Advent: week 3

The Time of JOY

The third week of Advent celebrates the good news that was first delivered to shepherds in the field. Appropriately then, the third candle is called the Shepherd's candle.

This week we will re-light the first candle, the Prophecy candle, and the second purple candle, the Bethlehem candle, followed by the one pink candle, the Shepherd's candle. We celebrate the great joy of our living Lord. (some scholars say that the shepherd's candle is pink to symbolize the humanity of the mortals)

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you GOOD NEWS of great JOY which will come to all the people." (Luke 2:10 AMP)

""So they went with haste..." (Luke 2:16)

"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen..."
(Luke 2:20)

TAKE JOY

I salute you! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much, that, which I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take heaven.

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy.

Take joy.

And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you, with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

~~Fra Giovanni

A.D. 1513

The message is clear---JOY is for the taking. It is the fruit (Gal. 5:22) of the Spirit of our Living Lord. We choose to be joyful. We are NOT intimidated by the circumstances. (See Deut. 30:19 and Deut. 28: 1-14)

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.  12) For thou, Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield." (Psalm 5:11,12)

Many examples of joy can be found throughout the Word of God. Two stand out mightily. The account of Job, and the chronicled life of Paul, the Apostle.

"While he was yet speaking..."BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Everything gone, in a moment of time. We cannot even imagine such devastating events. However, consider Job's response: "Then Job...fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  21) And said, 'Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'  22) In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1: 20-22)

"Thou he slay me, yet will I trust Him..." (Job 13:15)

"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10)

"So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning..." (Job 42:12)

And what about Paul?

[while they were in prison] "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.  26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed." (Acts 16: 25-26)

Paul walked the talk!

"Rejoice evermore.  17) Pray without ceasing.  18) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  19) Quench not the Spirit." (I Thes. 5:16-19)

The Shepherd's Path (a life of JOY)

J          Jesus first         Deut. 6:4-7          Matt. 7:12          Matt. 22: 36-40

O         others next       John 13:34           John 15:12

Y         yourself last      Romans 12:1

Remember, there are 366 instances in the Bible where we are told, "Fear not!" So, instead, let's take JOY and choose LIFE!

When you listen to the Christmas music this week, pay attention to the words in "The First Noel," "Angels From the Realms of Glory," and "Joy to the World." 

Mama made it good

I like the song, "The Christmas Shoes."  Even though it's sad, it has a wonderful message of love and giving. The little boy in the "story" says, "Mama made Christmas good at our house," and I can certainly relate to that!

Coming from a large family with five siblings, Christmas was never the extravaganza that we see today. The parents of this generation are completely exhausted from trying to "make Christmas good." Each year has to beat the previous one. It's all so sad. So many children do not have a clue what it's really all about. I hear about families who worry about the number of gifts there will be under the tree. Big sigh, little tear.

When I was growing up, we could count on one gift and then socks and underwear made up the rest of the packages. And that was just because we all needed socks and underwear!  But, let me tell you this: there was never a more beautifully wrapped package of socks! Mama knew how to make Christmas good at our house. In especially lean years, she would open the package of socks and wrap each pair individually.

I don't recall ever feeling shorted; even when we went back to school after Christmas break, I was always proud of whatever I had received. It appears that I have not suffered any permanent damage from the shortage. Instead, I am so much the wiser from the overall experience. Mama always managed to come up with that very special gift, even if it was the only one.

Mama wasn't a great cook, just fair, so we didn't have all the "goodies" that our peers bragged about, but she could make fudge! Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth fudge. To this day, a little cube of peanut butter fudge still sends the senses spinning back in time. Mama made Christmas good at our house.

One particularly lean year, we had fallen on desperate times. There would not be much of a Christmas, it was announced. But, Mama had other plans! It was only a few days until Christmas, and still we had no tree. The beautiful ornaments lay in their boxes swaddled in soft tissue paper. One night, while we were sleeping, quiet as a mouse, she crept about. I have no idea how she kept so quiet, but the next morning, there in the corner of the living room, stood our Christmas "tree." Upon closer inspection, we could see that it was actually six medium-sized tumbleweeds spray painted gold. Three-two-one, a perfect pyramid of Christmas perfection! It was decked out with all the precious ornaments and draped in shiny silver tinsel...a commodity that no self-respecting tree could do without!

Curiously enough, I cannot recall the gift I received that year, but I have vivid memories of that beautiful symbol of the holiday. Mama made Christmas good at our house.

