The Women of Christmas: Joy for Every Longing Heart - Luke 2: 21-40

December 30th, 2018

Devotional

“The Women of Christmas: Joy for Every Longing Heart” -

      Luke 2: 21-40

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Today is the Day” - Luke 2: 21-26

  Mary and Joseph were still located in Bethlehem at this point - a five or six mile walk from the temple in Jerusalem. So they gathered their infant and their sacrifice, heading in the early morning hours for the temple. Maybe they were thinking of the much longer journey they had taken just a few weeks earlier that resulted in the birth of Jesus. Maybe they were still caught in awe of everything that has happened - the shepherds, the angels, the star. But nothing could have prepared them for the community they would encounter in the temple that day.

As Joseph presented the sacrifice of the birds to the priest, Jesus and Mary would have waited in the court of women. As Joseph approached, a movement caught their eye - an uncommon sight, an old man rushing towards them. Simeon isn’t described in scripture as a priest or a prophet, yet that is how he acted that day as he approached the couple. We are simply told that he is righteous and devout. We know nothing else about him other than the meaning of his name, “he has heard”. And he has heard, he has heard the call of the Holy Spirit within his heart prompting him to be at the temple that day. Somewhere along the time line of his life he had been told by God that he would not die without seeing the Messiah, and something tugged at his heart to tell him that today would be the day.

How do you think Simeon knew that he was to be at the temple that day?

How does the Holy Spirit prompt you?

Prayer: God, we thank you that your Holy Spirit leads us. However, we confess, most Precious Lord, that we do not always listen. Give us the heart of Simeon to perceive what you are doing and to respond, we pray. Amen.

Tuesday: “Proclamation” -Luke 2: 28-32

On one hand, Simeon seems eccentric, picking up the infant Jesus and holding him in his arms as a stranger. But sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to do eccentric things, things other people won’t understand when we are so filled with the joy of the Lord. And Simeon was surely filled with such joy. We know his spiritual condition. Know that he was open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. And as he held the baby Jesus, words that must have shocked his parents started to flow. First he started with a blessing for both parents, telling them that this day he was beholding the Messiah with his very eyes, just as God had promised. Jesus was only about six weeks old at this point, yet in him Simeon saw eternity and salvation. 

  He went on to declare that this child would be the consolation of Israel. To console is to comfort, especially in the face of grief, and Israel surely has much to grieve. They have wandered into sin, even as God’s chosen people. They have doubted God’s promises. Broken God’s covenant. They have sought after salvation through Kings, prophets, wars, and the law, instead of seeking the heart of God. Now Jesus, would offer them true salvation, true restoration in their relationship with God. And now that Simeon knew that, now that he had laid eyes on the promised Messiah, he could die in peace.

How to Simeon’s words compare to the prophecies spoken by Zechariah and the words of Mary’s song of declaration from the previous chapter in Luke?

Prayer: Lord, when we look at the words of the Gospel, we recognize time and time again that your hand is at work, weaving life together. At the times when we may become impatient, may we wait and rest in your grace, trusting you and you alone. Amen. 

Wednesday: “A Blessing” - Luke 2: 33-35

Watching people as they approach their death bed can either be enlivening for our spirits or heartbreaking. Sometimes you see people who just cannot let go, cannot leave their bodies behind because they feel that they have unfinished business, unspoken words, or unkept promises. Simeon was not like this - he now believed that he had been blessed by God and could die in peace. He had witnessed the one who would restore Israel. 

  After Simeon finished praising God he offered a word just for Mary, albeit not a comforting one at all. He told her that her son would be disliked by many and that her soul would be pierced. Could you imagine as a young mother hearing these words, especially on the day when you are dedicating your son? What must Mary have felt as she left Simeon’s presence? Had she been blessed? 

How would you have responded if you were Mary hearing Simeon’s words?

Prayer: Lord, we recognize that word to us both comforts and challenges. May we ask for your wisdom and guidance as we hear what you have for us each day, as well as the strength to respond. Amen. 

