O come, O come, Emmanuel

Read: Isaiah 60:19-22    http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=189657951

O come, O Come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Our world longs, we ache for God's presence. That is where Advent begins.

Advent serves a dual purpose. Yes, we prepare to celebrate Christ's first coming as a baby born in Bethlehem. But we also long for God's kingdom to be fully consumated here and now. We look at our world and recognize that 20 centuries after Christ's coming, we still have a long, long way to go before "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," is anywhere close to a living reality.  We know there is something missing, in our lives and in our world, we just are not sure what to do about it.

We hear the voices of the prophets as they long for God's coming, as they long for God's Kingdom to be fully known on this earth. We, too, long.

Our prayer as we begin this Advent journey is that God would use us to make a difference in this world, in this place, today.

O come, O come, Emmanuel! Amen.

Action Plan: Each time you see a candle this Advent season, let it be a reminder to pray for yourself and for someone you know who needs God's love in their lives.

Devotion for Monday, November 28, Our Family Tree

Scripture Lesson: Matthew 1:1-17     http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=189498268

Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we did something we had wanted to do for years. We drove to the mountains of North Carolina to find a Christmas tree.  This year I had an extra incentive. My dad and I had been planning a trip to Bakersville, N. C. to revisit the area where my grandmother grew up and where my dad lived for much of his childhood. With his death in March, we never got to make that trip. Something I will always regret.

It was beautiful when we finally found our way to McKinney Cove Road. We located a small Christmas tree farm operated by Mary and Charles Wilson. Wilson is one of the names listed several times in the genealogy passed on to us by my grandmother and we were blessed to find multiple connections linking Charles and Mary as part of our family tree. The day was filled with family, lots of wonderful memories and a most reasonably priced, just the right size for our house, freshly cut Frazier fir Christmas tree. I could feel my dad’s presence with us throughout. Not a bad day.

It is interesting that the Gospel According to Matthew begins to share the story of Jesus by remembering Jesus’ family tree. It’s not intended to be a complete genealogy, but it does tie a thread from Jesus to King David and all the way back to Abraham.

Adam Hamilton’s devotional guide: “The Journey-A Season of Reflections,” lists several points that we ought to notice:

“Matthew’s genealogy is a summary of nearly the entire Old Testament, from Genesis 11 to Malachi 4. It captures the stories of the patriarchs, the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, and the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land; there is David and Solomon and the divided kingdom, the destruction of Israel and the exile of Judah, and finally the return from exile. Here’s the point: Jesus’ birth is the climax of this entire story of God’s relationship with Israel. Jesus is the end to which the entire biblical story was moving.”

Hamilton also notes that Matthew’s account of Jesus’ genealogy is rather unique in that it includes five interesting women. Who are these women and what do they tell us about Jesus?

Tamar, the mother of Perez, played the role of a prostitute in order to have children after her husband died. Rahab, the mother of Boaz, was also a prostitute as well as a foreigner. Next comes Ruth, who, like Tamar, was a widow and, like Rahab, a foreigner. A familiar name comes next. Bathsheba, probably a foreigner also, was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. She became a widow after King David had her husband killed trying to cover up his affair with her. Finally we have the mention of a young peasant girl, Mary the wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus.

When I look back over my family tree, I find quite a cast of characters: preachers, teachers, business folk, farmers, the successful, the struggling, folks who have been lifted up and few folks who have been…strategically left off the list.  Mostly they were and are just regular people trying to make it in this often challenging world.

Matthew’s listing of Jesus’ family tree, pointing us toward Jesus’ identity and mission, lists foreigners, widows, prostitutes, an adulteress, and a young peasant girl from a no account family. Jesus came to bring hope to the widow, mercy to the sinner, and good news to all of the folks in all of our families, even those who don’t usually make the list.  

As together we begin this journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, I invite you to remember your family-the good, the bad, the indifferent. Let’s especially remember those who may have dropped out somewhere for some reason along the way.  

Jesus came that we all might know God’s love. Amen.

Weeks Two and Three: Joseph and Mary Visits Elizabeth

I have really enjoyed watching and listening to Adam Hamilton as he introduces each week's story on site from the Holy Land. To see the actual places where Mary and Joseph lived and where the biblical story unfolds makes it so real and accessible.

What has caught your attention as we've begun this journey together?

I was caught by surprise when Adam shared that many folks (Protestants?) think of Joseph as being a young man of fourteen to sixteen while others (Catholics and Orthodox?) think of him as much older...maybe ninety-three! For some reason, I always pictured Joseph as older, but propably only in his twenties or early thirties.

What details of our study have been challenging for you? Which have you found intriguing? Which have invited you to read again the Biblical accounts?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions!

Mary-God Chosen!

We have moved through at least the first chapter of  The Journey with each of our small groups. Thanks for your presence and participation!

A few questions for discussion:
What does it mean that God chose Mary to be the mother of the Christchild--Mary from a seemingly insignificant town, Mary from a seemingly insignificant family?

How have you been shaped by your hometown or the place where you grew up? How have you been shaped by your family? How do we as a community of faith shape life for those around us?

Blessings.

Rich G

Chapter 1: Mary of Nazareth

We are invited to "ponder" with Mary the meaning of these things...

Discussion questions from the leaders guide:

1. What did God demonstrate in the choice of Mary to give birth to the Messiah? Recall that Mary was what we might call a "nobody from nowhere--that is she was a seemingly unremarkable person from a nondescript town.

2. Why didn't God choose a person of high rank from, say, Jerusalem? Recall other Biblical examples of people chosen to God's will. Which of these people were of high and noble rank, and which were ordinary and lowly?

3. What does the choice of people to do God's will in biblical times suggest about who is chosen in our day?

The Journey Begins!

We are excited to be sharing Adam Hamilton's book, "The Journey," in many of our smalls groups in the coming weeks. You are invited to join us for:

Sunday School--Sundays at 11:30 am (Following Worship)
Wednesday Morning Bible Study-9:30 am
Wednesday Evening Bible Study-7:00 pm
Wednesday Evening Young Adults-7:00 pm

or if these times don't work for you, let us know what will and we'll see if others might also like to gather at a different time. If gathering with a small group will not work for you this season, join us on this blog for regular updates and e-conversastion. Our daily Advent devotions will begin Sunday, November 27 and will also be taken from The Journey series.

May the Hope of Christmas be known in our hearts this year!