-Rev. Craig A. McDonald- After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” Matthew 2:1-2 Gifts are precious. Is there a particular gift you received that was especially memorable? More than likely it was a gift that held some special meaning for you. It could be that someone listened to you when you saw something in a store and they went back and got it. It could be that someone knows you so well that they found a gift that speaks to a joy or passion that you hold. It might be the gift of presence as someone makes the time or journey to be with you. Gifts come in all sorts of ways. I can’t help but think of the magi as they made the trek to find Jesus. When they spoke with Herod they knew that they were entering dangerous territory, yet they persisted. They made a dangerous journey that many scholars believe to be a significant amount of time. They brought with them gifts to share with this newborn child and its family, honoring that moment and what is to come. They give one more gift as they choose to leave by another route, not reporting back to Herod and possibly endangering themselves and families to keep that secret. We far too often think of gifts as solely physical things. We prepare ourselves in this season for the arrival of the Christ as if it is a journey. At the end of the journey we receive and respond to the Good News that is the Christ child and do our best to respond. How we respond can be seen as a gift. The season of Advent presents us with an opportunity to be creative with our gift giving as we ask ourselves, ‘what gift to we bring to the Christ child?’ The ways that we interact with the world, how we treat our coworkers, the compassion we show to the stranger, and the work that we do for justice are all responses to this amazing news that comes to us in the form of a vulnerable child. It is our opportunity to journey through this Advent season and present our gifts to the Christ. -- Great One, we give thanks for the opportunity to share in the gift of your son to this world, and we give thanks for the opportunity to share our gifts in response. Amen Rev. Craig McDonald is an ordained minister with the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), most recently serving First Christian Church of Rome, GA. Rev. Craig served as a Young Adult Pastor at Arch Street UMC in Philadelphia, PA, as Associate Pastor at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta, and as a Youth Pastor at Sandy Springs Christian Church. He earned his MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Columbus State University. Craig loves mountain biking and all things outdoors. He and his wife, Megan, enjoy cooking, traveling, and hiking with their dog Maxwell. -Rev. Becki Barrett- A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. Isaiah 9:6-7 I came home from school one sunny afternoon to find a gigantic pile of dirt in our front yard. My friends and I stared at it in wonder. Neatly piled in the center, it beckoned to, “Come! Run and jump and roll and play!” Who had given us this gift? It never occurred to any of us. For hours, we ran and played and rolled down the hill. We pushed one another down the soft mound of silken dirt and chased each other until patches of brown stuck to our sweaty faces. In unison, we thrust ourselves into the joy of eight-year-old play. Jumping. Running. Teasing. Laughing. We played until the large mound had blown into the air and left a small bump of dirt on a semi-green lawn in the suburbs. That’s when my mom pulled into the driveway. I was seized by fear from the look on her face. I had no idea why my joyful afternoon was about to turn into chores and restriction. But, I knew it was true. Friends scattered. Peace descended. My heart raced as my mom explained (I mean yelled) that the dirt was there for the sprinkler installation tomorrow. It was an expensive amusement park afternoon. There is an intersection between joy and justice. Deep inside us all is a longing to play without abandon – a deep desire to let go and allow the joy of life to take us over. There may be mistakes made along the way and consequences for our actions but deep down we are created to be at play – with our God – in the Garden. Joy is letting go and allowing God to be God. We are not perfect. And, neither is our neighbor. Joy comes with the gift of letting go of the hand of justice and embracing the love for our world that sent our Prince of Peace. Bryan Stevenson says, “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” Seeing ourselves…seeing our neighbors…in this light invites us into the world ready to work and play and mess up and forgive and laugh. Seeing ourselves in this light allows us to live in the joyful forgiveness of God and extend that grace to others – our family, our friends, our enemies. Seeing ourselves in this light allows us to live in the wonder of the joyful birth of our Savior who wipes the dirt from our faces and calls us Beloved. --- Creative God, help us live in the joy of your creative order. Amen. Rev. Becki Barrett is the Senior Pastor at Overlake Park PC in Bellevue, WA. