Year B, December 31

Inspired by Psalm 148

“Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!  Young men and women alike, old and young together!  Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.”  Psalm 148:11-13

Throughout human history, society has adhered to a hierarchy.  The specific details of the hierarchy have differed depending on culture, region, and chronology, but there have always been those at the top, those in the middle, and those at the bottom (and frequently several levels in between).

The hierarchy of creation is different.  God is above all, and everyone else is below.  It doesn’t matter if, in our given society, we’re considered at the top, in the middle, or on the bottom, we’re all equally reliant on the grace of God, and we’re all equally beloved by God.  Wealth, political influence, and social standing have no advantage when it comes to relationship with the Lord; he alone is Lord, and he alone is deserving of our praise.

Let us pray.  Exalted Lord, you have created us your people, and are deserving of our praise.  Help us to see our fellow creatures as you see us, equally deserving of love, that we may treat each other as sisters and brothers in you.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 30

Inspired by Proverbs 9:1-12

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”  Proverbs 9:10

Want to live a good, fulfilling life?  Want to know how to prioritize your values and make wise decisions?  The self-help section in your local bookstore is full of advice on just how to do that, much of it contradictory.

In this age of relativism, it is difficult to know how best to order our lives.  But the wisdom of the bible has stood for ages.  Turning to the One who created us, who redeemed us, who sustains us, is a good grounding for everything else in our lives.  Will we make mistakes?  Certainly.  But the Lord our God will forgive us our mistakes, and, if we keep our focus on him and his will, will guide us in the way of truth, love, and peace.  What better foundation could we build our lives upon?

Let us pray.  God of wisdom, you alone know what is right.  Turn our hearts and minds towards you, that we may walk in your ways and live faithfully in your grace.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 29

Inspired by Matthew 12:46-50

“And pointing to his disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”  Matthew 12:49-50

Many children visualize God as an elderly man with white hair and a long white beard, wearing flowing white robes and sitting on a cloud in heaven, far above the earth.  Many of those children grow into adults holding onto that same image, and believe that God and heaven are just so far away from day to day life.  They find themselves unable to relate to such a distant God.

But God became flesh and was born a man.  Jesus lived on earth, facing many of the struggles that we ourselves continue to face today.  Jesus celebrated with friends, wept over lost loved ones, suffered rejection and betrayal, tried to find balance between taking care of others and taking care of himself, and struggled with obeying the harder obligations of following God.  In short, Jesus is someone we can relate to.  Even though he is fully God, he is also fully human, and thus the bridge between us and the heavenly Father.  While we may struggle to relate to some divine being sitting up on a cloud, that divine being has related to us on our level, in our lives, and has adopted us into his own family.

Let us pray.  Father God, you provided us a way to know the unknowable.  Help us to obey your will, that we may be heirs with Christ.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 28

Inspired by Matthew 2:13-18

“Now after [the wise men] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’”  Matthew 2:13

Even as the world rejoices at the birth of the Savior, there is still tragedy, evil, and strife.  While some are beginning to take down their Christmas decorations and get tired of the endless leftovers from their Christmas feasts, others are fleeing for their lives, or burying loved ones lost too soon, or wondering how they’re going to make it through another day in a world that seems set against them.

As the Christ child lay sleeping in his mother’s arms, the powers of this world were seeking to destroy him.  This tiny infant had the power to bring about changes that would improve the lives of all, but only at the expense of greed, brutality, and control.  This is what Christ came for.

The birth of Christ did not magically remove all struggles from the world, but his coming did provide us with an alternative to the status quo.  We don’t have to live enslaved to the greed, brutality, and control that ensures the well-being of a few at the expense of many; we can turn instead to Christ, and recognize the value of all human beings, and work to ensure that all receive the dignity and respect befitting of beloved children of God.  For that is what the power of Christ looks like.

