Christmas Day

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Dec 25  Nativity of the Lord II   Isaiah 62:6-12   Psalm 97   Titus 3:4-7   Luke 2:[1-7] 8-20 Dec 25  Nativity of the Lord III   Isaiah 52:7-10   Psalm 98   Hebrews 1:1-4 [5-12]   John 1:1-14

Today’s Reflection: Christmas morning, amid the various wrapping paper remnants, we like to reflect back on the birth of the Christ child. The passages this year, though take us beyond the manger. The word found across many of the passages is “heir,” a word we more likely associate with disposition of property following death. Thinking about death on a day like today kills the mood in a hurry. Fortunately for us, the inheritance we get through the coming of Christ is a living gift that continues into today.   As the only son, Jesus has all of God’s creation at his command. As co-heirs to that creation we are drawn in with a connection like none other. Throughout the entire season, we have been reminded of the connection we have to one another, to the historical Biblical figures, and most importantly to the triune God.   As heirs to the creation, we have responsibility to care for that creation and work as God would have us. Today is a time of celebration, but tomorrow comes time to start working. As we have seen through the passages, our relationship with God requires effort on both parts. He empowers us to do what needs to be done and we do it. Even though God does not need us, he desires us to be a part of his ongoing activity. Being desired means so much.   When we come down from the holiday highs and return to our daily routines, let us remember just how much God desired our participation in his creation. Let us remember just how much he counts on our actions fulfilling his desires. The birth of Christ in human form let us have that pure and perfect connection with God in order to perfect our relationship with him. Each day in the coming year, let us celebrate that relationship.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

Christmas Eve 2012

Sometimes our view of God allows us to take the cop-out of expecting God to act alone without any participation on our part. We believe an omnipotent God can act alone in a vacuum and because of that power, we serve no meaningful role in the function of God's kingdom. His will be done. This season's Advent proves to us the exact opposite. As I reviewed my notes to the Scriptures of the season, three words kept coming up: connection, repentance, and salvation. As I studied and read across the weeks, I had no idea how many times the same concepts kept occurring from week to week. It does not surprise me, given the relationship between the words that they dominate the Advent lectionary. Our anticipation of the coming (returning) Christ comes from the connection God seeks with humankind. He desires that we repent for those things outside God's plan and accept the salvation through the New Covenant that came with Christ's coming. From Moses through through the prophets to Christ we see how integral God's connection to humanity is in his plan. Moses followed God's direction to set the Jews apart from the rest of the world through the giving of the law. The prophets kept the people on track and gave them directions to restored favor with God when they had gone astray. Christ recruited then sent the apostles to do his work. We cannot say we are not needed in the work of God. Tonight as we reach the climax in our anticipation of his coming we are called also to focus on the connection we have with our Lord. We rely on him, but he too calls on us. We cannot afford the cop-out of putting it all on God; he uses us! Today our anticipation could become a reflection of ways we are prepared to be used. Our connection to God allows him to accomplish his work through us and it allows us to receive the ability from him to accomplish his work. It is not just his coming in to us but also our going out to him. Anticipation encompasses both receiving and giving. This Advent season has prepared us for both!

