An Advent Journey

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day Six

December 6, 2013 By Diana

Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, “Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own—a span in all of about 450 years.

“Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: ‘I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.’

“From out of David’s descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he promised—but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. As John was finishing up his work, he said, ‘Did you think I was the One? No, I’m not the One. But the One you’ve been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I’m about to disappear.’”
Acts 13:16-25 -The Message

What’s the big deal about David’s line?

Sounds to me like this royalty thing
is just plain outta whack.

Who needs a king, anyhow?

Old ideas, out-of-date,
lots of ceremony,
nothing you can put your
hands on,
or wrap your mind around.

Who needs a king anyhow?

Kinda funny that God
takes the misbegotten
dream of ancient Israel
to have a king,
like all the other cool kids,
and turns it on its head
by sending one
direct to Bethlehem.

Kinda cool, too.

Dear Jesus, thank you for being a king-beyond-the-usual, for loving us and choosing your lineage carefully, and coming like a tiny surprise package to change the world. Will you help me to keep changing? To keep looking for ways in which you surprise and upend my expectations? Thank you.

* As an added Advent bonus, I heartily recommend you click on this link and meander over to SheLoves fine post on Random Acts of Advent Kindness. I’m going to try and do this as often as possible and I encourage you all to check it out for yourselves.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, prayer

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day Five

December 5, 2013 By Diana

Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to a king’s son.

May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
Psalm 72:1-7 18-19 – NRSV

A song for a king, written one thousand years before Jesus was born, yet somehow a song for him as well as for David. We are all ‘the needy,’ it seems to me. We need a royal visit, some patronage now and again, someone looking out for our best interests.

Is Jesus that one?

I choose to believe so, even when I’m puzzled by some of the things that happen in this world, that happen to me or the people I love. I surely don’t ‘get it’ much of the time. There are questions without answers, horrors without any visible saving grace, illness and hardship and death.

Even so, I will continue to choose this king, the one who came in squalor and loneliness, the one who doesn’t fit the job description most of us might design for a king.

Maybe that’s because we’ve got it all upside down and backwards. Maybe that’s because we are slow to know that ‘neediness’ can be defined in lots of different ways. Maybe it’s because God is in the business of standing things on their heads.

A king on a cross, that’s our story. With no political power, no financial acumen, no henchmen surrounding him to enforce whatever word he might care to proclaim. Yet he is, indeed, like “showers that water the earth,” bringing refreshment in the midst of drought, and the spring of new life to the trod-upon green.

How can this be? This kingship without the pomp and circumstance?

It’s hard for us to grasp this truth, to release our expectations and look instead for the Humble One, the Broken One, the One who was left to die on the garbage heap outside of town.

But look we must, and it starts with the simplest of things. The bloom of late roses, the angle of light across a wooden floor, the scent of sweetness on the evening breeze, if you live where I do. Where you are, it might come from the smoke spiraling up the chimney, the glistening of white on every twig, the bracing coldness of the frozen air. Small things, tiny points of light. Reminders that the King of the Universe disguises himself as a helpless newborn, spilled out onto the straw.

King Jesus! We call you that in ways we don’t begin to understand, yet we know them to be true. Remind us again of what royalty really looks like, help us to look for the rain, the moisture poured out in a dry and thirsty land. Help us to see you.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, Beauty, biblical reflection, church year, Encouragement, prayer, Uncategorized

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day Four

December 4, 2013 By Diana

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
and your descendants will possess the nations
and will settle the desolate towns.

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
This is like the days of Noah to me:

Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:1-10 -NRSV

The writing in the book of Isaiah reduces me to tears on a regular basis. The cadence and rhythm of the words, the glory of the truths proclaimed, the beauty of the God who loves despite frustration, despite disappointment. The forward thrust of it all is what I cling to, I think. The acknowledgement that things are difficult at times, that shame is alive and well on planet earth, but . . .

The love of God will prevail, the peace of God will sustain, the compassion of God will triumph. These are words to cling to when disasters circle our globe, when despots rule, when unspeakable things happen. These are the words of hope.

Where are you finding hope right now? Where do you see glimmers of light?

