The Seventh Day of Christmas

The seventh day of Christmas (December 31st) remembers Pope Sylvester I (a 4th century pope), but since this pope was the one who converted Constantine, who began to persecute non-Christians in the Roman Empire in the name of God, I am choosing to focus on someone I hold in higher regard: St. Francis of Assisi. Now St. Francis lived in the 1100s and 1200s. The patron saint of ecologists is fittingly known for his love of nature and animals, as well as for his vow of poverty. 

Song: Go, Tell It On the Mountain

Scripture: Psalm 96:11-13

Devotion: 

Today's song was chosen more for the chorus than for the verses since it seemed fitting to "go tell it on the mountains" when discussing St. Francis. Now, this song creates some cognitive dissonance for me. Christians are fond of singing this song within the confines of the church, surrounded by other Christians, but I don't see much evidence (in myself included) of Christians actually going out and telling people about Jesus. We have been tasked with carrying this Good News into a hurting world, but we seem to mostly spend time with other Christians complaining about the state of the world. This condemnation is aimed at myself as much as at others. When was the last time I shared the Gospel with a non-Christian? Do I go beyond sharing a Christian meme on social media that gets lots of "likes" from other Christians? People aren't being converted because they saw our Christian-themed post on social media. People come to know Christ through relationships with Christ-followers. It takes personalization, intentional time, and vulnerability. Witnessing about Christ's power is more than posting "You need God." on a social media platform; witnessing involves a conversation WITH a person instead of a lecture AT your friends. Consider it a discussion instead of a monologue.

I could have chosen Mark 16:15 as today's reading since St. Francis reportedly preached to birds and other animals. Mark's gospel commands people to preach the Gospel to all creation and St. Francis is said to have taken that instruction quite literally. However, we will focus on Psalm 96:11-13 instead. It calls upon heaven to rejoice and the earth to be glad as the sea (and all that's in it) resounds. It tells the fields (and everything in them) to be jubilant and the trees to sing for joy. It calls all of creation to rejoice before the Lord who is coming to judge the earth in righteousness and faithfulness.

Challenge: 

Get out in nature. If it's cold (most likely the case now), bundle up. Find a city, state, or national park to walk through. Notice God's marvelous designs in nature. Embrace the silence as you listen for God's voice.

Prayerfully consider how you've done over the past year (or few years since 2020 kinda threw a wrench in normal gatherings and Gospel-sharing plans) at sharing the Gospel. What is the Good News we are to proclaim? What is your (BRIEF) testimony of your life before Jesus, the way you met Jesus, and the ways you have changed since you submitted to Jesus? What has Christ been doing in your life over the past year? 

Read up on the Franciscan movement (here, here, and here). When I set out to write this post, I had planned to focus on his vow of poverty and the importance of choosing to live simply (to borrow from the Mennonites' amazing book Living More with Less), but the Gospel message demanded its due place on center stage. Consider what ways we can simplify and reduce our usage of resources so we can give more, share more, and focus on God more. Challenge yourself to only buy essentials for a week (or longer) as you carry out this challenge. Take the money you would have spent on non-essentials and donate it to a worthy cause or charity.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The sixth day of Christmas remembers St. Egwin of Worcester. He is the patron saint of widows and orphans. St. Egwin lived in the 600s and 700s and established a Benedictine monastery.  

Song: Of the Father's Love Begotten

Scripture: James 1:19-27

Devotion: 

I really recommend reading over all of today's song lyrics. Instead of speedreading or rushing through, take time to slowly weigh each phrase. There is so much to ponder and mull over. This song focuses on God, His character, and His actions. Consider the meaning of these verses, both to the people who lived in Jesus' time and today. How do these descriptions of God impact you? Which parts are comforting? Which parts are disturbing? What characteristics of God have you not considered before? 

Today's passage comes from one of my favorite books of the Bible. I included the entire section of our key verse (verse 27), because it is packed with such good wisdom.

Are you quick to listen?

Are you slow to speak?

Are you slow to become angry?

Do you reject moral filth and evil?

Are you humble? (Are you proud about how humble you are?)

Do you listen to the word? 

Do you also do what the word says?

Do you consider yourself religious?

Do you rein in your tongue? 

Who should we look after in order to have a pure and faultless religion?

What are you doing to look after widows and orphans?

What does it mean to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world? 

Yeah...we could have just focused on verse 27, but we would have missed all the opportunities for the other questions that are good to ponder. 

St. Egwin was known for looking after widows and orphans. It's easy to say that I care for (or rather care about) widows and orphans, but when I pause to consider what I do to care for them, my list is a little sparse. Sure I tithe and part of that surely goes to help them, but what am I intentionally doing to care for widows and orphans?

Can I find a charity that supports them?

Can I sponsor a widow or orphan? Write to one? Call one? 

