Wichita, Kansas, United States - Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church Daily Devotional for Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Susan Emel
Prof. Speech Communications, Baker University Five Rivers District | Butch Ritter Richmond UMC Five Rivers District |
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3rd Sunday of Advent – Purple, Blue or Pink
This Week's Lectionary Scriptures:
Lectionary Scriptures:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Luke 1:46b-55
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28;
Isaiah 61: Announce Freedom to All Captives
1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
and foreigners to work your fields,
But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,”
honored as ministers of our God.
You’ll feast on the bounty of nations,
you’ll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
and your joy go on forever.
8-9 “Because I, God, love fair dealing
and hate thievery and crime,
I’ll pay your wages on time and in full,
and establish my eternal covenant with you.
Your descendants will become well-known all over.
Your children in foreign countries
Will be recognized at once
as the people I have blessed.”
10-11 I will sing for joy in God,
explode in praise from deep in my soul!
He dressed me up in a suit of salvation,
he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo
and a bride a jeweled tiara.
For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,
and as a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom
and puts praise on display before the nations.
Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said,
I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
Psalm 126: A Pilgrim Song
1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
when God returned Zion’s exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
we couldn’t believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
“God was wonderful to them!”
God was wonderful to us;
we are one happy people.
4-6 And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.
23-24 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!
John 1:6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
Thunder in the Desert
19-20 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. He didn’t evade the question. He told the plain truth: “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They pressed him, “Who, then? Elijah?”
“I am not.”
“The Prophet?”
“No.”
22 Exasperated, they said, “Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something—anything!—about yourself.”
23 “I’m thunder in the desert: ‘Make the road straight for God!’ I’m doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.”
24-25 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. Now they had a question of their own: “If you’re neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?”
26-27 John answered, “I only baptize using water. A person you don’t recognize has taken his stand in your midst. He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I’m not even worthy to hold his coat for him.”
28 These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the time.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Verse 1
[1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Upon me — Though the prophet may speak of himself, yet it is principally to be understood of Christ.
Anointed — Set me apart, both capacitating him with gifts, and commissioning him with authority; and yet more, as it is applied to Christ, a power to make all effectual, from whence he hath also the name of Messiah among the Hebrews, and of Christ among the Greeks; nay, Christ alone among the prophets hath obtained this name, Psalms 45:7. The prophet describes first, who Christ is, and then what are his offices.
Liberty — This appertains to Christ's kingly office, whereby he proclaims liberty from the dominion of sin, and from the fear of hell.
Verse 2
[2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Vengeance — It being necessary, that where God will deliver his people, he should take vengeance on their enemies; principally on the enemies of his church, and the spiritual ones chiefly, Satan, sin, and death.
Verse 3
[3] To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Ashes — By ashes understand whatever is proper for days of mourning, as by beauty whatever may become times of rejoicing.
Oil of joy — He calls it oil of joy in allusion to those anointings they were wont to use in times of joy, gladness for heaviness; and it is called a garment in allusion to their festival ornaments, for they had garments appropriated to their conditions, some suitable to times of rejoicing, and some to times of mourning.
Called — That they may be so.
Trees — That they shall be firm, solid, and well rooted, being by faith engrafted into Christ, and bringing forth fruit suitable to the soil wherein they are planted.
Verse 8
[8] For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Love judgment — I will do them right, for I love justice in myself, and in them that practise it.
Robbery — All things gotten by injustice, though it be for sacrifice.
Direct — I will lead them so, that they shall do all things in sincerity.
Everlasting covenant — Though you have broken covenant with me, yet I will renew my ancient covenant made with your fathers, confirmed with the blood of Christ, and it shall be everlasting, never to be abrogated.
Verse 9
[9] And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
Shall be — That is, eminently a promise of the increase of the church; such shall be their prosperity, and multiplying, that they shall be known abroad by their great increase; or else, the meaning is, the church shall have a seed of the Gentiles, whereas the church has been confined to one corner of the world, now it shall remain in one nation alone no more, but shall fill all the nations of the earth.
Hath blessed — There shall be such visible characters of God's love to them, and of God's grace in them.
Verse 10
[10] I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
I will — This is spoken in the person of the church.
Garments, … — With salvation as with a garment, and with righteousness as with a robe.
Verse 11
[11] For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Righteousness — His great work of salvation shall break out and appear.
Praise — As the natural product, and fruit of it.
