My friend and colleague Jim Somerville from First Baptist Richmond has inspired me to try to read the whole Bible in 2020.
Friends can follow along too. I’m posting a link to the daily reading assignments. The readings are ordered chronologically for the sake of context and clarity.
I plan to take my Daily Lessons from the prescribed readings. But then, if you’re actually reading the whole Bible yourself you may not want to read much else!
https://www.blueletterbible.org/assets/pdf/dbrp/1Yr_ChronologicalPlan.pdf
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Sunday, December 29, 2019
A Prayer on the Day of the Slaughter of Holy Innocents
On a day when many churches read the story of the Slaughter of the Innocents and what Joseph did to protect his Holy Family from evil, yet another House of Worship was attacked in America, this time here in Tarrant County.
We pray for those who were murdered this morning in a holy place.
We pray and give thanks for those modern-day Josephs who quickly and bravely acted to stop the further shedding of innocent blood.
We pray for the families and friends of those who mourn the loss of loved ones tonight — including those left to mourn the life and death of the assailant.
We pray God will act to thwart the plans of madmen and deliver us all from evil.
Maranatha, LORD, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who were murdered this morning in a holy place.
We pray and give thanks for those modern-day Josephs who quickly and bravely acted to stop the further shedding of innocent blood.
We pray for the families and friends of those who mourn the loss of loved ones tonight — including those left to mourn the life and death of the assailant.
We pray God will act to thwart the plans of madmen and deliver us all from evil.
Maranatha, LORD, hear our prayer.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
The Darkness Did Not Out It
I wonder if it was the Star itself
That hid in the night’s sky when
The wise men rode their camels
Into Jerusalem asking everyone
Who would talk
Where they might find Him
Who was born king of the Jews
For heaven knows
No Herod can abide light
So the Light hid in darkness
And the darkness,
To its credit,
Did not out it
That hid in the night’s sky when
The wise men rode their camels
Into Jerusalem asking everyone
Who would talk
Where they might find Him
Who was born king of the Jews
For heaven knows
No Herod can abide light
So the Light hid in darkness
And the darkness,
To its credit,
Did not out it
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Daily Lesson for Christmas Day, December 25, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson for Christmas Day comes from the final stave of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol:
Yes! and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!
"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!" Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!"
He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears.
Today is a day for glowing. It is a day for rejoicing, and giving thanks, and making amends, and truly being alive. It’s a day for charity. It’s a day for Justice. It’s a day for declaring intentions. We have made it once again. The darkest days of the year are behind us. The past is the past. The future is the future. But this one day of Christmas present is ours and ours to keep.
So let us commit ourselves to Love. To forgive. To seek forgiveness. To watch over widow and orphan and welcome the stranger. Let’s even pray for Scrooges. And, when necessary, let us trample on snakes — but only for the sake of the simple and vulnerable.
It’s Christmas. No more let sin and sorrow grow; nor thorns infest the ground.
It is Christmas. So let us keep it; and keep all the year long.
Yes! and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!
"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!" Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!"
He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears.
Today is a day for glowing. It is a day for rejoicing, and giving thanks, and making amends, and truly being alive. It’s a day for charity. It’s a day for Justice. It’s a day for declaring intentions. We have made it once again. The darkest days of the year are behind us. The past is the past. The future is the future. But this one day of Christmas present is ours and ours to keep.
So let us commit ourselves to Love. To forgive. To seek forgiveness. To watch over widow and orphan and welcome the stranger. Let’s even pray for Scrooges. And, when necessary, let us trample on snakes — but only for the sake of the simple and vulnerable.
It’s Christmas. No more let sin and sorrow grow; nor thorns infest the ground.
It is Christmas. So let us keep it; and keep all the year long.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 24, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 2 verses 1 through 16:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Behold the Mystery. Emmanuel. God came to be with us. And when God came God chose to show up amidst the poor and indigent of this earth, far from the throne of power.
And so there God was, in a weekly-rate motel rental, with hand-me-down clothes from the Methodist community closet, and the bathtub for a bassinet. Mary and Joseph thanked the heavens that the hotel heater worked, though it smelled like old dust and they worried for the baby’s fragile lungs. In the middle of the night cowboys coming home from Billy Bob’s knocked and giggled at the door wanting to get a look at the new baby. They were from Paducah and they brought beer. And cigars. When they saw the baby in the bathtub they sang Amazing Grace and then Robert Earl Keene’s Merry Christmas From the Family. During the Spanish parts they went cowboy operatic: “Feliiiizzz Naaavidaaaad.”
