Advent Devotions: Thursday, December 13, 2018

Daniel 5:13-31                                    The Writing on the Wall, Part 2

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, ‘So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they were not able to give the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the kingdom.’

 Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded those he wanted to degrade. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. He was driven from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and sets over it whomsoever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honoured.

 ‘So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’

 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.

 That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

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When I first began a career in Music Ministry, I was shown a photograph by my cousin of her mother, also a choir director, with her singers dressed in typical Victorian garb from about 1885. She told me it was a keepsake of her mother’s production of Haendel’s oratorio Belshazzar. It was not long after, that I obtained a recording of this masterpiece and was blown away by the closing “Hallelujah, Amen.” Here is a powerful testimony by the German master of the story of the Babylonian King’s arrogance and defeat by the power of his captives’ God.

Daniel is a phenomenal prophet for many reasons, but most of all because of his quiet intuition and his patience in being in tune to the words of the Holy Spirit. In this season of Advent, there are many signs and signals bombarding and confusing us. Much of it is commercial and self-serving. For me, Advent means a time to quiet one’s self sufficiently to hear what the Father is telling us…that in His depth of love, He is sending a gift that we could easily miss unless we can quiet our busy minds and listen. His message is immense but it comes as still and small. As the carol says, “beneath our deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.” The message is the incredible gift of His Son who comes to us as an infant, so easily overlooked.

Yet the handwriting on the wall is there, and simply needs to be translated. Our prayers can serve as our Daniel. The handwriting of the Father puts to rest our selfish longings. It will be revealed as we ponder His words, our redemption draweth nigh. In this incredible gift, our unrest, worry, mistrust, and concern are defeated. We come in peace to meet God where He is, in our hearts and minds. The Savior comes! Let us rejoice and sing that incredible “Hallelujah, Amen” chorus.

Franklyn Commisso is Minister of Music at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY.

Advent Devotions: Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Daniel 5:1-12                                      The Writing on the Wall, Part 1

King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the vessels of gold and silver that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners; and the king said to the wise men of Babylon, ‘Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank third in the kingdom.’ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

 The queen, when she heard the discussion of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting-hall. The queen said, ‘O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you or your face grow pale. There is a man in your kingdom who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father he was found to have enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.’

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There are moments in my life, when I knew I was about to do something wrong, but went ahead and did it anyway. Internally there were all sorts of warning signs- I was overly nervous about the decision, I was up at night, my gut alarm was going off, and I started self justifying my decision. When we get to the self justifying stage, we know it is going to get bad, don’t we?

Dare I say it? Even with the handwriting on the wall that I was about to make a huge mistake, I did it anyway. I know I am not the only one who has had that happen.

Belshazzar, in today’s reading is in the midst of making a huge mistake. We can blame the alcohol and the party, but in the end it still is Belshazzar’s fault as he made the choice. While worshipping other gods in a giant drinking party, King B gets the bright idea to grab the holiest vessels from the Temple and begin drinking out of those instead. I am not going to write what the consequences of his mistake are as that will come later this week, but I will write King B is about to make the biggest mistake of his life and the writing was literally on the wall for him.

Now when most of us make these big mistakes, it doesn’t turn out the same for us as Belshazzar, but it is kind of worse because we have to live with the consequences of our choices sometimes for the rest of our lives. As we are in the season of Advent, the theme of repentance is present in our worship space and readings.

For me, repentance isn’t only about the forgiveness of sins, but the recognition that I am completely capable of doing the wrong things intentionally at times. I may blame other things, but if I look inside, I know I am the one who made the choice. Repentance helps me hold the mirror up to myself reminding me of what I am capable of, but also that I have the opportunity to change through the grace of God. There are some decisions I have to live with for my entire life, but knowing that through Christ, I have new life and can change my ways, so that the next time the handwriting is on the wall, I can make a better choice.

Rev. Justin Johnson is the pastor of Our Saviour, Croton on Hudson. He has served in both Upstate and Metro NY Synods for the last 18+ years. He is a self proclaimed nerd, enjoying a wide variety of activities.

Advent Devotions: Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Daniel 3:13-30                                                 The Fiery Furnace, Part 2

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?’

