Blogging through December

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." During Advent we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ in his first Advent, and we anticipate his return as Christ the King. Without a doubt there is something magical about this time of the liturgical year that is filled with waiting and longing and hoping. This year, during our waiting time, we will examine THE STORY of our faith while engaging several children's story books written about some of our Christmas traditions. So make plans to be with us as we consider the legends of the Christmas tree, the Christmas stocking, and others. 

In addition, you may wish to prepare for worship by reflecting on the readings provided in our Advent devotional by Henry Nouwen, Wait for the Lord. May the following prayer written by John Bell bless you along the way. 

You keep us waiting.

You, the God of all time,

want us to wait

for the right time in which to discover

who we are, where we are to go,

who will be with us, and what we must do.

So thank you…for the waiting time.

You keep us looking.

You, the God of all space,

want us to look in the right and wrong places

for signs of hope,

for people who are hopeless,

for visions of a better world which will appear

among the disappointments of the world we know.

So thank you…for the looking time.

You keep us loving.

You, the God whose name is love,

want us to be like you—

to love the loveless and the unlovely and the unloveable;

and, most difficult of all,

to love ourselves.

So thank you…for the loving time.

And in all this,

you keep us.

Through hard questions with no easy answers;

through failing where we hoped to succeed

and making an impact where we felt we were useless;

through the patience and the dreams and the love of others;

and through Jesus Christ and his Spirit,

you keep us.

So thank you…for the keeping time,

and for now,

and for ever,

Amen.

I look forward to accompanying you on the journey through Advent. 

Shalom,

Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

I hope you will join us for worship this Sunday when the CHPC Choir presents "Breath of Heaven." In the meantime, as your journey through Advent, one question and two tasks are before you. First, during the week, meditate on how the God-given gift of music enriches your life during Christmas and throughout the year. Then, I hope you will enjoy two musical treats. The first is a video a young friend shared with me recently. It is truly amazing. The second video is "Hallelujah Chorus" presented in an original and powerful way. Enjoy!

May the Lord bless you and the people whom you love during the Seasons of Advent & Christmas.

Shalom,
Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

via Google Images

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The season provides a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and a time of anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Therefore, Advent is more than a historical marker of something that took place 2000 years ago. It’s a time frame with a double focus—both past and future. Advent also has a present focus—symbolizing the spiritual journey of persons and congregations, who yearn to live holy lives during these “in between times.”

On our journey through Advent this year, we will consider how we live out “time” as we wait. In preparation for Sunday, read Genesis 1:1-5, Exodus 3:14-15, and Matthew 11:2-11. Then join us for worship as we ponder a theology of time and the importance of living spiritually, in the present tense. 

May the following prayer written by John Bell bless you on your Advent journey.

You keep us waiting.

You, the God of all time,

want  us to wait

for the right time in which to discover

who we are, where we are to go,

who will be with us, and what we must do.

So thank you…for the waiting time.

You keep us looking.

You, the God of all space,

want us to look in the right and wrong places

for signs of hope,

for people who are hopeless,

for visions of a better world which will appear

among the disappointments of the world we know.

So thank you…for the looking time.

You keep us loving.

You, the God whose name is love,

want us to be like you—

to love the loveless and the unlovely and the unloveable;

and, most difficult of all,

to love ourselves.

So thank you…for the loving time.

And in all this,

you keep us.

Through hard questions with no easy answers;

through failing where we hoped to succeed

and making an impact where we felt we were useless;

through the patience and the dreams and the love of others;

and through Jesus Christ and his Spirit,

you keep us.

So thank you…for the keeping time,

and for now,

and for ever,

Amen.

I look forward to our time of worship this Sunday.

Shalom,

Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

Image via Wikimedia Commons

On our journey toward Advent, our sermon series, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," is linked to a portion of the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1:1-6. While names like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob come as no surprise, there are surely other names that are unexpected. Last week we considered Ruth and Rahab. This week we take a look at Tamar and Bathsheba.

Take time to read their stories found in Genesis 38:1-30 and 1 Kings 1:15-31. Then consider the following:

1. What new information did you encounter?
2. What surprises you about these stories?
3. What does it mean that people like Tamar and Bathsheba are named in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ?

I pray that your journey through Advent has been one of peace and joy. As always, I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday.

