Which Way?

Luke 1:67-80
Maybe it's the season. Maybe it's because my stress level is running too high. Maybe it's the litany of events that have washed over the United States in the past month. Maybe it's all of these. Whatever the reason, I find myself embracing the words of Luke today, and especially one promise in particular. "By the tender mercy of our God," we read, "the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79). I want to walk in the way of peace, the sort of peace that redefines life, that makes sense of this world, that builds community and overcomes injustice. I want that kind of peace.

But the good news of Luke's gospel for today is not without its challenges. God's chosen one may guide our feet into the way of peace, but we are going to have to do some walking. We are going to have to shoulder the responsibility that comes with being the community of faith, the people of God. We are going to have to do the work of the coming kingdom, follow the will of God, embrace God's call for justice and righteousness. We are going to have to look beyond ourselves and our needs and our wants and "rights" and be willing to do things God's way, mindful of the least among us, the lost and the lonely, those who, like us, are longing for a better world. Perhaps this is what it means to "take the necessary steps." Perhaps it means that we must stand up and begin to exercise our faith muscles once again.

This may not sound much like peace, at least not the peace we are looking for at present. But here is our hope, that by God's grace we can and will find the strength and the courage we need for the living of these days and will, by God's grace, someday find ourselves awash in the true peace that only God can offer. Until then, until that day when Luke's words like those of the prophets come to fruition, we live in the knowledge that we are not alone and that the steps we take, no matter how faltering, will
 lead us in time to the right place. 

On this Christmas Eve, may our lives be filled with love and light, and may our living be directed by and toward the will of God. 

Prayer: Gracious God, guide our feet and open our hearts to your love and grace that in your time we may find the true peace that passes all understanding. In the name of the one we await. Amen.

An Honest Woman

Luke 1:26-38
I admire Luke’s portrayal of Mary when he writes, “But she was much perplexed by (the angel’s) words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:29). The conversation between Gabriel and Mary should not be passed by hurriedly. It is one of the most transforming moments in all of scripture through which the work of God unfolds. This is as much a call story as is Exodus 3, or Isaiah 6, or Jeremiah 1 and in each of those cases the men in question hem and haw with fear and trepidation. Why should Mary, called to bear God’s Son, be any different? Why should she not be perplexed? Why should she not wonder how this could be true of a virgin? Her questions are honest and straightforward. Her concern is natural. This is a real person dealing with really surprising news. By the time Mary says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,” we know that she means it.

May all of us strive for the honesty of Mary, allowing our questions to rise and our concerns to be expressed. God seeks the best that each of us can offer and honesty is high on that list. When we say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord,” may it be with true conviction. May we know that we mean it.

Prayer: Lord, may our minds be active and our hearts alive during this season as we welcome your word into our world and accept the challenges that you give us. In the name of your Son our Lord. Amen.

An Angel From the Realm

Luke 22:39-53
It may seem like an odd time of year to be reading events from Jesus’ passion, but there is significance in holding the season of Advent, which highlights both the birth and second coming of Jesus, in tension with the events of Holy Week. They are, after all, aspects of the same life. But in reading the gospel passage for today, what really resonates with me is the way that God responded to Jesus’ earnest prayers. “Then (Jesus) withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength” (Luke 22:41-43). Jesus, the word of God incarnate, sought to avoid the death that awaited him and asked God to “remove this cup.” (In faithful obedience, however, Jesus was determined to accept God’s will.) And while God did not choose to change the events to follow, God did send Jesus strength by which to persevere. It came to him in the person of an angel who ministered to him.

There are people hurting in our world today, whether from illness or mishap or from some act of evil, people who may have prayed fervently to have some “cup” removed from their lives. They may be people of tremendous faith in God who live in obedience to God’s will. Yet God may not respond the way that they would like. This does not mean that God deserts them – or us – in our hour of need. We all face challenges and hardships. It is by grace that we discern the presence of God offering us strength to endure. The good news of the gospel is that with mercy God reaches out to those who are hurting, who are lonely, who are neglected, who long for light and peace and joy, who wish to be saved from challenges or tribulations, and in any number of ways God seeks to meet those needs and answer those requests. It may not be what we wanted, but it is always a source of hope.

