Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25th)

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And so we come to the end of our Advent Song Reflections. Today is all about celebrating, and so we celebrate. God has come to us! He has demonstrated his love for us in the most amazing way! If that isn’t worth celebrating, what is?

For today we’re simply posting songs of celebration and worship, in the hopes that they add to the joy of your day.

Joy to the World (Joyful, Joyful) (lyrics here)

For Unto Us A Child Is Born (lyrics here)

King of Kings/Angels We Have Heard on High (lyrics here)

Angels From the Realms of Glory/Emmanuel (lyrics here)

Christmas Eve (Saturday, December 24th)

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For this final night of Advent Song Reflections, enjoy these readings and carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service, paired with reflections and thoughts on the meaning of Christ’s birth.

You are encouraged to read the texts and reflections slowly and prayerfully, along with the lyrics of the carols. Enter into the beauty and richness of this night of nights as you contemplate the mystery of the incarnation and the joy of God’s salvation.

First Reading for Christmas Eve: Luke 2:8–16 (NRSV)

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Carol: O Come All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

God of God, Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten not created.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, In the highest!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

“The angels praised God at Creation (Job 38:7), and now they praised Him at the beginning of the new creation. The whole purpose of the plan of salvation is “glory to God” (see Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). God’s glory had dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34) and in the temple (2 Chron. 7:1–3), but had departed because of the nation’s sin (1 Sam. 4:21; Ezek. 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22–23). Now God’s glory was returning to earth in the person of His Son (John 1:14). That lowly manger was a holy of holies because Jesus was there!”—Warren W.Wiersbe

Second Reading for Christmas Eve: Matthew 2:1-11 (NRSV)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Carol: O Holy Night

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the Wise Men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

“The note of fulfilment is very prominent in this story. The king who was to sit on David’s throne for ever would be born in Bethlehem. The shepherd who would care for Israel for ever would be born in Bethlehem. That is what Micah had predicted seven centuries beforehand—an example of the way in which the New Testament fulfils the Old even to the smallest detail. It shows, too, that God’s overarching plan of salvation spans the millennia. This is already the third example of promise and fulfilment that Matthew has brought before his readers. There will be many others. It is an essential quality in God as the Bible depicts him: he keeps his promises.”—Michael P. Green

Third Reading for Christmas Eve: John 1:1-14 (NRSV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Carol: Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth

“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this…In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity…down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created.

But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders.”—C.S. Lewis

Twenty-Seventh Day of Advent (Friday, December 23rd)

If you’re new to Advent Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

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For the final week of Advent Song Reflections, we will be using Scripture and Carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. The reading will be posted in full, followed by a carol, followed by a thought or quote to ponder, and then finishing with reflection questions.

You are encouraged to read the text slowly and prayerfully. This week is a time to truly enter into the wonder and joy of the incarnation, and it is our prayer that these texts and carols help you do just that.

Reading for Friday: Luke 2:1-7 (NRSV)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

Carol: Nativity Carol

Born in a stable so bare
Born so long ago
Born 'neath light of star
He who loved us so

Far away, silent he lay
Born today, your homage pay
For Christ is born for aye
Born on Christmas Day

Cradled by mother so fair
Tender her lullaby
Over her son so dear
Angel hosts fill the sky

Far away, silent he lay
Born today, your homage pay
For Christ is born for aye
Born on Christmas Day

Wise men from distant far land
Shepherds from starry hills
Worship this babe so rare
Hearts with his warmth he fills

Far away, silent he lay
Born today, your homage pay
For Christ is born for aye
Born on Christmas Day

Love in that stable was born
Into our hearts to flow
Innocent dreaming babe
Make me thy love to know

Far away, silent he lay
Born today, your homage pay
For Christ is born for aye
Born on Christmas Day...

“The Incarnation provides a marvelous paradigm for Christ’s work in our lives. Every Advent season, and hopefully at other times as well, we are brought again to the wonder of the Incarnation. See the swaddled Jesus, lying in the feeding trough in the stable, the birthplace of common livestock. Look long and hard with all your mind and all your heart. From early times the paradox of the Incarnation has given birth to mind-boggling expressions. St. Augustine said of the infant Jesus:

      Unspeakably wise,
      He is wisely speechless.

Lancelot Andrewes, who crafted much of the beautiful English of the Old Testament in the King James Version, preaching before King James on Christmas Day 1608, picked up on Augustine’s idea and described Christ in the manger as:

      the word without a word.

He is in his person the Word of God!
Luci Shaw, in her beautiful poem “Mary’s Song,” says:

      Quiet he lies
      whose vigor hurled
      a universe. He sleeps
      whose eyelids have not closed before.

The one who asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand … when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness” (Job 38:4, 9) now himself lay wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The wonder of the Incarnation! The omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God became a baby!”—R.K. Hughes

As we approach Christmas Eve, how might you prepare to encounter the “wonder of the Incarnation” anew? It is a mystery we can never fully understand or appreciate, so spend some time on this December 23rd asking the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart and mind for the telling of the Christmas story. Ask him to strip away any sense of being over-familiar with the story, that you may hear it with fresh awe and wonder.

