Daily Advent Devotional

ADVENT WEEK THREE

December 16, 2020

Accessibility of Joy

Mark 9:9-13

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Mark 9:9

If there were ever a moment to invoke joy from the Gospel, it would be during Advent. It is not that we as persons of faith are not to pursue joy at every turn. But, rather, it does not take much meandering into the gospels to glean the prospects of discipleship that Jesus promises his followers: contempt, persecution, and a material fate similar to his own.

Jesus is so attuned to this difficult future for his followers that, in today’s passage from Mark 9, he swears them to what is known as the Messianic Secret: don’t let anyone know who I truly am quite yet, or you’ll get us all killed before my mission is complete.

Perhaps the reason why joy feels more accessible during Advent is because we have not yet arrived at the horizon of Jesus’s birth and potential. It can be easy to lose sight of why it is that Jesus must swear his followers to secrecy: he has brought a form of justice so radical that its shockwaves are too much for many of us to bear.

The difficult joy of Advent thus is understanding that while Jesus’s life brings profound conflict, this is only because it brings profound healing first. The invitation is to create space for ourselves to dwell on the euphoria of Jesus’s care for others, even while knowing the eventual costs of discipleship.

Dr. Peter Capretto

Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care in Religion and Culture

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ADVENT WEEK THREE

December 15, 2020

One Big Family Tree

Acts 3:17-4:4

These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. Acts 3:25a (The Message)

Decades ago, we enrolled our daughter Joy in our public school’s “magnet” multicultural Kindergarten program. This meant she would have to ride a bus to school each day.

On the first day of school we all waited for the bus: Nancy and I, our daughter, and her great-aunt. We waited and waited. But because of new semester confusion, no bus ever showed up.

That waiting seemed like an eternity. When we ask our now-adult daughter about this, she doesn’t remember the waiting or even missing school that day. She only remembers that what we had promised her came true: she experienced an amazing year of new adventures, friends, and teachers.

Advent is about joy waiting for something wonderful to happen, at just the right time. About reminding us that our timetables are not often the same as God’s. This week is all about waiting for that perfect moment when an angel suddenly appears, saying, “The waiting’s over! It’s begun! Now sing your songs of joy with me!”

Peter proclaims this in today’s passage: there is a time coming when through Jesus all things will become fresh again, will be renewed again—and just at the right moment. Moses told us this. So did Samuel. All the prophets made such promises, says Peter, and these are for all of us: for every kind of family, for everyone on earth. Says Peter: we’re all part of one big family tree.

This, then, is how we joyfully wait for God’s timing: we do it together. Kindergartners, moms, dads, great aunts, you, me—whoever! No exceptions. We’re all part of the family of God. We’re all in this together.

Dr. Thomas Hoffmann

Adjunct Faculty

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ADVENT WEEK THREE

December 14, 2020

Joy in Trust and Security

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1

Can you imagine a place so secure you have no fear or anxiety? A place that would keep you from harm both physical and mental? I imagine this place would look much like an impenetrable fortress and you wouldn’t have anything for which to worry. You would only have those there you trust and love. Access would be denied, or any breaches foiled by those who wish you harm or evil. With all the uncertainty we face in this world, wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in a place where you feel so secure?

In reality, I know of no place on this earth that can make this promise. As we read this psalm, and you should read and re-read it when you feel anxious, the intention is to show us that while there may not be a place to provide security and stability, there is a who, God. All that is required is to “trust in the Lord” as the psalm begins. It is through this trust that provides that protection from wicked and grants peace shared in the rest of the song.

The psalm sets the image by using the city of Jerusalem and the protection provided by mountains. Mountains are secure and, in many ways, Jerusalem is more secure because of the protection provided. The song goes on to say that just like Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds his people with this same immovable protection. It finally shares, the righteous and those who trust will also see the end to the evildoers.

What immense joy we should have because we really do have that impenetrable fortress in God. Through the implicit trust and conviction, we find the safety, security and refuge we desire and need in this uncertain world.

Leslie LeSieur

Director of the Center for Ministry and Lay Training

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ADVENT WEEK THREE

December 13, 2020

Joy to the COVID World

Isaiah 6:1-4, 8-11

“Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” Isaiah 6:9b

Joy tends to be defined with deep spiritual meaning, and happiness tends to be defined with the temporal and fleeting. I wonder: is this distinction between joy and happiness splitting strands of hair, or is it the split ends of a single strand of hair? I think Isaiah experienced joy and happiness as a single, illusive strand that he desperately longed to know as a unity in the presence of God. As Isaiah considered the social and political realities of his day, he faced a dream deferred by the death of King Uzziah.

