Leaping for Joy

Leaping for Joy
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

Odd things happen when you embark on a spiritual discipline such as this Advent devotional. Who would have thought that Van Halen singing "Jump" would bring to mind the image of the baby John leaping in Elizabeth's womb? Followed by "Owner of A Lonely Heart" by Yes causing me to reflect on the life of John wandering in the wilderness. But then "Jungle Love" came on and the moment of reverie was gone. Of course, this may reveal more about my musical tastes than my devotional life! But I digress... on to today's devotion.

"For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy."
Luke 1:44

Who were the first to witness to the coming messiah? It wasn't the shepherds or the wise men. It was Elizabeth and John... John, still a baby in her womb. A child in a womb leaping for joy at the presence of the coming Messiah. What happens when a pregnant woman is present during a worship service? Or hears her family pray? What is occurring the hearts and minds of the babies squirming, sleeping, and crying among us on Sunday mornings? Babies sense God's presence. May that shape our worship and the waiting of all those who are expecting to give birth in the coming months.

Blessed

Blessed
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"... Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
Luke 1:42

A halo to mark the blessedness of Mary. I have often struggled with what it means to be blessed. I recognized that I am quite blessed in my life. Unfortunately, God rarely seems to bless me with the things that I would choose or that I desire. Perhaps my understanding of the word blessing is a bit off. I seem to think of being blessed as having all my wishes and desires fulfilled, but in reality, to be blessed is to be chosen by God, to be used for God's purposes in the world and that often involves sacrifice. Dare I pray that we all might be blessed this Advent season?

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
Luke 1:41-42

I tried to take a picture of the Holy Spirit today. I realize most pictures are of pretty white doves, but this seemed more appropriate. A shadow, hot and fiery, fleeting. It scares me a bit to think of being filled with the Spirit. You never know when the Spirit might cry out, proclaim, pronounce blessing on things we cannot understand. You never know when the Spirit might recognize God in another human being even when we are too blind to see.

Where She Entered

Where She Entered
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"... where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit..."
Luke 1:40-41

Have you ever tried to greet someone only to have them ignore you or seem annoyed that you interrupted their busy schedule? Or tried to greet someone you weren't sure would be happy to see you? I wonder what Mary expected when she greeted Elizabeth. Did she expect a warm reception? Or was she afraid that Elizabeth would reject her, turn her away as a young, unmarried, pregnant woman who dared to show up at her home, the home of the priest Zechariah. She need not have worried. God knew that Mary was scared and alone, in need of a friend. And God was present as she entered Elizabeth's home. The child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy and she herself was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Make Haste

Make Haste
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country."
Luke 1:39

A young girl has just found out that she is pregnant... by God. She sets out in haste. Was she fleeing her family? Did she go alone? Was the journey difficult?
Where would you go in such a situation? Who could you turn to if God did something so unexpected and confusing in your life? Would someone be able to turn to you? I suppose that is a more important question. For God seems to act in extraordinary ways in the lives of young people. And so often we are unwilling to see and hear. We don't want our comfortable lives challenged by their passion and fearlessness. If Mary shows up at your door this Christmas, will you let her in?

Waiting and Hoping

Waiting and Hoping
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

I've decided to allow myself a little freedom on Saturdays to stray from the text and move towards more general Advent reflections.

Advent can be a very painful season for those of us who have long awaited children for a variety of reasons. Maybe we have been infertile. Maybe we have had miscarriages. Maybe we have ended up single far longer than we intended. For some of us, Advent reminds us not of the birth of something new, but the death of a dream or a prayer unfulfilled. Advent requires a faith and hope that are at times beyond what we can bear. During this Christmas season, looks for those who are without hope. Look for those who are struggling with unbelief. And come alongside them, just as Christ came alongside us, God incarnate, Immanuel.

Not Worthy

Not Worthy
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals."
Luke 3:16

Our Advent text this week has focused again on the ministry of John the Baptist. I am always amazed at his ability to set aside his own ego for the ministry he was called to. It is not an easy thing to do... something that most of us, particularly pastors, struggle with on a regular basis. Advent is a time to reflect on our own worthiness. It highlights how unworthy we are in light of the one who is to come. And yet, it also shows that we are creatures of tremendous worth. God sends God's son into the world on our behalf. A worth not of our own, but a gift given to us by our God.

Soldiers...

Soldiers...
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, 'Teacher, what should we do?' He said to them, 'Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.' Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what should we do?' He said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with you wages.'"
Luke 3:12-14

First, we are to give away our possessions. Then, commands about money. Don't take advantage of people in your job. Don't take more than you are supposed to. Don't use your position for your own advantage. And don't demand too much pay. We don't talk about these kind of things too much in the church. How do we follow Christ in our workplaces? Whether we are tax collectors or soldiers, corporate CEO's or police officers, God wants to have some say about our wealth, or our lack of it. How are you using your money during this Advent season? Is it honoring to the one we are waiting for?