Thursday: “Anna” - Luke 2: 36-38

  Shortly after meeting Simeon, Mary and Joseph were greeted with joy by the prophet Anna. As a female prophet, Anna was very rare. When I imagine Anna, I think of the quintessential story tale crone, very old, filled with wisdom but marginalized by society. Anna was marginalized because she was only married for seven years before her husband died. She didn’t bear any children, which we heard was seen as a sign of God’s displeasure when we studied the character of Elizabeth during Advent. Yet, Anna did something very odd in her widowhood at an early age - she didn’t try to remarry or have children ran to God in her heartbreak.

How many of us would do the same things? Run to God with our heartbreak and strive to serve the Kingdom of God first, even in our grief? We are told that Anna never left the temple, she worshiped and prayed and fasted night and day. What I love about this passage of scripture is that the words served and worshiped are used interchangeably, they were one and the same to Anna. 

We don’t know if Anna overheard Simeon’s blessing, or if her heart too was tugged on by the Holy Spirit, but either way she began to praise God for Jesus. In fact, as soon as she opened her mouth, praise sprung forth. She was one of the first evangelists, telling everyone about this child. 

  How do you respond when you experience heartbreak in your life?

Prayer: Lord, may we turn to you, both in our joy and sorrow. May we give our whole lives, our whole hearts to you, at all times, like Anna did so long ago, asking that you use us for the work of your Kingdom. Amen. 

Friday: “Returned” - Luke 2: 39-40

  Mary and Joseph surely left the temple in shock from the prophecies and blessings. They entered to perform a standard sacrifice, just like Zechariah did for John, but left filled with messages of hope and unsettling words of what was to come for their son.

Could you imagine their trip back home? Did they talk about all that happened or were they too shocked to speak at all?

Sometimes it takes a while to reflect upon what God is doing in our lives, what God is communicating to us. May we hear, reflect, and respond, all in the name of Jesus. 

How would you respond if you were Mary and Joseph to all that took place at the temple?

Prayer: Lord, we know that sometimes it takes us time to hear what you have said, to see what you have done, and to respond. May we seek you in our reflections and serve you in our response. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Women of Christmas: And All Eyes Shall See Him” - Matthew 2: 1-11

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 2: 21-40

From the Sermon:

Simeon was getting on in years, but the _____________ had revealed to him that he would meet the Messiah, the one that would save him, save his people, save Israel, before he died.

Mary and Jospeh’s son, who no one else seemed to notice was deeply ____________________ by this man. 

The moment Anna saw the child, she also knew that Salvation had come and she started to ________________________.

It wasn’t Anna or Simeon’s ____________________ that allowed them to see the Christ child - it was the Holy Spirit

Reflection Questions:

Are we so emboldened and led by the Holy Spirit that we can not help but proclaim this as well?

Are we willing to open ourselves to the work of the Spirit?

Prayer:

Lord, we want to be people alive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in and through us. We want to be people who trust you and your hope, with the fierceness of Anna and Simeon. May we follow after you with abandon, Precious Lord, we pray. Amen. 

The Women of Christmas: With Heart and Soul and Voice

      Sometimes we act as if we have all of the control over our own lives, as if we can change ourselves by willpower alone. I don't know if you have ever met folks who need to make a big change in their life, but often people can do something for a short period of time, but they quickly abandon it, falling back on old habits. Hence why many New Years resolutions fail.
       Zechariah in his time of silence realized many things. He realized his dependance upon on God. He realized his nation's dependance upon God. He realized that we cannot change by our own might and will, but only through the Holy Spirit. He realized who God has been and who God will continue to be. All things that he proclaimed as soon as his lips were opened. The time of silence resulted in a prophecy that would change the world.
    What would happen if we took time to be silent as well? What would God reveal to us about ourselves? What pretenses about self-will and might would we be able to shed? How could the Holy Spirit change our hearts, if only we open ourselves up to God in the silence?

The Women of Christmas: With Heart and Soul and Voice Devo

December 23rd, 2018

Devotional

“The Women of Christmas: With Heart and Soul and Voice” -Luke 1: 57-79

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “John” - Luke 1: 6-63

  Life is all about such paradoxes. In a series of moments all that we once held dear could be lost or regained. Isn’t that what Zechariah’s song over John is really about? Here is a man whose tongue had been silenced by God for the duration of his wife’s pregnancy because of his unbelief. Utter silence for nine months. But when the boy was born his lips spoke again to breathe his name, “John”.