To be in the presence of the Lord fills many believers with thoughts of joy. Who among the faithful would not be filled with joy by seeing and hearing the Holy One? Unfortunately, the words spoken to Isaiah were not words that inspired joy or happiness within Isaiah. And the words God instructed Isaiah to speak also did not inspire joy among the people. “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” For Isaiah, God appeared in the time of trouble, but God’s joy is declared after the struggle.

This has been a year of profound trouble and struggle as millions have been victimized and more than one million have died worldwide from Coronavirus. As we seek God’s face this Advent, our hearts long for the experience of joy in the COVID world. Yet God’s word to Isaiah instructs us to not overlook the desolation wrought by coronavirus. Despite the devastation and death, we are in the presence of our Holy God; and it is only by turning from conventional wisdom that we will be restored to life.

Dr. Lee H. Butler, Jr.

Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean

William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 12, 2020

Peace, be Still

Matthew 21:28-32

Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21:31b - 32

We are living in unusual times due to COVID-19. Churches are finding different ways to connect through online media outlets. The normal aspect of life is no more, and our peace is being disturbed. The death of George Floyd by the deadly force of a white police officer going viral through national and social media platforms is the catalyst to a stronger commitment to the movement of Black Lives Matter. This explosion of support and commitment is forcing all Americans to pay attention to the unjust policing of black and brown humans. A combination of events created a national platform for voices to speak directly to people who need to get in the game and off the sidelines of silence and disconnect.

Peace, be still! A new democracy for America must trend away from glorifying violence, brutality, and destruction. The new democracy is a true foundation of peace, freedom, and protection for all. The current American democracy stands as the second son in the scripture. America said it would be a place of freedom and liberty for all, but in all honesty, America is still not a land for all to receive equity. The taste and smell of being built on a foundation of capitalism, systemic racism, privilege, discrimination, and slavery is still prevalent. A 21st century makeover must push for a new democracy of love, peace, and justice.

During this advent season, please remember the importance of living with peace. Knowing that God is the sustainer of the earth who operates in love, care, joy, and peace provides hope for overcoming obstacles. This advent season is your season of peace. Blessings to all!

Peace, be still!

Rev. Ulysses Allen

Recruiter

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 11, 2020

Thanksgiving in a Time of Chaos

Psalm 126

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Psalm 126:5

This communal “Song of Thanksgiving” celebrates the saving works of God both in the lives of those who have gathered for worship and in the lives of their ancestors in the faith. This particular type of psalm is often thought to have been spoken on the other side of a lament, when the community has made it safely through a time of suffering or trial.

The words of Psalm 126 seem to echo the prophetic promise delivered by Isaiah (see 43:16-21) to the Babylonian exiles. The “new thing” the exilic prophet had spoken about has been realized in the restored “fortunes of Zion.” When the people returned to Jerusalem, they found the city needed a great deal of restoration. Plowing their fields, once again, brought tears and laughter, as they remembered both the pain of exile and the joy of homecoming.

Could this psalm have been spoken by those who returned to Jerusalem after Cyrus issued the edict allowing those placed in exile by the Babylonians to go home? Perhaps, but they could also be the words of a community that has felt God’s presence in a multitude of other ways.

This is the beauty and enduring value of the Psalter. These prayers (even though grounded in a particular context) can become the words of the faithful in very different contexts. While we have voiced many laments in 2020, can we also be thankful for the Holy’s faithfulness in a time of chaos? In this season of advent, Psalm 126 can provide us with an opportunity to reflect on how the Divine presence has been known to us, even in a time of the COVID-19.

Dr. Lisa W. Davison

Johnnie Eargle Cadieux Professor of Hebrew Bible

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 10, 2020

I am Not Standing Still, I am Lying Wait*

Habakkuk 2:1-5

For there is still a vision for the appointed time; … If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

In the first chapter of Habakkuk, the prophet laments and asks the question many of us have been asking this year, “How long, O Lord?” We ask, we lament, and we wait for things to get better. And the waiting gets to be too much. So, we make a move, but we move too fast and we reap the repercussions of moving too soon. I understand, however, the motivation to act. One does not want to feel like one is just standing still doing nothing as the world goes on around them.

Yet, in chapter 2 of Habakkuk, the prophet used another tactic. After lamenting, the prophet waits and expects God to reply. “I will stand at my watch post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.” Both the watch post and the rampart are defenses used in battle. The waiting this prophet is doing is not about sitting around, it is about being ready.

