Tuesday, December 23
Luke 1:26-38 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (v.28)
When she woke up from her night’s sleep to the day Gabriel would visit her, did Mary think of herself as favored by God? Did she feel any special closeness to her Lord at all that morning? Gabriel spoke to her as if it was an established fact. He had no doubts about it. But he waited politely, respectfully, until the surprised young girl had made up her mind about it and decided to say, “Okay!”
1400 years later, a young French girl caught in the midst of international conflict also concluded, “I was born to do this.” Neither Mary nor Joan knew exactly what kinds of blessing or opposition lay ahead. As each day unfolded, no matter what swords might pierce their hearts, they decided that it would be enough to know the Lord was with them.
Even without all the details spelled out in advance, it is enough to know that. That’s what it means to be favored.
1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Psalms 66, 67; Titus 2:1-10
Wednesday, December 24
Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (v.1)
I was familiar with the Bible Christmas story from childhood. It was not until I grew up that I noticed certain details about Joseph, Mary’s “silent” husband. Not one word of his is recorded for us. He surely had questions about the claims concerning a child to be born under unusual circumstances. But he was kept from asking ones like Zechariah the priest had blurted out, because Joseph’s angelic encounter happened while he was sleeping, dreaming. While given no chance to ask questions, Joseph was still given several explanations for the events he would see. And, most remarkable to my grownup mind, when Joseph woke up from his dream he proceeded to act on the instructions he’d been given while asleep! That decision completely disrupted any expectations he ever had about a quiet tradesman’s life. God’s very plan to salvage and redeem His Creation, to say nothing of the beloved creatures formed in His image, depended on Joseph’s decision to accept instructions from his dream with no way to test them first. And he didn’t complain. Remarkable.
Isaiah 59:15b-21; Psalm 45; Galatians 3:23—4:7; Matthew 1:18-25
Thursday, December 25
Psalm 85 Yes, the Lord will give what is good... (v.12a)
Last Sunday, I wrote about my youthful anxiety over the tantalizing Christmas presents under our family Christmas tree. I always hoped the gifts with my name would delight me. But there were always some that were merely practical and “good for me” even if I hadn’t asked for them.
On this pivotal day of the year, we grapple with that same life issue. There are things we want and there are things we need. We’ve heard that if we just ask, seek, and knock, we will find. But even before we do, whether we have realized it or not, we have a Father who loves us and knows what we are going to need, and what we need already even though we haven’t asked for it. He provides us with those gifts, too, because He loves us. He takes the initiative because He is good. Good gifts are all He has and all that He is holding out to us. That’s what makes today a merry Christmas!
Micah 4:1-5, 5:2-4; Psalm 2; 1 John 4:7-16; John 3:31-36
Friday, December 26
Acts 6:1-7 They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…. (v.5b)
After I was ordained to the permanent diaconate, I noticed more about the Deacon Stephen, first martyr of the church, whose feast day immediately follows the pivotal annual celebration of Christmas Day. Growing up in a non-liturgical denomination, I had always thought the choice to follow Christmas with a day honoring a martyr was jarring.
But Stephen’s final prayer request, facing his executioners, was to ask their Judge to forgive them all. God answered this prayer by taking the mob instigator that day and turning him into the most influential teacher and international evangelist of the Apostolic era. As a comparatively minor final touch, it would be Saul himself who recruited the Greek Gentile who would document the history of the first churches founded throughout the Roman empire and, with that, write an account of Stephen himself, preserving his memory for all time.
St. Stephen’s example of participating at a humble, hidden, and indirect level of service in God’s kingdom is one that I hope I measure up to on my own journey.
2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Psalms 28, 30; Matthew 23:34-39
Saturday, December 27
Psalms 97 All worshipers of images are put to shame... (v.7a)
I have enjoyed mystery and detective stories ever since I learned to read. I have also delighted in puns, the sound-alike words that point listeners in silly directions away from reality. As I grew stronger in my Christian faith, I began to realize mysteries and puns were image design elements in God’s teaching and creation patterns. His ways are clearly seen in the moment but can seem mysterious to us.
John proudly told Jesus he had rebuked some men who were exorcising demons because they weren’t members of “The Twelve” disciples. Jesus told him, “You’re not getting it.” John asked Jesus who would betray him. Jesus told him, “Watch who I give the bread to.” None of the disciples around the table that night got what the gesture meant. In a few hours, scattering in the darkness, each one of them looked like betrayers.
Jesus repeatedly told others, “Simply do what I say to do. Follow me.” That made it possible even for little children to feel welcome and get close and solve the mystery.
Proverbs 8:22-30; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-12; John 13:20-35
Sunday, December 28
Psalm 96 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. (vv.2-3 NIV)
Three days ago, we celebrated the birth of Jesus, our Savior and our Lord. Can there be a better time than this to sing praises to God, to proclaim His salvation, and to declare His glorious deeds? Even though, according to the church calendar, the Christmas season has just begun, in the world Christmas is over. The time to celebrate is past.
What better time joyfully to tell our friends that the season of celebration is just beginning? It is, in a sense, a season which lasts forever because the babe born in Bethlehem is God’s gift to us forever. This Son will grow up to proclaim that the kingdom of God is here, will show us how to live, will die for our sins so that we can be reconciled with the Father, and will send us the Holy Spirit so that we can know and do God’s will.
May the joy of Christmas continue to shine in us and may we declare God’s glory and proclaim His salvation.
1 Samuel 1:1-2, 7b-28; Psalm 93; Colossians 1:9-20; Luke 2:22-40
Monday, December 29
2 John 1-13 As you have heard from the beginning his command is that you walk in love. (v.6b)
One of the major challenges facing the Church and each of us is to understand what it means to walk in love. One of the best books I have read about love is The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.
Peck defines love as “the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” He writes, “Love is not simply giving; it is judicious giving and judicious withholding as well. It is judicious praising and judicious criticizing. It is judicious arguing, struggling, confronting, urging, pushing and pulling in addition to comforting. It is leadership. The word ‘judicious’ means requiring judgment and judgment requires more that instinct; it requires thoughtful and often painful decision making.”
As I look at Jesus and his life and death, this is the kind of love he modeled. May God give us the will to extend ourselves to nurture spiritual growth in ourselves and others. May He grant us each wisdom and discernment so that our judgment may be informed by Him.
2 Samuel 23:13-17b; Psalm 18:1-20; John 2:1-11
Tuesday, December 30
3 John 1-15 Anyone who does what is good is from God. (v.11b)
It is easy to say we are Christians, but God does not judge us by our words but by our actions. In this letter, the good work for which John commends Gaius is a specific: the offering of hospitality and assistance to missionaries. Gaius not only gave the missionaries a place to stay but also provided for their journey.
We don’t know why the church led by Diotrephes would not assist those sent by Paul and indeed forbade its members to do so. Could it have been that they felt they had to take care of their own needs first? Do we and our churches provide hospitality to those who are committed to taking the Good News to the lost at home and abroad? Do we support them in their work, or do we look at our budgets, at our own needs, and close our doors and our pocketbooks?
John’s judgment is harsh. If we do not do good by assisting those who go out in God’s name we are not, in truth, Christians.
1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalms 20, 21; John 4:46-54