This was the scene. The low-brow, budget motel Mystery of Incarnation. It was. And it still is. And ever more shall be.
And may those who with eyes let them see . . .
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Behold the Mystery. Emmanuel. God came to be with us. And when God came God chose to show up amidst the poor and indigent of this earth, far from the throne of power.
And so there God was, in a weekly-rate motel rental, with hand-me-down clothes from the Methodist community closet, and the bathtub for a bassinet. Mary and Joseph thanked the heavens that the hotel heater worked, though it smelled like old dust and they worried for the baby’s fragile lungs. In the middle of the night cowboys coming home from Billy Bob’s knocked and giggled at the door wanting to get a look at the new baby. They were from Paducah and they brought beer. And cigars. When they saw the baby in the bathtub they sang Amazing Grace and then Robert Earl Keene’s Merry Christmas From the Family. During the Spanish parts they went cowboy operatic: “Feliiiizzz Naaavidaaaad.”
This was the scene. The low-brow, budget motel Mystery of Incarnation. It was. And it still is. And ever more shall be.
And may those who with eyes let them see . . .
Monday, December 23, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 23, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 26 through 38:
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
In yesterday’s sermon I reflected on the Annunciation and its relation to women in ministry. The story, I tried to say, is quite clear that there are certain things conceived in women which men cannot claim to have put there nor should they prohibit.
The Annunciation is the good news the angel brings to Mary of the LORD’s intention to do something wonderful in and through her. “It is the gift of God,” as Paul says, “so that no man can boast.”
What God wishes to place in the wombs of our bodies, and minds, and spirits is gift. And if we say, “Yes,” it gestates and grows, first hidden in darkness, then later bursting to be born. Finally it breaks forth, born of water and spirit, still needing to be nurtured and fed and loved for the gift it is.
It comes naked, vulnerable, in dire need of protection. For Herod is out there somewhere. So too is somebody who will want to quench this tiny, flickering wick with words of scorn.
So we hold it. We swaddle it. We run with it all the way to Egypt if we have to. Because the angel said this is the Holy Spirit’s baby; and its ours to keep . . .
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
In yesterday’s sermon I reflected on the Annunciation and its relation to women in ministry. The story, I tried to say, is quite clear that there are certain things conceived in women which men cannot claim to have put there nor should they prohibit.
The Annunciation is the good news the angel brings to Mary of the LORD’s intention to do something wonderful in and through her. “It is the gift of God,” as Paul says, “so that no man can boast.”
What God wishes to place in the wombs of our bodies, and minds, and spirits is gift. And if we say, “Yes,” it gestates and grows, first hidden in darkness, then later bursting to be born. Finally it breaks forth, born of water and spirit, still needing to be nurtured and fed and loved for the gift it is.
It comes naked, vulnerable, in dire need of protection. For Herod is out there somewhere. So too is somebody who will want to quench this tiny, flickering wick with words of scorn.
So we hold it. We swaddle it. We run with it all the way to Egypt if we have to. Because the angel said this is the Holy Spirit’s baby; and its ours to keep . . .
Friday, December 20, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 20, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 57-63:
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
“So that’s how it is in their family.”
That’s what the neighbors must have thought when they heard Zechariah confirm Elizabeth in the naming of their child John.
And why did it have to be mansplained like that, anyways?
Because in that world — as is too often the case in our own — the people wouldn’t believe the woman.
But — regardless of what the neighbors thought — the baby’s name was John; and Elizabeth was the one who gave it.
And so, with the coming of this child a new age was being ushered in. No longer would custom dictate. The settled order of things would be disrupted. The established would be disestablished, the mountains leveled, the valleys raised, and the women would speak . . . and be heard.
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
“So that’s how it is in their family.”
That’s what the neighbors must have thought when they heard Zechariah confirm Elizabeth in the naming of their child John.
And why did it have to be mansplained like that, anyways?
Because in that world — as is too often the case in our own — the people wouldn’t believe the woman.
But — regardless of what the neighbors thought — the baby’s name was John; and Elizabeth was the one who gave it.
And so, with the coming of this child a new age was being ushered in. No longer would custom dictate. The settled order of things would be disrupted. The established would be disestablished, the mountains leveled, the valleys raised, and the women would speak . . . and be heard.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 19, 2019
A Prayer for Our Nation:
God of Justice and Light,
We pray today for the future of our country and its government.
We seek your wisdom for our leaders in these troubling times. We ask that you would light the torch of truth and open the blind eyes of Justice.
