 “...[t]hey shall call him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us”.
Matthew 1:23 (NRSV) “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”... “Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel Shall Come to You, O Israel!” The New Century Hymnal, #116 One of my favorite hymns growing up in a Lutheran church on Long Island was O Come, O Come Emmanuel, not because of the words but because of the haunting melody. It was only recently that I learned what Emmanuel means. Now that hymn is one of my favorites because we are actually singing, “O Come, O Come God with Us”. It is important to remember, as Martha Dale reminded us, that Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us, was born in Bethlehem in harsh circumstances. Then he grew up in Nazareth where Joseph, the head of the household, was a carpenter. But again, Joseph was not a carpenter in the way we might imagine. Rather, it is very likely that Joseph, like many others in Nazareth in those days, had lost his land, and thus took whatever odd jobs he could find. Nazareth was a town so marginalized that one of Jesus' future disciples asked whether any thing good could possibly come from there. The answer to that question is that indeed something good did come from Nazareth, Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us. The late Biblical scholar Marcus Borg said, “Jesus is what God looks like in a man”. What Borg meant is that Jesus' life of healing the sick, of feeding the hungry, of challenging the oppressor, and of reaching out to the marginalized and the outcasts revealed the very character and heart of God. And Jim Wallis of the Sojourners says that the Christ child reminds us of “imago dei”, which is the created image of God in each of us. This is why the coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us is such good news. Rejoice, rejoice, indeed. -Jeanne Zammataro
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 Imagine being a shepherd living in the fields, taking care of your flock of sheep.
On this particularly clear night, the constellations glimmered and gleamed brilliantly. Suddenly, a host of angels appeared and the Glory of God shone so brightly and brilliantly all around you. You were terrified! But then, one angel said to you, “Do not be afraid, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for ALL people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord”! The Good News was for ALL mankind. Kings, the rich, poor, young, old, sick and healthy, good and evil. ALL people. You and me and those shepherds in the field. I might have thought, now what? What do I do with this wonderful information? What would you do? Well, the shepherds followed that bright star of burning beauty that shone high above the town of Bethlehem. They found Mary, Joseph and the baby in a manger. After they saw Him, they WENT OUT and spread the Good News that had been told to them about the Christ child. And all who heard it were amazed. This makes me stop and ponder. Where am I in my journey? Do I love my Savior so much that I will tell others openly about His love for us? Do I show my love for Him in actions and words? Do I share the gifts He has blessed me with? Tonight, mankind will come to see how dearly God loves the world. A child was born in a manger. They will call Him Immanuel, which means “God with Us”. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The angels sang Holy, Holy, Holy! Merry Christmas! -Cindy Vitko  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns. Isaiah 52: 7
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight – indeed he is coming says the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 3: 1 Some Messengers are human – like John the Baptist – a “man sent from God”, “to testify and be a witness to the Light”. John was not the Light, but helped prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry in our world. Some messengers are Divine. “Angel” derives from the Greek word “angelos” – a translation of a Hebrew word meaning “messenger”. I can’t think of “messenger” without feeling “angel”. Angels are God’s messengers, warning us of danger, sharing their peace and comfort, and bringing God’s “Good News”. A friend of mine – whose life of helping other people is her spiritual practice – once fell asleep at the wheel at 2 am. Her life was likely saved by hearing her name called loudly and distinctly – waking her in time to avoid an accident. There was no one else in the car. In August I was blessed by a messenger who shared with me a song to help me practice forgiveness. I share it here – in hopes that it may help someone. To have peace, we must all be able to forgive when we feel wronged. I hope and pray a messenger might help you feel God’s reality! I’ve never asked for an “experience”, but I do ask for help – sometimes just by weeping - vulnerable and open. Have mercy on her, have mercy on us both, Help me to forgive this wrong. Have mercy on her, have mercy on us both, Help me to forgive this wrong. Jesus, You did forgive us, Jesus, You showed us Grace, Jesus, You did forgive us, though we nailed you to a cross shaped stake. You show the way, so we too can forgive, You show the way You gave Your Life. You show the way, so we too can forgive, when we’re feeling battered by hate or strife Who-o Jesus, Your Mercy and Grace, are how You’ve made me who I’ve come to be Jesus, help me offer both, that Your Love might help the blind begin to see. That we are one, we are one, we are one in Your Sight. We are one, we are one, we are one in Your Love We are one, in Your sight, we are one, in Your Love, We are one, in Your sight, oh help us heal our world. - Lily Kara Barak  Photo credit: The convergence of Saturn and Jupiter over Jerusalem taken at 10:28 by Sid Sturgill Renfro