Let us pray.  Savior God, the powers of greed and selfishness have opposed you from the very beginning.  Enable us to turn towards you, that we may spread your love and show your mercy to all your people.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 27

Inspired by 1 John 1:1-9

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:8-9

We always want to think the best of ourselves.  We justify our questionable or even bad behaviors, and we excuse or ignore shortcomings in the name of self-esteem.

But when we do that, we’re projecting a false image of who we are to the world, and we often try to believe it ourselves.  But it’s a lie, and we can’t maintain it.  Eventually we begin to feel like a fraud, and our self-esteem suffers even more.

One of the benefits of salvation is being freed from living a lie.  It’s OK to admit to our shortcomings.  It’s even OK to call them sins, because we don’t have to be perfect for God to love us; God’s love is capable of forgiving us our sins and putting us in right relationship with him.  And being in right relationship with God can bring out the best in us in ways that projecting false images can never even come close to.

Let us pray.  Faithful God, you see us as we truly are, and you love us as we truly are.  Enable us to recognize and confess our sins, that we may receive your forgiveness.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 26

Inspired by Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15

“The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.  And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die!’”  Jeremiah 26:7-8

God sent Jeremiah with a message for those who worshiped in the house of the Lord.  They were, by and large, very comfortable, and they expected their worship experience to make them feel good about themselves and their lives, to affirm them in what they were doing.  Jeremiah’s message, however, was that they must repent and turn from their evil ways.  Not what they’d wanted to hear, and they reacted badly to it.

I don’t know that many people who worship in the house of the Lord today are really all that different.  Many want to go and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” even—and especially—if they’re not really doing anything to warrant such affirmation.  But if we’re not willing to honestly deal with the requirements of discipleship, and hear with humility that we’re getting too comfortable in our favored status as ‘saved,’ then we’re not worshiping the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Salvation is not dependent on works, but if our salvation results in no change in our habits, priorities, or lives, then what have we been saved from?  Salvation is not ultimately about where we go when we die, but how we’re freed to live here and now.  We can live free from bondage to the rat race, of never measuring up to artificial standards of ‘success,’ of never being able to fill the emptiness of our self-serving lives.  But in order to do that we must be willing to focus on God first, and prioritize everything else under him and his will.  Refusing to hear his will means we’re shutting ourselves away from the salvation he’s so freely offered, and we’re worshiping not God, but our own agendas.

Let us pray.  God of salvation, your will for us is benevolent, and your ways are just.  Grant us the humility to recognize that while we are saved by your grace, we are yet sinners in need of your guidance, that we may turn away from our own agendas and towards your love.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day

Inspired by Titus 3:4-7

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  Titus 3:4-5

The way Christmas is celebrated in much of the United States today has little to do with the religious holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ our Savior.  Santa Claus has supplanted Jesus Christ as the primary figure, consumption and consumerism stand in for celebration, and even the name ‘Christmas’ is losing out to the more politically correct ‘Holidays.’

There is one way, however, that even the most secular, consumerist version of the ‘Holidays’ conveys an important point about the Christian Christmas celebration:  the reckless generosity of flagrant gift-giving.  The gift of his Son was God’s generosity and mercy run amok; sinful humanity had done nothing to deserve a gift of such value.  But God gave us his Son out of the abundance of his love and grace—and that love and grace is still in abundance today.

While secular holiday gift-giving often feeds feelings of greed, entitlement, and false pride, it is a way in which even those things that seem to work against Christianity can still reveal a truth about the real meaning of Christmas.  Whatever the motivations, even the secular ‘Holidays’ can remind us that Christmas is the result of God’s reckless generosity and flagrant gift of his Son.

Let us pray.  Merciful God, you sent us your Son not because we deserved such a gift, but because we needed it.  On this day of celebration, let each wrapped present remind us of your abundant generosity, that we may use our gifts in the world to meet the needs of others.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Eve

Inspired by Luke 2:1-14

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  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.’”  Luke 2:8-11

I think most of us would react like the shepherds when they saw the angel of the Lord.  Even those of us solid in our faith, if we were actually faced with an angel of the Lord shining with the Lord’s glory, we’d be terrified.