As you gather with your family and friends this joyful season, try to remember what the Grinch finally learned, that Christmas comes even without the ribbons and bows, if it comes from the heart! Whatever you give, you'll make Christmas good, when you give it from the heart..."For God SO loved the world, that He gave..."

a perfect day

I used to tell my students that I wasn't as interested in "perfection" as I was in "excellence." In my reasoning, perfection is hard to find in this life, and when we spend too much time looking for it, it is time lost. However, on the other hand, we have excellence, and that is within our grasp. No matter what you do, it can be excellent---your own personal best---that's what excellence really is, after all.


But, this time of year, especially, I am reminded of this quote by John Wooden, "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."


And if that's the truth, I want more perfect days in my life. Imagine the impact on this poor, tired world, if each one of us decided to be excellent in the giving of ourselves, (time and energy and money) to those who cannot possibly repay us.

I think they call it "Random Acts of Kindness" these days. Whatever it is called, let's just do it!

God gave His very best, He gave when He knew we would not appreciate the gift. He gave because it was His act of excellence to do for us what we could never do for ourselves, and He never once showed any regret over His decision. I am not a fan of "re-gifting." I think it's an awful thing to do, for the most part. Someone has taken the time (and money) to get a gift for you---it may or may not be their best effort, but it was done anyway. Sometimes, we really mean it when we say, "Oh! You shouldn't have." But, I had to face the fact one day that if they felt like they "had" to get a gift for me, maybe I had not done a very good job of appreciating them personally and all that they brought to the relationship. I have discovered that those who truly love me never choose something that I would give away to someone else. Why? Because I love them so much and everything they do for me is excellent!

But, at this time of the year, I make an exception. I resolve anew that I will definitely try to re-gift one special thing that I received...redemption! The Father gave freely and urges us to do the same. It's the one gift that we are always encouraged to re-gift! Give the good message away every chance you get: the message of His unfailing, never-ending love. Give it by means of personal excellence...in all you say or do!

Wake up each morning with this thought, "One perfect day coming up!"

Advent: week 2

The Time of PREPARATION and FAITH

You may recall that the second purple candle is called the Bethlehem candle. Now we have a "what" and a "where" in the divine mystery. What: the prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. Where: Bethlehem.

This week we will re-light the first candle, the Prophecy candle, and we will then light the second purple candle, the Bethlehem candle, as we continue to prepare our hearts for the anticipated Light of the world.

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord." (John 1:23)

The prophets foretold the special place that Bethlehem would have in history. (see Micah 5:2)

Now, listen to this! "Bethlehem" literally means House of Bread. How fitting that the Bread of Life would first appear on earth there! He has prepared a feast; He has called us to come and dine; what hinders us, then?

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

Room for Jesus

"Have you any room for Jesus?

He who bore your load of sin...

As He knocks and asks admittance,

Sinner, won't you let Him in?"

"Room for Jesus, King of Glory...

Hasten now, His Word obey,

Swing your heart's door widely open-

Bid Him enter, while you may."

"And the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man...'" (Genesis 6:3)

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isaiah 55:1)

"And Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of Life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

Oh, yes! Celebrate with all your heart! Celebrate with great anticipation as you truly prepare a place within your hear for the King of Kings!

As you listen to your Christmas music this week, pay attention to the words of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The Bread of Life came to the House of Bread; why should anyone, anywhere ever go hungry again!

Advent: week 1

The Time of ANTICIPATION and HOPE

This week we'll light the first purple candle, the Prophecy candle, and celebrate Christ with anticipation and hope.

Just as a child waits expectantly for the "big" day, so our hearts yearn for His Coming.

The scriptures reveal to us that this has been the plan, all along. God would become flesh and dwell among us!

Just as those of long ago waited in anticipation for the coming of the Christ Child, we celebrate His birth while looking beyond it to His glorious reappearing. And we prepare our hearts and minds for His return.

"Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come." (Mark 13:33)

From the Old Testament to the New Testament and back again, the great event was recorded.

"O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:5)

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:2)

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 'I am the light of the world: He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:1)

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2) In my Father's house are many mansions: (if it were not so, I would have told you). I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you; I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3)

"...'Surely I come quickly'...Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

There are many other passages that you might enjoy studying this week:
Matthew 24:37-44, I Thessalonians  4:14-18, John 1:1-14, and I Thessalonians 5:1-6.

Now is the time to dig out your Christmas CDs. Listen to "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and think about the exciting times that we live in today, knowing that Christ could return at any moment! Are you ready?

Think about the little things you do for a long overdue visit with a precious friend. When you learn that they are coming, you clear the calendar and make time for them. You savor every moment, and sigh when they must leave. The best part of His return is, even though we have waited a long time, this time He's not leaving us behind. No teary goodbyes for us. We're going with HIM!