Christmas Eve 2012

Sometimes our view of God allows us to take the cop-out of expecting God to act alone without any participation on our part. We believe an omnipotent God can act alone in a vacuum and because of that power, we serve no meaningful role in the function of God's kingdom. His will be done. This season's Advent proves to us the exact opposite. As I reviewed my notes to the Scriptures of the season, three words kept coming up: connection, repentance, and salvation. As I studied and read across the weeks, I had no idea how many times the same concepts kept occurring from week to week. It does not surprise me, given the relationship between the words that they dominate the Advent lectionary. Our anticipation of the coming (returning) Christ comes from the connection God seeks with humankind. He desires that we repent for those things outside God's plan and accept the salvation through the New Covenant that came with Christ's coming. From Moses through through the prophets to Christ we see how integral God's connection to humanity is in his plan. Moses followed God's direction to set the Jews apart from the rest of the world through the giving of the law. The prophets kept the people on track and gave them directions to restored favor with God when they had gone astray. Christ recruited then sent the apostles to do his work. We cannot say we are not needed in the work of God. Tonight as we reach the climax in our anticipation of his coming we are called also to focus on the connection we have with our Lord. We rely on him, but he too calls on us. We cannot afford the cop-out of putting it all on God; he uses us! Today our anticipation could become a reflection of ways we are prepared to be used. Our connection to God allows him to accomplish his work through us and it allows us to receive the ability from him to accomplish his work. It is not just his coming in to us but also our going out to him. Anticipation encompasses both receiving and giving. This Advent season has prepared us for both!

December 23 - Fourth Sunday in Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Micah 5:2-5a Luke 1:46b-55 Psalm 80:1-7 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Today’s Reflection: Working in a bureaucracy, I almost every day complete pointless tasks that do little to improve my working conditions or improve the process for anyone with whom I work, but someone, somewhere in the hierarchy wants to see that product so they know we are doing our job. I do the task because I am expected to do them, often with little attention to detail and never with any enthusiasm. I go to work every day because of the real work I do, the connections I have with those in my workplace and the difference I am able to make in their daily lives. The bureaucratic tasks never reflect the relational connection that is the center of my work.   The Jews, in Jesus’s time, experienced the same thing with the prescribed offerings and sacrifices demanded by the law. The covenant between God and the Jews obliged them to do certain things to maintain their relationship with him. That lack of connection between the act of offering and the relationship with God was pointed out by the author of Hebrews quoting Jesus. Christ recognizes that there was no pleasure in doing the obligated work because it was required rather than something done as a part of maintaining a relationship.   The Luke passage, contemporarily referred to as the Magnificat, narrates Mary’s joy at being the mother of the Christ. She understands her connection to God. In that connection she proclaims, “from now on all generations will call me blessed.” How incredible must it feel to be so blessed?  Her exuberance is contagious. The truth is, we all have that same connection and we ALL are blessed for generations.   The difference between those bureaucratic tasks I do daily and the work I adore like the difference between the Jews of Jesus’s time and his mother comes from the difference between obligation and connection. We share the fortune of Mary to be connected directly with the work of God in the world around us and have the opportunity to be blessed daily in that work as we live with him. That connection makes all the difference in the world because it radiates from love that goes from God to humankind to God. As members of God’s body we celebrate that love like no other and this fourth Sunday in Advent gives us the chance to reflect on it directly.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 21 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 80:1-7 Isaiah 42:10-18 Hebrews 10:32-39

Today’s Reflection: One thing that amazes me about my faith is that the story of one man, in a remote part of an empire, reached today and has impacted all of history since his coming. The story grows even more remarkable as we understand that not only was he a common man, he was rejected by his own people. Yet, the lessons he taught and the power that the brought from God, as God, endured beyond any attempt to hide or reject them.   Partially, the success of the story comes from the prophesy in Isaiah. As the Lord talks about leading the “blind by a road they do not know” he opens the faith to the Gentiles, who were considered blind to God because they did not have the divine heritage that allowed them to covenant with God. By the rejection of the Hebrews, God opened his love to the Gentiles who would accept him and the new covenant that came with Christ. Instead of being limited, God’s love is endless as it pours out to all who will see and follow him.   From the unlikely to the eternal, the power of God’s love kept the story alive for the centuries from its occurrence until our times today. As we await his return, we take comfort for the provisions he has already made for us through the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 20 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 80:1-7 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 10:10-18

