Deer Park Baptist Church
1733 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40205
Click on Date for Devotion
December
The picture on our cover was painted by Guido Reni (1575-1642) based on Luke 2:1-20,
Nativity Scene, detail, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt,edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46562
Hymns have been printed under CCLI license 205945.
A Parable for Advent Living
For a quarter of a century, Northside Baptist Church in Victoria, Texas, has produced an elaborate Christmas play. The presentation has everything: shepherds, Magi, Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus, and even animals. In fact, for many years, the church rented a camel for the Magi to lead into the worship center at their pageant.
About five years ago the cost of camel rentals along the Texas Gulf Coast went through the roof. Church leaders calculated that for what it would cost to rent a camel for two years they could buy one. So, being good stewards, the church bought a camel and named her Lucy.
Lucy has a rather good life. She only performs 4-5 days a year. In the off-season she lives on a ranch. Her upkeep is easy and her life expectancy is 50 years. The church is saving a small fortune in camel rentals. I picture Lucy lolling around green pastures waiting for that brief sliver of time each December when she has to “go to work” at church. I do wonder if she misses the applause when she is not performing in the Christmas pageants. Does she feel left out when she is off stage most of the year?
That’s about how it is for the rest of the cast. The costumes for those who play the people parts are boxed up from January to November. The staging is stored in a barn until Advent gets underway. And I’m wondering, too, if maybe along with all these visuals, that the message of Christmas gets pushed aside. Not just in Victoria but anywhere where Advent and Christmas are celebrated each year.
Do we ever think that the meaning of the birth of our Savior is something we trot out for a brief look once a year, but after that it’s back to the pasture or the storage bins? I hope not. For Christians, the meaning of the Advent season should be center stage every day. That God would love the world with such gracious affection ought to be our focus all 365 days each year.
As this year’s Advent Guide is used as a spiritual enrichment source, may we read and pray with deep devotion to the One who came that we might know hope, peace, joy and love. And, if we had a Lucy, we might have to bring her every Sunday starting in January! Why? So that the message – which is contained creatively in these meditations and carols – stays alive and vibrant in our lives. Besides, where’s the fun of owning a camel if you hardly ever use it?
David Platt
A Safe Place for Faith to Grow
“Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.” Matthew 2:13
Imagine how Mary must have felt when she heard that King Herod was seeking to destroy her baby. How relieved she must have been when the angel appeared to Joseph, telling him his little family would be safe in Egypt.
One of the best times of Christmas for me is after the decorating and baking, shopping and wrapping is done and I am sitting in our darkened Deer Park sanctuary on Christmas Eve. My family and church family are there. I am holding my little short candle and the first strain of “Silent Night” begins. My faith is renewed, freshened and reborn. Just like Mary’s Baby, this newborn faith needs a safe place to grow. My renewed faith must be protected from Herod (all those things that try to distract from God). This means finding a place of refuge where I can go to escape the commotion of daily living. I must find my Egypt --- a place for rest, prayer, thought and study.
Perhaps during this holy season, as Christ is reborn in our hearts, we will want to prepare a safe place for the Baby to grow. Find your Egypt. Go there each day and you may soon find that you have created a safe place for the newborn faith to grow and grow.
Merry Christmas, dear friends.
Jean Abell
It is my hope that when you encounter a hymn in this Advent Devotion Book you will take the time to sing it gloriously…
or sing it softly…
or reverently say the words.
Hymns in worship (as well as my singing in the choir for many, many years) have served as the foundation for my faith.
I hope that during this season of Advent you will experience this also.
Linda Slatter
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
I am thinking about two women and the thought that all things are possible with God. Many things take place that we humans say “that just can not be done.” Mary and Elizabeth were not the most likely women to bear a child. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old in years and had longed and prayed for a child for many years.
A very young Mary was promised to Joseph but not yet married to him. What next? The angel Gabriel starts appearing to the four people. First to Zechariah to tell him Elizabeth will bear a son in her old days and he shall be named John. He questioned this and was told that he would not speak again until the child was born.
Gabriel also appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him about Mary who would bear a son named Jesus and would he would be the Son of God. Joseph being a kind man was not angry with Mary after he thought the matter over. When the angel came to Mary she asked, “How can this be since I have not known a man?” The angel says all things are possible with God. After a bit of time Mary goes to Elizabeth for a three month visit.