ADVENT

"ADVENT," The beginning of an adventure!

Perhaps you have noticed that Christmas is coming sooner and sooner every year. This year the decorations were on display before Halloween! No wonder we get so frustrated and tired of the whole thing. Deep inside we are yearning for a spiritual holiday. And no wonder that we do, after all, it was God who "set eternity in our hearts." He is always interested in our spiritual posture, temperature, and general good health. Maybe Advent is just what you need to redirect your focus on the living Savior this season.

You may believe that you don't know much about Advent. But, that's probably not true! You may know more than you think. For example, have you seen or used an Advent calendar in your home during the Christmas season? If so, what was the purpose of the calendar? Most likely, it was to 'count down' the days to a climax...Christmas day.

The Church's celebration of Advent dates back to the 4th century A.D. when it lasted six weeks. Sometime in the 6th century A.D. it was established to include the four Sundays prior to Christmas day. Subsequently, it begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30th, and continues through Christmas day. It all leads up to the most glorious celebration of all...our Savior's birth.

Consider the meaning of the word, advent. Other than its strictly religious sense (coming of Christ), it means "coming arrival" [example: the advent of Spring]. The original word is from the Latin for "to come to." Compare advent with its cousin, adventure, which means "an exciting or remarkable experience." Now that makes sense! Shouldn't our walk with God and our quest to be conformed to the image of His dear Son be an exciting and remarkable experience every day of our lives? If you have ever wanted more, especially at Christmas, you need to prayerfully consider adding the Advent celebration to your Christmas traditions. Right now, you may be thinking, "Oh, great! Just what I don't need: one more thing to squeeze in between now and the end of the year." But, if the Holy Spirit directs you, you will be eager to start the adventure!

Advent is rich in spiritual (all scriptural) symbolism. If you don't like symbolism, then you need to start ignoring every rainbow in the sky. God works through symbolism, and we can learn much from it.


First, let us consider the Advent Wreath. Traditionally, it is a circle. The circle symbolizes God's eternal plan---from our birth to our rebirth to eternity in His presence, a never-ending circle of love. The wreath is dressed with evergreens. They symbolize God's undying love for us.


Within the wreath, the four candles are placed. The light of each candle represents Jesus, the light of the world. Nowadays, the four candles are purple (the color of royalty---depicting the reverence due the King of Kings.) Some churches use royal blue (another "royal" color) candles. However, from the earliest times, three purple and one pink candle have been used. I prefer this arrangement for several reasons. First, I like the tradition of it. But, even more importantly, the strange arrangement, of necessity, begs for an explanation. Just sitting there quietly, they become the topic of conversation, and behold! the doors swing open for witnessing opportunities. With that in mind, let's continue to examine the meaning of each separate candle.

The first week of Advent is commonly called the time of "Anticipation or Hope." The candle of the first week is purple. We are anticipating the arrival of the King of Kings. He is heavenly royalty personified. The first candle is referred to as the "Prophecy" candle. The studies (individual, family, or group) that the first week of Advent revolve around concern the prophecies that the King would come. But, Advent takes you one step farther. You never stop with the coming of the infant child king; you pause long enough to absorb the wonder of the virgin birth, God incarnate. Then, you examine the King's coming into your own heart. But, that's still not all! Finally, you look forward, with joyful ANTICIPATION, to the return of the KING! What a way to refocus on the season of seasons! It may be noted that some groups refer to the first candle as the "Hope" candle. What you prefer to call it is your decision. The name is not as important as the reality. The reality must be that you not only believe that He came once, but that He's coming again and you're looking forward to it!

The second week of Advent is called the time of "Preparation." The second candle is also purple. (The second candle is usually referred to as the "Bethlehem" candle.) As Bethlehem was foretold to be the place chosen to prepare for the coming King, we were admonished, ourselves, by John the Baptist, to "prepare [ye] the way of the Lord." During the second week of Advent, we focus on the preparations that need to be made daily to receive a King into our very lives. (On the second Sunday, you re-light the Prophecy candle first, and then light the Bethlehem candle.)

The third week of Advent is called the time of "Joy." The third candle is the pink one. It is traditionally pink (rose-colored) to signify that Jesus is the Rose of Sharon. (It is often called the "Shepherd's" candle.) After all, the good news came to the shepherds and they left all and came with great joy to find their Shepherd King. The symbolism is so very rich here. God became flesh and presented Himself to the lowliest of society. What does he have to do today, in our lives, to restore such heartfelt joy among us? Allow His Holy Spirit to guide you as you encounter fresh joy "unspeakable, and full of glory." (On the third Sunday, you re-light the Prophecy and Bethlehem candles and then light the Shepherd's candle.)

