Advent Devotions: Love (12/25/2021)

 

Saturday December 25                        Love                                    John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

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This is probably one of the most quoted Bible verses in the world. We see it on signs, hear it on the radio and TV, even see it at ball games and other gatherings. God sent his Son to show the world how much he loved them and took him from us to give eternal life. My family knows the love of this Christmas day because we celebrate two birthdays – Dan and Howard. I always remember and remind Dan of the time when he as a young boy announced to us that he and Jesus were twins since they were born on the same day. Of course as he got older he realized that it had to be the same year and the same mother. I can’t think of a better person to want to be like. Love shows itself to us on this special day - the celebration of a very special gift to us – our Savior, Jesus. Happy birthday!

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask that you bless us all on this very special day. Thank you for giving us your Son. May his life and love be an example for the world that the people will live in harmony and peace. Bless those who know his name and those who do not that they may see his goodness and mercy. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Deacon Dorothy Kafalas

 

Advent Devotions: Love (12/24/2021)

 

Friday December 24                             Love                         Matthew 22:37-38

He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. 

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One of my (newer) favorite Christmas songs is “Love Has Come” (ELW #292).  While not a traditional Christmas carol, its words and melody stay with me.  We have often sung it as our Offertory which seems most fitting as we reflect upon the gift of love born in Bethlehem. 

Love is God’s gift to the world.  Love is the center of our faith.  We were created in love and called to live in love.  Christ was born because of God’s love for us.  More than just an emotion, it is a way of life.  In loving our neighbors as ourselves, we are loving God – as we see in our reading of the greatest commandment.

Love is active and as St. Paul said to the Corinthians, “love never ends”.  We can’t quantify love and will never run out when its source is in Christ.  We love because God first loves us.  We give that which we receive.

Christmas is about love – the new birthing of love that found its fullness in the cross.  Love has indeed come and will never forsake us nor will it ever end.  Love is Jesus within and among us!  Thanks be to God!

 Prayer:  Let the lyrics of this hymn (written by Ken Bible) serve as our prayer for this day.  When we sing it in worship, be reminded that our hymns and music are prayers that we raise to God.

1 Love has come—a light in the darkness!

Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies.

See, all heaven has come to proclaim it;

hear how their song of joy arises:

Love! Love! Born unto you, a Savior!

Love! Love! Glory to God on high.

 

2 Love is born! Come, share in the wonder.

Love is God now asleep in the hay.

See the glow in the eyes of his mother;

what is the name her heart is saying?

Love! Love! Love is the name she whispers;

Love! Love! Jesus, Immanuel.

 

3 Love has come and never will leave us!

Love is life everlasting and free.

Love is Jesus within and among us.

Love is the peace our hearts are seeking.

Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas;

Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high!

 

Pastor Jen Boyd

Advent Devotions: Love (12/23/2021

 Thursday December 23                       Love                                    Psalm 36:5-9

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

****

“Do you still love me?” I suspect most of us have, at one time or another, said this to or heard it from a friend, partner, spouse. Maybe the car got dented, or we forgot to do something. Maybe it was something more serious, like breaking a promise. Or something even more severe that broke the trust that had been shared or betrayed the love that is now in question. Being on either side of that inquiry places demands on the participant. If I am the asker, I need to reflect on what I’ve done, how sincere I am in my regret, how committed I am to reforming my ways. If I am the asked, how do I judge the hurt that has been done, how much risk am I willing to take in the future, is there enough left of the love I had to grow again and survive.  Sadly in our human relationships, sometimes the answer is “no” and both people are left wounded and lessened.

If we live our lives knowing we are in God’s presence, we also have times when we recognize our failings and turn to God and ask “do you still love me?” It is an incredible gift to us that God’s answer is always a resounding “yes!” God recognizes our weaknesses, the easy attraction of our own ego over the things God would have us do, but God doesn’t just wink and dismiss our sins lightly. God wants us to be repentant and strive to live the way shown to us through Jesus. But God always begins with a firm and steadfast “yes” of God’s love and reaches out to lift us and help us return to the path of uprightness. God shines the light of Jesus into our hearts to purify and strengthen us.

Prayer: God I humbly ask you to forgive my sins. As unworthy as I am, you shower me with your love and support me, looking in return only for my love to you and to others. Help me to keep you foremost in my mind as I interact with others, and guide me to show them your love and forgiveness through my actions. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Mary Beth Commisso

Advent Devotions: Love (12/22/2021

 Wednesday December 22                 Love                              I Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

****

God is pure, unconditional love…

In 1 Corinthians, 13:4-7, we read in human terminology that which cannot easily be expressed through words.