Share One

Share One
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"And the crowds asked him, 'What then should we do?' In reply he said to them, 'Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.'"
Luke 3:10-11

I have to admit it. I like to get presents. I like to give presents as well, but I really like to get them. And I get a bit resentful at Christmas. With no nuclear family of my own and no work family, I am in very few gift-giving circles this year. So now, not only do I want presents, I want a spouse, children, and a job as well. Somehow, I begin to equate receiving gifts with begin valued, thought of, cared for. Forgive me. I know that just the opposite should be true. Christmas is about receiving the greatest gift of all, the one that should make us feel so loved that we want to give away all we have, share with others, make sure they are clothed and fed, that they feel the love that we are assured of. Help me to remember that this Christmas season. Help me to actually believe that it is better to give than to receive.

Will They Bear Fruit?

Will They Bear Fruit?
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not hear bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
Luke 3:9

I can't pass up an excuse to take a picture of trees. I find trees in winter extremely beautiful. All the leaves stripped away. Just the barren structure of the branches reaching out and up. These trees will bear fruit again in the Spring. That is what they were made to do. That is what we were made to do. We may go through barren seasons, winters of our lives when we are stripped bare once again, but we are made to bear fruit. For some, Advent is just such a season of waiting, a season to be stripped bare, a season of dormancy, waiting again for the shoot of Jesse to spring forth. For those in such a season, may you know that God is walking closely with you.

We Have As Our Ancestors...

We Have As Our Ancestors...
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor': for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham."
Luke 3:8

I have Rev. James J. Deasy as my ancestor, a Catholic priest at the turn of the 20th century. My grandmother faithfully went to mass every Saturday evening at 5:00 pm until she died. There is a history of faith in our family, but it almost didn't make it to the next generation. Faith does not automatically pass itself on. it takes work and commitment. John seems to be chastising the people for relying on the faith of their ancestors. They were no longer living out their faith, but living it in name only. It seems like an apt message for toay... for the many churches that seem more concerned about caring for themselves and fail to pass on their faith to their children or to anyone else. I am so grateful for those who chose to pass their faith on to me when I was in high school. Thank you for bearing fruit!

Who Pulled the Alarm?

Who Pulled the Alarm?
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

So, the verses in the lectionary this year leave us with some difficult verses to start the Advent season. The gospel lesson this week continues with John's preaching in Luke 3.

"John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'"
Luke 3:7

Who warned you? Who pulled the alarm? Do you know what you are getting yourself into? I have to admit that in a way I am grateful I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I came to faith in high school. Had I known how difficult the journey would be, I am not sure I would have made the same choice. Following Christ is not easy. John knew that. He was not preaching some easy message of faith, but a powerful message of repentance and a call to discipleship. A message that would lead the followers not into a nice Sunday morning worship service, but to a cross. Our Advent waiting should be filled with joyful anticipation, but also with a bit of fear and trembling of what is to come. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life... but just because it is true doesn't make it simple.

Time and Light

Time and Light
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

Advent is marked by light and time. A candle lit each week. A star burning brightly to mark the moment and lead the way. The coming of light into the darkness and a new beginning... the year one.

It seems that during this Advent season I need to figure out how to better structure my time around the light. Our to somehow reorder my understanding of time so that it is not governed by this world but rather is governed by my anticipation of the next. This seems all the more important in a season that is driven by the number of shopping days left until Christmas!

Why Can't I See Clearly?

Why Can't I See Clearly?
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"and all flesh shall see the salvation of God..."
Luke 3:6

The promises of Isaiah as proclaimed by John seem so easy. The Lord will come and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Everything will become clear. All nations and tongues will confess. And yet here I am once again struggling to understand. I am writing the last pages of my dissertation and things seem even more complicated than when I began. I suppose that was always a part of John's message. Perhaps, like John we need to wander occasionally into the wilderness of despair and confusion to hear afresh the words of God.

Every Valley Shall Be Filled

Every Valley Shall Be Filled
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth..."
Luke 3:5

I have always wondered why anyone would need to straighten the Lord's path or fill in valleys (or for those in Chicago, the potholes!). I kind of think of God as an all-utility vehicle. I realized, however, that the focus of the passage is not on God, but on me. What are the sharp bends in the road of my life? The valleys that need to be filled? The hills that need to be made low? During this season of my life, I struggle with jealousy, with fear that the Lord will not provide, trusting God in the midst of unanswered prayers. These are the things that keep the road to my heart from being smooth and open to God. How can I prepare the way to my heart this Advent season?

Preparing

Preparing
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"... as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make the Lord's paths straight."
Luke 3:4

I pulled out the Christmas decorations today. I am not sure this is the kind of preparation that John was talking about as he cried out in the wilderness. I realize that my preparation is tinged with commercialism, and yet there is also something deeper about it all. An attempt to recapture something from my childhood. That sense of awe and wonder, of anticipation and excitement. There is something in the Bible about that, I think... becoming like a child.