Twenty-Sixth Day of Advent (Thursday, December 22nd)

If you’re new to Advent Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Advent Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.

For the final week of Advent Song Reflections, we will be using Scripture and Carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. The reading will be posted in full, followed by a carol, followed by a thought or quote to ponder, and then finishing with reflection questions.

You are encouraged to read the text slowly and prayerfully. This week is a time to truly enter into the wonder and joy of the incarnation, and it is our prayer that these texts and carols help you do just that.

Reading for Thursday: Matthew 1:18-23 (NRSV)

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.”

Carol: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

We’re offering both a traditional and contemporary arrangement of the carol. Enjoy either…or both!

Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King"

Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"

“In view of Matthew 18:20 and 28:20, Matthew clearly understands God with us in Isaiah 7:14 to mean that Jesus is truly God (Mt 1:23). But as God ‘with us,’ Jesus is also the fully human one who saves his people by the cross. Matthew thus invites us to consider and worship the God who accepted the ultimate vulnerability, born as an infant to poor and humiliated parents into a world hostile to his presence. Oppressors must hate such a God, for his abandonment of power for love is contrary to everything they stand for. But the broken and oppressed find in him a Savior they can trust in a world where trust is generally dangerous. Of all the world’s faiths, only Christianity announces a God who embraced our pain with us.”—Craig S. Keener

The angel’s words to Joseph make Jesus’ ministry clear—he has come to save us. The idea that he saves us by becoming one of us is hard to wrap our heads around. Charles Wesley’s immortal carol lyrics give us wonderful phrases to reflect upon regarding Christ’s incarnation and his mission. Spend some time praying with each of these. How do they stir your soul? How do they inspire you to pray and worship as Christmas day approaches?

  • Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled

  • Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity

  • Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel

  • Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings

  • Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die

Twenty-Fifth Day of Advent (Wednesday, December 21st)

If you’re new to Advent Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Advent Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.

For the final week of Advent Song Reflections, we will be using Scripture and Carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. The reading will be posted in full, followed by a carol, followed by a thought or quote to ponder, and then finishing with reflection questions.

You are encouraged to read the text slowly and prayerfully. This week is a time to truly enter into the wonder and joy of the incarnation, and it is our prayer that these texts and carols help you do just that.

Reading for Wednesday: Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Carol: Gabriel’s Message (Instrumental)

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame,
All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary!
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!

For known a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold,
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!

“Mary had a choice. She responded as though she had made a decision: ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ God never forces His love or His will on anyone. The implication here is that the angel was announcing God’s plan and purpose to Mary and it would not be carried out without her consent. When this little teen-aged girl, Mary, chose to serve God, it was not as Joan of Arc, marching out clad in her armor to lead armies. A figure like Joan of Arc is glamourous, even though in the end she suffered death. Mary suffered the ridicule and contempt of being pregnant and unmarried in a small town full of gossips. Knowing all this, she said, ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ It is surely one of the most courageous statements ever recorded.”—Bruce Larson

“Let it be to me according to your word.” Sit prayerfully with those words. How do they resonate with how God is moving in your own life right now? Where is he inviting you to align your life more intentionally with his purposes? Are there any parts of your life over which you hesitate to speak these words? How might God be calling you to a deeper level of surrender and trust in those areas?

Twenty-Fourth Day of Advent (Tuesday, December 20th)

If you’re new to Advent Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Advent Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.

For the final week of Advent Song Reflections, we will be using Scripture and Carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. The reading will be posted in full, followed by a carol, followed by a thought or quote to ponder, and then finishing with reflection questions.

You are encouraged to read the text slowly and prayerfully. This week is a time to truly enter into the wonder and joy of the incarnation, and it is our prayer that these texts and carols help you do just that.

Reading for Tuesday: Micah 5:2-4 (NRSV)

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;

Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem

This tune is associated with different tunes depending on where you live, so we are including both

TUNE: ST. LOUIS

TUNE: FOREST GREEN

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King
and peace to all the earth.

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray,
cast out our sin and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Immanuel!

"Micah’s people saw so much greed and deception in high places. Could they believe with him that 'the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice'? Could they believe that 'the one of peace,' whose only weapon is gentleness, would win for them security and safety, when they experienced so much violence around them? Could they believe that someone from little, out-of-the-way Bethlehem would be 'great to the ends of the earth'? Can we?"--Stephen B. Boyd

When you consider the humble circumstances of Christ’s birth, what does that tell you about God’s plan of salvation and his kingdom? Phillips Brooks, writer of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” draws a comparison between humble Bethlehem and our own “meek souls” seeking to receive Christ—how have you experienced “the dear Christ” meeting you in your own humility? Spend some time in prayer for the church of Jesus Christ, that we would hold on to that “meekness of soul” that enables us to be fully used by God.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (Sunday, December 18th)

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Reading: Luke 1:39-55 (NRSV)

Song: Be Born in Me (lyrics here)

Reflection

For many years I barely gave Mary a passing though during the Christmas season. Even after becoming a pastor, she barely registered on my radar. The theological tradition in which I was discipled during my formative Christian years in college told me that “Mary was for the Roman Catholics,” and in light of that I kept my distance.