As we move forward towards a trial of Impeachment, we ask your grace over all people.
We pray for the President.
We pray for the Senate.
We pray for the Chief Justice.
Before you all hearts and deeds are known. Grant to our senators the conscience to truly weigh the evidence set before them, and the courage to judge and vote without prejudice of party as is required by the oath and duties of their office.
And we pray also for our republic and its citizenry. Guide us as a Nation, LORD. Protect us as a people. May the more perfect Union continue to be formed, Justice established, domestic tranquility assured, and the blessings of liberty and biddings of justice for all — both high and low — be assured.
In the name of God, the Almighty Sovereign over all. Amen.
God of Justice and Light,
We pray today for the future of our country and its government.
We seek your wisdom for our leaders in these troubling times. We ask that you would light the torch of truth and open the blind eyes of Justice.
As we move forward towards a trial of Impeachment, we ask your grace over all people.
We pray for the President.
We pray for the Senate.
We pray for the Chief Justice.
Before you all hearts and deeds are known. Grant to our senators the conscience to truly weigh the evidence set before them, and the courage to judge and vote without prejudice of party as is required by the oath and duties of their office.
And we pray also for our republic and its citizenry. Guide us as a Nation, LORD. Protect us as a people. May the more perfect Union continue to be formed, Justice established, domestic tranquility assured, and the blessings of liberty and biddings of justice for all — both high and low — be assured.
In the name of God, the Almighty Sovereign over all. Amen.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 18, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 39 through 45:
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
What a great gift a Joyful spirit is.
Joy is not jealous or envious. It delights in the Joy and graces of others. Joy is the gift of God inside us that leaps for Joy at the gifts of God in others.
Joy is the grace we are given to rise up and call others blessed, especially when — like Mary — they are young and scared and feel judged by everyone else in the world.
‘Tis the season for Joy. ‘Tis the season for delighting in the gifts and graces of others. And ‘tis the season for speaking words of blessing and encouragement to those who may need a little help finding and embracing their own Joy within.
Elizabeth did all these things in today’s Lesson. And the next verse says, “Mary sang.”
And I bet Elizabeth sang with her . . .
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
What a great gift a Joyful spirit is.
Joy is not jealous or envious. It delights in the Joy and graces of others. Joy is the gift of God inside us that leaps for Joy at the gifts of God in others.
Joy is the grace we are given to rise up and call others blessed, especially when — like Mary — they are young and scared and feel judged by everyone else in the world.
‘Tis the season for Joy. ‘Tis the season for delighting in the gifts and graces of others. And ‘tis the season for speaking words of blessing and encouragement to those who may need a little help finding and embracing their own Joy within.
Elizabeth did all these things in today’s Lesson. And the next verse says, “Mary sang.”
And I bet Elizabeth sang with her . . .
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 17, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 26 through 35:
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
In his poem “For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio” W.H. Auden has some brilliant phrasing:
“How could the Eternal do a temporal act,
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible . . .”
Nothing can save us that is possible. What a powerful statement.
The Annunciation is God’s good news of deliverance. The eternal became temporal and the infinite finite. Something beyond possible had to save us because we could not save ourselves.
This is a cardinal doctrine, meaning it cannot be proven. It comes to us as it came to Mary — given by grace, received through faith, and born in hope. It is a miracle, coming from the Latin word “mirus”, meaning wonderful.
Nothing is too wonderful for God, or too impossible. And when the days are dark, and it seems that there is nothing new under the sun and no future beyond it, suddenly there is a surprise knock at the door and the greeting of an angel with glad tidings of Joy, and wonder, and the good news of what God will do which we could never do ourselves.
“And, behold, a virgin shall conceive . . .”
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
In his poem “For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio” W.H. Auden has some brilliant phrasing:
“How could the Eternal do a temporal act,
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible . . .”
Nothing can save us that is possible. What a powerful statement.
The Annunciation is God’s good news of deliverance. The eternal became temporal and the infinite finite. Something beyond possible had to save us because we could not save ourselves.
This is a cardinal doctrine, meaning it cannot be proven. It comes to us as it came to Mary — given by grace, received through faith, and born in hope. It is a miracle, coming from the Latin word “mirus”, meaning wonderful.
Nothing is too wonderful for God, or too impossible. And when the days are dark, and it seems that there is nothing new under the sun and no future beyond it, suddenly there is a surprise knock at the door and the greeting of an angel with glad tidings of Joy, and wonder, and the good news of what God will do which we could never do ourselves.
