Gifts.

When I was a kid, Christmas Eve went something like this: we ate a Scandinavian sort of dinner with lots of fish – Lutefisk included. Then our mother bundled us up and we walked to church. There was usually a pageant of which we were part of, familiar hymns and wonderful smells, all of which was very exciting for a young person. We walked home in the cold – excited and wide-awake. Then it was off to bed. “I’m not tired” we chanted as we yawned and promptly fell asleep. In those short hours between midnight and dawn my mother would get the tree up, decorate it (each ribbon of icicle singly hung by hand along with fragile glass ornaments handed down through generations), and get all the gifts arranged under the tree. We awoke to magic. A new fully decorated Christmas tree and presents surrounding it. What a gift our mother gave to us!

During this Advent, some 28 folks wrote e-devotions. Each one was a gift. I selfishly got to unpack them first – read them first – savored them, prayed with them. What a privilege. And then I sent them along to some 84 others, passing the gift along. Our ‘Blog Meister’ told me another 90 or so folks visited the blog site daily. We were a community of folks, known and unknown, who made a decision to try to keep a different sort of Advent. Thanks to all who wrote meditations. Your gift of words helped us all slow down a bit and remember the holiness of the season.

Wondrous as the gift from my mother and the gifts from e-devotion writers were, they pale in comparison to the gift God gives us. His son. Jesus. Born as a baby – a wee little baby. Come to us to be a Savior. Awesome! Totally, totally awesome.
Blessings to all this Christmas Eve. -- Jane (your e-devotions wrangler)

Hey all!  I think this might finally work.

I’ve been captivated by this song since hearing it live in November. This is the best combination of audio and video I’ve been able to find. I hope it blesses you.

Peace and Good,
The Rev. Warren Hicks
http://stlukesworcester.org
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
921 Pleasant St. 
Worcester, MA 01602-1908
508-756-1990

E-Devotions for Thursday, December 23^rd, 2010.

Psalms 80; Luke 1:39-48a; 48b-56. Rev. 21:22; 22:1-5.

            Do we regard ourselves as blessed children of God? Yes we are. Because our forefathers, the prophets and the angles full of the Holy Spirit announced about the birth of the savior who was to be born for us. But, they had no chance of seeing him. In our time, the child is born. The savior is brought to us. In Psalm 80, while in the bondage of slavery in Egypt, the children of God cried unto their God to rescue them from the bondage and were redeemed from their slavery.  With us the children of God of this generation, the grace of our Father is redeeming us from our sins. This is perfected by the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ who is born in a manger.  Our joy, peace and redemption are fulfilled in us through the birth of the Child of God, who was born in a manger two thousand of years ago.  When Mary visited Elizabeth, they both had a great joy which they expressed in their conversation. Elizabeth wonders why her Lord came to visit her even the baby in her womb rejoiced for hearing Mary’s voice. The unborn baby inside her jumped with joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice that: God has blessed you more than any other woman and He has blessed the baby to which you will give birth.” Mary’s response was a great reassurance of our blessings when she said that: “God will show His mercy forever and ever. To those who worship and serve Him. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. St. Luke confirms this in his orderly account for us to know the truth about the birth of the child of God so that we may believe.

In Revelation 21:22; 22:1-5. John saw the city of God and writes that there is no temple in the city. For its temple is the Lord Almighty and the Lamb.  The angle showed me the river of the water of life bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. One either side of river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit producing its fruit each month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accused will be found there anymore. But, the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads and there will be no more night; they needed no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever.

As we come close to the celebrations of Christmas, the readings of today encourage us to look ahead, to watch and wait for the joy which this day brings to us all. John confirms the goodness of the city of God and because we believe in the Child of God; the city is prepared for us. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not see him as an ordinary child. He is the Savior. The only child of God. He is our Hope. The only one to redeem us from our sins. That is why we believe in Him because we have that hope through him of going to that new City.  For this reason, we regard ourselves as blessed children of God.  Amen.

Today's meditation comes from one of our youngest writers:

Psalm 72 tells us that God will/can bring justice to anyone. It provides us
with a description of an exalted king, and of the blessings of his reign.
Offer him praises and be thankful for what we have.

From Luke we learn that He can do anything and that nothing is impossible
with God.

> These are three relatively contemporary artistic works of The Annunciation. You are invited to enter into Mary's face - body language. Scared and young and confused as she was -- she still said "Yes!"

Most of us live busy, stressed filled lives. Many of us our filled with
depression and unhappiness. Unemployment is high. The economy is bad.