It probably stems from a deeply hidden feeling of inadequacy or guilt.  All of us can point to ways in which we’re not quite loving enough, not quite giving enough, not quite Christian enough, and we’re afraid that, in the end, God’s judgment is to be feared.

But we’d receive the same message from God that the shepherds did:  Do not be afraid—I am bringing you good news of great joy.  God knows us to our very core, and God loves us to our very core.  Of course we’re not loving enough or giving enough to earn God’s favor; that’s why he sent his Son, the Messiah, the Lord, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves—achieve our salvation.  God’s breaking into the world is not an event to cause terror, but one to inspire celebration and rejoicing.

Let us pray.  Saving God, you saw our sorry state, and sent your Son to redeem us.  Enable us to rejoice at your mercy, that we may celebrate your love rather than fear your wrath.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 23

Inspired by Zephaniah 3:14-20

“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.”  Zephaniah 3:19

We live in a success-oriented culture.  Our worth is judged by our productivity and measurable signs of accomplishment such as wealth and popularity.  Even though most of us acknowledge that we are not perfect, we put an extraordinary amount of effort into portraying a picture of perfection to those around us.

And many of us refrain from really entering into a relationship with God because we’re afraid that he’ll see right through us, he’ll know we’re nowhere near perfect enough to be acceptable to him, and he’ll reject us.

But God doesn’t require us to be perfect as a starting point for relationship; through a relationship with God we are brought closer to perfection.  The very parameters for measuring perfection are changed to include those things that cause us shame now; God seeks out the lame and the outcast for relationship, and the shame that people feel for their shortcomings is transformed into praise and renown.

A society which can never achieve perfection on its own pretends to be perfect and harshly judges and ostracizes anyone deemed to be less than perfect.  The One who truly is perfect accepts our imperfections as part of us and loves us completely.  Why not let the transforming love of God determine your worth, rather than the jealous imaginings of imperfect creatures?

Let us pray.  God of perfection, you alone are able to justly judge our worth.  Free us from unreasonable human expectations and values, that we may trust in you and be transformed by your loving acceptance.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, December 22

Inspired by Psalm 96

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”  Psalm 96:4-6

There is so much vying for our attention.  We have relationships with families and friends.  We need to make a living to provide for ourselves and our loved ones.  Then there’s the never-ending bombardment of social media and entertainment.  Some of these things are very important.  All of them have a place in our lives.  And all of them try to claim the position of utmost importance.  Any or all of them can become an idol.

Is there a good book or movie that would temporarily distract you from your daily stress?  Then enjoy it!  But don’t allow pursuit of those temporary enjoyments to distract you from the life God has blessed you with.  Do you use social media to keep up with old friends or distant family?  What a wonderful use of that tool!  Don’t become absorbed with how many friends or followers you have, or cease to live your life because you’re too busy reporting it.  Are you working to earn a living?  Great way to provide for yourself while making profitable use of your gifts!  Don’t allow your profession to determine your identity, or your paycheck to determine your value.  Are you raising children or nurturing your spouse and close friends?  What a blessing you are to them and they are to you!  Don’t lose yourself in the needs and wants of others at the expense of your own well-being, or base your own worth on the happiness of others.

All the good things we have in our lives are blessings from God, yet we must beware of worshiping the blessings instead of worshiping the one who blessed us.  There is only one God, and he is to be praised for all that we have, and he is to be revered above all those good things which he has seen fit to give us.

Let us pray.  Lord of all, marvelous are your works.  Keep us focused on your majesty and grace, that we may appreciate the blessings you’ve given us as gifts from you rather than idols to be worshiped.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Wednesday

Inspired by Mark 11:1-11

“When they were approaching Jerusalem, and Bethpage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, [Jesus] sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.  If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.”’”  Mark 1:1-3

Many of us earnestly desire to serve the Lord with all that we have and all that we are.  But we find it challenging, because we’re not always sure exactly what that looks like.  There are so many needs, so many ways to serve, and it can be exhausting to always give so much of ourselves.

