“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord.                        -Psalm 98:4-9

Christ is born!  May we rejoice in the love of God this day as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  God is with us.  He created us, redeemed us, and understands us- and there is no greater reminder of the boundless nature of God’s love for us than Christ.   Merry Christmas.  Today we remember that through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we find new life once again.

Action:  Celebrate the birth of Christ!

Prayer:  Gentle, loving, God, You come to us this day in the form of a tiny, vulnerable baby.  We look on you with wonder and gratitude.  Glory to you in the highest heave, for it is in the name of you child, Jesus Christ, that we pray.  Amen.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  ’This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the Highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”                               -Luke 2:8-14

O Holy Night,
that deepening darkness above and around,
light-pierced and silence-shrouded,
out of which little children are called in
and seeking shepherds are sent out.
O night of nights,
you spread across heaven
surrounding God’s people,
capturing us in a moment of holy time,
like a globe protects a precious flicker of Light.
Come, draw us in,
hold us together
while we wait for the birth of the Light of lights,
the One who will guide us into the world anew.                 -Pamela C. Hawkins, Simply Wait 

Action:  The wait is almost over.  Take time today to thank God for his faithfulness and promises kept.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we are humbled by all the ways you come to us.  As we wait and celebrate one last night we give thanks to you for your son Jesus Christ.  Amen.

I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies.  Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.           -2 Samuel 7:10-11

God calls us to come home for Christmas.  God calls us to come back from all those places where we have settled for less than the fullness of life promised to us in Christ.  God calls us back from all the ambitions and possessions we have pursued, thinking they would satisfy us.  God calls us to let go of any bitterness and resistance to forgive that block the light of love from warming us…God calls us to come home and rest, to be embraced by one who loves us as we are.  God offers us a place where we are fully known and also fully accepted.         -Mary Lou Redding, While We Wait

Action:  Ask God to forgive you for the ways you have strayed from him.  Ask him to help you let go of any resistance you have to forgiving others in your life as well.

Prayer:  God of love and light, thank you for forgiving me once again.  Blanket my heart with your grace and help me extend that grace to others as I choose, once again, to live for you.  Amen.

“And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”                                          -Luke 1:31-33

A Prayer for Standing on Tiptoe

On tiptoe we stand, Lord Jesus
eagerly awaiting
your full revelation
always expecting you
to come some more.

Our hands and hearts
are open to your grace.
Our lives still waiting for
the fullness of your presence.
We are those who have been promised
a Kingdom, and we can never forget
Yet we have a foot in both worlds
and so we stumble.

But still we stand
on tiptoe
Owning our kingdom-loving hearts
and our earth-eyes
We lean forward
and hope.                     -Marcina Wiederkehr, Seasons of Your Heart 

Action:  Stand on your tiptoes and ask God to come again.

Prayer:  Gracious and loving God, we wait actively for you to come again.  Give us eyes to see you and hands and feet to do your well.  Amen.

“Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born, while Iw as in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me.”        Isaiah 49:1-2

“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:4-5

Jesus’ whole message is to say that you are God’s beloved child…When you can hear in your heart, not in your head, that you are truly God’s beloved daughter, that you are truly God’s beloved son, everything turns around.  The mystery of this spiritual truth is that you were loved before you were born, and you will be loved after you die…Your dwelling in God’s heart is a dwelling from eternity to eternity.            Henri J.M. Nouwen, “Discovering Our Gift Through Service to Others,”
Speech Given to Members of FADICA, 1994

Action:  Spend some time in silence meditating on the truth that you are God’s beloved.

Prayer:  Lord, you who knew us before we were ever born, you who consecrated us into your care, hold us in the shadow of your hand and watch over us this Advent.  Make its observance a shining path to our home and banquet with you in heaven.  Amen.

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you.”  But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.”
Luke 1:26-32

It is easy to read these Christmas stories and think the people that are in them are superhuman.  We are reminded today that Mary was living her life in a very ordinary way when the angel arrived to tell her what God was doing.  We see when Gabriel arrives that Mary was “perplexed” by the words “Greetings favored one!  The Lord is with you.” and she pondered them in her heart.  Do you ever feel perplexed that God would love you and use you?  We are reminded that Mary, like all of us, wondered what God was up to and why he was using her but ultimately she said “yes” to being used.  We are no different and yet God comes to us as well and promises us he is with us.  May that be enough for us, as it was for Mary, to say “yes”!

Action:  Say “yes” to God in a new way today.