It now saddens me to think of all the beauty and meaning I missed during those years.

I’m thankful for speakers and books (like Scot McKnight’s The Real Mary) that opened my eyes to the impact of Mary’s story. I’m indebted to those who spoke to the great responsibility Mary took on in faith, and her willingness to expose herself to disgrace in order to be obedient to God. I’m grateful for voices that pointed out the power behind Mary’s simple words, “Let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).

I’m so glad that I came to a place where I could be thankful for Mary and embrace her story.

But truth be told, even after I came to a point of embracing Mary’s story, I still had a journey to make with her—I had to come to a deeper place of embracing the invitation in her story. I may have accepted her importance in the Christmas narrative, but I had yet to consider that Mary’s response to God modeled something for me…for all of us.

That’s why I’m so thankful for Francesca Battistelli’s “Be Born in Me.” I can count on one hand the number of times I have heard a song that struck me so deeply I immediately dropped to my knees, and this is one of them. Not just because it’s a beautifully written song (which I believe it is), but because it puts into words the spiritual formation question at the heart of Mary’s story:

Will we allow Jesus to be born in us?

You and I will never know the literal sense of that question which Mary knew, but the spiritual question is for all of us who follow Christ. To be a Christian is more than giving intellectual assent to the claims of Jesus, and it is even more than receiving forgiveness for our sins. It is about the very life of Christ being manifest in us. It is becoming “little Christs.” As Paul writes in Galatians:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:19-20, NRSV)

The lyrics of this song that brought this truth home for me are so simple, yet so very profound:

Be born in me, be born in me
I’ll hold you in the beginning
You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle
Make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me

Make my heart your Bethlehem…my fearful, trembling heart. Work in me despite my pride and rebellion. Make yourself at home at the very center of my being. Be born in me.

As we approach the final week of Advent, I can think of no better question to sit with: how will we allow Jesus to be born in us? While it’s true that Jesus grants us new birth when we place our faith in him, I believe there are always deeper places of devotion and obedience for us to embrace. There are parts of our hearts and lives where we still hang “No Vacancy” signs. The words of C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity still speak to us today:

"Christ says, 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good...Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.'"

That’s the true gift of Christmas: Christ gives us himself. The only thing our hearts can offer is a vacancy.

How does the invitation in Mary’s story resonate with you right now? Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for those places where the truth and power of Christ’s love have yet to take root. How can you “make your heart a Bethlehem” as Christmas Day approaches?

Twenty-First Day of Advent (Saturday, December 17th)

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Reading: Proverbs 3:3-4 (NRSV)

Songs: Joseph’s Lullaby (lyrics here), A Strange Way to Save the World (lyrics here), Joseph’s Song (lyrics here)

For today’s reflection, you’re invited to read before you listen, as listening to the songs is part of the reflection/prayer response.

For this week, we will be looking each day at a person or group that plays a key part in the Christmas story. Today we consider Joseph of Nazareth.

Joseph is someone we know so little about. A carpenter, betrothed to Mary, from the line of David…that’s about it on the surface. Thankfully, Matthew gives us additional insight into Joseph in his account of Jesus’ birth, insight that sheds light on the character of this person who appears so little in the biblical witness. From Matthew’s telling we can derive a few important things about Jesus’ adoptive father:

-He was faithful to the law (Matt. 1:19)
-He wanted to show compassion to Mary (Matt. 1:19)
-He had deep faith in God, shown in his response to the angel’s message (Matt. 1:24-25)
-He was willing to face public scorn by taking Mary as his wife (Matt. 1:24-25)
-He was a protective father who obeyed God’s guidance to keep the child safe (Matt. 2:13-23)

Joseph strikes me as someone who was an embodiment of Proverbs 3:3-4:

“Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
in the sight of God and of people.”

Today for our reflections on Joseph you’re invited to listen to three songs that have been written about him, in fact, written from his perspective. Of course, they’re pure conjecture. But they fit with the picture of Joseph we’re able to sketch from the biblical text. As you listen and reflect on the words, meditate on these questions:

What qualities seem to define Joseph? How do they reflect the love of God? What qualities shown in Joseph would you pray that the Holy Spirit builds deeper into your life?

Twentieth Day of Advent (Friday, December 16th)

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Reading: Proverbs 8:17 (NRSV)

Song: We Three Kings (lyrics here)

Reflection

For this week, we will be looking each day at a person or group that plays a key part in the Christmas story. Today we consider the magi of the east.