Who is a widow or orphan in my community that I can befriend, support, and encourage? 

Who is a foster parent or has adopted a child? How can I support them?

What is a Christmas gift program that I can join to give gifts to widows and orphans? 

Challenge: 

Consider the questions above. Commit to doing something in the coming year to look after widows and orphans. Challenge yourself to be consistent. Faithfully support the same person as you build a relationship with them. 

Read a little about Benedictine traditions that Egwin participated in. Try to balance prayer and work like the monastics. 

The Fifth Day of Christmas

The fifth day of Christmas (December 29th) remembers St. Thomas Becket, you know, the 12th century Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed on 12/29/1170 due to his challenge of the King's claim of authority over the Church.

Song: I Wonder As I Wander

Scripture: Acts 5:17-42

Devotion: 

The song selected for today is one of my husband's favorite songs. I love the haunting melody and the introspection that it elicits. Jesus came to earth in order to reconcile man to God. He came for the poor and the ordinary, just like us. Verse two summarizes the birth, shepherds, and wise men (granted, the wise men didn't arrive until Jesus was older, as we will learn on January 6th with the Epiphany devotional). It describes the star that drew attention to the promise of a Messiah. The last verse reminds us that anything Jesus wanted, he could surely have, because He was the king.

Our Scripture for today is from the book of Acts. The story begins with the apostles being arrested and jailed by the high priest and Sadducees, but an angel released the apostles and commanded them to return to the temple and preach. The high priest and company sent for the apostles the next day, but they weren't in their cells. Then someone tells the religious elite that the men they are looking for are back in the temple preaching. 

So the apostles were summoned to the Sanhedrin to explain their actions. Previously, they were commanded to not teach in Jesus' name, but here they were, still preaching the Good News. Peter and the other apostles replied "We must obey God rather than human beings!" The council wanted to execute the apostles, but Gamaliel talked them down. He reminded the Sanhedrin that when the leader of a man-made revolt dies, the revolt fades away, so if this is a man-made movement, it would fail. BUT if this is coming from God, then the apostles would succeed and the council would be fighting against God. 

The council listened to Gamaliel, but went ahead and flogged the disciples and reiterated their command of not speaking in Jesus' name. The apostles left "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." They continued to teach and proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah.

Thomas Becket was a complicated person. If you read the linked articles above, you probably noticed that he wasn't a perfect person and had struggles and sins. He was killed for refusing to capitulate to the demands of the State. Today's song only loosely ties into today's theme. As we wonder and marvel at who Jesus is, we remember that we serve Him, not a president, political party, or country. He is King and God, and we must obey Him over the whims, demands, or unjust laws of the State. We have the precedent for that in Scripture, thanks to Acts 5. When man's law and God's law diverges, we must follow God's law. When man's law is unjust or immoral, then Christians SHOULD break the law and accept the consequences of their refusal to follow an unjust law.

This concept is a bit foreign in the Church in America, because for generations, we have been incorrectly taught that America is a "Christian nation" and therefore there is no division between the will of God and the will of the State. (I have written about this before in 2013, 2014, 2014 again, 2016, and 2017, 2017 again, and 2019). In short, PEOPLE can be Christians or non-Christians, but things and countries aren't Christian or non-Christian. A book may help a Christian person to grow in their faith, but the book itself is not a Christian. A t-shirt may have a quote from the Bible on it, but the t-shirt itself is not a Christian. A country may have Christians in it or even have an official state religion of Christianity, but countries are not going to be in heaven; PEOPLE from countries will be in heaven. You may think that this is a silly distinction, because our culture labels books, movies, clothes, music, and countries as "Christian" without a second thought, but I believe that we need to be intentional with the words we use. 

Throughout the history of the Church, Christians have refused to follow the laws of the countries, because they were following Christ as King. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie ten Boom, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, William Wilberforce, and so many others defied and challenged national laws as they obeyed God's law. 

Now, because I am writing this in the middle of the pandemic, I must clarify: The State's laws about wearing masks, staying socially distanced, and not gathering together in large numbers indoors is NOT a violation of God's law and SHOULD be OBEYED. It is not persecution or an attack on religious freedom to change how churches gather together during a pandemic. It's not unfair that casinos can operate (where people are able to be socially distanced and no one is SINGING), but churches are a higher risk. Wearing a mask isn't against God's law and actually falls under it (something about loving your neighbors as yourself). There are alternatives to meeting together in person in our modern age, so Christians should be willing to do that.

Challenge: 

Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, especially what he says about just vs. unjust laws. 

Prayerfully consider what cultural traditions go against God's laws, especially those which are common in our churches today.

Reflect on what it means to be a citizen in God's kingdom before we are citizens in an earthly kingdom.

