Luke 2:8-20

“and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” vss. 18-19

As Luke tells the story, when the shepherds arrived at the manger and shared their tale of shining glory and herald angels they caused quite a stir. Evidently the birth had attracted notice–which makes sense–there’s going to be some hustle and bustle when a child is born. Passersby hearing Mary’s laboring cries would have taken note and perhaps offered assistance. But whoever it was who had gathered at the manger, the shepherds amazed them all. And it’s unlikely anyone believed them–shepherds were not known for their integrity. So when they left it’s likely that everyone dismissed their story as an idle tale. But not Mary! She had inside information! For her the words of the shepherd fit perfectly with her experience of the Annunciation. Something big was happening with this child, and all she could do was wonder what was waiting down the road. That’s an interesting place to be, and it’s where a lot of us are right now. Christmas is here! Now what? Some are hoping that 2024 will be a better year–others are dreading what the future might hold. None of us can know for sure, and so with Mary we ponder–and hope against hope that it’s going to be amazing! We do know that we’re not alone! The baby has been born. Jesus has arrived. And in his presence, whatever happens, we’re going to be okay!

Thought for the Day: What am I pondering today?

Luke 2:1-14

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” vss. 10-11

It has been widely reported that the leaders of the Christian churches in Bethlehem, in order to demonstrate their solidarity with the suffering Palestinians of Gaza, have canceled Christmas. There will be no marching bands, or holiday decorations, or Santa Clauses in the streets. Shopkeepers who are totally dependent on the tourist trade at this time of year have shuttered their places of business. Christmas Lutheran Church has replaced its manger scene with a pile of rubble. There is great fear and apprehension in the hearts of the people. But it is not true to say that these Christian Palestinians have canceled Christmas. They’ll be gathering for worship tonight, not with the usual glitz and glamor, but with heartfelt hymns and fervent prayers. They’ll be demonstrating their conviction that the words of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” are true. “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” Seldom has the contrast between the goodness and the brokenness of our world been made more vivid than in the streets of Bethlehem. Our only hope is the child in the manger, and not the bombings and senseless killings, and that will be the focus of worship in the churches of Bethlehem tonight.

Thought for the Day: What is my Christmas prayer?

Luke 1:34-38

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” vs. 38

Mary has come to be revered for many different reasons all around the world. For the Easter Orthodox she is the Theotokos or Mother of God. For some Roman Catholics she is Co-Redemptrix, the redeemer together with Christ of all peoples. For the indigenous people of South America she is Pachamama or Earth Goddess, the mother of all living things. To put it plainly, she has an amazing fan club! No wonder millions of believers are regularly reciting their Hail Marys and offering prayers to her on a daily basis. And even if we haven’t begun thinking of her in divine terms, we can’t help but be drawn to admire her complete submission to the word of the Lord. Even though she didn’t understand her commission she gave her whole future into the hands of God. She would be a simple servant and trust that the Spirit of God would guide and direct her. What a gift it is in this confusing and increasingly complex world to have that kind of faith! We don’t have to know every twist and turn of our life’s journey before we start out. That would actually take the fun out of it. But with faith we can walk with confidence every day. And then, far down the road, we can stop, look back, and say, “Wow, what a life! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for an amazing adventure!”

Thought for the Day: What surprises have I had on my journey?

Please note, the December 26 meditation was just published due to writer fatigue. Disregard it please. It’s inappropriate for today.

Luke 1:26-33

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.’” vss. 30-31

So how was it that Mary had found favor with God? She was likely quite young, maybe even a teenager, but no one knows much about her. Our scriptures say nothing–only that she had found favor with God. Of course that hasn’t stopped the speculation. In the third century it was taught that she had been born to an elderly childless couple and had been conceived without sexual intercourse. Stories like that led to an emphasis on her lifelong purity, and it was taught that she had never sinned. Ultimately in 1854 Pope Pius IX issued a papal bull making her Immaculate Conception an infallible dogma–not only had she never committed personal sins, she was also born without original sin. It was taught and believed that in order for her to be the mother of Jesus, her record had to be impeccable. Obviously this teaching did a lot to elevate the status of Mary in the Church, and the December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception has become a major holy day for Roman Catholics. Millions flock to her shrines all over the world–but others wonder. For them it isn’t important how pure Mary was–what impresses them is her obedience. We know God loves sinners, and if Jesus had a mother who was a sinner, well, what’s the big deal?

Thought for the Day: What are the qualities of a pure person?

