09
Dec 2011

The Shepherds: A Surprising Sight

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The Third Week of Advent

Last week’s Advent reading ended with a bunch of shepherds staring at the sky and hearing the angels sing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”  In the dark of night, the glory of the Lord shone all around the shepherds.  They had no idea what was happening and they were terrified.  And yet, the angels’ joyful news that the Messiah, the Savior, had been born in Bethlehem propelled them past their fear and got them moving.

For this third week of Advent, beginning on Sunday, December 11, take a moment to light three candles on your wreath.  The first candle (which is getting pretty low by now, right?) is the Hope candle.  The second is the Joy candle.  For this third week, light the Peace candle.  Read aloud Luke 2:15-20.

If the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs” had existed around the time Jesus was born, it would have featured shepherds in one of the first episodes.  People in Jesus’ day viewed shepherds and their work as unclean and uncivilized.  So the fact that God chose them to hear the heavenly announcement of Jesus’ birth is surprising.

The shepherds didn’t only hear the good news, though.  God also chose them to be the first ones to go and tell the good news.  Once they overcame their fear, the shepherds went to Bethlehem.  They explained to others what the big deal was about this baby in the manger.  They shared the hope, joy, and peace that would be possible for everyone now that Jesus was born.  The long-awaited Savior had come.

Try to imagine the shepherds bursting into the stable.  The sight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus making them dance around and pump their fists in the air.  “Yes, we found him!”  Then the shepherds “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed.”

Think back to Mary’s amazement at what the angel Gabriel told her: she would bear a child who would be the Son of God.  The shepherds were similarly startled by what the angels told them: the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem.  Now the shepherds keep passing on the joyful news.  They may be unlikely messengers, but they know what they’re talking about.  God has come in the flesh to live among us.

As you wait for God’s Son to be born, take a look at your Advent wreath.  The light is growing brighter.  Our excitement for his birth is building, even as our hearts are filled with God’s peace.  It doesn’t matter how many tasks you’ve checked off your Christmas to-do list.  It’s ok if you’re feeling uncertain about what’s in store in the new year.  You have nothing to worry about, nothing to be afraid of.  God is taking care of that which matters most.  The Savior is coming soon.

After reading the passage from Luke 2 and reflecting on it together, talk about any or all of these questions for a few minutes:

  • When is a time that God has helped you move past your fear and get moving, as the shepherds got going in a hurry toward Bethlehem?
  • What part of the story of Jesus, from his birth to his resurrection, brings you the most peace?
  • Where are places in your life, work, school, or community that are in need of peace?  How can you be an instrument of God’s peace in those places?

After some time of conversation and reflection, sing this verse of  “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” together.  “Emmanuel” is another name for Jesus.  It means, “God is with us.”

  • O come, O King of nations, come.  O Cornerstone that binds in one: refresh the hearts that long for you; restore the broken, make us new.  Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

At the end of your Advent wreath lighting, pray and include petitions for people or places in need of peace.  You can use this prayer to get started.  Children can read it and lead your family in prayer or repeat it after you.

  • Dear God, we are waiting for Jesus to be born.  Fill our hearts with your peace as we keep watch by the manger.  Help us share your peace and love with others.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Amen

Advent Everyday: Each night, at dinner or whenever you can fit it in, light three candles of your wreath, the Hope, Joy, and Peace candles.  Throughout the week, have some family reading time with a board book or other children’s book that tells the Christmas story.  Ask your child questions about what she sees in the pictures and what she thinks will happen next.  Point out the baby Jesus and share memories with your child from when he was a baby.  Help your children sense the amazement and joy that the shepherds felt when they saw him for the first time.  Talk about the hopes they had for Jesus because of what the angels told them.  Finish your reading time with a hug.  Let your children know how much you love them and how much God loves them.

 

Paige Evers is a Lutheran pastor, a mom to two young children, and the wife of a Lutheran pastor.  Looking back, she is thankful that God got her past the fear of the unknown and got her moving to Japan, Minnesota, and Delaware, among other places.

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04
Dec 2011

The Holy Family: A Surprising Birth

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The Second Week of Advent

Normally my husband and I zip through commercials when we’re watching something we’ve recorded, whether it’s a primetime drama or a football game.  But for some reason, we have to stop and watch the remake of the Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercial.  It’s probably just 80s nostalgia and it will (hopefully) wear off soon.  But when that question, “Where’s the beef?” and the theme for this Advent post, “joy,” crossed in my mind, I wondered, “Where’s the joy?”