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Becki attended Whitworth University receiving a degree in Secondary Education and then graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2002. Becki has held pastoral positions leading family ministry, mission, caring ministry, and became an executive pastor before her call to be a senior pastor in Bellevue, WA. She loves all areas of ministry and developed her own leadership development coaching company because of her love for developing strong leaders using Strengths Finder 2.0. Becki served as the chair of the Personnel Committee for the Seattle Presbytery for six years and now loves her work as the Moderator of the Executive Committee. At OPPC, Becki is known for her humor, energy, and love for Jesus, the church and the Bellevue neighborhood. At home, she is known for hiking, reading fiction, and travel. -Rev Melissa Fain- Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8-9 I sat in front of my computer with an online invite on the screen, and physical invites in my hand. It was my son’s 10th birthday party. He wanted to have the party at the park so he could invite more friends. Looking between the screen and my hand I thought out loud, “Who will not get an invite between these two formats?” I realized there were two friends he wouldn’t physically see at school, and who I didn’t have an email address. Changing tabs, I put the invites down and messaged the parents of my son’s friends. It hit me how easy invites had become. Really nice paper invites can be purchased for next to nothing at Party City. They have a theme for any kind of party you can think of. Don’t want to use paper invites? There are sites completely devoted to online invitations. These sites will even tell you when the invite has been read, and whether they have RSVP’d. Like I said, it’s easy. Communication today is generally easy. After all, you are reading this devotional. It was written by writers from all over the United States. I can say, with complete honesty, I have only physically met two of the other seven contributors and none of them while we were working on this project. Yet, with the power of the internet, we collaborated to put this devotional together. That’s amazing. Then there’s you, reading these devotions. There’s a chance we have never met, and never will meet. Isn’t that amazing? I think that’s amazing. It’s not like early Bethlehem had Wi-Fi to spread the news of Christ’s birth. Word of mouth might have spread from person to person, but that would not have travelled very far. God apparently wanted the Shepherds at the birth. It was going to take something more than a hand delivered invitation. I don’t think our immediate news culture can understand the miraculous nature of including the shepherds. Personal messengers of God sent the invite. A format we’d think would be reserved for kings was given to the people who were intimately connected to the Creation: Shepherds. Praise be to God. --- Dear God, As I ask you to hear my prayer, help me hear your message to me. Keep my mind and heart open to your voice in my life. Amen. Rev. Melissa Fain was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with duel partnership between First Christian Church of Atlanta, and First Christian Church of Marietta. She has a BA in Music from Kennesaw State University and a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is currently the senior minister at Fig Tree Christian. Melissa is the mother of two wonderful children, and wife to a great and supportive husband. In her spare time, she loves arts and crafts which includes making costumes from scratch, and knotted bracelets. She has used her continuing education to study new church plants and church redevelopment. -Tyler Jarvis- Living in the Most High’s shelter, camping in the Almighty’s shade, I say to the Lord, “You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God—the one I trust!” Psalm 91:1-2 When I was in high school, I went to a summer camp up in the Mountains of New Mexico. It was (and still is) one of my favorite places on earth. The summer before my Senior year, the oldest boys cabin all decided we wanted to sleep outside, on the deck of our cabin. So we all pulled our mattresses off our bunks and dragged them outside to the large deck. We stayed awake for a few hours telling jokes and stories, and then we all fell asleep. At about 2:00 in the morning, I woke up because it had started to rain on me. By the time I woke up, all the other guys on the deck were already packing up and moving back into the cabin to get out of the rain. Not me. I’m stubborn. I thought my sleeping bag was waterproof and that I would ride out the storm and amaze all my friends in the morning. Soon, I had fallen back asleep, impressed by my own adventurous spirit. But it wasn’t long before I was awake again, the rain crashing down hard, and my supposedly waterproof sleeping bag soaked all the way through. The mattress that I had brought out on the deck with me was also completely saturated with mountain rain. I gave up and went back inside, but I still couldn’t sleep on my soaked mattress or under my drenched sleeping bag. I laid awake, wet and shivering, for several hours before the sun finally came up and I could leave the cabin. In the middle of the storm, shelter was only a few feet away from me, and I hadn’t taken it. My friends had. They recognized what was going to happen and they took refuge. I did not. I stayed behind, intent on proving how daring I could be. But when I rejected shelter, when it was me versus the storm, the storm won. Fortunately, The season of Advent gives us shelter—A Messiah who helps us weather the storms. A God who protects us and holds us in difficult times. The question is, will we trust that shelter? When the storm comes