Week 4 - Thursday

FAITH!

This week my goal is to read John chapters 1 through 7.  This gospel doesn't include an account of Jesus birth, but that is not to say that it doesn't tell us his origins.  It is quite explicit about who he is and why he came.

John 5:25
Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 

Week 3 - Friday

HOPE!

Reading: Isaiah 62

This reading is joyful.  God's description of wanting to be husband to Jerusalem makes me want to identify with Jerusalem. 

It also makes me want to thank my husband for being so good, loving, romantic, trust worthy and wonderful that I can have such a positive response to the imagery of God as being a husband to us.

Week 3 - Thursday

HOPE!

Reading:
Isaiah 61

It is my inclination to want to separate the verses of judgement from the verses of encouragement.  One is frowning God, the other happy God.  But I can't.

 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, 
   because the LORD has anointed me 
   to proclaim good news to the poor. 
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 
   to proclaim freedom for the captives 
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a] 
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor 
   and the day of vengeance of our God, 
to comfort all who mourn, 
and provide for those who grieve in Zion— 
to bestow on them a crown of beauty 
   instead of ashes, 
the oil of joy 
   instead of mourning, 
and a garment of praise 
   instead of a spirit of despair. 
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 
   a planting of the LORD 
   for the display of his splendor.


God's judgment and his mercy walk hand in hand. In Christ, and Christ alone, God has made judgement and mercy two sides of the same coin. God loves the real me.  He loves authentically.  Knowing who I truly am, discerning my inner self, God has to judge my heart and its condition - and it lives in rebellion to  him.  


But once He sees me, knows me, judges me, then He rescues me.


For more coherent thoughts on this subject check out "God of Love, God of Judgement" parts 1 and 2 at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Week 3 - Wednesday

HOPE!

Reading:
Isaiah 60
I shared yesterday's reading with some friends last night.  One of them pointed out that Isaiah chapter 56 verse 9 through chapter 59 verse 14 tells us "this is the mess you're in."  Verses 15 through 21 state, "I, the Lord, will fix it."


Then chapter 60 starts!
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."  The rest of chapter 60 details what that glory and light will look at.  It is so wonderful and important, that God reiterates much of it in the Revelation.


God chooses to describe the redeemed dwelling place of his people as a marvelous city.  As a rural living closet tree hugger, I have been slow to warm up to the city imagery.  Where do you picture paradise? 


In 2010, I heard a number of people talking about what a redeemed city would be like.  I started to get a image of a city as it is meant to be.  It is not meant to be a place of crime, trash, fear and rude people.  It is meant to be a place of multiple cultures and peoples, a place of justice, a place of refuge, a garden for the arts.  See in the verses how people are rushing in to bring their riches, to build and create.  For a much fuller and richer description of what the city is meant to be check out Tim Keller's "The Gospel in Life."  And, Lord, let me not forget that heaven or paradise, or the redeemed city is ultimately the beatific vision.  It is the place where we know You.

December 13 - Saint Lucia Day

Happy Saint Lucia Day!

I remember reading about Saint Lucia's Day in a book about Christmas traditions around the world.  In Scandinavia the oldest daughter in the family makes tea for the family in the darkness of early morning.  She wears a white gown and a wreath with candles on her head, then serves the tea.

I always thought that sounded terrifying. 

Happy name day, Lucie!

Week 3 - Tuesday

HOPE!

Reading:
Isaiah 58-59

Maybe it is just the weather, or because I stayed up to late last night, but this passage leaves me feeling weary.
Chapter 58 verses 1 through 5 point out that God is not answering the people's prayers or rewarding their fasts, because at the same time that they do these nominally good things, they also exploit their workers and pursue their self interests.  Can I see myself in them?  Am I sure that the sweatshirts I just bought on sale didn't come from a sweatshop?  Have I insulated myself from hurting people?

Verses 6 through 14 promise that the people will become glorious, healthy, and strong if they would only
-"loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"
- give up some of their wealth to feed and clothe the poor
- not turn away needy relatives
- stop all gossip, slander, and blame shifting.

Gee, is that all?

Oops, no.  There is also honoring the Sabbath by "not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words."

 Then we move into Chapter 59, where God tells the people that He has the power to save them, but they not only fail to meet the standards above (no kidding!) but their hearts pursue evil instead.  Our hearts pursue poisonous roads instead - because this wasn't just written for them.

In chapter 59 verses 15 through 21, God says that he will accomplish what the people cannot.  He will establish the justice and righteousness needed so that the people might be made whole.

The description is beautiful and terrible.
Am I ready?

Need a smile?

Got any children on your Christmas shopping list?
Need a smile?

