Advent 1 Corinthians 13:13  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I was on a weekend getaway driving through a trendy downtown area filled with coffee shops, restaurants, and breweries when I looked at a business and saw it was called Agape (uh-gāp). My first reading was the adjective with a long A (uh-gāp), and I thought what a weird name for a business. Then I read the second line of the sign and realized it was a health clinic-Oh!- agape (a-gáp-ē) the Greek for love. It made me wonder how often that caused confusion. It made me consider how easy or hard it is to recognize agape—God’s Love.

Agape: the love of God that is shared with all. A kind of love that means thinking of others, putting others first, serving others, sharing, and empathizing.

Mother Teresa, now known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, is quoted as saying, "Prayer in action is love, love in action is service."

Does this seem like a paradox? Does prayer seem the opposite of action? Sometimes I think paradox is the reaction of viewing reality but realizing we haven’t been seeing what is really there.

Prayer is the act of expressing our hope. To bring hope into life, one must have faith that it will do good and then act to bring it to life. So let us pray that our actions will be filled with love.

The infinite love of God is shared with me and with all: every breath, every sip of water, every cell in my body, every moment in time, every leaf on every tree, every past, every future. All. I struggle to comprehend, let alone express, what God has shared with me. To return God’s love is to share it. To share in it. To give and to accept. To accept and to give.

Prayer gives me a quiet moment to think about this. To thank God for this. To be overwhelmed by this. To hope that in some small way I may share this.

Whether your action is big or small, it is action. Make it an act of love by thinking of others. Spread the agape!

Pray with me today.

Dear Lord of All, may we see your glory in everything. May we have the strength to see the things that we think are wrong and accept that we do not see well enough to know. Love us when we do not know what your plan holds for us or those around us. May we have the strength to turn our prayers into action. May we have the strength to share your love. Bless us in our efforts, and amen.

This episode was written by Jill Pope and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent Luke 15: 17-20a “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, Father, I have sinned both against heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant!” So he returned home to his father. When he was still a long way off his father saw him coming.”

Once when Fred Craddock, the renowned professor of preaching at Emory University, preached on the parable of the prodigal son, he began by telling the story. The young man, the prodigal, grabbed his inheritance, left home, and wasted what had been given him. After he “came to himself” as Jesus described it, he turned for home. In Craddock’s telling of the story, when he arrived back the father met him and said, “You listen to me. You made your decision, now you must live with it. From now on my love and effort will be for your sensible older brother.” “That,” said Craddock, “is the end of the story.”  Long silence. “Well, that’s the way the story should have ended.”

As we know, it doesn’t end that way because it is a story about God’s love, and God’s ways are different. I have observed that most of us want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. But God offers mercy to everyone. Even those who certainly don’t deserve it. Including you and me. The gospel message is: God still loves you. Wherever you have been, whatever you have done. God loves you anyway. We all are the prodigal. And the father runs down the road with open arms to welcome us home.

It’s the message of Christmas. “For God loved the world (and all of us in it) so much that he gave us his son.” Christmas is about love—God’s love—for you and me and everyone!

Prayer:

Loving God, Thank you for Christmas, for coming to be with us, for loving us anyway. Amen.

This episode was written and recorded by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at firstchurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace.

Welcome and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent Luke 2: 1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

“Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!”  These words echoed in my head this past Spring as I was fortunate to have traveled to Israel.  One of the most memorable places was Bethlehem which, of course, now is neither the  “little town” nor “lying still” as in the carol we love to sing. It is a bustling, diverse city. However, as others can witness, kneeling to touch the star located in the Church of the Nativity, where tradition says Christ was born, is humbling and standing in “Shepherd’s field” stirs your imagination as you gaze upward. While it is not the small, quaint village imagined in my childhood or often depicted in art, it still gave me new eyes and tugged at my heart.  I felt different there. Israel is a place sacred to several religions and many feel different and find solace there.  How sad that we cannot also find peace.  

Prayer:

Lord, you sent your Son into a troubled world and the world did not know him. As we experience another Advent, our world is still troubled. Please help us see Bethlehem and Christ’s coming with new eyes. Help our hearts to feel that tug and be changed. Indeed, may the world feel that and find peace. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

AdventColossians 3:12-15Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people.