My imagination moves in now. Did Mary partly go to escape the local gossip around her? I think she did. What sharing took place as these two women talked about their upcoming babies and the meaning it. Elizabeth says, “I feel my baby kicking in joy for the coming of the Lord.” Meanwhile Zechariah, who can’t speak is smiling and nodding his head as he listens to the constant chatter. During advent, we think about the coming of our Lord and the verse Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” For a present day example of this just think of beautiful little Lydia Belle who came into the world so tiny a baby. After much hope she brings love and joy to her family.
May we each look for hope, peace, love and joy and impossible things in our lives at this time of Advent.
Wanda Ray
PEACE
Luke 2:15-16: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger.
Sometimes, by Christmas Eve, the last thing we can think about is peace. What with cooking, shopping, wrapping and the general “overplanning” of Christmas activities, peace is not an option as it seems to have been with the shepherds.
The church of my growing-up days had no Christmas Eve service so it was not something I was used to attending. The first or second year Judy and I were married we attended a Christmas Eve midnight service at an Episcopal Church with an aunt of mine who had a great deal of influence in my life. I will never forget the sense of peace and wonder that seemed to permeate that service. Since that night, Christmas Eve worship has been a given in our family.
For me, at least, a Christmas Eve worship service is not an option; it is a necessity. Whether it is midnight “high church”, a service similar to ours with member participation, or a service of carols, and silent Communion it is the one worship that epitomizes peace.
May your Christmas this year be “interrupted” with Peace.
Bill Earp
My Enthusiasm for Advent
In the last several years, the holidays seemed not to have the same meaning as it once did. In the same token, things aren’t as they once were either.
While growing up, as an only child, I never really thought of life without big holiday celebrations, all of the joys and anticipation of the excitement in looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving was a day where my family would all be together to share a day of joy, fun, watching football and loads of food. It made me realize just how much I disliked turkey but I would tolerate it since it was only featured once a year.
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas started with “Black Friday”, which at the time I didn’t know what it meant. The hustle and bustle of tempting fate to travel down Shelbyville Road to the malls to shop for Christmas meant the confusion of what to get for the ones that you loved and cared for.
Christmas would be a time for family that I only saw once a year to come together to share times of family, love, and fun. All of my cousins from east Tennessee would provide hours of fun playing down in the basement and having the feeling of what it was like having brothers and sisters. While the Christmas dinner would be prepared featuring a honey-baked ham with all of the trimmings, the family would gather around the fireplace and reminisce through photo albums and telling family stories. After dinner, we would all gather in the living room and exchange gifts. The elder family members would elect one of the grandchildren to be Santa Claus and two others to be his/her elves. It was such a wonderful time for all of the family.
But that was then and now is the present; most of my family members have gone to “Glory” and I’m left with memories and regrets. My enthusiasm for the Advent season was not what it once was and I thought that I would never be able to capture that wonderful feeling again.
Now I have a renewed spirit and motivation with the upcoming Advent season. I have my church family at Deer Park that I truly feel love me and my family, like the “good ole days” while growing up, my children are living in town and close to me, and most happy to have my first two grandsons in my life that bring me so much joy. I feel like that I have received new life thanks to new life and the symbolism that is meant from them.
If I learned anything from the past year is that it's not WHAT you have in your life, but WHO you have in your life that counts. Happy holidays to you all.
Tim Bobbie
Nothing Less Than Perfect
Matthew 1:18-25
It can be said with certainty that Adam was the first perfect human being - physiologically speaking. We could perhaps go a step further and say that he was perfect in all aspects since he had not yet been exposed to sin and therefore his very mind and soul were also perfect and free of guilt.
It was but a short time though before Adam incurred God’s displeasure and punishment for himself and his progeny.
It is safe to say that physical degeneration is a certainty, following degenerate sinful conduct. The human genome - the elements that are responsible for the faithful reproduction of our species - is sensitive to destructive physical behavior, nutritional deficiencies, toxins and other environmental factors. Once damaged, by whatever means, it is impossible to repair the genes and restore them to their original perfect state. Whatever the condition- it is what is passed on to the next generation. The human race has over hundreds of generations been subjected to a multitude of these generic “modifications. “ That is why today there is a huge catalog of diseases and infirmities abounding in the human race, many having their origins perhaps thousands of years ago. That is why the study of genes is so popular.
