Grace for All

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/.

Advent Isaiah 11:6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb. And the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and lion yearling together, and a little child will lead them.

 

I would like to focus on the last part of that verse – “a little child will lead them.”

As we approach the season of Advent, many preparations are made for decorations, gifts, parties, meals and the true celebration of Christmas and the birth of our savior, Jesus.

There are similarities among families, and there are traditions which are unique.

There are many preparations at our house as our immediate family numbers 23. We attend Christmas Eve services at our respective churches. On Christmas morning each family celebrates with the exchange of gifts at their house. Preparations at our house begin early as the family arrives around 11 a.m. We enjoy a nice brunch and then we clear the tables and sit in a circle.

The youngest children, one who is three months old and the other two-and-half years old, open their presents first, followed by the older grandchildren and their parents.

About twenty-five years ago, Becca who was five at the time, seemed upset. Her mom asked her what was wrong. She said, “Where is Jesus’s birthday cake?” Her mom quickly asked, “What do you mean?” Quickly Becca replied, “It’s Jesus birthday.”

Needless to say, we made a feeble attempt to sing happy birthday. Led by our granddaughter Becca age five, she had “called us out” to do something that was very important, especially to her!

Since that year, I have baked a carrot cake, the family favorite, added candles and the whole family sings happy birthday to Jesus. The youngest children get to blow out the candles. So, as the scripture says, “a little child will lead them.” It has become a very significant part of our Christmas day celebration of Jesus’s birth.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and to pay more attention to children. Through the eyes of a child, they can cut to the chase and point out what is really important about the season of Advent. Amen

 

This devotional was written by Betty Rawls and read 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 43: 18-19 “But forget all that—it is nothing compared with what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Every Christmas of my childhood was spent the same way. On Christmas Eve my parents, my brothers, and I would go to my grandparents house.  As did all of my cousins. We converged on my grandparents, and all of us male cousins spent the night in the same room: seven or eight  of us sharing three beds, spending the evening together, talking and  anticipating what Santa would bring on Christmas morning.

There was a strict family ritual for Christmas morning:  No one was allowed in the living room (where Santa had left his gifts) until everyone had eaten breakfast. It was excruciating for us kids to wait until all the adults had awaken, and eaten, to line up for procession to the living room where Santa had come. To make matters worse for me, grandkids had to line up in birthday order,  youngest to oldest, and because I was the firstborn grandchild, I was last in line!

The anticipation built through the whole process. The wait seemed interminable! But the joy was magnified when we were finally released to explore what Santa had brought. Unforgettable.

Hope is defined as “a feeling of expectation and a desire for a certain thing to happen.”

This is what Advent is about: anticipating. Expecting. Believing that God will come to us, overcoming our doubts, fears, and concerns, with His good news of love and joy.

What the world calls the Christmas season, the church calls Advent.  It’s a time to expect, or anticipate, the wonders of what God will do, and is doing. Regardless of what seems to be darkness now, Christmas is the reminder that we have hope, the assurance that God’s desired outcome will occur. So..anticipate the new thing God is preparing for you, the new thing that has already begun. Anticipate Christmas. God is with us!

Prayer:

Dear One, Help us to see that you are bringing hope to us, joy to us, you are coming to us in Jesus. Thank you for Christmas. Amen.

This devotional was written and read 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 John 15:11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow!

Joy… defined as an emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. What do you say joy is?

One time I participated in a United Methodist Women’s program.  My small group was asked to talk about joy.  What does it mean? How does it make you feel? Have you experienced true joy?

The responses were diverse.  Joy was predictably found in life’s special moments. -  weddings, graduations, births, relationships, good grades, birthdays -- all the happy moments.  I recall we tried to find one image, one word to describe how we “felt” joy.  I remember my trying to describe joy as that big lump in your throat when you are simply overcome with happiness or pride and find tears ready to flow.

In the end our group decided joy comes in many forms and that joy is always with us, even in times of sorrow.  Deep joy comes through the Holy Spirit and always stays with us.

One of my most memorable moments of joy was not something I expected.  Of course, there have been many moments of joy over my life.  Moments perhaps predictable and expected, the birth of our children and grandchildren, graduations and weddings, retirement and precious friendships.  But one time is “radiant” in my memories. Our son was in a life threatening and altering accident while he was in high school.  It was a time of leaning on our faith.  He was facing a very long recovery from multiple broken bones and a head injury.  Our first touch of joy was the realization that he would return to a normal life without real limitations.  We knew it would be hard and we knew life would never be the same.  In fact, life would be even more precious.  After months of physical therapy, hard work, many prayers and love shared, life was returning to normal, and we had relaxed a bit, less focused on the “what ifs”.  

One Sunday evening our church had a special evening of music, featuring the children’s and youth choirs.  When our son walked up not only on the stage, but also to the top riser without crutches, the lump in my throat was overwhelming.  The joy was overpowering.  Indeed, my joy overflowed.  From deep sorrow, God had provided a time for my life to be filled with joy.  

The reality, as my friend so eloquently says Is that joy and sorrow can co-exist, hand in hand.  Joy comes to us through the Holy Spirit.  True, deep joy is not situational. Sorrow is situational, it comes and goes, but joy lives within us always.  We must hold tight and seek the joy God has provided in every moment.  May you find joy in your heart in the days to come.

Pray with me: 

God, sometimes we fail to feel the joy you have laid before us and within us.  Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we may abide in your presence and draw hope and joy from His love.  Amen.

Today’s devotional was written and read by Lisa Blackwood.