Prayer:  God, help me set aside my fears and be reminded that you are with me.  Help me to be comforted by your presence so that I may have courage to say “yes” to whatever you call me to do.  Amen.

“I am with you.”  Luke 1:28

The words “I am with you” are words of promise most often remembered during Easter.  The resurrected Jesus promises the 11 remaining disciples that he will be with them always.  This same promise resounds as the promise of Advent.  God promises the people of Israel that he will be with them through the words of the prophets and psalmists (2 Sam. 7:13; Ps. 23; Ps. 100, Isa. 43).  Though the people betray God and turn their backs, though they sin and follow other gods time and time again, still God promises “I am with you.”

God promises “I am with you” to Mary through the angel Gabriel.  Mary replies, “I promise to be with you according to your word.  Yes, I am with you, God” (Luke 1:38).  Joseph promises Mary, “I am with you” (Matt. 1:24), after finding out she is with child and carrying God’s own son.  Promise by promise, the Advent story stretches out, like bands of cloth across a waiting manger.  May each of us this Advent not take this promise lightly.  As we approach the manger in Bethlehem, may we carry a strand of promise from our life and offer it as a gift to the newborn King, God’s promise that he is with us.  Always.      Excerpts taken from Behold!, by Pamela C. Hawkins

Action:  Remember a promise you have made and recommit to keeping it.

Prayer:  God, thank you that you will never leave us or forsake us but that you promise you are with us.  Today, I want to remind you, O God, that I am with you too.  Amen.

“NOw the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.  When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”                                                              Matthew 1:18-21, 24-25

The theme for the fourth and final week of Advent is love. Joseph’s place in this story is certainly one of love.  Engaged to be married he finds out his bride to be is already pregnant.  Heartbroken but still in love, he decides to quietly let Mary go instead of publicly disgracing her as would have been his right.  After a visit from an angel, Joseph acts out of love.  Joseph’s love for God and his love for Mary converged into his decision to take Mary as his wife after all and to welcome God’s own son as his own son.  That decision to love lives on today as we wait for the baby to be born.

Action:  Remind someone that you love them by doing something kind today.

Prayer: God of love, may everything I say and do become an expression of your love.  Amen.

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
Zephaniah 3:14-18

Jesus is coming.  As this third week of Advent draws to a close we are aware that a week from today we will be celebrating the arrival of Christ.  Preparations are coming to a close both in our homes and lives and in our hearts.  As we approach the last week of Advent may we take a final look at joy.  This passage in Zephaniah reminds us that the Lord has taken away judgments against us, he has protected us from our enemies, and we have nothing to fear.  The Lord rejoices with us in gladness and renews us in his love.  These truths about who God is and what he has done for us culminate in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  May we live in the joy of the God who loves us and may we share that joy with all we meet this last week of Advent.

Action:  Live into the joy of Christ this week by serving others.

Prayer:  God of Advent joy, keep my eyes and heart open to signs of your coming.  May I be joyously expectant, seeing your coming in a million ways.  Amen.

“This is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full in sight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of CHrist you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”                Philippians 1:9-11

Being remade in Christ’s likeness is our ultimate hope.  It’s a goal worthy only of God, the creator of the universe: to make us into vessels of love, peace, and compassion.  When shopping, cleaning, planning, or worrying preoccupies us, we forget to leave space for God.  When we find ourselves frazzled by chaos, filled with anger or anxiety, we can stop, turn, and look at God.  When, in the midst of daily tasks and responsibilities, I search for the ways God is present, I am keeping my eyes on God.  When I look for God in each person I meet, in each situation I encounter, I am more open to God’s Spirit working in me, shaping me into a vessel of God’s peace.  Keeping my eyes on God helps me stay open to God’s transforming power and allows God to remake me into Christ’s likeness.  I can then become Christ’s heart, mind, and hands in the world.
-The Uncluttered Heart, Beth A.Richardson 

Action:  Every time worry, anger, hurt or frustration comes into your mind today simply pray “Eyes on you, God”.

Prayer:  Loving God, help me keep my eyes on you, that following you, I may be remade into your likeness, a vessel of your love, peace, and compassion.  Amen.

“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent work by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”  Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”  Matthew 11:2-5

The most audacious, enlivening, freeing, joy-creating, humbling, and life-transforming reality of the Christian faith is not that God will be with us, but that God is here, right now.  God is here in the midst of suffering, in the midst of joy, in the midst of shortcoming, in the midst of triumph, in the midst of our greatest fulfillment, and in the midst of our brokenheartedness.
-Gregory S. Clapper, When the World Breaks Your Heart

Action:  Remember the times that God has seen you through challenges.