God answers and tells the prophet that there is still a vision for the appointed time. God has not forgotten us. God hears us. God is still at work and we should be too. So, we stand at the watch posts God has given us whether it is a classroom, pulpit, youth center, or the streets. And we gird ourselves so that we are ready for the changes that God will empower us to make.

Dr. Annie Lockhart-Gilroy

Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Practical Theology

*Title taken from Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Cast Recording)

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 9, 2020

Surprise!

Luke 1: 5-17

”Do not be afraid, Zechariah, …” Luke 1:13

Zechariah had been chosen to preside over the altar that day. He paused before entering the sanctuary. He had waited his whole life for this moment, and he wanted to remember it. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside at last, leaving behind the crowds of people and the sounds of their murmured prayers.

He bowed his head for a moment, eyes closed as the incense slowly drifted upward. It was when he opened them that he saw an angel of the Lord standing before him. Almost falling on the floor, he was so scared, he heard the angel call his name: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah …”

What he heard the angel announce next seemed unbelievable: his dear wife Elizabeth would bear him a son! This child would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he took his first breath! He would prepare the people’s hearts for God! Usher in the Way—a forerunner of the Chosen One!

I imagine Zechariah came to regret the words that came blubbering out of his mouth later in response: What? My wife? At her age? Her body isn’t as nimble as it once was! Her hands and face are as wrinkled as mine! And now you tell me she’s going to have a baby?!

Maybe it was the shock of the whole experience. Maybe he was just too overwhelmed with joy. After all, he was only human. The news would leave him speechless.

God of surprises, hold me up by your grace when I become overwhelmed by the unexpected.

Rev. Gina Woods

Alumni Board Member (2014) and

Associate of Pastoral Care, Fellowship Congregational Church, Tulsa, Okla.

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 8, 2020

Wait to Wait

Psalm 27

When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. … I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:2, 13-14

I remember how the chapel smelled: of must and fabric softener, typical of a basement in an old house, but also the sweet beeswax smell of a lit votive candle. It sat burning next to the small box (called a tabernacle in Roman Catholic parlance) to indicate that some consecrated wafers were contained therein. The body of Christ. This was the small subterranean chapel of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker house in Washington, D.C., where I once lived. We would gather there for morning prayer, and longtime community member Art Laffin loved to lead us in a sung call-and-response version of this Psalm.

And then we would go on about our business of distributing food and clothing to low-income neighbors and medium-term shelter to families… and protesting the violence inflicted on God’s image-bearers for the sake of the military might and prosperity of the United States.

I could have, and did, pray that Psalm through while believing every word of it. I was also young, privileged, and idealistic, with plenty of resources to fall back on if and when my experiment with radical Christian living didn’t pan out. Sometimes we got shouted at during our protests, which was terribly exciting. Sometimes friends got arrested on purpose. But today, 20 years later, the category of “adversaries and foes” seems at once broader and more concrete. The arrests are not protest theatre; our adversaries do much more than just shout at us. Begging the Psalmist’s pardon, I don’t see them doing a lot of stumbling and falling. Frankly, I’m not sure that I do believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait? Be strong? Seriously?

God who loves the bold and the discouraged, when we find we cannot even wait for you, help us to wait for a time when we can wait for you. Make good on your promises. Show us your goodness. Amen.

Dr. Sarah Morice-Brubaker

Associate Professor of Theology

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ADVENT WEEK TWO

December 7, 2020

Seek Peace

Psalm 27

You face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me. Psalm 27:8b-9

In whose face or faces do you see God?

Seeking God’s face is a plea for God’s favor which leads to shalom, a sense of peace, security, and wholeness. And shalom is not an individual experience; it’s a state of being for all God’s creation.

Nevertheless, individual peace and security that is not an end unto itself can be the beginning or the sustaining middle of a larger effort toward shalom-bringing. And when the soul grows weary under torment and constant struggle, it’s easy to join the psalmist’s loud cry, “Be gracious to me and answer me! … Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

What we seek is not the kind of shallow peace that suggests everything is OK when it is definitely not OK,

But the kind of deep peace that provides sustaining energy to stay engaged in the work of justice.

What we seek is not the kind of resigning peace that encourages the acceptance of suffering because that’s just the way it is,

But the kind of visionary peace that allows the imagining of a vibrant life free from torment and turmoil.

What we seek is not the kind of powerless peace that gives permission for cozying up and hiding permanently in the corner while ignoring the struggles of people all around,

But the kind of powerful peace that motivates and compels attentiveness to the world around and unrelenting action as a shalom-maker.

As the psalmist declares, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Amen.

Rev. Susanna Weslie Southard

Interim Director of Supervised Year in Ministry Program, Chaplain,

and Instructor in Ministry Studies

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