Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Monday, December 14

By Ken Bodie

Every Day is a Great Day!

Read Psalm 118:24

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

This was my fraternal grandfather’s favorite bible verse. I can only imagine that some of us do not feel this way during 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect it has had on our lives, our jobs, our country, our worship and our general outlook on the uncertainty of life.

I can tell you that even though this terrible pandemic has not affected my job or my family, there are many days that I feel anxious or guilty, that others may be suffering. My heart hurts for them.

My grandfather joined God in heaven in 1975. He was the most God-loving man I have ever known. Unfortunately, he suffered multiple heart attacks and then had a stroke. He was bedridden at home for several weeks, unable to walk and could barely talk. However, the first thing he did upon waking every morning was to recite Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Even though his voice was affected by his stroke, he still fought to recite this verse every day until he passed on to heaven’s gate.

This memory of him made me think, that even when things like Covid-19 are affecting our lives, maybe we can be like him and rejoice that we have another day on this earth and will all meet God to end any earthly suffering.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for today. Help us to understand that even on our worst days, we should be rejoicing that we will all end up in your arms of love and protection. Amen.

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, December 13, Evening

By Janet Edwards

Making Room for God

Read Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Working as a hospital chaplain has taught me to listen for God speaking to me through the patients I serve. Recently, a patient, struggling with a life-threatening illness, shared something her mother had taught her when she was young: “It’s not enough to invite God in, you have to make room for God. If you let anger and fear fill your heart, there is no room for God there.”

I wanted to offer reassurance: “It’s okay to feel angry and scared; you are grieving. God will not abandon you in your suffering, God is with you!” But I knew that was not what she needed; and so, I listened … with my heart.

Before this visit, my getting-ready-for-work ritual was to listen to the news on NPR. By the time I arrived at work, having listened for the entire commute, I was anything but the ‘non-anxious presence’ a chaplain is supposed to be.

Clearly, I needed help making room for God. So now, I begin my day by praying Psalm 51.

Advent is a time to make room for the One for whom there was no room at the inn. Immanuel comes to make a home in us, to abide with us. And so, I pray to be a hospitable home for God, with ample room for peace and love to dwell:

Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Amen.

Janet Edwards serves as the Chaplain with Trident Health Systems in North Charleston, South Carolina. 

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, December 13, Morning

By Bishop Richard C. Looney

Shepherds Heard and Responded – Will We?

Read Luke 2:8-20

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The account of angels appearing to the shepherds is one of my favorite Advent events. They brought incredibly good news to shepherds in the fields, and they were heard. Have we ever been in greater need for good news? “Great joy for all people.” “Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth peace.”

And surely the news should have first come to the high priests, bishops, pastors, and leaders. Yet the lowly shepherds, common laborers, heard first. And still that is true today. Some of the most unlikely persons are most open to God’s truth and filled with God’s Spirit. So may I not dream also of receiving some heavenly truth?

But they were not in the temple or other sacred place. They were in the fields with the sheep, and there they heard the joyful sound. Is that not like our loving God? We love our magnificent sanctuary, but we have heard the angels sing through virtual worship. Through TV I have been able to worship with you these last several months, and have experienced God through the magnificent organ, soloists, choirs, ensembles, drone pictures, mission announcements, prayers, and sermons. The angels still sing.

Even stranger was the word of instruction. The Messiah will be found in a manger, not a palace, nor resort hotel, but a stable. And in the strangest places we find Him today. Will I be willing to see? “In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these, you have done it to me.”

The shepherds then returned, glorifying and praising God. May that be our theme through the entire season. Don’t be afraid; you have received good news of great joy.

Prayer

O God of the angels and God of the Shepherds, open our eyes and our hearts that we may be willing to see you and receive your good news to all people. Amen!

Bishop Richard C. Looney served as interim pastor from 2016-2017 and Senior Pastor 1987-88 before election to the episcopacy. 