Romans 16:25-27

“Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but is now disclosed,” vss. 25-26a

Paul must have breathed a sigh of relief as he completed his letter to the Romans. He’d laid everything on the line and believed that he had successfully revealed the essence of the gospel. He hadn’t invented anything new, but had simply told the old, old story in a way that made it accessible and applicable to all of God’s children, most especially the Gentiles. And now it’s our turn. His letter has been preserved in our scriptures, but it’s not always easy to understand. He used a style of interpretation and words that were familiar to the people of the first century, and sometimes his points can seem obscure to folks in our time. What a blessing it is to have teachers and pastors who can make Paul’s gospel come alive to their readers and listeners. Again, it’s not that they’re inventing anything new; it’s just the old, old story being retold in a manner that will touch our hearts and minds and bring peace to troubled hearts. In a few days, faithful folks all around the world will gather to hear that message and be reminded of God’s unconditional and incarnational love. It’ll be a mixed crowd, believers and agnostics together, all drawn by the momentum of the season to bow at the manger, and give glory and praise to God. 

Thought for the Day: What are people yearning to hear?

Luke 1:52-53

“He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” vss. 52-53

The text of the Magnificat comes from Luke 1 and is the song sung by Mary when she was greeted by Elizabeth after being told by the angel that she was to bear a son. It’s regularly sung in churches all over the world during the Advent season as a part of the liturgy. People love to hear it sung as a solo–the melody is beautiful and quite naturally lifts our spirits. The lyrics however can be challenging for those living in lands where hunger and homelessness are on the increase, and where the rich and the powerful occupy the positions of power. Mary is convinced that the birth of her son will be the great reversal, that the lowly will be lifted up and the rich will be sent away empty. That’s what the poor have always expected from Jesus, and that’s why they were among the first to proclaim their faith in the Risen Christ. That expectation has gone for centuries without being fulfilled–there is incredible power connected with wealth, and the whole system favors the rich. What’s ironic is that the wealthy love the Magnificat too, and have somehow been able to ignore its obvious message. But the poor continue to hope–it just might be that one day Mary’s vision will become a reality!

Thought for the Day: When will the fortunes of the rich and poor be reversed?

Luke 1:46b-50

“Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” vss. 48b-49

It didn’t take long for Mary to receive an exalted position among believers in the early church. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, about 50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there was already an anticipation that she was going to be remembered as a rock star of the Jesus Movement. In a few centuries she had become a favorite prayer partner for millions. Some believers even preferred offering their petitions to her, perhaps believing that they could get a more favorable response from the Mother of God than from her Son. Of course Protestants tried to shut-down the Mary connection as a kind of idolatry, even destroying the statues of her that remained in their churches after the Reformation. But Mary is resilient, representing for many  the feminine dimension of God, and her simple submission to the Holy Spirit has become a model of faithfulness for the whole Church. She reminds us every Christmas that each of us is called through the Spirit to give birth to Jesus in all we say and do. Sometimes we worry whether we’ve been born again, but what really counts is that Christ is born again in us. When we say with Mary, “Let it be with me according to your word,” the Spirit begins to change us from the inside out, and blessings abound!

Thought for the Day: Why is praying to Mary so natural for many?

2 Samuel 7:1-3

“Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3

As soon as David established himself as the king in Jerusalem he began to think of his next step on the road to glory and honor. He would build a temple for the Lord! And Nathan, his trusted advisor, gave him the answer he was looking for, “Go for it! The Lord is with you!” We can’t blame Nathan for his answer. He was only following a pattern that had been established long before and that is modeled by political advisors to this day. We see it happening in government again and again. Every president, governor, congressional leader, or mayor is surrounded by sycophants who maintain their positions by telling their bosses what they want to hear. Some even put a Christian spin on things and add things like, “I’ve prayed about this and the Lord told me you’re doing the right thing.” Sometimes we even get that feedback from our friends as we ponder important decisions. If they’ve listened well they’ll know what our desires are, and they’ll tell us to go for it. Sometimes they’ll even give their advice the God stamp of approval. What a blessing it is to have someone like Nathan around! When he realized that his words were misleading, he quickly changed course and set David straight. Blessed are those who tell us what we don’t want to hear!

Thought for the Day: Who will tell me what I don’t want to hear?

John 1:19-28

“This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’” vss, 19-20

The question of identity was important in the gospels. The priests and Levites asked John the Baptist, “Who are you?” Jesus later asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” In those days speculation about the Messiah was on every person’s mind. There were a couple of viable candidates, but which one was authentic? John or Jesus? The gospels make it clear that Jesus was the one hoped for, but that didn’t mean John was an imposter. He just had a different role–he was the one sent to prepare the way. We’ve pretty much got things squared away with Jesus and John–and have long ago accepted the testimony of scripture. But the question remains, “Who are we?” It’s not likely that we think of ourselves as the messiah–that kind of thinking can easily get us hospitalized. But we do wonder if we have some higher purpose. How is it that we’ve ended up in this place at this time? Could God have had anything to do with it? We can really drive ourselves crazy with this kind of thinking, and we might do well just to imitate John. We are called, but our role is more that of a loving, caring, self-sacrificing servant. Perhaps it would be wise to let Jesus be Jesus, and then be the best me that we can possibly be!

Thought for the Day: Who am I?