At one church Sharon and I served we heard a recurring story about one of the previous pastors. It turns out that when he would find himself invited to a church member’s house at Christmas time he would look to see if they had a nativity set, and if that nativity set had a set of three wise men he would pull a harmless, but instructional, prank: he’d take the wise men away from the manger scene and place them somewhere else in the house entirely. We’d hear stories of how the wise men were found in garages, bathrooms, and all sorts of interesting places, positioned as if on a journey to the room where the nativity set was placed.

The pastor, of course, was making a point: the magi of Matthew’s gospel weren’t present at the nativity scene. At the time Jesus was born they were not in Bethlehem. As it turns out, our picture of their role in the Christmas story has been informed more by works of art and pop culture (like “The Little Drummer Boy”) than by Scripture. For example, we assume there were three because three gifts are mentioned, but in reality we don’t know how many there were. And many church traditions (and songs) refer to them as “kings,” but that isn’t in the biblical record. They might indeed have been royalty, or at the very least had royal connections as astrologers, but in the end we just don’t know.

But here’s what we do know: they recognized the birth of a king, and they came to honor him with gifts—gifts which themselves carry deep meaning. That’s why, even with a minor “glitch” in the song’s title, I’ve always appreciated “We Three Kings.” It’s such a beautiful description of the gifts and what they represent for the one born in Bethlehem:

Gold, a gift signifying royalty
Frankincense, a gift signifying worship
Myrrh, a gift signifying burial

In those three gifts we have powerful declarations of who Jesus is, and the carol sums up those declarations with three simple words: “King…God…sacrifice.” Simple, yet within them profound truth: Jesus is the King to whom we bow our knee in service, the God to whom we ascribe all glory and honor, and the sacrifice to whom we owe our eternal destiny.

These are three words sitting with prayerfully today as part of our Advent journey.

Glorious now, behold Him, arise
King and God and sacrifice
Alleluia, alleluia
Sounds through the Earth and skies

Spend some time meditating on these words: King, God, and sacrifice. What does each say to you about the person of Jesus and your relationship with him? Does one stand out to you as you reflect on them. Why? How does that speak to your needs and longings right now?

Nineteenth Day of Advent (Thursday, December 15th)

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Reading: John 10:14-15 (NRSV)

Song: Shepherd’s Watch (lyrics here)

Reflection

For this week, we will be looking each day at a person or group that plays a key part in the Christmas story. Today we consider the shepherds, the first to come visit the newborn King.

The shepherds of Bethlehem are definitely in the running for my favorite people in the Christmas story. I know…Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the central figures, but I have a lot of affection for these simple caretakers who were suddenly thrust into salvation history on that first Christmas.

Think about it for a moment: this is the most significant event in human history up until that point. God has come to earth! The divine has stooped to dwell with his creation! As Michael Card puts it, eternity has “stepped into time.” There is no greater happening since the very creation of the cosmos! And who become the first to hear the news directly from the angels?

Lowly shepherds. The bottom rung of society.

As one Biblical commentator has put it:

“That the message came to shepherds first, and not to the high and mighty, reminds us that God comes to the needy, the poor in spirit. Shepherds were despised by the ‘good,’ respectable people of that day. According to the Mishnah, shepherds were under a ban. They were regarded as thieves. The only people lower than shepherds at that particular time in Jewish history were lepers.” —R. K. Hughes

This is an image I need every Christmas. I need to be reminded that God comes to the outcast and rejected of our world. Jesus would go on to echo this truth in the Sermon on the Mount, where the usual standards of society are flipped completely on their head.

This is the same message the prophets proclaimed—God is for the “least of these.” Despite our efforts to claim him for ourselves and make him a mascot for the privileged, the God of the Bible always shows himself instead as the champion of the oppressed. That is a central part of the Christmas story, and it’s one we often forget.

As we meditate on the role of the shepherds, how might God be stirring us to pray for the marginalized of our world? And how might he be calling the church to echo the angels, going into the midst of those cast off by the “good, respectable people” of our day and proclaiming:

Do not be afraid, I've good news of great joy
Your Savior is come; He's Christ, the Lord!

Spend some time in prayer before God for those who feel like outcasts in our world today. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind people in your own circle of influence who are needy and poor in spirit to whom you can be a bearer of glad tidings and good news.

Eighteenth Day of Advent (Wednesday, December 14th)

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Reading: Psalm 148:1-6 (NRSV)

Song: Angels We Have Heard on High (lyrics for reflection below)

Reflection

Angels are certainly an important part of the Christmas story. An angel appears to Zechariah to announce that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son who would prepare the way for the Lord’s coming. The same angel, Gabriel, visits Mary to give her the news that she would be the one to bear the savior of the world. An angel assures Joseph when he receives Mary’s news. The shepherds are visited by angels who herald Christ’s birth and sing the praises of God in the heavens.

For today’s “Wordless Wednesday” reflection we sit with a carol inspired by this visit to the shepherds, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” It is a song of pure worship: it references the worship of the angelic chorus, but it also provides us a chance to join with them in their “heavenly song.” It’s a carol of invitation: come to Bethlehem for yourself, come see the wondrous miracle of which the angels sing. And let your hearts respond in praise.

