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Revised Common Lectionary – Christmas Eve – Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011
- Isaiah 9:2-7
- Psalm 96
- Titus 2:11-14
- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Daily Devotion
There is a darkness darker than the night.
I see it in the night, the darkest sky.
I hear it in the silence of my cry.
I feel it when the darkness settles tight
Inside, and fall the tears I cease to fight.
And words I’d speak won’t come, within me die.
The world itself, it understands my sigh;
The darkness says we cannot make it right.
Into this darkness breaks the light that shines.
The heavens blaze as God’s great glory shows.
Seas roar, fields exult, and forests sing;
The angels harmonize their joyful lines;
The shepherds do proclaim and Mary knows;
The birth of Endless Peace all bells now ring.
~Wendy N. Lamb
How does the Light of Christ break in to our lives, our world?
Daily Lectionary – Friday, Dec. 23, 2011
- Morning Psalms 102, 148
- Jeremiah 31:10-14
- Galatians 3:15-22
- Luke 1:67-80 or Matthew 1:1-17
- Evening Psalms 130, 16
Daily Devotion
Who am I, Lord, to call out your name, to ask, to beg for relief
from sorrows from
illness, from poverty to which I, myself, have subscribed?
Why do I find myself in such sorry straits when it is I who, day
after day
turn my back toward your face? You call me to care for my
brothers and sisters
and I give them scrapings from the table You set before me. You
call to me in the
voices of the oppressed and downtrodden, and those for whom
war is a daily
reality, and, in my fear, I join those who send only bombs.
Lord, I am alone in my sorrow, and again you send a Comforter. I
am wrapped,
bound by the anger and greed in my world and you again send
One whose very
name speaks Peace.
I climb the mountains, fording streams bearing cool, clear water,
and I realize that
You are the Source of it ALL. Your mighty arms have thrust the
mountains from
the core of the earth, and your tears have fed the streams that quench my thirst.
I walk the desert that once I thought “waste land” and you show me its beauty.
You show me light and shadow, color and darkness, heat that
sears and bakes,
and chill that brings relief.
You lift Your hands and call me home, and you bring a little child
to show me the Way.
Come now, Lord Jesus
~Larry Marona
How is the Holy One calling us home this Advent?
How do we define “home”, given the state of our world today?
Daily Lectionary – Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011
- Morning Psalms 18:1-20, 147:12-20
- 2 Samuel 7:18-29
- Galatians 3:1-14
- Luke 1:57-66
- Evening Psalms 126, 62
Daily Devotion
Worry.
I worry about what will happen when the markets collapse,
when the wrong candidate gets elected, when the next lost
soul succeeds in some murderous madness.
I worry about our children: what will they do with this broken
world we hand them?
I worry about fires, floods,
oil spills, hurricanes, earthquakes . . .
There’s a lot to worry about.
So how do I prepare (in a “season of miracles”?)
for the Prince of Peace?
By believing?
Believe in miracles.
Put my money (or more important, my heart) my choices, my
deeds, everything on that line.
Actually live my life as if God – and only God – is my reality.
Trust God to care for me when I do. Let go of all those other worries.
What would that even look like?
How could I possibly do that?
This world – bleak, frightening, precious and beautiful – is all
I can see, hear, smell, taste, touch. How do I put that in second
place to the unseen? How do I reconcile my knowledge that I am powerless with the belief that I am NOT help-less.
Well, I can’t. Not without help.
A child’s face shines with delighted awe
when he sees Santa Claus
when she sees snow
when they spot their parents after being apart.
Make my heart again like a child’s—
vulnerable, foolish,
sure of the outcome.
Hush my adult’s head—
experienced, sensible, pragmatic,
afraid.
Let my face show that old delight and awe
when I see my neighbor (brother)
when I see my home (world)
when I think on you, Lord.
Help me believe in magic (miracles) again.
Then I can welcome you into my heart
and into my head and
Into this world.
Amen.