Today’s Reflection: Today we enter into the final week’s passages for Advent with a focus on love. The three passages for today connect that concept across history to show how important love is to God. From the psalmists question to the prophet’s promise and the epistle’s fulfillment, the motivation behind God’s action is love.   The psalmist asks God how long he will be angry with the people. While we do not know the context of this particular Psalm, the Old Testament recounts tale after tale of the people’s failure to live up to God’s expectations as established in his law. Jeremiah, the prophet, has the same experience, but proclaims a promise from God that because the people were unable to keep the old covenant, he would send a new one, not built on the law, but inside the hearts of the people.  Finally in Hebrew’s, the fulfillment of that promise is explained through the sacrifice of Jesus. Because we could not do it right, God, himself, stepped in to provide the sacrifice so that he could “remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.   Through Advent as we anticipate is coming again to us, we also have time to reflect on his previous time with us and the driving force behind it: love.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 19 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 11:1-9 Micah 4:8-13 Luke 7:31-35

Today’s Reflection: The concluding passages to the Advent week focused on joy do not seem very joyful on first reading. In the Luke passage Jesus describes the rejection of John the Baptist and himself citing the conflicting expectations of people for how a holy person should live. In Micah, the sense of pending war against powerful foes seems more daunting than joyful. The present situation is overwhelming and desperate. Despite these unpleasant situations, we know the rest of the story and the reason for our joy lies in the completion of the story.   Micah 4:12, though, interjects that the world “does not know the thoughts of the lord or understand his plan.” Learning to accept our fallibility and understand that we do not know all things allows us to put those things which we cannot control into the hands of God whose thoughts and plan encompass everything – including the outcome of the difficult times. Knowing that we have a God who looks out for us even when we cannot understand everything that is happening offers us a sense of joy knowing that we are loved by God.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 18 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 11:1-9 Numbers 16:20-35 Acts 28:23-31

Today’s Reflection: Isaiah brings us a lovely pastoral setting with natural enemies thriving together. Lions, lambs, cows, bears all feed together peacefully. The nature of predator and prey become alike. Notably, even the cursed relationship between snake and humankind reverted to peaceful coexistence.   This ideal setting comes in the verses following description of the coming leader’s judgment. He judges based on the character in people’s hearts – not what is seen or heard. The animal parable that follows reflects the change that comes in the hearts of those who follow Christ. We maintain our identity, but our character reflects the character God created in us in the garden. The passage brings us a glimpse of the new creation promised.   Until his coming, the world continues in its present path but as his believers, we can do our part to impact our little part of it.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 17 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 11:1-9 Numbers 16:1-19 Hebrews 13:7-17

Today’s Reflection: The holiday season’s business seems overwhelming. There is so much to do, so many invitations to manage, so many people to see. In a time when we are supposed to be happy, we often seem more harried.   One reason I focus on joy in my life is the steady constancy that comes with it. Above so many fleeting events and emotions, the constant satisfaction that comes with joy helps make those other things seem insignificant. Hebrews 13:8 draws us to that same characteristic in the Lord. He is the same always. I take joy in the certainty that my God remains a constant force on which I can count.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 16 - Third Sunday in Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-8

Today’s Reflection: 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 thee, O Israel. Our joy, our rejoicing comes in the knowledge that Emmanuel has come to us and will come again. The Philippians passage brings us into a time that exceeds joy to rejoicing. Joy (should) fills us because we have the spirit with us at all times, but then there are the times that we rejoice. Joy tends to be subtle and content to contain itself. Rejoicing blasts that joy to everyone present. There are times to rejoice. Today is such a day. Open your heart. Open your soul. Open your voice. Let us show the world the joy we know. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, all Christendom.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 15 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 12:2-6 Amos 9:8-15 Luke 1:57-66