This is a good day, halfway through our Advent journey, to spend some time simply sitting in a worshipful spirit before God. The Christmas story is all about his gift of salvation, rooted in his deep and abiding love for us.

So in that worshipful spirit, we offer an instrumental version of a carol with an invitation to read the words prayerfully in a style similar to “lectio divina.” Here is a suggested approach for these Wednesday reflections:

  1. Close your eyes and listen to the instrumental once on its own. Breathe deep and open yourself to the idea of “waiting quietly” for God.

  2. Read through the lyrics slowly and prayerfully, more than once. Look for words, images, or phrases that catch your attention and stir your soul.

  3. Listen to the instrumental again while praying with the word or phrase that has caught your attention. What about it has grabbed you? What does the resonance you feel with it reveal about the longings of your heart and soul? Offer these reflections to God in still, quiet surrender.

May God use these times in blessed escape from from the cacophony that often surrounds us this time of year.

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav'nly song?

Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing.
Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Seventeenth Day of Advent (Tuesday, December 13th)

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Reading: Isaiah 9:1-2 (NRSV)

Song: Hope of the Ages (lyrics here)

Reflection

For this week, we will be looking each day at a person or group that plays a key part in the Christmas story. Today we consider the Old Testament prophets who foresaw the coming Messiah.

There are few things I enjoy more during the Advent season than a lessons and carols service, especially one that takes its time telling the full Christmas story from the whole scope of scripture. To hear the prophetic words (starting, really, with Genesis 3:15) echo through Israel’s history as they foretell the coming of the Messiah, then to hear those promises fulfilled with the incarnation, is uniquely powerful.

There is something we often fail to take into account when we hear those Old Testament prophecies, though. We usually listen to them while seated in a beautifully decorated sanctuary, with calming candlelight and the familiar trappings of the season to put us in a meditative and reflective mood. What we forget is that the prophecies we hear were not written in peaceful situations or soothing environments. The words of Isaiah, for example, are written to a nation that had turned its back on Yahweh, and while there are words of great comfort there are also warnings of dire judgment. Micah may have foreseen that the Messiah would be born in the city of Bethlehem, but he also saw destruction coming for the city of Jerusalem. Malachi (whose name, interestingly, means “messenger”) predicted the messenger who would precede the Messiah, but like the one he envisioned Malachi, too, had to deliver a warning that God’s people had wandered from the Lord’s ways.

The prophets saw the coming of God’s salvation, but the circumstances in which they ministered were often oppressive and disheartening. We have the hindsight provided by the Christmas story, but for the prophets the promises were taken on pure faith and trust in God’s plan to deliver and restore, even when the evidence before their eyes spoke otherwise. That’s what prophecy does: it stares into the darkness of human experience and dares to declare that God is working out his purposes even then. And the Christmas story shows that those purposes are greater and more glorious than we can even imagine.

As we seek to enter fully into the Advent journey, may we take heart in knowing that the prophets spoke of hope even when hope seemed completely out of reach. As they held on to the promises of God, may we do the same in these difficult times.

The vision once clouded has now to our hearts appeared
Once shrouded in myst’ry, redemption has been made clear
Our Messiah now has come
Word made Flesh, the saving One

Do you struggle to hold on to hope in the midst of trying circumstances? Spend time with the promises of the Old Testament prophets: consider the times in which they were written, and find the trustworthiness of God reflected in them. Here are some additional prophecies to sit with prayerfully:

Isaiah 7:14

Micah 5:2

Isaiah 61:1

Malachi 3:1

Sixteenth Day of Advent (Monday, December 12th)

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Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NRSV)

Song: Once in Royal David’s City (lyrics here)

Reflection

For this week, we will be looking each day at a person or group that plays a key part in the Christmas story. We begin with King David.

King David, even despite his shortcomings and failures, was Israel’s model king. His reign over the nation was Israel’s “golden age,” a time when peace, righteousness, and justice held sway in the land. This is a remarkable truth, given David’s status as a self-acknowledged sinner who committed adultery and murder while king. Yet his sin does not define him. In the psalms we have a record of his confession and repentance, which God honored and used to demonstrate his mercy and forgiveness, so that in the end David is known as a “man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13, Acts 13).

In truth things for the nation of Israel go downhill fast following David’s death. His son Solomon may have started well, but his auspicious start gave way to poor decisions and eventual idolatry. David’s grandsons fared even worse, leading to a civil war that divided the nation. The monarchy never fully recovered.

We’re told that in all the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, not a single king was righteous. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, fared a little better. Some of their kings actually sought to honor God and return Israel to its covenant roots, but it never seemed to last. Under King Josiah the nation experienced a revival of sorts when a Book of the Law was discovered during renovations of the temple, leading to his banning of all pagan cults from the land. But again, it wasn’t to last. The kings who followed Josiah did not follow his example, and their wickedness provides the backdrop for what the prophet Jeremiah speaks in chapter twenty-three.