Today we have two reflections on the word Gift. My birthday is three days before Christmas. When I was born, my mother was determined to be home from the hospital and did arrive home on Christmas day. My guess is she felt she was bearing the best gift the family had encountered - a precious baby child and new sibling. My sister was ambivalent, famously commenting, “That’s nice, but do we have to keep it?” Of course, we laugh about this now. To be honest, Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Every year, I am overwhelmed by the secular commercialism of the holiday. I get stressed about getting gifts for my children, for family and friends. I think about Jesus and imagine how he might react to what has become of the celebration of his birth. Would he run into the malls and overturn the kiosks as he did with the money lenders at the Temple? Or would he quietly sit down with his head in his hands, shaking it silently to and fro as I imagine he did when his Apostles misunderstood his teachings? This year, as I ruminate on Gifts I am trying to bear in mind that Jesus was the gift. Not in the Easter sense, but in the everyday sense in which we can relate. He lived among the people, had deep empathy and understanding, championed love, and led through service. He lived in God’s grace and was merciful. He imparted these gifts knowing we all have the capacity to live as he lived in the world. So, this Christmas and everyday I will endeavor to remember to embody the gifts of Jesus Christ and to let my actions and presence be my gift to others as God intended. - Liza Dee ________________________________________________________________________________________ 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, "Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be And when we find ourselves in the place just. right We'll be in the valley of love and delight. Joseph Brockett Remember the words the Lord Jesus himself said" It is more blessed to give than receive" Peter: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace." One of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit that grabbed me was Understanding, of all things. Perhaps because we face deep divides in our beloved country on top of what the pandemic hath wrought. And our venues of community in a meaningful way are greatly diminished. Given the chance, listening, opening up, commiserating, even laughing at our predicaments can be a gift. And it is there for us every day. God is good. A few of the many definitions of gift are: a present or something given fully; to give something without the hope of getting in return, to endow with a talent which can be shared. As to the last, it is notable that You Tube, Broadway, Zoom, individuals and groups have brought theatre, films, art, comedy, science, lectures, documentaries and more to engage our hearts and minds (and the ability to turn it off!) And certainly great thanks to those who without fanfare gift silently and generously, do pro bono work tirelessly, make sure neighbors are checked on, helped and so much more. In this unprecedented year it seems young people have had a hard time on many fronts -- some missing school, friends, sports, perhaps in too tight quarters. All going through a rite of passage no one could have predicted. Two reminders of how wonderful and resilient they were and are. As well as our future. And on a beautiful sunny day last year anyone who was there will never forget The Christmas Pageant. The indelible images, performances, Angels, Magi bearing amazing gifts (pronounced perfectly). A baby of course, Mary and Joseph stately young parents, singing and love. Wait til next year. And just recently the figure that served as the Baby Jesus at the First Baptist Church in Manchester VANISHED on December 14th. Miraculously, two days later he was back due to the detective work of second graders at Manchester Elementary School who found him in an icy pond and was returned to the church. A gift for all. Beware, Scrooge! In many venues, three of the top words to gift and use in the coming year are LOVE, COMPASSION and HOPE. Spread the news. And always remember, YOU are the gift to so many who love you. And there will be presents under the tree. - Dalen Cole  I took French in High School and the French verb ‘manger’ (meaning ‘to eat’) is the same exact spelling as the English word, manger.
