“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 7:14
Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you have not studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, and how).
Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.
Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?
Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?
Lectio Quote
“This is the message of the Winter Pascha. God is with us on earth. He is in our very midst as the man Jesus, whose name is Immanuel. He has revealed His unknowable, inconceivable, ineffable, invisible nature in the most tangible way as the child who is born for us; as the Son who is given to us. To understand this and to submit to it is man’s greatest glory and joy.”
The Winter Pascha, 116. (Thomas Hopko)
You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to press into the incredible truth of “Immanuel,” God with us.
We have a dilemma today friends! Today marks the fourth week of Advent and yet it is Christmas Eve! I’m starting this week with a fourth theme for Advent – and that is to receive. It might seem a passive action, but we know it is not! I might pop on here later in the week with what would be the first week of Christmastide. Feel free to take part in all or any of it! I love this quote from Robert Webber, which is from the Catholic liturgy for Christmas Eve; “Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning your will see his glory.”
Immanuel – God with us
I think it took me a very long time to see how often Luke talks about joy in his gospel. There are over 20 mentions of joy – far more than any of the other gospels. From the very beginning – when the angel appeared to Zechariah to the very last verse in Luke, when Jesus ascended into heaven, and Luke says – “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luk. 24:52). There is joy in the angel’s song over the shepherds; there is joy in the disciples over the effectiveness of their ministry (10:17). Heaven cried out for joy over one sinner who repented! (15:7); and the disciples rejoiced over breakfast after the resurrection (24:41). So much joy.
Immanuel, God with us. This, I believe, is at the heart of every mention of joy by Luke. Even after Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples were left with an assurance that He would never leave them. And their joy can be ours – especially as we acknowledge just how fundamental this need is.
John is a bit more poetic than Luke (in my opinion). In the first 18 verses of chapter one in his gospel – he speaks of glory, and presence and life and light. Such poetry there! Verse 14 is a beautiful hymn of praise: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Indeed, these first 18 verses are a doxology filled with joy.
One reason I think that the idea of Immanuel resonates so much with us is that it speaks to a longing deep in us for a home. John captures this when he says – “Christ made his dwelling among us.” C.S. Lewis describes this longing as “an inconsolable longing in the heart for we know not what” (where). The name he gives for that longing is joy.
Perhaps this is why Christmas can be so hard on some people. Everything around us speaks to the perfect home, the perfect gift, the perfect gathering. But in our own experiences we often feel lonely; there’s conflict around the family table; and our desires are shattered by expectations not met.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
Immanuel, God is with us.
There is (or can be) a legitimacy to our desires and dreams. They’re not the problem. The expectation for the perfect is. There is where our disappointments live – that’s the root of so much of our despair. Yet joy is a gift, a fruit of our abiding in Christ, and it can be present in those dreams, just as it can be present even in the pain those desires draw out from us!
Two of my very favorite people in Luke’s birth narrative are Simeon and Anna. It’s said of Simeon that he was righteous and devout, and that he spent his last years in the temple – waiting for the consolation of the Lord. What an interesting phrase – I suppose another word would have been better – Messiah, Coming, Victory… But Consolation? – That’s a balm on an old wound. It’s a comfort to someone who has suffered. It implies that for Simeon, this was no ordinary Messiah (hmmm.).
Anna as well, was old, and this is what Luke said of her – “she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luk 2:37-38). Childless, presumably without family, her life could have been an unfulfilled one- she could have been bitter and resentful. But these two incredible “saints” held their dreams and their desires lightly, offering them to God – acknowledging before Him that life was not what it could have been, but they trusted Him. Joy was theirs. And it was rooted in the kind of peace and confidence and trust that came not after their desired future arrived, but during the waiting for it.
What better consolation, what better joy can we have than when we proclaim that our God is with us!
Dr. Martin Luther King knew this in his very bones. One night in 1965 he got yet another phone call, threatening him and his family. He was warned – “get out of town or we will blow up your house.” He realized that if he were to continue this work he had to know that his religion was real. He had to know God was with him. And so he prayed. This is his prayer:
“I said, ‘Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I think the cause that we represent is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m awake now. I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. And I can’t let the people see me like this, because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak.’ Then it happened: And it seemed at that moment that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you, even until the end of the world.’ . . . I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No never alone. No never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.”
Where are you today? Are there sorrows or fears or struggles in you today? Is there grief or pain? Today as I finish this particular reflection I am reminded of our little grandson, Zekey who would be 14 years old today. He’s with Jesus –what joy! But his pain and his death were real. And our grief is there 10 years later. But this I know: there is no greater healing than to know that God is always with us, and that he will never leave us or forsake us. In that we can find joy. In that we know that “all our hopes and fears are met in Thee tonight.”
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our sins, As we forgive those who have sinned against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, And the glory, forever. Amen.
Abba, our Father, who is enthroned in heaven. Your name alone is hallowed. As we approach the end of this worldly kingdom here on earth, we pray that You would usher in the new kingdom, the kingdom described in Revelation 21 – where the new Jerusalem will come down and the city will need no sun or moon because Your glory will be our light and our lamp will be Your Son, the lamb of God. As the day of judgment appears, Lord, would You help us to forgive all those who have sinned against us, so that we might enjoy Your forgiveness and grace for all eternity. On this day, today, as we wait for your blessed appearing, deliver us from all temptation and evil that we might persevere until the very end. For we know and we proclaim that Yours is the kingdom, and all the power and all the glory. Amen.
“No day is named, that every day may be hallowed by the sense of the possibility of its being the day of His Advent. It helps to hallow each day of life, to realize that before its close we may be in the presence of Christ’s glory.” T. R. Glover
You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and seek The Spirit’s help to discern how this passage might bring new understanding to preparing for His return.