“And, behold, a virgin shall conceive . . .”
Monday, December 16, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 16, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 5 through 19:
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
This time of year we think so much on the Holy Family and plan all kinds of events at church to touch children and youth and their mostly-young families. But in all our focus on Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and all the families which could play them in the Live Nativity, we too-often forget the Advent began not with a young family, but with an old.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were aged people. They had no children; and they thought their child-rearing days were long past. So what a surprise when Gabriel the angel came to them with good news of a child came to them. Surprise is an understatement. Shock really. As one old woman in a senior living center up in New York said when a friend of mine preached this story in their chapel, “Yeah, sure; try telling THAT to Medicare.”
The Advent comes. And it comes with surprising news not only for the young, but also for the old. Just like the surprise Abraham and Sarah, and Hannah and Elkana received when they got word of their own child to be born after their long years of waiting, Zechariah and Elizabeth now receive surprising news of a child to be born in their old age also.
Advent is not just for the young. It’s also for the old. It’s for those who have given up. It’s for those who think their best days have passed them by.
New things can come! Old bodies can be made useful again! The closed future can be opened! Surprises can happen!
No matter what Medicare thinks . . .
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
This time of year we think so much on the Holy Family and plan all kinds of events at church to touch children and youth and their mostly-young families. But in all our focus on Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and all the families which could play them in the Live Nativity, we too-often forget the Advent began not with a young family, but with an old.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were aged people. They had no children; and they thought their child-rearing days were long past. So what a surprise when Gabriel the angel came to them with good news of a child came to them. Surprise is an understatement. Shock really. As one old woman in a senior living center up in New York said when a friend of mine preached this story in their chapel, “Yeah, sure; try telling THAT to Medicare.”
The Advent comes. And it comes with surprising news not only for the young, but also for the old. Just like the surprise Abraham and Sarah, and Hannah and Elkana received when they got word of their own child to be born after their long years of waiting, Zechariah and Elizabeth now receive surprising news of a child to be born in their old age also.
Advent is not just for the young. It’s also for the old. It’s for those who have given up. It’s for those who think their best days have passed them by.
New things can come! Old bodies can be made useful again! The closed future can be opened! Surprises can happen!
No matter what Medicare thinks . . .
Friday, December 13, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 13, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 1 verses 26 through 38:
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
In ancient Christian theology, Mary was called the “theotokos” — Greek for the “the God bearer”. Mary said yes to the angel’s message and so she bore God into the world.
We are all in a sense “theotokoi” — God bearers. Some messenger — whether angelic or human or simply the stirrings within our own soul — speaks to us and then suddenly we find our lives and bodies have been given to some call or mission or job which brings forth God into the world.
We say with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” And then suddenly we find ourselves pregnant and readying to give birth to God and the things of God in this world.
Conception is our stunned and fearful, yet also joyous, “Yes.” Gestation is our growth in and by the spirit. The womb is our own soul. And the birth is our Godly gift to the world.
And, so we say, “Let this little child come in . . .”
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
In ancient Christian theology, Mary was called the “theotokos” — Greek for the “the God bearer”. Mary said yes to the angel’s message and so she bore God into the world.
We are all in a sense “theotokoi” — God bearers. Some messenger — whether angelic or human or simply the stirrings within our own soul — speaks to us and then suddenly we find our lives and bodies have been given to some call or mission or job which brings forth God into the world.
We say with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” And then suddenly we find ourselves pregnant and readying to give birth to God and the things of God in this world.
Conception is our stunned and fearful, yet also joyous, “Yes.” Gestation is our growth in and by the spirit. The womb is our own soul. And the birth is our Godly gift to the world.
And, so we say, “Let this little child come in . . .”
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 12, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 2 verses 13 through 15:
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Every Sunday of Advent the lights in the sanctuary dim and and a single candle is brought forth into the darkened space. Then a strong and consulate voice is heard:
“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear . . .”
The Advent season is a time of waiting. The captives wait in darkness, in exile, in Egypt. They mourn. They grieve. They suffer. They pine. They endure.
And then a light appears — a star in the sky, a burning bush in the desert, a proclamation of emancipation from someone somewhere that says, “Arise, shine, your light has come.” And suddenly the exile turns to exodus. And mourning to laughter. And the long, midnight of hell to the hard, yet joyous road to starting again . . .
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Every Sunday of Advent the lights in the sanctuary dim and and a single candle is brought forth into the darkened space. Then a strong and consulate voice is heard:
“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear . . .”