Luke 1:46b-55
Verse 46
[46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And Mary said — Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand.
Verse 47
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour — She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour hat we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery.
Verse 51
[51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath wrought strength with his arm — That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah.
He hath scattered the proud — Visible and invisible.
Verse 52
[52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath put down the mighty — Both angels and men.
Verse 54
[54] He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
He hath helped his servant Israel — By sending the Messiah.
Verse 55
[55] As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
To his seed — His spiritual seed: all true believers.
Psalm 126
Verse 1
[1] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Turned — Brought the captive Israelites out of Babylon into their own land.
Dream — We were so surprized and astonished.
Verse 4
[4] Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
Turn — As thou hast brought us home, bring also the rest of our brethren.
As — As thou art pleased sometimes to send floods of water into dry and barren grounds, such as the southern parts of Canaan were.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Verse 16
[16] Rejoice evermore.
Rejoice evermore — In uninterrupted happiness in God.
Pray without ceasing — Which is the fruit of always rejoicing in the Lord.
In everything give thanks — Which is the fruit of both the former. This is Christian perfection. Farther than this we cannot go; and we need not stop short of it. Our Lord has purchased joy, as well as righteousness, for us. It is the very design of the gospel that, being saved from guilt, we should be happy in the love of Christ. Prayer may be said to be the breath of our spiritual life. He that lives cannot possibly cease breathing. So much as we really enjoy of the presence of God, so much prayer and praise do we offer up without ceasing; else our rejoicing is but delusion. Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer: it is almost essentially connected with it. He that always prays is ever giving praise, whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and for the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from him, and receives them only for his sake; not choosing nor refusing, liking nor disliking, anything, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to his perfect will.
Verse 18
[18] In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
For this — That you should thus rejoice, pray, give thanks.
Is the will of God — Always good, always pointing at our salvation.
Verse 19
[19] Quench not the Spirit.
Quench not the Spirit — Wherever it is, it burns; it flames in holy love, in joy, prayer, thanksgiving. O quench it not, damp it not in yourself or others, either by neglecting to do good, or by doing evil!
Verse 20
[20] Despise not prophesyings.
Despise not prophesyings — That is, preaching; for the apostle is not here speaking of extraordinary gifts. It seems, one means of grace is put for all; and whoever despises any of these, under whatever pretence, will surely (though perhaps gradually and almost insensibly) quench the Spirit.
Verse 21
[21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Meantime, prove all things - Which any preacher recommends. (He speaks of practice, not of doctrines.) Try every advice by the touchstone of scripture, and hold fast that which is good - Zealously, resolutely, diligently practise it, in spite of all opposition.
Verse 22
[22] Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And be equally zealous and careful to abstain from all appearance of evil - Observe, those who "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears," under pretence of proving all things, have no countenance or excuse from this scripture.
Verse 23
[23] And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And may the God of peace sanctify you — By the peace he works in you, which is a great means of sanctification.
Wholly — The word signifies wholly and perfectly; every part and all that concerns you; all that is of or about you.
And may the whole of you, the spirit and the soul and the body — Just before he said you; now he denominates them from their spiritual state.
The spirit — Galatians 6:8; wishing that it may be preserved whole and entire: then from their natural state, the soul and the body; (for these two make up the whole nature of man, Matthew 10:28;) wishing it may be preserved blameless till the coming of Christ. To explain this a little further: of the three here mentioned, only the two last are the natural constituent parts of man. The first is adventitious, and the supernatural gift of God, to be found in Christians only. That man cannot possibly consist of three parts, appears hence: The soul is either matter or not matter: there is no medium. But if it is matter, it is part of the body: if not matter, it coincides with the Spirit.
Verse 24
[24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Who also will do it — Unless you quench the Spirit.
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Verse 6
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
There was a man — The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in the five preceding verses.
Verse 7
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
The same came for (that is, in order to give) a testimony - The evangelist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John, by noble digressions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptist; partly premises and partly subjoins a farther explication to his short sentences. What St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in respect of the promise going before, St. John usually terms the testimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the relator; to testify of the light - Of Christ.
Verse 19
[19] And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
The Jews — Probably the great council sent.
Verse 20
[20] And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
I am not the Christ — For many supposed he was.
Verse 21
[21] And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet And he answered, No.
Art thou Elijah? — He was not that Elijah (the Tishbite) of whom they spoke.