All of this is leading somewhere, so read on.
Adam was in the beginning perfect, but he fell from God’s grace and all men became sinners. In his anger God eliminated all but a remnant and began again with Noah, amid high hopes of making all of His people not slaves, but obedient subjects with noble natures, obedient to Him as Father and Creator.
God gave mankind from the very beginning the ability to make a choice. Unfortunately, sin was the popular choice and enslavement was the result. Sin was in the world to stay and man would continue to be Satan’s prey. If mankind was not to be a premature slave, he must retain the ability to choose whose slave he will be. In essence we are all free to be free or free to be a slave. In a perfect world, we would all be a slave to Christ in appreciation for His sacrifice. In real terms though, many or most of us are slaves to one sin or another, and for many, there is a wide assortment. It is unfortunate that we are incapable of not sinning; therefore, sin must be dealt with once for all because it became obvious early on that it is going to be with us for a while.
To put all of this in perspective, let’s fast forward to the year 4 B.C.E.-before the common era, otherwise known as 4 B.C.
We must assume then, that by that year - the accepted year of our Savior’s birth, that there were no more perfect men to be found about whom it could be said were “without blemish or defect” mentioned in 1 Peter 1:19, which we know to be the stringent requirements of the sacrificial lamb to be offered on the altar by the high priest.
Now we get to the heart of the matter. Since all men came from physically imperfect parents, where does God find a perfect specimen to be sacrificed for the remission of all sin for all time? We know God would settle for nothing less.
There was none left on earth. The answer is in Matthew 1:1-18.
I wrote this in an earlier guide some years back as an expression of what I considered to be afresh view of God’s purpose.
Bob Martin
Advent Devotion
My mother has collected dozens of nativity sets over the years. I’m not sure what the official count is up to, but when it when it comes time to put up the Christmas decorations, there is almost no room in my parents’ house that does not display a scene of the birth of Christ. I can’t imagine how much patience one must have to delicately set out and arrange Jesus, Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds, wise men, and a few sheep and donkeys – over and over again! There are large sets and tiny sets, wooden sets and glass sets, antique sets and new sets, American-made sets and foreign-made sets. You get the idea. Cliché as it may sound, beholding these numerous renderings of the birth of Christ constantly reminds me of why we have devoted an entire season to the coming of the Christ.
The angels’ words in Luke 2:14 say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward humankind.” Indeed, Jesus Christ alone is capable of bringing such peace and goodwill to a world as diverse as ours.
The nativity sets in my parents’ home are testimonies of the diverse people groups of the world who have experienced Christ’s presence, and we should celebrate the fact that the gospel has been heard in so many parts of the world. It is my prayer during this Advent season that we will continue to learn what it means to be Christ’s presence in the world.
Jeremy Shoulta
The Blessing of Family
During this blessed Advent season, I have so much to be thankful for. My children are living in town and so large a part of my life; the birth of my grandsons which have enriched my life so much even at such a early age; and most of all, thankful for my large, extended family at Deer Park Baptist.
I have always counted and considered my church family as a large part of my life. I consider myself very fortunate that I have so many people that have cared for me as the people of Deer Park have done. I can name many members that stand out in my mind; however, I feel that it would be hurtful by doing so because every member has such a special meaning in my heart.
There are several people that I must mention that not only have meant so much to my family that I feel other members would agree could say the same thing to their family(s). There is Ron Turner, who has reinvented my once lost belief to express my love of God through music. Through special music, Ron has inspired me to focus my heart in music more than I ever have before. Doris Brown is such a special lady in my life that words simply would not due her justice. Doris makes a special effort to keep in touch with all that happens at Deer Park. It was amazing when I first met Doris that she knew more about me and my family before I could find out the first thing about her. Her love for her church and her church family make me feel so blessed and a very, very lucky man.