Prayer:  When I have lost my way, God is.  When I am found again, God is.  When all around me is chaos, God is.  When all around me is peace, God is.  When I face tragedy, God is.  When I face triumph, God is.  Thank you God.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.  May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”     I Thessalonians 5:16-24

In this passage from I Thessalonians we find a list of ways to live for Christ.  Rejoice, pray, give thanks no matter what, don’t quench the spirit, don’t ignore the words of the prophets, cling to what is good and resist evil.  On the one hand, this list gives us real and tangible direction in how to live.  On the other hand, this list sounds impossible: “Give thanks in ALL circumstances?”  How is that even possible?  Look at the last verse: “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”  Phew!  Again we see the lived out promise of Immanuel- God is with us!  We don’t have to do all this work on our own- God is faithful and he will do this.  Rest assured God is with us.

Action:  Rest in God’s faithfulness.

Prayer:  Thank you God for your faithfulness.  Thank you that you show us how to live and then you promise strength to live for you.  We are not alone and we are grateful.  Amen.

“Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said: “Ask Yahweh your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above.”  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask.  I will not put Yahweh to the test.”  He then said: “Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying human patience that you should try my God’s patience too?  The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with Child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.”     Isaiah 7:10-14

Jesus, I think I hear you coming
I think I hear a sound that says
you’ve cared your way into my life again.
I think I see a light more lasting than the ones we hang on trees
I think I see a world that’s splashed with God again
so gospelled with his presence
so covered with his love
yet, lonely still…
O shoppers, dear shoppers put your carts away
and search deep down within your hearts for gifts that will not rust or fade
For where your treasure is there is your heart.
O look into your God-splashed gospelled hearts and see!
See Christmas standing there waiting to be, not bought but given free.

We are Christmas shoppers, Lord
We are shopping for a way to make your coming last
O take the blind in us and hold it close
O teach us how to see
Decorate our lives with your vision for Christmas, let us see!                    -Macrina Wiederkehr

Action:  Set your heart on what God is telling you about Christmas, not what the world is telling you.

Prayer:  O God, may the joy we have at Christmas seep into our daily lives all year that we would always remember your love and provision for us.  Give us eyes to see you and thank you that you are with us.  Amen.

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn. ”                     -Isaiah 61:1-2

It’s hard to be in a place of sadness during Advent and Christmas.  The culture proclaims cheerfulness and happiness.  Others expect us to participate in the joy of the season and feel uncomfortable with brokenheartedness and grieving.  But our sadness and mourning, especially in the midst of Advent and Christmas, positions us right where we are supposed to be- in the present moment, feeling whatever feelings reside within us right now. There is room for all at the manger.  The good news of Christ’s birth comes to the oppressed, bent over by grief; the brokenhearted full of tears; those imprisoned by depression and despair.  Christ comes to comfort all who mourn, trusting that in God’s time joy will replace sadness.                           -Beth A. Richardon, The Uncluttered Heart

Action:  Pray for someone who is grieving this Advent season.

Prayer:  God of the brokenhearted, it is hard to be in mourning during this joyous time of year.  But we know that you come to all of us and meet us right where we are and for that we thank you.  Wrap each one who grieves in your comforting spirit today, Amen.

“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb.  And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  …And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.”                                    Luke 1:39-41, 56

I am deeply moved by the simple and mysterious encounter between Elizabeth and Mary.  Two women meet each other and affirm in each other the promise given to them.  The humanly impossibly has happened to them.  God has come to them to begin the salvation promised through the ages.  Through these two women God has decided to change the course of history.  Who could ever understand?  Who could ever believe it?  Who could ever let it happen…For three months Mary and Elizabeth live together and encourage each other to truly accept the motherhood given to them.  Mary’s presence makes Elizabeth more fully aware of becoming the mother of the “prophet of the Most High” (Luke 1:76), and Elizabeth’s presence allows Mary to grow in the knowledge of becoming the mother of the “Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32).
The story of the visitation teaches me the meaning of friendship and community.  How can I ever let God’s grace fully work in my life unless I live in a community of people who can affirm it, deepen it, and strengthen it?
Henri J.M. Nouwne, The Road to Daybreak

Action:  Write a note of thanks to someone who has served as an encourager to you in your faith.

Prayer:  God of encouragement, thank you that we are not alone.  We give you thanks for Christian community.  May we be encouragers to those who walk in faith and may others encourage us as well.  Amen.