in, and the rains pour down, will we seek refuge from the storm, or will we try to weather it on our own? --- Strong and Mighty Fortress, protect us. Hold us in your embrace. Give us the desire to seek you in our difficult times. Give us the humility to recognize that you are sufficient when we are not. Amen. Tyler Jarvis enjoys hanging out with his wife, laying in his hammock, reading theology books, and writing. He holds a Master of Divinity from Lubbock Christian University, and has served as the Youth and Family Minister at the Oak Ridge Church of Christ in Willow Park, Tx since 2011. He can be found online at www.tylerjarvis.com or on Twitter (@Tyler Jarvis). -Rev. Ashley Sherard- Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” Luke 2:13-14 Flash Mob! All of these angels suddenly appear in the sky to make the announcement of the Christ child’s birth. I wonder if they also had a perfectly choreographed dance number, 4 part harmony, and some amazing threads. It seems like groups of people are gathering together, more and more, on one side or another of the hot button issues to announce their “good news”. From Charlottesville to the Mall on Washington we are seeing flocks of people shouting out their personal beliefs for the world to hear. I wonder what this world might look like if we all took a lesson from the Angels when it comes to WHAT we announce. What if we ALL announced Jesus like the Angels and Heavenly Host did that night? When we have our hearts and minds set on one thing and one thing only, the return of Christ, the words we speak and the way we speak them start to change. We are concerned only with making sure every man, woman, and child, from lowly shepherd to king in his castle knows who Jesus is, that he has indeed come and will come again, and that we have all been adopted into his family, the family of the chosen. --- Creator God, give us the strength to announce Christ! Help us to proclaim boldly not our own personal ideas of what is sin or who is worthy of salvation but the TRUTH of Jesus Christ, Amen. Rev. Ashley Sherard is the Pastor of Beechwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in French Lick, IN. She has been the Pastor at Beechwood for approximately two months and is loving every minute of getting to know this vibrant faith community. Ashley is the mother of three amazing little girls who have been her greatest strength and driving force. -Pastor Holly Jo Engle- After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him. Matthew 2:1-2 On a summer trip to Indianapolis, my husband and I set our GPS to help us find our way. About every 50 miles, it would give us an update and let us know where to turn next. The map on the screen had a big red pin on our destination, so I could always see how close we were getting. Even though we went through some construction, it rerouted us and led us on a detour that shaved off 15 minutes! We were led right to our hotel and made it to our meeting. I was very lucky to have the GPS capabilities; otherwise, we would have been lost, quick! In our passage from Matthew, we see the Magi using a “biblical” form of GPS. The star, which guided them to their destination, shone brightly in the sky, illuminating their pathway. Here they were, traveling in uncharted territory, looking for the newly-born King of the Jews. Jesus was their destination. He had made his triumphant entry into this world, and they were seeking his presence so they could worship him! How wonderful was it to have a savior, in baby form, already creating a stir amongst the people? People were traveling far and wide to visit the King. It is human nature to seek something greater than this world. We, like the magi, may be searching and searching, looking for the sign that will lead us there. The star acted as a “big red pin”, letting them know they were close. Jesus became the “light in the darkness” which would save all of humanity. The light of the star wouldn’t compare to the light the baby would bring to this world. We may sometimes become oblivious to the sign that Jesus is near. Jesus spent his whole life teaching about loving our fellow man and spreading the Good News. We may need to act like a star to lead others to the wonderful presence that is Jesus. What better way to do this than to enlighten our world with positive care and compassion? Can you become a GPS for God? Can you lead others to his awesome glory? --- Almighty Father, Thank you for the star that shined so brightly in the sky that night. Help us to shine for others, as well. Amen Pastor Holly Jo Engle serves the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Blytheville, AR. Her mission has been providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and families to worship freely. She finds hope in the hymns and is heavily involved in choirs and musical ministries. Not only is she involved in religious education, but also in public education. Her public-school experience ranges from grades K-6 with a focus on curriculum and instruction. Her favorite verse is Psalm 47:1 because it is important that everyone find joy in their worship! -Kenneth Myers- While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Luke 2.6-7 Born in a barn? Maybe not. “Guestroom” - that’s a much better translation than the older English versions that say “inn.” The Greek word is kataluma and it is used only once more in the Bible, when Jesus refers to an “upper room” where he will celebrate the