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WORD # 31 – GIVE [December 31] 7^th day of Christmas

WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM POOR AS I AM? – is the question we may often ask ourselves. ~ It is the opening line of the fifth stanza in this poem by Christina Rossetti, written before 1872. Even when our weather does not reflect the typical winter scene she describes, I have found it touches our hearts with the sorrow and inadequacy we can feel in this season. Instead of giving in to those feelings, she paints a picture of the blessed gift of the baby who came to save us all. As we ponder her words, we too can be lifted up to receive God’s indescribable gift to us, on this seventh day of Christmas.

“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away, when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter, a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,

A breast full of milk, and a manger full of hay;

Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give Him my heart.”

O God, who brings us this unimaginable loving gift of he who would save us all, prepare our hearts to receive him. Lift us up from sorrow and fear, to see the great love that brings him near.  Amen.     PEACE   

JESUS COMES TO BRING GOOD NEWS

WORD #30 – HEAVEN [Dec 30]  6^th day of Christmas

JESUS COMES FROM HEAVEN, TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO EVERY HOME – and every person on the earth. ~ The hymn, “From Heaven Above To Earth I Come”, comes to us from Martin Luther, and was used in a Christmas festival he held at his home each year. It was included in a hymnal of 1535, and later translated in 1855. There are 15 verses in total. A man dressed as an angel would sing them. The story comes from Luke 2: 1 – 18. The good news is announced by the angel to the shepherds: “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  And we – we are all blessed every day by the presence of this good news available to us. This hymn – on the sixth day of Christmas – gives God praise and retells the glory of God come down to us all.

1. “To you this night is born a child

Of Mary, chosen virgin mild; [2]

This little child, of lowly birth, [2a]

Shall be the joy of all the earth.

• “This is the Christ, our God and Lord,

Who in all need shall aid afford;

He will Himself your Savior be

From all your sins to set you free. [2b]

• “He will on you the gifts bestow

Prepared by God for all below,

That in His kingdom, bright and fair,

You may with us His glory share. [2b1]

• “These are the tokens you shall mark: [2c]

The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;

There you shall find the Infant laid [2d]

By whom the heavens and earth were made.” [2e]

• Now let us all with gladsome cheer

Go with the shepherds and draw near

To see the precious gift of God,

Who has His own dear Son bestowed.

May our minds and hearts be blessed by these words, as we open our hearts to the promise.  Amen.     PEACE     

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/from_heaven_above_1.htm

[The numbers at the ends of the hymn lines refer to the verses in Luke that correspond.]

THE JOY THAT IS CHRISTMAS

WORD #29 – JOY  [December 29]   5^th day of Christmas

LET US CELEBRATE THE JOY THAT IS CHRISTMAS – for it is something more than the culture gives us.    ~  Many of us have a difficult time navigating the holidays. And yet, there are ways that the Holy Spirit finds to break through our sorrow and grief to bring comfort and understanding, showing us ways to move forward. The joy of Christmas is not about whether we can feel it. It is a force and we can choose to open ourselves to its healing properties. It does not do us good to stay closed off for too long from the healing that others bring to us through love and joy.

Philippians 4 gives us these words to gladden our hearts and remind us of the true meaning,  4” Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice !”  The joy comes to us in welcoming the blessed baby into our hearts. When we can express that joy will happen because of this acceptance, not by forcing ourselves into it. The beloved American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow found a way to rejoice in the Lord’s birth when he wrote the following words in 1863, on Christmas day, following the tragic loss of his wife in a fire, and the serious wounding of his son in the war. He is an example of how God can stir a heart in sorrow to express hope and the faith God can use to bring renewal. Note 4 – 6 reflect the impact of the Civil War on the nation, and on himself personally, yet he remained hopeful.

1  I heard the bells on Christmas Day, Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet The words repeat, Of peace on earth, good-will to all!

2  And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song, Of peace on earth, good-will to all!

3  Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime  Of peace on earth, good-will to all!

4  Then from each black, accursed mouth, The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned  Of peace on earth, good-will to all!

5  It was as if an earthquake rent, The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born  Of peace on earth, good-will to all!

6  And in despair I bowed my head;  “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, And mocks the song  Of peace on earth, good-will to all!”

7  Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:  “God is not dead, nor doth God sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,  With peace on earth, good-will to all.”

