Psalm 66, 67, 117; Isaiah 11:10-16; Revelation 20:11-21: 8; Luke 1:5-25

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth” the psalmist exhorts – not just to you and me but ALL the EARTH. The other psalm appointed for this morning proclaims, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.” Not to be outdone, the psalm for evening worship (117, the shortest psalm in the psalter and the shortest chapter in the Bible) shouts: “Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” That’s it – that’s the whole psalm: it reminds me to keep this short!

These hymns of praise join with Isaiah’s prophecy of the return of the remnant from the Diaspora and the dawning of the messianic age, along with that great vision given to John of Patmos in Revelation of the new Jerusalem where all things are made new, every tear wiped away and where death will be no more. All come together to stir and gladden the heart as we near Christmas day.

But wait. There’s more. What is this about the angel Gabriel proclaiming “joy and gladness” through the birth of another to be named John (Hebrew Yohanan, “God is gracious”) who will make all the earth ready for the Messiah? This John, who “even before his birth…will be filled with the Holy Spirit,” is to become John the Baptizer, the forerunner, the harbinger, the herald, the robin and witch hazel of the Spring of Life.

Good news is in the air, indeed.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 23, 2014, by Bill Albritton, teacher, motivational guide, singer of psalms, child of God.

Luke 1:46b-55; I Samuel 1:1-18; Hebrews 9:1-14

I will put my laws in their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10

What we write on our hearts, we live. When we learn something by heart, it is part of the fabric of who we are as much as it is something we know. Our names, the alphabet, Jesus Loves Me, our eye color, The Lord’s Prayer – all written on our hearts. Our faults, our fears, and our falsehoods are also written there. These, too, form us. We should take care when we write something on our hearts because the words are living in us and we are living the words.

Part of being human is being born incomplete. Who we are comes from our unique souls and bodies, but it also comes from those who love us, raise us, and foster our growth. Our identities are our own, but they are intertwined with the hearts and souls of others. We should take great care when we write something on the hearts of others – the words are living in them and they are living the words. If we write love, love grows; if we write hatred, hate grows. Take up the pen with humility and courage, prayer and faith.

What is the story we write? Do the words lead to the Word of God, the baby born in Bethlehem?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

There are some verses missing between Luke’s account of the Annunciation and the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise. In between, she goes to see her cousin Elizabeth, who sees Mary for what she is and will forever be: blessed woman, the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth’s last line before Mary’s song is this: And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

Mary is blessed because she said yes. She said yes because she believed God would make her life holy – not just for her own sake, but for the sake of the whole world. She certainly didn’t say yes because any of it made sense. And her yes comes out in her song: Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

Mary’s life has changed all of our lives. God asked and Mary said yes. Of all the times, places, and people, this one young woman said yes.

I wonder sometimes if God asked others. Were there some who said no?

What holy life is God offering each of us?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 21, 2014.

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; 2 Samuel 6:12-19; Hebrews 1:5-14

When was the last time you saw someone dancing in flesh and blood real life? David danced before the Lord and all the people, leaping to high heaven right in the middle of the road. That must have been a sight – the king doing a two-step because words just wouldn’t do.

Only children, saints, and fools have the courage for such dancing in public – what would the neighbors think it we pirouetted across the lawn when God’s grace came upon us? David’s dancing embarrassed his wife Michal; she saw only the shameless grandstanding of a man who married her for political gain. That’s no surprise: How could she see grace and joy when her whole life had been given over to the political ambitions of another? The jade green eyes of cynicism cannot recognize joy.

Advent is a time to take a new look at the past. Our eternal creator makes room for holiness in the infant Jesus. The entire universe stops to see this moment, so mysterious and unexpected. Of all the fantastic things, of all the possibilities this world contains, the joy of this birth should get us all on our feet. If you have dancing shoes, dust them off; if you don’t, your bare feet will do. Don’t worry what the others see and think. God is coming in Jesus and the world will never be the same again. Amen!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 19, 2014.

Psalm 89:1-4, 9-16; 2 Samuel 6:1-11; Hebrews 1:1-4

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:1-3a

Why would the one who sustains all things, through whom all worlds are created, come into our world as an infant? Why come into the world as the child of a poor carpenter and a teenage mother?

Perhaps…to give us the chance to nurture holiness in this world

                                       …it was the only way to come without scaring us

                                                                                    …to know a mother’s embrace

                                                                                                              Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 18, 2014.