Art thou the prophet — Of whom Moses speaks, Deuteronomy 18:15.
Verse 23
[23] He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
He said — I am that forerunner of Christ of whom Isaiah speaks.
I am the voice — As if he had said, Far from being Christ, or even Elijah, I am nothing but a voice: a sound that so soon as it has expressed the thought of which it is the sign, dies into air, and is known no more. Isaiah 40:3.
Verse 24
[24] And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
They who were sent were of the Pharisees — Who were peculiarly tenacious of old customs, and jealous of any innovation (except those brought in by their own scribes) unless the innovator had unquestionable proofs of Divine authority.
Verse 25
[25] And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
They asked him, Why baptizest thou then? — Without any commission from the sanhedrim? And not only heathens (who were always baptized before they were admitted to circumcision) but Jews also?
Verse 26
[26] John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
John answered, I baptize — To prepare for the Messiah; and indeed to show that Jews, as well as Gentiles, must be proselytes to Christ, and that these as well as those stand in need of being washed from their sins.
Verse 28
[28] These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Where John was baptizing — That is, used to baptize.
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Today’s Devotion:
Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “A Christmas Gift of Thanks” for Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.[Galatians 6:10 (NRSV)]
When one of our church members was ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at the grocery store, a homeless man approached the kettle and noticed the sign stating that the bell-ringers were from our church. The homeless man asked, “What church is that?” The bell-ringer pointed toward our building a couple of blocks down the street. The homeless man pulled a few coins from his pocket, dropped them into the kettle and said, “They’ve been pretty good to me.”
That man’s gift to the Salvation Army was also a beautiful gift to each of us who share in the mission of making God’s love real through our church. He spoke for people whose names we will never know and whose faces we may never see, who would speak the same words of gratitude for this church and its ministries in our city and around the world.
God’s love that became flesh in Jesus continues to become flesh whenever any of us help those in need with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service.
Read more from the author, here.
"Surprises in Advent"
A year ago in the middle of Advent, a single verse from the Psalms changed the direction of our lives. During my quiet time that morning, I came across these words in Psalm 81:“I lifted the burden off your shoulders; your hands are free of the brick basket!”(Psalm 81:6)
We had been considering retirement for the past couple years, but fully expected to serve at least one more year in pastoral ministry. But those words leaped from the page so powerfully that I could almost hear an audible voice saying, “You’ve carried this burden long enough. It’s time for you to let it go.”
When I showed the verse to my wife, she felt the same tug of the Spirit. We decided to spend the rest of Advent waiting and watching for ways in which the Spirit would confirm this word for us. We tried to be consistent in our times of prayer and reflection. We shared our search with a close colleague who retired a year before us. A New Year’s Eve conversation with our Bishop gave added confirmation to the word we had received. In January we made the announcement to the congregation we had served for twenty-two years. In June, the same Annual Conference that had voted to ordain me 44 years ago voted on my retirement and in July we stepped out into a new way of life.
Along the way, I’ve been amazed by the grace to let go of things I had done so faithfully and passionately in the four congregations I was appointed to serve. There has been a wonderful sense of peace in knowing that we are right where God continues to call us to be. So, now what?
We moved to our lake house in central Florida where I am writing for the United Methodist Publishing House, leading workshops on discipleship and leadership, and attempting to pass on whatever experience has taught me to younger preachers through the Institute of Preaching at Duke Divinity School. I also write an occasional blog at www.jimharnish.org. In the fall I will be the guest speaker for a Fall Foliage Cruise along the New England coast. I plan to teach on “Pilgrims, Protestors and Poets: How Religion in New England Helped Shape the Nation.” Readers of the Upper Room are invited to join us at www.eo.travelwithus.com.
But the most important thing we do is find opportunities to spend more time with our grandchildren and to enjoy this phase of life together.
It just goes to prove that you never know what kind of surprises God might have waiting for you during Advent![James A. Harnish]
The Author: James A. Harnish (Florida, USA)
Thought for the Day: Jesus becomes flesh in us when we help those in need.
Prayer: Dear God, may we never grow weary in showing your love to others through our words and deeds. As Jesus taught us, we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9-13, NIV). Amen.
Prayer focus: Local community outreach
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Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church
9440 E Boston, Suite 160
Wichita KS 67207
316-686-0600
800-745-2350
info@greatplainsumc.org
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