Luke 3:7-14

“And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’” vss. 10-11

As we move into the second half of Advent and prepare to celebrate Pink Candle Sunday, it’s tempting to wonder just who invited John the Baptist to the party. We’ll be focusing on joy but old grouchy John is telling folks that they need to repent by giving generously to people in need. It doesn’t seem to be a message that is related to joy, but John is exactly right. There is likely nothing that gives more joy to the human heart than gift-giving, and not just to family members who likely already have more than they need. What a blessing it is that we are being forcefully reminded every day of the opportunities we have to make life better for the poor! Some congregations have adopted hundreds of families through their angel tree programs. Every social agency is doing all they can to promote their worthy programs and encourage people who love Jesus to demonstrate their love with donations. It really is the “Season for Sharing”! In an age when the healthcare industry has become devoted to maximizing profits rather than promoting healing, costs have soared and the poor are paying the bills. We may not be able to do anything about the system, but we can certainly share what we have with those who have nothing.

Thought for the Day: What agencies am I donating to this Christmas?

Philippians 4:6-7

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” vs. 7

Paul told the Philippians not to worry about anything but in everything, with prayer and supplication, to let their requests be made known to God. That’s a worthy thought, but no matter who we are there will come a time when we will struggle to find the proper words for our prayers. The circumstances can vary. Perhaps a loved one has been snatched from life to death in an instant and our hearts are broken. Or a family member or friend struggles to escape the unrelenting clutches of dementia or Alzheimer’s. We want to pray, but what shall we pray for? We know that no words can erase the pain of death, or halt the progressive illness that’s taking our friend from light to darkness. But following Paul, we do the only thing we can, we keep on praying, and out of our babbling and confusion, the God who is beyond all human comprehension gives peace. We don’t get answers or miracles, but that deep and abiding sense that somehow in the Divine Mystery, all things are going to work together for good. And we learn that the best we can do for those caught up in the intractable miseries of life is to pray that they would be covered by a blanket of peace. When understanding fails us, we continue to trust that God is, and in every circumstance offers the deep peace that human hearts crave.

Thought for the Day: When am I at peace?

Phiiippians 4:4-5

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” vss. 4-5

Somewhere along the way, Christians have gotten a reputation as dour, fun-dampening people, and to some sad extent this isn’t an exaggeration. We’ve seen folks in our congregations whose faces seem never to have smiled and to whom the term “kill-joy” could easily be applied. Somewhere along the line they seem to have gotten the message that following Jesus is a serious matter and that fun is one of the deadly sins. Paul provides a corrective to such people in his letter to the Philippians. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.” He’s not saying that faith is a joking matter, but he does believe that it should be joyful. And what a difference it makes when we are. The smiles in our hearts that are made evident in our faces make us a magnet for hurting, lonely people. Some have actually tried this as an experiment. They’ve smiled at every person they’ve encountered in the course of a day, and taken note of the responses they’ve received. It’s stunning to see a smile change the mood of a person and elevate the level of love in a room. For some this comes naturally. They can’t hold back their exuberance about the life they have in Jesus. Some of the rest of us have to work on it. But what a difference joy makes! It’s the Christian’s magic pill!

Thought for the Day: Why is rejoicing hard for some?

Isaiah 12:2-6

“Surely God is my salvation;  I will trust, and will not be afraid,for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” vs. 2

During the lifetime of the prophet Isaiah, the country of Israel was attacked and conquered by the Assyrians. Thousands of refugees from the north flooded Jerusalem and the land of Judah. Egypt was flexing its muscles to the southwest. A new power, Babylon, was rising in the east. Prospects did not look good for Isaiah’s homeland. But he did not lose faith, and he certainly did not despair. He writes a psalm for the people proclaiming his continued trust in the Lord, the source of his salvation. Nations have a way of trying to assert their dominance in our world too, and we’re reminded of that every day. Powerful countries are flexing their muscles and piling up stores of weapons. Since our country is one of them we might be tempted to put our trust in our own power and might. But that would be shortsighted. History tells us that Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon were all conquered and destroyed. Only Judah survived! The God connection is not to be trifled with–and we would be well advised to follow Isaiah’s direction and put our trust in the Lord, the one source of salvation and healing for our broken world. It’s not easy! When times get tough, most folks would rather have bombs than a bible. It seems impotent to rely on our prayers, even if that is the way of Jesus.

Thought for the Day: What do I trust for my salvation?

Zephaniah 3:17-20

“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.” vss. 17-18a

While this verse contains a description of God that seems foreign to our ears, it’s fascinating to see how Zephaniah, a 7th century B.C.E prophet, conveyed his sense of the Divine Presence to his readers. He’s pretty much right on in what he has to say. God wasn’t a far distant deity but lived right in the midst of the people, a constant Presence who continually rejoiced over them with gladness and who sustained them with constant love. Zephaniah even imagines God singing praises to the people. That’s a fun image of God, one that doesn’t come up very often. There are pictures floating around the internet of a laughing Jesus, but it’s hard to even imagine a singing God. What would that be like? Is such talk even appropriate? Well, maybe not, but wouldn’t it be nice if God took delight in those times when we behave decently and act justly? If on some random day our hours were so full of smiles, hugs, and loving words that God just burst into song? It’s good to imagine God thinking well of us–especially since we so often believe God is angry. Maybe this year God will show up on Christmas Eve with a “Ho, ho, ho,” instead of Santa. That would really be nice! 