Right now, as we get ready for the second week of Advent, where is the joy?  It’s easy to look around and see a lot of not-joy, in the form of unemployment, or hurting families, or plain old loneliness.  You can probably fill in the blank for that thing in your life that brings you not-joy today: illness, or work stress, or your to do list.  It’s can be hard to look around and find joy.

But there is an answer to that question, “Where’s the joy?”  Joy is on its way. Joy is coming soon.

During the first week of Advent, we heard about hope.  We heard the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would have a child.  Not just any child, but the Son of God.

For the second week of Advent, which begins on Sunday, December 4, fast-forward nine months from the angel’s announcement.  But before you do, gather your family or take a moment for yourself.  Light last week’s candle in your Advent wreath (the Hope candle), and a second candle.  The second candle is the Joy candle.  Read aloud Luke 2:1-14.

Yes, we are jumping into the story of Jesus’ birth here in the second week of Advent.  This season is about getting our hearts ready to receive God’s Son.  In worship in many churches during Advent, the Bible readings focus on the prophecy that prepared people for a Messiah to come.  The readings also cast a vision of the end times, when the Son of God will return in glory.  While we wait for Jesus to come again and turn the world’s not-joy into joy once and for all, we are also waiting for December 25, 2011.  And the Christmas story—this year and every year—is full of joy.

In this Advent series, we’re taking time to savor the story of God’s Son coming to us, from the angel Gabriel’s announcement to the visit from the Wise Men.  I hope that with today’s reading from Luke 2 and the upcoming readings, you will get to know the characters better and find a way to experience their joy.  I hope you will pass the story of Jesus’ birth on to your children and help them see how God is bringing joy into their lives as well.

“Where’s the joy?”  Let’s take a look at how Mary and Joseph would answer that question.  Go ahead and fast-forward those nine months after Gabriel makes the surprising announcement to Mary that she will become pregnant, but not by Joseph, even though he’s engaged to her, but by the Holy Spirit, who will cause her to bear the Son of God.  When we pick up their story in Luke 2, the surprises just don’t stop.

Being nine months pregnant was hard enough, but Mary and Joseph weren’t even at home.  They were traveling to Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestors’ home, to be counted in the census.  Traveling was hard enough, but there wasn’t a place for Mary and Joseph to stay, so she ended up giving birth in a stable and placing her newborn son in a manger.

The joy in this story begins with the baby’s cry as he enters the world and settles into his first humble home.  It’s easy to picture Joseph and Mary quietly watching their son as loving (and exhausted) new parents.  Then God turns the volume up.  He sends an angel into the fields surrounding Bethlehem.  Shepherds see the angel and are scared out of their sandals.  But the angel tells them not to be afraid, because “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”  While the shepherds are absorbing this news, a flash mob of angels appears in the sky, shouting praises to God and proclaiming peace to people.

So far, the nativity tableau is still the infant’s immediate, human family: Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, along with, of course, the animals in the stable.  But the joyful news of his birth is starting to spread.  The holy family won’t be alone for long.  The Son of God is in their midst.  He is the one who will grow up to go to the cross, to die, to be raised again, and to be the Savior of the world.   His birth is joyful because he was born for you.  To love you, to forgive you, to make you right with God, and to give you eternal life.

Where’s the joy?  Here’s the joy.  Right here, in the manger.

After reading the passage from Luke 2 and reflecting on it together, talk about any or all of these questions for a few minutes:

  • Who are some people in your world who could use some joy?  Who are people you know who are asking, “Where’s the joy?”
  • When is a time that you’ve felt full of joy?  How have you seen God at work in those joyful times?
  • As you wait for the birth of Jesus, how do you want to the great joy of his arrival to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those you love?

If music helps you express joy, sing this verse of  “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” together (it doesn’t have to be in tune!) “Emmanuel” is another name for Jesus.  It means, “God is with us.” [ED. note: Links to a few different versions of the song in this post.]

O come, blest Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by your advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.  Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

At the end of your Advent wreath lighting, pray your own prayer or use this one, which is simple enough for children to read or repeat after you.