As in the Sermon on the Mount, we see kindness, goodness and mercy, unselfishness and peace, as qualities of God’s love. Truth and purity of heart exemplify the nature of God.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 gives us the road map for hoping to attain this in and through our everyday life, in everything we DO and everything we ARE, DO it and BE it in love. Only acts of mercy, patience and kindness, will last and live forever.

Human nature, being what it is, pulls us in the opposite direction.  So we must always strive for “faith, hope and love”… pure, unconditional love which is the essence of God.

 

Prayer of Commitment

 written by Holley Gerth

 

Lord,

Because love is patient…

Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen,

hesitant to criticize, but eager to encourage,

remembering your endless patience with me.

 

Because love is kind…

Help my words to be gentle and my actions to be thoughtful.

Remind me to smile and to say “Please” and “Thank You”

because those little things still mean so much.

 

Because love does not envy or boast, and it is not proud…

Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the good in others.

May I celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all that I am,

as well as doing the same for those around me.

 

Because love is not rude or self-seeking…

Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear and on the heart.

When I’m tempted to get wrapped up in my own little world,

remind me there’s a great big world out there full of needs and hurts.

 

Because love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs…

Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me.

When I want to hold onto a grudge,

gently help me release it

so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.

 

Because love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…

Help me stand up for what is right and good.

May I defend the defenseless, and help the helpless.

Show me how I can make a difference.

 

Because love always protects and always trusts…

Help me to be a refuge for those around me.

When the world outside is harsh and cold,

may my heart be a place of acceptance and warmth.

 

Finally, because love always perseveres…

Help my heart continually beat with love for You and others.

Thank you for showing us what the word love really means. Amen.

 

Patricia Kapp

Advent Devotions: Love (12/21/2021

 Tuesday December 21                         Love                                       John 15:1-9

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

 ****

When I chose this date for a reflection, I didn’t know it would contain one of my favorite verses – I am the vine, you are the branches. I would like to believe that my stay on earth is for a reason. What is it? Raised in a loving church oriented family gave me a strong Lutheran background. I like to think that my life has been one of giving of myself when I can. God has blessed me with a much longer life than anyone in my immediate family for which I am grateful. I pray that as long as I live I can bear the fruit of Jesus’ love and help others to see how he and the Father care for us. It is with great joy that I serve my church and my God.

 

Prayer: Father, thank you for allowing me to be a branch in your vine. Bless all those who are reaching out to family, neighbors, countrymen so that we can continue to live in a peaceful world with love. Let us joyfully celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus in whose name we pray. Amen.

 

Deacon Dorothy Kafalas

Advent Devotions: Love (12/20/2021)

 Monday December 20                         Love                                        Isaiah 63:7

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

****

As I'm spending time with my son and his family, the adults (Vinnie, Wendy and I), are having many conversations over our evening coffee. A recent one was a very good for this mother's heart.

Vinnie's dad died when he was 13 1/2 and he was angry with God for quite a while. That night, Vin started talking about how God used that "rough patch" to show him how faithful He was through it.  He said, "God just kept loving me Mom, putting Christians in my life in unexpected places, keeping me safe instead of dead or in prison, giving me a job with a Christian man who prayed every day and only listen to Christian radio. I mean I rode with him to jobs that were three or four hours away and the station was constant. There was never any judgment in our conversations, but he sure let me know if I messed up."

What's funny about this is how Vin would lovingly tease me for sharing how much Jesus loved me and what He did for me and, now, Vin is doing the same thing. Vinnie "... recounts the steadfast love of the LORD..." with others, especially if they're troubled.  He KNOWS Who the answer is.

Dear God - We KNOW You ALONE are the answer for us all. Thank You for Your steadfast love and for being there in our "rough patches." During Advent and after, please help us to be more like Your Son, Jesus.  Help us "recount Your steadfast love" to all those You bring across our path, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone. Help us to REST and TRUST in "... the abundance of Your steadfast love."

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen

Deb Lyon

 

Advent Devotions: Love (12/19/2021)

 Sunday December 19                           Love                                    I John 4:7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

****

In the 60’s Charlie and I were in college and involved in the Lutheran Student Federation in NYC.

Love and Peace were certainly in the air in the 60’s.

We often sang songs on Retreats, one of them being “They’ll Know we are Christians by Our Love”. This song resonated with me and at our wedding friends of ours sang it. I always hope that the words in the song, like the words in the verses for today would lead me to have God’s love lead me to love those who I meet.