O God of unquenchable hope that grows into joy, sustain us through all the trials we face, knowing the result will be a triumph of joy in what you will to happen. We thank you for your boundless love and strength, so that no matter what we face, we face it with your unconditional love to sustain us.  We are most grateful for the gift of Christmas.  Amen.     PEACE   

RECEIVE THE JOY JESUS GIVES

WORD #28 – JESUS  [December 28] 4^th day of Christmas

COMING TO CHRISTMAS TO RECEIVE THE JOY JESUS GIVES – is not something we do very well on our own. We may get excited with the anticipation of the surprises we will have as we open gifts from loved ones, and it may bring back memories of life when we were children. It may be fun to see the beautiful lights and fun decorations on lawns and roofs. It may even be delightful to hear all the music of the season. But to know the true joy of Christmas is not something we can produce on our own, or pick up from the festivities going on around us. As the Grinch realized, the true meaning of Christmas “is something more,” and even if the season is hard for us, we can all share the true Christmas Spirit because it is a gift that we open our hearts to receive.

The gift is part PROMISE, as we heard in Jeremiah 29:  11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.  12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.”  

The gift is part HOPE, as Paul reminds us in Romans 15, but we first heard in Isaiah 11:  “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him. … “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.”  

The gift is part PEACE as we hear in Philippians 4 of how the peace of God will help transform us:  6 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

The gift is part LOVE, because God first loved us by creating us, and then in Ephesians 2 we are told,  “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which God loved us … made us alive together with Christ.”  And finally, as we hear from John 3 :   “God so loved the world that he gave God’s only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”   

In the face of the greatest gift anyone could ever give or receive, we are brought to our knees with gratitude – for the PROMISE, the HOPE, the PEACE and the LOVE that is God’s gift to us in Christmas. When we open this gift, we do not need all the external trappings of the season, to ease our sorrow and to feel the joy that is the true Christmas.    O God, who has given us the best of gifts, help us receive it in our hearts, and then transform us by its power, to spread the gift and all that it means to others around us. May we be guided by the Spirit to show this gift to all we meet through our lives of love and peace. Hear our prayer as you promised.  Amen.     PEACE     

BLESSINGS OF LOVE AND LIGHT

WORD #27 – LOVE  [December 27] 3^rd day of Christmas

WE ARE CALLED TO BRING BLESSINGS OF LOVE AND LIGHT – to all those around us, as we give thanks for the great event of the Christmas celebration. We heard recently of the coming of John, making way for the coming of “the light, that is Jesus.”   6 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.  8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”  This passage from John 1 tells us the true light enlightens all of us. I can hear some of us groan under the weight of this statement. This is not a burden for us to carry, and when we pray to be equipped in order to pass on the light, we will not feel burdened. It is only when we feel as though we have to do something like this in our own strength that it seems hard to do.

So it seems helpful to remember this passage from Matthew 11:  28 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ”   Reading between the lines we see that when we learn from the Lord how to carry our burdens with help, it becomes an entirely different proposition. God does not ask us to carry any burden by ourselves. Instead, God has given us Jesus’ love and strength to support them. God has given us each other to help in our daily challenges, and we have been given gifts that help us go about life in a way that is different from those who do not rely on God. This is a glorious invitation to come to the birth and transforming life we are offered as we continue this Christmas celebration of new life, born in love. Burdens are lightened through the life-changing event that has come.  PREPARE, through prayer and meditation for the new life made available to all who would take the love into us, as the gift that it is.  Transforming God, we are humbled and in awe of the miraculous event we have the privilege of witnessing. We thank you that we are offered the gift of new life. Help us prepare our hearts to be opened to accept this unspeakable gift. Whisper to us of the light and love that Jesus’ birth is bringing again to the world, for those who can see it. Guide our hearts to open for this continuing celebration.  Amen.     PEACE     

ANGELS CAME IN GREAT NUMBERS

WORD #26 – ANGELS  [December 26]   

2^nd day of Christmas

ANGELS CAME IN GREAT NUMBERS, TO ANNOUNCE JESUS BIRTH – to these humble shepherds.  13 Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, 14 “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.” 15 The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”     

What an awesome experience for the shepherds. Angels are always involved in extraordinary events. Wherever we hear about the news they are bringing, it is a signal of a change in the way things have been. Life is about to get more exciting when they are around. They are bringing a message from God, after all. Angels are devoted servants of God, and they are entrusted with important messages. If an angel is involved, we can be sure this is something extremely important. It is undoubtedly a signal to us, to pay attention, and to help us understand the import of what this message may mean. May they help us put together all the events that have brought the love to us, through this miraculous birth.   O God who created the angels, we are in awe of the messages they bring. Help us, through your grace to listen for their messages, and follow their urgings, so that we may be faithful to the life you would have us live.  Amen.     PEACE   

Angels from the realms of glory,

Wing your flight o’er all the earth,

You who sang creation’s story,

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth,

Come and worship,

Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,

Watching o’er your flocks by night,

God with us is now residing,

Yonder shines the infant Light,

Come and worship,

Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King!