  • Dear God, thank you for your Son, Jesus.  Joseph and Mary were full of joy when he was born.  The angels were, too.  Prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus with joy.  Help us get ready to share the joy of his birth with others.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Amen

Advent Everyday: Each night, at dinner or whenever you can fit it in, light the first and second candles of your wreath, the Hope and Joy candles.  Have your children retell the story from Luke 2 with the characters in your nativity set (you might want to have a video camera handy for this one!)  Find out some ways you can help bring joy to families in your area who are struggling: bring food to a food pantry, donate your gently used coats, or donate diapers or other items to a shelter for women and children.  Make your kids a part of this service project.  Talk with them about why you’re doing it.  Serving others, especially vulnerable families like Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, helps us practice sharing the joy that the Christ child will bring to us and to the world.

 

Paige Evers is a Lutheran pastor, a mom to two young children, and the wife of a Lutheran pastor.  So far, in her house, Mary and Joseph have ridden in a ship, flown in an airplane, and rested in a tower made of Legos.  

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26
Nov 2011

The Angel-in-Chief: A Surprising Announcement

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The First Week of Advent

It’s time to put the cornucopia centerpieces back in storage and bring out the Advent wreath.  In a recent post called “Advent Light, Advent Hope” I described Advent and how it can help slow us down and prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus.  Now I’d like to give you a few ideas for celebrating Advent at home so you can hear the story of Christmas for the first or the thousandth time.  I hope you’ll try some of these ideas over the next four weeks (we’ll have a new post for each week) so you can pass the story and the faith along to your children.

For this first week of Advent, bring your family together or set aside some time for yourself, and then light one of the candles in your Advent wreath.  This candle is the Hope candle.  Read aloud Luke 1:26-38.

In this passage, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, who is engaged but not yet married to Joseph.  Gabriel tells her a surprising announcement.  In a nutshell: “you’re going to conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit, and your child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.”  His message is confusing to Mary but it is full of hope for us.

Gabriel tells the young woman that her son will be named “Jesus,” which means, “he will save.”  This humble baby will be the Savior that Mary and her people been waiting and hoping for.  He will rescue the people from their oppressors and even save them from sin and death.  Not in the way of a conqueror as everyone was expecting, but by God taking on flesh, suffering and dying on the cross for us, and being resurrected to new life.

Christmas, the birth of Christ, is about hope.  Mary has no idea what is in store when she hears Gabriel’s shocking announcement, but she must have sensed the hope that was embedded in it.  God is about to come to people in a new way.  God’s amazing love is about to come down from heaven to earth in the form of a newborn baby.  If that can happen, anything one hopes for can happen.  During Advent, we wait and hope for the coming of Jesus and for how he will make God’s love known to us.

After reading the passage from Luke 1 and reflecting on it together, talk about any or all of these questions for a few minutes:

  • Where are some places in our world or in your community, workplace or school that could use some hope?
  • How does the birth of Jesus fulfill that hope?
  • How are you hoping for God’s love to come to you this Advent and Christmas?

If you enjoy music, sing verse 1 of  “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” together (it doesn’t have to be in tune!) “Emmanuel” is another name for Jesus.  It means, “God is with us.”

Or listen to a version of the song online. A great instrumental version is Andrew Peterson’s “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” from “Behold the Lamb.”  (iTunes version here and YouTube version here.)  A vocal version you can sing along to is Big Daddy Weave’s “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” from “Christ is Come.” (iTunes version here.) [Ed. note: I also love the version by Boys II Men for its simplicity and mystery, and the BarlowGirl version for the way it blends creepy mystery and hope.].

  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.  Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

At the end of your Advent wreath lighting, pray your own prayer or use this one, which is simple enough for children to read or repeat after you.

  • Dear God, thank you for the season of Advent.  Thank you for this light.  Thank you for the hope you give us in Jesus.  Help us prepare our hearts for your Son.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Amen

Advent Everyday: Each night, at dinner or whenever you can fit it in, light the first candle of your wreath, the Hope candle.  Remember the story of Gabriel coming to Mary with his surprising announcement.  God’s Son is on his way.  We hope that he will come to us.  We will not be disappointed.  If you have an Advent calendar, talk about the story as you open each day’s flap (or eat each day’s chocolate!)  Keep the theme of hope in your minds and hearts, the hope that the Christ child will bring to the world.

 

Paige Evers is a Lutheran pastor, a mom to two young children, and the wife of a Lutheran pastor.  She is working on ways to adapt her Advent calendar to tell the story of Christmas and deliver a daily dose of chocolate.  Dark chocolate, to be exact. 

 

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