Thought for the Day: What song is God singing to me?

Zephaniah 3:14-16

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

It’s likely that Zephaniah was active as a prophet during the reforms of Josiah, one of the few strong and moral kings of Judah. He began his ministry by calling for an end to corruption within the priestly hierarchy and was evidently thrilled when leaders paid attention to him. As far as he was concerned the reformation was an occasion for rejoicing and exultation. Those times do come for the people of God. Our story is mixed, and while we are certainly aware of the moments when everything is going bad, there are also times for singing and praise. The Advent season provides those opportunities for people of faith. Every week there are concerts and programs celebrating all that God has done to bring healing and restoration to our broken world. Our musicians do a wonderful job in setting the mood of the holiday, and worship leaders love to fill sanctuaries with the sound of music and even shouts of joy. As we anticipate the delights of the Christmas holiday, our Advent singing and celebrating is an acknowledgment of Christ’s presence in the world. So let’s pick out concerts that spark our joy and participate fully, not only listening to the beautiful songs from the choir, but singing our own hearts out in joyous thanksgiving.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite Christmas concert?

Luke 3:4-6

“as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’” vs. 4

While Isaiah was imagining a highway stretching from Babylon to Judah on which the Israelites could travel from captivity to freedom, Luke uses the same words with slight modifications to describe the mission of John the Baptizer. While in John’s lifetime he was much better known than Jesus, after his death he began to be known as the one who had prepared the way for Jesus. Indeed, that’s exactly what took place. Many of John’s disciples became followers of Jesus, convinced that Jesus, and not John, was the Messiah sent from God. In Advent we celebrate John’s mission, and remember that a part of our discipleship is to prepare the way for Jesus to enter the hearts of those seeking salvation. There’s probably no greater joy for any of us than to be the means by which others come to know Christ. We naturally have that role as parents–it’s a promise we make to our children when they are baptized. But sometimes we have opportunities to provide invitation and direction to seekers. What a blessing it is to be that kind of influencer! We don’t have to do the preaching and the baptizing. There are plenty of others who can do that. But when we can point the way for a lost and lonely soul, everyone goes home a winner!

Thought for the Day: What kind of influencer am I?

Luke 3:1-3

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…vss. 1a, 2b-3

Luke traces John’s ministry to a precise time and place in history. Even though we would love to know a bit more of John’s background, that is not provided. Based on his message and location some have linked him to the Essene community at Qumran, close to where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. If that was the case, he would have been very familiar with water baptisms, a concern for purity, and the message of repentance. John did not remain within the community walls however, but traveled about the whole region, exposing brokenness, and pointing the way to new life. He must have been a powerful preacher, because thousands traveled all the way to the Jordan from as far away as Jerusalem and Galilee to hear him speak, confess their sins, and submit to a baptism of repentance. Many believed that he was the long-awaited messiah! His followers represented a significant force in the political arena of the day, and even King Herod took notice of him. The call to repentance is a powerful one, and even today people take note when they are confronted with the need to change. We hear that call echoing through the days of Advent, and many wonder if they too need to repent as life continues.

Thought for the Day: What am I being called to change?

Philippians 1:7-11

“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless…” vss. 9-10

People of faith generally have disdain for “self-improvement” books. They understand that such materials claim that we have within ourselves the capacity to correct deficiencies and eliminate addictions. All we need to do, as one author puts it, is “think and grow rich.” But disciples have come to believe that the power to change comes through a Higher Power, and is closely related to repentance. Paul told the Philippians that change was intimately connected to love, a love that came from God and that was spread within the community of faith. And he also told them that as they continued loving and as they sought knowledge and insight, they would become the people they had been created to be. It’s strange how that great truth can escape our attention in the course of our long lives! We become content with who we are, and some don’t even have any interest in repenting or changing. They bask in grace and remain the same year after year. What a pity! We have not been called to stay the same, and become content with our brokenness. In Christ the Spirit is always urging us to seek purity and holiness through repentance and change. And when that happens our love will overflow!

Thought for the Day: How have I been changing over my lifetime?

Philippians 1:3-7

“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” vss. 3-5

Because many of us have been a part of a faith community since infancy, we often don’t realize what a blessing such a membership brings. Paul had come out of a tight-knit Jewish background but when he began his Spirit-directed journey into Gentile lands, he realized anew the joy that comes from being a part of a praying community. And this community was different from any he’d ever known. Rather than being based on law and rituals, these Philippians were his brothers and sisters because of their sharing in the gospel. We know what Paul was feeling. Sometimes life can seem routine and we follow established patterns in daily living, but then something happens, perhaps a crisis or calamity, the community gets the word, and people begin to pray. And like Paul we are lifted up by prayer and sustained by the power of love. In this individualistic, every-person-for-themselves world, where we’re expected by our culture to take care of ourselves, community is the greatest gift the church has to offer. Humans have known from the beginning that being lonely is not good. We’re communal creatures, and when we are surrounded by love and kindness we are at our best. 

Thought for the Day: How has community lifted me in a time of need?