O Come, Thou Root of Jesse’s Tree

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, December 20, Morning

By Rev. Catherine Nance

O Come, Thou Root of Jesse’s Tree

Read Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

When I am doing pre-marital counseling with couples, part of the conversation is about their respective family trees and what each learns about handed-down roles and expectations. Putting together a Jesse Tree is a wonderful way to learn some of the Old Testament characters as well as Jesus’ family tree. Sunday School teachers discover that fourth graders enjoy reading that first chapter of Matthew as they start with verse 16 and work their way up. How many ‘greats’ do you have to put in front of ‘grandfather’ to know which grandfather Jesse was to Jesus? Great-great-great-great … you can count for yourself. It’s a lot! The fourth stanza of the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, points us to the lineage of Jesus. “O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, an ensign of thy people be; before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call.”

Most families have the stories and characters that they would prefer to forget, or at least, not bring up at Thanksgiving dinner. The one son or daughter who everyone thought would do great things ended up somewhere else … There are poor decisions, arguments over an inheritance, family secrets that still overshadow and other stories we would rather not talk about. King David, God’s chosen, could not save the kingdom. And yet, we continue to hear about God’s people and the lineage of David. Wasn’t that destroyed? Things will never be the same! Let’s not talk about it!

But Isaiah, like a cousin who doesn’t know any better, brings it up. He doesn’t even refer to “David,” but to the stump of Jesse. The heritage that Jesse, David’s father brings, has been cut down! Nothing left but a stump. Isaiah tells us to look closely. A shoot is growing from that stump and the roots are deep! You can read about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18 and how he brings hope and peace to God’s people again. Isaiah reminds the people that when God begins a work, when God makes a promise, there is no family story or history too devastating or troubling. God works through all of our stories and in spite of them!

As you read through Isaiah 11, the image of Edward Hicks’ painting Peaceable Kingdom comes to mind. In the midst of divisive times whether it is within the family or within our own country, I turn to Isaiah 11 and remember the stories of exiles returning and even the older story of the exodus (read all of chapter 11). Focusing on God’s images and promise of return, reconciliation, and peace is a helpful image for me this season!

Prayer

God of Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and John, Ruth and Boaz, we thank you for the genealogies that trace our own histories and stories. Thank you for loving us through the flourishing times and the disappointing times. Thank you for great-great-grandparents and cousins who have shaped who we are. May we keep our hearts open to your desire for us to live in peace and grace. Amen.

Rev. Catherine Nance is the Senior Pastor at Church Street United Methodist Church. 

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Feeling It

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, December 19, Evening

By Ann Reego

Feeling It

Read Psalm 43:3-4

“Send your light and your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place. Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise you with the lyre, God, my God.”

As I sit writing this in mid-October, I’m just not feeling very Christmasy. Too many issues to think about the birth of Christ and what it should mean to me. The election is a couple of weeks off; way too long in my opinion. Will it be safe to go to Florida to our daughter’s house for Thanksgiving? I’m scared to travel, but it’s been January since we last saw them. I love to cook, but right now I’d LOVE to go into a restaurant, sit down, and eat. I’m tired of ordering online and having to send it back because it doesn’t fit or isn’t how it looked in the catalog.

However, I’ll bet that things in 6 B.C. weren’t any better. Rome was in charge and many of the Jewish leaders were bending to their harsh treatment of the Hebrew people. Nobody liked the Romans being in charge … but what could they do? And that stupid census …! Mary had to be terrified about traveling while pregnant … most likely ON A DONKEY!!! Was it safe? Would she go into labor on the way? Would she live through delivery in a strange place? And, I’m sure Mary and Joseph were tired of the food that they had brought with them on the trip. The bread was probably stale, and the fruit and vegetables gone. Mary most likely longed for her home town and walking freely to the market, seeing friends and family along the way.

Have things changed much in over 2020 years? Are frustrations, desires, fears, and needs another gift of 2020, or are they a permanent part of the human condition?

All I know is that none of their fears, frustrations and desires stopped Mary and Joseph. She got on that donkey, Joseph walked beside her carrying their few belongings, and they started off. And what a trip they had! The baby was born, she survived, and she held in her arms the Son of God. What if they had given in to “not feeling Christmasy”?

So, I’m shaking off my doldrums, baking some cookies, putting on some carols, and thanking God for this season. Christmas comes whether you are ready or not. So you might as well feel Christmasy!

Prayer

Gracious God, lead us to clear our troubled minds and weary bodies for the coming of the Christ child. May we see the world in less anxious eyes, and truth in your love and care. Amen.