The Advent season is a time of waiting. The captives wait in darkness, in exile, in Egypt. They mourn. They grieve. They suffer. They pine. They endure.
And then a light appears — a star in the sky, a burning bush in the desert, a proclamation of emancipation from someone somewhere that says, “Arise, shine, your light has come.” And suddenly the exile turns to exodus. And mourning to laughter. And the long, midnight of hell to the hard, yet joyous road to starting again . . .
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 11, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 2 verses 16 through 18:
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Sorrow, anger
A madness of inconsolable grief
Gathering like lightning
Rachel is weeping
Rachel is raging
She feels like her guts
Have been torn
From her womb
And her breath
A fire
She can neither catch
Nor control
Do not touch her
Do not even go near her
Do not say, “There were mistakes.”
Or, “God has a plan.”
Or, “God needed another angel.”
Who’s God?
We can say, “Sorry.”
Sorry is a drop in the ocean of sorrow
But we can say it
And we can say her children’s names
We must say Rachel and her children’s names
And not forget them
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Sorrow, anger
A madness of inconsolable grief
Gathering like lightning
Rachel is weeping
Rachel is raging
She feels like her guts
Have been torn
From her womb
And her breath
A fire
She can neither catch
Nor control
Do not touch her
Do not even go near her
Do not say, “There were mistakes.”
Or, “God has a plan.”
Or, “God needed another angel.”
Who’s God?
We can say, “Sorry.”
Sorry is a drop in the ocean of sorrow
But we can say it
And we can say her children’s names
We must say Rachel and her children’s names
And not forget them
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 10, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew 2 verses 13 through 18:
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
I don’t know which article of faith is more scandalous, that Jesus was God or that He was a refugee.
According to Christian tradition Jesus was God, and he was a refugee, and therefore if you wanted to find God you had to look amongst the refugees.
This is still true today. If we want to find the Son of Man then we will find him among the refugees. “And I was a stranger and you welcomed me . . .”
This should upend all our judgments and all our suspicions when it comes to refugees. Brutal regimes come to power. They terrorize their own people. The only choice is escape or be killed. Jesus’ family chose to flee. And so when it comes to our response to refugees, it should worry us, absolutely haunt us — not that we might be letting in criminals in — but that we might be keeping Jesus and his family out.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
I don’t know which article of faith is more scandalous, that Jesus was God or that He was a refugee.
According to Christian tradition Jesus was God, and he was a refugee, and therefore if you wanted to find God you had to look amongst the refugees.
This is still true today. If we want to find the Son of Man then we will find him among the refugees. “And I was a stranger and you welcomed me . . .”
This should upend all our judgments and all our suspicions when it comes to refugees. Brutal regimes come to power. They terrorize their own people. The only choice is escape or be killed. Jesus’ family chose to flee. And so when it comes to our response to refugees, it should worry us, absolutely haunt us — not that we might be letting in criminals in — but that we might be keeping Jesus and his family out.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 9, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew 2 verses 9 through 12:
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
In the book of Matthew Jesus is the new Moses. And just like at the birth of Moses, when Pharaoh tried to kill all the infant boys immediately after their birth, so too does Herod try to kill Jesus at his.
But in both stories, these great leaders lives are spared by the refusal of some to follow orders. Shiprah and Puah were the midwives who refused to kill Moses at his birth as they were directed by Pharaoh. And here in today’s Lesson the Magi refuse to tell Herod where they’ve found Jesus, and this ultimately spares Jesus from murder.
These were courageous people. The world needs more like them. The world needs more courageous people who refuse to participate in or go along with acts of oppression and cruelty towards children — even if that means disobeying and even openly defying Pharaoh.
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
In the book of Matthew Jesus is the new Moses. And just like at the birth of Moses, when Pharaoh tried to kill all the infant boys immediately after their birth, so too does Herod try to kill Jesus at his.
But in both stories, these great leaders lives are spared by the refusal of some to follow orders. Shiprah and Puah were the midwives who refused to kill Moses at his birth as they were directed by Pharaoh. And here in today’s Lesson the Magi refuse to tell Herod where they’ve found Jesus, and this ultimately spares Jesus from murder.
These were courageous people. The world needs more like them. The world needs more courageous people who refuse to participate in or go along with acts of oppression and cruelty towards children — even if that means disobeying and even openly defying Pharaoh.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 6, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 2 verses 1 through 6:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
“Mirror, mirror on the wall . . .”
These are famous words of the Wicked Queen in the Snow White story as she daily inquired who was “the fairest of them all”. And the Queen was absolutely violently evil when she learned that she was not the fairest.