I see it in the faces of my family, in the honest searching of my eldest grandsons, the gleeful gaming of the middle boys, the playful willfulness of my youngest granddaughters. I see it in the tired eyes of my son who works far too hard as a hospice doctor, in the creative hospitality of my daughters and daughter-in-law, in the gentle goodness of my sons-in-law, in the faithful commitment of my husband

I see it in the blueness of the sky, I hear it in the birds calling across the yard, in the waves crashing and receding, in the green, green, greenness of every tree and bush.

And I find it in your faces, in your words, in your stories.

I am grateful.

Oh Lord of hope, help us to gather up these glimmers and see your hand at work. Make us ministers of compassion to the hopeless among us, bringers of joy to those who are shamed, and believers in your goodness, no matter what.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, Beauty, biblical reflection, church year, God's gifts, prayer, Uncategorized

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day Three

December 3, 2013 By Diana

God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don’t eat that.

“But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.

Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans let his blood be shed,
Because God made humans in his image
reflecting God’s very nature.
You’re here to bear fruit, reproduce,
lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!”

Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.”

God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I’ve set up between me and everything living on the Earth.”

Genesis 9:1-17 -The Message

God begins making promises to us right here in this narrative. We are part of the ‘everything living after you’ — all of us, men and women, old people and children, even the animals are part of this promise, this covenant agreement to never again destroy the whole earth.

I find the story of Noah to be one of the strangest and scariest in all of scripture. It’s within the first eleven chapters of Genesis, what scholars call the pre-history — richly detailed stories handed down from generation to generation, all of them stories about beginnings. Here, in the middle of this collection of ancient tales, we find evidence of God’s care for creation. So very different from the old stories of surrounding cultures, where the gods are either vindictive or petty and care little about human beings. No. The God who chose to reveal divine truth to the people who became the Hebrews is telling us something important here, something real.

Much like yesterday’s psalm, this end of the story of Noah tells us that God is on our side, that God will not forget us, that God binds us together — the divine and the human — in an unbreakable bond. That beautiful bow in the sky is a sign and a seal on that union.

Can we look for rainbows between now and Christmas? Real ones, up in the sky, if we’re so blessed by the weather. But also small bits of color, vibrancy amid the darkness, beauty in the ashes. Because, whether we’re entirely comfortable with it or not, the Noah story is a terrible story, one that should probably never be told to children. There is death and destruction on a grand scale, all at the hands of God.

But . . .

There is also the rainbow, the sign of the promise. That first big promise of good and life-giving things to come, from a God who is mysterious and unsearchable, yet who longs to be in communion with us — human creatures who are slow-witted and prone to destruction.

Us.

Let’s look for reminders as we look for the light, shall we?

Unsearchable God, we do not begin to understand all of the ways in which you work in this world. But this much we know — you are a promise-making and a promise-keeping God, a God who longs for us to live and flourish in relationship with you. Thank you.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, Beauty, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo, death, Hard Things, Mystery, Spiritual Formation, Storytelling, Uncategorized

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day Two

December 2, 2013 By Diana

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
—let Israel now say—
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
— Psalm 124, NRSV

We wait for the coming,
of the babe,
and of the Christ.
And every coming
is marked by this one thing,
this splendid, unique,
life-changing truth:
freedom.

“the snare is broken,
and we have escaped. . .”
This is the center,
the truth that holds
everything together.

The Lord is on our side.
Who could imagine?
On our side,
come what may,
even when what comes
brings heartache,
pain and fear.

And the truth is also this:
to know the unshackling,
to find the Presence,
there is only one way,
one road,
one thing required:

waiting.

It is in the waiting,
that we are changed,
we are saved,
we are made free.

Hallelujah.
Amen.