Today’s Reflection: Yesterday, I was greeted by one of my students declaring she wanted to meet with me the next day. Moments later her best friend came up to me asking, “has she told you about her condition?” In the south, “condition” only means one thing. I looked back to my student. She looked at me earnestly and said, “You’re going to be a grandpa.” That is not the news I wanted to hear. A teen pregnancy in our times rarely counts as a blessing, but in the life of Zechariah and Elizabeth, children were the ultimate blessing and ensured a legacy. They had been considered barren. The arrival of a child affirmed the holy lives they led.   Even with the blessing of the coming child controversy surrounded the naming of the newborn baby. While Elizabeth insisted on naming him John, the relatives challenged her because none of the relatives had that name. Tradition called for the child to be named after a relative. Elizabeth was insistent and her (mute for the duration of the pregnancy) husband finally asked for a tablet to write. He agreed with his wife and his speech returned. Tradition provides a certain level of comfort – those actions are comfortable and familiar. Doing God’s will, though brings a level of joy that surpasses the ease of tradition.   In this third week of Advent, with the focus on joy, the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah offers the perfect focal point. Elizabeth and Zechariah experienced great joy with the birth of their son, but even greater joy at following direction from God. By naming him John, they followed God’s guidance and the blessing of a child was multiplied to them. Joy exceeds almost every other emotion in spirituality. We see the fullness that joy creates in the story of the birth of John the Baptist and it gives perfect guidance for the Advent week that focuses on joy.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 14 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 12:2-6 Amos 8:4-12 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

Today’s Reflection: “Imagine” by John Lennon Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace   The passage from Amos brings us close to the world in John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Lennon, though, believed it would lead to a world of peace and prosperity for all involved. Unfortunately, history shows us something different. The Hebrews, for whom Amos prophesied, thrived on greed and manipulation of the most needy. They cheated with the weights and manipulated the currency to take advantage of those who did business with them. They cursed religious rules that forbid them to sell on religious holidays and on the Sabbath.   Beyond natural disasters, God promises a famine like no other: he will remove himself from the land revealing that such a famine would be worse than hunger or thirst. The absence of the word of God in the land removes all joy and hope. Those who seek such removal from God do not understand exactly what such a removal mean. God’s law, his presence, does much more than we imagine.   Whenever doing the right thing interferes with what we want to do, we may wish we did not have religious obligations standing in the way of what we want to do. However, we likely challenge the actions of others that impact us in a negative way. The absence of God does not accomplish our desires or bring the world closer to peace. Instead, were God to remove himself, we would find just the opposite. There will be no peace and no hope for joy.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 13 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 12:2-6 Amos 6:1-8 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Today’s Reflection: Entering the third week of Advent, we begin to focus on joy. Today’s passages focus on the joy that comes from participation in the work of God. The passage in 2 Corinthians relates the activities of two churches – one with great blessings and one with great need. Their responses to the challenges before them told much about the church’s passion.   The church facing challenge and struggle, participated at and above their means in the work of the new ministry. The Macedonian churches maintained the “abundant joy” despite the challenges they faced as they were eager to do God’s work. Joy overcame oppression.   The Corinthians, while being blessed with abundance, gave well; however, the author implies that the intention behind the giving did not match the joy of the church at Macedonia. The passage implies that they resented supporting other churches in their need thus resented doing the work of God.   The concept of social justice permeates each of the passages today, but it dominates the Corinthians passage. Regardless of our means, God holds us responsible for one another. We are to care for one another to make sure needs (not wants, but NEEDS) are met. That is the work of God: the more deeply we involve ourselves in it, the greater the joy we achieve.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 12 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 126 Isaiah 35:3-7 Luke 7:18-30

Today’s Reflection: As we come to the conclusion of week two of Advent and the focus on peace, we return again to the topics of repentance and salvation through descriptions of the ministries of John and Jesus. Both topics disrupt and change our lives so drastically. Such disruptions usually cause anything but peace; however, in the case of repentance and salvation, both bring exactly that.   The repentance symbolized in the ministry of John removes a weight and burden from the person making the confession. Removing the secrecy of sin, minor or major, removes the guilt that comes from the knowledge of having done wrong. Whether to God or another person, admitting that I have done wrong allows me to move beyond that guilt and keep an inner peace.   The salvation that comes from the ministry of Jesus leads to the ultimate peace. Knowing that no matter what happens we have the Lord’s promise of salvation that leads to eternal peace. Regardless of the life changing effects that come with salvation, that feeling of peace pervades every situation.   In the ministry of John the Baptist, we see a cleansed living that provides a pathway to God. In the ministry of Jesus, we see a restoration to complete living through gifts from God. Repentance and salvation both guide us into the peace that God desires for all of us. We need to embrace the joy that comes from each.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 9, 2012 - Second Sunday of Advent - Roman Catholic Lectionary

