Daily Readings: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 313-19; Matthew 21:28-32

[Jesus said] “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32, NRSV

The ones who are supposed to recognize holiness when they see it either don’t see it or don’t let it affect their lives. It’s the ones whose lives are a mess, either due to their own choices or circumstances beyond their control, that see their second chance at a holy life for what it is and grab it with both hands.

Do you have to be on your second chance, to regret throwing away your first chance, to change your heart and mind and run for the vineyard as fast as your feet will take you? No. But it seems spending some time in the school of hard knocks is pretty common for the citizens of the Kingdom of Second Chances.

Daily Readings: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:2-6; Philippians 3:12-16

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Psalm 126, NRSV

In this hymn, The Song of Ascents, the psalmist effusively describes the joy of the Hebrew people emerging from exile. He also describes their immense gratitude toward God for answering their prayers. There is a relationship between gratitude and joy. One begets the other. As Brene` Brown explains, “Leaning into joy depends on actively practicing gratitude.”

Like the Jews coming out of exile, it is easy to practice gratitude when everything in our life is going well. Yet, we know much of life is about trial and suffering. As our gaze turns to the conflict in the Middle East, we observe that the Hebrew people may have been brought out of exile, but they landed far from a utopian homeland. What’s more, the displaced modern-day Palestinians remain in exile. We watch in horror as the political conundrum inflicts unfathomable pain and suffering, taking thousands of innocent lives in “collateral damage.” 

Closer to home, many of us decry the dystopian domestic politics that surrounds us. Away from the political stage, many of us wrestle with our own demons, health challenges, financial struggles, loss of significant relationships, or profound existential hopelessness.  

HOW DO WE FIND JOY IN THIS SEASON OF JOY?  Perhaps it’s not so much about finding joy as it is being joyful. Yes, we beseech God to set things right in our lives (meaning being comfortable and avoiding suffering). We have been programmed to believe we need things to go well in our lives before we can be joyful. But perhaps our prayers should more often be prayers of gratitude: gratitude for the warmth of the sun on our faces; the smell of rain in the air; that first sip of hot coffee or tea in the morning; the loving touch of a significant other; a baby’s cry for attention; a pet’s unconditional love; or listening for the simple, holy beauty in Christmas carols. GK Chesterton said, The world will never lack for wonder; only wonderment.

Brother David Steindl-Rast wrote, Joy is the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens. He goes on to explain, The invitation lies in developing a practice that we can return to as a touchstone, even in the most challenging times. In this way, we leave the door open for joy. We build our capacity to hold, simultaneously, life’s sorrows and its gifts.

If you’re unfamiliar with Br. David’s work, I invite you to browse his website at www.gratefulness.org. He explores the relationship between gratitude and joy and provides glimpses of God’s miracle that is life given to us for which the only authetic response is gratitude. 

Blessings and Peace.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Bryan Fredrickson

Daily Readings: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 2:1-5; Philippians 3:7-11

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11, NRSV

The theme of virtually every Hallmark Christmas movie is that this is the season in which we should give up the rat race and focus on what is most important: sharing, caring, friends and family. And if we are lucky we will make the changes in our lives that enable that new focus to become a permanent one. That’s not a bad sentiment. The rat race is debilitating. It consumes us. It exhausts us. Giving it up can bring us joy and peace. 

But as good and important as sharing, caring, friends and family are Paul would say that Hallmark doesn’t have it right. If we are seeking real joy and peace in our lives, something more  is needed. In some ways Paul’s words in this passage seem extreme. Are we really to count all our gains as loss? Does he mean that the achievements of our lives mean nothing? Does he mean that even the sharing, caring, friends and family we cherish are to be considered as rubbish? I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I’m ready to give up the rat race, to do the kinds of things the Hallmark movies talk about. But I’m not certain I’m ready for what seems like the extreme that Paul is talking about. 

I’m forced to come to terms with Paul when I read this passage. Is it intentional hyperbole? Is he exaggerating to make a point? Both are possibilities I suppose, but if we take that approach we can very easily end up thinking that Paul’s words don’t really apply to us. So, if we take the passage seriously, if not necessarily literally, what have we got? First, it is an affirmation of the “surpassing value” of having a relationship with Christ. Second, it makes it clear that our own efforts alone are not going to get us what we really want and need in life – our own righteousness just won’t do it. And third, it provides an ordering for our lives in the sense of “If we get this one thing right, other things will fall into place.“

Advent and Christmas celebrate the birth of the one who makes it possible to live by these three affirmations. It’s a challenge to be sure, but one I’m willing to take on.  This has been a mantra of mine for a few years now, and I’m still working on it: “All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.” (TEV)

May both shadow and light lead you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Jeff Jones

Daily Readings: Psalm27; Malachi 2:10 – 3:1; Luke 1:5-17

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14, NRSV

If I’m not careful, if I don’t take a few breaths and heartbeats when I open my eyes in the morning, I’ll spend the rest of my waking hours checking things off my to-do list, and adding more things to it – getting through my activities and hours rather than living into them. I’ll forget that I am a child of God, and that every single second is holy and unique. I won’t see the goodness of the Lord in this land of the living because I’m not looking for it. I need to pause, to wait, or I won’t see a damn thing or a holy thing. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living only IF I wait. Strength, courage, and sight depend on the simple act of waiting.