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Filling the Void

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, December 18, Morning

By Sue Isbell

Filling the Void

Read Psalm 46:10

“Be still and know that I am God.” 

I miss Walk Through Bethlehem. For eighteen of the twenty-three years that I worked at Church Street, recreating the village of Bethlehem consumed most of my Advent season. The December of my retirement year I found myself at loose ends: there was no Bethlehem to construct, there was no Family Christmas Eve Service to plan, no Advent Craft Festival or Christmas Pageant to co-coordinate. How in the world would I fill the time with none of those events I had worked so hard to produce for so many years?

Thanksgiving rolled around, and I found myself enjoying the extra time I had to decorate my holiday trees instead of working on church crafts. A calm December now allowed time to make gingerbread houses with my grandchildren instead of baking Bethlehem bread. Instead of hanging lights in Parish Hall, I now had time to figure out exterior illumination for our house and yard. I still missed the activities of years past, but I was quickly finding that celebrating Christmas was really more feeling the spirit than doing the activities.

Christmas will be different this year. We may not get to participate in the church and community activities that we consider personal and family traditions. No Fantasy of Trees, no Nativity Pageant, and no worship the way we have always done it. It might make us sad and it might feel strange, but remember: it is just one year. Instead of lamenting the void, challenge yourself to embrace the difference, to see a part of Christmas that you have never seen before, to slow down and feel in your heart the miracle of Bethlehem and how the birth of that one tiny baby still reminds us that even in the darkest times, there is hope for all the world.

Prayer

God of all the world, help us find a stillness in this season so that we might feel the true joy of Christmas and the hope it brings us every day. Amen.

This devotion was written in honor of the Hospitality Committee. 

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Elizabeth

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, December 18, Evening

By Vivian Kempfer

Elizabeth

Read Luke 1:5

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” (KJV)

The name Elizabeth signifies “The oath of God” or “The daughter of the covenant,” and Elizabeth was a true type of a covenant and a daughter of God. It is written of her, as well as of her husband, that they were “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” But Elizabeth was barren, and this was no small trial to her, to be so advanced in age and remain childless.

But the day came when her husband Zacharias brought home strange news to Elizabeth. While in the temple, Zacharias had been visited by an angel and was told that Elizabeth would bear him a son, and he was to name him John. Elizabeth’s faithful routine of service, in little things to God, had brought about a wonderful, long-awaited change in her life. Like her sisters around her, she was going to be blessed with a child!

There came a day, in her quiet home in the country of Judea, that Mary, her cousin, came to see her. This visit had a wondrous effect on Elizabeth. She was “filled with the Holy Ghost”. The very first human being of whom such is mentioned is Elizabeth; and she spoke out with a loud voice and said: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” 

The Spirit of God in one woman recognized the Spirit of God in the other; and it was a message to Mary from On High when Elizabeth recognized her as the Messiah’s mother. With the communion between these two women, and with the intense nearness of God, the mother of the Messiah and the mother of His forerunner, John the Baptist, understood Him and understood one another.

Prayer

I pray when we come together, that the Holy Spirit will draw us together and our Spirits can become one. Amen.

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What a Year!

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, December 18, Morning

By Judy Vest

What a Year!

Read 1 Peter 1:8

“You love him though you have never seen him; though not seeing him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with the inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself.”

You have a beautiful, healthy baby boy (or girl)! Most new mothers want to see all ten fingers and toes immediately. Oh, the sweet smell of that freshly-bathed baby. Wait! Where did all the discomfort and anxiety of the past nine months go? Ah, it doesn’t matter anymore. 

In our family the blessing to us was a beautiful baby girl, and her mother named her Emilee. She is now ten years old and in the fifth grade doing virtual school at home. What a year we have had in so many ways: school closing in the spring, a pandemic, isolation, uncertainty, and confinement. 

Thinking of the birth of my precious granddaughter and the Advent season has me thinking of another family long ago … Mary, Joseph and their baby Jesus. A heavily pregnant woman being led over rough land by her husband on the back of a donkey to give birth in a manger. This child was a boy, and his mother named him Jesus, our Savior.

Mother and father had to flee with Jesus to a far away country. Although virtual school was not an option in that day and time, Jesus certainly learned exactly the things he needed to know. How difficult those circumstances were for all of them.

Blessings come to each of us in our lives, daily. Change, hardship, illness and broken relationships can visit us, too. Hopefully, laughter, health, and good, wholesome fun come often enough to balance our lives as we move forward through our allotted days.

Prayer

Dear Lord God, help us to hang on! May we keep the faith in things unseen, and avoid confusion over things unknown. Reassure us that You are in control and everything is ultimately going to be just fine. Amen.