The Fourth Day of Christmas

The fourth day of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. We remember the state-sponsored genocide that took place in Bethlehem as Herod tried to eliminate Jesus.

Song: The Winter Sun Was Setting

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18

Devotion: 

Within two years of Jesus' birth there was a genocide in his town. The government ordered troops in to kill any male child under the age of two. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were warned to leave in a dream, and safely escaped to Egypt, but many mothers were left mourning for their sons. Read through the lyrics of the song. Reflect on what these mothers must have felt.

Genocide is not an outdated tactic used by militaries around the world. Rwandan genocide. Nazi Germany genocide. The Nanking Massacre. Bosnian genocide. These are all genocides that happened within the last 100 years. Genocides create refugees and asylum seekers as people flee from persecution and death. We can't look at the Christmas story without coming face to face with refugees. 

What would it have been like if Mary, Joseph, and Jesus sought refugee in recent times? Would Jesus have been a child separated from His parents, who were sent back to their homeland? Would Jesus have been one of the 650+ children who were unable to be reunited with their parents because the government lost track of them? Would Jesus have been sent to "Remain in Mexico" until His court date approached? Would Jesus have been sent on alone to the US border as an unaccompanied minor, only to be sent back across the border due to the pandemic? Would Jesus have been held in overcrowded cages, being fed crackers, juice, and frozen meals? Would an older child have taken Jesus under their wing as He was a two-year-old separated from His parents? Some people might point out that this has been going on for more than one administration, but bringing up additional past wrongs does not turn a present wrong into a right. 

What is my point in this? The way that we treat refugees and asylum seekers matters.  God commands clearly throughout Scripture that we are to welcome and care for the stranger, foreigner, and fatherless. Jesus says that how we treat the "least of these" (to borrow from the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25), is how we treat Him. It's easier to claim that we would have helped someone in the past than to actually help someone in the present. There are refugees in many of our communities. We can support their businesses, welcome them, and befriend them.

An amazing book to read is Christmas Is Not Your Birthday by Mike Slaughter. He highlights his church's journey towards making Christmas a time to help refugees as we remember that Jesus was once a person seeking refuge. If Christmas is merely a time when we give gifts to those we love, as we ignore those on the margins of society, I think we are missing the point. Jesus didn't come just for the people who looked like Him or who loved Him, but He came for everyone and calls us to follow Him.

Challenge: 

Pray for refugees. Donate to an organization or charity that serves refugees. Find and support a refugee-run business in your community. Speak out against unjust government treatment of refugees.  

The Third Day of Christmas

The third day of Christmas (December 27th) remembers St. John the Apostle. Although he suffered greatly during his life as he experienced persecution for his faith, he is the only Apostle who is believed to have died of natural causes instead of a martyr's death.

Song: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-11

Devotion: 

This song almost gives me whiplash. We go from the angels' message of "peace on the earth, good will to men" being sung to the weary world, to the "woes of sin and strife" that we have long suffered as we, being "at war with man", don't hear the angels' song. We need to have the warmongers and "men of strife" be quiet so they can hear the song of peace.

This year especially, we can relate to "life's crushing load" that the song sings of. We have toiled and taken slow, painful steps as injustices and the pandemic rock our world. But there is a call to rest and listen to the angels' song. We yearn for the time when Peace comes over all the earth, but this isn't here yet. We aren't called, as Christians, to passively wait for peace to come to the earth; we are called to join in God's work of bringing peace to the earth, bringing hope to the hopeless, bringing comfort to the mourning, bringing healing to the broken, bringing reconciliation and redemption to a world separated from God.

John doesn't shy away from delivering tough teachings. In 1 John 2, he directly ties our knowing Jesus to our keeping of His commands. This isn't to say that we earn our salvation through good works, but rather that we show our love for God in obeying Him. John writes that if we say we know Him, but don't obey Him, then we are liars. Our obedience to God's commands shows we are His. He goes on to tell us that if we claim to live in Christ, then we must live as He did. 

John continues by discussing hate and love. If we love our brothers and sisters in the faith, then we are walking in the light, but if we hate our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are walking in darkness. We live in an era of division. We have stopped listening to or even respecting the other side. Whatever our hot button issue is, if someone disagrees with us, they are viewed as a monster.  In the Church, we are quick to declare, "But I love everyone", but this love is not displayed when we unfriend, snooze, or ignore those with opposing views. It isn't shown when we have "agree-fests" where we mock, scorn, and belittle those who disagree with us, especially when we are isolated from those with opposing views. 

Our world is divided. We won't wake up one day to find a world at peace. It takes work, long, hard, draining work to foster peace in a divisive age. It involves listening to others, setting aside clichés and strawman arguments, and acknowledging the humanity of those who hold different core beliefs. As Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:46-47), "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" We aren't any different from a non-Christian if we only love, respect, and interact with those who are part of the same denomination, those who have the same political affiliations, or those who agree with us on the same social issues. If we are to bring peace to our world, we need to love those who disagree with us and befriend those who are different from us.