A recent article in Time magazine reported research that questions a bit of conventional wisdom. We may think we shouldn’t bottle up our anger, that it’s healthier to vent and get it out of our system. But Professor Brad Bushman says venting is the worst thing you can do when you’re angry. A professor of communication at the Ohio State University who studies the topic, he says venting is just “adding more fuel to the fire.”

Paul knew that a couple of thousand years ago. He doesn’t tell the Colossians (and us) to put a lid on our anger, but to put the peace of Christ in control of our hearts. That peace doesn’t result just from a lack of conflict, but from the active pursuit of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

That sort of peace begins with gratitude. In my experience, I have found it impossible to feel upset while I’m focusing on things for which I’m grateful. I’m not ignoring our challenges, of which we have many in our family. But when I focus on those things for which I’m genuinely grateful, peace descends upon me—ironically, giving me more ability to deal with the challenges!

Let’s pray. Father, it seems to be my nature to get upset over things. Venting feels good, because it confirms I’m right. But peace matters so much more. Help us proactively cultivate tolerance for each other, compassion, gratitude, and the peace of Christ so that we may truly know peace from the inside out. In the name of Christ and his peace, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

AdventISAIAH 55:6, 12 (Common English Bible)Seek the lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. You will go out with celebration,     and you will be brought back in peace. Even the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you;     all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

The people of Israel were in exile.  Many had begun to wonder if God has forsaken them.  The prophet Isaiah speaks to them offering a new vision.  God will reverse their circumstances.  If they seek the Lord God can and will do amazing things.  They will leave their captivity in celebration and be brought back to Jerusalem in peace.  It is such an amazing promise that all creation celebrates, even the mountains and trees. 

This word spoken so long ago is still a word for us. When we feel abandoned, in exile and full of questions, we too need to seek the Lord.  When we do, we will begin to find peace. This is a peace that is not related to our current circumstances but comes from the knowledge that God is with us and wanting what is best for us.  This is the message of Advent.  God so loved us that God sent Jesus to be with us, to save us and to remind us we are loved. 

When we truly have the peace of God, we stop needing answers for everything. We stop having to worry about everything going on in the world, and we can simply trust in God and trust that God is in everything to come. When we seek God’s heart, we find peace, an inexplicable peace that will guide us through this life and all the trials we face.

When I find myself getting upset about my personal situation or what is going on in the world, these words remind me to stop, to quit focusing on what is out there and instead turn again more fully to God.  As I give each worry and concern to God I find that peace Isaiah promised.  

I don’t know if all creation is celebrating when I do this.  I don’t see any trees clapping their hands or the Smoky Mountains singing, but I do know God is rejoicing that I have again focused my life where it needs to be – on God my rock and my source of peace. 

Let us pray:

Loving God, when I feel like I am in exile, when I am full of doubt or fear, remind me to turn to you to find peace, a peace that passes all situations.  AMEN.

This episode was written by Bill Green and recorded by Amy Large.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which translates as “coming.” This time prior to Christmas emphasizes the need to pause and spend time in prayer and study, to ponder not only the beautiful story of Jesus’ birth in human form as a tiny baby, but also the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives today.

For me, the key word here is “ponder.” 

One of the names given to the Messiah in Isaiah is Prince of Peace. When I think about peace in the weeks prior to Christmas, I have a hard time finding it. There’s just so much to do: baking, decorating, shopping, special events at church, and the list goes on. Peace, times of stillness, quiet, and gratitude, are hard to come by in these times.

And yet. . .it is imperative that we remember whose birthday is approaching. For Jesus to be the Prince of Peace in our lives, we must rely on him all day every day, even those crazy busy days, and keep his message of Love foremost in our words and actions. It’s hard to be loving and kind when we’re stressed and constantly hurrying to get the next thing on the list checked off.

Advent is not the only time to remember the need to rely on the Prince of Peace. Our whole world seems to be plagued by discord, hatred, and hurtful words and actions. While we cannot individually remove all the problems people are facing that cause anger and frustration, we can act as peacemakers and demonstrate compassion and care for others.  