The needs of the world are many, and the ways of serving are various.  However, not all of our service requires extraordinary effort.  Sometimes something that seems trivial or insignificant can make a huge impact.  Some townspeople near Jerusalem provided an important service to Jesus simply by loaning their colt to some strangers for a little while.  Our service to the Lord today may sometimes require a significant commitment of time and resources, yet it is frequently as simple as loaning some extra folding chairs to a friend, giving your children’s outgrown clothes to charity, or even just smiling at a stressed-out sales clerk.  Why do these little things matter?  Because the Lord needs it.  Everything we do, no matter how small, to make someone’s life just a little bit easier or better is a significant service to the Lord, just as the Lord is served when someone else blesses us by meeting one of our needs.

Let us pray.  Compassionate God, you commissioned us to serve you by serving others.  Enable us to appreciate the small blessings we give and receive, that we may understand that serving you does not have to be dramatic or difficult.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Tuesday

Inspired by 1 Samuel 1:19-28

“And [Hannah] said [to Eli], ‘Oh, my lord!  As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.  For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him.  Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.’  She left him there for the Lord.”  1 Samuel 1:26-28

Hannah was barren, and prayed fervently to God that she might bear a son.  When her prayer was answered, she quite literally gave her son back to God, keeping him home with her just long enough to wean him.  After that she gave him to the priest Eli, to be raised in full service to the Lord.

Most of us have prayed for some tangible thing at one time or another in our lives.  And when our prayer has been answered in the affirmative, many of us have thanked God for his blessing.  But how many of us have been so grateful to have our prayer answered that we were willing to give up the very thing for which we had prayed?  If all that we have is a gift from God, and God has gifted us such that we might use our gifts together for his glory, why would we hesitate to give that which we have prayed for back into his service?

Let us pray.  Gracious God, many are your blessings.  Help us to recognize all that we have as gracious gifts from you, that we may use all that we have to proclaim your glory to the world.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Monday

Inspired by Hebrews 9:1-14

“For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!”  Hebrews 9:13-14

It is human nature to want to be responsible for our own salvation.  Even as we intellectually acknowledge that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works, we still cling tenaciously to our works, unable to let go of that little bit of control.  We are convinced that there are certain things we must do to prove our faith, and that not doing them shows that we really haven’t received God’s grace, and therefore haven’t received salvation.

Jesus Christ came to free us from such ideas.  Salvation is not through our repetition of ritual acts of worship or even the performance of good deeds intended to benefit God’s people, but rather through Christ’s willingly giving himself up for our sake.  He has performed the ritual for all times and in all places, and his ‘good deed’ can never be reimbursed.  Jesus Christ, Son of God, came to us, gave his life for us, defeated death for us, and continues to live among us, sharing the eternal love of the eternal God, who is, who was, and who is to come.  It is all his doing, not ours, and all we can do is live in the grace given to us by his sacrifice.

Let us pray.  Living God, you sent your Son to free us from our bondage.  Enable us to accept your graceful love, that we may respond with graceful living.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Fourth Sunday of Advent

Inspired by 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

“I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.  Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”  2 Samuel 7:6-7

We are human beings, and as such we think as human beings.  God, however, is not a human being, though we frequently project our own desires and preferences onto him, as though they were his own.

David recognized that this period of rest from his enemies, and the fact that he was settled into a comfortable home, were blessings from God, and he believed that God should be blessed the same way.  So he endeavored to build a house for the ark of the Lord, assuming that God would enjoy the same comfort.

God has his own priorities, and they involve the well-being of his people.  He had no interest in the roof and four walls David envisioned for him, even as he knew that such comforts and symbols of security were essential to his people.  Rather, he desired to be present among his people, with them in their daily lives, just as he does now.  The things we treasure—comfort, security, wealth—are not what God desires from us.  He would rather our love, our devotion, and our acknowledgment of his presence in our lives.