Challenge: 

Listen to someone who holds different beliefs than you. Learn instead of argue. Seek to understand their reasoning instead of trying to convert them to your viewpoint. Ask open questions instead of defending your position.

Rephrase what they said to make sure that you are interpreting their message correctly. 

Choose not to get into a fight on social media. Better yet, choose not to say anything negative about other people, even people who disagree with you on the issues that matter most to you, especially when they are not present.

Learn to control yourself in conversations and refuse to engage in outbursts where you spew hurtful words at those who disagree with you. Set aside name-calling, condemnation, and snap judgments.

Look for the humanity in the very people you disagree with. Look for their passion, their goodness, their resolve. 

Refuse to utilize dehumanizing language. The person you disagree with is a person made in God's image and should be treated with respect. 

The Second Day of Christmas

The second day of Christmas is also called Boxing Day. It remembers St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. 

Song: God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

Scripture: Acts 7:54-60

Devotion:

At first glance, our song and our Scripture may seem to clash. As we read about the stoning and martyrdom of Stephen, how can we sing a song about being merry? Stephen died because he professed Jesus as the Messiah. He died for this belief. So it seemed fitting to choose a song for today that calls on us to not be dismayed or frightened due to the circumstances around us, because we recall Jesus was born. This song reminds us that Jesus came to heal our sorrows and take away our sins. This is the Gospel, the Good News, that Stephen professed before his death. So even as we mourn the deaths of martyrs, we rejoice in the Good News we can also proclaim.

When we put our faith in Jesus, we are called to fix our eyes on Him throughout our trials and tribulations. The song tells us to let nothing dismay us because Jesus was born. Yes, this has been a brutal year, as we have seen our world ravaged by a pandemic and rocked by protests against racial injustice. But we are not dismayed, because we have hope. We know that wrongs will be righted and injustices will be remedied.

Yes, there is a lot in this world that is scary and frightening, yet as Christians, we are called to let nothing "affright" us, to borrow from the song, as we choose to trust in God despite the scary things happening around us. Stephen could have been frightened by the threats of the Jewish leaders and recanted his testimony, but he didn't buckle under the pressure. His faith in Jesus held during his trial and subsequent execution. 

The song reminds us that Jesus came to heal our sorrows and take away our sins. This is the Good News of the Gospel. We experience sorrows and the consequences of our sins, but Jesus came to heal us in our brokenness. He came to free us from our sins, as He calls us to walk in obedience to His teachings. 

Challenge: 

Take time to reflect on Christian martyrs who were faithful to the end. Thank God for their example and faithfulness. Then pray for those who are currently experiencing persecution. Pray that, like Stephen, they will stay faithful even if their faith costs them their lives. Pray for them to boldly proclaim the Gospel to those around them who are separated from God. 

The First Day of Christmas

The first day of Christmas...is Christmas Day (December 25th). On this day, we celebrate Jesus' birth. Our song musically summarizes the shepherd's encounter with the angels that night, as we read the story of Jesus' birth in the Gospel of Luke.

Song: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks 

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Devotional: 

Imagine going about your normal work day when suddenly there are ANGELS telling you the Savior of the world has been born. How exciting and how terrifying all at the same time!! We can ponder what the shepherds were thinking as they looked at Jesus. Were their expectations of a Messiah fulfilled or were they disappointed? Were they thinking of the prophecies telling how Jesus would deliver them?  

Reflect on what Jesus saved you from. Where would your life have taken you if you weren't a follower of Jesus? Jesus isn't just an "add-on" to our life, where we are fine without Him, but get an added boost from Him. Without Jesus, we would still be slaves to sin and our earthly nature. All positive and good traits and actions come from Him, whether we acknowledge Him as the source or not.

He is the Messiah (or Christ if you prefer the Greek). He came as the one who would save and deliver Israel. The Jewish people were wanting delivered from the Roman Empire that was occupying their nation. What do you need delivered from? Even though there may not be an occupying force in many countries around the world (although many people are still experiencing this), we are held captive by sins, fears, and destructive habits. 

Take time to praise God. He is worthy of our glory (high renown or honor due to His accomplishments). When our sinful actions and choices separated us from God due to His holiness, He made a way that we could be reconciled with Him! This wasn't a cheap gift, but was so very costly. It cost Jesus' very life. Imagine a president or king choosing to send their child to be raised in poverty, under the rule an occupying force, so that when the child was grown, they could save their people through their death and resurrection. This is what God did. As we look at the manger, we know the shadow of the cross is in the background. 