Prayer: May God’s love lead you and me to love others. And may we sing:

We will work with each other; we will work side by side

We will work with each other; we will work side by side

And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love

Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

Irene Germain

Advent Devotions: Joy (12/18/2021)

 

Saturday December 18                         Joy                                     Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

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Remember those single frame cartoons that began with the phrase “love is” and the picture would change each day – from a warm puppy, a friend’s embrace and the like.  Joy, like love is difficult to describe.

Joy is something more than being happy.  Never fully defined, but you know it when you experience it.  It is like the leaping of the child in Elizabeth’s womb. 

           Unexpected and spontaneous. 

Joy is….

 a baby’s face as their parent comes into view.

 A dog enthusiastically greeting you as if you had been gone for days.

Reuniting with a loved one

God’s beautiful creation that takes you by surprise

 

What have been your experiences of joy?

Joy is a gift from God – a serendipity (an unexpected surprise).  Joy cannot be manufactured but comes in those moments when we least expect it.

A colleague shares on social media when & how he experienced joy that day.  It has been it his own intentional practice and invites others to share their own joys (thank you, Pastor Justin Johnson).  It’s more than just what was good during the day, but rather what made your heart skip a bit, caught your breath, brought a smile to your face.

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lifts up in Galatians (5:22-23).  Joy is God’s breaking into our everyday lives and reminding us of the beauty of life, of the love that surrounds us and the vital connection we have to God through Jesus Christ.

And so, along with Pastor Justin, I invite you to watch for the joy that God is offering you this day – expect the unexpected and in that, joy will abound.

 

Prayer: Rejoice in the Lord, again, I say rejoice. Dear Lord, in those moments when we are busy, uncertain or overwhelmed by the day, we pray for that gift of joy to touch our lives and open our hearts.  Just as a child’s infectious laugh brings a smile to our face, may your joy well up inside of us and flow forth into a world that is blinded to your presence.  May the joy of the love of Jesus Christ fill our lives and our world this day and forever.  Amen.

 

Pastor Jen Boyd

Advent Devotions: Joy (12/17/2021)

 Friday December 17                              Joy                                     Psalm 66:1-4

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah

****

As I spend time with my son and his family, I see the choices we make every day, both conscious and unconscious, as well as good, "not-so-good" and plain no good.  For example, my three-year-old granddaughter, Julie, LOVES rainbows and will share that fact with anyone. She is seriously over the moon and it doesn't matter if it's on an eraser, a ball, a shirt or in the sky.

Now, as Christians, we should be just as excited if not more so, and definitely "...shouting for joy to God,... singing The Glory of His name..." because we KNOW what rainbows mean. We KNOW they are a symbol of God's promise to never flood the Earth again.

So, what do you say? Do we live this Advent as well as this coming year with the JOY of a three-year-old?  Do we CHOOSE to "... say to God, 'How awesome are Your deeds?'"  The choice, dear brothers and sisters, is up to you.

Dear God-

Thank You for Your continued presence and watch care over us.  Please help us CHOOSE "to see" You during Advent and after. May we embrace the JOY of this time of year "... singing the glory of Your name and giving You glorious praise...".

Thank You for the blessings yet to come. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen

 

Deb Lyon

Advent Devotions: Joy (12/16/2021)

 Thursday December 16                        Joy                                 Isaiah 55:10-12

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

****

A brief history of the time: Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem, forcing God’s people into exile in Babylon (587 to 538 B.C.E) in 538 B.C.E., Cyrus the Persian ruler captured Babylon and allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. That is man’s history but it is truly God’s divine plan.

God sent his message to his people not with lightning bolts and thunder as in a Cecil B. DeMille epic movie but lovingly, like gentle rain to water the land, allowing the seed of his message to germinate and be received by his people. He offers his people not only the joy of returning to their homeland but the joy of returning to a relationship with God.

I am always awed by God’s mercy, love and patience with rebellious mankind. He forgives our sins again and again. In his infinite love, he reaches out to all mankind, offering forgiveness, salvation and eternal life. He sent his only Son to fulfill his divine plan. There is no greater love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” John 3:16

 

Joan Bradley

Advent devotions: Joy (12/15/2021)

 

Wednesday December 15                  Joy                                Matthew 13:44

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

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This concise parable is troubling.  One day, a person was walking on someone else’s property that seemed undeveloped/unhabituated.  He or she or they [nonbinary] or even “it” (with the ways our biblical books sometimes reference gender of children) just happens to stumble upon a treasure that could be covered with leaves, dug into the ground, or conveniently placed into a tree knoll or shrub.  Anyway the story goes, it seems that the treasure was intentionally placed, even if albeit, the owner of the land had forgotten it or was ignorant of the prize.  Instead of moving on, the finder becomes greedy, knowing that the treasure is worth greater than the price of the land.  The person pays a steep momentary loss for a bigger gain based purely on luck and trespassing.  We’ve heard stories of people wandering onto other’s properties but didn’t make it out alive.  How is this person so lucky not only to survive but to also thrive?