 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.’

 Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.

 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counsellors, ‘Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?’ They answered the king, ‘True, O king.’ He replied, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.’ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

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They fully trusted in their Lord and Savior! If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and provide for us not only on this earth but through eternity! God’s Blessings on us all!

Ken Mongold is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY

Advent Devotions: Monday, Dec. 10, 2018

Daniel 3:1-12                                                   The Fiery Furnace, Part 1

King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the herald proclaimed aloud, ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.’ Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.’

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Today’s reading is the beginning of the story I have always enjoyed reading at the Easter Vigil. In the reading a picture is created of mass confusion – lots of people, lots of noise. Chaos reigns. King Nebuchadnezzar sets up his image done in gold in the middle of the city so that the people could worship him. His astrologists denounced the Jews and the king made a decree that everyone who did not bow down would be thrown into a blazing furnace. This reading ends with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago disobeying the king’s order and being reported to the king by his astrologists. We are not asked to bow down before the king in our worship. We are asked to show our respect and love by following the commandments and to love one another. We are living in a world of chaos and confusion. Belief of and compassion for others are creating lots of bad things today. Are we in danger of being thrown into a fiery furnace? We believe Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins. Is it time for the second coming?

Prayer: Heavenly Father we ask that You be with us and lead us to the Way, the Truth and the Light of Your son, Jesus Christ. Make us see the things that we should be doing to praise You and make things better in this chaotic world. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen

Dorothy Kafalas is a Deacon at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY

Advent Devotions: Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018

Esther 4:1-17                                                                            Esther Leads

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; he went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. In every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

 When Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he would not accept them. Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why. Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.

 Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, ‘All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.’ When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.’ Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.’ Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

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Every story has its turning point; that moment when “push has come to shove”, where the “line has been drawn”, the “day of reckoning” has arisen and it is for “such a time as this” that Esther now faces.

Most of our days seem to be filled with choices.  Think about all the choices that you have made so far today - what to wear or what to eat, decisions related to work or family.  Some of those decisions or choices may be made by others, whether we like it or not.  We may our own decisions upon whims or well thought out plans.  We may make them to benefit ourselves or others.

But most of them are just every day decisions, ones that will have little overall or even long lasting impact on ourselves, much less anyone else.

Esther has come to “such a time as this” and must make a decision, one that will not only affect her own life, but the lives of her people.  While she may be the queen, still her life is controlled by the king and his decisions.  She can choose to let life happen to her and her people or she can seek to influence the king’s decision.

In calling for a fast among her people, she is seeking God’s guidance and strength for what she must do. (NOTE: God is never mentioned by name in this whole book).  The time has arrived and a decision must be made – and this will affect her own life as well as so many others.  And she’s not going it alone – but by and with the grace of God.

We are called, like Esther, to look at all of our decisions in light of who we are as God’s beloved people.  How might the choices we make reflect God’s love and grace in the world?   How might even those day to day small choices reflect our faith and trust in the Lord our God?

Years earlier, Joshua challenged the people “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).  Our choices reflect whom or what we serve daily.   Esther could have given in to the choice of fear that paralyzed her actions, but instead she lived out her faith, seeking the life that God had entrusted to her in “such a time as this”.

Pastor Jen Boyd, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Brewster, NY)

Advent Devotions: Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018

Esther 3:1-15                                                            The Anger of Haman

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance. Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’ When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would avail; for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated. But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur—which means ‘the lot’—before Haman for the day and for the month, and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, so that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.’ So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. The king said to Haman, ‘The money is given to you, and the people as well, to do with them as it seems good to you.’

 Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation, calling on all the peoples to be ready for that day. The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

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When Jesus finished instructing his disciples he said, "Oh, and also, do not be political."  Well, that may not be in any gospel you've read but it seems to be a scripture that many people today imagine.  While sitting in a coffee shop recently two college students were enjoying their break.  One young woman described her courses and mentioned "The Bible as Literature"; they were studying scripture from a secular perspective.  She found it fascinating and spoke with the excitement of an unexpected discovery:  "It's so political!" 