What is the first thing Zechariah, the one who had been mute for the better part of a year, say after “his name I John” this song of prophecy, thanksgiving, and celebration. Now maybe Zechariah just had a whole lot of time to think about God in his time of silence, but maybe he was just so overwhelmed by the glory of God as his burden was lifted that he realized what he really had. There is something about processed suffering that brings sharp clarity. Zechariah would never be able to sing this song if he was bitter at God for what he had endured. No, here is a man who had worked through his grief in order to get to the celebration.

Tell of a time you had to work through a time of silence or grief to get to celebration.

Prayer: God, we know that you are the God of moments of silence as well as moments of celebration. May we know this day, whatever we may be going through, that you walk with us. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday - Christmas Day!

Wednesday: “Celebrate” - Luke 1: 67-79

This song of celebration is filled with proclamations of what God has done. And notice that it is not just what God has done for Zechariah, but for the entire nation of Israel, all of God’s people. There is something in this thanksgiving that emerges from puts things into a much broader perspective that makes us look past ourselves. God has looked favorably on his people, all of them, and redeemed them. He has risen up a horn of salvation to proclaim that a servant is coming from the house of David. God has been true to his word. He has saved us from our enemies, those who hate us. He has showered us with mercy, He has remembered the covenant that was made with those long since passed. And because we have been rescued, because we’ve come from this place of suffering, we can serve God without fear. We can celebrate this holy one because of where we’ve come from. And this is our message to share. We have come so far; we’ve come this far by faith. By the tender mercy of a God who loves us, and causes the sun to break the dark sky open, giving light to shine on the path that will lead us to peace. This is why we give thanks.What a message Zechariah has to proclaim! 

When was the last time we ever took this perspective and sang a song of praise as soon as we emerged from a dark time or a bleak moment?

Prayer: Almighty God, we know that life is a journey, but that doesn’t make it easier to walk through at times. May we look for your light and hope and proclaim it, even when it is hard to grasp or recognize. May your song always be on our lips, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Following God” - Luke 1: 57-66

 Elizabeth has given birth and it is now time to give her child a name. Even though her husband cannot speak she knows what she is to name the child - John. God has spoken. All of her relatives try to talk her out of it - telling her to name the baby after her husband or another relative. Even in the face of opposition, she followed God. And when she insisted on following God’s way, her husband was able to speak and all of her neighbors started to wonder what this child would do with his life because of the blessing God had placed upon him. 

 Sometimes it can be so hard to stand up for our convictions and follow God’s plan for our lives in the face of opposition. In the face of others, however rationale it may seem, telling us not to follow the way of God. What strengthens you in the face of opposition?

 What practices can you engage in to help you stay strong in the face of opposition?

 How can you depend on God as you wait? Who do you truly believe God to be during your periods of doubts and longing?

Prayer: God, thank you for providing us strength in the face of opposition. In the face of friends and family, whoever well meaning who try to talk us out of following you. Let us boldly live into your calling and purposes, O Holy God! Amen. 

Friday: “Let A Song of Praise Emerge” - Luke 1: 68-79

 What is your first reaction when God answers your prayers? What is your first reaction when God does amazing, unpredictable things in your life? Zechariah’s first response was to craft a song of praise. The first words out of his mouth after being mute for months was to praise God! To speak a powerful word of blessing over his child.

 With whom do you share your longings?

 How can you cultivate an attitude of praise? 

Prayer: God, we praise you. We praise you for who you are. For how you have loved us in the past, how you love us today, and how you will continue to love us in the future! We praise you, O Lord! Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “The Women of Christmas: And Our Eyes Shall See Him” - Matthew 2: 1-11, Luke 2: 21-35.

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 1: 57-79

From the Sermon:

But in the _________ came a gift - time to think. Time to pray. Time to realize that even without speaking God was still present and God was still speaking.

Zechariah wrote out “his name is _______.”

The first thing that Zechariah did when he regained his voice was ________________.