Prayer: Lord, bless us with the knowledge of your presence in all that we do and give us the strength and the courage we need to face the challenges of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Words of Comfort

2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
It is difficult at the best of times to comprehend a tragedy of the magnitude that struck in Connecticut today, but during the season of Advent the death of so many people—most of them children––is even more crushing. And while there is no easy word of comfort that can be spoken to those who grieve, we remember that we live in the presence of a God who has suffered the death of a Son and whose love for us is boundless. Today’s epistle reading includes these words: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

As we struggle with yet another act of intense violence may the dawning of God’s coming reign draw us closer to one another in our suffering even as it draws ever nearer in its proximity. And may the Christmas season be filled with genuine acts of kindness and humility as together we seek the blessings of God for ourselves and one another.

Prayer: Lord, be with people of Newton, Connecticut. Lift them through their grief and despair and give them hope in these days of pain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It’s A Virtue
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
I needed to hear these words today: “And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). It isn’t the admonition, the encouragement, or the help that I needed to be reminded about, it is the patience. It’s Advent, and my patience is running low. What a shame, too. This is the season of expectation and hope, of looking forward to what God is doing while celebrating what has already been done. It is a time for preparing and for reorienting. Joy should permeate everything we do; the King of Glory is coming!

But Advent also presents us with more hectic schedules and more complicated calendars. There are family arrangements to work out and money to be spent. There are long lines and short fuses. It is a complicated time of year and I find myself getting antsy about the silliest things. I know I’m not alone. Even good experiences, even kind people, even days filled with good cheer can cause stress, like weddings, for example. As a minister I feel a certain responsibility for this season, to help others experience the joy of Christmas, and that can cause me a good bit of stress as well. And the stress in turn leads to a loss of patience.

But faithful obedience calls for faithful living. As the writer of Thessalonians reminds us, patience is a virtue for which we should strive at all times and with all people. Advent, then, should also be a time for practicing the sort of calm acceptance that the world needs. Lord, I’ll be glad to do all the admonishing, encouraging, and helping that I can, but I’m going to need you to give me the patience that I need, so that I can share your love with others and can live in peace during Advent and beyond. Oh, and Lord, could you hurry up with that patience? I haven’t got all day!

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are quick to judge and quick to anger, and help us to live in peace with one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now a Word From Our Sponsor

Zechariah 7:8-8:8

Just in time for Christmas, the prophet Zechariah has a not-so-subtle reminder of what our relationship to God is all about. "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets" (Zechariah 7:9-12a). If we hold these words alongside the words of John the Baptist we begin to see the issues that Jesus Christ was sent to address, the claims that God was making in the stable in Bethlehem.

Right now, and just for a moment, reflect on how our global culture treats the poor and the disenfranchised in our midst. Then take another moment to consider how the message of Christmas speaks to the least and the lonely, those longing for the truth. Are there things that we can do better? Are there people for whom we can show more compassion? I suspect that there are. If we have in any way stopped up our ears to God's word, or allowed the sounds of our culture to drown it out, then Advent is the time to start paying attention again.

Now back to your regular holiday activities.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to hear and respond to your voice and your voice alone, during Advent and throughout the year. In the name of the one whose return we await. Amen.

No Other Way

Zechariah 4:1-14

It is not even accorded the status of a full verse, but to me Zechariah 4:6b is one of those profound expressions of faith we do well to reflect on frequently: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” No matter how strong we are in human terms, no matter how well-established or influential we may be, it is only by God’s grace that our efforts come to fruition. But assuming that to be true, this must also be the case that no matter how weak we are in human terms, no matter now poor or poorly-regarded, no matter how humble our presence, God’s grace is still at work in our lives.

The psalmist offers a similar thought: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain” (Psalm 127:1). But here, too, we should remember the other side of the equation, for with God’s help the builders do not labor in vain and the guards do not keep watch in vain, no matter who they are in human terms. After all, the world is littered with the debris of once-great civilizations, yet human history is full of simple actions by the least among us that have produced good fruit and touched countless lives.