We do this both as a church and as individuals in all our dealings with others. We can seek to be a reflection of the Prince of Peace in all we do. Above all else, we can continue to pray diligently for compassionate solutions to the problems we face so that both individuals and governments can foster a more peaceful future for all. With the power of the Holy Spirit, it is possible.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we ask for your guidance as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of your Beloved Son, the Prince of Peace. Empower us through the Holy Spirit to speak and behave in ways that demonstrate to others that His redeeming and transforming love are the way forward to happier, more peaceful lives for all. Amen.

This episode was written by Pat Scruggs and recorded by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent

John 14:27  I live in a world where some people market fear. They use it as a tool. People say they want peace, but they seek it in very strange ways. Weapons of many descriptions are bought and sold. Other weapons are shaped by our tongues. We are taught defense and suspicion. My feelings become anxious just writing this.

It is not easy to banish fear from our hearts. And there are times when fear is a specific response to a real threat in our environment that is natural and should be heeded. But let’s think about the other kind of fear. The fear that spreads like a virus. The fear that is our response to the unknown. The fear that is born of our -well- fear. It multiplies. It spreads from person to person. It is a cancer of our soul.

But peace has been left for us by Jesus. It is there – always – waiting for us to accept it. It was not given “as the world gives.” It is eternally in us waiting to be our focus instead of fear. This peace is a feeling born of trust and love. What a precious gift! Like God’s gift of his only begotten son, Jesus leaves his peace with us. It is ours to accept as we accept the gift of salvation, the gift of life, and the gift of an advent season filled with peace, love, hope, and joy.

In this advent season, look deep within yourself and accept the peace that resides within you. It is a gift that only you can accept.

Prayer:

Please join me in prayer, Lord Almighty, we struggle to trust and accept what you have shared with us. We are so small and frightened in a world so big and incomprehensible. Please help us to find the peace you have given us. Let our hearts be filled with the peace of knowing you are there to care for and love us. Amen.

This episode was written by Jill Pope and recorded by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent - Peace Luke 2:10-14 "And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

 

In the early nineteenth century, Europe was not a peaceful place. The Napoleonic wars had been raging since before the turn of the century. In 1815, the eruption of Mt. Tambora in Indonesia caused climate problems throughout the continent. There was widespread financial crisis and famine. People were dispirited and discouraged. In the Austrian village of Mariapfarr the people wondered if God had abandoned them, In 1816, Joseph Mohr, the town's parish priest wrote a poem to celebrate the end of the Napoleonic wars, but also to provide hope to his congregation that God had not abandoned them but was alive and active.

 

In 1817 Mohr relocated to Oberndorf, where he became the priest at the parish of St. Nicholas. On Christmas Eve in 1818, the Salzbach river overflowed and the Mohr's church found itself with a damaged organ. Mohr desperately needed music for the Christmas Eve service, so he turned to his friend, Franz Gruber for help. He asked Gruber to write a song using the poem he wrote in 1816. Gruber wrote the song that afternoon. That night, the two of them, with Mohr playing the guitar, sang Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht for the first time.

 

The song grew in popularity. In 1863 it was translated into english by Episcopalian priest John Freeman Young, and Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht became Silent Night, Holy Night for the English speaking world. Silent Night is one of the most popular Christmas carols in history. It is the most recorded Christmas song in the world, and there are over 3,700 different arrangements of the song.

 

Silent Night a great Christmas carol, but it is also a theologically rich hymn. It announces the birth of Jesus to Mary, a virgin, and speaks of the worship of the angels. It proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God, and "love's pure light." "Jesus lord at thy birth" speaks to the duality of Jesus' humanity and divinity. The phrase "with the dawn of redeeming grace" tells of the new covenant between God and man established with Jesus death and resurrection.

 

Even so, the song does not take a degree in theology to understand. Ultimately it is a lullaby. It is a song about tranquility and peace written to honor the Prince of Peace.

 

All we really need to understand is that "Christ the savior is born!" And because of that we can all be reborn.

 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for sending us a savior. Thank you for the grace that allows us to once again be called your children. Let us never take that grace for granted. Amen.

 

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Advent

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at firstchurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome, and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.