Zechariah had __________ words spilling out of his mouth. Words about the coming of the Messiah. And how John will be a prophet of the Most High.

Zechariah told of what God _______________ and what God was going to ________________.

Reflection Questions:

Did Zechariah’s prophetic words mean that Jesus and John never npxiereicned hardship or pain? Why?

When are the moments that have lead you to sing a song of deep thanksgiving and what lead you to that moment?

Prayer:

Lord, let us know when to be silent and when to speak. When we do speak, let it not be our own opinions and thoughts, like Elizabeth’s relatives, but instead your words, like those that spilled forth from Zechariah. Speak, O Lord, your servants are listening. Amen. 

The Women of Christmas: O Tidings of Comfort and Joy

   Whether we are in moments of joy or moments of sorrow, we want people who know us and have walked this path before to be with us. We yearn for true companionship, not just a thin veneer of understanding. So is it any wonder that Mary went to be with Elizabeth after she found that Elizabeth too was blessed with a child by unique circumstances? For who else could Mary talk to but Elizabeth who could possibly understand?
     The truth is Elizabeth was someone who could praise God together with Mary as well as discuss any questions and deep needs she may have. And if there was any lingering doubt in Mary's mind about how Elizabeth may react, it was cleared as Elizabeth proclaimed though a revelation of the Holy Spirit who exactly Mary was carrying in her womb.
     Mary and Elizabeth could not have been more different. One was old, one was young. One was married, the other engaged. One had yearned her whole life for a child, the other had not even known a man yet. Yet, these two woman were companion on the Christmas journey together. 
    God blesses us with the people we need along the way in life, if only we take time to ask. Who are you being called to companion and who has companioned you in your walk of faith? 

The Women of Christmas: O Tidings of Comfort and Joy Devo

December 16th, 2018

Devotional

“The Women of Christmas: O Tidings of Comfort and Joy” -

    Luke 1: 39-56

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Wanting to Wait Togeher” - Luke 1: 39-40

  Waiting. A word that may of us don’t want to hear. “You have to wait your turn”. “Not now, you have to wait.” I think we don’t like to hear the word ‘wait’ because somehow we have come to associate it with the word ‘no’. If we can’t get exactly what we want, when we want it, then we think we are being denied something. Yet, Advent is the liturgical season of waiting. We are preparing to wait for the birth of the Christ Child and we remember that we are waiting on the return of Christ the King. We are waiting for God to come to us again, for the full reign of Christ, and to be in holy communion with the Lover of Our Souls. 

  Perhaps another reason we don’t like the word ‘wait’ is because we think it is passive - a time when we do nothing other than sit down and twiddle our thumbs, as if we are a toddler on time out. But really, Biblical waiting isn’t passive at all - it is anticipatory - as it actively seeks out God’s growth and guidance. Instead it is a time to be attentive to what God is doing in our lives, individually and corporately, in order to grow closer to God.

But most notably, waiting can be painful. Waiting for news from test results. Waiting for the birth of a child. Waiting to hear the court decision. During those periods of waiting it can feel like something is tugging at our hearts, encouraging us to shed our old selves. If anyone knows about inviting people into a painful period of waiting, it was John the Baptist. John told those who would listen to him to use this time of waiting for the One who was to come to repent, to change their thoughts and practices in order to be prepared to live a fuller life. However, this wasn’t something anyone could do by their own efforts - it had to come from seeking God and God meeting them in their deepest need.  

Do you find waiting easy or hard? Why?

Prayer: God, we thank you that in periods of difficult waiting that we do not need to go through it alone. We can lean into your presence and you have provided people to wait with us, like Mary and Elizabeth were able to do together. We praise you, O God, for providing what we need the most, even if we cannot put it into words. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Filled with the Holy Spirit” -Luke 1: 41-45

In only the perfect way that God can orchestrate, Mary and Elizabeth, cousins years apart in age, became pregnant six months apart. Both women knew the potential shame that could come with their pregnancies - Mary, engaged to Joseph, but pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and Elizabeth, well beyond the age of being able to conceive, but God met them in their need by giving them each other. They intentionally sought each other out in order to be in community together. They were the voice to each other reminding each other, in the midst of their waiting, that they were blessed. 