Today’s Daily Lesson is that moment for King Herod, as he learned of some other king of the Jews besides himself. And the Scriptures were his mirror of truth.
But it was not only the Scriptures themselves, but also its interpreters who dared to tell the truth. And it’s stunning that they did so.
These Priests and teachers were not corrupted. They were not his “spiritual advisors” or “faith cabinet” or his anything. The Scriptures say they were Priests and teachers OF THE PEOPLE. They were Priests and teachers of the law FOR THE PEOPLE. They did not work for Herod. Nor had they sold their souls to him. And when he asked, they did not tell him what his itching ears wanted to hear. They told him the truth.
Would that we had more like them today.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
“Mirror, mirror on the wall . . .”
These are famous words of the Wicked Queen in the Snow White story as she daily inquired who was “the fairest of them all”. And the Queen was absolutely violently evil when she learned that she was not the fairest.
Today’s Daily Lesson is that moment for King Herod, as he learned of some other king of the Jews besides himself. And the Scriptures were his mirror of truth.
But it was not only the Scriptures themselves, but also its interpreters who dared to tell the truth. And it’s stunning that they did so.
These Priests and teachers were not corrupted. They were not his “spiritual advisors” or “faith cabinet” or his anything. The Scriptures say they were Priests and teachers OF THE PEOPLE. They were Priests and teachers of the law FOR THE PEOPLE. They did not work for Herod. Nor had they sold their souls to him. And when he asked, they did not tell him what his itching ears wanted to hear. They told him the truth.
Would that we had more like them today.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 5, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 2 verses 1-2, and 9-12.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Magi had lost site of their star. For some reason, unbeknownst to them or to us, the star which they had seen at its first rising was lost to them.
And now they were in the dark.
Or perhaps they were too much in the light. It’s hard to see the stars in the City at night. Perhaps that was their problem, they were looking for the newborn King in the City of Jerusalem, while he was born out in the country, in the little village of Bethlehem. In any case, they had lost their star. And a long, long way from home, they didn’t know where to go next.
So they turned in to ask for direction. (Proof, a friend of man says, that at least one of them was a woman, because if it had been all men they would still be out their wondering around in the desert, too proud to stop and ask for help.)
And then the spiritual guides gave them direction, coming from the Scriptures:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
And so, they set out again, Westward still just a short distance more, towards Bethlehem only 7 miles away.
“And the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them . . .”
Some lessons from this story: We all at times get lost, both literally and spiritually. We all at some point need help finding our way again, because we’ve lost our star. In those times, we need to stop and ask for help. Sometimes the answers really are right there in the Bible, and sort of leap off the page when we find them. And sometimes, we’re a whole lot closer to what we’re looking for than we think or fear, if we will dare to just keep going and searching . . .
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Magi had lost site of their star. For some reason, unbeknownst to them or to us, the star which they had seen at its first rising was lost to them.
And now they were in the dark.
Or perhaps they were too much in the light. It’s hard to see the stars in the City at night. Perhaps that was their problem, they were looking for the newborn King in the City of Jerusalem, while he was born out in the country, in the little village of Bethlehem. In any case, they had lost their star. And a long, long way from home, they didn’t know where to go next.
So they turned in to ask for direction. (Proof, a friend of man says, that at least one of them was a woman, because if it had been all men they would still be out their wondering around in the desert, too proud to stop and ask for help.)
And then the spiritual guides gave them direction, coming from the Scriptures:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
And so, they set out again, Westward still just a short distance more, towards Bethlehem only 7 miles away.
“And the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them . . .”
Some lessons from this story: We all at times get lost, both literally and spiritually. We all at some point need help finding our way again, because we’ve lost our star. In those times, we need to stop and ask for help. Sometimes the answers really are right there in the Bible, and sort of leap off the page when we find them. And sometimes, we’re a whole lot closer to what we’re looking for than we think or fear, if we will dare to just keep going and searching . . .
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 4, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 2 verses 1 through 3:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
All our Nativities are out now. The cattle are lowing, the angels descending, and the shepherds quaking, but I will bet there’s one person in the story who’s not in your Nativity this year: Herod.
For good reason. Herod was a vile and pernicious ruler. A scoundrel and an hedonist, out of lust and the will to political power he had 10 wives, murdered one, and also murdered three of his own sons. This fact led a tour guide I once had in Israel to understatedly say, “He wasn’t exactly a good, family man.” No he was not.