Mark 13:33-37 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Start by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” (Lam. 3:22-23)
Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?
Take a minute and meditate on the Mark 13 passage. Jesus says – be on guard, keep awake. Are there distractions in your life that inhibit the watchfulness we are to have? Is hurry your master? Have you grown complacent? Is there fear or anxiety in even thinking about the Day of the Lord?
Then, simply confess specifically what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.
Now choose to let this go and receive the truth of this passage: “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love”. If you have confessed a stronghold of fear or complacency receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His grace and mercy ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward.
How is He calling you to watchfulness? How is He asking you to look for His second coming?
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:6
Isaiah 52:6-106 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.” 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 8 The voice of your watchmen–they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, and how).
Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.
Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?
Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?
The title above comes from a passage in Mark, chapter 13 where Mark describes the return of Christ. He says, after describing the destruction of the temple and the tribulation and danger that his disciples will see and experience – “So, also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates” (Mark 13:29).
The language throughout the New Testament is graphic, even disturbing. I find myself uncomfortable – just hoping (without much intent) that I will be ready. Peter says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, “and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (1 Peter 3:10). And then he asks a question in almost a nonchalant way – “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” (11, 12).
What sort of people? Our answer here will determine what sort of watchers we’ll be. I’ll be honest, I have never made the connection between my godliness and the Lord’s return. I appreciate Peter’s admonition here and I think it says more about Christ’s return than our trying to watch for the signs. Peter carries this theme through both of his letters. He’s calling the church to be holy, as God is holy; he is calling the church to be ready – even in the midst of suffering and trials. Christ is at the gates, ready to return, to take His bride to Himself – and He wants our faith to be tested in authenticity, “that even though it is tested by fire – it may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). When I think about the Second Coming my desire for an end to my own suffering and pain often eclipses my desire that all might “be found in him” (Phi 3:9)
I want to be that watchman on the tower – watching and waiting for the Redemption of the world to come in all His power and glory. I want to be numbered among the 5 virgins who were ready when the Bridegroom returned (Mat 25:1-13). I want to heed the warning of Peter in 1 Peter in 1 Peter 5:8-10 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.
To pray for His coming again means we want justice not just alleviation of our own private suffering. It means we want an end to exploitation, injustice and evil. Good watching should create in us a fervor that no one should perish.
It should strengthen our hearts to meditate on what a world looks like when it’s free from sin, destruction, and injustice.
This practice of watching in Advent is formational. Fleming Rutledge asks a simple question: “what’s in those lamps?” (Once and Future King, p. 97) What makes 5 virgins ready and 5 who were not? Is it not our practices of worship, Bible study and prayer? (ibid. p. 99).
Our watching might not be merely about observing the times, but about being ready and alert, as Peter indicates. In the passage above, Peter says that the world to come is a world of righteousness, and our lives need to exhibit godliness and holiness – traits we can never attain on our own. In this same letter, in chapter one Peter tells us: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness!” (I Peter 1:3). I would say then that watching has less to do with frantically searching for the signs as much as it has to do with our abiding in Christ, our immersion in His life. May we all be like the watchmen in Isaiah 52:8:
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they should for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
Isaiah 52:8
In the parable of the five virgins who were ready, Matthew says – when the bridegroom came – they went in with him to the marriage feast! (Mat 25:10). And such is the kingdom of God!
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our sins, As we forgive those who have sinned against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, And the glory, forever. Amen.
Our Father, who has given us the right to call You ‘Abba, dear Father”, we honor Your name- We hallow it, there is no other name like Yours. In this season of waiting for Your kingdom to come in glory we worship You. We long for Your kingdom to come in all its fullness, that Your will would be done, now and always. Your presence is our food and our portion, and “so we will wait for you” (Lam 3:24). Lord, would You give us hearts to forgive those who have sinned against us – that there might be nothing that stands in our way of receiving all the grace and life You have given us. We grow weary Lord, but we pray that through Your Spirit, You would deliver us from all temptation and evil. Because of Your kingdom, and power, and glory we can rest in confidence that “we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). Amen.
“One of the main reasons God doesn’t always answer us immediately is that waiting is God’s crucible of transformation. Waiting is how God gets at the idols of our heart. Waiting addresses the things we think we need besides God to be content: money, comfort, expedience, success or control. It creates space to learn more about who God is, to receive his purposes into our lives, to move past our resistance and say our deepest yes to him.” Ruth Haley Barton
You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and ask the Spirit to give you power to let waiting be that crucible of transformation.
…We cannot talk about sin for very long without being drawn into doxology. Were it not for the mercy of God surrounding us, we would have no perspective from which to view sin, for we would be entirely subject to it. That is the reason for affirming that whatever sin is unmasked and confessed, God’s redemptive power is already present and acting.
Fleming Rutledge
Enter into a time of confession as you think about this Advent theme- Waiting. Is this a challenge for you? Not just in this time of waiting for the Lord to return, but in your daily walk? Are there ways you have sinned against others in your impatience or frustrations?
Start by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).
Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?
Waiting can stir up our needs for control, our impatience, our frustrations. Ruth Haley Barton calls waiting the crucible of transformation. “Waiting is how God gets at the idols of our heart”.
Then, simply confess specifically what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.
Now choose to let this go and receive the truth of this passage: “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love”. If you have confessed a stronghold of fear or complacency receive Christ’s forgiveness for you.
And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his grace and mercy ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).
… my soul waits for the Lord, more than watchman for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Psalm 130:6-8
