Week One Advent Devotions 2009

 

November 29-Advent arrives. More than 1500 years ago, the church waited for six weeks before January 6th, Epiphany. In time it was shortened to four Sundays before Christmas and its focus included the Second Advent (arrival) of Christ, along with preparing for the First Advent, Christmas. I like to see it as a time to prepare, getting the Christmas list together; it should be a time to prepare for another celebration of the Incarnation, of God's own being united to a human life.

Monday-The Second Coming of Christ is an indicator of how we read Scripture and how we follow traditions. Without realizing it, many Christians follow the teachings of Darby from 1829, as in the Tim LaHaye series, and his influence of the notes of the Scofield Bible. Its an attempt to try to put passages into a sequence that is thought to be a divine itinerary. From paul, they predict a physical "rapture" (as in raptor) of the church off into heaven to avoid the trials of the last days, again seen as physical events. Scripture does speak of chaos in the last days, but it also almost always speaks of hope and transformation in the same passages.

 

Tuesday-With the 500th birthday year of John Calvin coming to a close, I thought I'd include quotes from him this Advent season. In his look at Luke 2 and the decree to go to Bethlehem, he says "the holy servants of God, even though they wander form their designs, still keep the right path, because God directs their steps. It was accomplished by a wonderful Providence of God that a registration by Augustus would  have them arrive in Bethlehem at the very point of time (needed.) 

 

Wednesday-Is a dream alive when it doesn't come true? What are some unrealized personal dreams that cause you some pain? What are some dreams that have been reached? Even with our quick move to realize that time for God is not time for us (a day is like a thousand years) it does seem that 2,000 years is a long time to await the Second Coming, especially when its quick movement seemed to be expected.What would you like to see the way of God changing in the way the world?

 

Thursday-Malachi 4 closes our version of the Old Testament, from the Greek translation. It looks toward "the Day" in a mixture of fear and hope. While the wicked will be gone, the good will see "the sun of righteousness with healing in its wings." The Bible is bold enough to borrow the images of other religions if they give glory to the God of Israel.

 

Friday-Weavings magazine's theme is "Where is Your God?" Its editor says that the self-concealment of God  reaches its most concentrated expression when God chooses to dwell with us in the opacity of human flesh. God seems to be constantly before our eyes and  yet consistently shielded from view." God is in our very seeing, making possible a depth of vision that the darkness of suffering cannot dim." 

 

Saturday-We have all seen too much bloodshed in our lives.Advent is a great time to consider where we do encounter the Prince of Peace within our lives. Why do so many of us thrill to battle and grow bored with moves toward peace? At the same time, I wonder  about churches issuing calls for peacemaking among nations, when they are riven with mistrust and infighting?