Earl and Wanda Ray exemplify the friendliness of Deer Park; their sweet and good nature personalities make them unforgettable. Elizabeth Robertson holds such a special place in my heart for many reasons but the big one was when she introduced my daughter Teresa to “the Lifehouse”. Because of her introduction, my daughter has a new lifeline and a chance to get on her feet and make a successful life for her and her two beautiful sons, Steven Christopher and David Mathew. God sent Elizabeth to my family at a time where there were many questions to be answered and new roads that were once closed but now have been opened.
Finally my life has never been more enriched more than when David Platt first came into my life. David is such an honorable and true blessing from God that I feel so fortunate to have as a mentor in my life. David goes out of his way to help others and make sure that those in need receive services. With his pleasant and gentle humor, he is truly one of God’s best “sidekicks”!
My Advent prayer would be that all of my friends at Deer Park, both ones that I know best and those who I don’t know as well but mean as much to me, be blessed this holiday and true peace and tranquility flow gently down their stream of life. My life is enriched by being apart of such a loving and supportive family.
Tim Bobbie
Advent is …
I recently told a friend I was writing a piece on “Advent” for my church’s annual Christmas devotional booklet. With that he asked, “What is Advent?”
“Good question”, I thought. Traditionally Advent is the four-week period of preparation prior to Christmas, the day we celebrate Christ’s birth. We have just finished thanking God for his generous bounty and are now beginning to prepare for the birth of Jesus, his only Son. However, the more I think about it, the greater my realization becomes for how much it truly represents.
It really is the personification of faith, hope, and joy. Faith begins when we truly believe in God and give his Son, Jesus, our complete trust and devotion. To paraphrase Blaise Pascal, faith is God felt by the heart, not by reason. With acceptance through faith, God’s will becomes our reality. Serving others becomes a way of life that brings joy to all involved.
With faith and trust, hope becomes our promise for the future. We now are able to face our desires with expectations of fulfillment, not only in this life, but also in the promise of eternal life.
Therefore, Advent is not only the beginning of the Christmas season, it is the beginning of the indescribable joy that results from faith, hope and the marvelous grace of our heavenly Father.
Merry Christmas,
Al Rickert
What Wonderful Things God Can Do
"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'
'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'
The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.'
'I am the Lord's servant.' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her."
Luke 1:26-38
Seven years ago at this time, I had just given birth to our firstborn, Gabriel. I remember writing the Deer Park devotion then, saying that it was much easier to understand Mary's part in this wonderful story. After being pregnant, giving birth to a son, knowing that he is a blessing, and knowing that he will do great things make it easier to comprehend this love story. I am now getting ready to give birth to our fourth child. I'm still filled with the awe, the love, the blessings and, yes, the nervousness - but, wow, it's just amazing what wonderful things God can do and create when you look at children. We marvel at His works and praise Him!
Mary was a young girl, but willing to be the Lord's servant. What a tremendous blessing! I'm sure she was scared and at times she probably didn't even know what to feel, but she gave birth to the Savior of the world! Jesus came to earth, born as a baby, because of a deep, unconditional love for each of us!
This Christmas season, let us each focus on that love - the love Christ has for us and let us love each other!
Deana Ramsey
(Editor’s note: Deana gave birth to Lydia Kay on Nov. 6. She joins big
brothers Gabriel and Nehemiah and big sister Hannah. Lydia has her daddy
wrapped around her little finger!)
SMILE
Merriam-Webster states that to smile is to show a favorable or agreeable appearance. A smile shows a change of facial expression that expresses amusement, pleasure, or affection.
A smile, according to my definition, means experiencing joy and is contagious. Let us all wish for a smile epidemic that will keep us all spiritually happy and smiling all year long.
In Proverbs, we read, “a cheerful heart is good medicine.” Well, we know a cheerful heart brings smiles, and their fruits are hope, joy, and love. May we all maintain a healthy dose of cheerfulness.
While reading the Christmas story, think of the smile Joseph must have shown when the angels appeared to him in a dream and advised him that his betrothed was going to bear him a son named Jesus. This son, who will offer us eternal life with him. Doesn’t that bring a smile to each of us? Jesus’ birth was to fill us with joy, delight, and bring gladness to Mary.
God enjoys visiting with us. Just open the door to your heart and He will come right in to wish you a Merry Christmas and provide happiness. Now that should definitely bring a smile.