Following a rebuke of the “shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep” (Jer. 23:1), the prophet is given a vision of a king who will return Israel to its legacy of righteousness and justice. This king will be a “righteous branch” from the family tree of David, and his very name will echo with the righteousness of God. These words would have spoken powerfully to the people of Israel who longed for freedom and restoration, and the mere mention of David’s name in reference to this coming King would have filled them with hope.

More than 2500 years after Jeremiah wrote his prophecy, we look around and we, too, are familiar with “shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep.” We may not have kings, but we do have rulers who abuse their positions of power. We have elected officials who look to their own interests instead of those of the people. And we even have pastors, whose very title means “shepherd,” who can sometimes cause the flock to scatter and lose faith.

As we make our way to Bethlehem (the city of David) during Advent, and as we also long for a return to righteousness and justice, we do well to meditate on the life of David and the promises of his Righteous Branch. In Christ the promise made to David finds its ultimate fulfillment:

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13, NRSV)

How does it affect your Advent preparations to spend time meditating on these kingly prophecies concerning the Messiah? In what ways does the Christmas season resonate with your desire for a rule of justice and righteousness? Spend some time before God in prayer and worship, reflecting on Christ’s coming reign and the desires of your heart.

Third Sunday of Advent (Sunday, December 11th)

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Reading: Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)

Song: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (lyrics here)

Reflection

Sometimes the selected lectionary readings for Advent are like when you’re taking a nice drive through the country, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peaceful atmosphere, but then you turn a corner around a hill and find a huge billboard with images of fire and flame emblazoned with a giant word: “REPENT!” You can be spending time with wonderful, uplifting words of God’s peace and his promises of salvation, and then hit a gospel text with John the Baptist and suddenly we’re confronted with “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7)

I think we can be forgiven for finding it jarring.

But when you take a deeper look at the prophetic texts of Advent and the words of John the Baptist, there is a common theme that is worth considering. Consider these comforting words reminding us not to be afraid:

“On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing…” (Zephaniah 3:16-17)

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

“The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

In a time when the second coming of Jesus is often portrayed as something to fear, it is a good reminder to us that for those who have put their faith in Christ there is no fear involved whatsoever. The final culmination of God’s kingdom is something to be anticipated with trust and joyful expectation, not dread or terror.

The words of John the Baptist, though, are a reminder that there are those who could use a little healthy fear as they consider the coming of the Lord. For those who oppress, who bear rotten fruit, who hoard and extort…for those who exploit and prey on the weak, the promise of Christ’s coming is a wake-up call. John brings that message home with force:

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17)

Notice what Luke writes next, though. It’s very interesting:

“So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” (Luke 3:18)

Luke reminds us that even the promise of judgment is, in fact, good news. It’s good news because the many forces at work in the world today to oppress and exploit will be held accountable. They will receive their due recompense. Even though they often seem to have the upper hand, they do not have the final word.

In light of that message, the exhortation from God to not be afraid strikes a deeper resonance with our current experiences. It’s not just a promise to those far removed in history, or a reminder regarding the eventual coming of Christ: it’s a word for here and now. The forces at play in our world that tempt us to fear are powerless before Almighty God and his coming kingdom. We do not need to fear. The Lord God is our strength and might, he has become our salvation.

That is an Advent promise worth meditating upon.

How does the message of “Do not be afraid” resonate with you right now? Do you feel tempted to despair at times when confronted with the dark forces at work in our world? Offer that despair to God and ask the Holy Spirit to work a deeper level of trust in his kingdom work.

Take some time praying through Philippians 4:4-7, which is a wonderful one for slow, prayerful reading as we offer our fears and anxieties to God. Ask him to replace any fears and anxieties you might be feeling today with the peace that passes all understanding.

Fourteenth Day of Advent (Saturday, December 10th)

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Reading: Philippians 2:9-11 (NRSV)

Song: Your Name (Christmas Version) (lyrics below for reflection)

Reflection

NOTE: Jack and Sharon Brown are out of town Friday & Saturday, December 19th/10th, and have discovered they do not have reliable internet where they are staying. Until they return we are offering you worship songs of the season that are written as direct prayers, and invite you to pray these lyrics as part of your Advent journey. We apologize for the unexpected change.

Humbly to the earth You came
Born unto this world to stay
God with us Emmanuel
Now we adore Your Name

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name let the nations sing it louder
’Cause nothing has the Power to save
But Your Name

Jesus in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord give us strength
to live for You
and glorify Your Name

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name let the nations sing it louder
’Cause nothing has the Power to save
But Your Name

Wonderful, Counselor
Prince of Peace

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name let the nations sing it louder
’Cause nothing has the Power to save
But Your Name

God with us Emmanuel
God with us Emmanuel
God with us Emmanuel
Now we adore Your Name

By Paul Baloche

Thirteenth Day of Advent (Friday, December 9th)

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Reading: Psalm 77:11-15 (NRSV)

Song: Lord, Remind Me (lyrics below for reflection)

Reflection

NOTE: Jack and Sharon Brown are out of town Friday & Saturday, December 9th/10th, and have discovered they do not have reliable internet where they are staying. Until they return we are offering you worship songs of the season that are written as direct prayers, and invite you to pray these lyrics as part of your Advent journey. We apologize for the unexpected change.

