On the Way to Wonder

Luke 1:18-21

Have you ever noticed how corrosive doubt is?  My husband tells me not to flick off the complement that comes my way.  Don’t dismiss it so quickly.  Doubt diminishes the speaker and cripples me.  Zechariah is standing in the presence of an angle, the angel Gabriel who “stands in the presence of God.”  His deep wish for a child has been promised but he is crippled by doubt.  Disappointment builds walls of cynicism around our hearts and lives and can make us defensive when facing another.  Prove it, we respond.  We say, if it sounds too good, there’s a problem.  We buy insurance for accidents we will not have money to pay for, for medical expenses we have not expected and for old age when we cannot care for ourselves.  Doubt is the revolving door that is followed by fear of another disappointment, another criticism, or an inability.  Zechariah doubts God’s promise sent by an angel.  We like him, often doubt.  Christmas is filled with glitter and music but there is also the doubts of buying the right gift, preparing the right dish, or the doubt of ever seeing our loved departed – grief.

         Interestingly, the angel Gabriel sentences Zechariah to nine months of silence.  What is that about?  Why silence?  Now there is a good question to ponder this morning.  How does silence work to resolve in my life? 

         It is easy to “chew my bone” and discuss with friends situations we are going through.  How many hours did my girlfriends and I sit up and discuss dates!!!  Was the guy serious or not?  Discussion can exaggerate the doubt or through false flattery diminish reality.  My daughter in junior high would come out painted in lipstick and her friend would croon, “You rock that look!”  Really?

         Silence slows my roll.  I am forced to communicate through writing or actions.  Deaf and mute people communicate so obviously it is possible but to loose a sense requires a whole regrouping of life.

         Silence throws me back on my beliefs and encourages me to ponder a relationship with a God who has brought on the silence.  My guess is that Zechariah spent time dealing with his relationship with God.

         So how are we doubting and experiencing silence this Advent season?  Is there a little voice raising questions about the love of the person whom you would like to gift?  Pondering my motives in giving is a good exercise to reflect on before God.  Have I built spiritual disciplines of finding those silent times when I can detox and focus on the important things of this season?  When social pressure is high, drawing aside and spending some time in reflection and silence can be a big blessing!  May we bring our doubts to God and spend times in silence listening to the God who wants to bless us.  Zechariah’s silence was only for a season and that is hope!  This too shall pass so let’s make the best of it.  God is with us!

Luke 1:11-14

Do you remember the scene in “Chariots of Fire” where Harold Abrams has trained for the Olympics so very hard and it is before the big race.  He confesses to his trainer that actually he is scared to win, to finally reach that goal he has worked so hard to achieve.  Old Zechariah has served God faithfully with his old barren wife Elizabeth.  He has been chosen by lot to offer the incense, the prayers for his people and their sins.  The next paragraph starts, “then.” 

         Perhaps you are someone who approaches Christmas with that wish that seems so impossible.  For years I prayed for a puppy.  It was not till I reached Africa, age 30, that I got that dog.  I begged for a car in college and got a bicycle!  Then there were the proposals that fall through, the job that did not pan out as expected, the drop in the stock market, the kid that turns to drugs and the list goes on of the dreams that seemed so right and yet somehow for all our faith, God does not grant our wish.  And yet we try to persevere faithfully. Some of us understand Zechariah and Elizabeth.  We know we are not a main character, the hero, of someone’s story but we still try to do our best.

         “Then” an angel appears to Zechariah and he is afraid.  It is not every day we see an angel!  The angel tells Zechariah not to be afraid that he is going to be a father with Elizabeth.  Remember Bill Cosby’s impersonating Noah in his famous monologue when God tells Noah to build an ark.  Cosby rolls his eyes and his voice drawls, “Riiiggghhhhttt….what’s an ark?”  The angel continues to astound Zechariah.  The baby will be joy, will be favored by God, will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and will be a blessing to the people of Israel.  This child will be greatly used by God!  This is so beyond what Zechariah had hoped for and what he had lost hope about that it was hard to take it all in.

         Our theme this first week of Advent is hope that comes from fulfilled prophecy. Often we set our hopes on what we would like God to do and when it does not happen as we think, we loose hope.  But God fulfills dreams in ways above and beyond what we can imagine.  We may not get that puppy or car or husband that we thought we wanted when we thought we wanted it but God is working, even for those of us who are not the leading characters in a drama.  May we continue to faithfully serve God even when we are disappointed and may there be an “angel,” alright a friend, who brings you good news this Advent.  May you be surprised in worship with a holy moment, an encounter with the living God in a new way!  Blessings as we prepare.