What we await this Advent season is not a symbol of human power but of human weakness in the form of an infant. So why do we count on our own might or our own power to accomplish God’s will, and why do we discount the role of the poor or the weak in serving the coming kingdom? At all times the truth lies with God. There is no other way.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to trust you and your will for our lives while letting go of our own desire for power and might. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Reason To Sing

Zechariah 2:1-13

There’s a lot of singing going on these days. Visit any shopping center in America, for example, and you are apt to hear music associated with Christmas piped through loudspeakers. Visit a congregation on Sunday in most parts of the world and I suspect you will hear special anthems and notice that the hymns are sung with extra zeal. Groups of carolers are making their rounds, and even families will break into song from time to time as they decorate their homes for the Christmas season.

I think that the prophet Zachariah would approve of most of the music, at least that of a religious nature. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!” we read. “For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst…” (Zechariah 2:10-11b). What better reason to sing? What better reason to rejoice? The Lord is coming to be Emanuel, God with us. The nations will be drawn together on that day as God’s reign is finally and firmly established. All will be set right and grace will abound in fullness.

Reading the promise of Zachariah I am reminded of James Weldon Johnson’s powerful words:

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,

Till earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the list'ning skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won.

Here, too, I believe the prophet Zachariah would readily approve. Let every voice be lifted in glad rejoicing. After all, ‘tis the season!

Prayer: Lord, may our songs of praise bring glory to your name, today and all days. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Journey Completed

Psalm 122

One of the two psalms for this morning tells us of a journey completed. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem (Psalm 122:1-2). “I was delighted when we began our trip to Jerusalem,” the psalmist is saying. “Now here we are, safely inside its walls.” A trek which began in gladness has come to a joy-filled conclusion.

The Christian faith is also a journey that, like all significant undertakings, has a purpose, a goal, a destination. We believe that someday we also will stand within the holy city under the fulfilled reign of God. Advent celebrates this expectation, it encourages us to plan and to prepare and to await that which we know to be coming, that which God will reveal to us in God’s time. Meanwhile we walk on together, a band of travelers, disciples led by a risen Savior, and as we journey we are filled with gladness for we know where we are headed and that someday we will arrive at the new Jerusalem and be filled with joy.

Prayer: Lord, you have invited us to walk with you. Guide our steps that by grace we may finish the journey and arrive at the destination you have prepared for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Stirred Up

Haggai 1:1-15

“Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God…” (Haggai 1:13-14).

God has often stirred up the spirit of God’s people, encouraging, enabling, and empowering them to be about God’s will, doing more than they thought they ever could. Even during the season of Advent we hear of God inspiring Zachariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist, and the residents of Jerusalem and all of Judea. When so many are awakened from spiritual complacency there must be something going on, and when so many turn to God and welcome God’s presence in their lives with shouts of joy and songs of praise it is clearly God who is responsible for the stirring.

Through the words of the prophet Haggai God stirred up “the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God….” And through countless other voices God continues to stir folks up. May we, too, be stirred from our spiritual listlessness until we find ourselves doing more than we ever knew we could. Then we will truly know that the Lord is at work.

Prayer: Lord, stir us up by your word and lead us in lives of faithfulness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Clean Up Your Act

Matthew 23:13-26

Our gospel reading for today includes words of Jesus’ condemning the actions of the religious elite. “Woe to you,” Jesus says, “scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean” (Matthew 23:25-26). Jesus is pointing to the ritual purification of household items, and using it as a parable of righteousness. Those who were worried about appearances but who cared little for God’s will were like cups and plates cleaned on the outside but left full of filth on the inside. “Get your priorities straight,” says Jesus. “Clean up your act.”

Most of us are preparing ourselves for the coming holidays by decorating, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and so forth. We worry about our budgets (so much to buy), about our weight (so much to eat), about our time (so much to do), about our obligations (so many folks to please). Are our priorities straight? Are we focused on the real point of the season, the needs of our world that Jesus addresses over and over again? Or are we cups and plates that are clean on the outside but filthy on the inside? Let’s put it another way: would you serve holiday guests on dishes that had not been washed? No! Nor should we serve God with hearts that have not been touched by the call for justice and righteousness.