See this blog for candid reviews of some of the best toys OF ALL TIME.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1


P.S.
I'm thinking about making a gift pack of all of them for my little nippers.

Week 3 - Monday

HOPE!

Reading:
Isaiah 56:9 - 57:21

After the elation of the promises in last week's readings, the first part of today's passage is a serious downer.  It details the failure of Israels leaders and the vile wickedness of the people.  I am stunned that God's people worshiped statues and stones, sacrificed their own children, and paid prostitutes for religious sex.  How could they wander so far from what God commanded and not be disgusted with themselves?  But then I wonder what my ancestors will look back on and wonder how we managed to get so far off track?  How did we delude ourselves into thinking that such-and-such was okay? 

Still, I'm taken with how hard God works to call His people back.  These accusing verses are screaming, "Come home!"

And finally there are words of comfort:

 I live in a high and holy place,
   but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
   and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse them forever,
   nor will I always be angry,
for then they would faint away because of me—
   the very people I have created.

3rd Sunday in Advent

So, I guess the order of the weeks is supposed to be Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  I labeled my posts for the first week JOY, so I'm going to do HOPE this week.

HOPE!

Hope.  It is a word that describes the Christian experience.  We can give love, because we have hope.  We can have joy because we have hope.  We can make peace because we have hope.  We have hope because we have been given grace graciously.

We do not hope that the story will have a happy ending.  We have hope that the story has a happy ending, based on the promises of the one strong enough to keep his promises.  Even when we are undone and fainting, we have hope.  Even when we are losing what earthly possessions we most hold dear, we have hope.

Jesus' birth was the first glimmer of that hope, shining forward and backward through time, which would become the roaring brightness of day on the morning of his resurrection.

Hope.

Reading:
1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Matthew 11:2-10

I'm getting these readings from "The Festival of Christmas" by Mary Hinderlie and Edna Hong.  I like Christmas readings that are "old standards" and that fit in nicely with my image of the manger scene.  These take a little bit more thinking to tie them in to Christmas.

I kept my kindergartner home sick from church today.  Together we looked at the Corinthians passage and talked about how we have been promised that Jesus will come again.  In Advent, we remember his first coming and wait for his second coming.  My girl then suggested we read the last chapter in her "Jesus Storybook Bible." It is a paraphrase of the Revelation and talks about Jesus coming again and God wiping the tears from every eye.

With the verses from Matthew I said that Jesus was pointing out how he fulfilled the prophecies made about him.

That Holy Thing

They all were looking for a king
   To slay their foes and lift them high,
Thou cam'st, a little baby thing
   That made a woman cry.

O Son of man, to right my lot
   Nought but Thy presence can avail;
Yet on the road Thy wheels are not,
   Nor on the seas Thy sail!

My fancied ways why shouldst Thou heed?
   Thou cam'st down Thine own secret stair;
Cam'st down to answer all my need,
   Yes, every bygone prayer!

by George MacDonald

Week 2 - Saturday

LOVE!

Reading:
Isaiah 56: 1-8
These verses hold promises to include faithful foreigners and eunuchs in God's people.  Being one of those foreigners, I'm grateful.  It makes me wonder though, how the Jews felt about including those who were outsiders.  And that, in turn, makes me examine my own attitude about including new people at church.  I am rejoicing that different people are giving glory to God?  Sometimes it is hard for me to check the "but it's my church" attitude.

Lord, thank you for including me and my family.  Make me grateful, also, for the sakes of the strange newcomers to the church and to the faith.  And if their faces, worship and manner is foreign to me, then cause me to smile at the myriad different ways you choose to be glorified.

Trying New Things

I'm trying something new this year for a Christmas decoration..  I read that if you cut fruit tree branches and put them in water the first week of December, they may bloom by Christmas.  I have cut a few crab apple twigs and put them in water.  We'll see if this experiment turns out better than the apple pomander.

My husband is also keeping busy with new things.  He looked up a recipe for hot buttered rum.  Looks tasty, no?

Week 2 - Friday

LOVE!

Reading:
Isaiah 55

I really love this chapter.  It seems so big and grand with promise and hope.  It is comforting to the soul that is feeling worn and raw.

 “Come, all you who are thirsty, 
   come to the waters; 
and you who have no money, 
   come, buy and eat! 
Come, buy wine and milk 
   without money and without cost. 
Why spend money on what is not bread, 
   and your labor on what does not satisfy? 
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, 
   and you will delight in the richest of fare. "

Read it once, considering how God is mindful of our physical needs.
Read it again considering that Jesus is identified as the living water, the bread of life, and the Word of God.