The final week of Advent is called the time of "Peace." The fourth candle is the last purple candle, (commonly called the "Angel's" candle.) And of course, the angels in heaven rejoiced that earth had "received her King." Peace was born that day, on earth, and every man is able to be at peace with God. Study His Word, let it rise up in you, and guide you into perfect peace this blessed season. (This final Sunday you will re-light the Prophecy candle, the Bethlehem candle, the Shepherd's candle, and then finally, you will light the last one, the Angel's candle.)

There remains a single, white candle in the center of the wreath. This is the "Christ" candle, and it represents His purity. You may light it on Christmas eve and again on Christmas day to symbolize the light of the world!

Have you ever arrived someplace only to discover that you "just missed" a beloved friend or family member? That's what Advent is all about. We may have missed His first coming, but He has come into our own lives, and indeed, He's coming again to take us home. Our hearts are filled with peace and reconciliation while we wait, hopefully anticipating the love of God, and His eminent return to restore us into His family forever. If that isn't reason enough to lift Him up daily, and especially at Christmas, then I don't know what is.

                                           LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!!!

the other half

While I was studying at the university, I had reams of "required" course reading to do. Majoring in Education, there were all the volumes written by the so-called experts in the field regarding classroom techniques that should be mastered. After I became a teacher, I often wondered just exactly how much real time these people had spent in a classroom. But, that's a whole other story and I digress. My minor was in Social Science, so many hours were spent on classes in that field: Anthropology, Geography, History, Economics, Government, Philosophy, Sociology, etc., basically the study of "us."

During the semester that I was enrolled in my first Sociology course, the required reading was lighter than I expected, so I was able to really focus on the content. I don't remember whether I finished the list because I became enthralled with the first book mentioned, How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis.

Jacob Riis came to this country from Denmark when he was about twenty years of age. He lived in poverty, barely surviving, until he found work as a reporter for a New York newspaper about three years after his arrival. He possessed a knowledge of the poor that few in his new position had ever encountered and he was determined to use his writing skills to make people aware of the awful conditions endured by the poor in the city. He eventually became a photo journalist, and in fact, was one of the pioneers in the field of flash powder photography. This technique allowed him to photograph inside and outside of the slums at night.

In 1890, his book (How the Other Half Lives) was first published. With the startling account of the wretched conditions that thousands of impoverished citizens daily endured, documented with his amazing photography, a new awareness was reached. Social reform was finally underway. Many of the wealthy found his work very disagreeable, the slum lords in particular. For the next twenty-five years, Riis continued to write and lecture on the conditions of the poor. His work made a genuine difference in the way cities regard social issues of the poverty-stricken masses.

But, it's the title of his first book that has me thinking right now.

What I am really concerned about is how we treat "the other half" for the next few weeks. I'm not referring to just the poor among us. All of us, individually, through our churches or other charities, already do that. I am talking about the poor haggard sales people and food servers who do their best to take care of us while we are out-and-about, shopping, dining, partying. For example, I cannot believe that all the sales people who were stocking the shelves Thursday afternoon in preparation for the zero-hour that launched the shopping season, were there because they didn't want to spend time with their own family and friends. They were "there" because it was the shift they drew. Some retailers don't even allow time-off during the busy holiday season! SO, EVERYBODY PLAY NICE!!! Be patient while waiting in line. Be courteous to fellow bargain-hunters. Be cheerful to the checker. The mind-numbing beep,beep, beep of the scanner is torture enough. Think of others! And above all, SMILE!

Now, about those food servers. The same rules apply. These poor people are on their feet continuously. They don't need someone complaining to the management that they have been neglected or poorly served. And don't even suggest that they don't have to be there---that it's their own choice. In these desperate economic times, many people, even those with college degrees, have found themselves pursuing employment in a field other than their major. Hunger is a great motivator! It will get you up on your feet, searching relentlessly until you find a position, any position, that still involves honorable work. So, don't judge...EVER! Just be nice. It's easy, really. And when you have received the gift of good service, tip generously. Then, take the time to mention to the manager that your experience was a pleasant one.

This soapbox is for me, primarily, my dear friends. I point no fingers, make no accusations. I am speaking mostly to myself, but I have learned that what is on my mind is often good for others to consider, as well. Please do not be offended. Let's all just resolve to keep Christ in Christmas, evident by our behavior.

OH! I almost forgot: carry some crisp dollar bills with you, too. It's "Shiny Red Kettle" time.