Psalm 125; Malachi 3:16-4:6; Mark 9: 9-13

“Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the heart of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4: 5-6

“Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.” Mark 9:12-13

It didn’t look like what I thought it would – the space capsule. It was small and plain and nothing I’d want to spend time in. It looked like a good kick would end it. From a distance, through my television, it was amazing; up close in person, it was just a collection of nuts and bolts.

Why do I expect the miraculous to be overwhelmingly awesome? Super size and high volume don’t guarantee anything other than a long shadow and temporary hearing loss. So why do I expect God’s messenger to be a rock star, crowd pleaser, larger-than-life superman?

John wasn’t powerful among the religious leaders, he didn’t wear expensive clothes or dine at the finest restaurants, he had no army and no money. He just gave witness to God’s presence in this world and saw in Jesus God-With-Us. That’s more than enough: that’s a miracle.

Would I recognize John if I passed him on the street?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 17, 2014.

Psalm 125; 2 Kings 2:9-22; Acts 3:17-4:4

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, 


which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,


so the Lord surrounds his people


both now and forevermore.

The scepter of the wicked will not remain


over the land allotted to the righteous,


for then the righteous might use


their hands to do evil.

Lord, do good to those who are good,


to those who are upright in heart.

But those who turn to crooked ways


the Lord will banish with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel!

TRUST IN GOD

                                   Love                                                                  Grace

                       pray                                 good    mercy                               Faith

              Just                                 everlasting       watchful                             safe

Follow              forgiveness                     resilient                  honest                  Patient

E  M  B  R  A  C  E

surrounded           by           His           presence      

dependable                                        fortified                                        immovable

Protected         Foundation

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 16 by Heidi, Alex, and Jonathon Marcotte, loving family, sharers of words, children of God

Psalm 125; I Kings 18:1-18; Ephesians 6:10-17

As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15

I don’t spend much time thinking about or shopping for shoes. Altogether I have: winter boots, canvas summer sneakers and walking sneakers, black flats and boots and heels, cordovan loafers, brown leather outdoor boots, an off white pair of pumps, and blue slippers. Most were bought at LLBean or Bass Shoe Outlet. They are comfortable, last a long time, and get me out the door for any occasion or activity.

Each day, I choose my shoes to fit the weather, terrain, and expected activity – boots for snow, loafers for a day in the city, heels for dressy occasions. Choosing the right footwear makes my day easier; the wrong shoes make every part of my day more difficult, painful even. So simple a choice with such immediate consequences.

Perhaps that’s why no particular shoe is listed in the full armor of God. What makes me ready to proclaim the gospel of peace depends upon a particular situation, not just a general capability or category. I want something that gets my feet moving in the right direction, that provides traction, and keeps me from tripping over my own feet. Metaphorically flexible, with plenty of support.

I’d better make sure to take the shield of faith, too. Without that, the shoes that make me ready to proclaim the gospel may also help me run away from the place I need to proclaim it.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 15, 2014.

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:46b-55; I Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

“WHEN IT IS DARK ENOUGH YOU CAN SEE THE STARS” –an old Persian saying

“There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. …He said, ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness…”

(John 1: 6-8, 23).

Our lives begin in the dark and they’ll end in the dark. During the interim, most of us try to avoid the “dark.” We run from the darkness of conflict, fear and humiliation. We experience great pain in our lives as we lose family members or other loved ones, and it is difficult to deal with it. Change is scary and so we tend to postpone making big decisions. We know that loneliness is inevitable at some point in our lives, but usually we run away from it rather than embrace it.

Deep reflection on this passage reveals that it is in the “dark” where spiritual growth occurs. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24). Paradoxically, as we come to a place of reconciliation with that part of ourselves that does not like the dark, our true and whole spiritual self “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3) emerges. As we grow in the dark, we are able to bear witness to the light. John of the cross called it “luminous darkness.”

John O’Donohue, an Irish priest and poet, captured the idea in the following excerpt from a blessing he wrote entitled “For Light:”

Light cannot see inside things.

That is what the dark is for:

Minding the interior,

Nurturing the draw of growth

Through places where death

In its own way turns into life.

And when we come to search for God,

Let us first be robed in night.

As we live into experiences of pain, fear, disappointment and challenge, and even somehow with God’s grace learn to welcome them, we know we are in the chrysalis of the night. It is then we hear John’s voice crying in the wilderness for Christ’s coming. It is our voice, too.

Offered on December 14, 2014, by Bryan Fredrickson, contemplative thinker, lawyer, child of God.