Today's Scriptures:

First Reading:                 Bar 5:1-9

Psalm:                            Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

Second Reading:              Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

Gospel Reading:              Luke 3:1-6

December 11 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 126 Isaiah 19:18-25 2 Peter 1:2-15

Today’s Reflection: Yesterday, the passage in Isaiah prompted the question, “Who am I that God would know me?” The passage in 2 Peter today answers that question, or rather refines it to “Who should I be…?” and it adds perhaps a more important question, “How do others know who we are?”   2 Peter 1:5-7 outlines a series of personal qualities that define the believer. Faith. Goodness. Knowledge. Self-control. Endurance. Godliness. Mutual affection. Love. As important as these words are, the word that comes between magnifies their power. None of the qualities exists in isolation, but each connects to the others. The connecting “with” increases the effect of the others. We cannot reach faith without love.   These qualities answer both questions. God knows us through our faith and the world knows us through demonstration of the qualities that bring us to God. The more we live these qualities, the more we effectively and fruitfully accomplish the works God has set for us to do. God knows who I am through my faith. The world knows who I am through my actions.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 10 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 126 Isaiah 40:1-11 Romans 8:22-25

Today’s Reflection: We receive the pathway to peace from by repentance leading toward salvation. Both create a connection to that which is bigger than us. The idea of being connected to that which is larger than we are continues through the passages today. Isaiah contrasts our weak, brittle, temporal existence to the forceful, strong, eternal existence of God.   The idea that “that which is bigger than us” remains so intimately connected to us mostly overwhelms me. Who am I that God cares? The unimaginable disparity between our natures forces me to pause and consider the Lord with each good thing that happens with me.   Peace comes when I realize that God has my back. Anyone who would be against me is just like me - grass that withers. God is as different from that person as God is different from me and his power over them is equally great.   Thanks be to God for having my back!

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 9 - Second Sunday in Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6

Today’s Reflection: The second Sunday in Advent focuses on peace. Today’s passages though, point us to the concepts of repentance and salvation. Both of those concepts challenge us at the core of our daily living – not very peaceful. Which of these do we most seek if a choice is to be made?   The early passage from Luke describes the father’s reaction at the birth of his son (John the Baptist). Zechariah reflects on the prophet’s promise that one would come before the Christ. His son fulfilled the destiny to bring the faithful to repentance before the savior came with the offer of salvation – a continuity of the relationship with God.   Repentance and salvation are historically connected. Accepting the gift of salvation takes a repentant heart recognizing that one can never do it by one’s own actions. Throughout the Old Testament, prophets called on the people to repent before God intervened to save the people from certain destruction by more powerful enemies threatening the holy land. When the people failed to repent, God failed to intervene. Only after we recognize our limitations are we able to accept God’s limitlessness.   Repentance and salvation both challenge our independent nature. They challenge the free-will that makes us in the image of God. Repenting before God forces us to own our imperfection. We have own that regardless of how hard we try, we are independently incapable of living up to God’s standards. Yet despite such failure, God still loves us and gives us the opportunity for salvation. Ultimately, the only thing God asks of us is to accept our place in relation to his place. The ten commandments pale compared to this one, “take your place” demand.   The second Sunday in Advent focuses on peace. Today’s passages though, point us to the concepts of repentance and salvation. Both of those concepts challenge us at the core of our daily living – not very peaceful. Yet, the more I reflect on my life, the more I learn I am at my most peaceful when I know who, what, and where I am. When God calls for repentance in return for salvation he guides us to know exactly who, what, and where we are. Repentance followed by salvation does not distress us; it assures us. Nothing is more peaceful than an assurance from God.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 8 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 1:68-79 Malachi 4:1-6 Luke 9:1-6