It is with God's own substance that He is offering to refresh His people.  Does it make you hungry?  Does it make you want to consider becoming a Christian Hedonist?

Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards are one of the things I stress over every year.  Last year I made it through the P's in my address book and then ran out of time to finish the alphabet.  Two years ago I didn't send any except to a few handpicked relatives. I'm going to blame the baby for that one, but I felt bad about the negligence.

A wise friend once told me that you don't HAVE to send Christmas cards.  I nearly choked.  You mean I could not send cards AND not beat myself up about it?  It brings up that question of who AM I doing it for, anyway?  

A smart friend of mine has chosen to stop sending Christmas cards. Instead her family makes a slideshow and e-mails a link to it to all their friends and relatives.  With the money they save on postage and cards, they make a donation to a charity that their kids help select.

The thing is that I like sending Christmas cards.  I'm just not very good at it.  I like seeing the list of people I care about enough to want to send season's greetings.  I like sharing a picture of my family and a letter in the card.  I like to try to include a snippet of the gospel message in hopes of tempting some who are far from God to rekindle their faith.  So we'll take another whack at it this year.  Maybe I should go work on that instead of blogging.  :-)  

Week 2 - Thursday

LOVE!

Reading:

Isaiah 54

Yesterday I read Isaiah 53.  It is a description of the Suffering Servant.  Really, it's a detailed description of how Jesus would ransom his own.

Today is chapter 54.  After God has described His rescue plan, it is like He breaks out into a love song.

Here is a sample

Isaiah 54:4-8

“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; 
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; 
But you will forget the shame of your youth, 
And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 
⁵ “For your husband is your Maker, 
Whose name is the LORD of hosts; 
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, 
Who is called the God of all the earth. 
⁶ “For the LORD has called you, 
Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, 
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” 
Says your God. 
⁷ “For a brief moment I forsook you, 
But with great compassion I will gather you. 
⁸ “In an outburst of anger 
I hid My face from you for a moment, 
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” 
Says the LORD your Redeemer.

Week 2 - Wednesday

LOVE!

Reading:
Isaiah 52 and 53

Something that struck me from chapter 52 verses 3 through 6 was that no ransom needed to be given to free the captives so that they could return to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem.  They were taken away without a price, and so they were to be returned without one.  The captors have no claim on them. 
How does this compare to the captivity of God's people to evil? 
A price was paid, a very great price, to set us free.
Our debts were made in sins, and a claim did lie on us that had to be paid.

When I read chapter 52 verse 13 through the end of chapter 53, my reaction was something like, "#$! That is describing Jesus.  It could hardly be more explicit.  How did people miss that!?!" 

At first reading, I also felt like the passage describing God's suffering servant didn't follow what came immediately before it.  Okay, first we're talking about Jerusalem being fixed up - then something about a messenger with good news - and then a description of the life of Christ.  I have been taught that when I feel that way about a bible passage, it is time to sit down and figure out why. 

So here is what I have: God's suffering servant, Jesus, is the means by which God's people are allowed to come back. No payment had to be given for them to return to Jerusalem, but they still needed to be redeemed from their rift with God.  Jesus is the means by which that redemption would be made.  Isaiah chapter 53 is the outline for Operation Free the Captives. 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all.

Holiday Stress

The holidays are stressful.  

Oh, some of it might be happy stress -the excitement of visiting people or going to parties, the merry business of baking or decorating the house.  But even when life is going well, there is unhappy stress - the pressure to get too much done, expectations on people or events that are too high, over-sugared children who need to cultivate thankfulness, over-sugared and over-worked self (who probably also needs to cultivate thankfulness), the spouse whose priorities are not dovetailing your own.

When life is not going well, the stress so much worse, but that is a post for another day.

A wise friend of mine was sharing about dealing with holiday stress.  She commented that we don’t give ourselves time for things to go wrong.  There’s no slack to accommodate illness or trouble.  We need to schedule down time for ourselves.  And keep it.  

Something that haunts me this year is a reading from Zechariah 7:

The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the LORD by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?”

Was it really for me?

WOW.

When I bake Christmas cookies, will it be for Christ's, or for my family’s sake?

When I send cards, will it be for Jesus’ sake, or so that I don’t get in trouble with my friends and relations?

When I decorate the house, will it be for the Lord, or will it be for tradition?

When I hunt for the perfect Christmas gift, will it be unto God or for the sake of my own reputation?

When I go to church and sing carols, will it be for my Rescuer or for the habits of my culture?

If I fast or read the bible, is it by the Holy Spirit, or is it for self righteousness?

In the “too much” of Christmas time I struggle to remember that Jesus accomplished ALL that he was supposed to in 3 short years of public ministry.  And he did it without cars, phones, online shopping, or even so much as a printing press.

