Isaiah 9:2-5

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2

Darkness is the perfect metaphor for those dismal times in life when the present is oppressive and the future seems hopeless. There can be a myriad of triggers: cancer, divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job, alienation…the list goes on and on. These are the things that come to us as we live in the world, and in our suffering it really does seem as though darkness has closed in. We scarcely know what to say or who to turn to…and even the valiant efforts to light up our neighborhoods with strings of Christmas lights do little to lift our spirits. But just as the longest nights do not last forever and ultimately give way to the glorious light of dawn, our suffering too does have an ending. One day when we least expect it, light will come crashing into our darkness and lift the clouds of gloom. The source of the light can vary, it could be a child’s shining face, a kind word from a friend, or maybe an actual sunrise, but the result will always be the same. The burdens of the present are lifted, we catch a glimpse of hope, and joy returns to our hearts.
Thought for the Day: What has been my darkest time?

Matthew 1:20-24

“But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” vs. 20

Joseph, a righteous man, had resolved to do the right thing with regard to his pregnant fiancee, Mary. He would divorce her quietly and not charge her with adultery. But then he began to have doubts about his decision, doubts triggered by an angel messenger in a dream, and he changed his mind. He decided to marry her anyway…and as they say, “the rest is history.” This little story reminds us that doing the right thing is sometimes the wrong thing to do. Occasionally rules need to be broken and community standards questioned. Of course that does make decision making more difficult…it’s a lot easier when everything is black and white and the law has the final word. But when the Holy Spirit gets involved and we begin to live by grace, we realize that life is more complicated than we might like. We find ourselves changing our minds about things we’d always believed to be true. We accept people we’d always disdained and welcome outsiders into our families. Like Joseph we discover that God’s truth is ever more generous and gracious that we could ever have imagined.

Thought for the Day: How have I been persuaded to change my mind?

 Matthew 1:18-19

“Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” vs. 19

We love hearing birth stories and generally are not surprised that there are almost always at least two varying accounts, one from the perspective of the mother, and the other from the father. Both Matthew and Luke decided to include a birth narrative in their respective gospels but picked stories that have significant differences. In Luke’s account Mary is the central figure, has all the good lines, and gets a visit from an angel. In Matthew’s, little is said about Mary and Joseph is the star, the one who gets the angel visitations. Of course some of us wonder about those differences and many make the mistake of conflating the stories. (That’s how we end up with manger scenes that include figures of three wise men.) The problem is that focusing on differences leads us away from the truth. We’ll never know whether Matthew or Luke got it right…that’s just how it is with birth stories. Matthew wants us to know that Jesus didn’t arrive out of the blue like some demi-god or angel. He was fully human and had a family that stretched through Joseph all the way back to Abraham. The good news is that we are a part of that faith family and share in the fulfilled promises. We too, as brothers and sisters of Jesus and children of Abraham, are blessed to be a blessing.

Thought for the day: What stories have I heard about my birth?

Romans 1:1-7

“through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,” vs. 5

Paul was surprised at his life as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Such a calling was far from his mind in the early years when he had viciously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. But he had been called, and had since devoted his life to proclaiming a gospel of grace to the Gentiles. Everything was about grace for Paul, and he stubbornly resisted any attempts to link salvation to the law. Of course that didn’t mean he considered obedience to be unimportant…nothing made him more angry than followers of Jesus who felt free to do as they pleased. But grace was where everything started…it was the cornerstone of the good news. Like Paul, some of us may have been surprised by our calling to be followers of Jesus. It might not have been a part of our plan in younger years… we may even have rejected the faith of our parents for a time. But somewhere along the line grace broke through and we realized the wonder of life in Christ…and with the gift has come a new calling, a commissioning as apostles to share the gift with others. These Advent moments of meditation serve to refuel our mission and revitalize our faith. The gift of grace is priceless…and we’ve been called to pass it on!
Thought for the Day: How am I living out my calling?

Psalm 80:17-19

“Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 19

For many pastors the highlight of the service is the benediction, not because it means football watching is just around the corner, but because it offers such a rich gift to worshippers. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.” To catch a glimpse of the shining face of God is to be touched by grace, and it happens regularly in the smiles we exchange with one another. Those smiles lift our hearts and erase despair; they’re probably the most precious gifts of this season. We can find ourselves in dark moods for a variety of reasons even when it’s getting close to Christmas. Maybe it’s the sad memories crowding our minds. It could be the signs of brokenness and pain in our families. In those moments all it takes is a single encounter with a bright, cheery smiling face to break the mood. And it’s not only ours to receive…all of us have a multitude of opportunities every day to spread the cheer. It may seem a little thing, that smile we pass to another, but it’s really a benediction, a sign of the shining face of God and a mark of God’s gracious favor.

Thought for the Day: How does a smile affect my heart?

