Luke 1:46b-50

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.’” vss. 46b-48a

Sometimes the words of scripture become so commonplace to us that we don’t quite recognize their significance. Here we have the gospel writer Luke beginning his account by giving voice to a woman! That didn’t happen with Matthew or Mark and is an introduction to Luke’s inclusive style in describing Jesus’ ministry. In allowing the mother of Jesus to sing for joy as she visits Elizabeth, Luke uses her profound humility to establish the parameters for any who wish to carry Jesus close to their hearts. Mary reminds us in spectacular fashion that God uses the most unlikely persons in becoming incarnate in our world. When we are awake and alert to the people around us the signs are unmistakable. Those who we are apt to discount because of our cultural biases are regularly those in whom we see the grace and the mercy of God up close and personal. Their smiles are genuine and loving and their gentle words come straight from the heart. They know that God has smiled on their lowliness and they’re thrilled to be one of the chosen. Many  such persons are the women in our lives, and we can rejoice that in our time old prejudices are being discarded. Mary had a wonderful song for the world! And now, as millions join in the singing, we can be certain that blessings will abound!

Thought for the Day: Why has it been hard for women to find their voice?

Micah 5:2-5a

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” vs. 2

When we read the books of the prophets in our scriptures the meaning of the verses is often obscure and virtually inaccessible. But when Micah drops the name of a little village near Jerusalem into his oracle, his meaning is inescapable. Bethlehem was David’s town, and hundreds of years before he had emerged from there to become the great king of Israel. Micah believed the same thing could happen again–and a shepherd would once more be in charge. It was a nice thought, and even though David didn’t return in Micah’s day, centuries later followers of Jesus used this verse to connect Jesus to Israel’s ancient king. And when Matthew and Luke included the story in their narratives it became the gospel truth–Jesus was from Bethlehem, the city of David. It’s important to know where we’ve come from and many will share their birth stories at the drop of a hat. It’s a way of establishing an identity and provides a context for chapter one in our memoirs. It might even provide a clue for those who want to know us better. And for those who want to know Jesus, Bethlehem provides a solid reminder that he came out of humble obscurity on his journey to gentle glory.

Thought for the Day: What does my origin say about me?

Luke 3:15-18

“So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” vs. 18

After recounting John’s vivid description of the brood of vipers and the burning of chaff Luke concludes by calling John’s message “good news” for the people. Now some might wonder how such harsh language could be good news for anyone, mostly because religious folks have gotten used to a less costly notion of grace. We’ve been so anxious to get to forgiveness and mercy that the idea of repentance and cleansing has almost been forgotten. John the Baptist knew better than that and presented the whole package in his preaching by the Jordan–and it’s that whole package that Luke labelled “good news.” We’re only kidding ourselves if we imagine that our life in Christ won’t involve some “come to John” moments, times when we’re confronted with our wayward ways and urged to get down in the water and die. Jesus himself came down to the river, listened to John, and submitted to his baptism. It was in that whole process that he was engaged by the Spirit and called into mission–and when he started preaching the message was the same as John’s, “Repent and believe in the good news.” For too long many have discounted the Baptist and his message–preachers have even joked about his harshness. That certainly wasn’t Luke’s intention. From his study and reading he had concluded that John was a purveyor of good news, and his conclusion deserves our attention.

Thought for the Day: What’s a “come to John” moment?

Luke 3:7-14

“And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’” vs. 10

When John launched into his tirade about snakes and stones, axes and fires, the crowd was pretty much terrified. They all pretty much took what he said personally and responded much like any of us would have. “What then should we do?” they wanted to know. Any number of situations can spark those words. “What do you want me to do,” we say to an angry spouse or boss. John’s answer to the various groups in the crowd is surprisingly simple–essentially he says, “Just do what you’re supposed to do!” And that’s it–that’s all any of us are expected to do. “Just do what we’re supposed to do!” We are the children of God and we’ve been programmed to do good in this world. We’ve been created to share food and clothing with the poor, do our jobs, and be content with what we have. It’s not rocket science! And we don’t do what we’re supposed to do to keep from burning in hell, we do good because of who we are, the precious children of God, the much-loved  brothers and sisters of Jesus. So why don’t we? Why don’t we do good for the needy and the hurting? Why don’t we love our spouses as they deserve to be loved? God only knows–and God isn’t interested in our excuses. As John put it, “Bear fruit worthy of repentance!” That really is God’s bottom line!

Thought for the Day: Why am I more interested in making excuses than in doing good?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” vs. 6

One of the side-effects of living a joyous life is the absence of anxiety and worry. Some might question whether this is even a possibility given the current state of tension and uncertainty, but for Paul it’s a natural consequence of basking in the grace of God. In such a state, totally trusting in the love and the goodness of God, we learn to use prayer to take any kind of intruding concerns to God as soon as they show up on our radar. Of course this is entirely different from making Christmas lists and sending them off to family members. That’s an Advent activity that would have been entirely foreign to Paul. Those who make such lists are relatively certain they are going to get everything they ask for. That’s not the case with prayer requests. Taking things to God in prayer is a way for us to separate out the things we can’t control from those we can. Some of the blips that show up in daily living are a big nuisance, but we can take care of them. But the things we can’t control are another matter–and those are the matters we take to God in prayer. Wise people know the difference, and also know the amazing serenity that comes in the process. It’s the peace that passes human understanding!

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with anxiety?