“The Psalmist sings: When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”  Psalm 126

I must confess, at times I catch myself thinking more about what God hasn’t given me instead of thinking about all God has given me.  This third week of Advent calls us to joy.  Joy is one of the marks of believers in Christ.  In spite of challenges, pain, affliction, and brokenness we are a people who are called to live joyfully.  We are not called to be joyful by living in denial.  We are not called to be joyful by putting on a happy face no matter what.  We are called to joy because the God who created us has redeemed us through the life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ.  The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoice!

Action:  Make a list of the things God has done for you and rejoice!

Prayer:  O God, may we live as people who rejoice!  Thank you for what you have done in our lives that reminds us that you are God, that you love us, and that you are working ahead of us and in spite of us.   We give you thanks for the joy we have in knowing that we are your children and that you are our God.  Amen.

“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’  John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And people form the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”               Mark 1:1-8

John the Baptist knew his place in God’s story.  He was confident of how God had made him and that his role was to prepare the way for the Messiah to come.  Christmas is a natural time for story telling.  We share tales of Christmases gone by, stories that are old and familiar and of course Bible stories that bring meaning to this season.  Each of us has a role in God’s story.  John the Baptist knew he was not the Messiah but wanted to prepare things for the Messiah to come.  As we wait for Christ to return may we listen to the things he is calling us to do and say and do our part to make preparations that will make the pathway clear.

Action:  Think of someone that you can share your story of faith with this Advent season in an effort to “prepare the way” for them to know Christ.

Prayer:  O God, we thank you for those you have placed in our lives who were bold enough and loving enough to share their stories of faith with us.  In turn, may you open doors for us to share our own faith stories that we might prepare the way for others to come to know you as well.  Fill each of us with your Holy Spirit.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

“Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you!  Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.  Where you die, I will die- there will I be buried.  May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”     Ruth 1:16-17

The book of Ruth tells the story of a young woman who has lost her husband and father in law and finds herself wondering what the future holds.  Ruth’s mother in law, Naomi, tells Ruth her only option is to go back to her home and hope her family will take care of her. The above passage records Ruth’s words, spoken to her mother in law Naomi.  Apparently what made sense to Naomi to do in this difficult situation did not make sense to Ruth.  Ruth pledges that she will stay with Naomi, that they will take care of one another, that they will live in the same land, know the same people, and worship the same God.
Naomi was a blessed Hebrew and in taking on Naomi’s faith and God, Ruth finds herself welcomed in with a new people, a new God and even a new life.  In the face of these wonderful blessings Ruth says to Boaz, “Why have I, a foreigner, found favor in your sight?”
During the season of Advent we are reminded that in so many ways we are like Ruth- welcomed in by a loving and a gracious God- not because of who we are or what we have done but because of who GOD is.   In all you are facing today, know that you are God’s and that he has found favor on you.

Action:  Ruth was a foreigner in a new land.  Spend some time praying for the refugees in the Twin Cities and think of all the people around the world who are refugees, having left their homes because of hardship.  Hold them before God and ask God to be with them.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for finding me worthy to be your child.  Amen.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”     Matthew 11:28-30

If you turn on your television or open you mailbox today, you can’t help but be inundated with ads for all the “stuff” that people want to sell you this holiday season.  So much of what is being sold to us these days falls into the category of “wants” not “needs”.  Things that didn’t even exist 20 years ago, have now become things that so many of us feel we can’t live without.  The race is on to get the newest, best and brightest thing that is out there today and by tomorrow the race will changed.  Jesus’ words in Matthew invite us to stop racing around and to simply rest.  The kind of rest Jesus is talking about is not the rest that comes from finally having all we want but rest for our souls.  ”Soul rest” comes from learning from Jesus.  May we find our burdens to be light this Advent as we fix our eyes on Jesus.

Action:  Think of one thing in your life, material or not, that you are using to fulfill a need that really should be sought from elsewhere.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help me to lay down my heavy burdens and to learn from you by fixing my eyes upon you.  Give me true rest that lightens my burdens as you remind me how to reorder my life to focus on you.  Amen.

“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”     Colossians 3:12-15

Keep your eyes on the prince of peace, the one who doesn’t cling to his divine power; the one who refuses to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights, and rule with great power…; the one who touches the lame, the cripples, and the blind, the one who speaks words of forgiveness and encouragement…Keep your eyes on him who becomes poor with the poor, weak with the weak.  He is the source of all peace.    -Henri Nouwen

Action:  Do something kind for someone anonymously.