When children play on Christmas day and snow is flung

When I feel I haven't had a friend since I was young

And I'm feeling tired of myself and everyone

Lord remind me

Lord remind me

That the shepherds heard the angels break the silence in the field

That the wisemen found a baby and yhey could not help but kneel

That the one who heard our weeping became a child in manger sleeping

Lord remind me

‘Cause it's Christmas and I want to remember

When I hear the news and hear another war has begun

And I wonder if God's on the side of either one

I hear bullet nail or handcuff he bore all of them

And in the light my heart's as dark as anyone's

Lord remind me

Lord remind me

That the shepherds heard the angels break the silence in the field

That the wisemen found a baby and they could not help but kneel

That the one who heard our weeping

Became a child in manger sleeping

Lord remind me

‘Cause it's Christmas and I want to remember

Tell me how he loves

Tell me how he wants me

Tell me the story like I've never heard before

And I'll sing like the angels

Sing with my whole heart

Sing to him who's worth a thousand suns and more

Glory in the highest

Glory in the lowest

Glory that shines when nothing seems to shine at all

Glory in the highest

Glory in the lowest

Emmanuel

Glory in the highest

Glory in the lowest

Emmanuel

Emmanuel

Lord remind me

Lord remind me

That the paralytic rose and stood up proud on his own feet

That the thief who hung beside you is with you now and waits for me

That the cry of faith so simple is the greatest song in heaven's hymnal

Lord remind me

‘Cause it's Christmas and I want to remember

Songwriters: Jonathan Allen Guerra

Lord Remind Me lyrics © Be Essential Songs

Twelfth Day of Advent (Thursday, December 8th)

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Reading: Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV)

Song: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (lyrics here)

Reflection

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” is a carol that, in my opinion, packs a bit of a surprise for the listener who pays attention. It starts off innocently enough with a tranquil picture of the first Christmas, with the still and solemn world hearing the familiar and comforting proclamation of the angels:

“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven's all-gracious King.”

I’d guess that most people who know this carol are pretty much only familiar with that first verse, drawing comfort from that familiarity and the poetic beauty of such lines as “angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.” The Christ child has come to a world who needs him desperately, and the carol captures that gift so well.

If that were all there was to the carol, it would be enough.

But if you pay attention to what comes next, it commands your attention and surprises you with its timeliness and prophetic impact. Suddenly in verse two, those same angels visit our world, which the author notes is still filled with chaos as “Babel sounds.” The weary world still needs the gift of Christmas, and if we have ears to hear we can still catch the angel song which proclaims the peace still offered to us.

If that were all there was to the carol, it would be enough.

But then the carol makes it personal: it’s not just the world that is weary, it’s you and me. Can you resonated with that truth? Do you feel “life’s crushing load” acutely? Hear the author call us to attention: Look now! The angels are still singing, and we’re invited to rest and take it in.

If that were all there was to the carol, it would be enough.

But there is still more for us to hear, isn’t there? Because the angel song doesn’t just point us to the peace which God provides in the midst of this current chaos. It also reminds us that there is a greater peace yet to come, a day seen by the prophets of old. The one who came as a child will come again in glory, and the peace we know in part now will be known in whole. And the transformed world, which has been comforted by the angel song these many years, will send it back for eternity.

The carol reminds us that there is more to come, and it will be enough.

Which movement of this carol speaks to you most powerfully today—the reminder of the Christmas story, the truth that the angels still sing their song over the world, the invitation to hear that song in the midst of your weariness, or the promise of how the song will resonate through all eternity? Or maybe they all speak to you in some way. Spend time in prayer and conversation with God about the ways the song of peace and the promise of the peace yet to come speak to you today.

Eleventh Day of Advent (Wednesday, December 7th)

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Reading: Romans 12:1 (NRSV)

Song: In the Bleak Midwinter (lyrics for reflection below)

We are offering both versions of the carol, since both are equally beloved.

MUSIC BY HOLST VERSION:

MUSIC BY DARKE VERSION:

Reflection

I remember the first time I heard the carol “In the Bleak Midwinter.” I was a first-year seminary student, and Sharon and I were attending the annual Lessons and Carols service at the seminary chapel. Before the service began I glanced through the order of songs and readings, and when my eyes caught the title “In the Bleak Midwinter,” I’m embarrassed to say that my “newly-minted seminarian” pride started to kick in:

“Jesus wasn’t born in the winter! Anyone worth their theological salt knows that the shepherds would NOT have been abiding in the fields with their sheep during the winter months. Jesus was most likely born in the spring!”