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: 8-11 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them, “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem.”

For many years, my wife, Barbara, and I rang the Salvation Army bell in front of our local Publix grocery store at some point during the Christmas season. We did it because we believe in the work of the Salvation Army and their mission to under resourced people. Every year, Publix store, ring the bell, and help remind folks to have a giving spirit in the season when they are getting lots of gifts themselves.

One year our kids and grandkids had arrived at our house before our scheduled bell ringing. We asked them to excuse us while we exercised our annual hour spent with red apron, a kettle, and a small bell. To our delight, they all—three adults and four teenagers—said they wanted to join us.

So that afternoon—it was around December 22nd or so—the nine of us stood outside the store greeting all of the shoppers who were buying lots of food for Christmas. .  Our son, Scott, said, “We need music!” Our tech savvy grandchildren quickly went to their phones and downloaded lively Christmas music. We all sang. The kids began to dance. Caught up in the spirit, we all began to dance. We joined Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You”; we sang Felix Navidad, White Christmas, Angels We Have Heard on High, and on and on.

My family set a new record for contributions to the Salvation Army. People stopped their cars and handed us money out their windows. One driver said, “That music is wonderful. That sounds just like Bing Crosby!” I said, “It IS Bing Crosby!”

When the angel appeared to common people, shepherds, that Christmas night, the angel announced a message of joy—not for some—but for all people. And the angels sang.

I know that it is hard for some, given what they are currently experiencing, or have recently gone through, to feel joyful. Perhaps for these folks the Christmas message is presence—God is with you, you are not alone. But it’s also true that for most of us finding joy is what God wants for us at Christmas. I invite you to find your joy over God’s good news and sing it this Christmas season.

Loving God who came to us at Christmas, fill us with your joy at the good news that you have chosen to be with us. Now and forever! Amen.

This devotion 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 - Joy

Psalm 98:4-6 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;  break forth into joyous song and sing praises!  Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,  with the lyre and the sound of melody!  With trumpets and the sound of the horn  make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 

 

Isaac Watts is known as the "Godfather of English Hymnody." He wrote over 700 hymns, including 15 in the current edition of the Methodist Hymnal. He wrote When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Our God In Ages Past, Alas and Did My Savior Bleed, and many others.

 

He also wrote the words to Joy to the World; one of the most famous Christmas songs ever written. It is instantly recognizable, and it ranks behind only Silent Night in number of recordings of Christmas songs. It appears today in over 1,300 different hymnals. I believe it was the first Christmas song I learned to sing as a child, and it is the first song I learned to play on the trumpet in third grade band.

 

Joy to the World is an immensely popular Christmas song, but the truth is that it was not written as a Christmas song. In fact, it wasn't even written as a song. It was written as a poem titled "The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom," based on Psalm 98 and was part of Isaac Watts' 1719 poetry book The Psalms of David. Based on the Psalms, but inspired by the New Testament, Watts reinterpreted the Psalms to be more about the life of Jesus. He was concerned that the church suffered from a lack of joy in worship, and his interpretation of Psalm 98 was written to urge the church to be more joyful. Verse 4 of Psalm 98 reads, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises," which Watts reinterpreted to read "Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns, Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy."

 

In 1836, Lowell Mason, a music teacher in Orange, New Jersey, with inspiration from Handel's Messiah, wrote a tune called Antioch. Three years later, after reading the works of Isaac Watts, he put Watts' poem to his tune and Joy to the World was born.

 

It is not really known how the song became a Christmas song. Nevertheless, it is a joyful song adapted from a joyful Psalm, sung at Christmas; a time of Joy. The song reminds us that Jesus came into the world as one of us, and because he did, we can be children of God.

If that's not a cause for joy, I don't know what is.

 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for becoming one of us. Thank you for loving us enough to provide a way to be in relationship with you. May we always remember that love, and may we always reflect it to those you love. Amen.

 

This episode 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

(our theme for December)

Luke 1:41-44 (NIV) “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”

Sometimes news is so joyful that our heart leaps within our breast, just as the baby leapt in Elizabeth’s womb!  I know my heart leapt with joy, when I heard the news of the births of my two new great grandbabies in September of this year!  A beautiful 9-pound baby girl and a perfect 9-pound baby boy arrived for my two grandsons, only five days apart!  Two perfect gifts from God!  JOY!

We experience Joy when the wonderful news comes that the cancer is in remission.  Joy when the news of a successful surgery reaches our ears.  Joy that a prodigal of ours has come home.  Joy that you got the job you wanted so badly.  Joy that you have a bed tonight.  Joy that the war is over.  Joy that your loved ones are coming to visit for the holidays.

But I can’t imagine how much bigger that feeling of JOY that filled Elizabeth, as her baby leapt in her womb and she knew it was God’s son greeting her from Mary’s womb!

We celebrate that glorious good news of Christ’s birth, each year on December 25, but the joy of his coming to earth, his ministry and his ultimate gift for us, we can celebrate joyfully, every day of the year.

So, during this Advent and Christmas season, let’s turn to this JOY and when the hustle and hurry of Christmas makes us feel stressed, or the news fills us with dread, let’s promise God and ourselves that we will remember the real JOY and the reason for it!

Christ is born!  Christ has died!  Christ is risen!

Joy to the World!  The Lord is come! Let earth proclaim her king! Let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing – with JOY! Joy to the World!  Hallelujah, the Joy of life everlasting in Christ Jesus, Our Lord!

This episode was written and read 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

(our theme for December)

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/.