Psalm 80:1-7

“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?” vs. 4

Often Christians are advised to “look on the bright side,” to remember that “all things work together for good,” and that “there is a purpose for everything.” Of course this is all fine advice, but the truth is that sometimes we don’t feel like looking on the bright side. We’d rather vent our deep frustrations with complaints to God and anyone else we think would be willing to listen. For some those feelings are close to the surface during these middle days of Advent. There’s so much talk of happy holidays and a constant barrage of merriness on social media, and some days it’s too much to bear. Feelings of sadness and injustice that we can usually mask break through the thin veneer of self-control, and we give voice to both self-pity and righteous indignation. There’s certainly nothing wrong with such outbursts, as can easily be seen from reading the psalms, and it’s good to know that God can handle our complaints, even when we’ve worn out our families and friends. In the long run openness is always better than stifling, and the honest expression of feelings will ultimately be rewarded with a smile from God, and the restoration of joy. It might take longer than we like and sometimes it might feel like the frustrations are without end, but count on it! A new day will dawn and darkness will be no more.

Thought for the Day: What shape does my complaining take?

Isaiah 7:14-16

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” vs. 14

Ahaz got his undesired sign, the birth of a son, and we can imagine that he was thrilled. The name of the child, Immanuel, implied that Jerusalem would be safe, that God would be with them, and their country would not be destroyed. Some centuries later, another child was born, Jesus by name, and the old name was attached to him. Immanuel, “with us is God,” is a beautiful, hopeful reminder that we are not alone and that we have not been abandoned. Immanuel comes to us in Advent and through the year and is present on the most unnerving and devastating days of our lives. When our worlds are shattered and death comes to our doors Immanuel is there, and we are lifted up in our grieving and strengthened in our suffering. We sing out in our churches, “Oh, come, oh, come, Immanuel…disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.” And then it happens! Whether we sense it or not, God is with us, and ultimately our mournful sobs are replaced with songs of joy. It’s this shift from sighing to rejoicing that is the most wonderful sign of all, a powerful indicator that life always has the last word, and death is never the end. Praise be to God!

Thought for the Day: When has Immanuel come to me?

Isaiah 7:10-13

“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” vss. 10-11

Have you ever thought about asking a sign from the Lord? Many of us have. There’s so much that we wonder about, like, is there a God? Or is there really life after death? Those are deep questions and we’d love to have definitive answers, something to hang our hats on, and not just the platitudes of preachers. And if we can’t get an answer, it would at least be nice to get a sign. Is my loved one really at peace with you, Jesus? Can you send a sign that she’s okay? Some might feel that asking for these reassurances is a sign of doubt or a lack of faith, that if we believed what our scriptures say, there would be no need for signs. But it’s not that we doubt…it’s just…well, it’s just that we’d like to know for sure! So send a sign, Lord, a butterfly maybe…it would be so very nice. Old Ahaz, king of Judah, was given a chance to ask for a sign…and he said he didn’t need one. And Isaiah, prophet of God, ripped him. “Don’t be so proud, Ahaz, you’re wearying God!” So send us a sign, Lord, whatever you want, we’re not proud! And then it happens! The sign comes and we know in our hearts that what we believe is true! Thank you, Lord, for butterflies!

Thought for the Day: What sign would I like to have from God?

Matthew 11:7-11

“This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “ vs. 10

When we think of angels in our scriptures, names like Michael and Gabriel often come to mind. Seldom, if ever, do we put John the Baptist in that category. Yet that’s what he’s called in this passage. He’s more than a prophet, he’s a messenger, an angel sent from God for a particular purpose, to prepare the way for Jesus. Of course he’s not an angel in the traditional sense, a non-human spiritual being. He’s a man with a history and a precise context, but he is an angel or messenger nonetheless. In that sense he’s much like the angels that we encounter from time to time, folks with a particular word or message that can change our lives. Sometimes we know the person well, this angel with a message, but occasionally they can be strangers or a casual acquaintances. The word the angel brings will be plain and provide direction for our journey, maybe an admonition or reorienting advice, perhaps some wisdom to help us in moments of indecision. John advised folks to repent, to change their lives, and get ready for the coming kingdom. Our angels might have a similar message and we would be wise to pay attention. True angels are rare birds, special gifts from God, and often their insights are more precious than silver or gold.

Thought for the Day: What messages have I gotten from angels?

Matthew 11: 2-6

“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’” vss. 2-3

John was confused. He’d had an inkling that Jesus might be the messiah, the one sent by God to restore Israel, but initial reports had been disappointing. Jesus had shown no inclination to raise an army, he didn’t encourage his followers to arm themselves, and he’d actually sat at table with Pharisees, the same folks John had labelled a brood of vipers. So John sent his disciples with a question, “Are you the one?’ The confusion was perfectly understandable. We deal with the same issue: there are still messiah types wandering around, among them the usual tough-minded, showy, powerful, triumphalists asking followers to get weapons and get ready for a battle to the end against shadowy foes. True disciples of Jesus will turn their backs on such charlatans, and continue his gentle revolution by walking in his way. We see such disciples all around: they’re the ones laboring to ensure that hurting people find healing, that a message of life is lived and proclaimed, and that the poor continually hear good news. As we join their cause we are blessed to the core and know in our hearts that there is no need to wait for another messiah. The truly mighty one has already come!

Thought for the Day: What’s so appealing about tough-acting messiahs?