Today’s Reflection: The more I look around and want, the more I realize how much I actually have. When I wonder whether I am in a place to give what the Lord asks from me, I realize that, despite my meager means (I am far from the 1% - probably around the 50%, but that puts me in the top 10% in the world). Regardless of where I rank percentage-wise in the world, I am reminded by the Luke 9 passage that I have everything I need to do what Christ asks of me. He sent them out with nothing but the clothing on their back and the shoes on their feet and the authority to do everything he had done.   The to the apostles’ success came through the last clause: “the authority to do everything he had done.” Christ did not send them out wandering aimlessly through the land. He sent them out with purpose. As long as they worked toward that purpose, he saw that their needs were met. The sending of the twelve was not the only time God cared for those who were out doing his work. The Hebrews wandering in the desert had manna and water. Prophets frequently had their needs met despite hardship inflicted on the people.   The lessons of faith and sustenance come in handy for us today and especially in the season of Advent as we look forward to his coming. There is no promise of wealth or excess, only sufficiency to accomplish that which we are commanded.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 7 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 1:68-79 Malachi 3:13-18 Philippians 1:18-26

Today’s Reflection: One of the most challenging battles I face comes when I guide someone to question the motives of another person. We desperately want to believe that everything another person tells us comes with our best interest in mind. Unfortunately, as I work with teenagers on a daily basis, motivation often comes from a selfish place. Unfortunately, in the church, such actions do not only stay in the youth department. Malachi, the prophet addressed the motivation of those who played religion and those who worshipped God.   As Malachi addressed those who questioned the motivation of others he drew out a key aspect of belief and worship: we obey God, not for self but for service. That which we do in the act of worship may not immediately benefit the worshipper, but the prophet assures us God takes note of the service (and the intentions behind the service). Our worship of God includes the motivation in our heart as well as the outward actions. Being right with God requires our entire being. Playing religion and mimicking the right language gets us nowhere; being righteous and acting as God directs, gets us everywhere.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 6 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 1:68-79 Malachi 3:5-12 Philippians 1:12-18

Today’s Reflection: Sometimes a verse in the daily reading just pops out to me and one such verse did that today. Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.” I immediately made a note in the border: “God is God is God.” What an amazing comfort to us in times like these that constants exist – and most importantly, that God remains a constant. Daily chaos bombards us, but knowing we have a God who, despite our shortcomings, still cares for our needs.   We will never be perfect followers; however, how much better can our fellowship with God be if we daily strive to do all he asks of us. The verses following six refer to the tithe and what we have taken from (owe) God. God just assured us he loves us despite the times we fail him. When we succeed with our tithe to him, the blessings can only increase.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 5 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 90 Isaiah 1:24-31 Luke 11:29-32

Today’s Reflection: In this first week of Advent, we have focused on the coming Christ by focusing on the things he commands us to do to carry out his kingdom. The Isaiah passage today reminds us that no matter how hard we work, we will not reach Godly perfection prior to Christ’s coming on our own. Some read the passage with the focus on the punishment aspect of it. It can also be read as a preparation for entering the presence of perfection.   Using terms from metallurgy, God talks about removal of the impurities found in substances, but completes the thought with a promise of restoration. It is not all destruction, but repair. While we anticipate the coming Christ, we also consider our innate imperfection and look forward to being made pure and whole in his presence.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 4 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 90 2 Samuel 7:18-29 Revelation 22:12-16