Baptisms

Baptisms
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
Luke 3:3

The church I am currently attending practices infant baptism. In some ways, it seems like a tame alternative to John's baptism of repentance in the Jordan River. Yet, water is rarely tame... even the smallest drops over time can wear away even the strongest of rock, can cause metal to rust, can wash away a hillside. Baptism, whether of an adult or infant, is never a tame act. It confirms a radical promise made by God, one that has the power to change lives. And it reminds us of the power of little things... a drop of water, a baby in a manger, the faith of a child. May the faith of the children around us erode away our jagged edges this Advent season, breaking through our hard shells, and preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ child.

A History of Faith

A History of Faith
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Ceasar -- when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert."
Luke 3:1-2

History... often an interpretation by those in power of events taking place in the world. But into this mix, Luke interjects John, the son of Zechariah, a man wandering the wilderness. To the list of significant names, God adds one who was not powerful, but faithful. Over and over again, God attempts to reorder the history of humanity around faith, not power... And over and over again we revert once again to our sinful nature. During this Advent season, may we try once again to reorder our world not around power, but around faithfulness. May we strive to be faithful. May we seek those who are faithful. May we rewrite history around the faithful, around those to whom God speaks in the wilderness.

Fermentation Not Dissipation

Today marks the first day of Advent and the launching of my second photo devotional. Once again, I will be using my photography as a spiritual discipline throughout the season posting a photo each day reflecting on the upcoming week's lectionary text. I hope that you will be challenged and encouraged throughout the season. And thank you... knowing that many of you will be joining me on this journey is the accountability I need to stay focused on this process throughout an otherwise very busy season!

Several others will be joining me in the process and their photos will be posted on Flickr in the group Advent 2009. If you are interesting in taking part, let me know and we'll add you to the group.

And so... we proceed to Advent, Day 1, November 29, 2009.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap..."
Luke 21:34-35

I had to look up the word "dissipate." Apparently, not only does it mean to disperse and dissolve, it also means to over indulge in sensual living, especially in relation to alcohol. The text for this week (Luke 21:25-36) ends with a warning about dissipating as we await the return of Christ. This seems to be especially true during the season of Advent. Rather than indulging in excessive celebrating and spending during the holidays, this is to be a time of fermentation, not dissipation. It is a time to wait, to rest, to age... to prepare.

Prayers of the Church

This past Sunday our youth pastor, Matt Kennedy, preached a very fine sermon on Job. Personal, biblical, clear but not simple. I had the privilege of leading worship with him and to offer the "Prayers of the Church." I realized that I love to pray on behalf of the church. I am not always quick to offer prayer when I am meeting with individuals. I think prayer for me has a deep intimacy attached to it that I am not always willing to enter into one on one. I also generally struggle in my own personal prayer life. Answers usually don't come quickly. Comfort is not always present. And it is not always comfortable to lay yourself bare before God.

But for some reason, leading prayer is something I love. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that leading "prayers for the church" was one of the first pastoral acts I was asked to perform when I was an intern. Each month the staff and interns would meet with the pastor to plan Sunday morning worship and often we were asked to read scripture or lead the prayers of the church. Perhaps it has to with the fact that leading "prayers of the church" was one of the few ways I could exercise my pastoral gifts when I was serving as a Minister of Christian Education. As a woman I was not allowed to preach or lead the sacraments, but I was allowed to pray... from the pulpit... during Sunday worship.
And so, today, I offer that prayer to all of you.

Prayers of the Church
North Park Covenant Church, October 4, 2009
Gracious and Loving God… we come before you this morning.
For some those words… gracious and loving God… flow easily from our lips. Our hearts are full of praise and celebration. We rest secure in the knowledge of your presence and your care in our lives. For such faith and confidence, we give you thanks.

For some, those words… gracious and loving God… are acts of faith this day. We thank you for the foundation of faith that you have laid in our lives through the work of your Holy Spirit, through our families through this congregation. We thank you for the person and work of Jesus, for the words of Scripture, for the communion of saints, for all those things that make it possible to believe that you are a gracious and loving God even when circumstances are trying, even when there is pain and suffering, even when we have doubts.

We give thanks this day for those who work full-time to laying that foundation of faith in our lives and the lives of those around the world thinking especially of our missionaries, David and Gwendolyn Mark.

For some, those words… gracious and loving God… are almost impossible this day. May we rest in the knowledge that God welcomes our tough question, that God is bigger than all of our doubts and fears. That God hears the brokenhearted. And may we allow others to have faith for us this day. May we rest in their faith as they walk alongside us.

This day we lift up a number of people in our congregation who seem to be in “Job-like” seasons in their lives. We think of Lucille Anderson and her family, Roy and Helen Olson, and the parents of John Coomes. Make your presence known in these families. Bring healing. Bring hope.
And we think especially this morning of those individuals, so many of them women and children, who live “Job-like” existences because of the presence of domestic violence in their homes. Be with ministries like Wellspring and give us eyes to see where such pain exists and courage to respond.

Bring healing to those who are ill. Bring comfort to those who mourn. Bring hope to those who are hopeless.

We gather together this day with all the saints around the world, all who are gathered around your table this morning, offering our concerns, offering our praise, offering our thanksgiving, and offering together the prayer that you, our friend and brother, taught your disciples to pray saying:

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.