Shalom,
Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

On our journey toward Advent, the sermon series, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," is linked to a portion of the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1:1-6. Take time to read this passage. Then consider who makes the list? Would you expect to find all these people on the roll call of Jesus' family? Likely, you will find a few names that are a bit unexpected. For example, who would imagine that Ruth and Rahab would be named, especially since they were both foreigners. Yet by God's grace they, too, are part of the family of God.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Before Sunday, take time to read Ruth 1:22-2:12 and consider the following:

1. To what city does Naomi and Ruth travel? How does this relate to the Nativity?
2. Who is Boaz?
3. What sort of person does Boaz seem to be?
4. How concerned is Boaz about Ruth being a foreigner?

Now, let's turn our attention to Rahab.

Via Wikimedia Commons

You may read about her in Joshua 2:15-24, (to get a fuller picture of the events, you may wish to read the entire chapter), then reflect on the following:

1. What do you already know about Rahab?
2. What is her profession?
3. Although Scripture doesn't tell us, have you ever wondered why a woman might have "chosen" such a career in ancient biblical times?
4. What does Rahab do for the spies sent by Joshua? 

As always, I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday. I pray that you are having a blessed Advent.

Shalom,
Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

This week I have been enjoying our Advent Calender 2012 devotional. Although the readings are short, they seem to pack quite a punch. Today's title, for example, is "Party Time," with the following comment: "The Giver of Life invites you to a banquet in honor of his Son's birth. Please respond." (Immediately I had an image of an RSVP in response to party invitation.)

The suggested biblical text is Isaiah 25:6-9:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation (NRSV).

Herein we see the promise of God's ultimate defeat over death. Walter Brueggemann says of this text, "The imagery here of death is not simply the fact of mortality. Rather, "death" is understood as a great devastating monster who stalks the earth and seeks to undo all of the structures of life. In the imagery [of verse 8], it is argued that God is an even stronger power who, with great force and brutality, will simply swallow death, chew it up, and spit it out in complete nullification. (The Life with God Bible, from the commentary on Isaiah, pg.1014)

It's no surprise that this Scripture passage is often used in the Church to celebrate the wondrous accomplishment of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter, an accomplishment that began at the Savior's birth.

During the Season of Advent, we are invited to be a part of the most wonderful story ever told. We are invited to sit with God, consider the wonder of it all, mark time together and seek out ways to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Although the world would entice us to turn our focus elsewhere, we will surely be better for choosing to turn toward the Light of the World on our journey toward Bethlehem.We will surely be better if we RSVP "Yes!" to the greatest invitation of all.

Sunday we will gather to listen to "Light and Life ," a Christmas Cantata performed by our Colonial Heights Presbyterian Choir. Hope to see you here!

Shalom,
Glenda

Blogging toward Sunday

Photo by Joel Bez (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lejoe/4157221727/) via Wikimedia Commons

This Sunday, December 2, we will celebrate the beginning of Advent with the Hanging of the Greens. If you have not already picked up your devotional "Advent Calendar 2012: Daily Scripture and Reflections in Preparation for Christmas," please pick one up. The first reading from Psalms gets us moving in the right direction, on the path toward salvation. I hope you are able to meditate on these readings all along our Advent journey.

The Scripture texts for Sunday's worship service include Matthew 1:1-6 and Luke 1:26-35. Read the genealogy of Jesus through the eyes of the writer of Matthew. Note who makes it in this family roll call. Are there any surprises? If so, who are they? Now turn your attention to the reading from Luke. What surprises can be found here? Who is surprised? By whom?

During the Sundays of Advent, we will focus on biblical figures who might be surprised to find their own name in the roll call of Jesus' ancestors. Likely, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) would never expect such a thing. Certainly, Mary never expected to be chosen to be the Mother of our Lord. And thus the name of our Advent Sermon series: "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

The Season of Advent is a time of waiting. As we wait, let us reflect on a poem written by Joseph T. Nolan, entitled "The whole earth's a waiting room."

            We wait—all day long,

            for planes and buses,

            for dates and appointments,

            for five o’clock and Friday.

            Some of us wait for a Second Coming.

            For God in a whirlwind.

            Paratrooper Jesus.

            All around us people are waiting:

            a child, for attention;

            a spouse, for conversation;

            a parent, for a letter or call.

            The prisoner waits for freedom;

            and the exile, to come home.

            The hungry, for food;

            and the lonely, for a friend.

            The whole earth’s a waiting room!

            “The Savior will see you now”

            is what we expect to hear at the end.

            Maybe we should raise our expectations.

            The Savior might see us now

            if we know how to find him.