Let us pray.  Transcendent God, your ways are not our ways.  Help us to give to you that which you desire, that we may recognize all we enjoy as signs of your gracious love.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Saturday

Inspired by John 7:40-52

“When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’  Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’  But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?  Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’”  John 7:40-42

The devil is in the details.  Jesus’ words and actions identified him as the long-awaited Messiah, yet there were some who were ready to dismiss Jesus on the grounds that—as they understood scripture—he had been born in the wrong place.  The geographical location where Jesus’ mother happened to be when she gave birth was a more important indicator of the Messiah than Jesus’ own words and actions.

It may seem silly to us, but in many ways we make some of the same arbitrary claims regarding how God can and cannot work in the world.  We have our own favorite litmus tests we use to determine who is a ‘true’ Christian and who is not.  Perhaps it’s a specific interpretation of how scripture addresses a social issue that didn’t exist in biblical times.  Perhaps it’s a particular moral code and how strictly one adheres to it.  Perhaps it’s a style of worship or piety, or the display of certain gifts of the Spirit.  Whatever it is, we elevate that particular detail to an importance that outweighs all other evidence of how God might be working in this person or in this situation, and we allow ourselves to be blinded to God’s truth by our devotion to our own limited understanding.

God does not fit neatly into the boxes we create for him, and he does not follow the rules we set for him.  And praise God for that, for if he did, then all of us would be denied his grace, because someone else would believe we hadn’t earned it.  Instead, God gives his grace freely and generously, more freely and more generously than we may be comfortable with, but it’s his to give, not ours, and because of that, we are able to receive it despite our own limited sight and understanding.

Let us pray.  God of grace, you have given us the ability to think and to understand much of the world around us.  Help us to recognize the limits of our own wisdom and understanding, that we may use such gifts not to judge others, but to serve you.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Friday

Inspired by 2 Samuel 6:12-19

“When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.  Then all the people went back to their homes.”  2 Samuel 6:18-19

It is standard practice in many churches to dismiss the congregation with a command along the lines of, “Go in peace, serve the Lord!”  The congregation responds by saying, “Thanks be to God!” and then everyone gets up and goes about their day and the rest of the week.  But how do we serve the Lord once we leave our weekly worship service?  How are we supposed to serve the Lord?

The chronology of events in this reading from 2 Samuel is interesting.  First David worships, then he goes out and blesses everyone else in the name of the Lord, and then he shares the richness of his own material blessings (good food) with them.  He does not do these things in order to earn favor with God, but rather as a response to worshiping God.  As David ‘went in peace and served the Lord’ he did so by proclaiming God’s love to those he saw when he left the worship space, and sharing with them his own possessions.

While we may not have the riches of King David, we still are capable of responding in the same way.  Many people who don’t attend worship still need to hear that God’s blessings are upon them.  Most of us, if we’re being honest, will acknowledge that we have more material possessions than we strictly need, and are able to share some of those blessings with others.  Being able to worship the Lord of hosts is such a blessing to us; as we leave the worship space, let us truly go in peace, and serve the Lord.

Let us pray.  Lord of hosts, you have blessed us not only with your presence among us, but with your grace and with material possessions.  Refresh us in worship, that we may be so filled with your love that we can’t help but proclaim your good news and share all the good things you have given us.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 4, Thursday

Inspired by Hebrews 1:1-4

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.”  Hebrews 1:1-2

Change is a part of life.  People change, cultures change, expectations change, even language changes.  Sometimes it seems that the only thing you can count on is that everything will change, and it can be very difficult to find your way through this tumultuous world.

But one thing that doesn’t change is God’s love for us.  As the world changes, God finds new ways to communicate that love to us.  First God created the world through the Son whom he loves.  Then he spoke to his people through the prophets.  Then he sent his Son into the world to speak to us directly.  And now we are the body of Christ, a living, breathing, dynamic body of love that can adapt to our current environment and continue to proclaim the never-changing love of God to an ever-changing world.