~Miriam Lange
Daily Lectionary – Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011
- Morning Psalms 50, 147:1-11
- 2 Samuel 7:1-17
- Titus 2:11—3:8a
- Luke 1:39-48a (48b-56)
- Evening Psalms 53, 17
Daily Devotion
As I read, re-read, pondered and prayed with today’s scriptures over several weeks time, I became delighted and amazed that there were, indeed, some “messages” that emerged for me! And I realize that these “messages” can become sources of peace for me, but only if I marinate myself in them and allow them to penetrate my deepest self, the place where the image of God in me already is!
In both the morning and evening Psalm selections, and in the passage from 2 Samuel, though they address very different situations confronting the writer and/or the nation, assurances arise and are repeated that address my own needs:
God’s compassion is steadfast.
God can be trusted to come alongside and accompany us.
God promised these things “in the beginning” and
again in the covenant with Abraham in order to
bless all the “nations”. (So that includes us!)
God does not need sacrifices or a lavish “house” to live in,
since everything already belongs to God. But God does
want us to be faithful seekers and doers of God’s will and
God acknowledges our trying and our thanksgiving.
In Luke 1:39-56, the pregnant Mary responds to Elizabeth, her cousin, the expectant mother of John the Baptist, with the words of the Magnificat. Mary thanks God for the steadfast love and compassion shown to her. She recalls God’s mercy, strength and faithfulness to many generations before her, all the way back to the promise made to Abraham and his descendants.
I pray that these weeks of reading, pondering, praying and wait- ing can be times for thanksgiving that in the birth and life of Jesus we see the promises and the nature of God lived out in the flesh. Jesus embodied God’s compassion and steadfastness. He faithfully lived out what he knew about God’s desires for this world. The deepest part of me wants to do that too, with God’s help.
What in my everyday, ordinary life keeps me from paying attention to what God desires me to be and to do?
Is it busyness? Or is it the fear that I can never be “enough” for such a call from God?
~Marion Wiens
Daily Lectionary – Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011
- Morning Psalms 33, 146
- 1 Samuel 2:1b-10
- Titus 2:1-10
- Luke 1: 26- 38
- Evening Psalms 85, 94
Daily Devotion
I wonder…what would it be like for all of us to live out Mary’s words? “Here I am…” I think of her posture of openness and of willful surrender. Mary must have been stunned and dazzled and overwhelmed and perplexed at the sight of Gabriel and yet…she offered herself, “…the servant of the Lord.” Not many of us adopt the attitude of a servant. Servant, both in ancient times and our current culture, has the implications of being low status, of being unskilled, of being somehow, “less than” and yet…Mary offered herself fully…fully! How is it that she trusted so quickly, that she calmly submitted herself in the midst of her known world turning all topsy-turvy? When our world turns into chaos, we understandably respond with fear, anger and trepidation, and yet, Mary responded to God’s words, spoken through Gabriel, with “…let it be with me according to your word.” In the face of such change, of such newness, such upheaval, she trusted…she had faith. I wonder, in the same circumstances, would we answer, in kind, like Mary? “Let it be with me according to your word.”
If we did, imagine the possibilities…imagine the kindness…imagine living without fear…imagine…”the Lord is with you.” I wonder, can we live like Mary and surrender…not just during Advent, but always? I wonder…
In what ways can we adopt Mary’s posture of utter trust and surrender in our own lives?
~Christa Wallis
This Advent meditation was written at Casa del Sol, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
Daily Lectionary – Monday, Dec. 19, 2011
- Morning Psalms 122, 145
- Zephaniah 3:14-20
- Titus 1:1-16
- Luke 1:1-25
- Evening Psalms 40, 67
Daily Devotion
The psalmist says “Peace be within you”.
What a comforting thought, but how do we make it more than a thought? I long to feel a deep and abiding peace; this can only come from the Presence of God.
God’s presence and peace are always, always available, but I must be quiet and faithful enough to let in.
The Angel of the Lord said to both Zachariah and Mary, “Do not be afraid”. I believe God wants us to live life not in fear, but with “Peace within”.
Pray for Peace
Live in Peace
Peace be within you.
~Laurie Stafford
What steps can I take to live “unafraid”?
Revised Common Lectionary – Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011
- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
- Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
- Romans 16:25-27
- Luke 1:26- 38
Daily Devotion
What holds me back?
(Taken from Luke 1:26-38)
At this time of uncertainty,
when the unexpected seems to happen far too often:
Imagine what it would be like to be Mary.
