11/29 Advent day 1

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT- 11/29/15  ABRAHAM

Activity- Light the First Candle on the Advent Wreathe.

Read Matthew 1:1-2

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

Thoughts: Jesus Christ has a genealogy (family) because he was not a made up character but an historical person who walked this earth and breathed our air.  The Gospels begin with a family tree of Jesus to remind us that he was truly a human being.  Matthew does not begin with Adam, but with Abraham, the father of faith and specifically calls Jesus “The Son of David” which is a kingly title. 
     Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was captured and he gathered a small group and attacked his nephew’s attackers and rescued them miraculously.  Similarly, David’s family was captured by raiders and he chased the raiders down and rescued his family. 
     Jesus, despite calls for him to do otherwise, did not claim kingship until the week before his death- and he claimed a kingdom not of this world.  He did not encourage armed rebellion or terrorism against the Romans.  Instead, Jesus encouraged trust in God even in the face of the cross and injustice.  The non-violence of Jesus stands in sharp contrast to the rebellion against the Romans in AD 70 which led to the destruction of the Temple.   Christmas is in some ways about family. Jesus’ family stuck together- Joseph, Mary, and him through it all. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you walked here among us. 

Sing: “What Child is this who laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping, whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping?  This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing; haste, haste to bring him laude the babe, the child of Mary.” 
(P 145 Glory to God)

12-3-13 Elizabeth- Mother of John the Baptist

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:39-45)

Thoughts: There are 1.5 million people in America alone named Elizabeth.  Elizabeth means "promise of my God."  Elizabeth was given hope and a promise in her old age.  She was Mary's cousin, and was told that she would bear the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist.  She was probably the first human to bless the Messiah within Mary's womb (though we could count the leaping of John in the womb as a type of blessing).  Elizabeth was of a priestly line- which also speaks of Mary's blood.
   
Soliloquy:  If Elizabeth were alive and asked how she felt about the Messiah's coming.
    I am so very excited that God has allowed me to live to have my own child, and even on top of that to see the birth of the promised Messiah!  I have waited for so long.  It is a wonder to me to think that the anointed One would be born of my own cousin, and I would be able to have her (and him-in the womb) in my own house.  I could not help but exclaiming so everyone could here- "Blessed are you (Mary) and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus."  To be there and to take part in the story is truly one of the greatest blessings of any life every lived.
       I would not be human if I didn't say that I am nervous about having a baby in my old age.  So many die in child birth and I do not have the youth and energy of some.  I am nervous about our raising our child in our old age and seeing him grow up.  It is such a hard time for children to grow up.  There are pagan influences from the Romans and Herodians- with immorality and false beliefs.  Faith seems so cold, harsh, and legalistic in many.  There is so much killing and brutality.  But I know the God who gave me this baby will help raise him up.  I claim the promise, "Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6).  Lord, bless my child and the child of my cousin Mary.

Prayer: Lord, take my life and use me to be a blessing to your people as Elizabeth was a blessing to Mary and all who would believe.

Elizabeth and Mary greeting each other.

12-1-13- The Angel Gabriel

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
(Luke 1:19,20)

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. (Luke 1:26-31)

Thoughts: While advent really begins in the mind of God, and shows in the prophecy of scripture, but it is the angels who give the message of the coming.
    It is the angel Gabriel that we want to examine as the first character of advent.  Gabriel appeared by name to Daniel (8:15-17; 9:21).  Some scholars consider Gabriel's message of seventy-sevens as a message of 490 years between the time of the exile and the time of Christ around 30 AD.
     Gabriel spoke to believers.  He is called an "Archangel" by some- one who "stands in the presence of God." In Enoch (an apocryphal book- non-canonical in the Protestant Bible), Gabriel is joined with Raphael and Michael as named archangels.  In later (post-biblical) Christian tradition, Gabriel blows the horn for the end of the world. Never in the Bible is anyone encouraged to pray to angels.  In fact three times angels tell people not to worship them.  

If Gabriel could speak, perhaps he might say something like:
"Often when I appear to humans they are afraid.  But part of my job is to calm them down so they can hear the message that I have to deliver to them from God.  It is my joy to bring good news.  I told Daniel the meaning of his vision and the hope of a Messiah coming.  I told Zechariah, an old man, that he was to have a child- John.  It was my joy to tell Mary that she was highly favored to bring the Messiah into the world. I think I have one of the best callings in the world- to tell the important and good news.  But what I have to say from God is not trivia and it is not to be trifled with.  It is to be believed.  in fact, if God sends you a message whether through an angel or through His Son or through His servants the prophets or apostles- it is not to be trifled with but listened to.
    Zechariah was a believer, but he did not believe me and became mute.  Mary was a believer who humbled herself to listen and believe.  Humans often just expect the usual and the normal.  I exist to disrupt that expectation.  The fact that I exist means that there is more to life than simply what we see on earth.  

Prayer: Lord, give me ears to hear your message you have already made known to me.  Help me to believe in more than I can see.