Teach us more about waiting, O Lord. We don’t like it, we resist and rebel, but oh! we must learn, we must. Thank you for forming us in this waiting time.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo, Encouragement, God's gifts, personal journey, Waiting

An Advent Journey, 2013: Looking for the Light – Day One

December 1, 2013 By Diana

There’s a day coming
when the mountain of God’s House
Will be The Mountain—
solid, towering over all mountains.
All nations will river toward it,
people from all over set out for it.
They’ll say, “Come,
let’s climb God’s Mountain,
go to the House of the God of Jacob.
He’ll show us the way he works
so we can live the way we’re made.”
Zion’s the source of the revelation.
God’s Message comes from Jerusalem.
He’ll settle things fairly between nations.
He’ll make things right between many peoples.
They’ll turn their swords into shovels,
their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
they won’t play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob,
let’s live in the light of God.

Isaiah 2:1-5, The Message

“All nations will river to it. . .”

Can you see it? All of humanity as a living river, ascending the Hill of the Lord to celebrate the Day of the Lord, that day when peace will reign and we will enjoy the richest of mountaintop experiences. If I close my eyes and imagine, I can make it out.

But when I return to my everyday normal, that human river seems further and further away. It feels as though we are always waiting as we live this life. From the mundane to the magnificent – we wait. . . for the dough to rise, for the sun to come out, for the sadness to lift, the questions to be answered, the sky to be rent. Because the truth of it is this: in all our waitings, we want to see Jesus.

Advent marks it out for us, this waiting. It’s a season of expectation, of longing, sometimes, of desperation. The longest night of the year happens during these weeks, ever-increasing hours of darkness punctuate the rhythm of Advent time. As we wait for Jesus to come, I find myself looking for the light, longing for it from the deep places inside my spirit. I wonder if you do, too?

If so, I invite you to ‘live in the light of God’ this Advent, to faithfully look for that light each day — right in the middle of all the hubbub, all the expectations, all the craziness. There will be some days when we’ll have to search hard to see it, but here’s the truth, here’s what I know: the light is always shining. Always. To see it requires attention and intention, a willingness to look with new eyes, and a promise to listen to the heartbeat of your life with hope and expectation. Will you come with me?

God of the Mountaintop and God of our hearts, help us to see the light of your love, even in the midst of shopping, cooking, traveling and w a i t i n g for you to come. Help us to discover you in a new way, an Advent way, as we mark off these days. Amen.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, Beauty, biblical reflection, Christmas, church year, daily devo, Encouragement, Uncategorized, Waiting

An Advent Journey: Journey’s End! Christmas.

December 25, 2012 By Diana

“‘Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you.’ declares the LORD. ‘Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the LORD, all people, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.'” — Zechariah 2:10-13, TNIV

“My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God’s children, and we know him. God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him. God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.

God has given us his Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us. God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That how we stay one with God and are sure that God loves us.

God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us.” — 1 John 4:7-16, CEV

May the God from whom all love flows,

bless you with joy,

laughter,

good stories,

great food,

and opportunities

to share the Good News

as you gather with family and friends

on this great Feast Day

of Christmas!

And may the One who came among us,

lighten your hearts,

sing into your spirits,

heal your wounds,

and call you his own.

Merry Christmas!!

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo

An Advent Journey: Stop, Look, Listen – Day 23

December 24, 2012 By Diana

“Then I was told:

“I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshippers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.

I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches. I am David’s Great Descendant, and I am also the bright morning star.’

The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’

Everyone who hears this should say, ‘Come!’

If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It’s free!

The one who has spoken these things say, ‘I am coming soon!’

So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!

I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.”

— Revelation 22:12-17, 21, CEV

Oh, Jesus! Please, come soon!

Come in our hearts,

in our homes,

in our schools,

in our churches,

in our neighborhoods,

in our people.

Be the bright morning star,

the one who makes it possible for us

to wash our robes and our souls and ourselves,

to wash and come forth CLEAN.

Yes, we are thirsty! We are dying of thirst, quite literally.

Will you help us to help ourselves and one another

to this water that quenches,

this water that gives life?

We wait for you all year long, all life long.

And you come in myriad ways, both small and great.

You come in humming birds and dolphins;

you come in young children and old saints;

you come in a warm smile

and a sweet word

and a strong stand for justice.

You come in the smile of a cancer patient,

the whispered hallelujahs of a dying man,

the yearning words of the poet,

and the earthy words of the prophet.

