Advent
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Friday, December 5th, 2008Friday December 5, 2008
We Pray for His Day to Come
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21: 1-6
Scripture Verse: “…see, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples and God himself will be with them” Revelation 21: 3
When we listen to the news these days it is easy to wonder, “When will we ever learn?” It is easy these days to see that there is a gap between God’s hopes and dreams for life on this planet and life as it seems to be.
Some of us recall when the Berlin Wall came down. After decades, the Cold War was ended a “new age” was supposed to be upon us. But since then there have been almost countless wars, acts of terrorism, killing of innocent people to advance some “political agendas”. Even when economic times have been good, it seems to have merely fed a selfishness that lacks any sense of the importance of the common good.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” And to cling to and work for the vision of an earthly society where God’s will is done. Our mission as his followers is to continue Jesus’ work until the day when God’s kingdom is fulfilled.
Ultimately Jesus will come again and make all things new and give us “… a new earth where righteousness is at home.” (2 Peter 3:13)
As the Advent Season begins to turn towards us getting ready to celebrate Christmas (the first coming), we retain our hopeful expectations for our Saviour’s second coming. Whatever may come to us in life, God comes too. We entrust ourselves in hope to God. And, in the words of John Wesley, we “do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, as long as we can.”
Prayer: Come Lord Jesus. Shine the light of your joy into the darkness of this world. Come Lord Jesus.
Advent 1 - Thursday
Thursday, December 4th, 2008Thursday December 4, 2008
Wintering
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 3: 8-18
Scripture Verse: “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” 2 Peter 3:8
We who live in Eastern Ontario are well-aware of winters. Sometimes they seem like they will never end. And that’s the problem many have with the Second Coming. It has been a long time since Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Two thousand years have passed and the Master has not returned.
The second letter of Peter was written to those who had given up hope in the second coming. Peter not only reminded them that with the Lord a thousand years are like one day, he also told them the reason for the delay: the Lord “is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
The delay, writes Peter is for the sake of those who have organised their lives without God, who treat the love of God made known to us in Jesus as if it doesn’t matter. The impetus of our church “proclaiming the good news of God in Christ” is so that people (including ourselves) may repent and believe in the good news that God loves all people equally.
For the Second Coming will occur even as winter will pass. The seed for next summer’s wheat is already in the ground. The buds for next spring’s leaves are already on the bushes. God promises that His day is also coming. His will really will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Prayer: Lord God, help us to proclaim the good news and reach out to others with you love.
Advent 1 - Wednesday
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008Wednesday December 3, 2008
God Keeps His Promises
Scripture Reading: Romans 5: 1-5
Scripture Verse: “…and hope does not disappoint us” Romans 5:5
These days when I grab the end of the wishbone from the turkey, I take the weak end to that one of my great-nieces or great-nephews will get the big end when it breaks so she or he “gets their wish”. When, however, I was a child (and dinosaurs ruled the earth) and the breaking of the wishbone occurred with my sister, I’d do my best to get the winning end. We never really banked on the wish coming true…winning and getting to make the wish was the point.
The Bible doesn’t speak of “wishing” but of “hoping”. We live in hope that God will come and redeem this world where “the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now”. (Romans 8:22) The reason such hope is not just wishful thinking is that God keeps his promises.
God promised through Abraham and Sarah that the entire world would be blessed and here we are, children of God. God promised a Messiah and kept his promise in Jesus. God promised to defeat the power of sin and death and did so at Easter. God promised that common folk like us would have His Holy Spirit, and Pentecost happened. “Our hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) In the face of all the many things we don’t understand, we still hope because God keeps his promises.
In many places the Bible speaks as is the world will be shattered before the golden age (2 Peter 3:10, etc.) but we hope for a “new heaven and earth where righteousness is at home.” (2 Peter 3:13). Jesus likens it to birth pains and promises that, like a new mother, we will ultimately rejoice, and “no-one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22)
Whatever is coming in our future, God is also coming, so we always have hope—a sure hope.
Prayer: Lord, no matter where we go tomorrow, you will be there.
Advent 1 - Tuesday
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Tuesday December 2, 2008
If Not When, How?
Scripture Reading: Mark 13: 32-37
Scripture Verse: “Therefore keep awake…for you do not know when the Master of the house will come…” Mark 13:35
Even if we don’t know when Jesus is returning, at least we do know how to live until he does.
Jesus concluded his teaching about the last times with a parable about a man who goes away on a journey, leaving his servants in charge “each with his own work.” As time passes, will they become lax in their own work? Jesus tells us to be steadfast and faithful in what the master has given us to do and to be “on the job” when he returns.
God has work for us to do in our present place and circumstances. He has given us the skill to do some things and not others. The way we prepare for the future coming of the Lord is to be faithful in our every day tasks right now. A great Anglican priest, John Keble expressed this Anglican spiritual approach in his hymn “New Every Morning is the Love”
We are to be found trying to be faithful in our daily lives when Jesus comes– doing our part in continuing Jesus’ ministry here at St. John’s in the community in which God has placed this church.
We are in this for the long haul. That may not be dramatic news, but it is good news for all of us.
Prayer: Lord, help us wait for you by being faithful in our family life, at work, in this community and in the church which you have entrusted to us now. Amen
Advent 1 - Monday
Monday, December 1st, 2008Advent Take-Homes
The following have been used as resources for these take-homes.
In the Presence of the Lord—Advent Devotions by Caroline Pignat
Daybreaks—Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas by Patricia Livingston
Wake Up To Joy Devotions for Advent by Mark Neilsen
Following the Star—Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas by Mark Boyer
Living in Hope Advent Meditations—Henri Nouwen
First Week of Advent
Monday December 1 , 2008
Who, Not When
Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24-37
Scripture Verse: “But about that day or hour, no one knows…only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come” Mark 13:32-33
For two thousand years or so, Christians have been curious about when the end of the world will come. Jesus’ first followers asked him one day in Jerusalem “Tell us, when will this be.” (Mark 13:4). Following his death and resurrection at Jesus’ ascension they wondered if that was the time. Several years later, St. Paul had to deal with Christians in Thessalonia who had quit work because they were sure the end was near.
It is important that when we read the many perplexing statements about the “end times” in the Bible, we distinguish between the Biblical words the human interpretations of what they mean.
Throughout the ages there have been Christians (and non-Christians) who claim they have broken some “secret code” in the Bible, only to watch their predicted last day pass by. Even today, authors make millions with their books and films of predictions about a “rapture” and end times and who will be “left behind”. The word “rapture” does not appear even once in the Bible.
All of this despite Jesus’ warning, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come and say … ‘the time is near.’ Do not go after them. (Luke 21:8). At his ascension, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times…that my Father has set.” (Acts 1:7)
This desire to “know” may be more than just curiosity. Do I insist on knowing what God doesn’t want me to know? Am I not satisfied with trusting God? If we focus on who is coming, we can be content to leave the when with God.
Prayer: Lord, in your wisdom you deny us knowledge about when Jesus will come again in glory. Help us to place our life and our trust in your loving hands,
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