Prayer:  O God, fill my heart with the peace that passes all understand and comes from you.  Teach me how to be an instrument of your peace and give me courage to live a life of peace.  Amen.

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
you make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name .
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.            Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Three times, the psalmist is pleading for restoration and salvation in this passage.  We are all in need of God to restore us once again.  Some of us are dealing with chronic health issues that challenge our hope.  Others have strayed from God and have unconfessed sin.  Others have relationships that are broken and in need of repair.  And still, others find themselves struggling to believe.  May God let His face shine once again that we may be saved.

Action:  Draw a circle on a piece of paper and write the words, “Restore Us, O God” in the center of the circle.  Write down the names of people and situations in your life that are in need of restoration.  Pray for these situations.

Prayer:  Restore us this Advent season, O Lord God of hosts, let your face shine that we may be saved.  Amen.

“Be at peace among yourselves.  And…admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.  See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  I Thessalonians 5:12-18

This time of year brings all kinds of gatherings and celebrations.  It also brings so many “extras”.  Extra food, extra meetings, extra errands, and extra tasks to be completed.  At times the meaning behind why we gather gets lost and is replaced with lists of  things to be accomplished and stuff to obtain.
The other day I was in a rush to get out of the store I was shopping and so I tried to strategically choose the line that would get me out of the store the quickest.  After thinking I had chosen wisely I realized that the person who was bagging my groceries was the slowest cashier by far.  I was forced in that moment to do two things: to slow down and to embrace the situation that was before me.  Instead of getting angry, I enjoyed my conversation with this young man and when he was finished bagging my groceries he said to me, “thanks for listening to me, you really made my day.”  I left and gave thanks to God for the reminder this young man was of joy and of what I miss when I am trying to rush through my day.

Action:  Slow down and enjoy the people God places in your path today.

Prayer:  Dear God, forgive me for rushing through my tasks some days.  Slow me down and remind me that you place people and circumstances in my path as opportunities to both hear from you and to minister to others.  Amen.

“A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low: the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”              Isaiah 40

As we wait for Christ to come again, we remember the words “prepare the way of the LORD”.  We find ourselves waiting for God to move in our hearts, in our lives, and in the world this Advent season.  The prophet Isaiah makes it clear that big changes need to happen to make the pathway clear for God- valleys will be lifted up, mountains and hills made low, uneven ground shall become level and rough places plain.  Think about the mountains and hills in your own life that are in need of becoming lower.  Think too, of the places where the ground needs to become level again and the rough places smooth so that you are prepared to receive the Lord.

Action:  Think of one area of your life where God is asking you to prepare for Him and set aside some time to make those preparations.

Prayer:  God of hope and new life, help me prepare for your work in my life this Christmas season.  Make my rough places smooth and the mountains in my life low.  Reveal yourself to me, O God.  Amen.

To you O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.                                        Psalm 25:1-5

Christmas can be a dark and depressing time for many.  Christmas can bring hope to some and despair to others who become aware once again of the places in their lives that are painful.  Broken families, lost loved ones, depression, and lost dreams come to the forefront during a time when it seems everyone is celebrating.  We are reminded that God can hold both our hope and our despair this Advent season.

Action:  Reach out to someone you know that may be struggling with depression this Advent.

Prayer:  Dear God, help me to look for those who are in need of your comfort, in their advent of depression, guilt, or illness.  Likewise, send others to me to bring hope and comfort in days when I am in need.  Thank you that I am not alone.  Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.     -Romans 15:13

This verse puts hope in perspective.  Hope isn’t a simple, sweet sentiment or an unreachable goal.  Hope’s a bit risky- it’s not based on and doesn’t rely on some kind of secret-handshake promise from God.  Our hoping does not mean that everything will turn out the way we want it to.
Hope is, instead, a spiritual practice, appropriate at any time but especially during the season of Advent.  We wait and hope for the coming of Christ into the world.  We hope even when it doesn’t feel like it’s going to make a difference.  We hope because we are children of God, children of hope.  And the more we hope, the easier it becomes.  Our spiritual practice pays off, allowing us to live in hope more and more naturally.  When we hope, we align ourselves more closely with the God of the universe- the eternal force of good, of hope and love and peace.                                                                                                -Beth A. Richardson, The Uncluttered Heart

Action:  Send the Romans 15 verse to a friend who is in need of being reminded to hope.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, reconfigure the things that are in my mind and on my heart.  Remind me of the ways you have reached out to me with your grace so that I might place my hope in you.  Amen.