When the carol began, my haughty assumptions ratcheted up a gear with phrases like “frosty wind” and “snow on snow,” and I was close to being convinced that singing this carol was a waste of time and breath.

Then I heard (and read) the second, third, and fourth verses…and my pride withered away in the beauty of the words and the thoughts they expressed.

Now “In the Bleak Midwinter” is my favorite carol. The images it contains bring me to my knees every time I hear them:

  • the stable that holds the God of the universe

  • the simple worship of the beloved child’s mother

  • the invitation to place ourselves alongside the shepherds and Wise Men as we consider our own gifts for the Savior

So with such beautiful words and images to sit and pray with, this carol seemed a good choice for our second Wordless Wednesday, when we offer an instrumental version of a carol with an invitation to read the words prayerfully in a style similar to “lectio divina.” Here is a suggested approach for these Wednesday reflections:

  1. Close your eyes and listen to the instrumental once on its own. Breathe deep and open yourself to the idea of “waiting quietly” for God.

  2. Read through the lyrics slowly and prayerfully, more than once. Look for words and phrases that catch your attention and stir your soul.

  3. Listen to the instrumental again while praying with the word or phrase that has caught your attention. What about it has grabbed you? What does the resonance you feel with it reveal about the longings of your heart and soul? Offer these reflections to God in still, quiet surrender.

May God use these times in blessed escape from from the cacophony that often surrounds us this time of year.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

Tenth Day of Advent (Tuesday, December 6th)

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Reading: John 1:29-34 (NRSV)

Song: Canticle of the Turning (lyrics here)

Reflection

When I taught writing at a local film school one of my favorite exercises was to break down the narrative structure of a good story. The students and I would watch a classic film and talk about concepts such as inciting incidents, rising action, story climax points, and resolutions as we mapped them out in the movie we were watching.

On important screenplay concept we would discuss was “turning points,” those places in the story where the narrative direction would shift, the stakes would be raised, and the pace would quicken. We would watch films and try to anticipate turning points, asking ourselves, “What moments did we see approaching which would change everything?”

The arrival of Jesus on earth is the biggest turning point in human history, and John the Baptist is one of the primary voices to announce it:

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (v. 29)

Think of everything that changes because of Jesus—it’s a list that is to exhaustive to complete. We saw in the lectionary passages from this past Sunday how Isaiah poetically describes it:

“Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:4-5)

There is no greater turning than a complete reversal of everything that has come before. That’s the kind of turning Jesus brings, and it’s captured powerfully in today’s song by Rory Cooney.

For your time of prayer and devotion today, you are invited to read the lyrics to “Canticle of the Turning” slowly and prayerfully: How do these words echo you own heart’s cry? What “turnings” do you most desire to see in the world today? In your own life? Offer those desires to God and ask him to remind you of his power to make the world over in ways that more and more resemble his kingdom.

My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

(REFRAIN) My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!

Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn. (REFRAIN)

From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
ev’ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn. (REFRAIN)

Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
‘Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around. (REFRAIN)

Ninth Day of Advent (Monday, December 5th)

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Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (NRSV)

Song: O Come, All You Unfaithful (lyrics here)

Reflection

Christmastime is a season where we often feel we have to “have it all together.” Houses and decorations have to be immaculate, presents well-chosen and thoughtful, family gatherings happening with nary a hiccup…this can be a time of year when we feel a lot of pressure to be perfect.

One year at our church the sanctuary decorating committee had a unique idea, and it was one that created quite a stir on the first Sunday of Advent. People came into the worship space, accustomed to a gorgeous display of decorations and lights to mark the season, but this particular year they found something vastly different. In the sanctuary that year was…a lot of junk. Shopping carts tipped over, cardboard boxes scattered about, trash strewn about the front of the sanctuary—it was a mess! You could tell as people came in that they were upset at first, until the reality of what was happening started to dawn on them. Their countenance shifted when they realized that up at the front, sitting squarely in the center on all the mess, was a manger. The message started to sink in—that Jesus was born into a mess and he comes into our mess as well—and it ended up being one of the most powerful Advent seasons we ever had.

How good it is to know that Jesus comes to us just as we are, in the midst of our mess, both external and internal. That truth should bring us to our knees in gratitude—Christ doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up before welcoming him into our lives. The same one born into a dirty stable is willing to be born into our lives despite all the things we struggle with that leave us feeling like a failure. He doesn’t come to shame, but to transform.

If you resonate with that need for transformation today, rejoice! The one who is faithful calls the unfaithful to himself to “strengthen you to the end.” (v. 8)

O come, barren and waiting ones
Weary of praying, come
See what your God has done

Spend some time in prayer being honest with God about where you are spiritually and the things with which you struggle most right now. Use your imagination to picture that first Christmas and the chaos and mess into which Jesus was born…how can you invite him into what you’re dealing with right now? How might you enter a deeper realization that he isn’t asking you to “clean yourself up” before inviting him in, that he’s willing and eager to meet you right where you are, just as you are?