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A HUMBLE MANGER

FRIDAY – CHRISTMAS DAY

WORD #25  – MANGER  [Christmas]

A HUMBLE MANGER IS THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS FOUND – the baby that would bring salvation to the world. As the angel told the shepherds, in Luke 2 – “He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” How many of us have said, or at least thought about Jesus being put in a manger, a simple wooden structure that holds food for animals. You have to be kidding. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords starts out sleeping in a box for feeding animals? This hardly seems like what should happen. Did God really approve of that?

Yet this is the beginning of many humble events in Jesus’ life. He was hardly raised like a king, or a Messiah would be. He grew up in relative obscurity. So why are we concerned if he was in a manger? Could it be that it reminds us of our own vulnerability? This baby was born into a family that loved him, and that is the most important need a baby has at that point. That love saw to it that he was kept warm and fed, his physical needs were met, and the love filled his emotional need. It is a sign for us, that all children need to be loved and supported in these ways. We know all babies and children are not cared for in the ways they need, and with our prayers and concern, we can do something to help those situations. We are not able to fix the lives of all children, but we can always help to alleviate some of the need, in whatever ways God calls us to do that.  Loving God, who placed the Messiah in a simple manger, we are grateful for this event, and the way you brought humility into the story. Help us live humble lives in serving others, for your sake. Guide us in telling the story of love in the way we live out our lives. In the name of the baby who would become the Savior.   Amen.   PEACE  * MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL     

THE SHEPHERDS WERE WITNESSES

THURSDAY – 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT and CHRISTMAS EVE

ADVENT WORD #24  – SHEPHERDS  [December 24]  Christmas Eve

THE SHEPHERDS WERE WITNESSES AND TESTIFIED TO OTHERS – about the great event taking place in Bethlehem. This good news is announced by the angel to the shepherds:  8  “That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town.”  Luke 2 brings us the story of how the shepherds were told what was happening in Bethlehem. Being isolated because of their jobs, they may not have known about the great influx of families into Bethlehem, for the census. They were just faithfully tending their flocks, protecting them from the predators, who were always looking for an opportunity to drag off a lost sheep who had wandered away.

Then suddenly they are visited by a heavenly being, a most unusual, even mind-blowing experience. Yet God was coming to them, through the angel messenger, to tell them the good news and then ask them to do something out of their ordinary routine, that would spread this good news to others.  “The shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.’ 16 So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. 17 When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child. 18 Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them.” If the shepherds were astonished at the angel’s words when they heard them, it must have been even more thrilling to repeat the message to those at the manger, and everyone else they told. This is the blessing of a lifetime, to be honored by God and entrusted with this message. But we are also entrusted with this message, and God will provide all we need to know how to tell this story to others, in a way that is needed at the time.  20 “The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking God for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.”    O God, who began this whole event, we are grateful to be blessed by knowing what happened so long ago. We are humbled to be called to share the story with those who need to hear it. We place our trust in you, to show us when to speak, and to always live out the good news of this story, for the sake of the baby and the message. Amen.   PEACE  

EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US

Wednesday – 4th Week of Advent

ADVENT WORD #23 – EMMANUEL  [December 23]

EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US, A WORD OF PROPHECY – but is also a word of comfort. Ahaz, a King of Judah, was given this prophecy, despite his unwillingness to worship God. He treated his subjects with cruelty of the utmost kind. And yet God refused to give up on him for the sake of the people. We hear these words in Isaiah 7: 13 “Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel (which means ‘God with us’).

Later in Matthew 1, we hear the Isaiah prediction quoted, in the scene where we hear about Joseph’s dream. “… an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.’ ” Especially as we consider the state of things now, it is always important to be reminded – GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US. We are never left without the unconditional love and support God gives us. That is the message Jesus came to bring us. So his name is not so much Emmanuel, as it is his essence – he came to bring salvation – by living with us and in us. When we pray, he is never more than a breath away from us. May this advent help us come to that understanding.   Living Jesus, be our direction to show us where we need to be and what we need to do. We are grateful for your presence within us and your guidance to direct our hands and feet. Show us how to tell others of your presence within them too.  Amen.   PEACE