Philippians 4:4-5

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” vs. 4

As Paul brings his love letter to the Philippians to a close he says good-bye by encouraging them to be people of joy. This is the best way to show him honor and give him thanks, and he even repeats it. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” It’s doubtful that he’s telling them to be happy all the time. Being happy is a pretty shallow aspiration and Paul has something deeper in mind. In Greek the word for joy and the word for grace are nearly identical, so Paul’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord” is very close to “bask in the grace of God.” It’s a deep contentment that boils over into expressions of thanksgiving in every circumstance. Joyful people won’t be happy all the time but they will exude a kind of serenity and gentleness–there’ll be a smile in their eyes even when they cry. Obviously this isn’t a response to winning the lottery or how we feel when our team wins–it’s completely unrelated to the standards of the world. The joy we have in the Lord persists in the good times and in the bad, not even the death of a loved one can take it away. In fact because it’s rooted in faith there’s nothing in all the world that can destroy it. Along with love it is one of the sure signs of Christ’s presence in our lives.

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to show our joy?

Isaiah 12:2-6

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.” vs. 5

Pink Candle Sunday, the Third Sunday in Advent, is just a few short days away and we rejoice as it comes close. It’s an annual reminder that the Lord has done gloriously and that the whole earth is yearning to know that God’s love is unyielding, overwhelming, and all powerful. Sadly, so much of religious history has revolved around our human propensity to construct God in our image and imagine that God is full of anger, vengeance, and petty judgments. We’ve invoked God’s name against enemies of every kind and raised the banner of Christ in bloody crusades against imagined infidels. We’ve terrorized children in our religious schools and blamed God for every natural disaster. In our hands religion has become a tool of the state and national banners are hung in our sanctuaries. In other words we’ve done all that we can to destroy and malign the God of our salvation. But not everyone has gotten on board! There are many who have not bowed the knee to those mythic gods of our power hungry culture. These are ones who are singing for joy this week. These are the ones that know that God dwells in the souls of every human being and, and that God works through the Spirit to bring a message of peace and love to every hurting person. Through them evil is vanquished and goodness triumphs!

Thought for the Day: Why do many people hate in the name of Jesus?

Zephaniah 3:17-20

“I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.” vs. 19

In the course of his hopeful reassurances Zephaniah returns to a familiar theme, one that runs through all of the prophetic writings of our scripture. He believed, beyond question, that the Lord had a particular concern for the needy and the outcast, and that they would most certainly be included in any future restoration. That basic conviction has continued to be at the core of the Jesus Movement in nearly all of its manifestations, both liberal and conservative. We all have a basic understanding that we should be providing assistance to the oppressed and the hurting. And because we have demonstrated that conviction in the past, at this time of year we are being deluged with requests for charitable contributions–scarcely a day goes by without a heartfelt mailing from some organization asking for our gifts. It’s good that this is happening! It’s our Advent reminder to give generously and often! Of course we can’t give to all those who are asking, and sometimes it’s a challenge to figure out where our money should be directed. But we do it! It’s what the people of God do! We do our research and find the agency whose mission most closely identifies with our own. In the process we rediscover the ancient truth: it feels good to give!

Thought for the Day: Where will my Advent contributions be directed?

Zephaniah 3:14-16

“Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! vs. 14

Pressed in by powerful enemies on every side the people of Jerusalem didn’t have much to rejoice about in the days of Zephaniah. But they had a good and righteous king, Josiah, on the throne and some felt that he provided a measure of hope. The prophet agreed and said that even though the Day of the Lord still loomed, for the moment it appeared that destruction had been avoided. Now was a time for rejoicing, for singing aloud to the Lord who had not abandoned them and had brought relief. That’s how some of us feel now. These last two years have been hard, but now there are signs of hope, and we’re glad for the opportunity that Advent gives for singing aloud with all our heart. And even though some of the holiday songs we’re hearing from Pandora are pretty cheesy and shallow, there’s something in the familiarity of the tunes that gives a spring to our step and even lifts our spirits. Even better are the concerts that are popping up in our churches and those put on by various chorale groups. The happy voices and smiling faces are a reminder that God dwells among us and even joins in the singing. And even though many are still wearing masks at worship it just feels good to belt out old favorites, especially since we know our off-notes will be muffled by the fabric. 

Thought for the Day: Why is singing so important?

Luke 3:3-6

“He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” vs. 3

John may not have been a member of the Essene Community at Qumran but he was undoubtedly influenced by its practice of ritual immersion for cleansing and renewal, a practice that became the central feature of his ministry. For him the baptism was a sign of repentance and was connected to the forgiveness of sins. It was a simple ritual, one that could be conducted anywhere there was available water, and the area along the Jordan was easily accessible from any direction. People came from the whole region, listened to John’s cry for repentance, and submitted to his baptism. We need those external signs in our faith life. While it’s obvious that God’s grace and forgiveness is based on God’s unconditional love, our water connection is priceless. The ritual is a way to act out what God gives freely and provides an indelible way to demonstrate our faith. Just as water cleanses from every kind of soil and stain, God’s love completely overwhelms any residual sin that might be in our lives. Of course we don’t need to be baptized to receive forgiveness, but it is undoubtedly a wonderful opportunity for thanksgiving and praise. In this world of uncertainty and personal doubt baptism is a delightful reminder of the special place we have in the heart of God.

Thought for the Day: How do I respond to a call for repentance?