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence- as when the brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.  From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.  You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways.  But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.  We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.  Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter.”  Isaiah 64:1-6a, 8

In this passage of Isaiah, the people of God had fallen into a pattern that no longer aligned with God’s desires for them.  They were no longer faithful, they did not call out to him, they sinned, and they did not listen.  And so, feeling the divide between themselves and God, they turned to the prophet Isaiah to plead their case, and Isaiah turned to them and reminded them about God.
It is not uncommon for us to approach Advent with a list of hopes and expectations as though it is all about us.  Isaiah’s words remind us that this is God’s story and we are privileged to be invited to be a part of it.

Action:  Spend some time making a list of what is true about God.
Prayer:  Heavenly Father, give me a broader view of the ways you are working in the world.  Help me to see past my own story to the larger stories of faith and love around me.  Amen.

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines.”  Isaiah 25:6

The one thing that Jesus preached about more than anything else during his ministry was the coming of the kingdom of God.  Over and over again, Jesus used metaphors like a mustard seed, a lost coin, and fine pearls to describe what the kingdom of God is like.  The kingdom is somewhat hidden and can be hard to see.  Jesus used these images and parables to remind us to keep our eyes on the prize- the prize of the final coming of the kingdom of God.  The feast described in Isaiah also gives us a glimpse of what life with God is like both in the here and now and for all eternity.  As we wait this advent season we recognize that what we are waiting for has already arrived even as we wait for it to finally come.

Action:  Open your eyes to the kingdom of God around you.

Prayer:  Dear God, today  I pray again the words your son taught us in the Lord’s prayer “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Help me to see the unique ways you are calling me to do my part to follow you and help your kingdom come.  Amen.

“Now be patient…until the Lord’s coming.  Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has the autumn rains and the spring rains!  You to must be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”  James 5:7-8

My days are all spent
in decorating my house.
I am forever preparing
for your arrival.
I hunger for your presence
yet I take not the time
to wait for your coming
and to my great sorrow
you never arrive.

It is because I refuse to be silent
that I cannot hear you.
It is because I refuse to await you
that you cannot come.
It is because I refuse to be idle
that I cannot enjoy you.
It is because I am too busy
hanging decorations that I cannot welcome you home.

Yet in your deep wisdom
your presence leans toward mine.
You understand my decorations to be symbols of my hunger
and you know of the day when my heart swept clean
will be the only decoration needed
and I will listen for your coming like night awaiting day.
-Macrina Wiederkehr

Action:  Spend 10 minutes in silence.

Prayer:  God, give me the courage to sweep my heart clean this Advent season.  Help me to discern what I need to let go of to make room for you this Christmas Season.  Amen.

“Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”  Matthew 24:42

Come, Lord Jesus.  As we enter into this Advent season we are waiting not only for the baby Jesus to arrive but we are expectant of Christ’s return to earth as promised.  Advent means to be aware, alive, attentive, alert and awake to the ways God is moving and working in the world around us.  ”Come, Lord Jesus” is an invitation once again for God to enter our lives on His terms, not on our terms.  It is also a hopeful statement of bidding God to return to earth once and for all to claim His kingdom.

It is the hope we have in Christ’s return that should fuel us to live for Him each day.  Matthew’s reminder that we do not know the time or the hour calls to us again to be prepared and to live as if each day could be our last.  And so, again we say, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come.”

Action:  Be mindful of the ways God is wanting to come to you this Advent season.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, give me eyes to see you working in my life and in the lives of those that surround me.  May I be mindful of partnering with you and responding to the work of your Holy Spirit in my life.  Amen.

Jesus said, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

Welcome to the Advent Daily Devotional and to the first day of Advent 2011.  As we enter in to yet another season of waiting and wonder, may you thoughtfully consider what kind of thirst you are bringing to this season.

Each of us have a different longing that we are waiting to have filled.  May we suspend our own hopes and expectations to ask God to once again give us a mind that is like his.  Like the woman at the well we come with wants and needs that God knows can only find satisfaction through the “living water” of the Holy Spirit.  May the Holy Spirit come to you in unique ways this season- reminding you of who you are, how God hasmade you, and calling you to have your thirst quenched by the living God who offers His living water.

Action:  Spend a few minutes in silence listening for God to reveal to you what kind of thirst you have in these days.

Prayer: “Almighty God, give us grace to drink of your living water that we may rise with Jesus into eternal life on that day he returns to do justice for all people; in whose name we pray, Amen.”