But he did have the economy booming. He ruled with an iron fist, kept the so-called Pax Romana, pretty-much ended war, and re-built and built and built the Temple, and, in the eyes of the people, and with Rome’s backing, was restoring Jerusalem to all its former glory.
And so when Herod heard of these wise men coming from the East, asking about a rising King of the Jews, he was afraid, and all Jerusalem with him. Herod was afraid, and so the people — priests, and scribes, and soldiers, and merchants, and traders, and mothers, and fathers, and farmers and seamen— were afraid also. They were afraid, not because they necessarily liked Herod or even believed that he was really their “King” (a title given to him by Rome and not the Jewish people themselves) but for the very same reasons he was — because maybe this so-called new “king” might come along and disturb the peace, and ruin the good thing they had going.
This Lesson today tells us maybe we ought to put Herod into our Nativities. Because he was there. And, maddeningly, all the people were with him.
May those with ears to hear let them understand.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
All our Nativities are out now. The cattle are lowing, the angels descending, and the shepherds quaking, but I will bet there’s one person in the story who’s not in your Nativity this year: Herod.
For good reason. Herod was a vile and pernicious ruler. A scoundrel and an hedonist, out of lust and the will to political power he had 10 wives, murdered one, and also murdered three of his own sons. This fact led a tour guide I once had in Israel to understatedly say, “He wasn’t exactly a good, family man.” No he was not.
But he did have the economy booming. He ruled with an iron fist, kept the so-called Pax Romana, pretty-much ended war, and re-built and built and built the Temple, and, in the eyes of the people, and with Rome’s backing, was restoring Jerusalem to all its former glory.
And so when Herod heard of these wise men coming from the East, asking about a rising King of the Jews, he was afraid, and all Jerusalem with him. Herod was afraid, and so the people — priests, and scribes, and soldiers, and merchants, and traders, and mothers, and fathers, and farmers and seamen— were afraid also. They were afraid, not because they necessarily liked Herod or even believed that he was really their “King” (a title given to him by Rome and not the Jewish people themselves) but for the very same reasons he was — because maybe this so-called new “king” might come along and disturb the peace, and ruin the good thing they had going.
This Lesson today tells us maybe we ought to put Herod into our Nativities. Because he was there. And, maddeningly, all the people were with him.
May those with ears to hear let them understand.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Daily Lesson for December 3, 2019
Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 1 verses 18 through 20:
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
“Joseph was a righteous man”. That’s how the New International Version phrases it in verse 19 of today’s Lesson. Joseph was a righteous and decent man, and there was probably no more righteous man than Joseph in all the earth. He was meek, and gentle, and true as steel.
Joseph was all these things — full of virtue — and yet, he was still going to divorce Mary. And Joseph would have divorced Mary, and been perfectly justified by the Law and by everyone else in leaving her and her baby behind, had not the angel miraculously intervened.
Joseph’s story should serve as a warning to us all about the limits of our own virtues. And it should serve as a warning about the limits of the Law. Law and virtue are fine things; but they would have ended in Mary’s dismissal. Joseph would have been esteemed for his decency and even mercy in having not called for Mary’s stoning, yet the mother would still have been dismissed, and the child, who knows.
And that is what makes Joseph’s story so remarkable — that what truly made him righteous was the fact that in the end he trusted not in his own righteousness, nor in the righteousness of the Law, but trusted rather in the Revelation of the Gospel, spoken through words of the angel, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” the angel said. And Joseph heard the inner voice, and believed it to be the word of God’s and so he said, “Yes.”
“And it was credited to him as righteousness,” (Genesis 15:6).
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
“Joseph was a righteous man”. That’s how the New International Version phrases it in verse 19 of today’s Lesson. Joseph was a righteous and decent man, and there was probably no more righteous man than Joseph in all the earth. He was meek, and gentle, and true as steel.
Joseph was all these things — full of virtue — and yet, he was still going to divorce Mary. And Joseph would have divorced Mary, and been perfectly justified by the Law and by everyone else in leaving her and her baby behind, had not the angel miraculously intervened.
Joseph’s story should serve as a warning to us all about the limits of our own virtues. And it should serve as a warning about the limits of the Law. Law and virtue are fine things; but they would have ended in Mary’s dismissal. Joseph would have been esteemed for his decency and even mercy in having not called for Mary’s stoning, yet the mother would still have been dismissed, and the child, who knows.