I found this prayer years ago, and it’s my door into the waiting-for-the-Lord room. It’s changed my life:

Prayer at the Beginning of the Day

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon thy holy will. In every hour of the day reveal thy will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with firm conviction that thy will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by thee. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray though thyself in me. by Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow [A Manual of Orthodox Prayers, Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminar Press, 1991, p. 20]

Daily Readings: Psalm 27; Isaiah 4:2-6; Acts 11:1-18

For he (the Lord) will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. Now is my head lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing violence. Psalm 27:6-12, NRSV

I’ve always thought of this request as something for my own benefit – teach me and lead me on a level path because I have enemies, I am afraid and ill equipped, and need the help. But what if I have it wrong? What if it’s this: teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path for the sake of/for the benefit of my enemies?

Thanks to Einstein, Bohr, and others, I know that all things in this universe are related, nothing is truly isolated or separate. Could it be that what is for my benefit is also for the benefit of my enemies? If so, then vanquishing my enemies does not mean eradicating or harming them: it means making peace with them, working for their well-being as well as my own. It means becoming allies, friends, and kin.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Daily Readings: Psalm 27; Isaiah 26:7-15; Acts 2:37-42

The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh – my adversaries and foes – they shall stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, that I will seek after; to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Fear casts all things in shadow, and all people, making everything look like a threat. Fear can capture my attention with its lack of light, tempting me to close my eyes to all that is good, beautiful, and loving. Fear is a great motivator, but a terrible companion and advisor. So why do I choose to walk with fear?

It is when I seek the house of God, when I choose to listen to holy words, songs, and prayers, that I can choose another companion for the journey. That doesn’t mean that my path will be smooth and without suffering, or that I won’t stop in the house of fear for a visit or two; but it does mean that fear is not at the core of who I am, and it cannot control how I see the world.

Love and trust are much better travel companions: they know the way to the house of the Lord, and are happy to take me there.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Daily Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

In the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:1-8, NRSV

Last May I traveled to Germany with my younger sister Jo Ann. One of the main purposes of our 8 days of traveling together, was to visit my mother’s hometown of Zirndorf (near Nuremberg in Bavaria) where she was born and lived for 24 years before moving to Boston Massachusetts USA, and then marrying my father soon after.

While riding the bus into the city, I could imagine my mother walking to and from her work and risking her life to get home to her little daughter, only 2 years old. This was during wartime Germany 1943 with sirens and bombings everywhere. Moving forward 80 years to 2023, Zirndorf is a beautiful town with gardens and parks, lovely shops and quaint restaurants, many not destroyed during the war.

In the afternoon of Christmas Day I will be traveling to Zirndorf once again to experience what the Christmas season would have been like for my young mother. This journey will be my spiritual retreat “in the wilderness” and a pilgrimage to imagine again my mother walking safely to her home, the third floor of 13 Bogenstrasse. My journey for these 5 days will be a solo experience for me, at this magical time of year, Christmas. I believe this experience will be fulfilling for me in many ways, similar to the blessed sacrament of baptism.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Robin Nielsen

Daily Readings: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Acts 11:19-26; Luke 21:34-38

Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:34-36, NRSV

Two thoughts come to my mind when I reflect on the reading of Luke.  One is the notion of feeling overwhelmed, anxious and worried.  These emotions are all too familiar to me.  I worry about the condition of the world, my family, my health and a myriad of other things that we encounter as we live out our daily lives.  However, if we put it into perspective (not always easy), the challenges we face are insignificant when compared with eternal life with God.  God cares about our challenges, but preparing us for heaven is what matters most.

This idea of worry ties in with my second thought.  What will worry accomplish?  Worrying will only lead us to miss out on the more important things in life; and when that final day comes, will we be able to say that we lived a life of compassion, love and service to others?  We are constantly told that wealth, material objects or status will bring us happiness, but God tells us material things shall pass away, but not his word.  

So let us ponder as to how we can worry less and prepare ourselves this Advent in anticipation for what is to come.  A good start is through prayer, for we can not do it alone!

Have no anxiety about anything. but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding , will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Phillipians 4:6-7

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Donna Ciulla

Daily Readings: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Hosea 6:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. I Thessalonians 1:2-10, NRSV

One thing that jumps out at me when I read this text from First Thessalonians is how encouraging it is and I think encouragement is one thing we could all use at this time of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere at least, Advent arrives during the darkest and coldest time of the year. Culturally speaking, the Christmas season, that now arrives long before Advent even begins, is filled with unrealistic expectations and a commercialized sense of joy that for most of us rings pretty hollow. I would argue that without Advent, Christmas is just another mindless commercial holiday. Emmanuel, the light coming into the world, is not good news at all unless it can pierce the darkness that lurks deep in our wounded and battered hearts and souls, a darkness that Advent invites us to contemplate and wrestle with. 

This is why Paul’s words of encouragement are so important for us to overhear this Advent season. He was writing to a band of disciples who were struggling with ostracization and persecution in their own community and their own time. Through the din of this noisy world, we too need to hear that we are beloved of God. We too need to know deep in our hearts that God finds us worthy and chooses us. We too need to admit that we are the answer to prayer for others. So I invite you, as you wrestle with all that is going on in our world and all that is going on in your world this Advent season, to be encouraged, for the love of God for you and for me can and will never wane.  

Grace and Peace to you this Advent season.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Dave Fredrickson