Challenge: 

Celebrate Jesus' birth. Not with the secular traditions that have gotten tied up with the religious Christmas, but with intentional activities focusing on worshipping Him, glorifying Him, praising Him. (There's nothing wrong with liking and including the secular aspects of Christmas, but we need to be able to recognize that reindeer, snowmen, and hot chocolate have nothing to do with Christ's birth. We can recast a secular tradition in a Christian theme, like finding Christian meanings in candy canes, but I was stunned to realize how much of how we celebrate Christmas as Christians is practically identical to a non-Christian's celebration of secular Christmas. Christians may add a reading of the Christmas story before digging into a pile of presents all for us, but how many of us break away from the consumerism and materialism rampant during this season to focus on Jesus' birth?) If you haven't already, give Jesus a gift this year. Make a donation in His honor to a charity or organization in line with His priorities.

Jesus is born!

Introducing the Twelve Days of Christmas

Spoiler: This series is not about the song, but the traditional days of feasting and remembering between Christmas and Epiphany. Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6th and celebrates the arrival of the wise men at Jesus' home. 

I used this, this, this, and this as my resources for the themes of each of the 12 Days and rather then summarizing them, I have left the links for you to explore if you desire.

After a month of waiting, of anticipating, of preparing, Advent gives way to Christmastide. Each of these 12 days will have a short summary of what people celebrate or mourn & remember on this particular day. Each day will also have a song clip played by yours truly, complete with a link where you can read their lyrics (and maybe sing in your home??). There will be a Scripture reading as well as a short devotional reflecting on the day's meaning, song, and Scripture.

Because I am a visual learner and love making charts to order the world around me, I made a chart for those interested in a big picture look at the twelve days as I am choosing to celebrate them this year.

Date	Person or People of Note	Theme	Song	Scripture
12/25	Jesus	Celebrate Jesus’ Birth	While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks	Luke 2:1-20
12/26	St. Stephen	Christian martyrs and the persecuted	God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen	Acts 7:54-60
12/27	St. John the Apostle	Loving and listening to those who are different from you	It Came Upon the Midnight Clear	1 John 2:1-11
12/28	The Holy Innocents (the children killed in Herod’s Genocide)	Those killed by governments. Refugees in our midst	The Winter Sun Was Setting	Matthew 2:13-18
12/29	St. Thomas Becket	Obeying God rather than man	I Wonder As I Wander	Acts 5:17-42
12/30	St. Egwin	Caring for widows and orphans	Of the Father’s Love Begotten	James 1:19-27
12/31	St. Francis of Assisi (in lieu of Pope Sylvester I)	Sharing the Gospel	Go, Tell It On the Mountain	Psalm 96:11-13
1/1	Mary	God’s response to the powerful and powerless	What Child Is This?	Luke 1:26-56
1/2	St. Basil and St. Gregory	The Trinity and Sharing the Gospel	Angels from the Realms of Glory	Matthew 28:16-20
1/3	Holy Name of Jesus	The Names of Jesus	Once in Royal David’s City	Luke 2:21
1/4	St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (in lieu of St. Simon)	The way the persecuted church is supposed to act	Hark! The Herald Angels Sing	Hebrews 11:32-40
1/5	St. John Neumann	As citizens of heaven, we are immigrants	O Holy Night	Hebrews 11:1-6
1/6	The Wise Men/Magi	Identifying biblical stories and commands instead of our culture's version	As With Gladness Men of Old	Matthew 2:1-12

 

Advent Week 4: Love

Advent Week 4: Love

Love. I could have chosen adoration for this week, but I wanted to keep our focus away from the what has become the traditional celebration all through Advent. Advent isn't a time to celebrate, but is a time to wait and anticipate. Our church culture in the US has been infected by "triumphalism", the hyper-focus on the great achievements in Christian history, to the exclusion of the "less successful" stories of the Bible. We want to hear about David beating Goliath, but not the long-lasting effects of his adultery with Bathsheba. We want to hear about Peter getting sprung from prison by an angel, but not Stephen getting stoned to death. So while adoration is good and a necessary thing in our Christian faith, it seemed too chipper for Advent. Now you may be asking, "How does love fit in the theme of Advent any better than adoration?"

Love is more than just a feeling or an emotion. Love is a choice. It involves sacrifice on our part for the sake of someone else. When I love someone, I put their needs above my wants. When I love someone, I invest in them, encourage them, and sacrifice my preferences for their needs. This love is why I wear a mask during the pandemic. This love is why I utilize video calls instead of in-person visits. It is not easy or convenient, but this is the kind of love that highlights Advent. As we are hopeful, as we are waiting, as we are seeking peace, we love. An alternative Scripture for this week could have very well been Philippians 2, but we will look at last week's Scripture with a new lens.

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Love appears twice in this text, so we will focus on verses 9 and 10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love." 

