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Devotions for the Church Year

A Disciple Reflects on Holy Week

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crossThis coming Sunday marks the beginning of the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Holy Week runs the gamut of emotions from high celebration on Palm Sunday, to loss and bewilderment on Good Friday, to amazement on the day of resurrection. If I were one of the disciples watching this drama unfold, I am sure I would have felt completely overwhelmed and utterly confused. Here is Jesus, friend and teacher, who everyone hoped would develop a strong military campaign for reclaiming the nation of Israel, in which he would overpower the Romans and take back the inheritance rightfully belonging to the twelve tribes.

But what happened to him instead? Jesus is captured, beaten, and killed. Pilate acknowledged him as the King of the Jews, but in a mocking, taunting wort of way. Not with the pomp and commanding magnificence usually associated with a king. No one wanted to claim as theirs the bloody mass on the cross anyway. A person convicted of blasphemy and hanging between two thieves did not qualify as trustworthy leader material.

It looks like God’s mission failed. He’d sent the Messiah, the one promised to the Jews for their rescue. But this Messiah had only managed to get in trouble with the Jewish Law and was now dying a criminal’s death.

Where was a disciple to look for fulfilled hopes of restoration? Following Jesus might have been a waste of time. Peter returns to fishing. John takes Mary home. Darkness falls.

The cross was actually the best place to look for those dreams of restoration. Friday afternoon with its agony and suffering ushered in a new order. Redemption came as a vulnerable gift, not as a royal decree imposed by force. Saturday’s silence filled with questions hung as mystifying as the torn curtain in the temple. God’s Son had died. The way was now clear to approach him. Maybe this is what those startling events of the past week were all about. Everyone could view the Holy of Holies now, not just a consecrated priest.

The images from Friday probably played through the minds of the disciples over and over again. The verse from the hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross captures what the disciples surely would have felt.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet. Sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did ever such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Sorrow and love. The two qualities of Christ’s crucifixion. It was the best of times for these disciples, knowing their Lord loved them enough to die for them. It was the worst of times, knowing the intense suffering sin caused, and then grieving the loss of him. No one would ever take Jesus’ place. The end had come.

But then Sunday morning arrives. Mary runs into town with the astonishing news of an empty grave. Angels had greeted her with the announcement, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples” (Mark 16:6-7).

Jesus is risen. He conquered death and the grave. Salvation is freely given. Men and women from every nation can receive the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus paid the price. The work is done.

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

 

Devotionals

Would you Rather?

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Which of the two did what his father wanted? Matthew 21:31 (NIV)

During a trip I made with other church staff to a conference last fall, a number of our group that had traveled from Pella enjoyed some time in the hotel’s lobby sharing stories and laughs. At one point, the conversation turned to playing the game “Would You Rather.” If you’ve played this game, you know that the person whose turn it is must pick two bad choices and then ask everyone else in the group which one they would rather do. Thus the name of the game, “Would You Rather.” We explored all sorts of options from eating disgusting food to taking outrageous risks.

When I arrived home, the concept of the game remained on my mind. Life so often presents us with less than ideal choices. We long for the perfect or the easy, but reality is right there eager to crowd in and remind us of the fallen world in which we live.

Jesus engages his listeners in his own version of this game in Matthew 21:28-32 when he asks the Pharisees which son, both of whom gave less than ideal responses, did what the father asked of them. “What would you rather do,” Jesus seems to ask, “promise the father obedience and later deceive Him, or act sincere and then later reject Him?”

Two bad choices. Unfortunately, they are ones that our hearts default into easier than we care to admit. Hypocrisy can be so subtle and yet so deceptive. I wonder if this is what Jesus hoped the Pharisees in the audience would catch on to. Don’t keep all the rules and assent to true doctrine if it only stays in your head. Love God. Devote your life to Him. Live in faith as a way of life, not just as a Sunday morning posture.

Jesus is asking for repentance here, not as a legalistic demand such as the Pharisees were accustomed to making, but as a gesture of grace. He wants them in the kingdom too. He holds up the tax collectors and the prostitutes as examples in an effort to generate urgency under their decision. “Come in out of your legalism and hypocrisy,” Jesus again seems to say. “Would you rather stay trapped in your self-righteous observance of the Law and allow the sinners to enter the Kingdom ahead of you, or would you rather surrender your grasp on power and repent?”

In a Pharisee’s mind, these were both bad choices. They couldn’t stand the idea of sinners gaining something they could not. Neither could they give up power and do what Jesus asked of them.

While Jesus is challenging the chief priests and teachers of the Law, he is also opening a window allowing for a glimpse of a lovely truth. The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom! They are hearing Jesus’ call, believing His message, receiving healing, and finding a home in the Kingdom of God.

What does this mean for us? First, I believe we must always be in tune with our hearts. Are we sincere before God? Are we devoted to Him? Do we desire Him? Depending on how we answer those questions, we need to do the hard yet fruitful soul work so that we can answer “yes” to devotion and to desire.

The next thing we can do is to continue making the call to confession. People enter the Kingdom through repentance. Contrition has fallen out of style these days, but that doesn’t mean we have to quit showing people the entrance to the Kingdom of God. One simple invitation to confess sin could open up the whole of eternity to someone. It is worthwhile to take the risk of making the continued invitation into confession and repentance.

Last, we can trust that our efforts, even the ones we make with reluctance, bear fruit in the Kingdom. The sinners are coming to Christ! “Would you rather” has become for me an important question to include in my own growth. Would I rather do the hard work internally so that I am an effective minister for Christ, or would I rather sit on the sidelines uncaring of the world around me but smugly assured of my own good doctrine? Would I rather see people I look down on come to faith, or would I rather continue on in my own self-righteous perceptions of how the world should run? Would I rather take the risk of leading others to Jesus and possibly fail, or would I rather leave them in darkness unaware that a whole new life awaits them?

If I had been standing in the crowd that day when Jesus told this parable, I’m not sure how I would have answered. But the son who said “no” to his father but later changed his mind is a better model than the one who practiced deception. Neither response honored the father, but at least the work he wanted done would get accomplished. Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace.

Of a Woman in Ministry

Do Something Dangerous!

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One of our family’s favorite movies is “Dudley Do-Right” based on a cartoon with a Canadian Mountie as the main character. The Canadian Mountie is a legendary figure with “Maintien le Droit,” or “uphold the right” as his motto. The responsibilities of the Mountie called for bravery, heroism, and strength. They were fearless and they were the law, worthy of authority and respect.

But Dudley isn’t any of these honorable Mountie qualities. He is spineless, clumsy, and intimidated. As the movie progresses, we see Dudley surrounded by a whole gang of bad guys. Robbing the local bank and taking over the town, these surly characters in black jackets and face masks are moving fast.

Dudley finds himself out-witted. He loses his job and stumbles across a bum up in the mountains who takes Dudley under his wing and teaches him how to be a hero. The bum’s last words to his floundering student are, “get out there and do something dangerous!” Bruised and confused, Dudley stumbles away in search of adventure.

Get out there and do something dangerous. This sounds an awfully lot like the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10—22. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the enemy’s schemes . . .put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul is cheering on a new church intent on advancing the gospel in the pagan Roman Empire. Paul himself sits in prison bound in chains as he writes. He knows what is at stake for the church if they do not heed these words. The Christian faith will die out. Justice and righteousness according to God’s Law would no longer be maintained. Yet, Paul knows what is at stake for the new church if they do heed his words. Persecution. Imprisonment for daring to worship anyone but the Caesar. Maybe even death. It was a tough choice. One that needed to be made in spite of the danger and hardship it would invite.

In his book, The Good and Beautiful Life, James Bryan Smith says, “Jesus observes that those who pursue righteousness are going against the grain of society, and that will result in persecution. Following Jesus is dangerous if we lead the kind of life he calls us to. When we choose to fight for justice and peace or not to lie or judge others, we will face backlash. The promise in the last beatitude is the same as in the first: ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ When we align ourselves with Jesus and observe his ways, we are in the kingdom” (p. 61-62).

The kingdom is the territory where God reigns. It’s the place where we are called to live dangerously. Go on a mission. Dare to be a serious disciple of Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Live by values. Pray.

But don’t we often feel like Dudley Do-Right, intimidated in the face of evil or hardship and bumbling along in confusion hoping that something we did today counted? It is in times like this when Jesus calls us to an adventure. When we are taking the risks and counting the cost we are in the safest place of all. His plan for our lives lived out under his protection is the strength we need to continue to take a stand for the kingdom. With the armor firmly in place that Ephesians mentions, we can not only uphold the right, but go on to influence people to change like the early Christians did. The message of the gospel eventually wins.

Of an Author

Designing the Writing Space

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Last summer, my husband and I completed some much needed remodeling to our home. It was an exciting time watching outdated spaces made new. In the midst of the mess and disorder of construction, I was also working on the editing of my debut novel, preparing it for a fall publication date. The summer months felt similar to the anticipation a couple feels when they welcome a new member into their family. In our case we weren’t expecting a baby, but rather the completed book along with the celebration and opportunities for forming new relationships it would bring.

The summer remodeling project freed up enough space in our basement to allow me to clean out the room I had used to give piano lessons in the past and convert it to my writing study. I call it a study because of the shelves of books and cabinets of research materials housed there. The decor has stayed the same, as you can see in this photo of the wall paper with musical instruments on it that hung in this room through my years as a piano teacher.

My writing study includes my writing desk, a comfortable chair, three tall book shelves and one smaller shelf. In addition to a variety of non-fiction book in my collection, my book shelves allow plenty of space for my favorite writers. Perhaps they are also some of your favorites too. One shelf is reserved for my collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane books. I’ve visited the homestead in South Dakota and the farm in Mansfield, Missouri, and I can’t help but pick up another book about Laura on each trip to bring home with me.

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More shelves are reserved for books by L.M. Montgomery. She wrote the Anne of Green Gablesseries along with many other stories. L. M. Montgomery had a delightful sense of humor. I have dog-eared the pages of her books that make me laugh every time I read them and refer back to them whenever I am working on writing humor into my own stories.



My fiction library wouldn’t be complete without the shelf dedicated to Janette Oke’s books. She has inspired me every since my high school days. I never expected to become an author of my own fiction books, but I look back now and realize that in addition to picking up the spiritual lessons in her stories, I also discovered the skills for telling a good story.

Another collection of books I have in my writing space is reading materials on Dutch heritage and various Bibles in the Dutch language that have been in my family for generations. The dark brown Bible nearest the top in the photo is from my great-grandmother and dates back to 1889. My stories have a flair of Dutch heritage woven throughout them, so I rely on resources like these to share accurate facts.

The last collection of books in my writing space helpful to an author are my books about the writing craft. I have many, so I will share just one set with you in this blog. If you would like to check out some great books on writing, take a look at the Write Great Fiction series published by Writer’s Digest Books. The titles I have are:

  • Revision and Self Editing by James Scott Bell
  • Dialogue by Gloria Kempton
  • Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress
  • Description and Setting by Ron Rozelle
  • Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

As I mentioned earlier, I also have cabinets in my writing space, One stores more of my materials helpful for exploring Dutch heritage. This cabinet contains photo boxes, books of genealogy, and farm and church history that relates in some way to my family.

A second cabinet is smaller and stores my journals. When I fill a journal, I add it to the collection and then look forward to purchasing and starting a new one.

The last cabinet contains papers, files, and records related to the financial side of writing. Writing really is a business, so I need a place of storage for the accounting to help me stay organized. But that cabinet isn’t all work and no fun. It has just enough space left over to conceal my stash of chocolate. If you’re putting in a day creating a character or working out the ending to the story, make sure to have your favorite brand of chocolate on hand. It is invaluable to the output of quality writing!

Where do you enjoy writing? Are there favorite books you look to for inspiration?

Of a Woman in Ministry

Michelle’s Best Winter Reads

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The winter months, and especially January and February of 2019, allow me time to settle down in my comfy recliner with a blanket, a dairy-free cup of Chai tea latte, and my stack of accumulated books. I’ve had a chance to complete several of them, so I thought I would share their titles and a brief review of each one. The categories I usually read include prayer, leadership or Biblical studies, spiritual formation, and of course keeping up with sisters in Christ who also write Christian fiction.

The Category of Prayer

Whispers of Rest

This book by author Bonnie Gray came to me from one of my worship volunteers. It is designed to be used as a devotional and follows a forty day format. Six sections complete the structure of the book highlighting the reader as the “Beloved.” Section one offers readings around the theme of Being the Beloved. Section two is about Choosing as the Beloved. Section three’s theme is Dreaming as the Beloved. Section four’s theme is Healing as the Beloved. Section five is about Daring as the Beloved. Section six teaches Shining as the Beloved.

Each day’s reading is a combination of poetry, Scripture, prayers, and reflection questions. At the end of each reading is a “Beloved Challenge” inviting the reader to journal on a topic related to the daily theme.

If you are looking for a devotional book that helps your recognize God’s still, quiet voice inviting you to bask in his beauty, peace, and intimacy, this book may be a good fit.

Whispers of Rest is published by FaithWords.

Living the Christian Year

This book by author Bobby Gross is right up my alley as a disciple and as a worship leader. It teaches how the rhythm of the liturgical calendar, as observed in the church year’s celebration of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter, gives us a way to join the stories of our lives with God’s larger story.

The book is divided into sections according to the seasons. The first section focuses on the Cycle of Light and includes the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The second section focuses on the Cycle of Life and includes the seasons of Lent and Easter. The third section focuses on the Cycles of Love and includes the summer season known in the church year as ordinary time.

I appreciate this book because it gives a full explanation of the meaning of each of these liturgical seasons. The author shares the history behind their development, and also makes the connection of how these seasons relate to our lives and our experiences in faith.

Each section of the book offers devotional readings, one per week, that apply the theme for that season to our own spiritual formation. Laid out in a similar format to the order of worship we follow in a church service, each devotional contains a wealth of Scripture and prayer to assist a personal approach and response to God.

After spending time with the material in this book, the reader will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the liturgical seasons, and will also grow in a willing and devout response to God’s workings in their life.

The Category of Biblical Studies

Two sets of commentary series have become very helpful to me as I create Bible studies for my friends at Christian Opportunity Center. We’ve been progressing through the New Testament, spending approximately nine months in each book. Now that we have finished Matthew and Mark, we’ve been studying the book of Luke since Christmas.

One set of commentaries is The Biblical Imagination Series by Michael Card. He is a musician/theologian like myself so I enjoy his creative storytelling style. An easy read as far as commentaries go, these books offer background on the gospels and weave Michael Card’s own thoughts with sections of Scripture. His insights have led me deeper in my understanding of the gospels. He brings up ideas about character and culture that are unique from a more academic style commentary.

The second set of commentaries I rely on is the Christ Centered Exposition series authored by the team of David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. These men have done a great job developing commentaries that balance solid academic material with sound doctrine in an easy to read format. Each chapter in the commentary parallels a chapter in the Bible. It begins with a clear outline and ends with reflection questions to use as application points or as discussion with a group.

If you are a Bible teacher, youth group leader, or a volunteer in any capacity in your faith community, both of these sets of commentaries are practical, easy to understand, and written in such a way as to deepen your faith and offer you an encounter with the living Jesus.

The Christ Centered Exposition series is published by B&H Publishing Group.

The Category of Spiritual Formation

The Path Between Us

This book by Suzanne Stabile is a study of the Enneagram. I was curious just what the Enneagram was when others around me said things like, “I am a seven, or “I am a nine.” Having no idea what they meant, I did some investigation and discovered this book. It is designed to explain the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships. I developed greater insight into how my family and colleagues function, leading me to be more gracious in my responses to them. While reading this book, the light bulb will go off while you think, “Oh, so this is why so-and-so acts like they do!” The revelation I appreciated most was the moment my own light bulb went off. “Oh. so this is why I act like I do!” Aha. The study of the Enneagram gives me some things in my own character to work on.

The reader gains deeper insights about their personality and about the personality types of others so that they can have healthier, more live giving relationships.

The Path Between Us is published by InterVarsity Press

Invitation to Retreat

Founding president of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton writes on the topic of spiritual formation. Her other books cover the topics of prayer, group discernment, meeting the challenges of leadership, and building spiritual practices into daily life.

This book, I feel, is her most vulnerable work yet. In it, Ruth is bravely honest about the workings of her own heart, leading her to the need for extended time away with God. The 12 chapters in this book explain what a personal spiritual retreat is, how to plan a retreat, the experience of prayer while on retreat, and the continued benefits after going on a retreat.

True to her style, Ruth offers simple exercises to practice while also giving encouragement based on her own experiences.

Even if you’ve never been on a retreat before and the idea makes you a little uneasy, Ruth guides you through the experience making you long for more.

Invitation to Retreat is published by InterVarsity Press

The Category of Christian Fiction

A Borrowed Dream

This book by Amanda Cabot has all the qualities I enjoy in fiction: small town atmosphere, interaction with children, and main characters who desire to influence lives for good. Catherine Whitfield is the town’s school teacher. Austin Goddard is a doctor living under a secret identity of a rancher. They work together to help a boy on a neighboring farm and develop a relationship.

The title for the book comes from the theme of Catherine’s dream to someday visit Paris. A young lady with a mysterious past comes to town dreaming of the same thing. Austin decides to come out of hiding and help her, making these dreams come true.

A Borrowed Dream is published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Devotions for the Church Year

A Place of Freedom

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This is a blog I wrote last January as we looked ahead to a new year, so I thought I would share it again as we look ahead to 2019.

She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. –Luke 2:37-38

Nothing stood in the way of Anna loving God. She lived in a time and a culture when women—especially widowed older women like her—faced many obstacles.

The political government and religious community of the day would have looked upon women like Anna as inferior and second class. As a result, she would have been marginalized to the outer fringes of society.

And yet Anna still loved and worshiped God. Even more, God loved and honored her. Anna was known as a prophetess because of the obvious mark of the Holy Spirit on her life. Her testimony of devotion to God shines through her holiness and chastity.

Love for God is what gave her word legitimacy when the baby Messiah came to the temple and she spoke about him to all who anticipated his arrival. Anna’s life teaches us that the religious and political rulers might make the laws and enforce them, but God’s spirit operated outside of or perhaps in spite of man’s structures.

We can’t impose limitations on God. Anna’s devotion asks this question—do we get caught up in adhering to human rules, or are we going to recognize where God is working?

The Christmas story answers that question with proof that God works completely free from power structures, social customs, or religious laws.

Jesus was conceived outside the social customs of marriage.

He lived outside Herod’s palace.

God promised Zechariah a child outside the limitations of old age.

The Holy Spirit appeared in the life of Anna, outside the boundaries of gender roles.

Luke’s account of the Christmas story shows that God is in the submissive, open heart of Mary. He is present in the quiet vulnerability of humble surroundings. His word can be found in the righteousness of obedience and prayer. His delight is in the life of devotion and worship.

All these things—submission, vulnerability, humility, righteousness, obedience, prayer, and worship have the same thing in common which is love.

The love of God transcends any obstacles, barriers, or limitations. Love is where freedom is found. Our love for God and his love for us is the place from where power, value, and peace flow.

Are you longing for freedom today? If so, I encourage you to stand with Anna in the temple—the place of worship and prayer, and offer yourself with new devotion to God’s plans and his purpose for your life.

Devotions for the Church Year

The Angelic Call to Daring Surrender

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In my fascination with the angels in the Christmas story, I turned to the last mention of the angels in the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, and pondered how their appearance affected the life of Joseph.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Matthew 2:13, 19

The appearance of Gabriel earlier in the story brought announcements intended to prepare the listeners for the events God was about to perform. Babies were on the way to Zechariah’s and Mary’s households. Believe and get ready. The Lord is coming.

The host of angels appearing to the shepherds was the height of the Christmas story. They bring the news Zechariah and Mary had prepared for. The baby has come. The Messiah is born. Glorify God.

These appearances of the angel to Joseph carry a different tone. Danger lurks. Act now and act quickly. The angel that appeared to Joseph is unnamed. Unlike the use of Gabriel’s name in Mary’s and Zechariah’s stories, the Bible mentions this angel only as the angel of the Lord. This may imply that the vision Joseph saw was the Lord appearing in angelic form. The message Joseph receives carries urgency. “Get up . . .escape . . .stay there, hidden, until I tell you.” Jesus’ life is at risk. If he is found, the ruthless and tyrannical Herod will murder him.

Joseph seems to me an ordinary, quiet man who would not stand out in a crowd. He was a small town boy, a carpenter, someone who worked with his hands. Drawing attention to himself didn’t find a place in his character. But deep faith did. Descended from the line of King David himself, Joseph was royalty. He knew it. Growing up in his family, he’d heard the stories from Israel’s glory days. Patriarchal lineage would’ve been rehearsed in his hearing enough for him not to just memorize it, but to embrace it to his core as part of his identity. His ancestors were kings, and now his Son, conceived by God, was to be a king too.

Joseph needed no education on the high stakes associated with the angel’s message. Along with the rest of the nation, he’d been reading the prophets, watching, and waiting for the Messiah.

Now he’d come. He’d come into Joseph’s tribe, into his life, and into his very home. And the responsibility to protect him belonged to Joseph. The time had come to let go of all of his expectations for a quiet little life raising his family, to let go of his ties and association to his ancestral land, and maybe even to let go of some of his pride, so that he might fulfill the command to leave for the foreign country of Egypt.

The angel’s directions to escape asked much of Joseph. Beginning with Mary’s pregnancy occurring out of wedlock, he hadn’t gone looking for any of the adventures that had entered his life because of this newborn child.

But God knew what kind of person Joseph was. He trusted God’s word to him. He took risks for the sake of that word. He surrendered every area of his life to follow through on the angel’s instructions.

Because of Joseph’s daring obedience, the prophecies about Jesus were fulfilled. This earthly father to the King of Kings became a beacon to the rest of the world. “Look at this,” Joseph’s life seems to say. “Jesus has come. We know this because of the prophecies spoken about him and the ways events are playing out. The Savior is here.”

The angel of the Lord and Joseph had a beautiful partnership. The angel spoke. Joseph acted. The angel gave direction. Joseph put himself and the Christ child in places that proved the word of God true.

Devotions for the Church Year

The Angelic Call to Praise

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Christmas has come and gone but I am still pondering the angels in the Christmas story. Last week’s post was about Gabriel and his call to faith. This week is about the heavenly host of angels and their call to praise.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God. Luke 2:13

This passage of Scripture reveals not just one angel acting as a messenger, but what the Bible calls a great company. Perhaps the entire angelic regiment of heaven turned out for this momentous visitation to a gang of unsuspecting shepherds. How fun to join together and crowd in on a quiet pasture where it wouldn’t take much to make a smashing sensation. The brilliance, the power, and the attraction of the glory surrounding them would have been unlike anything these common shepherds had ever seen. Not even Herod’s palace and finery could hold a candle to the pure elegance of heaven.

The lyrics of our Christmas carols have led me to assume angels sing. Perhaps they do and this is a pleasure we must wait to experience until our arrival in heaven. From what I have studied, angels spoke. They were messengers. They deliver God’s word. Gabriel spoke to Zechariah and to Mary. An unnamed angel spoke to Joseph. In Revelation 4, the seraphim say “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty” around the throne.

If this is true, then the fact that the angel of the Lord, joined by a great company, spoke to the shepherds gives the event even more weight. These angels weren’t entertainers. They were on a mission to deliver a world-changing piece of news. And they delivered it to shepherds, men who lived outside. Shepherds lived outside the ceremonial laws for religion and cleanliness. They lived outside social acceptance. They even lived in the hills, their job requiring them to live in the physical outdoors.

God appears to them. The despised and outcast are the first to hear the good news. This might have been the first hopeful message these men had ever been given. The religious authorities offered no hope to them. Neither did the social or economical structures. But God did.

No wonder they hurried off, as Luke records in Luke 2:16. They didn’t scoff at the angels’ announcement or question in disbelief. These men may have felt too down on their luck for that sort of response. All the more reason for them to “go to Bethlehem and see this thing the Lord told them about” (Luke 2:15).

Here was a new order, created and proclaimed by God himself. It restored to men like the shepherds a measure of dignity. Verse 17 says, “When they had seen the baby, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”

For the first time ever, the shepherds had influence. Concerning the event of Jesus’ birth, cultural frameworks shifted. Now the shepherds were the ones with the authoritative message. God had appeared to them. They had seen with their own eyes the Christ child the angels proclaimed to be the Messiah.

The angels set a beautiful example for the shepherds when they praised God and declared glory to him. After spreading the word of what had been told them, the shepherds returned and did just as the angels taught them, praising and glorifying God.

The appearance of the angels in Luke 2 is a scene filled with grace. God was gracious to the shepherds by sending the angels. The angels were gracious to God in praising him. The shepherds even knew how to be gracious in believing what they heard, paying Jesus a visit, and spreading the news.

This is how praise works. It ascribes honor and worth to the one who is the subject of the praise. The angels extended the initial call to praise, and the shepherds accepted. As a result, their lives changed. Believing in the angels’ message sent them on the discovery of Jesus. Following their example of offering praise to God gave them a place in his new order. They didn’t know it yet, but these shepherds stepped into the kingdom. In this Kingdom of Heaven, they had value. God’s favor rested on them. Their praises of God brought heaven and its peace a little closer to their dark, outside world.

Devotions for the Church Year

Angels We Have Heard on High

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The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.” Luke 1:19

The role of the angel in the Christmas story has always intrigued me. Those of us living in the centuries following the events of Jesus’ birth take for granted the presence of the angel. In children’s Christmas programs, someone gets dressed up in a white robe with cardboard wings and a tinsel halo and joins the other characters on stage as if the angel was the next door neighbor or a relative known to the people who saw him before the events of the Christmas story happened.

But this wasn’t the case. Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and then to Mary out of nowhere. If Mary and Zechariah were familiar with the stories of the Old Testament prophets, they would recognize the name Gabriel from Daniel’s experience. But no one would have ever anticipated another visit from him. Not during routine worship rituals in the temple and certainly not to a common teenage girl from a small town.

Imagine what a surprise that would have been for them. It makes sense that Zechariah’s and Mary’s initial response was fear. The angel Gabriel, second in command to Michael the archangel captain of angel armies, would have had the essence of a warrior about him. He would have shone with the pure light of God’s glory while carrying the demeanor of a fighter accustomed to victory. Beautiful and militant. Holy and intrepid. This was the angel Gabriel. Enough brilliant glory to light up the entire village. Adequate grace to speak the truth and calmly assure of God’s favor.