Luke 1:5-10

Doctor Luke starts his “orderly account” of the historic events of his day in his letter to his friend Theophilus not by talking about Jesus but by setting the context.  Our stories are embedded in and connected to the stories of the lives of others.  To understand that God is on the move, we first learn that Herod is king. Then he shares that there is an old priest, Zechariah, and his old wife, Elizabeth, also of the priestly lineage of Aaron, who are childless.  This is no small thing even as today it is not a small thing.  Infertility casts a shadow on our sexuality, on the state of our marriage, and ultimately questions of future lineage and inheritance.  We all have burdens we carry.  What is your burden?

         Perhaps infertility is not your “challenge.”  Some carry the shame of divorce, of disease, of ethnicity or even the poverty of coming from the “wrong side of the tracks.”  I doubt few of us do not have skeletons in our closets that color our understanding of ourselves. 

         The Christmas story does not tell of a God entering a pretty social scene to do his miracle but of a God that loves to work with ordinary, flawed, broken people like us.  We might consider ourselves too old, too barren, too this or too that for God to use but I suspect God loves to work in the lives of people like you and me.

         The second thing I note is that Zechariah is going about his normal duties and Elizabeth is supporting him in his role. Barrenness did not trump faithfulness.  Zechariah wins the “lottery,” the rolling of the dice, is chosen “by lot” to be the priest who is to burn the incense.  Nothing extraordinary there.  Burning of the incense was taking the prayers of the people to God and interceding for forgiveness.  Zechariah is in a state of prayer for his people.

         So let us ponder our prayers and the “wish list” that is so commonly talked about at Christmas.  Perhaps you have something you have been praying for and it just isn’t happening.  But that does not mean that God is not working out a plan.  It is in the midst of our stories that God acts and perhaps that means he must first get another player organized.  Who do you identify with in this lead up to the Christmas story? Zechariah?  Elizabeth?  Or perhaps you are the John who will be the answer to their prayers. 

         During Advent we celebrate that God is always on the move, orchestrating events in life that we may not see or understand but that give us hope – the theme for the first week of Advent.  Take a moment to thank God for how he is working in your life, even if you don’t see it right now.  He is there!  And he cares!  He has a plan!  Blessings.

Luke 1:1-4

Yesterday started Advent, the four weeks before Christmas that anticipates the coming of Christ – past, present, and future.  Often churches use the theme of “hope” for this week because prophecy gives hope to the past, the present and the future.  The past was not random but predicted.  The present is known and we are not alone .  And the future will have the downs and ups but there is a God who travels with us.

         Yesterday was the first Sunday of the church year.  The slate is clean and we are starting to go through the Jesus story again and pondering from a new perspective.  Who is this God we worship?  We will look through the eyes of Luke this year.  Often if you read the introductions to books, the author will summarize in about one sentence their purpose in writing the book and the message they hope the book presents.  Luke, the author, was not an apostle but a doctor who is writing a research paper summarizing “an orderly account” for his friend Theophilis. Some theorize that “theo” meant “god” as in the word theology and “philis or filio” refers to “brother” as in fraternity.  So he may be writing to a brother in faith an orderly account of the events unfolding around the reports of the life of Christ, first hand research with people who were there at the events as they unfolded.  This is CNN before CNN came to be!  Remember there was no Bible at that time.  Luke wanted Theophilis to have certainty about what he had been taught.

         As we step into this Advent season, I think it is good to stop for a moment and reflect on what is our goal, our purpose.  What drives us as we go through this season?  Is my goal to impress, to entertain, to inform, or how am I through my actions and words bringing hope to the life of another?  Gifts need not be material “things” that please.  I’ve tried sending my grandchildren pictures of their father at their age with an affirmation. A kind word or a phone call or a gift of cookies can also be encouraging.

         Hope helps me feel that I am not alone.  The Christmas story we share this season is an account of how we are united in God as family.  That gives hope. Knowing my beliefs that rule my life are valued is also important.  “You are valued!  You are kind.  You hold potential for the future!” are wonderful gift words to receive.  What would you like to hear this Christmas?  What account would encourage you as you face the future?  May you give and receive an affirmation today!

A 12^th century favorite hymn welcomes the Advent season, the four weeks before Christmas that starts tomorrow.  Yes, Advent is filled with gift shopping like the Magi – what gift can we give to that special person…as well as the obligatory gifts.  Music fills the air like the angels singing to the shepherds.  Hallmark has how many stories about the magic of the season – the census sending Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, an Innkeeper who found room with his animals, and foreigners arriving to worship.  The Nativity story also acknowledges the loneliness of childbirth in a strange place, the fickleness of government policies, and the stresses of refugees seeking a place of refuge for their family.  Monday we will start looking at this epic story as told through the eyes of Luke.  This time of the year, in spite of all the stresses there are, has its own rhyme and rhythm.