What does it mean to be sincere? To be sincere means to be without deceit, without hypocrisy, or falseness. It means to be earnest, genuine, pure, and real. We must sincerely love each other. To say that we love all people, while shrinking from those who are smelly, dirty, ugly, poor, or otherwise less than ideal, profanes the meaning of love. To say that we love people, while attaching strings and conditions to our affection, drags the name of love through the mud.

Love chooses to act in the best interest of someone else. Our culture says that love is giving someone what they want, but love often calls us to take the harder path of giving someone something that they need, even if they might want something else. For example, a child might want chocolate cake every night for dinner, but it is more loving to make sure they have a well-balanced and healthy meal. 

Paul calls on us to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. We have shown ourselves proficient at hating the evil that our enemies do, but we are less skilled at seeing the evil perpetuated by our own groups. We do genuinely cling to some good in our world, but we need to work at identifying it in those who are different than us and believe differently than we do. 

We are tasked with being devoted to one another in love. To be devoted to someone means to be zealously/ardently (or passionately or actively or intensely) attached or loyal. When we are devoted to someone, we think about them. We want what's best for them. We are willing to work and put in the effort to treat them well. This doesn't just apply to those we like, but anyone who comes through the doors of our church. 

It's easy to love those who are loving towards us or those who are acting in the way we want them to act, but love reaches out to those who are hateful towards us or those who don't do what we tell them to do. 

For those who are curious, common Bible passages on love such as 1 Corinthians 13 or 1 John 3:16-18, paint love as a choice we make, as a purposeful decision to act in a certain way. Society weakens love when it depicts love as a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes us feel good. Paul fills 1 Corinthians 13 with adjectives and actions that show what love is. Love is patient and kind. It isn't boastful or proud. These are behaviors, actions, choices that we make. John calls us to love like Jesus did (and Jesus laid down his life for us). He questions if we have stuff and see people in need and don't feel pity (don't DO something for them), is God's love really in us? He challenges us to love with our actions instead of with our words.

Song: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

This is a song of anticipation and longing. It is sung about a people who are not free, but who are longing to be free. It asks for people to be set from from their fears and sins. It calls for rest. It acknowledges Jesus is both strength and consolation (comfort), in addition to being the Hope of all the earth and Desire of nations, and Joy to longing hearts. It highlights how Jesus was born as a child, yet was already a king. He was born to deliver His people. He was born to reign in our hearts and bring His kingdom. The song calls for Jesus alone to rule in our hearts. Jesus is all-sufficient and it is by His merit that we are saved. 

Are you longing for Jesus to return? Not just because it will be better for you, but because it will mean justice, peace, and hope fulfilled for those who are suffering, oppressed, and hurting now? Are you taking the Good News out to a lost world and sharing it far and wide in hopes of bringing those who don't know Jesus into a relationship with Him? 

Questions to Consider: 

-How can I better love those I encounter in my daily life?

-How can I better love those around the world?

-In what way is my love selfless, mature, and a conscious choice?

-In what way is my love selfish, demanding, and a fickle emotion?

-How well am I loving those who love me back? (Family, friends, church members)

-How well am I loving those who are deemed less desirable by our society? (Homeless, poor, foreigners) 

There are many questions that can be teased from the two verses of this week's song.

-What fears do you need set free from?

-What sins do you struggle with?

-How do you rest and allow others to rest?

-Do you depend on Jesus' strength or on your country's or military's strength to protect you?

-Who or what do you turn to for comfort when you are hurting?

-Do you hope for Jesus to come back? Why do you hope for this? Do you want to see people "getting what they deserve" or people accepting God's grace & mercy?

-Do you desire to spend time with Jesus?

-Do you experience joy when you spend time with Him? 

-What does your heart long for? 

-Do you acknowledge Jesus as a king? Does He reign in your heart?

-Do you give Him credit for delivering you? 

-What, besides Jesus, are you depending on? Do you act like Jesus is all you need?

-Do you give Jesus credit for saving you? Did you repent of your sins?

Challenge: 

Brainstorm ways to love those ignored by society. What can you do to show a tangible love to the homeless or the poor? How can you show love to a foreigner in your town? How do you show your love to God? Do you obey Him? Serve Him? Follow His commands? What did you get Jesus for His birthday? What charity or organization would be benefited by receiving a gift in honor of Jesus?

The Angel visits the shepherds

Advent Week 3: Peace

Advent Week 3: Peace

Peace. This candle has also represented joy, but to push joy when so many have suffered and mourned this year seems to be in rather poor tastes. So we will be focusing on peace. Why peace when there have been so many riots and protests this year? Because we need God's peace to pervade the earth. God's peace isn't just the absence of protests & riots, but the presence of justice for everyone. 