Indeed our scriptures deal with kings and emperors, governors and generals, prosecutors and jailers.  Our faith calls upon us to arrange our loyalty to governments, to our work, even to our family, in relation to our honor and worship of our God.   As Bob Dylan once sang, "You're gonna have to serve somebody."   The Bible is a collection of stories of rulers foreign and domestic and the hope for and awareness of a reign of God.  Our sacred books are a treatise on the horrors of corrupt rulers, rulers who punished people for their beliefs and killed people for their identity.  The comedian Alan King offered this pearl of wisdom:  "A summary of every Jewish holiday: They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat!"  The Bible could be said to be one long story of resistance and repentance and renewal.  

Esther's story reminds me of Joseph and Daniel, Miriam and Moses, Ruth and Elijah, John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle and every other story where the people of God are in dire straits, withstanding or suffering or fleeing the latest oppression: demonized, feared, persecuted.  Esther is the story about yet another empire that disrupts and defeats and displaces people.  As we get nearer to the story of the birth of Jesus, the story of a family we meet as they are dislocated, then homeless and then fleeing as refugees, it should be very familiar.   And yet these are not just stories.  And so we must ask, who are we in this story?

Jim O’Hanlon has been a Pastor since 2000, of St. Paul’s in Rye Brook since 2010.  Raised a Roman Catholic, Jim was shaped by the liturgical, social and church reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Graduating from St. John's University he worked as a researcher for Gov. Mario M. Cuomo.  

Jim has actively collaborated with colleagues of various faiths for local service projects and interfaith encounters.  Jim has participated in creating a coalition between clergy and law enforcement in a national campaign to address gun violence called "Do Not Stand Idly By."    

He has worked on combating discrimination including efforts for equality for members of the LGBTQ community; a joint TEDx Talk on the Bible and Homosexuality has 900,000 views so far.

Advent Devotions: Friday, Dec. 7, 2018

Esther 2:12-23                                                      Savvy Esther’s Success

The turn came for each girl to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their cosmetic treatment, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics for women. When the girl went in to the king she was given whatever she asked for to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she went in; then in the morning she came back to the second harem in the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

 When the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was admired by all who saw her. When Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she won his favor and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great banquet to all his officials and ministers—‘Esther’s banquet.’ He also granted a holiday to the provinces, and gave gifts with royal liberality.

 When the virgins were being gathered together, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Now Esther had not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus. But the matter came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. When the affair was investigated and found to be so, both the men were hanged on the gallows. It was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

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Sometimes it’s little things that speak in scripture. As the women in the harem each get their chance to impress King Ahasuerus they can take advantage of anything available to them in the harem – special cosmetics, an elegant dress, beautiful jewelry – whatever they think will make them stand out as most appealing to the king.  But when it is Esther’s turn, she doesn’t select anything special. In fact she instead took the advice of Hegai, the king’s eunuch as to how to prepare. Who better would know the king’s likes and dislikes? And, as we read, the impression she made on the king not only made him love her above all the others, but also moved him to make her queen, putting her in an influential place to affect the future of her people, the Jews.

When we are in a position to make an impression or choose a path as a result of a decision, do we sometimes overthink the issue? I know I’m guilty on more occasions than I would admit of trying to figure out exactly what the perfect choice is and attempting to puzzle through all the possible braches of the decision tree. And sometimes I end up frozen in indecision or insecurity about which path to take.

Esther gives us two good pieces of advice - to just be who we are and to look to others more expert than we are for advice. God created each of us as a different expression of his image and perfection and in gratitude we should do our best to live up to and fulfill that reflection. No one is better at being you than you are and trying to take on characteristics of others that are not natural to you is like putting on clothes that don’t fit. And for those times when our own wisdom and strength is not yet as developed as we need, God puts us in community with others who can lend a hand. It might be someone with whom you can talk through your situation; it might be a professional or other person with experience in the area you are exploring. And always it is the avenue of prayer to look for God’s guidance. And you may be amazed, as Esther probably was, that you could end up with an incredible outcome that allows you to bring God’s kingdom closer to those around you.

Prayer: Loving Father, remind us always that you were pleased to create us as we are and that you imbued us with many blessings and talents. Help us to use those gifts to our best advantage to magnify you. Amen.

Mary Beth Commisso is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY