Advent
December 21, 2018

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
   but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
   you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
   (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’ –Hebrews 10:5-7

I write all the time about living our love and creating a world ruled by love, and I mean it, but the challenges come when I am called to practice what I preach and realize how very hard it is sometimes to love like Jesus. How does one discern when one has done enough or too much? How do we know what is the right thing to do? What is justice? I am sure many of the Jewish Rabbis who prepared the burnt offerings and sacrifices did so with the purest of intentions striving hard to comply with the teachings passed to them through the centuries. Those who follow the path of Abraham understood God’s love as he said to Abram in Genesis 15:6 And [Abram] believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

The history of God’s people records times of living in righteousness but also reports incidents of separation from God that eventually led to the Israelites being exiled from their homeland and living in bondage. God sent leaders and prophets to warn them to little or no avail. Finally, God came to us in human form Emmanuel, God with us, and introduced us to one with the power of Grace to save us from our inability to save ourselves. It is that extraordinary gift we celebrate at this advent season. The Christ has come, is with us today guiding us, and will return to pitch his tent among us and live with us in that world ruled by love.

 Prayer:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did’st give the Law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel*

*First and last verse of O Come, O come, Emmanuel. See at https://castingcrowns.com/music/o-come-o-come-emmanuel/

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.