What would the Christmas story be without the angel? Zechariah probably would still have had a son. Mary most likely would have given birth to Jesus. John the Baptist and his cousin came into the world according to God’s sovereign plan and therefore would have fulfilled the prophecies about them regardless of the method of communication used at the time of their births.

And yet the angel’s role is vital. Associated with God’s work is his word. He speaks things into creation. Someone needed to be sent as his representative to announce into the earthly realm what God was in the process of creating.

New life in Zechariah’s family would lead to a new order. John would grow up and preach repentance. He himself would become a mouth piece for God making a way for the Lord and his kingdom to come to earth and to enter people’s hearts.

God’s work wasn’t necessarily dependent on the angel’s visitation, but it did benefit from the angel’s prophecies. God had a good reason for sending the angel ahead of time. Without Gabriel, a call to faith would not have occurred.

His words, “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news” needed to be said. They needed to be heard in order to deepen people’s belief in God. The Messiah had been promised for hundreds of years. Is this announcement by a heavenly being the one to take seriously? Did the people of Israel dare to get their hopes up and keep them there?

God spoke, and he did it through the angel he sent. His work of redemption had begun. Salvation was being made available to all. This was good news.

Gabriel’s message is for us too. He brings good news. The one to be born will be called the Son of God. Praise God for the angel. Gabriel teaches us to have hope and to believe in the new work God is doing.

Devotions for the Church Year

Coming Home for Christmas

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So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:17-19

With Christmas day less than two weeks away, we’re entering the time of year when people are making plans to travel. Some of us may only need to go a few miles to reach our destinations, while others may need to drive or fly long distances. Our reasons are all the same.

We’re coming home for Christmas.

The word home is loaded with hopes and expectations. Time spent there may include sharing a meal with loved ones or exchanging gifts. It may mean catching up on stories and news with people we haven’t seen for a while. It might also involve sharing in games or concerts and making special memories. These things are all wonderful, and we might enjoy them very much, but they still may not completely answer our longing for home. Somewhere that we can find peace. A place where we know we will never get hurt again. A space where loss cannot happen, we never have to say good-bye, and we won’t ever be forced to leave it.

Home. A place to stay for as long as we want with people we love. It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? This is what we’re all hoping for, and what we might be searching for. And yet, it seems so difficult to find. Once we have found it, sometimes it can disappear into evaporation right before our eyes. We just can’t seem to hold onto that elusive place our hearts so desperately want to have.

Mary and Joseph strayed far from home at the time their first child was about to enter the world. Their travel did not happen by choice. It was forced upon them by a tyrannical ruler in the Roman Empire. I wonder how Mary felt as distance grew between her, their families, and their home town. A young woman ready to deliver a baby would want the comfort of her mother and the trusted local midwife nearby. How she must have longed at times for Joseph to just turn the donkey around. If he’d take her back home, she could give birth in her own bed instead of along the road or among strangers.

For as uncertain as the trip may have been for Mary, a moment arrived when she came home. All the things she longed for lay wrapped in the bundle in her arms. This new baby she and Joseph named Jesus would bring her salvation. He would offer her a grace that overcame any of the pain and distress of her journey to Bethlehem. His limitless provisions of peace and love would satisfy her better than the comforts of home back in Nazareth ever could. She was welcome to stay in this place for as long as she wished. The stark manger in a musty barn probably didn’t hold much charm, but the promise of a relationship with this newborn reached into eternity. Jesus gave her a place in his kingdom that would never end. Mary never needed to leave. She wouldn’t need to say good-bye to him or sustain any loss of his favor and care. She was his and he was hers. Forever.

Are you living far from God this holiday season? Have you lost your way home or forgotten how to find it? Jesus knows your way home. He is your way home. He stands at the door ready to welcome you in.