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12 is one of my favorite chapters, and while I encourage you to read the entirety of this section, we will be focusing on one verse. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18. Paul adds so many caveats here. "If it is possible, live at peace" and "as far as it depends on you, live at peace", but he also stretches his readers. He didn't say "live at peace with those who agree with you" or "live at peace with those who treat you well"; he said "live at peace with everyone". Like the rest of the Bible, this verse is not meant to be hurled at an opponent to get them to fall in line with how you think they should be acting, but rather, this verse is meant to bring us to self-examination as we ask the Holy Spirit to show us how to better follow this command. 

So how does it look to live at peace with everyone? What is in our power, that influences our ability to obey? We can listen to the stories of those who are hurting. We can learn from their experiences and work with them to improve their situation. We can be compassionate listeners and not expect people to prove their painful experiences. We can be willing to change our habits to better help others. We can be willing to give up our conveniences so we can better serve others. We can shift our shopping habits to more ethical choices. We can learn about injustices happening around us and learn how to stand against them. We can replace the political phrase "the deserving poor" from our vocabulary and simply replace it with "those in need". We can remember that none of us "deserve" salvation, but God gave it to us anyway. We can educate ourselves about the suffering and injustices that are too common in minority neighborhoods. 

As we reflect on a year that has been rocked by needless deaths, peaceful protests, and violent riots, we can consider ways we can better listen to and pray for those involved.

Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This website has a version of the lyrics to this song. 

With many of these carols, there are many versions floating around. Additional verses to this song mention peace, so we will examine these phrases. One bonus verse calls for the Desire of nations to bind all hearts together and bid our divisions to end as Christ is our King of Peace. Another alternative verse starts in a similar way, but calls for Christ to bid envy, strife, and quarrels to end, as the entire world is filled with heaven's peace. We follow a King of Peace, not a King of Winning Using Whatever Methods We Can or a King of Excessive Force. We want (I hope) for the whole world to be filled with heaven's peace. Not just our homes or our community or even our country, but the whole world. This isn't here yet but this is something we are to work towards. Peace isn't merely that we are comfortable, it is ensuring everyone is free from oppression, violence, and injustice. If I am at peace, but you are suffering, then I should be willing to work alongside you to achieve peace for you as well. 

Questions to Consider: 

-What can I do to better live at peace with everyone?

-How can I pray for the peaceful protestors? Do I  listen to what they are saying and work with them to achieve their goals?

-Do I pray for the violent rioters? Do I pray for them to experience this peace as well? Do I pray that they will repent of their actions and pursue the path of peace?

Challenge: 

This week, learn about the violence and brokenness of this world. What is happening in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas? When we isolate ourselves from the violent pain of the world, we don't feel as much drive to pray for peace and reconciliation. We should pray for the victims of violence, but we are also called to pray for the perpetrators. Pray FOR their repentance and a new commitment to be representatives of peace. Pray for violence to stop being idolized, glorified, and utilized. Pray for justice to flow through the world, as it rights wrongs and heals brokenness.

Mary and Joseph head to Bethlehem

Advent Week 2: Waiting and Preparation

Advent Week 2: Waiting and Preparation

Waiting. It is certainly hard to wait. To pause. To be ready, but not start. This year, we are waiting to decorate the house. We are waiting to play Christmas songs. We are waiting for a time we can spontaneously visit family and hug them again. Yet, waiting is not passive. A season of waiting goes hand in hand with a season of preparation.

Scripture: Romans 8:18-27

Did you pick up that this week's Scripture is a repeat of last week's? We are using the same verses, but will be zeroing in on "wait" this time. 

Verse 19 tells us that the creation is waiting (in eager expectation no less) for God's children to be revealed. Verse 23 goes on to say how we groan inwardly as we wait for adoption and redemption. 

Verse 25 reminds us that we wait patiently for something that we do not yet have. 

We are waiting for redemption (for God to buy our freedom from sin). We are waiting for reconciliation (for God to mend our broken relationships). We are waiting for restoration (for God to fix damaged things and repair broken things). I hope that this doesn't come as a shock to you, dear brother or sister in Christ, but we are not the lead characters in the story of the world. God is the primary actor, director, and technician. We are joining HIM in HIS story, but He allows us to participate and further HIS work. Our dose of hyper-individualism in American culture claims that WE are the stars of our lives and WE are responsible for all the good that we do, but as Christians, we recognize that God gets the glory for the good HE moves us to do for Him. If we give food to the hungry, we should leave thinking "God cares so much for the hungry and He gave me this opportunity to share with them. I am so grateful that God has cultivated this generosity in me", instead of thinking "Wow, I am amazingly generous. God should give me a medal for all the good things I do for Him". 