Heavenly Father, give me a heart to do only what pleases You.

Well that didn't work

Over Thanksgiving weekend I made a couple of apple pomanders and gave one to my mom.

I took gala apples and stuck the pointy end of whole cloves into them, making little patterns or designs.  It can be a fun little project to do with young children.  The pomander smells nice and usually keeps for several months.  Below is a picture I stole off the internet showing two very pretty apple pomanders.  You can also use thick skinned oranges.

I didn't post a picture of my own apple pomander, because I have made an important discovery.  If the weather is too warm, humid, and rainy, the apples don't dry out nicely.

So, mom, if you are reading this, and the pomander I gave you is turning squishy, it's okay to throw it out.

Picture from http://www.bunchfamily.ca/little-house-inspired-apple-scents-pomander/

November 6 - Saint Nicholas Day

November 6th is Saint Nicholas Day.

Maybe we will observe this day in my home by watching a child friendly account of the early life of Saint Nicholas.

It emphasizes that the reason we give gifts is because God has given us so much.

Week 2 - Tuesday

LOVE!

Reading:
Isaiah 51

Things that struck me in this chapter:
God commands his people to remember their heritage of faith (Vs 1-2).  Jesus certainly remembered that he was the son of Abraham, son of David, and successor to Moses.

God commands his people to trust his greatness and not to fear mere mortal opponents (Vs 7-8, 12-16).  Jesus commanded the same thing of his followers, and he demonstrated that he was not afraid of the rulers of the day.

In verses 17 - 21 we see a small picture of God's wrath.  It talks about the cup, the same cup that Jesus drank for his people on the cross.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Week 2 - Monday

LOVE!

Reading:
Isaiah 49 and 50
I found this to be one of those passages where that threefold prophecy thing can make the reading either more confusing or more interesting.  It talks about God's servant who will rescue His people.  It talks about being a blessing to all nations.  It talks about the servant having words that are sharp/strong and powerful like a sword.  On one level it is talking about Jesus.  On another level it is talking about God's servant who lived in Isaiah's time, perhaps even Isaiah himself.  On yet another level it is talking about God's people, the church universal, God's servants by the indwelling spirit.

Yesterday's reading was
Romans 15: 4-13
Matthew 23: 32-35

I'm not exactly sure why the Matthew passage was included for the Advent reading.  Maybe because the second coming will be like the first coming - not as we expect.  We need to be watchful and waiting.

These verses about God's promises to the Gentiles always excite me.  My ancestors were blue painted pagans of the distant north.  What a miracle that we are grafted in to God's family.

Saint Barbara's Day

Saint Barbara Depicted Aiding Miners

My copy of "The Festival of Christmas" copyright 1954, lists December 4th as Saint Barbara's Day.  A quick search on Wikipedia (free research - you get what you pay for) told me that sometime in the 1960 the Vatican removed Saint Barbara's Day from the calendar, but that it is still honored in the Orthodox Church.  She is the patron saint for miners and those in the artillery, among others.

I don't know much about saint veneration, but I'll offer an extra prayer for those who work in literally explosive situations.










I did have the opportunity to visit Saint Barbara's Cathedral in the Kutna Hora, Czech Republic last summer. I thought it was a beautiful place.

 We also went to the Ossuary (Bone Collection Chapel) there.  Those are real human bones in the photo below.  It was a little eerie.  We went in thinking that the bones were plague victims, but the literature there said that they were casualties of the Hussite Wars. 

John Huss was a church reformer who preceded Luther by about 100 years.  He thought that bibles should be written and read in the language of the people.  Condemned as a heretic, he was burned at the stake.  Different groups of people took up his cause and that of the established church. This Ossuary is where the church laid to rest their honored dead.

Decorations from the Ossuary

Saint Barbara's Cathedral and the Jesuit College

I am so honored to be able to have participated in a project in the Czech Republic in which Catholics and Evangelicals have collaborated.  There might just be hope for us yet.

Holiday Fun & Our Tree

Today was one of those busy days that make me wary of the holidays.  It was a lot of fun, but it was also just a lot.

I took my middlest daughter with me to our church’s women’s brunch.  She did really well. We both dressed up in our pretty clothes for fun. I think she was charmed by the potluck brunch – so many choices!  Muffins and fresh pineapple.  Wow, does life get any better?  She got to curl up on the lap of one of our friends during one of the speaker’s talks.  I was very pleased with her.

After the brunch, we hurried home, ate a little protein, picked up her older brother and off we went to a birthday party.  It was held at one of my children’s favorite places – a playground of inflatable slides and obstacle courses.  They had an absolute blast.