Well, that’s interesting. A manger or trough is a rack for fodder, or a structure or feeder used to hold food for animals. Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising and generally found in stables and at farmhouses. They are also used to feed wild animals, e.g., in nature reserves. A manger is also a Christian symbol (ah ha!) associated with nativity scenes. (From Wikipedia, except the ‘ah ha’ - that’s me). I love our manger, the church’s manger. It lives under the Parlor, in the crawl space under the parlor (did you know that there is a crawl space under the parlor? These Advent Devotionals are so instructive, aren’t they?) The church’s manger emerges only for the Christmas Pageant and then when the Pageant is over – zing! - back under the parlor. When we bring it out for the Christmas Pageant we put a white sheet in it (you know, swaddling cloth). Yesterday, December 20th, was the Fourth Sunday of Advent. If we were not in a pandemic it would have been the Sunday of the Christmas Pageant. So, the manger would have been in the Sanctuary. I missed that. Seeing the Manger. Seeing the kids. Singing all the many Carols of the Pageant…You may have missed that too. But! Good news! The manger is safely tucked under the parlor awaiting yet another year…another Christmas Pageant! Let’s go back to the beginning of this devotional…manger/manger (French verb for ‘to eat’). No pageant this year, so no manger…but we are, and can be ‘fed’ by Christ’s presence, love, birth and entry into the world. Scripture teaches that Mary laid the baby Jesus in a manger (Luke 2:7) because there was no room for them in the Inn… yet, what a great place for him, as a baby, at the beginning of his life among us as a ‘God incarnate’. Jesus who will walk among humanity as Word made flesh feeding us with his word, love, and presence. May the image, idea and truth of the manger and all it means feed you this Advent and Christmas Season. - Laurie Krooss  Today, December 20th, the word is Love.
I am so lucky to feel the love of Christmas at this time of year, but it is also my birthday today, so I get to feel even more love. We experience love at this time of the year in many ways. The love we feel when we read or listen to the Christmas story. The love we feel when we watch the Christmas pageant at church. The love we feel when we receive Christmas cards from near and far, from friends we see once a year or friends we see more frequently. The love we feel on Christmas Eve when some gather together in Church to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus or gather with their families and friends in other places or they are in our armed services, the fire, police, emergency or hospital workers working together at this time and throughout the year. We are so thankful for them. The love we feel on Christmas Eve, here in our Church, as we turn off the lights and sing "Silent Night", as we light our candles and see the love reflecting from each other's faces in the candlelight. Please share your love. Say hello to a stranger, ask a worker at Londonderry Village Market, the Hardware Store, etc. how they are, call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Share your love. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with lots of love. - Tamry Bratton  Luke 2:8-14
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ Ever have someone tell you not to be afraid? And you think, “That’s easy for you to say!” Fear is a strong emotion; not something you can turn off just because someone said, “Do not fear.” Sometimes fear can paralyze us; we become stuck, unable to move forward or backward. I experienced this once while climbing without a safety rope. I was frozen in place; I couldn’t see a way forward, and I literally couldn’t see a place to put a foot so I could go back. Shepherds were with their flocks at night; probably grateful for the time to rest and be quiet, when suddenly they were surrounded by the shining glory of the Lord, and the visage of an angel. They were terrified; I imagine they were frozen in fear. Then the angel spoke: “Do not be afraid, I have good news!” I imagine that the good news the shepherds heard began to melt their fear as they wondered about this strange news about the birth of a child. Fear brings a certain intensity; fear gets our attention, but how can we channel it so we can move forward? Where are the angels who say, “fear not, I have good news?” Frozen on the rock, I began to tell myself to settle…just settle down…settle. Where did that come from? Perhaps we are not alone. Could it be that we are never alone. The God who came to us as one of us in the man, Jesus, made us a promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The risen Christ abides in us; we are not alone. We can call this presence by many names; our guardian angel, the Spirit, God, the Force, the Friend, Good News, but still the message is: we are not alone. Frozen in fear on that rock I was not alone. I did settle down, I found the next hand-hold, I was able to move forward. Thanks be to God who abides in the darkest and most fearful places of our lives, and brings us Good News. Amen. - Gil Healy  We can't receive wisdom;