A season of preparation NEEDS to go alongside with a season of waiting. If I WAIT (even wait patiently) for my garden to grow, but I do not weed the garden, or even plant the seeds, then my HOPE will be disappointed, because I did not PREPARE. We can't just passively wait for the things we hope for, we need to work towards them. If I hope that the captives will be freed, then I need to also work towards their freedom and support after they are freed. 

Song: Lift Every Voice and Sing

This site has a recording, as well as a bit of the history of this song. Here are the lyrics and some information on the song's composer.

I know, I know. This isn't an Advent song. This might be a song that you are not familiar with. In short, this song is known as the "black national anthem", written in 1899. This year has been characterized by raw grief at needless death, lives cut short, and racial injustice in our midst. So it seemed fitting to select this song. There are many others who would be more qualified to perform and muse on this song, but I believe that we all have a responsibility to learn about injustices in our world and share what we have learned. So while there is merit in being silent to better hear minority voices share their experiences of racism and oppression, we also have a responsibility to speak out against it ourselves. As James 4:17 reminds us, if we know the good that we should be doing and STILL don't do it, then we are sinning. This year, I have read over two dozen books about racism, discrimination, and their continuing effects to this day. The stories I read broke my heart as I realized that oppression and discrimination still affect many people in our nation. During my research, I encountered the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Let's unpack this song and see how it ties into Advent's themes of waiting and hope.

The song tells people to lift their voices and sing until both heaven and earth ring with liberty. Liberty is not available to everyone in this world, or even this nation, but it should be. People should be free from captivity and oppression. This is clearly something God cares deeply about throughout the entirety of Scripture. 

The song commands people to sing about the faith that we learned from the dark past. This is an ugly side to our history and we MUST acknowledge it if we are to heal. This isn't to say that we hate our country if we discuss the sins of slavery and oppression. On the contrary, it means that we recognize that if we don't learn from our dark past, we are risking continuing the same destructive and hurtful patterns in our modern age. There is plenty that we can learn from the faith of slaves and the hope they had as they waited and prepared for liberty. We can learn from their songs, their stories, and their lives.

The song tells people to sing about the hope we have in the present. We have made improvements in the last 200+ years. Slavery is illegal. Jim Crow laws (which continued the oppression of slavery and segregation of black people after the Civil War until 1965) have been abolished. Housing and employment discrimination based on race is formally outlawed. This are all steps in the right direction. We have hope for continuing to make progress on this journey as the deaths this year have brought awareness to unjust practices in our country. People are learning about systemic racism (the ways that laws and traditions still minimize opportunities for minorities to leave their negative situations. Google "systemic racism" if you are unfamiliar with this phrase) and listening to people's stories of discrimination and pain. There is hope that we will choose to embrace lasting change that will improve the lives of those who have been suffering. 

The song reminds us that victory is not yet won, as we are still marching towards it. It has been a hard road, both full of stones and prone to violence perpetrated against the oppressed. Things felt pretty hopeless in the darkest days, but progress has been made. Slaves sighed for freedom and their descendants received it. Black people oppressed by Jim Crow laws sighed for its end and their descendants saw its formal demise. Black people denied equal rights sighed for equality, and their descendants marched for equal rights and achieved progress. Now black people are protesting for changes in our system to end discrimination, systemic racism, and disproportionate violence against black people at the hands of law enforcement. There have been tears and many needless deaths throughout this journey. As new achievements were reached, there has been mourning for the fallen at every stage. 

The song ends with an address to God. It acknowledges that God was the one to bring people so far and it entreats God to keep people on the right path. 

If we don't actively work towards ending injustice and racism, it will continue to exist and harm people. We can't sit back and expect injustice to just die out. Like a poisonous weed, it will continue to grow and spread. It needs pulled up and burned out of our lives. Systemic racism won't end by people passively deciding to be nice. It will take active work to root out this evil in our nation. 

Questions to Consider: 

-What are you waiting for this year? How well are you using this season of waiting to grow and prepare?

-What injustices are people waiting to be ended in our country and in our world? What can we do to work towards ending these injustices?

-How well do I know the history of minorities? We are fairly familiar with European history and the experiences of European immigrants, but there is much to learn from Asian, African, and Hispanic history and the experience of these immigrants.

-What gains towards justice can we celebrate? What gains were promised (or legally guaranteed), but were not provided or upheld? 

-What are we doing to work towards racial justice and reconciliation? 

Challenge: 

Take time to learn this week: What did black people experience during slavery, during the Jim Crow era, before the Civil Rights era, during the Civil Rights era, and up to this day? In each era, how were people waiting for justice? What did people do to prepare for a more just society to be achieved? How has the ongoing effects of racism and discrimination continued to impact people today? What are black people experiencing today? How has oppression impacted black people over the course of the past 400 years? In what ways has oppression changed over the years and in what ways has it continued to be oppressive? 

The Angel Visits Joseph