 We are told in this morning scripture lesson that Mary went with haste to see her cousin Elizabeth. By now, Elizabeth would have emerged from her time of seclusion and the family probably had started to hear rumblings about what was happening. Elizabeth, the barren one, pregnant. Zechariah, unable to speak a word. Something stirred in Mary’s heart and she knew that Elizabeth was the person she needed to seek out, as if Elizabeth would know something about God ordained pregnancies. When Mary finished her journey and arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house, upon calling out her greeting, John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. Not just a kick. But leapt with uncontainable joy. John was so moved, even in the womb, by the presence of Jesus, as if he could not wait to meet him. Could not wait to proclaim that this is the one he would be born to announce the coming of. 

What led Elizabeth to make such a bold proclamation about the child in Mary’s womb?

How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

Prayer: Lord, in addition to your holy presence and companions along life’s journeys, you also provide us the gift of the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit loosen our tongue when we are to speak and bind it when it is not your word. May the Holy Spirit bless us with wisdom and strength as we draw closer to you. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Holy Friendships” - Luke 1: 39-45

Waiting is hard. Facing the unknown, the barren, the rough, the dry, the uninhabitable part of our lives. We all have them. And we have a choice whether to let such times consume us or to allow God to use them to refine us. Like John, we can be refined or resist. 

One possible way during seasons of waiting to allow ourselves to be refined can be found in the example of Mary and Elizabeth, to enter into holy friendships. Friendships that encourage us to look towards God and to be patient, even when it is the last thing that we want to do. For God will never call or invite us into a period of waiting without giving us both human support and holy strength, as he gave Elizabeth and Mary. 

What is God wanting to do in your heart during this Advent season? 

Who is God providing as accompaniment during this journey of holy, precious, waiting?

Prayer: Lord, led us to holy friendships we pray. Let us feel both supported by others and offer that support, all to your honor and glory, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Magnifies the Lord” - Luke 1: 46-50

  Mary would have grown up with the songs of Hannah and Mariam and other figures from the Hebrew Scriptures being taught to her over and over again. However, she probably never though that she would have her own song to sing some day. A song of praise that she could only bring herself to sing after hearing the prophetic words of her cousin Elizabeth concerning the child that she was carrying. 

Mary starts her Magnificant, her song of praise, by first and foremost giving God all the praise - saying that her soul magnifies, lifts up and reflects, the Lord as she rejoins in her Savior. It is only then that she starts to focus in on what God has done for her - shown mercy and provided strength. 

  What is the song of God that your heart could sing?

Prayer: Lord, we praise you not just for what you have done in our lives, but more importantly for who you are. You are God and we are not. Even when we do not fully understand your ways, you are good and worthy of our praise. Let us sing unto the Lord, this day and always. Amen. 

Friday: “He” - Luke 1: 50-56

  Mary’s song continues, listing off all of the things that God has done. He has scattered the proud. He has brought down the powerful. He has lifted up the lowly. He has sent the rich away empty while filling the hungry with good things. He has helped his servant. 

Mary’s list could go on and on. Ever time I read this beautiful song (or heard its words sung), it leads me to reflect on what I praise God for. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our lives, we need to simply stop and pause and sing unto God - telling God that He is good and all that he is done for us. When our hearts focus on God, we start to realize just how blessed we truly are. 

Why do you praise God?

Prayer:  Lord, let our hearts turn to you anew this Advent season and may they be filled with your praises. And like Mary, can we proclaim your goodness to all we meet. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “With Heart and Soul and Voice” - Luke 1: 57-79 and Matthew 1: 18-25.

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 1: 39-56

From the Sermon:

Mary had a type of sacred  _________ relationship with Elizabeth.

At a time when Mary was in need of support and grace, she got something so much more – a word of _______ spoken over her.

Mary told the gospel story in her __________ before Jesus was even born, saying who Jesus would be as the incarnation of God on this earth and what he would stand for, what his ministry would be about.

Elizabeth was the first person to identify Jesus as _____.

Advent reminds us that this season of waiting is never _________. We actively wait together.