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, December 12, Evening

By Andy and Nancy Zirkle

Conform or Transform in These Confusing Times

Read Romans 12:2

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing of the mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Our nation and churches are vulnerable in these confusing times. We as Christians cannot stand in a corner and ask what is going wrong, but must stand up and be counted. We must present ourselves to God, who has given mercy and kindness to those who believe in him. We must give ourselves and our lives as new sacrifices to Him. We must serve the Lord. You serve the Lord where he has assigned you at the present time. We can’t have one foot in society in today’s culture and another foot in our Christian way of life.

We must be transformed from the inside out, not conformed from the outside in. In today’s world we need both the outside, the Bible and the inside, the Holy Spirit. We must seek the perfect will of God. We can’t let the world pressure us from the outside. No one drifts away from holiness. We must become Christians in more than words alone.

We must let God into our hearts and receive the fulfilled life. In doing so we will learn the will of God. We will know that the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect. We will love the will of God.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Please help us to transform our minds through the wisdom of your teachings. Amen.

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, December 12, Morning

By John Eldridge

Good Trouble

Read Amos 5:24

“Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.”

One of my all time heroes, John Lewis, died this year. He coined the phrase, “Good trouble,” saying that when you see injustice, you need to do something about it, even if it means getting into trouble. When you get into trouble that advances the cause of justice, reconciliation and inclusion; that was not getting into trouble for John Lewis, it was getting into good trouble.

I have been thinking about John Lewis’ belief in good trouble a lot lately, and I think about something else he said: “When you pray, pray with your feet.”

It troubles me to realize that my comfortable life in the suburbs is getting in the way of my getting into good trouble. There is good trouble I need to get in all around me: my white privilege, economic and social injustice, systemic racism, hunger in America (not to mention around the world), the lack of inclusion in my church, and the list goes on.

And I find myself pondering where I need to get into good trouble and do something to advance the cause of truth and justice and bring about a more loving and inclusive church, community, society and world.

How about you? As you live out these days of Advent, is there a place in your comfortable life that you need to leave and, following John Lewis’ example, go get into some good trouble?

Prayer

Search my heart, Lord, and help me see what I need to do to help bring your kingdom to this world. Amen.

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, December 11

By Dan Kelley

The Still Small Voice

Read 1 Kings 19:11-12

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

I was stationed in the Army at Third A.I.T. Brigade, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in the late 60’s. The Third Brigade had 2500 to 3000 troops and we trained them in Advanced Infantry Tactics. We graduated about 250 every week. Some we sent to Army schools. Some we sent to other Army posts in the States, Europe, and Asia. Most we sent to Vietnam. Then another 250 would ship in fresh out of Basic Training to start their training.

It was a busy, active, anxious time. There was a fellow in our squad from a small town in Southern Indiana that got a hometown newspaper every week. It really was not a newspaper, more of a hometown newsletter but it arrived every week.

There was no masthead. It just started out at the top with “GREETINGS NEIGHBORS” and ended at the bottom of the last page with “AUNT RUTH”. The top right-hand corner had a number around 300 for all the people in the town and the surrounding area. The number went up with every birth in the town and went down with every death. Those events were thoroughly documented. All the marriages and divorces were duly noted.

The old Royal Standard typewriter that she wrote the paper on had two keys that were damaged, the D and the W. So if you saw an undecipherable letter, you knew it was a D or a W and figured the word out from that. The paper was two, three, or four pages, depending on how much news was available that week. It was printed on a mimeograph machine so the paper had a slight purple tinge to it.

The paper contained stories like the 12-year-old Linda Stillwell report. Her 6th grade class went on a field trip to the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis. They went to Max Shapiro’s Jewish Deli for lunch and had food they had never heard of before. She loved her shawarma meat sandwich but could not tell her mother how to make one.

Betty Crenshaw’s cow Elsie was having trouble calving. It was her first one and Betty had to stay up all night to help her through it. Mother and child are doing well.

Ida Marshall had to go to Idaho to help her mother after she got out of the hospital. “Will someone drop off a casserole or invite them to supper so that Hank and the kids do not starve?”