As practicing Christians, we are trying to find our spiritual footing. We
seek help and guidance along the way. Everything is at stake! The days
are dark and bleak. They are days of preparation, as we journey through
Advent to find the light, the Light of Christ!

The Light of our spiritual home in Christ seems so far away! The promises
seem so far off! In the eighth century B.C, a long time ago, Isaiah
warned the people of Jerusalem of the importance of justice in our
relationship with God. Injustice gets in the way of our relationship with
God. Our daily life can be a virtual "sword of despair."

Advent is a season of promise. Look up! Are you trying? Are you moving?

Are you walking in the Light? Be prepared! Walk in Light! Be carefree
in the Light! Awaiting for the day. . Put on the Light of Christ!

The gospel of John, like the other New Testament Gospels, are like
mountains. They broaden are gaze. And sometimes they are like leftovers,
that are more tasty then the original meal.

The Advent message this morning is one of hope.

Are you trying? Are you ready? Are you moving? Are you ready for the
tasty meal? Look out! You are moving! You are walking in the Light!Amen.

Psalm 24 tells us that those whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure,
whose soul does not pay homage to worthless things, and those who do not lie
have the right to be with God in his sanctuary. We want to have that access
to God in his sanctuary. How might that come to be? He sent his only son
into the world so that we might be saved. Jesus died for our sins and we
believe and pray for atonement. Jesus dwells within us, believes in us, and
leads us to a more Godly life if we are mindful of his presence. Let us be
mindful, stay still. and listen for what he would tell us. We need to heed
those words.

Worship God and give glory to him. Pray every day and in every quiet moment.
Give thanks for his presence and protection. He is with us always. He is all
powerful. He gives each of us strength and his blessing and we need to use
those to do good works and to bring love and justice to the world. We can
and should use our blessings and empowerment to do the will of God and grow
strong in the Lord.

In this season of Advent, try to find that quiet time where you can listen
to His words and set upon a course of deeper understanding of your ability
to make a difference. Make a commitment to use your blessings. The man or
woman who lives in the light or comes out into the light is being led to a
more Godly life. Become a beacon of hope in this world.

As this week swiftly passes, we are keenly aware of how little we have, how late it is. We have denied the inevitable passage of days and now find ourselves either running in frantic circles or helplessly resigned, or maybe some of both. We do not have enough time or anything else. There is too little and it is far too late.

But we have been here before and we will be here again. And not just at Christmas. All those other times when we could only confess how little we had, how late it was. We have had two funerals recently at St. Luke's. Both were wonderful celebrations of a life well lived. Both full of memories, laughter along with the tears. We never know when we will no longer have our loved ones by our side. But in Christ -- the one we await to celebrate anew -- we have life abundant and blessed assurance that we will all be reunited. The gift of presence is to be treasured. Give it generously.

Live generously. With God it is never too late and it is never too little. God smiles at each of our efforts - at each of our prayers. Give thanks each day to God for everything, be it little or much.

Like a lot of angels in the Bible, after calling Joseph by name, the angel in today’s passage starts with “don’t be afraid.” Once years ago when my kids and I were reading their Children’s Bible before bed, one of them asked “why would I be afraid of an angel – aren’t they supposed to be nice?” He had me there … and I was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. We talked about the big voices they have, the situations in which they appear and the idea that if you were not expecting it, it might be pretty scary to see even a sliver of God’s power up close and unfiltered – especially if God was not too happy with you. Then one of them asked, “So Jesus and the angels tell us that God doesn’t want us to be afraid – is that all?” I told them, “Well, that’s not all, but ‘be not afraid’ is a good place to start.”

I was feeling pretty good about myself there – after all, I was not totally at a loss. But as I thought about it more and more, I realized that I had made a bit of a mistake. I hadn’t made it clear to them that “be not afraid” is a divine, not a human, beginning. That it’s not the first thing WE do – it’s really more the first thing we need to work on, the “top priority” and the thing we need God’s help most in order to do. The angel that appeared to Joseph brought the best news of all – God is with us.

So my prayer for you this Advent season is that you will feel the celebration of Jesus’ birth as the certainty of God’s presence in your life. God is with us; we are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Isaiah 9:18-10:4

        The passage is something the world can relate to I think. It talks of things we are afraid to say because it is the truth ,but sometimes the truth hurts. Betrayal, lies, turning against one another, never being satisfied, and depriving people of what they most need. Things we do everyday, but would never admit to. Yet still God welcomes us repent or not, good or bad, and foolish or not foolish God will be there with open arms for all of us.