Reflection Questions:

Who are your Elizabeth’s and whom are you called to be Elizabeth to? How can you companion them along their journey with compassion?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you that you never leave us alone. Your presence is always with us. And because you know our human needs you also send other people to walk our journey with us. Bring to our minds this week people you are calling us to mentor, and people you want us to say thank you to for mentoring us along the way. In Jesus’s name. Amen. 

The Women of Christmas: The Virgin Mary

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” - Luke 1:38           

     I firmly believe that waiting and preparing are paired with giving of ourselves, as Mary gave everything to give birth to baby for a world in need. I also believe that part of preparing and waiting is sacrificing. One of the most celebrated times of waiting in the life of a family is waiting for the birth of a baby. Yet, like Mary, there are many women living right here in this area, for whom this time of waiting is filled with great risk, uncertainty, and fear. I graduated college a semester early and had to decide how to best use my time for Spring semester and summer before I entered seminary. I found myself working for my church, and as part of that job, partnering with agencies in the area to build connections.. While volunteering it came to my attention that there was a woman in the area who was about to have a child, but had nothing. I approached the director of an area agency and asked if I could throw a surprise baby shower for this woman. The director was astonished that I wanted to help her prepare for this child – a woman whom I did not know, and a baby whom I may never meet. What happened next was only through the grace of God. I took the list of supplies that the woman would need for her baby and gave it to my church. I explained what we were doing and how we only had about a month for collecting the items. The church not only collected enough items to get this woman and her child through the first year of their life together, but enough to help seven more women throughout the county who were in need of help preparing for their children as well. 

        Who are you willing to help prepare this season? How can we reply, like Mary, HereI am, the servant of the Lord?

The Women of Christmas: The Virgin Mary Devo

December 9th, 2018

Devotional

“The Women of Christmas: The Virgin Mary”

    Luke 1: 26-38

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Mary” - Luke 1: 26-27

  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I really started to think about how Advent calls us to slow down as we prepare. A good friend of mine started a tradition in his apartment at college. He and his roommates would not use any overhead lighting during the season of Advent. At night they would gather around the advent wreath or additional candlelight for devotions. This was a bit of a disruption to their schedules, which were so busy during the day that they would study at night. They quickly found that certain activities including studying and cooking, by limited candlelight do not tend to go well, so they had to shift their priorities and rearrange their schedules – preparing – so they could actively wait for the coming of the Lord each evening.

As much as I admire my friend for this celebration of Advent that he has carried with him into his new life with his wife, I haven’t quite got to this point of preparing and waiting in my own life. But his dedication to preparing and waiting started to get me to think about Mary. Mary may be one of the best Biblical examples there is for preparing and waiting. Mary was probably thirteen years old when a messenger of the Lord named Gabrielle came to her to announce that she was pregnant. Mary’s life up to this point had been one of waiting – waiting to become a mother and a wife. Preparing herself to bring honor to her family in these roles by practicing household duties for many years. Because this was quite an educational undertaking in and of itself, she probably never had any education outside of the home. Yet, Mary’s life was one of preparing her for this moment, whether she realized it or not. 

How is the season of Advent one of preparing and waiting for you?

Prayer: God, we often like the idea of preparing when it is for something that we are looking forward to. But it is harder for us to prepare for the unknown. Help us to have hearts of expectation that look to you as we prepare and wait, especially this Advent season. Amen.

Tuesday: “Engaged” - Luke 1: 27-28

Mary was now actively preparing for marriage. As was Jewish custom she would be engaged to her soon to be husband, Joseph, for a year. This would give him time to make the proper arrangements as well; carving out another room in his family’s dwelling for them to live in. It needed to be big enough to accommodate them, and the one child they expected to create each year of their marriage together. Mary was preparing herself not only to be a good wife to Joseph, providing for his needs, but a good mother to as many children as she could bear successful. Mary hoped and prayer that she would be able to provide Joseph with a male offspring.