They listed all the sports scores and talked about players who did well, encouraging them that they would win next time. There were few ads except yard sales, church bazaars, and girls willing to babysit. 26 CSUMC + Advent Devotions

The “TO PRAY FOR” section listed the local folks in service: my friend at Ft. Jackson, Billy Hand who was stationed at MACV in Vietnam, and Beth French, who was a nurse stationed in Germany. And everybody else that was in the hospital or having a rough time.

It started with just the guys in our squad but soon guys in other squads wanted to read the paper. Then guys in other companies in our Brigade wanted to read it. Even our Colonel and top Sergeant wanted to read it. It got a bit frayed by the time it got passed around, just in time for a new one to arrive.

People started thinking they knew the people from his small town. They would ask him if Helen had had her baby yet, and what she and Brett were going to name her. They started asking for Jim Starnes’ address so they could send him a sympathy card on the death of his mother; would he still get to go to Indiana State on a tennis scholarship? They asked him if he had any pictures of the town or the people because there were none in the paper.

The paper became a lifeline for soldiers who had been torn from their lives and families, and were thrown together with strangers far from home. Their own letters from home were few and far between or non-existent. Their own hometown papers were sterile, professional, and more about business than people. The small town paper helped them center their lives, by caring for people amidst the chaos of activities among strangers.

Prayer

Dear Lord, as we enter this Advent season, help us remember that the coming of the Child in a small, quiet, out-of-the-way place is God’s gift to us. As a small town newsletter brought comfort and peace to soldiers amidst chaos, let us see the love of God for us in the small, quiet gift of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ amidst the chaos of Christmas of 2020.

This devotion was written by Dan Kelley in honor of Stephen Ministries. 

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, December 10, Evening

By John Peterson

The World – What Will Baby Jesus Think?

Read Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

In this year 2020, the world has been in turmoil more than any time in history. As the year draws to an end, the season of Jesus’ birth will be celebrated as a Holy celebration. In America, many families will experience the season as a new, strange, and unfamiliar experience. While the new disease Covid has been at the center of this disruption, it is not the only cause. This has been a time of loss of family members due to disease, accidents, crime, splits, drugs, financial loss, and (most significant) a separation from one’s own Church.

Jesus tells us, “He will never leave us.”

Have we forgotten that God controls the whole world? God sent His only Son Jesus to bring salvation to all who believe in him and accept Jesus as their savior. We were given the Holy Spirit to guide, help and direct all who ask for help. God gives everyone all the help needed to live in a beautiful world, with blessings for those who follow Jesus’ direction.

I believe Jesus would tell all how sad our actions have made Him. Jesus is upset we have not trusted the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ teaching says we are not to give up, but be strong, pray continually and give thanks for all our blessings. In sight of any loss in this world, one can always make a long list of blessings. Jesus said love your neighbor. This one command demands one should forget self and the “I,” “me” syndrome of 2020. Jesus will meet all our needs, if we are taking care of our neighbors.

During the celebration of Jesus’ birth, put praying, trusting and doing what Jesus wants first on your list. Jesus has a plan, purpose and need for everyone.

Prayer

Dear God, forgive our business of selfish ways. Help keep your directions before us daily. We trust you and want to be more obedient. In Jesus’ name, hear our prayers.

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, December 10, Morning

By Jenny Cross

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

Read Psalm 105:1-4

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

Each year, there is a great debate regarding when it is appropriate to start listening to Christmas music. Some sit soundly in the camp of “it isn’t Christmastime until after Thanksgiving.” Some cue their holiday playlist the moment the weather turns a bit chilly. Some subscribe to the “Christmas in July” philosophy and listen to carols whenever they need a little joy in their life. I firmly believe that one is not better than another. But regardless if I’m in the Christmas spirit when these songs start playing, their promises of redemption bring hope to my weary soul.

Tucked within familiar carols are nuggets of absolute truth and phrases that put words to our longings. But my favorite Christmas hymn of all time is one that rarely gets sung when caroling around the neighborhood. “Once in Royal David’s City” tells the Christmas story in the first two stanzas, confirms Jesus’ humanity in the third stanza, and reveals God’s motivation for His incarnation in the final stanza. That last one brings tears to my eyes every single time. It reads: “And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above; and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.”