Believe that the Lord is with you.
Dream.
Wonder.
Walk with God.
Hope to be the servant the Lord wants you to be.
Listen.
Pray for grace. Pray for peace.
Trust that no word from God will ever fail.
Do not be afraid.
Imagine.
~Mindy Rueda
How might we find favor with God in our daily life?
In our spoken words?
Daily Lectionary – Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011
- Morning Psalms 90, 149
- Zechariah 8:9-17
- Revelation 6:1-17
- Matthew 25:31-46
- Evening Psalms 80, 72
Daily Devotion
Rejoice, rejoice
We shall rejoice in the Lord We shall celebrate his gifts
And be grateful
We shall sing
Sing praises to the Lord
We shall praise and rejoice
With song and dance
We shall share
Share His glory with the world For when we minister to them
He shall minister to us
We praise the Lord for his gifts
We give our gifts to Him
And He Gives His to us
Sing, worship, praise
And rejoice in the Lord
~Charlotte Pringle
What is my greatest “gift”?
Do I share this gift freely?
Daily Lectionary – Friday, Dec. 16, 2011
- Morning Psalms 102, 148
- Zechariah 7:8—8:8
- Revelation 5:6-14
- Matthew 25:14-30
- Evening Psalms 130, 16
Daily Devotion
Zechariah 7:8-8:8 and Psalm 102
Today we can easily feel like the Israelites of Zechariah’s day in their exile, lonely and lost, without anchor, and unable to hear God’s voice. So many issues plague us and cause us to feel isolated from God, isolated from those closest to us, and from neighbors both near and in the far corners of the earth. We see violence and war in many parts of the world, even violence on our own city streets. Racial prejudices seem to be rampant, and hate is often more prevalent than love. Greed blinds us to the great needs of the poor, the sick and the lonely. For many, the prayer of the troubled young man in Psalm 102 could be our prayer, and we wonder what kind of world we will leave to our children and grandchildren.
Both the Zechariah passage and the 102nd Psalm remind us, however, that, beyond all the adversity of this world, God remains in charge. “I will rescue my people from the lands where they have been taken,” for “nothing is impossible for me” (Zech. 8:6-7). “Our children will live in safety, and under your protection their descendants will be secure” (Ps. 102:28). God’s command to his people long ago remains our command as well, “You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another…, not oppressing anyone in need…, [nor planning] ways of harming one another.”
With the coming again of the Prince of Peace this Advent, might it be our personal charge to seek to be God’s hands at work in our small corner of what feels like a troubled world?
~Sally Morris
Daily Lectionary – Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011
- Morning Psalms 18:1-20, 147:12-20
- Zechariah 4:1-14
- Revelation 4:9—5:5
- Matthew 25:1-13
- Evening Psalms 126, 62
Daily Devotion
Matthew 25:1-13
Mise en Place
Mise en Place is a French term that translates to “everything in place.” In the food world, it refers to having all ingredients and cooking items prepared and organized before even starting a recipe. For example, if you are making a beef stew, you would have a pot heating on the stove, vegetables cleaned, peeled, chopped and in neat piles, meat chunked and also in a neat pile, liquids measured out in easy to pour containers, and needed tools and seasonings within reach. With everything in its place, there is a sense of peace and a graceful dance in the art of cooking can begin.
On the other hand, when you have not prepared ahead, sometimes there is a chaos that reigns. The pantry gets rifled through in search of ingredients you thought you had, cabinets and drawers are pulled apart looking for the right bowl or tool, only to find that it isn’t and another search ensues. Realizing you don’t have what is needed, you leave an unfinished recipe in a disaster-struck kitchen for a “quick” trip to the grocery store. Not quite the Joy of Cooking you had in mind.
In the midst of Advent, I cannot help but think about our annual quest for mise en place in our homes to ensure “the recipe of Christmas” occurs. We don’t want to be the unprepared one. Everything in its place: decorations correctly hung, parties perfectly planned, shopping completed, and presents beautifully wrapped. But through these acts, do we ever find the peace and grace that comes with preparation?
Or,
have we forgotten the one, essential ingredient of Christmas?
~Dawn Morris
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