But before she could even be with Joseph, an angel came into her life and changed all that she had imaged. In fact, before birth of Jesus could even take place, the angel Gabrielle kept showing up in the story of Jesus’s family. Gabrielle came to Jesus’s Uncle Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, and told him that while his wife had been without child for many years, she would bear the one who was to prepare the way for the Lord. Then Gabrielle showed up again, this time to Mary, a virgin, and said that she would conceive and give birth to a son, who would reign over the house of David. Gabriel keeps showing up again and again in ordinary moments that change the course of history.

How do you imagine that Mary’s life changed when she heard the words of the angel Gabriel?

Prayer: Lord, we admit that often we have our own ideas of how life should go. What we expect. What we desire. What we dream of. Yet, as we look at Mary, we see someone who’s entire world was changed in one moment in a way she could never fully imagine. May we have open hearts like Mary’s, so we can respond best to be your servants in this world. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Supplied” - Luke 1: 29-34

Mary was preparing for the day, gathering water at the local citrine, probably not her first trip of the day, when this messenger appeared to her. Mary was going about her ordinary tasks of preparing when she was interrupted and told that another period, a new period, of waiting would begin. This one would last nine month – the time it would take to give birth to a baby boy. Mary knew how babies came to be and questioned the angel how she – one who had never known a man – would give birth. But the angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would bear a son, to be named Jesus, who would be the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God.

Mary had to be thinking, why me?

When have their been times in you life when you have replied “why me?” What was that experience like? How does it help you relate to Mary in this moment?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we can come up with what seem like a million reasons that you should choose someone else, you should use someone else. Sometimes we let our questions and doubts get in our way to respond to your call. Remove all stumbling blocks, by your grace, we pray. Let us not get in the way of your work in the world. Amen.  

Thursday: “Your Relative” - Luke 1: 35-38

  Mary is a little different than Zechariah in her encounter with Gabriel. She doesn’t seem to be looking for proof or to all of the questions she must have answered. But Gabriel answers some anyway. 

He tells Mary that she will come to bear this child by the Holy Spirit coming upon her. That the power of the Most High God will be over her, which is how she will come to bear not just any child, but the holy Son of God. 

But the gift of Gabriel’s words extend even beyond this absolutely daunting and humbling call on her life. He says that she will not have to go through this journey alone. For her cousin, Elizabeth, is also pregnant, despite how everyone else had said she was barren. Why? “For nothing is impossible with God”.

  How do you think the gift of Gabriels explanation helped Mary to reply as she did?

Prayer: Lord, we often want all of the details worked out before we reply. We want to know exactly what is going to happen before we take the leap to follow you. But in Mary, we see someone who followed you even with all of her questions and all of the unknowns. We see this as an act of faith. Give us such faith, too, Lord, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Sacrifice” - Luke 1: 26-38

  We are now firmly in one of my favorite seasons of the year. When I was little, there were aspects of the holidays that captivated my attention – putting up the Christmas tree, unwrapping all of the decorations from the previous year and releasing their scent,  being with family, the list goes on and on. But some of my most fond memories are within the church. Hanging ordainments on the Chrismon tree. Being asked as a family to light the Advent wreath. The Christmas pageant and brown bag dinner that preceded it. And holding my candle on Christmas eve. 

But it wasn’t until much later that I actually understood what this season – the season of Advent was about. Advent is the season that calls us to wait and prepare for the coming of our Lord, Jesus. And on how my preparations reflected anything but a spirit of waiting. From wanting to get from one activity to the next, or attempting to fit Christmas preparations into my existing schedule, or wanting to play certain Advent and Christmas hymns on the hand bells as fast as I could, my actions reflected an attitude of haste – one of simply adding Advent on top of everything else – instead of one of waiting.

Mary was not able to simply add the message of the Christ child on top of everything else going on in her world. She made sacrifices when we replied “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Some known, some unknown at the time. May the season of Advent usher us in to a time of waiting, preparing, and yes, even sacrifice, as we anew for the Savior. 

How are waiting, preparing, and sacrifice part of your life? How can you incorporate them into this season?

Prayer: Lord, we don’t want your brith to just be an add-on in our lives. We want it to be the center of our lives. Align our hearts and our priorities with yours, this season and beyond, so your Truth and Love may be made known. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “O Tidings of Comfort and Joy” - Luke 1: 39-56