Today’s Reflection: One reason we remain in such anticipation of the coming of Christ is the personal nature of the relationship. The prayer of David and the revelations of Christ both remind us that the foundation of the faith comes through the connection we have directly with God.   David repeatedly invokes the promises from God in the connection between him, the people, and God. David’s recollections connected the relationship as mutually beneficial. As God’s grace flowed on the Israelites, they remained superior to the nations around them, and their gods. The more the Israelites followed God’s direction, the more they were blessed: the more they were blessed, the more other’s recognized God’s hand in it.   Jesus’s revelation in Revelation promises a similar future for those of us who follow him. We anticipate his return and by doing as directed until that day, we prepare for the rewards to come when he establishes his eternal kingdom. Keeping it personal fuels the joy of anticipation at his return.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 3 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 90 Numbers 17:1-11 2 Peter 3:1-18

Today’s Reflection: This time every year our patience tends to be tested more than any other. Looking forward to (or dreading) the holidays with all the busyness that comes along with them. Our impatience is nothing new. From early in the Biblical history people have questioned God, or his prophet, whenever what they want does not occur according to their timeline. Passages from both Testaments instruct us with regards to relying on our concept of time imposed on God’s understanding of time.   The passage in 2 Peter in particular helps us remember that as we wait for Christ’s return, God’s reason and the purpose behind the timing serve eternal purposes rather than our more selfish ones. Although, we look forward to Christ’s coming, our charge is to do the work we have been commanded until that time comes.   Patience through the anticipation should guide our demeanor, but our actions should ever be on the list of things we have been left to do. The more our minds remain on the task at hand, the faster our anticipation will be replaced with confidence in the joy of our salvation.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

December 2 - First Sunday in Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36

Today’s Reflection: Jesus’s statements sometime prove to be real head-scratchers. The prediction about his return in the passage from Luke exemplifies the vagaries his parables were known for. His prophesy combined with the parable mixes both a lack of specifics with absolute definites. What we want to be specific is not. Furthermore, some of the specifics, we know some 2000 years later are not what we would call specific. The passage though gives us insight in that the return of Christ will have both natural and spiritual aspects and we will know them when we see them.   Some religious leaders point to natural anomalies from time to time as proof of Christ’s imminent return, but the spiritual aspect is missing. Others claim a special spiritual revelation from God, but forget the natural aspect of the prophesy. Jesus did not deliver this parable to the religious leaders; it was for everyone and I read it to indicate all believers will recognize the coming, not just a random leader here and there.   Anticipation is work for the believer as supported by the encouragement in Jeremiah and 1 Thessalonians. Staying faithful does not mean just worshipping on Sunday, but being faithful the entire week and doing all the things God declares for us to do. Anticipation requires work and thoughtfulness. In this season of Advent, we take comfort in the constant encouragement of the scriptures to maintain the focus necessary for spiritual stamina.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

 

First Sunday of Advent - December 2, 2012 - Year C - Roman Catholic Lectionary

 

December 1 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 25:1-10 Nehemiah 9:26-31 Luke 21:20-24

Today’s Reflection: The celebration of the lectionary year sometimes provides a good reflection of the cycle of faith most everyone experiences. Such cycles in faith did not begin in modern Christianity. The Hebrews notoriously followed a typical faith cycle from the time they were delivered from Egypt. They did not even wait to make it to the relative comfort of the promised land; they began such cycles while in the desert which led to the forty years of wandering before the next generation was able to take ownership. The prophet Nehemiah illustrates the cycles in today’s passage by citing the times Israel rejected God’s laws and prophets, got into trouble, appealed to God, and were then restored to fellowship.   We follow the same cycles unless we remain vigilant. We have a time of ease. We reject the daily impact of God’s love for us. We get in trouble because we do not do things the way God wants. We beg for mercy. We are restored to right fellowship with God.   The remarkable aspect today, just as in the time of the Hebrews fresh from their wandering the desert, is that God’s infinite love infinitely forgives us when we enter the cycle and cry out to him yet again for salvation. In Advent, our lectionary cycle begins again as we look toward Christ’s return to us, but our personal faith remains uninterrupted as we turn the focus again to him.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org