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The Church of How

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, December 17, Evening

By Steve Richardson

The Church of How

Read John 1:14-18

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us … No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

It was the early 1970s, and we were a contingent of Holston Conference youth spending a week in New York City to learn about global issues at the United Nations. On a chilly Sunday morning, we entered a large window-less warehouse-like room in an aging building in Greenwich Village. It was anything but a “church”. But that’s what our youth group leader, Rev. Bob Bostic, told us the place was – a church; a United Methodist Church, in fact.

The ordained minister’s name was Izzy (his last name has faded in my memory). The congregants, about 30 in number and diverse in appearance, sat in a large circle. A somewhat-familiar United Methodist order of worship was followed. The big exception was the sermon. For that, Izzy introduced a concept based on scripture, then the congregants all shared their own personal perspectives. The theme that Sunday was love of neighbors. Everyone had much to share, including their own experiences of the pragmatic importance of loving relationships and support for one another, despite the turbulent, challenging times facing our nation during those years. Their comments were nurturing, deep, insightful and articulate. They were rooted in personal struggle and obvious faith.

The profundity of that worship service has stayed with me ever since. In retrospect, among other things I learned that day, I realized that “church” is more than merely a physical space, more than a building. Church is not only a “where,” but it is also a “how”… how God brings us in closer relationship with one another and with God.

So, too, could be the manger in Bethlehem. Yes, it was a place, a “where”, but it too, was a “how”… how God, through Jesus, granted a remarkable way to forge an unprecedented human-to-human relationship with each of us.

Prayer

God, in our hearts we know you desire an on-going and regular relationship with each of us. You have shown us in many ways how you long for that. Guide and inspire us to sustain that relationship on our part through our prayers, gifts, service, mission and love among our neighbors in need all around us.

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Our Amazing Ragtag Christmas Tree

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, December 15, Morning

By Dena Wise

Our Amazing Ragtag Christmas Tree

Read 1 Corinthians 12:18-20

“God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.” (NIRV)

I would probably be embarrassed to have my friends, who mostly have beautiful, store-bought or vintage ornaments, help decorate our Christmas tree. Everything but the proverbial kitchen sink goes on it: stems of glittery plastic gold and platinum leaves, chipped red and gold balls that hung on my parents’ tree for many years, crumbly construction paper bells and reindeer that our girls (now in their 40’s) made in kindergarten and grade school, tiny dolls that my mom tucked in my stocking every year until I had babies of my own, etched gold ornaments from cities I’ve visited for conferences, photo ornaments of all the grandkids, tiny baskets and kitchen utensils, stuffed bears and gingerbread men, and a set of Chinese paper dolls in traditional dress that my daughter found tucked in a cabinet in her first student apartment. No themes, and nothing matches; it’s just a hodgepodge of things we’ve collected through thick and thin, over a lifetime.

Yet incredibly, when it all comes together, it’s beautiful. The glittery leaves and shiny balls reflect the lights and make the tree and the room glow. A few hundred ornaments and odds and ends crowd every inch of the branches, and kids and grandkids spend happy time reminiscing about family trips, craft sessions, and family and friends they represent. Our Christmas tree always reminds me that reflecting the glow of God’s love and grace, rag-tag, imperfect, mismatched, people can bring out the best in each other, and shine with amazing light in a dark world.

Prayer

O Holy Light of the World, fill us with your radiance and love so that our bodies and spirits, our gifts and our efforts, imperfect and ragtag though they be, may build your Church, reflect Your purpose, and glow in Community to light the world’s darkest hours. Amen.

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O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, December 16

By Rev. Catherine Nance

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Read Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

It is one of the first “Christmas Carols” I remember learning as a child. Although I could not read many of the hard words in the hymnal, I could sing out on the refrain! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. I would sing out, REEEE-joice! Reeee-joice! Eeee-manuel …

It was not until I was in youth choir that I learned to sing Rih-jose and Ih-mahn-u-ehl. Even now while singing alone, I try to pay attention to my vowels and my East Tennessee dialect. The words and melody are still meaningful; perhaps even more so with the softer, less twangy, syllable!

There are things we learn about Advent and Christmas as children that are precious to us. As we grow older, some of those childhood assumptions and ‘knowledge’ are replaced with footnotes from the Bible and a little bit of study. I will not tell you how old I was before I grasped that shepherds and wise men never appear together in the gospels. But no harm is done when we put them on the stage together for the children’s pageant. Sorting out traditions with the Biblical story is a good spiritual exercise.

