Category: Advent Devotions
-
Shepherds (Dec. 17th, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 2:8, 15-20 Shepherds Sheep and pastures and kindly, simple shepherds standing vigil over the flock makes a wonderful image in our mind. As television and advertising repeatedly demonstrate, however, image is not everything. The reality of shepherds is that they were not a kindly, clean and gentle lot. They were looked down upon…
-
Caesar (Dec. 14, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 2:1-3 Caesar There is a lot of hustling around during Advent/Christmas seasons. As if there weren’t already enough daily stresses to keep the blood pressure elevated, this time of year can exacerbate an already chronic problem. Who worries more, the poor or the wealthy? Maybe they worry the same amount but just about…
-
Star of Bethlehem (Dec. 11, 2024)
Scripture: Matthew 2:9-10 Star of Bethlehem Ever listen to jazz music? I confess I don’t really care for much of it and the reason is because I’m just not musically mature enough. Jazz is about improvising on a theme and it makes me uncomfortable because I don’t know where the music is going (and apparently…
-
Magi (Dec. 10, 2024)
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 Magi When our children are born, we send out announcements via our computers, social media, mail, phones and plain old word of mouth… God sends “angelgrams” (Luke 2:8-15) and supernovas, or comets or something big. On the receiving end of the celestial messages were some Eastern Magi. The Magi are said to…
-
Nazareth (Dec. 9, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 2:2, Matthew 2:23 Nazareth Every country and region has charming, small towns. Nazareth was not one of them. Nazareth was small but apparently there was nothing about Nazareth reputed to be charming. Somehow little Nazareth had developed a national reputation as being a small, backward spot people were sorry there was…
-
The Angel Gabriel (Dec. 8, 2024)
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-28 GABRIEL Gabriel is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the scripture (the other is Michael). The name means literally, “God is my hero” and the angel’s job was to take the hero’s messages wherever he was told to do so. Gabriel appears to be one of the…
-
Gospel of John (Dec 7, 2024)
SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-14 GOSPEL OF JOHN John is not the black sheep of the Gospels. John is the technicolor, tie-dyed, neurodivergent sheep who saw deeper meaning in everything. John didn’t color outside the lines, he just saw the lines as a metaphor for something deeper. I do John an injustice if I imply…
-
Gospel of Matthew (Dec. 4, 2024)
Scripture: Matthew 1, 2 Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew was written by a Jew, for a Jewish audience. It is also the only one of the four Gospels which includes the story of the Magi visiting. This is curious since Magi were not jews. Matthew is also very interested in showing where Jesus…
-
Elizabeth (Dec. 3, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 1:25 There is a recurring theme in Scripture of women who had trouble becoming pregnant. (Sarai, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah…) Elizabeth knew their sorrow, their frustration and perhaps even some anger. Did she view herself as some sort of failure. Whatever her interior perceptions, she shared their lot. Sarah (Sarai) named her baby “Laughter”…
-
Zachariah- December 2
Scripture: Luke 1:18-20. Preparing in our house, usually takes some muscle. When we were leaving for a trip, there is something one could kindly describe as a “flurry of activity.” Remember, preparing for a wedding? If there isn’t some sweat, confusion, and shouts through the house, then we probably aren’t “preparing.” That may be necessary…
Wilmot First Presbyterian Church 