week of prayers!  On Christmas Eve Jed went in for emergency surgery to remove a ruptured appendix.  Prayers were drawn while sitting in the hospital room at Grande Ronde Hospital in LaGrande - where we found a surgeon and a hospital with 'room in the inn'.  Recovery has been slower than hoped since it burst, so plenty of time for reflection.  In these prayers I have often included the names of those from whom we received Christmas cards in the past few days, as well as the names of nurses and doctors.  Our gratitude and thanks has been overflowing for all the support and prayers we have received.  

December 23 - Just a simple labyrinth prayer

A Christmas Day prayer - drawn in the hospital

Christmas Labyrinth Prayer - drawn and colored in the hospital

Sunday, December 21
     In honor of this week's LOVE theme, I found heart shaped Celtic knot design.  Within the interlocking hearts themselves I've written the words of a Christmas blessing on the magic of Christmas.  Prayers are within the outer heart, held within the bounds of God's great love.  The inner heart is me as an individual...tightly knit into God's love.  A nice spot to be.  

 And another design I did this morning....I think the candy cane stripes and the blue snowflake background look a bit more like an American flag than Christmas, but...maybe that's ok too!

Wednesday, December 17
     Last night was the Longest Night Service at the church.  While the intent is for those who find the holiday season a struggle due to loss or past memories, I enjoy the light and dark of the moment, the reminder of the dark of winter, the dark of our separation from God, and the lighting of the candles.  I simply love candlelight services and the brilliant glow of simple light in a room of darkness.  
     I lit three candles.  The first for my brother Mac and for all those who suffer from addictions.  So many friends also pray for family members who experience this daily struggle.  The second I lit for my sister Liz, remembering all who are undergoing treatment for a broad range of cancers and illnesses.  The third I lit for my Mom, for Rick's Mom, and all who are aging, as they struggle for the independence they once knew, a body that betrays them.  I pray for all who are caregivers and for those who mourn parents recently gone.   
     May our candles burn bright in the darkness.  My prayer drawing became the advent candles of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, firmly centered with the Christ candle in the middle. The three candles in each section represent the three I lit. 
  

Tuesday, December 16
     I had a list of new names to include in prayers from church on Sunday, and then Luke called last night to add Michelle L to the list - one of his PYGs who had suffered a second concussion in a sporting event.  He was at the ER with her and her family.  I wanted to draw ASAP for Michelle, but also for names that needed healing, suffered from addictions, were traveling, as well as some of our joy from the weekend.  The result is this 'Christmas Tree' themed Advent Prayer. 

Monday, December 15...
     We returned from our 'graduation trip' to Denver, Colorado late Saturday night, having spent a whirlwind couple of days visiting Chien Jack Ho, our Taiwanese Rotary Exchange student from 2005, who has been an integral part of our family ever since!  We had the opportunity to meet Jack's parents from Taiwan and meet his girlfriend, Mandy (Yu Ju Chen).  But....I also spent my spare time and devotional time in the drawing of some Advent centered prayers and researching Celtic Christmas prayers.  I found some 'good stuff'!
      This first design is inspired by Celtic Spirituality concepts in the interlinking of various aspects of life and the unending flow of God's grace and prayer.  The red band scripts a Celtic Advent prayer, the green band mostly world situations for prayer and the yellow bands the names of family and friends I am for whom I am praying. 

      I hadn't created any mandala style prayers for some time and I was itching to do so.  In fact, this one got started in the car on the way to the Boise airport on Thursday!  It was intended to just be a light-hearted design with an assortment of Christmas symbols and pictures: holly, snowflakes, trees, candy canes, etc.  I originally had the words to a Celtic prayer around the edges, but the spacing didn't work out right.  So now...just a simple Christmas 'Joy to the World!'  Prayers can be found in the outer rim of the holly leaves. 

      Once I got to making mandalas again, I couldn't stop.  I thought a series of three would be good: The Shepherds, The Birth, The Kings!  All include the prayers of the week.  All include the Bethlehem Star.  The Kings was drawn while sitting in the Denver airport waiting for a late flight home.  We were getting a little rummy and I made the mistake of asking my sons for advice on what a fourth wiseman/king might have brought to the baby Jesus.  While the Bible focuses on the royal nature of the gifts, my sons thought BABY!  It was Jed who said he needed a King Herod 'Jack in the Box'!  I'm not sure I can even comment on the Biblical significance of that! 

Advent Prayers from the Shepherd's Fields

Advent Prayers from the Stable

Advent Prayers with a Visit by the Kings

LOVE: d365 Advent Devotions

Invocation: (Ruth Lee Perkins)
God loves you.

Such a simple phrase and yet so hard to wrap our brains around some days. In these busy days of Advent leading up to Christmas, let’s pause as we think about this week of love. Today, may you be reminded of one of the ways God loves you.

MONDAY, December 15  Presence Present

2 Samuel 7:8-9  VOICE

I [God] have been with you wherever you journeyed and have given you victory over your enemies...

     Wherever and whenever, God is love.  God's love has always been with us and always shall be present.  Yet we seem to be so slow and unwilling to accept this gift, this presence present that can change our life.  As I reflect this week on my Thousand God-Gifts, may I remember this one gift that supersedes all others, this one gift of Immanuel that lives and thrives in every other moment of grace experienced.  

Restore me in the image of your love this day

That the longings of my heart may be true. 

Restore me in the image of your love this day

That my passions for life may be full.  (Celtic Benediction by J Phillip Newell)

TUESDAY, December 16  Safe Refuge
2 Samuel 7:10 GNT
 I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more.
      We all like having a secure place of refuge.  Perhaps it is a corner, a room, a cozy chair, a porch spot in the sun or a grove of trees in the hills.  But it is a place where we can grow, talk to God, and know we won't be bothered.  In 2 Samuel, God promised this to the people of Israel.  The promise still holds true today.  Perhaps the physical location varies or is affected, but as long as God is in our place with us, we can feel wrapped in the arms of God's love.  
O great God, grant me your Light;
O great God, grant me your Grace;
O great God, grant me your Joy this day
And let me be made Holy in the safety of your arms. 
 (Adapted from Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)

WEDNESDAY, December 17
Psalm 89:1-2 GNT
O Lord, I will always sing of your constant love;
    I will proclaim your faithfulness forever.
2 I know that your love will last for all time,
    that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.
     It is amazing to think of the expanse of God's love.  The same LOVE that fills my heart and soul also was there for my grandparents and generations back in time.  That Love is part of my sons and their future families.  I have a habit of saying part of the Lord's prayer in Spanish because it is a reminder for me of my missionary forefathers heritage in Spanish speaking countries.  I learned the words from my grandfather's Spanish Bible.  As I mouth the words quietly to myself, I picture the generations of grandfathers before me and I am filled with a peace that comes from such a solid foundation.  
     The Christ child coming is our personal missionary of Love.  God with us.  God loving us.  Surely, our response should be none other than praise!
You are the love of each living creature O God
You are the warmth of the rising sun
You are the whiteness of the moon at night.
You are the life of the growing earth
You are the strength of the waves of the sea.
Speak to me this day O God
Speak to me of your truth,
Dwell with me this day O God
Dwell with me in Love.   (Adapted from Celtic Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)

FRIDAY, December 19   What? Are You Kidding, God?
Luke 1:26-32 (excerpts from GNT)

.. the angel Gabriel .. had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph... Her name was Mary.  The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”

 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant.  The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.  You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. 

      What would our reaction be if God came to us physically in the form of an angel and shared such news?  Various translations say Mary was baffled, perplexed, or 'shaken' by the angel.  Can you blame her?  And then the angel gives the usual angel words, "Don't be afraid!"  Right!  

     I read this passage as another example of God's methodology - God works through the unexpected and in unexpected ways.  God works through the humble and the lowly in very quiet ways.  God even works through you and me in unimaginable ways.  What is our responsibility?  Fear not.  Listen.  Accept our role with trust.  

     As Jesus comes to us once again, may we remember Mary's response.  May we seek when and where God is whispering, 'Don't be afraid!  I have a job for you!'  

SATURDAY, December 20  Possible Impossibilities
Luke 1:34-38 (The Voice excerpts)
How can this be possible?.....The impossible is possible with God....I am the Lord's servant.  Let it be as you have said. 
      Mary questions, is assured, and responds with affirmation.  She doesn't really understand, only that this comes from God.  She doesn't reply, "But it's never been done that way!"  or "That would NEVER work in my church/home/job/fill in the blank!"  She is reminded that in and through God, miracles can happen.  Miracles DO happen.  Be a part of the miracle, Mary - I want to use you!  God likes to think 'outside the box' - God likes to use extraordinary methods that involve ordinary people.  With God, all things ARE possible. 
      I left off the part of this scripture that involves Elizabeth.  But cousin Liz provides a comfort for Mary - she's not in this impossible situation all alone.  They can support each other, gain strength for what God is asking of them from one another.  How often does God provide us with that kind of community?  All the time if we seek it, if we run to it, as Mary did to Elizabeth.  Our church can be that realm of support, a mentor, a close friend, as well as the knowledge that God is always present.  Perhaps I am the comfort, the support, for another?  Perhaps we have the ability through someone else to make the impossible possible. 
Lead me O God on the journey of justice,
Guide me O God on the pathways of peace,
Renew me O God by the wellsprings of grace
Today, tonight, and forever.  (Celtic Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)

SUNDAY, December 21  Secret Presence
Romans 16:25-26 GNT
...I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past.  Now, however, that truth has been brought out into the open through the writings of the prophets...
      God was giving out a present without a gift tag.  Who was the present for?  What was inside?  Jesus - Immanuel - was the secret presence in the present.  And there is no gift tag.  The present is for all mankind, for all time.  The present is God's presence - with us and in us.  The present is love, manifest is a multitude of ways and through a lifetime of relationships and communities.  The greatest gift of all....rejoice!  Love is soon to be born on Christmas day!  
May the light of God illumine the heart of my soul. 
May the flame of Christ kindle me to love. 
May the fire of the Spirit free me to live
This day, tonight, and forever.  (Celtic Benediction by J Philip Newell)

JOY: d365 Advent Devotions

In hope, in trust, in thanksgiving, in JOY let us lay our hearts before God. (d365.org - Shelli Latham)

MONDAY, December 8    Christ-Light
John 1:6-8 MSG
There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
      When it is really dark, the light of a single candle, a cell phone or match, can appear to be a blinding ray, a dazzling beam, HOPE twinkling bright.  Our fears abate.  John came to be that single candle, to proclaim a LIGHT that would pierce the anguish of hearts, the darkness of sorrow, the pain of sin.  The single flame of John illuminated the way for the people to be ready for the glorious sunrise of Christ that was to follow.  
     As I watch the collective glow of my Christmas tree lights twinkle and shine, I remember how the single light of Christ in each one of us becomes that sunrise in our world.  God has given a flicker of that Christ-Light to each of us.  What joy it can be in my world when I let my light shine, when together our lights illuminate our community in radiance and love. 
O Christ...Kindle in my heart within a flame of love for my neighbor, my foe, my friend, my kindred all. ... Kindle in my heart within a flame of love.  Amen. 
(Celtic Benediction - J. Philip Newell)     