Jesus’ words are stark and direct. What matters to God is a life of faithful obedience. Live in accordance with God’s will first and foremost, and let your actions be your gift to the world.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to live as you intend, with hearts set not on worldly desires, but on the grace and mercy that you seek. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Listen Here

Amos 8:1-14

Of all the words of warning that God shares through the prophet Amos perhaps the most ominous comes in our reading for today.

“The time is surely coming, says the Lord God,

when I will send a famine on the land;

not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water,

but of hearing the words of the Lord.

They shall wander from sea to sea,

and from north to east;

they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,

but they shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

Amos is describing a sense of disorientation that few of us can fully appreciate. I imagine the absence of God’s word as similar to the rasping sound of a poorly tuned radio. Unable to find the proper signal we might soon become dizzy following after other voices, other sounds that offered no real substance.

But what if God’s word is present yet we refuse to listen to it? What if our “spiritual radios” are turned off or set to other stations? Is the effect not the same? Do we not risk the same disorientation? Do we not find ourselves drawn to voices and sounds unworthy of our attention? Advent is about tuning into the proper message, about seeking out the correct frequency so that the message comes though clearly. Jesus Christ is the Word of God and in his birth we find God broadcasting the good news to all who will listen.

Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your Word and to respond in faith, during Advent and beyond. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Expect the Unexpected

Amos 7:10-17

The book of Amos offers only a brief description of the prophet’s call from God. “Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel”'” (Amos 7:14-15). This is not a unique story in scripture. Moses was herding the flocks of his father-in-law when God called him (Exodus 3). Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) were minding their own business when the presence of the Lord burst upon them with work to be done. In the New Testament Mary was surprised to learn that she would bear God’s Son (Luke 1:26-38); Simon, Andrew, James and John were interrupted in their daily activities when Jesus called them to follow (Matthew 4:18-22); and Paul was stunned by Jesus’ appearance to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). These are just a few of the examples that scripture gives us.

Advent is a time for listening to God’s voice in our lives, for following where God leads us, for doing the unexpected. Few of us herd livestock, prune sycamore trees, or fish for a living. Even fewer—I suspect—are in the habit of persecuting Christians. That’s not the point of these stories. What we need to understand it that God sees in us gifts and skills that we may not readily see in ourselves, and God seeks to use those skills to serve God’s will. The tasks we find ourselves doing may be small or large, may cause us little discomfort or force us to completely change our way of life. Whatever the case, God’s people must always “expect the unexpected.” That may seem difficult during Advent when we think we know pretty well what is going on, but if we are really listening, really paying attention, then we will learn all sorts of things about God, about ourselves, and about the world around us.

Advent is a time for expectations, some of which are very unexpected. Be ready.

Prayer: Lord, keep us focused on what you are doing in our world, and give us the strength to respond when you call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho

Matthew 21:23-32

Jesus told a parable about two brothers. When asked by his father to work in the field the first brother said no, but later relented and went. The second brother agreed to the task but changed his mind and did not go. “Which of the brothers did the will of the father?” Jesus asked. “The first one,” his listeners answered (Matthew 21:28-31). In contemporary terms the point of the story seems to be “better late than never.”

What if the second brother changes his mind yet again? What if, after thinking about what he has done, he realizes he was wrong and finally goes to the field to work? Will he not have done the father’s will then? In telling the parable Jesus is giving his listeners the opportunity to finally get it right. And more to the point, in relating the story to us as readers, Matthew’s gospel is giving us a chance to amend our own behavior. There are consequences to our actions or inaction, but Jesus parable is a call for repentance just as John the Baptist called for repentance before him.

As we wind our way through Advent we will have many chances to accept or decline the will of God. But in the anticipation and hopefulness associated with this season of the church year we will also have many chances to recognize our failures and to repent of them. Look around. In the shelters and on the street corners, in troubled homes and among the lonely and distressed there is still work to be done. Now, as much as ever, our hands and hearts are needed in the field. Now is the time to say, “I go, sir,” and to mean it and to do it.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to live out your claim on our lives, that we may serve your will in all we do, now and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.