And that is what makes Joseph’s story so remarkable — that what truly made him righteous was the fact that in the end he trusted not in his own righteousness, nor in the righteousness of the Law, but trusted rather in the Revelation of the Gospel, spoken through words of the angel, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” the angel said. And Joseph heard the inner voice, and believed it to be the word of God’s and so he said, “Yes.”
“And it was credited to him as righteousness,” (Genesis 15:6).
Monday, December 2, 2019
World AIDS Day
It was an honor to observe World AIDS Day by taking part in a service of remembrance at Celebration Community Church this evening.
Thank you to Jorene Taylor Swift and the Celebration Community for its courageous your o going and courageous witness.
And thank you to Jane Rogers for reminding us of the roles strong advocacy and activism played in getting the resources needed for breakthrough research and treatment.
Friends, HIV/AIDS patients continue to need our voices to assure access to affordable medication for all and to one day, hopefully, find a cure for this disease. This is one small way we show repentance for the sins of our society’s silence, negligence, and contempt. Another way is by raising our voices in support of the full rights and inclusion of LGBTQ persons in our country and world.
As we go forth committed to the works of mercy and justice, may the words of the Departing Prayer I was asked to lead serve as our guide:
“O God of love, whose mercy has always included those whom we have forgotten, bless, we ask, all who are afflicted with AIDS. Comfort them, sustain them by your Holy Spirit, that they may engage in life with the joy that is their birthright.
“Holy One, open our hearts to provide for their needs, to share their journey, to love them with our whole hearts. Bless those who mourn the death of their loved ones. May they know your comfort and the blessings of community as they grieve.
We pray in your many names. Amen.”
Thank you to Jorene Taylor Swift and the Celebration Community for its courageous your o going and courageous witness.
And thank you to Jane Rogers for reminding us of the roles strong advocacy and activism played in getting the resources needed for breakthrough research and treatment.
Friends, HIV/AIDS patients continue to need our voices to assure access to affordable medication for all and to one day, hopefully, find a cure for this disease. This is one small way we show repentance for the sins of our society’s silence, negligence, and contempt. Another way is by raising our voices in support of the full rights and inclusion of LGBTQ persons in our country and world.
As we go forth committed to the works of mercy and justice, may the words of the Departing Prayer I was asked to lead serve as our guide:
“O God of love, whose mercy has always included those whom we have forgotten, bless, we ask, all who are afflicted with AIDS. Comfort them, sustain them by your Holy Spirit, that they may engage in life with the joy that is their birthright.
“Holy One, open our hearts to provide for their needs, to share their journey, to love them with our whole hearts. Bless those who mourn the death of their loved ones. May they know your comfort and the blessings of community as they grieve.
We pray in your many names. Amen.”
Daily Lesson for December 2, 2019
Today’s Daily a lesson comes from Matthew chapter 1 verses 1 through 16:
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
This morning we are given the genealogy of Jesus. Like most young people I used to think genealogies were boring and of little value, but like a lot of people when they old, I’m suddenly into them and what they might tell us.
One thing Jesus’ genealogy tells us is that he didn’t come from the purest of Israelite stock. Yes, he had royal ancestry, but he also had slaves, swindlers, foreigners, a prostitute a woman faked being a prostitute so she could conceive a child with her father-in-law (you read that right), and a ruler whose youthful arrogance was the downfall of the entire kingdom of Israel.
Not exactly a spotless pedigree.
But the genealogy reminds us that God has been working out God’s purposes since the beginning of time, sustaining each successive generation through trial and tribulation.
God is the God of all in our genealogies — even the mean and rascally ones. As we say in West Texas, “It ain’t always been pretty”; but it’s been true. And even more so, God has been true. And, somehow, we’ve made it this far.
Thanks be to God.
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
This morning we are given the genealogy of Jesus. Like most young people I used to think genealogies were boring and of little value, but like a lot of people when they old, I’m suddenly into them and what they might tell us.
One thing Jesus’ genealogy tells us is that he didn’t come from the purest of Israelite stock. Yes, he had royal ancestry, but he also had slaves, swindlers, foreigners, a prostitute a woman faked being a prostitute so she could conceive a child with her father-in-law (you read that right), and a ruler whose youthful arrogance was the downfall of the entire kingdom of Israel.
Not exactly a spotless pedigree.
But the genealogy reminds us that God has been working out God’s purposes since the beginning of time, sustaining each successive generation through trial and tribulation.
God is the God of all in our genealogies — even the mean and rascally ones. As we say in West Texas, “It ain’t always been pretty”; but it’s been true. And even more so, God has been true. And, somehow, we’ve made it this far.
Thanks be to God.
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