We must discover it for ourselves After a journey that no one can take for us Or spare us. - Marcel Proust These days leading up to Christmas might be the opportunity for us to be reminded of some of the wisdom each of us have discovered along the walk of our personal faith journeys and what we have gained watching the journeys of our neighbors near and far. Then, with our communal wisdom, may we hear again the words and wisdom of Howard Thurman. When the song of the angels is stilled When the star in the sky is gone When the kings and princes are home When he shepherds are back with their flocks The work of Christmas begins. To find the lost To heal the broken To feed the hungry To release the prisoner To rebuild the nations To bring peace among people To make music in the heart. May we each continue the work of Christmas as we are able. - Shodie Alcorn  Seven centuries ago (1347) the Christian mystic, St. Catherine of Siena was born.
When she was six years old she had her first vision experience of the risen Lord. She devoted her short adult life of 33 years to serving the sick and desperately poor. Her writings include a book (The Dialogue) and many poems. St. Catherine saw the totality of God’s creation as consecrated, or in other words, holy. In her poem, Consecrated, she boldly critiques the male hierarchy of priests. Here’s that poem: All has been consecrated. The creatures in the forest know this, the earth does, the seas do, the clouds know, as does the heart full of love. Strange a priest would rob us of this knowledge, and then empower himself with the ability to make holy what already was. God created all things to be holy. Everything we see in this world is holy; every person on this planet, every animal, insect, fish, and bird. Also…everything that humans have made was crafted from holy material. As we continue our journey through Advent, let us also consider these days as holy; even our time and what we do with it is holy. And truly, whatever is holy is precious beyond price. May God give us eyes to see, and wisdom to know, that everything is holy. Amen. - Gil Healy  "Miracle Hymn"
Lyrics by Susan Boyle On a Starry Night in Bethlehem, A child was born to bring light to men, And our faith waned, our eyes grew dim. In a candle's light, we found hope again. There are miracles all around, Miracles yet to be found. Hid in every heart is an answered prayer. Like a candle's flame, hope will lead us there. When the darkness comes, let the light shine through. A spark of faith will ignite in you. In a candle's glow, a virgin's womb, In a simple prayer in the empty tomb. There are miracles all around, Miracles yet to be found. Hid in every heart is an answered prayer. Like a candle's flame, hope will lead us there. When the light has dawned on Christmas Day, We will lift one voice in endless praise. When the light has dawned on Christmas Day, We will say There are miracles all around, Miracles here to be found. Hid in every heart is an answered prayer. Like a candle's flame, hope will lead us there. Here is a link to the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKfMUNhbrk0 *********** Rejoice in miracles I recently heard Susan Boyle sing this beautiful hymn and wanted to share it. In spite of our current times, we have much for which to rejoice. Christmas is still coming and the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Christ is the greatest miracle that has ever happened. Jesus taught and led all of us to a better way of living. We who live in Vermont can appreciate that as a community most of us really take the suggestions of our medical folks and respect safety protocols. Miracles happen to all of us in small and big ways. A chance meeting of someone who becomes your best friend and life partner. For me, surviving a severely flooded river in Artic Alaska was clearly a miracle. One never knows when they will experience a miracle but will certainly rejoice when it happens. Stay tuned! - Joel Kuhlberg |
AuthorOur Advent Devotional is written by members and friends of the Second Congregational Church in Londonderry, VT ArchivesCategories
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