     The Nativity story was predicted 600 years before that baby’s birth when the Jews were in the Babylonian Captivity.  The “three wise men from the East ” knew the prophecy!  As I turn on the news every night, I wonder how much longer we will wait for Christ’s return as our world groans under the weight of human sin.  Perhaps the story then and now is not that different.  In any case, the hymn has each verse dealing with a different prophesized title for Jesus: Emmanuel (God with us), Lord of might, Rod of Jesse, Day-spring, and Key of David.

     As we go through the hustle and bustle, we can rejoice that the docks are not backed up for God. We do not need an improved communications grid.  We are always on his radar.  His shelves are stocked, ready to bless – build relationship with us!  Tomorrow we light the first candle of the Advent wreath, the hope candle that comes from prophecy’s anticipated fulfillment.  Blessings as you enter the season.

The day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday.”

         When I hear the term “the day after”, I think back to young adult years when the phrase would be a way of talking about the hangover from drinking too much the night before.  Perhaps after all the food and fellowship of Thanksgiving, people feel a similar let down and headache!

         Another theory says that on Sept. 24, 1869 two men had bought up the gold market in the USA hoping to raise the price of gold and make a big profit but the scheme became known, the market crashed, people’s lives were ruined.  It sounds similar to the start of the Great Depression.

         A likely explanation tells of suburban people mobbing the streets of Philadelphia in the 1950s as they and tourists flooded into the city before the Army-Navy football game on Saturday.  Likewise along came shoplifters.  Besides police working long hours and plus the sudden flood of people brought a sudden flood of problems, a black Friday.

         One of the most common explanations is that as Black Friday approaches that sales begin in anticipation of Christmas and retail stores that operated in the “red” all year, would find their books begin to turn a profit which was recorded in “black.”

         In any case, many will be coming off the high of eating good food, experiencing good fellowship, and relaxing with family, friends, and possibly TV.  Many will go shopping.  Others will work to help the shoppers.  The verse that comes to mind to encourage us may be

Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

As we head into the business of Advent and the coming of Christmas, my devotions have focused on

T for Turkeys,

H for Hands,

A for Attitudes of gratitude,

N for Neighbors,

King for Kings,

S for Sweet and savory,

G for Gravy,

I for Inspiration,

V for Voices,

I for Intentions,

N for Nuts, and

G for Grace – aspects of the holiday that make it special.

May we will be able to give thanks for that which lies ahead!  The coming of the Peace Child that walks through the hussle and bussle of preparation, of dealing with the nuts in our life, and the one who adds sweet and savory moments – makes our hearts cheery in the midst of that which could crush our spirits and who is with us so we can operate not in the red but in the black.  Blessings!

“For health and food and loving friends

For everything thy goodness sends

We thank thee Heavenly Father

Amen.”

That was our family grace before each meal in my biological family.  I carried it into my marriage family and even today say this grace.  I have heard almost the same grace said by people from a Norwegian or Swedish background and my family was English.  We will bow our heads today and give thanks. Hopefully. 

         It reminds me of the scene in the movie “Blindside” when the family grabs food to watch the football game as the kid from the other side of the tracks who lived with them sat at the table.  The family realizes the social awkwardness and joins him at the table and they bow their heads and give thanks.  We bow our heads to show humility, I think.  In Kenya, when a Maasai child met an adult, he would dip his head and the elder would put his hand on the child’s head and bless the child.  Nice!

         One of the blessing for me this year has been the discovery of a new singing artist.  New to me anyway.  His name is Don Moen.  He does praise music that comforts my soul when I feel bedraggled.  Let me share a song with you that is appropriate for Thanksgiving.

         This month, my husband and I have faced health challenges due to aging.  The next song has deeply blessed me.  I pray it blesses you this Thanksgiving.  Have a happy Thanksgiving! The grace of the Lord be on you!

“Are you nuts?” is an expression that developed in the middle of the 19^th century possibly because our heads have a shape similar to a nut or possibly because our head is hard on the outside and the important stuff is inside.  The phrase can be referring to crazy ideas, actions, and even an institution, “nut house,” for someone with mental illness. 

         So why focus on this phrase in relation to Thanksgiving?  Nuts are the special treats that are put out at occasions like weddings, Thanksgiving, and Christmas meals.  They are not the main course, the meat and potatoes, but are a special treat that bring variety and if still in the shell, a challenge to eat.  I suspect nuts were more important to the original pilgrims that lived closer to nature than they are to us today.

         “I’m nuts about…” can also be an expression of love in a positive way.  It can be used to refer to someone or something you really care about and are willing to go to extremes for.  It could refer to “falling in love” but equally can refer to a grandparent being nuts about their grandkids and doing all within their power to help them grow up. God was nuts about his creation.  In chapter one of Genesis, after each outburst of creativity, God sat back and said, “It is good!”  He is so crazy about us that he walked through death to redeem us.