Once again, I wish a joyous Christmas for you and yours. Show your love with a never-ending smile.
Doris P. Brown
The Birthday of the King
They had crossed through valleys of hot stinging sand
To follow the star that illumined the land;
Like the pillar of fire and the heavenly cloud,
That charted the course of Abraham’s crowd,
The celestial marker, above them and clear,
Told of a journey whose end was so near;
Where is this King, so sinless and pure,
With scepter divine and His crown secure?
There lay He in a star bathed abode,
Near the fields where David with a shepherd’s crook strode;
The Lamb had come to benefit all,
And to save mankind from Adam’s fall.
Jean and Bob Martin
Turn Tail and Run Away?
Abraham Lincoln once told this story to a group of his advisors.
I remember when I was a lad, there were two fields behind our house separated by a fence. In each field there was a big bulldog, and these dogs spent the whole day racing up and down, snarling and yelping at each other through the fence. One day they both came at the same moment to a hole in it, big enough to let either of them through. Well, gentlemen, what do you think they did? They just turned tail and scampered away as fast as they could in opposite directions.
The dogs’ outward behavior would make one think that their greatest hope was to get at the other, but when the opportunity came they turned tail and ran. Isaiah gives us a picture of a perfect world when Jesus returns. Our outward behavior would make one think that our great hope is the return of Jesus. Inside, is that what we really want? If He came today would we turn tail and run away or we run to the greatest thing that ever happened to us?
Joe Woosley (Please read Isaiah 11:1-9.)
Reprinted from the Advent Devotion Book of 1993
Give Thanks
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:1
You’re probably wondering why I chose a verse from the Old Testament as my passage on which to base my Advent contribution. After all, we are talking about anticipating the coming of Christ. The Old Testament is past, old news. However, that verse says so much about God and his love for us.
I have been reading Simple Abundance (Sarah Ban Breathnach) this year thanks to my friend and Sunday school facilitator, Suzanne. It is a daily read and although it is not “religious” there is so much to gain from it. On January 14, Ms. Breathnach suggested the reader start a Gratitude Journal. She wanted me to write 5 things that I was grateful for everyday. I got a small journal, 5 things wouldn’t need much room, and started. I admit I did not write every day and some days only 1 or 2 items were listed. When I needed an idea for the Advent Book I went to that journal. I won’t bore you will all of them.
I’m grateful for:
• My husband, children and grandchildren and my extended family
• Being able to walk in the Mini-marathon
• All those who help with the supper on Wednesday night
• Gorgeous blue skies and bright sunshine even on a cold morning
• Good books to share with friends
• A quiet place to read and meditate
• Edith’s afghan and my heating pad
• People who respond to the needs of others
• New babies brought into loving homes
• Safe travel with friends
• Opportunities that I took advantage of
• Deer Park Baptist Church and my church family. (Not enough room for names)
• A warm house to go to in an ice storm
• Birds that come to my feeders
• Baptisms
But most of all, I’m thankful for Christ Jesus (and that’s no squirrel). Through Christ, God’s faithful love endures forever. See where I was going with this passage? Now keep your own journal.
I’m thankful for you,
Becky Houston
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
John 3:16-17
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal Life. For God did not send his son into the world to be its judge but to be its Savior.”
The first time I ever heard the phrase “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told” was when my father-in-law, Carman Sharp, used it in a sermon to describe the New Testament. For you who may not know who Carman was, he served as pastor of Deer Park from 1961-1984. He and my mother-in-law, Caroline, were two of the finest Christians I have ever known. It was through the witness of their lives that I became a Christian in April of 1990. They lived lives of love.
When you consider the primary thrust and teachings of the New Testament, it becomes evident that God loves us more than we can ever imagine. As our pastor, David Platt, has said on many occasions, God loves each of us with a perfect love and he loves each of us the same.
As we enter this season of Advent, I am reminded that Jesus came into this world as one of us. “The Word became a human being and full of grace and truth, lived among us” (John 1:14). He experienced all the human emotions we feel – the pain, the suffering, the joy and the sorrow. He knows our human condition.
So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, never forget how much God loves you.
How much he cares for you. He loved us so much he sent us his Son, Jesus, our
Savior and Redeemer. Truly the New Testament is “The Greatest Love Story
Ever Told.”