At a time when shelfs around the United States are running empty of possible gifts to place under the Christmas tree, this parable recalls to us that one precious gift worth more than all the rest in the world.  To take this story literally, we are to selfishly cling (yes, you read that right!) to the treasure like nothing else matters (thou shalt have no other gods!).  This treasure that Jesus is referencing, of course, is the reign of God that is the focus in these days of Advent and Christmas, the already and not yet present kin-dom.  Christ has come into the world once; Christ will be incarnate once again to right all wrongs (i.e. trespassing) and show God’s divine justice through love.  No other present is needed under the tree; just this hope.

If there could be another sentence added to this parable, maybe in this person’s joy he/she/they/it shows off this precious gift like an excited child who runs around the house with that one prized possession unwrapped that morning from under the tree.  Because we know, when joy is present, it’s hard to keep silent—even if that joy was questionably obtained.

                                                                         

Prayer:  God, the treasure of infinite worth, help us to stay focused on you this day.  Remind us of the surpassing joy you give us.  Even as we are 10 days away from many, many deadlines, let them all pass by if we don’t have you grounded in our motivation.  And, being so near you, let us share the story of your coming and second coming to those who, in these days, don’t know how precious you truly are.  We ask this boldly in our own faith.  Amen.

Pastor Kevin O'Hara,    Emanuel Lutheran, Pleasantville 

Advent Devotions: Joy (12/14/2021)

 Tuesday December 14                          Joy                                Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

****

In 2 Samuel Chapter 12, King David is confronted by Nathan, the prophet, about David’s guilt in having an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and in having her husband Uriah killed in battle. Here in Psalm 51 David has acknowledged and repented of his sin and seeks forgiveness from God.

In our everyday lives I’m sure most of us have a handful of people who are very generous at pointing out our shortcomings and giving us advice on how we can live life better. I truly am thankful for those times when they have kept me from making a massive mistake that could not be undone! I think we all can agree that most of our shortcomings (and sin) are very well known to us, stored neatly inside our brain.

Fortunately, between the Law given in the Old Testament with the Ten Commandments, and the Holy Spirit given us in the New Testament, we can be fairly sure in distinguishing right from wrong. We can strive to do the best we can each day in the work we are given to do; but we know from experience that we often fall short as sin is a very real part of our human nature. I take great comfort in the hymn “Jesus Paid it All.”

Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection covered all our sins and reconciled us to God; for today, every day and for all eternity.

I pray this day that we are renewed with a pure and joyful heart and are abundantly blest as we follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit in living well the life that God has given us.

Peter Donoghue

Advent Devotions: Joy (1213/2021)

 Monday December 13                          Joy                                   John 14:20-22

On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”

****

Jesus taught in parables, yes. But as far as his disciples were concerned, he also taught in riddles. And on this dark and joyless Thursday night, the last night of Jesus’ life, he has been trying their patience.

It has been a confusing evening for the disciples. Before the Passover meal is served, Jesus confounds them by washing their feet, an apparent act of servility that strikes most of them – especially Peter – as highly inappropriate. “You also ought to wash one another’s feet,” Jesus tells them, a directive that has made church folks uncomfortable (and often noncompliant) for two millennia.

The disciples understand Jesus’ commandment to love one another because they have heard it before. But when he says his death is imminent and will be preceded by betrayal and abandonment, their confusion deepens. Jesus’ declaration that those who know him also know the father only perplexes them further, and Philip’s response must have been hurtful: “Lord, show us the father and we will be satisfied.”

Now Jesus talks of a time when “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

They do not understand. Understanding will have to wait until Jesus’ mission is complete and when the Holy Spirit reveals the truths that elude them.

Until then they must be patient.

So, too, must we be patient when we wonder what our future holds and God makes us wait for the answers.

When Jesus confused his disciples on that dark Thursday night, they did not understand all he was saying. But they did their best to be patient. They had faith that when all was revealed, they would understand how God’s love was enveloping them all – and with that understanding comes joy.

 

Prayer: God our creator, we do not always understand how your plans will unfold. But at we understand that Advent is a time of patient anticipation as we await with eager joy the birth of the Christ Child and the renewal of your plan to bring all humanity closer to your eternal and unconditional love. Joy comes in the morning, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

S. Deacon Philip Jenks