Advent
December 7, 2016
Scripture Reading: Psalm 146:5-10
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Ever wonder where Jesus turned in search of truth? Consider the Psalms. Read through our scripture today and then flip over and read Matthew 25:31-46. God’s purpose and desire for us were available from the beginning of time, is available to us today, and will ever be our guide. My sister and I sang a duet as children of a popular faith-based song of the day, It Is No Secret What God Can Do. God’s way has never been a secret; there is no password, no magic incantation, or proof of purity for his followers. God created us, knows what talents and skills we possess, knows exactly where our contribution fits in with each and all of God’s other children. God takes us just as we are when we finally recognize God’s presence in our lives and working within and through us makes us far more than we ever dreamed we could be.
The Robe was the first movie I ever remember seeing. It is a rather fanciful story of the centurion who won Jesus’ robe at the foot of his cross while he was dying. The centurion is rather haunted by the Robe and the whole business of the crucifixion as he sets out on a journey to make sense of it. In one scene, he encounters a beautiful young woman who is crippled and cannot walk. She is gloriously singing about Jesus’ healing her when the centurion confronts her asking why she is so happy the Jesus obviously did not cure her bent and useless legs. She response that Jesus cured her of the self-pity and resentfulness she carried for so long. Most of our contributions to the building of the Kingdom of God will not make a brief story on the 20th page of the paper. When we commit to living our lives in sync with Jesus Christ the small things, we do each day will make more difference than we may ever know.
Prayer: Lord, open my whole being to your purpose and weave it throughout my desires. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.