When I studied Isaiah’s text that Matthew borrows, it was difficult not to read ‘little baby Jesus’ where Isaiah writes ‘the child.’ Instead, God is assuring King Ahaz that the threat of world powers warring at his borders will not last forever. Things appear horribly now, Ahaz! But look! There is a young woman about to give birth. Before that child is two or three years old, all this will be over! The child’s name is Immanuel which means God is with us. Matthew borrows those powerful words as a poignant reminder that God has been at work all along. God has always been about seeking peace and justice. I find it so helpful to look at the words our Gospel writers and hymn writers borrow from the Hebrew Scriptures. Emmanuel, Wisdom, Root of Jesse, Dayspring, and others give a depth to ‘little baby Jesus’ that causes me to understand Messiah more fully. Rejoice! Rejoice!

Prayer

O God who is always with us, thank you for making your eternal message accessible to us all of our days. When we dread the days ahead, encourage us to look back and remember how you have been at work in our family, our community, and our world for generations. Amen.

Rev. Catherine Nance is the Senior Pastor at Church Street and wrote this devotion in honor of the Parish Youth Choir at Church Street United Methodist Church.

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Be Still

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, December 15, Evening

By Linda Henderson Cox

Be Still

Read Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

If ever there was a true statement, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” this period of time is surely it. We’ve lost spouses, siblings, and dear friends and in some cases were not able to participate in their celebration of life. Some have lost homes, income, meaningful employment, and peace of mind. We are having to endure an upheaval in life as we knew it, where it seems, as the saying goes, the inmates are running the insane asylum. Now the country is either burning down or drenched with flood waters. If only we could move the two together.

Is God trying to get our attention? I rather doubt that is the case, but it seems the perfect time for us to evaluate where we stand with Him. Psalms 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

It’s tough to be still and tougher still to attend to exaltation when it seems our world is going mad. But not attending to these things is robbing us of the very thing we seek: peace and calm. The sacrifices Jesus made to come to us as a baby made a way for our redemption, to give us new life, to give us peace surpassing anything we can imagine on our best day. This is what gives me strength: being still and knowing.

Prayer

Lord help us to know you, see you as a baby who grew to be the redemption of a lost world. Help us in our efforts to make the most of our present circumstances, to love one another, and to have before us always the promises that began in Your lowly manger. We pray in Your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

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Is Jesus Still Coming?

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, December 15, Morning

By Dona McConnell

Is Jesus Still Coming?

Read Luke 2:10-11

“And the angel said to them,’Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'”

Christmas 2020 isn’t the Christmas we expected, or wanted. Everything in our world has changed. In these jarring days, we’re afraid to eat at a restaurant, or go to the movies or the beach. People are saying, “No Christmas this year!”

Every December, followers of Christ re-live the coming of Jesus in much-loved ways. It’s a beautiful story, and we love to hear it over and over again. Yet in this challenging year, we can’t attend a Christmas Eve service, or participate in a live nativity, or cheer on little “wise men” in bathrobes. It seems so far removed from the time when a young couple, blessed by God, welcomed the birth of a baby who would change the world.

But was it really so different in those prophetic days? The year Jesus was born was a hard year, too. There was violence and unrest throughout the land. Political factions were divided and pitted against each other. Leaders were fighting to stay in power or get more. Anything that smelled of new leadership had to be discovered and destroyed. Fear was rampant. Mary and Joseph endured a long trip across a hot land, riding a donkey, and when they arrived at the city they were seeking, they were refused food and shelter.

If we were orchestrating the arrival of Jesus, we might say, as we have with many things, “The timing couldn’t be worse. Let’s wait until next year.” But that was not how God planned it. Jesus came in the midst of all that chaos. He came because the world couldn’t wait any longer for its deliverer. He came because people were in the dark, and desperately needed the light. Jesus was the gift that was promised long before, and God was faithful to that promise. Few even realized that something significant had happened on that night. Yet a world-changing event had taken place right under the noses of people who were much stronger and more powerful.

This year, there probably won’t be any in-person services or holiday parties, but Jesus will still come. Even amid the confusion, even when many do not expect or even know the wonder of His birth, Jesus will come quietly; and if we open our eyes and hearts to his presence, we will realize that Christmas did come, after all. Jesus was God’s promise, and God’s promises never fail.

Prayer

God of wonder and salvation, thank you for sending us Jesus, this year and every year. We need a reminder that Christmas is not a holiday, but a gift that is given to us over and over. Grant us the peace we all desperately need during this special season, and let our celebrations be wrapped around your Holy presence. Amen.

Dona McConnell is the director of the Beacon of Hope. 

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