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Holy Covenant UMC
Advent Devotionals – Week 2 – Peace
Monday, December 8
Behold, I make all things new! Revelation 21:5
I love the writings of Dr. Seuss, especially “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. One of my favorite quotes is, “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled, ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Christmas doesn’t come from a store, and it means so much more! It’s not our birthday, it’s Jesus’ Birthday!
We as members of Holy Covenant UMC in Carrollton, Texas are aiming together to have a Different kind of Christmas this year – One that really focuses on the real reason for the season – the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love and New Life that Christ brings. How do we do that? How can we bring real meaning, purpose and a lasting difference to our church, community and the world? We have set our mission for 2015 to be in ministry in a bold new way to the children and families of Peters Colony Apartments and Learning Center. Pray all this week about how God is calling you to be part of this of this new ministry to and with our neighbors in need just across the street from our church.
Tuesday, December 9
A Child is born to us, a son is given to us… He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah9:6.
All my life, I can remember the peace that I have felt on Christmas Eve – after all the presents have been wrapped and bought, after all the decorations are in place and the cards sent, after all the parties have been given and attended, after the Christmas Eve service has ended and we have sung Silent Night in candlelight. It is finally then that I experience the peace that the whole Advent season is supposed to bring. My prayer for me and for you is that we don’t wait until Christmas this year to experience this amazing peace that the Christ, the Prince of Peace brings to us.
Pray about how you can focus on what’s truly important and lasting in this Advent Season – Peace, Hope, Joy and Love. What can you do different this year to find a sense of peace throughout this Advent Season? How can you slow down long enough to experience the peace that Jesus brings? Let us all take time during this busy season, to be still, be silent, and at peace throughout this time of waiting, so that the Christ Child, the Prince of Peace, truly will be born into our lives and into the world in a new way this year.
Wednesday, December 10
Mary said, “With all of my heart I glorify the Lord!” Luke 1:46
My parents collected Nativity sets for many years from all over the world, so we have had many in our homes. I love taking time during the busy season and just sitting and gazing at these nativity scenes and imagining what it would be like to be there – to see baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, all the angels, the animals and the magi. I’ve wondered what it would be like to be there and want to give a gift I would bring to the Christ child. One of my very favorite Christmas hymns that captured my heart as a child and still does every time I hear and sing these words in “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rosetti first sung in 1872, “What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man I would do my part; Yet what I can, I give Him, Give him my heart.”
God wants us to give our hearts to God and to others this ChristmasHow can you share peace? How can you be peace? How can you share the peace of Christ in your family, in your workplace, in our church, in the world? Pray about how is God calling you this Christmas to share your heart, to help bring peace and new life to others? Pray this week about how you can be a peace-maker who helps bring Christ to others in our church.
Thursday, December 11
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed”. Luke 4:18
This Scripture has been called the mission statement of Jesus. We love to think of Baby Jesus lying in the manger, so sweetly and calmly. But that little sweet baby Jesus grew up to be Jesus, who loved and spent time with all people, especially those deemed unacceptable or unworthy of love by some. He became angry when others tried to keep the least, that last, the lost and the littlest away from him. Jesus spoke up against prejudice and injustice, and worked to teach us how to live and love, and so transform the world. As The Prayer of St. Francis states, “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love…
Our lives move so fast and are so busy and complicated. The issues, like the ones that we see and hear about in Ferguson are so tragic and hard to fathom. There is much finger pointing and immense pain. There are no easy answers. What can we do to help? Pray for Ferguson and all other places like Ferguson, divided by racism, prejudice and poverty. Be slow to judge and quick to pray. Pray about how you can be part of the being in ministry and mission to and with all people that Jesus has called us to. Ask God to inspire and guide you to stand up against racism in whatever form it takes, and stand with and for those who are discriminated against.
Friday, December 12
The Angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. Luke 1:30
The Angel said, “Don’t be afraid. Look! I bring good news to you – wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10 – 11
The Bible tells us in many places and many ways not to be afraid. God wants us to get out of our comfort zones and follow Jesus! About 15 years ago, my colleagues and I were mandated to take a class on Racism. Through this experience, I came to realize the ways that I was condoning racism through the ways that I conformed and just stood by, watched and didn’t stand up and fight against the institutional racism in ways that I could. I learned more about others’ experience of racism in ways that I, a person of privilege can’t imagine. This experience helped open my eyes and ears to be more attuned to how it feel s to be a person in the minority, a person on the margins, to feel and experience what others might feel. I hope and pray every day that I am more part of the solution than part of the problem.
We live in a world filled with prejudice, persecution and racism. What are you afraid of when you imagine being part of the transformation that God is calling us all to? Are you afraid of change? Are you afraid of people who don’t look and act like you? Pray for God to help take away the fear, so that you can be part of the change that God is calling us to. Pray that God will help you be the peace that the world needs. Pray about how you can help bring about justice to all people in our community and world.
Saturday, Dec. 13
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign upto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE, good will to all people. Luke 2:9 – 14
I can still remember so clearly all these years later my young daughter standing in her PJ’s reciting this verse over and over. We had watched “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas” so many times together, she had this Scripture passage memorized. I remember this sense of profound meaning and purpose that came to me in this hearing of the Christmas Story over and over. God has come into our lives, into the world in the form of a babe to bring peace on earth and good will to ALL people!
How do we respond to this incredible gift of Christ and amazing love into the world? What can we do but give our hearts and our all to God, and share with all the world the good news and peace, joy, hope and love! Let us be about the work of Christmas, NOW! Pray that it will be so in your life and in the life of Holy Covenant United Methodist Church.
The Work of Christmas by Dr. Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers and sisters, To make music in the heart.
Let it be so in this Advent and Christmas season and always!
Hope, Peace, Love and Peace to you, Susan
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