You come in the beauties of the earth

and the wonders of the heavens;

in the smell of the lilac,

the quiet of the snowfall,

the roar of the thunder,

the splendor of a sunset.

And you come in the night, squealing and squalling,

falling onto the earthen floor of an animal stall,

fragile and frightened and blinking at the lamplight,

searching for the voice you know,

the one you heard, swishing in the amniotic fluid,

hidden in the dark all those months.

You come as one of us,

to show us the way,

to lead us home.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Come!

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo

An Advent Journey: Stop, Look, Listen – Day 22, Fourth Sunday

December 23, 2012 By Diana

“And Mary responded,

‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things1
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He had brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.'”
— Luke 1:46b-55

Denim tennis shoes under her silky blue robe. Somehow it was perfect for Mary, the mother of Jesus. It was the first grade Christmas program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School, and our granddaughter Gracie was an angel. She was, as usual, captivating, clear-spoken, smiling and T-A-L-L. I loved watching her stand up straight, speak into the microphone, even with so many teeth missing, and read her portion of the narrative before joining the angel band for a rousing rendition of, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”

But it was the tennis shoes peeking out of the blue robe that caught my eye and eventually my heart that Monday afternoon, the Monday after Newtown.

Just ordinary, everyday tennis shoes.

Just an ordinary, everyday girl, that Mary. Living her life, loving her family, pleasing God by her very existence, her very ordinariness.

And then, out of her mouth, this song springs forth. Prophetic words, sung with confidence and power and joy and thanksgiving, ringing with justice and righteousness and LIFE. So much for ordinary.

For, in truth, there is no ordinary child, is there? Each one is a treasure, a living, breathing bundle of possibility. Someone clearly took good care of Mary as she was growing from childhood to young adulthood. I wonder how we care for our girls. . .

What if we looked at every little girl on this globe as a Mary? A vision of loveliness and grace, ready at any given moment to burst forth in glorious song.

How might we treat or children with such care and tenderness and encouragement and hope?

Maybe by giving them blue denim tennis shoes to keep them rooted to the earth. And a blue silk robe to help them reach for the heavens.

Thank you for Mary and her song, Lord. For her startling insight and her strong words; for her willingness to bridge the gap between earth and heaven. Help me to sing strongly, too, Lord. To sing of hope and of sorrow, of joy and of loss, of promise and of fulfillment. Help me to sing of you and for you and to you.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo

An Advent Journey: Stop, Look, Listen – Day 21

December 22, 2012 By Diana

“Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and sang out exuberantly,

‘You are so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!’

And Mary said,

‘I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one look at me, and look what happened —
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.”
— Luke 1:39-56, The Message

She was a delight! Oh, she felt a little woozy from time to time, and tired easily — but then, that’s to be expected when you’re expecting, right?

From the moment she walked in the door, that girl fairly danced her way right into my heart. There we were, the old one and the young one, both full up with boys, gifts straight from God to each of us.

And I completely believed her story about the angel and the Holy Spirit visit — yes, it was too familiar. That Gabriel has been very busy, bringing such joyous news to our family.

Cousins! Isn’t it wonderful?

Even before they see each other face-to-face, they know one another. And my own wee babe will lead the way, pointing others to this Special Child carried by my dear, dear, Mary.

There is a slight shadow — we both sense it and we wonder . . . what will become of these boys, these gifts, these ones we love so much even before we gaze upon their soft skin?

Yet we are choosing to trust. To believe that God’s plans are good plans, that our boys are right where they are supposed to be, exactly in the middle of God’s provision for our people.

So of course, we sing! And of course, we dance! And of course, we let our lungs fill with the good, sweet smell of thanksgiving and praise. And then we breathe it out, all over each other, all over this little town.

And someday, all over this wide, wide world.

Oh, Lord! Thank you so much for these women, for this old one and this young one. Thank you for their good hearts, their righteous choices, their loyalty and their commitment. They must have had moments of fear and wonder, yet here they are — living in trust, choosing joy, thanking you. Help me to do the same, day in and day out.

Filed Under: Advent, An Advent Journey, biblical reflection, church year, daily devo