Let us pray.  Lord God, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  Help us to be the body of Christ in the world, that we may be your voice and proclaim your love and grace to all your creation.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Wednesday

Inspired by Mark 9:9-13

“As they were coming down the mountain, [Jesus] ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.” Mark 9:9-10

The historical figure of Jesus was many things to many people: a teacher, a healer, a miracle worker, a friend. Looking at his actions and his words, we can learn much, as his disciples did. But if we look only at his actions and words, we miss the most important aspect of Jesus—that which gave all he said and did power that endures even today.

There have been many people who have done great things, but none of them brought salvation. The historical figure of Jesus was God incarnate, God made flesh. Jesus was the Great I AM, living as a mere human being, telling us what he wanted us to know, demonstrating for us how we can help make life more bearable for our fellow human beings, and then taking the penalty for our sins upon himself. God incarnate died for our sins, and then defeated death, not only for himself, but for all of us. There are many other wise teachers and moral leaders, but none of them accomplished that.

Jesus Christ is no mere example to follow; he is the one who brings salvation. And because he has conquered death, the actions and the words from his life continue to hold true today, because his life itself continues today.

Let us pray. Savior God, you became truly human. Help us to reflect on your earthly life, that we may better understand how you have given us eternal life. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Tuesday

Inspired by Acts 3:17-4:4

“Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.”  Acts 3:19-21

In Dickens’ classic work, A Christmas Carol, the spirit of the late Jacob Marley is depicted as being weighted down by chains of his own forging, and he tells Scrooge that he’s also been forging the chains of his own entrapment by the choices he’s made in his life.  The idea of being literally burdened under the weight of our own choices is a poignantly accurate image of what it means to live without God.

But, like Scrooge, we have a chance to free ourselves from the burden of our sins.  And we don’t have to have a frightening night spent with ghosts to do it, either.  All we need to do is let go of our chains and turn to God.  God our Father will help us unfetter ourselves from the dark, heavy burden of our sinfulness, and refresh us with the lightness and the purity of his love.  Even as we continue to live in this world, groaning as it waits for redemption, we will be free from the bondage of sin, and embraced by his grace through the love of his Son Jesus Christ.

Let us pray.  God of the ages, you have given us a way to be free from our self-made chains of bondage.  Help us to turn to your grace, that we may not only stop forging the chains of our own enslavement, but may shed the chains we’ve already created.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Monday

Inspired by Ephesians 6:10-17

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”  Ephesians 6:10-11, 13

Some branches of Christianity emphasize spiritual warfare, and present the Christian life as a battle that is constantly being fought against the devil and all the forces of evil.  There is a great deal of talk about ‘attacks’ on the devil and ‘beating him down,’ all for the ‘glory of the Lord.’

God doesn’t need us to fight his battles.  This passage from Ephesians, while frequently cited as support for Christians fighting spiritual warfare, is much more defensive than offensive.  It acknowledges the presence of evil, its reality in Christians’ lives, and gives instruction on how to stand firm in the face of it.  The strength and the power belong to God alone, and it is the armor of God that protects us.  That armor is almost entirely defensive:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes that will help us to proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.  A weapon—the sword of the Spirit—is listed last, and then identified as the word of God.

There is evil in the world, but we are not called to fight it on God’s behalf.  Rather, God has promised to protect us from being overcome by it, and has shown us the tools he has given us to help us stand firm, dressed from head to toe in his love and grace.

Let us pray.  God of our strength, you shelter us from the storms of evil and destruction.  Strengthen us in your love, that we may stand firm against whatever evils or temptations may try to draw us from you.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Third Sunday of Advent

Inspired by Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”  Isaiah 61:1-2

Anyone who has watched medical dramas on TV is familiar with the scene: the doctor comes out of the operating room to talk to the family.  They are edgy, worried, and don’t know if they want to hear what the doctor has to say.  Depending on his report, they might scream at him in anger and blame him for the death of their loved one, or they might dissolve into tears of gratitude and hug him as though he himself were their loved one returned to them.