         In fact, we have many idioms using “nuts.  Merriam-Webster defines “nuts and bolts” as “the working parts or elements” of some gizmo.

         Some people may consider Thanksgiving “nuts”, crazy spending money on food for relatives we often do not see, while others go “nuts” preparing an extravagant meal for those they love. But what are the “nuts and bolts” of Thanksgiving?  I would propose that we take a moment and stop worrying about all that calls to us and spend time working on our attitude of gratitude for the God who holds our lives, for the people whom we dearly love and even those who are a bit crazy and test our patience – this God and these people are part of our safety net in life.  Stopping to say “thank you” is the “nuts and bolts” for facing tomorrow.

 1 Thessalonians 5:  “¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise the words of prophets,^[e] 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²² abstain from every form of evil.”

Maybe nuts are not your thing for celebrations but I pray you are blessed with joy as you prepare.  Blessings.

Thanksgiving is an intentional holiday.  The date is arbitrary, set through history finally by FDR as the 4^th Thursday in November.  The narrative of the historical events are being reevaluated in the court of public opinion.   There are no heroes or sheroes that most of us remember, perhaps Squantos.  In fact we know little about the original event although we have built up historical narrative about it, created school plays starring our beloved children, written poems, and sang songs.  As much as Thanksgiving being “inspirational” and marking the turn to the Christmas season, it is an “intentional” event when we try to slow down, focus on family and friends, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude for the blessings in our life.  That can be hard and painful for many.

         Intentional means to me that I set my will to do something, not because of the rewards or because of my feelings but because I know somewhere in my being that forcing myself to slow down and thank, is good for me and for the world around me.  Those early pilgrims set their wills to leave the known and step into the unknown.  The early settlers put all their goods in a wagon and headed West.  The first astronauts stepped into space machines trusting them to take them to the moon and back.  Each day we step into our futures with no guarantee of the outcome but committed to the adventure of the day.

         One of the beautiful foundational beliefs of the Christian narrative is the intentionality of a God determined to bless his creation and rescue us from ourselves.  Each day the sun rises, not because we are good and deserve it but because nature speaks to a guiding presence many are unwilling to recognize.  Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”  John says almost the same thing in 1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  If we choose to love God because of benefits, that is understandable, but his intentional involvement in our lives is voluntary.  He could have set the clock running and walked away.  He could sit far off and laugh at our mistakes and let us undermine ourselves.  Thanksgiving is a time when we remember that God intentionally involves himself in our lives as we are willing and ready and is the Good Shepherd, perhaps Good Farmer, leading us to the fruitful harvest.  I’m glad he cares for me and for you.  I pray you are intentionally developing a relationship with God!  Blessings as you prepare for Thanksgiving.

Whose voice would you like to hear this Thanksgiving?  Thanksgiving is a time when we pick up the phone and call a parent far away, or perhaps a sibling across the country and for some the voice of an important person away with the military.  Maybe you sit back and connect with a friend.  Just hearing the other’s voice, warms the heart. 

         Probably those first pilgrims had trouble voicing language that was understandable to the indigenous people.  Growing a common language for communication is hard work.  My husband and I worked translating a spoken language into a written language.  Voice is important.  You know the childhood game of whispering a message around a circle and how distorted it can become if the voice does not speak clearly.

         “Listening a person into voice” is a way of saying that a person is patient and allows the other to search for the right words to express the experience they have been through – good or bad.  The “Spoken Word” is an art form that allows youth and older people to put their experiences into poetry that is read aloud to audiences.  Having voice, is having presence, is granting power and prestige to someone.  It gives the power of vote and opinion.

         When voices join together, choirs are formed, music written and many blessed.  When voices are joined together as in marches where chants are voiced, it creates an audible vote and weigh in on political issues.  As a mother of twins, I quickly learned to turn to the other twin and ask for his side of the story to give him voice in the face of accusation.

         God spoke in creation, “Let there be light!”  God spoke out of a burning bush to Moses.  God spoke out of a cloud at the baptism of Jesus, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”  Jesus spoke and Lazarus came out of the grave.  Jesus’ voice healed people.  Voice is important as books are now being written to give voice to the indigenous people’s side of the Thanksgiving story.

         In John 10:27 the apostle shares about Jesus being the Good Shepherd.  “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”  We will recognize his voice.

         I pray this Thanksgiving a beloved voice will speak affirmations into your life, that voices will be raised in prayers of thanksgiving for the good that did bless our lives this year, and that we will hear God’s voice speaking to us and leading us to green pastures.  Blessings.