Merry Christmas Everyone,
Jerry Houston
A TRIPLE-DOG-DARE?
Part of the Christmas Day celebration over the years for my family has been to watch the Christmas Story together. So many times we have watched it that we like many other cult-like followers can quote many of the lines. I suspect you are probably familiar with this movie comedy, where Ralphie orchestrates the gift of a genuine Red Ryder 200 shot Carbine Action Range Air Rifle. Even if you are not familiar with the movie, you probably have lived parts of the story. For perhaps like Ralphie’s friend Flick you have been double-dogged-dared or maybe you, like Flick, have called out on “the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple dog dare” (Well, due to my continuing irrational know-it-all nature I have been triple-dogged-dared many times.). For those of you that have not seen the movie because of its limited theology, you might be interested in knowing Ralphie makes an observation that mentions our denomination, “Some men are Baptists, other’s Catholics. My father was an Oldsmobile man.” I have a copy of the movie and on the plastic movie holder is written an insightful teaser declaration: “Peace, Harmony Comfort, and Joy_ _ _ Maybe next year”. Does that strike a chord? Have all your Christmases been “bright”?
So how does one have an ideal Christmas, where there is peace, harmony, comfort and joy? If I received a major award (gift), like Ralphie’s father, something like an Italian leg lamp, that would go a long way for me. However, I am sure Brenda would see to an untimely demise for this type of major award, and not “accidentally” as in the movie. Is the perfect Christmas when everything goes smoothly without problems, like not having to deal with a blasted stupid furnace or your neighbor’s dogs? Could there be more peace and joy in Christmas if something wrongly said could be erased with a mouthful of a Palmolive bar of soap (which really does have “a nice piquant after dinner flavor”)? Is Christmas perfected when there is total harmony with family and friends, flawless get-togethers, or giving/getting a highly hoped-for gift like Ralphie’s Red Ryder air rifle?
Dreams of a perfect Christmas are often fractured as are leg lamps because problems sometimes develop with the ones you care for dearly and the wonderful season itself doesn’t resolve the conflict. The idea of the perfect Christmas is for some only a past dream because loved ones are just memories that evoke a sense of sorrow and deep longing. For some, Christmas heightens the pain of loneliness. Material gifts are short-lived. The quest for a perfect Christmas can be frustrating and the pressure can undo you like when Ralphie finally gets to Santa to declare his gift request, but then forgets in that crucial moment what he wants.
Luke tells of great joy and of peace and goodwill on the first Christmas. The perfect Gift, God with us, has arrived and the Gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes to be found lying in a manger. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David. A Savior, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). We don’t know yet how this Christmas season will go. We do know that we already have received the perfect Gift and in drawing near to Him there really is peace, comfort and joy, along with purpose. Maybe the perfect Christmas season experience is simply to honor God’s Gift to us. One way could to be Christlike to someone else, perhaps, to someone we have in the past ignored, or just to someone who is in real need. No need for a triple-dog-dare on this (is there?) because being Christlike is who you are.
Joe Woosley
The Glory in the Ordinary
A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.
You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can’t go in standing up.
The same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.
So…..
While the theologians were sleeping
and the elite were dreaming
and the successful were snoring,
the meek were kneeling.
They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see. They were kneeling in front of Jesus.
Thresa Bingman
From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado
The Census Taker
Reprinted from the 202 Advent Devotion Book
Thoughts of Christmas
Philippians 2:5-11
On this day of Advent my heart and mind are filled with thoughts of Christmas.
· Christmases in Mississippi when I was a girl. We dipped sweet gum burrs into silver and gold paint. We tied them on the fragrant cedar trees Daddy had cut from the field.
· Christmas as a newly-wed. Charles and I cut an angel from cardboard, painted her gold, and tied her to the top of our tree. Through the years, she actually was worn out by love.
· Christmases as a mother with joys multiplied by our children. When I held them in my arms, they gave me new thoughts about the Christ child.
· Christmases as a grandmother covered over with the joy and liveliness of my children’s children.
· This Christmas I am still learning about the Lord of Light - from my family, my friends, my church - aged and young, old and new, dead and living. They all sparkle in my heart like stars on a clear night - gold and silver they shine!