We all want to receive good news.  Especially in these trying times, we want someone to tell us that it’s going to get better, that there is hope, that the greed and the selfishness of the world isn’t the final word.  What those of us with faith sometimes fail to realize is that we have heard that good news, but we aren’t sharing it with others who need to hear it.  In this passage from Isaiah, we’re so busy identifying with the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, and those who mourn that we forget that we are also the messengers.  We’ve received the good news, and it’s just too good to keep to ourselves, especially when there are so many others who desperately need to hear it.  The year of the Lord’s favor is already upon us; how can we not spread the word?

Let us pray.  God our Comforter, you have sent your Son into the world to be the good news to all.  Help us to share that good news, that all may be comforted by your grace and love.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Saturday

Inspired by Habakkuk 3:13-19

“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.  God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.”  Habakkuk 3:17-19a

God is with you.  So what?  When everything seems to be going wrong in life, when nothing seems to be working out or going your way, what good is having God with you?  It doesn’t seem as though faith in God protects people from starvation, natural disasters, or violence, so what’s the point in having faith in a God who doesn’t seem to do anything useful?

I’ve always been struck by those people who seem to have lost everything, and yet have a quiet dignity and unshakable spirit about them.  They acknowledge their pain, the tragedy that has befallen them, and they acknowledge just how difficult and uncertain the road ahead is, yet they are hopeful, and determined.  They will not be beaten by the ills of this world, and they recognize the small blessings that still exist in their lives.  Without exception, those people have faith in God.  Their serenity in the face of chaos gives those around them the courage and the strength to move forward, and not give up, and then healing and rebuilding takes the place of disaster and tragedy.  Creation is renewed.

It’s always nice when things go well, but our God is a God who enables us to stand strong in the face of misfortune and sin, and whose creative and redeeming power cannot be diminished by those things which seek to destroy.  Our God is a God who not only walks with us in the good times, but who carries us and revives us in the bad.

Let us pray.  Faithful God, you are with us in good times and in bad.  Strengthen our faith in you, that we can be blessed ourselves and be a blessing to others, and thus be part of your redemptive healing in the world.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Friday

Inspired by Philippians 3:12-16

“[F]orgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13b-14

It is common, comforting, and completely true and appropriate to remember that whatever shortcomings or sins we have in our past are not counted against us when it comes to receiving God’s grace.  It is less common, less comforting, yet also completely true and appropriate to remember that whatever achievements or good deeds we have in our past are not counted for us when it comes to receiving God’s grace.

It’s not that God doesn’t want us to be good people or do good things, but such deeds are not the basis for receiving the free gift of grace that is offered to us through his death and resurrection.  Christ’s love alone is the basis for that gift.

Strive to live in right relationship with God, but do so knowing that such living is itself a gift from God, and not something you can do that will make God owe you his grace.  We have new life in Christ; that means we are not owned or defined by our past failures or our past successes.  We can only ever look forward, to the ever renewing call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us pray.  Savior God, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Help us to trust in your grace, that we may view our own good deeds as evidence of your love, and not payment for it.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 3, Thursday

Inspired by Habakkuk 2:1-5

“Look at the proud!  Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.  Moreover, wealth is treacherous; the arrogant do not endure.  They open their throats wide as Sheol; like Death they never have enough.  They gather all nations for themselves, and collect all peoples as their own.”  Habakkuk 2:4-5

Can money buy happiness?  Conventional wisdom says no, however most people who struggle to pay their bills are convinced that a little more money would buy them some security, and feeling secure would go a long way towards improving their happiness.

But how much is enough?  Three months’ living expenses in the bank?  Six?  A year?  Our imaginations can easily come up with worst-case scenarios in which we will lose everything we own no matter how much money we have, because it will never quite be enough.  Money is a finite resource, and it can always run short.