While we were at the birthday party, we missed a children’s program at church.  I felt bad about that.  I hate having to choose between fun activities like that. 

My husband’s labor during the day was to set up the Christmas tree.  That might not sound like an all-day project, but it included clearing half a dozen boxes of books from our living room, pulling our artificial tree from the attic, assembly, discovering that the lights were defunct, begging some lights off of his parents, and stringing them around the tree.  He took a break in the middle of all that fun to help his Dad extract a 200 lb rock from the spot where they were trying to plant a sapling.  I’m so glad that his spine is still intact.  I think we may offer the rock to Grandpa as a future tombstone.

Why do we do it all?  Well the outings were mostly just for fun.  They had redeeming value in fellowship, and the brunch had worship value.  But, really, they were just for my own satisfaction. 

And the tree?  Do we really need a Christmas tree for Christmas? 

I’m smiling to myself, because the evergreen was originally part of pagan winter religious observances.  Nevertheless, I am all for co-opting pagan symbolism for Christian purposes.  So we set the tree up for tradition’s sake then use it to point our children to Christ.  The evergreen reminds us of the eternal life that Jesus brings.  The shape of the tree points us to heaven, where our hope comes from.  The lights in the tree remind us of all the stars in all the universe, which God created by His glorious will and might.

Week 1 - Saturday

JOY!

Reading:
Isaiah 46 & 47
This reading was kind heavy.  I really got a sense of God's anger at the deceptions of the world.
First He asserts his credentials.  What He says will happen, happens.  And He says that his people will soon be freed from Babylon.
These chapters go on to cover the iniquities of Babylon. I sensed the heat of  God's anger at:
Idols - that humans, who are made in God's image, should give worship to images that can't even save themselves from being loaded up like firewood and hauled off.
Cruelty - the harshness with which Babylon treated God's people, young and old alike.
Astrology - those who would mislead people by making predictions that they can't back up, based on the stars which the Lord has made.
Pride - The self confidence of the people.

At first blush, Babylon seems a long way from here and now.  But the world is still full of deceptions, we mostly just give them different names.  In our pride, we trust our own predictions.  We take without compassion.  We sit secure in our armchairs and do not hunger for justice.

Lord, please turn my eyes to you.  Cause me to seek you, your promises and your coming.

Week 1 - Friday

JOY!

Oh, it's Friday.  I work part time and Friday is one of my "at home" days. Friday makes me want to slow down and take extra time to snuggle my children.  It makes me want to curl up in pajamas with a book or a good movie.

Reading
Isaiah 45
I am challenged by verses 9 through 11.  They point out that people, as God's creations, don't have the right to complain about how God is running the show, any more than clay pots may criticize the potter.  I have been angry with God.  I have questioned Him.  I have yelled at him.  I have prayed for the healing of a friend, but death came instead.  I have prayed that a family might be given a child, but no child came.  I have prayed for peace, but instead there was war. I have prayed against things that have already happened, saying, "Not this, not this, Lord."

God's people have been called, Israel, which means Wrestles with God, and I'm in good company.
I am reminded of Job, who prayed something along the lines of, "I didn't deserve this, Lord."
God's answer was to remind Job of God's greatness.  There are bigger things going on than we can see, and God has them all in His hand.  And in that, Job's wounded heart was calmed.

Advent Chain Part 2

Here are some picture of my Advent Chain.

I ended up cutting down the length of the verses I listed in part one.  We're working with the "Let's not kill myself of a nice idea" model.

My paper strips.

 My dear husband stapled the loops together while I finished writing out the verses I wanted.

The finished product, hung up.

My plan is to let my older two children take turns cutting off a link each night.  We'll read the verse and talk about what it has to do with Christmas.

Week 1 - Thursday

JOY!

Reading:
Isaiah 43 and 44

Those first four verses in Isaiah 43 have been very important to me.  There have been times when I was hurting and the promises there helped me.  I needed to know that God didn't promise that his people would never go through flood or fire.  He promised that he would go through it with them.  He would be with them.  He was with me in the flood and the fire.  He experienced it with me.  He walked me through to the other side.

At first I thought that the last 6 verses of Isaiah 43 didn't seem to fit with the grand promises in the first half of the chapter.  Then it occurred to me that God's great mercy and compassion are even more awesome in light of His people's fickleness and unfaithfulness.  Of my own fickleness and contempt.

 Chapter 44 is a cure for anybody who thinks that the Holy Spirit doesn't have a sense of humor.  The passage talking about building idols is dripping with sarcasm and irony.  It is bitter humor and taunting to be sure.  But read right, it can be pretty stinking funny.