Remember how the hard-working Grinch was amazed? After all he had done to steal Christmas away, still it came to the Whos. He pondered this thought: “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
We know it does! My prayer for all of us is that all we do be done in the love we have learned from the holy baby - our Lord, who is the Christ. It is a great mystery. It is a great joy. Pass it on.
Paul included this hymn of joy in his letter to his friends at Phillipi:
“Let your bearing toward one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus. For the divine nature was his from the first; yet He did not think to snatch at equality with God, but made himself nothing, assuming the nature of a slave. Bearing the human likeness, revealed in the human shape, he humbled himself, and in obedience accepted even death - death on a cross.
“Therefore God raised him to the heights and bestowed on him the name above all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow - in heaven, on earth, and in the depths - and every tongue confess, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord,’ to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 5-11
Betty Jo Gaba
Reprinted from the 1994 Advent Book
The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us
John 1:14
I am a collector of quotes. I keep a separate journal of things others have written or said that strike me, challenge me, or cause me to give it a long ponder. As we walk (I hope slowly rather than quickly) to Christmas morning I am particularly moved by what some mere mortals have expressed about the Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh in the person of Jesus. Read along with me a few moments this Christmas Eve:
· “God did not send a subordinate to redeem us. He chose to do it himself” (Alister McGrath, Knowing Christ)
· “In Christ two natures met to be thy cure” (George Herbert, An Offering)
· “The hint half guessed, the gift half understood, is Incarnation” (T.S. Eliot, The Dry Salvages)
· “If you want to get the hang of it [Incarnation], think how you would like to becomes a slug or a crab” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
· “The Word of God, Jesus Christ, on account of his great love for mankind, became what we are in order to make us what he is himself” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies)
· “Incarnation is God’s promise to be a committed participant with us in our living, our imagining, our dreaming, and our yearning” (W. Paul Jones, Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing)
· “The Incarnation is the place … where hope contends with fear” (Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace)
Now with all of these rather captivating insights to consider, try one a bit simpler – “in our space He gives us grace.” However we try to give expression to the astoundingly, incredible truth that God became flesh in Jesus what best can happen, I believe, is we are led to bow and worship the One who loves us so.
Can we explain it? Probably not. But we can declare it and sing it. Let us worship our Lord this Christmas Eve in humble adoration.
David Platt
Unwrapping God’s Love
For many people, Christmas Eve is their absolute favorite of all the special days. Christmas Eve is joy multiplied. It’s a day loaded with the stardust, dreams, and the deep joy of all our accumulated wonder. It’s also the day I always do some (sometimes most!) of my Christmas shopping.
There’s something about the last-minute scurrying about that brings a simple peace to my heart. The air feels crisper, even the honks of cars sound kinder, and the noise of business seems friendlier to me. I can’t get quite enough of the festive atmosphere so I am likely to be stepping out of one last store just before the sun sets on this blessed day.
But then comes Christmas morning. No, it’s certainly not all about the presents under the tree but we still could ask a straightforward question: What exactly are we unwrapping this fine Christmas morning?
I love the way a Methodist pastor, Bob Gibbs, of Brandon Florida talks about God’s love. Bob says that God’s love is foundational to everything – “God accepts all of us; that’s an incredible assurance and peace but also a responsibility. It’s basic, but we’re still unpacking that. I believe we are thoroughly loved and accepted by God. The grace of God, that’s where it starts.”
There’s probably a colossal bunch of “loot” stuffed under our trees waiting to be unwrapped this Christmas Day. But if we’re not excited about “unpacking” God’s remarkable gift, if we’re not reengaging grace, if we’re not taking this special morning time simply to breathe in the generous love of the Lord of creation … then we’re missing the very best part.
This Christmas, having already unpacked Advent along the way, let’s not miss the most complete gift of all. As Christ-followers, we continue to take our lead from Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate all the day – all the year—long!
A Prayer for Christmas Day
Thank you so very much, dear God, for the amazing generosity you have extended in Christmas. Thank you for your light. You are our God of hope, the only way to peace, the Lord of love, the bringer of joy. How can we possibly communicate the depth of our gratitude when we accept the gift of Jesus, humbly and without reservation? So, yes, we do accept your gift, O God. Please guide us on the way, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.