God’s grace is limitless.  God is limitless.  Trusting in our own resources and abilities leaves us frightened of not measuring up, but God will always measure up.  Faith in God will bring the security we need to know that we will never be forsaken, that we will never have to face the struggles of the world alone, and that our true needs will always be met.  Letting go of our faith in wealth and those things which money can buy will free us from slavery to those things, and enable us to have a right spirit within ourselves, and a right relationship with God.  We will no longer look at the things and the people of the world as items to acquire for our own benefit, but rather as God’s good creation, all working together in his glory.

Let us pray.  Faithful God, all of the world is your good creation.  Enable us to trust in your abundance, that we may have contentment with the knowledge that you will always provide for us.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 2, Wednesday

Inspired by Malachi 2:10-3:1

“Have we not all one father?  Has not one God created us?  Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?”  Malachi 2:10

Differences abound throughout the world.  We are different genders, have different skin colors, and speak different languages.  We value different traditions, adhere to different cultural norms, and have different ideals according to which we’re trying to shape the world in which we all must live.  There’s an awful lot to disagree on.

Yet we are all, every single one of us, the intentional creation of God the Father.  We are all, every single one of us, human beings, created in the image of God.  While there is much to drive us apart, at our core we have more in common than not.

The next time you are tempted to dismiss someone who is different from you as worthless or unimportant, remember that God loves that person as much as he loves you.  And the next time you feel disregarded or ignored by someone who doesn’t recognize your inherent value, remember that that person is your brother or sister who is disowning a part of themselves by disowning you, and that his or her life will be much poorer for it.

Let us pray.  Loving Father, you love wondrous diversity.  Help us to appreciate the different gifts you have given us all, that we may better understand the breadth and depth of your creative love.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 2, Tuesday

Inspired by Acts 11:1-18

“If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?”  Acts 11:17

We try to be good Christians.  We try to live good Christian lives, and not be a hindrance to a potential believer by living contrary to how we believe God wants us to live.  And we try to help our sisters and brothers in Christ to also live according to God’s will.

But can we really know for certain what exactly is acceptable to God and what is not?  Do we really have the authority to proclaim that God’s grace is unavailable to a person or a group of people who engage in a behavior we’ve always believed to be forbidden?

Everything Peter knew to be true regarding what and who was acceptable to God was being violated, yet Peter recognized that this violation of his dearly-held ‘truths’ was in fact God breaking out of the narrow confines that had once defined God’s mission.  Peter had the wisdom to realize that holding on to his own beliefs about God would in fact hinder God’s work, and he had the humility to accept that God’s work was more important than what he thought he knew to be true.

With Peter’s example, can we really claim any authority about who is eligible for God’s grace, or what behaviors must be changed before God’s grace might be given?  And aren’t we blessed that no such restrictions stand between God’s grace and our own sinfulness?

Let us pray.  Lord of all, your love is beyond measure, and your grace is freely given.  Grant us the humility and the wisdom to value your will above our own beliefs, that we may not hinder you in your mission.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Advent 2, Monday

Inspired by Psalm 27

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

In these uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught up in the worries of this world: job insecurity, unemployment, retirement savings diminishing, home equity plummeting, and the stress of living in an environment that seems determined to frustrate our every effort at happiness.  We work so hard to build the good life, and we know that we can lose it in an instant.

But what is it we’re working to build?  Material comfort?  Sure, it’s nice, but does our ‘stuff’ really bring us happiness?  Are our relationships built on our bank accounts?  Or are they built on something more substantial, something that can’t be affected by market forces?

Through no merit or achievement of our own, God created us and loved us enough to send his own Son to die for us.  We are his, and there is no force, market or otherwise, that can separate us from his love.  We might lose our jobs.  We might lose our savings.  We might lose our houses.  But none of those things define us, and no matter what happens, God is with us, strengthening us and comforting us, and reminding us that our true worth is beyond measure.

Let us pray.  Eternal God, you created us from dust, and to dust we shall return.  Help us to remember that our worth is not measured in dollars, prestige, or achievements, but rather in the fact that you have deemed us worthy, that we may be freed from the fear of losing things which have no real value.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.