Last Supper. Maybe we have missed the beauty of this moment by thinking of Mary and Joseph being desperate and alone on this wonderful night. Jewish culture was big on hospitality. Would an innkeeper turn out a highly pregnant woman? Wouldn’t another guest give up his room and sleep on a cot? Perhaps there is a better way to read the story: Mary and Joseph arrive at his family’s hometown. They’re going to stay at a cousin’s house, or an aunt’s. But others are already occupying the upstairs guestroom (and besides, a highly pregnant woman doesn’t need to be climbing outside stairs up to the rooftop room), so Mary is brought into the main living quarter which, yes, did in fact include a manger for the animals to eat from on cold nights. And so, Jesus is born surrounded by love - by caring women helping bring him into this world - and not in some back alley stable. Where is Christ born among us today? When we show care for others; when we bring them into our homes, our lives, and wrap them in love. For further reading: http://bishopkenneth.tumblr.com/post/37414293454/born-in-a-barn-why-the-manger-scene-doesnt-make --- Almighty God, open my eyes to those around me who need love in action. Help me to share my life and my home with them, and may Christ be born among us as I do this in His name. Amen. Kenneth Myers was born in 1959 in Denison, Texas. After 38 years of pastoral ministry (as a pastor, priest, and bishop) he created Graceworks Teaching Minister in 2014 and now spends his time writing books and traveling throughout the U.S. leading seminars based on his writings. His newest book, Look at Us, tells the story of his romance and love affair with his late wife. More details about Ken including contact information can be found at www.kennethmyers.net. -Rev Melissa Fain- A voice is crying out: “Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The Lord’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.” Isaiah 40:3-5 I drove down the newly constructed road, knowing it would cut at least five minutes from my trip. It wasn’t even rush hour. During rush hour, it was really cutting ten to fifteen minutes out of my commute. I marveled at how straight and smooth my drive was. The contractors had built the road through forest and swamp. Hills had to be vanquished, and valleys had to be filled. When you consider highway construction, it really is a technological marvel. When we think about peace, we often consider how X marks the spot. We are focused on the result. The finished highway in the wilderness. We don’t consider all the steps to get to peace. Those steps are usually anything but peaceful. Dynamite displaces tons of earth and rock. Bulldozers rip up trees. Boiling hot pavement is painted on the land. The conclusion might be a peaceful drive, but the process is anything but. This is true for highways, and it’s true for peace in general. Finding peace is a dirty, hard-working mess. It’s blood, sweat and tears. Peace is work. Always was, and always will be. Remember that as you sing, “Peace on earth, goodwill towards all.” Peace is a process, and one we work towards every day. --- God of love, hope, joy and peace. Help us find the moments where we should act in this world. Action, that will bring us closer to peace. Amen. Rev. Melissa Fain was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with duel partnership between First Christian Church of Atlanta, and First Christian Church of Marietta. She has a BA in Music from Kennesaw State University and a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is currently the senior minister at Fig Tree Christian. Melissa is the mother of two wonderful children, and wife to a great and supportive husband. In her spare time, she loves arts and crafts which includes making costumes from scratch, and knotted bracelets. She has used her continuing education to study new church plants and church redevelopment. -Rev. Craig A. McDonald- While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Luke 2:6-7 Sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got. In this small segment of text we have the climax of the story but it’s overshadowed by the fact that they can’t even find a place for Mary to have her child with dignity. One would have thought they could squeeze a little bit to make room for at least Mary and her child. Surely there was another guest who was staying at the inn that was like…oh wait…please take my space since you’re about about have a child! It is surprising that there isn’t anyone who steps up to show even just a little bit of compassion to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. It must have felt like rejection in their time of need. There are a couple of things that we can take away from this place. The first is that it is precisely the Inn’s purpose in this story to reveal the lack of hospitality and it’s inability to impede arrival of the Good News. Mary and Joseph have overcome much to be in this moment including a dangerous journey (as much travel was), cultural judgment and barriers concerning their relationship, and now they overcome an inhospitable delivery room. The second thing that we might take away from the Inn is that it is, of course, something for us to be on the lookout lest we mirror that behavior. Hospitality is a key element of of the Hebrew tradition and Jesus’ ministry. The Inn highlights the injustice of their situation and shares with us an opportunity to ask, ‘what is hospitality?’ Many Latino communities celebrate a tradition called Las Posadas. There are variations in how it is celebrated but the gist is that community members travel to another’s house or church. Some members represent Mary and Joseph as they are in search of hospitality while the other community members represent the innkeeper. They sing and call back and forth, Mary and Joseph pleading for space and the innkeeper denying them a place. However, in this story the innkeeper begins to recognize that this is Mary and Joseph, recognizing the Spirit. Everyone is invited in and a great feast is shared! This tradition empowers us to look at the world and open our hearts to the spirit of God in others. They may be people we know or they may be strangers. They may be people like us or they may be very different. The point is that we have the opportunity to rewrite the story and to invite Mary and Jospeh in. We have the chance to share that hospitality that was once denied. Let us be open wherever we find ourselves. --- Loving God, let us be open to the sharing and receiving of hospitality and may we always find the courage to make space. Amen Rev. Craig McDonald is an ordained minister with the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), most recently serving First Christian Church of Rome, GA. Rev. Craig served as a Young Adult Pastor at Arch Street UMC in Philadelphia, PA, as Associate Pastor at Mercy Community Church in Atlanta, and as a Youth Pastor at Sandy Springs Christian Church. He earned his MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Columbus State University. Craig loves mountain biking and all things outdoors. He and his wife, Megan, enjoy cooking, traveling, and hiking with their dog Maxwell. -Rev Becki Barrett- Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. Luke 2:4 A few years ago, I returned to my childhood home. I stood on the sidewalk and felt the hot sun remind me of the day I returned from school to find a huge mound of dirt waiting to become a playground for me and my friends. We ran. We rolled. We skipped and jumped. The dirt felt cool below the top layer and stuck to our faces with sweat. Finally, when it was time to go inside, my mom’s car pulled into the driveway and I felt the sting of her disappointed gaze. What was a huge mound of playground dirt had blown away into a small, mediocre heap – far smaller than the costly order she had placed for soft dirt awaiting our new sprinkler system the following day. Busted. Memories of home flood when your feet hit the ground of a familiar sight. Celebrations and ordinary days – arguments, arrivals and departures. Regardless of the experiences, returning home has a sort of gut-filling resonation that reminds us from where we came and how far we have (or God-forbid have not) come. There is nothing like returning home. Entering Bethlehem must have felt something like returning to his home, for Joseph. This was David’s City – the city that belonged to his family line. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house, maybe he belonged to David’s city, as well. Maybe this place would bring him the provision he needed to care for his wife in the midst of this mandated registration. Maybe returning to the place of his ancestry would provide some answers to the predicament they found themselves in: unwed, with child, homeless, and alone. We all find ourselves, from time to time, in situations where ‘home’ seems far away. The responsibilities of caring for our children, our churches, our families, the demands of financial security, the energy to connect to those we love in meaningful ways – all the demands of adulthood can leave us longing to stand on the sidewalk of our childhood home and return to the comfort of knowing someone else is in charge. As Mary and Joseph make their way to their home in a stable, we are reminded that the point of Advent IS that someone else is in charge. Advent points us to the presence of Jesus Christ, with us, as we find our home in God wherever we find ourselves in this world. Advent directs us to the playfulness and security of ‘home’ with Jesus’ promise to be with us. What we are in charge of is remembering - remembering God is in charge and our home is found in Him. --- Jesus, help me remember that Your world does not rest on my shoulders. May my home be found in You and may I take the time to remember to play on a hillside and feel Your loving presence as I find my joy in you. Amen. Rev. Becki Barrett is the Senior Pastor at Overlake Park PC in Bellevue, WA. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Becki attended Whitworth University receiving a degree in Secondary Education and then graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2002. Becki has held pastoral positions leading family ministry, mission, caring ministry, and became an executive pastor before her call to be a senior pastor in Bellevue, WA. She loves all areas of ministry and developed her own leadership development coaching company because of her love for developing strong leaders using Strengths Finder 2.0. Becki served as the chair of the Personnel Committee for the Seattle Presbytery for six years and now loves her work as the Moderator of the Executive Committee. At OPPC, Becki is known for her humor, energy, and love for Jesus, the church and the Bellevue neighborhood. At home, she is known for hiking, reading fiction, and travel. |
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