It sums up Christmas so powerfully for me: Jesus came so that we could be with Him. Yes, and amen.

We prepare Him room because He has already made a way for us. And whether that preparation looks like fanfare and the pipe organ, or quietly humming while folding laundry, it all counts. My prayer for this season is that we don’t miss it when heaven and nature sing. And when we hear the joyful chorus, I hope we sing along.

Prayer

Holy God, We pray that the gift of Christmas is not lost on us this season. After a year that has felt harder and heavier than most, we need the coming of the Christ child more than ever. Open our eyes to the goodness of Your presence and help us to share the light of Jesus with a weary world. Lord, remind us to sing Your praise whether our hearts feel ready or not this season. And teach us to rejoice at Your gift of redemption. Amen.

Jenny Cross is the Youth Director at Church Street UMC.

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, December 9

By Rev. Palmer Cantler

Expectation

Read Philippians 3:20

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NRSV)

2020 has felt like an endless year of waiting and dashed expectations. But, in order to keep myself from falling into the pits of despair, I’ve adopted a practice of looking for the beauty of the pandemic. It’s not a search for silver linings, but intentionally watching where God is doing wonderful things.

In this season of Advent, the beauty of the pandemic, for me, is in the preparation. Each year around the holiday season, I get overly excited and spend way too much time decorating my home. While it seems like normal behavior, as the one who does not host the family holiday gatherings, I don’t get to enjoy the decorations as much as I would like. Holidays are spent bustling from one party to the next, bargaining how much time is spent with each family, and spending way too much time in the car.

But this year, my holiday season will be quieter, and I think that can be the beauty of the pandemic. Instead of getting caught in the chaos of parties, I’ll be spending more time at home, enjoying the fruits of my decorating labor.

Advent is a season of preparation and expectation for the eventual coming of Jesus Christ. It may not happen this year, but yet we prepare ourselves and wait for his arrival. In a year of dashed expectations, maybe Advent is to remind us that our expectation is focused on heaven.

Prayer

Faithful God, source of our hope and expectation, help us to slow down in this season of Advent. Inspire us to see the beauty of where you are at work in our lives and make us open to focusing our expectations solely upon your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.  

Rev. Palmer Cantler is the Associate Pastor at Church Street and wrote this devotion in honor of the Soup Kitchen. 

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Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, December 8, Evening

By Jane Gulley

For with God, Nothing is Impossible

Read Luke 1:26-38

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

 

My mother has friends from all of her eight decades of life, back to college days and childhood. She enjoys sharing her Christmas cards with me, and I read them all. Instead of the photo cards crammed with travel pics that I get from my crowd, there are actual handwritten letters. Many of Mother’s correspondents are Midwesterners who don’t mince words in their holiday updates.

Sample comments: “Down to one dog. Still fostering though.”

Caption of a family group: “Picture is old but good still. The older grandkids are tired of posing for pictures, but of course Grandma loves lots of them.”

“We continue to work for the local funeral home, with Karl doing the majority of that work.”

And the evergreen topic, health: “My sister wanted no more doctors or tests, so we called hospice and that was settled.” “Arthritis bothers me, but that’s what happens.” “I’m hanging in there, but this aging process isn’t a walk in the park.”

But the Christmas card I thought about the most from last year had no personal news or photo, and hardly any ink on it. It was a card notifying my mother that a gift had been made in her honor to Fish Hospitality Pantries to provide food for hungry families in Knoxville.

The donor lives in a senior care facility. She does not drive, and her children are not nearby. But her card reminded me of her skill and caring when she was my son’s preschool teacher almost twenty years ago. I realized that she is still influencing people by teaching others (me!) with her act of charity, and that God uses seemingly powerless people to teach powerful lessons.

Prayer

Lord, help us to recognize and accept opportunities to brighten the lives of others in meaningful ways. For with God, nothing is impossible.

This advent devotion was written by Jane Gulley in remembrance of our members in senior healthcare facilities.  

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