TUESDAY, December 9  Substitutes
John 1:26-27 GNT
John answered, “I baptize with water, but among you stands the one you do not know. 27 He is coming after me, but I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.”
       John the Baptizer was a 'substitute' teacher.  He was good, but nothing like the 'real thing'.  The people responded, but it wasn't with the same passion and intimacy they felt when in the presence of Jesus himself.  
       None of us are worthy enough or good enough to fill Christ's shoes.  Yet, that is the very call we have been given: to be the hands and feet, the action and response, or Christ in the world today.  We are substitutes for Christ - the teacher is not physically present!  As one who has filled the job of substitute teacher often in my life, it is not an easy position!  You don't know the class as well (God alone knows each heart!), you don't know the material as well (I can't quote Scripture or Biblical history!), but we do our best, knowing the master teacher has left good plans for us and has expectations that we will get the job done until they return. 
     When I look around the world today, I sometimes wonder if we have let the class get out of control.  As we prepare for Advent, perhaps it is a good opportunity to check in with our Teacher and reconnect with the lesson.  
       In this season of gift-giving, may I respond to this line from today's Celtic prayer:  May I be pregnant with the Spirit of Generosity, may I know that greater than the barrenness in the world is the harvest to be justly shared. Amen. (Celtic Benediction - J. Philip Newell)  

WEDNESDAY, December 10  Celebration in Sorrow
Psalm 126:2-3 GNT
How we laughed, how we sang for joy!
    Then the other nations said about us,
    “The Lord did great things for them.”
3 Indeed he did great things for us;
    how happy we were!
        "Joy can be abundant even when happiness is absent".  "Celebration can live simultaneously with sorrow".  These two quotes from d365 author Shelli Latham caught my eye today.  We often equate happiness and joy as equal words, but it seems to me that happiness is a more temporary state while joy is more of an approach-to-life state of being.  When we recount the many times God has been active in our lives, we have cause for celebration and joy.  Moments of darkness can be moments of joy when the hope of God's intervention is a part of it all.  
        It is a dark time of year.  Many become depressed with the long nights, the pressures of the season.  But we can be filled with joy knowing that the God of Light is coming.  We can celebrate that God comes to us every day in unimaginable ways!  
O Sun behind all suns, O Soul within all souls
Grant me the grace of the dawn's glory
Grant me the strength of the sun's rays
That I may be well in my own soul 
And part of the world's healing this day. (Celtic Benediction - J. Philip Newell)  

THURSDAY, December 11  
Isaiah 61:1-3 GNT excerpts
The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit.
He has chosen me and sent me
To bring good news...to heal...to free...to proclaim...
To comfort...to give...
       This is the passage from Isaiah that Jesus later quotes at the beginning of his ministry.  It challenges us to action - more than joyful songs of praise to God for all His blessings, but a response to live out our joy by sharing it with others.  Every RAK, every small moment of service, every time we share our time and talents for the benefit of others, we are responding to the Spirit within, we are expressing our joy. The Advent Season is filled with opportunities to be sent out in joy.  May we keep our focus on the sharing and time spent healing, comforting, and giving.  
Bless to me O God the earth beneath my feet. 
Bless to me O God the path on which I go. 
Bless to me O God the people whom I meet.
O God of all gods may your Spirit in me grow. (Adapted from Celtic Prayers by Newell)

We are off for the next few days to Jack's college graduation in Denver, CO.  The laptop is not traveling with me, so I will spend my morning time in creative prayer.  Back on Sunday to finish this week's JOY!

SUNDAY, December 14  
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 GNT
 May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful.   
    My list of God-Grace-Gifts is only 20 away from reaching the 'half-way' point of 500.  I am finding my list the fuel that feeds my soul, the faithfulness of God repeated every day in a myriad of ways.  We just returned from Denver and Jack's college graduation.  What a joyful celebration of persistence, meeting Jack's parents and girlfriend, enjoying the beauty of Colorado's Garden of the Gods and perfect, albeit abnormal, December weather.  God has been at work in Jack's life and will continue to be there for him.  
     If the grace of seeing were mine this day I would glimpse you in all that lives.  Grant me the grace of seeing this day.  Grant me the grace of seeing. Amen.   (Celtic Benediction by J Philip Newell)