            Could it be that Jesus, too, is waiting

            for us to know he is around?[i]

Shalom,

Glenda

---

[i] Joseph T. Nolan, Let the Earth Rejoice! Scripture, Prayers, and Poems for the Abundant Life (Allen, Tex.: Thomas More Publishing, 2000), pp.32-33.

Blogging through Advent

We are approaching the 4th Sunday of Advent and our texts for this Sunday are Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 and Luke 1:26-38. In the Gospel reading, the angel Gabriel visits Mary and gives her some unexpected news, news that she is to become the mother of a Holy Child, who shall be called Jesus.

Wikimedia Commons Image



In Feasting on the Word, Lewis R. Donelson points out that the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary of the coming miraculous birth of Jesus is similar to the announcements of other births in Scripture. Read and compare the following birth announcements to our reading for today:

The birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16:7-13)

The birth of Isaac (Genesis 17:1-21; 18:1-15)

The birth of Samson (Judges 13:3-20)

The birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:8-20)



How are these narratives similar? How are they different?

In the sermon for Sunday, together we will consider Jesus as the Son of Mary. In previous weeks of Advent we have looked at Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God. Of course, nowhere in Scripture is Jesus referred to specifically as the "Son of Mary," however, for our purposes we will ponder the human Jesus born of the human Mary. 

When you imagine Mary, what do you see? Is she "flesh and bone" or is she someone ethereal, angel-like, totally unreal? In preparation for Sunday, take time to read through Luke 1:26-38. Sit with the text quietly for a few moments and, perhaps, jot down your thoughts.  Then, prayerfully read through the text again, but this time put yourself in the story. You are Mary. Now, how does the news of Gabriel strike you? What feelings flood over you?

Then consider the following: Who is Mary to you?   Why?   Have you ever wondered why Mary is made so little of in the Protestant tradition but so much of in the Catholic? What might be the downside to either in the extreme?


Mary was chosen by God to do an incredible thing, a new thing, and Mary was faithful to the end. In light of Mary's  obedience and courage, I offer you the following meditation from Maker's Blessing: Prayers and Meditations from the Iona Community.

New Ways

God of our lives

you are always calling us

to follow you into the future,

inviting us to new ventures,

new challenges,

new ways to care,

new ways to touch the hearts of all.

When we are fearful of the unknown,

give us courage.

When we worry

that we are not up to the task,

remind us that you would not call us

if you did not believe in us.

When we get tired,

or feel disappointed

with the way things are going,

remind us

that you can bring change and hope

out of the most difficult situations.

As always, I look forward to seeing you during worship on Sunday.
Shalom,
Glenda

Blogging through Advent

During worship on Sunday, December 11th, the

Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church Choir will present

"On Christmas Day: A Choral Celebration of Jesus, the Wonderful One."

On the journey toward Advent, consider these Suggestions for Giving the Present of Presence as offered by Joyce Rupp in Out of the Ordinary: Prayers, Poems, and Reflections for Every Season.

There are two possible ways to be with someone: (a) to be physically present with someone or (b) to be present "in spirit" by deliberately sending prayer, compassionate thoughts, and kind feelings toward another person or group. Either approach could be appropriate for each of the following suggestions.

Be with someone who needs you.

Be with a person who gives you hope.

Be with those who live in terror and fear.

Be with an older person.

Be with someone who has helped you to grow.

Be with one who is in pain.

Be with a war-torn country.

Be with yourself.

Be with someone who has written to you.

Be with a child.

Be with a refugee who is fleeing from harm.

Be with an enemy or someone you dislike.

Be with a farmer losing his or her land.

Be with someone who has terminal illness.

Be with the homeless.

Be with those who suffer from substance abuse.

Be with hungry children.

Be with a coworker.

Be with those whose hope is faint.

Be with world leaders.

Be with someone in your family.

Be with men and women in prison.

Be with someone working for justice.

Be with those who are abused and neglected.

Be with your loved ones.

God of love, you were so generous, sending the presence of your Beloved to dwell among us and to tell us who you are. Encourage me during this Advent season to continue in the sharing of this loving presence through my attentiveness, given in prayer and in deeds. You who dwell within me, remind me often to let go of my busyness and my hurriedness so that I can be with others in a loving way. Convince me that "being" is as important as "doing." Thank you for your strengthening presence. Thank you for being with me. Amen.

I look forward to seeing you in worship.

Shalom,

Glenda