gathering in bethlehem · in search of our kneeling places by ann weems in each heart lies a...

Gathering in Bethlehem2019 Advent Devotional

As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas, we also prepare ourselves spiritually. Advent is a season of intentional preparation to welcome God’s continual coming into our lives and into the world. In this 2019 devotional you’ll find a reflection for each day of the Advent season. Your daily journey will include devotions from the people of First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton along with a sprinkling of poems and carols on the theme “Gathering in Bethlehem.”

In these devotions, you’ll find scattered the poems of Presbyterian poet Ann Weems. In one, she invites us with these words, “This Advent let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us.” Indeed, this Advent take time each day to reflect on what it would have been like to have been part of that gathering in Bethlehem. As in the words of the carol, in that little town of Bethlehem, “the hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee this night,” ponder this Advent what fears may be before you. Then claim the great hope of Christ, that through the birth, life, death and resurrection of the one born in Bethle-hem, we are assured that he is one whose love and light is greater than any fear. Rejoice in this great joy that has been made known to us!

May this season of Advent be a time of blessing and growth.

Pastor Kellen Smith

Introduction

Sunday, December 1 In Search of Our Kneeling Places by Ann Weems

In each heart lies a Bethlehem, an inn where we must ultimately answer whether there is room or not. When we are Bethlehem-bound we experience our own advent in his. When we are Bethlehem-bound we can no longer look the other way conveniently not seeing stars, not hearing angel voices. We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily tending our sheep or our kingdoms. This Advent let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us. In the midst of shopping sprees let's ponder in our hearts the Gift of Gifts. Through the tinsel let's look for the gold of the Christmas Star. In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos let's listen for the brush of angels' wings. This Advent, let's go to Bethlehem and find our kneeling places.

From Kneeling in Bethlehem. © 1993 Ann Barr Weems.

Monday, December 2

Jude 1:22 “Be merciful to those who doubt”

Everywhere you look during Advent the world cries out “Emmanuel! God is with us!” We march towards December 25 lighting candles, each one bringing us closer to Jesus, the Advent wreath getting brighter each week as we experience more and more of the certainty of God With Us.

Except of course when we don’t.

Six years ago I stumbled through the Advent season in a fog of grief and sorrow. A few weeks before, my dad had unexpectedly died and suddenly the firm foundation I’d been standing on turned out to be anything but. Everywhere I turned brought reminders that I was supposed to be experiencing a season of anticipation and hope and light. It’s hard to feel any sort of anticipation for God when you’re unsure of whom He is in the first place. It’s hard to celebrate Emmanuel when you doubt that God really is with you.

I thought a lot about the Israelites that first Christmas who longed for a Messiah. Things were dark, the future uncertain and their hearts longed for light. And it came in the form of a baby. I’m willing to bet that more than a few were doubting whether or not God knew what He was doing. More than a few must have been left longing in the face of what was.

And so I am thankful that our faith holds space for those who wrestle with unbelief. I’m thankful Jude urges his fellow believers to “be merciful to those who doubt.” Those words are for the ones uncertain that God really is who He said He was and can do what He promised He could. The ones who will wake up on Christmas morning still feeling alone even though Emmanuel, God With Us, has supposedly arrived. To those of us whose doubts are infinitely greater than any hope or light or peace the season brings I can only offer this: You are not alone. I’m holding space and mercy and grace for you, with you.

– Colleen Powell

Tuesday, December 3

Psalm 124 A song of ascents. Of David.1 If the Lord had not been on our side – let Israel say –2 if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,3 they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;4 the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,5 the raging waters would have swept us away.6 Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.7 We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The season of advent is one of anticipation, a waiting in hope. We are called to keep an ever-watchful eye for the return of our lord and savior. It is easy for me to forget why I wait during the advent season as it comes and goes each year. Especially when it feels as though life has swallowed me, the flood of everyday activities, the torrent of the year of work ending, shopping and celebrations having swept over me. The Psalmist reminds me in Psalm 124, that if not for the Lord, I would only be a victim of the world. Perhaps the Psalmist had a crystal ball and watched my life from afar many years ago, only to write this reminder for me? There are many blessings in this message, one of which is that I should fear no enemy, for the Lord is on my side. There are too many times in my life where I felt surrounded on the battlefield of everyday life, flaming arrows head straight toward me, surely this would be the hour of my demise. Fear running through me, I frantically look up, seeking help from any direction to find the Lord’s hand carefully guiding my safe passage through the world around me as the flaming arrows fade away.

The Lord’s patient protection of our lives is not the only message of joy given us by the Psalmist in 124. It is the joy I experience in the season of advent. The reminder of the greatest promise of God’s love for me. He has promised me an escape, through his mercy, I will be saved and escape to the paradise of promised joy. It is easy to let life entrap us, swallow our time, our patience, even drown our acts of love for one another. Let this advent season be a reminder that your help is in the Lord and that we are free from the burdens of this world, that we are promised an escape through His love and mercy. I will challenge myself to remember to share that joy and HIS promise with others, as I wait in hope for His return this advent.

– Caleb Wilson

Wednesday, December 4

A Quiet Night In Bethlehem A quiet night in Bethlehem many years ago In a torn and tired land a baby king was born The little babe in swaddling clothes who in a manger lay Would teach us love and bring us hope born on Christmas Day A quiet night in Bethlehem the little babe asleep Angels hovered o'er his head while shepherds watch did keep Oh Holy Night, oh wondrous star shining overhead As he sleeps so peacefully in his manger bed A quiet night in Bethlehem the story lives today How this babe grew to a man and through him all were saved Celebrate, oh celebrate, His love we hold within The son of God the infant king born in Bethlehem

(Barbara Bailey Hutchison) © 1993 Christara Publishing (BMI) CCLI License No. 1970054

Thursday, December 5

James 4:1-10 MSG 1-2 “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

When I read these words from the book of James I feel they address the internal struggle to be all that God created us to be, in our minds and in our hearts. Perceptions, material items and prestige are lifted up in our world, even when they can be damaging.

I have a brother with special needs. His name is James. He was a very tiny baby and he did not get enough oxygen at birth. He loves to be with people. He enjoys a good conversation. He loves to travel if only to be able to say that he has traveled. He is very caring and helpful. He knows that he has some differences from those around him and he struggles with this. He wants so badly to be like others. To do things that everyone else is doing. These are things that he does not have the ability to do. He wants to drive, surf the internet, be a gourmet cook, and use the latest iPhone. He tries so hard to do the things that he feels he is missing out on, sometimes, to his own detriment.

When I see my brother, I see perfection in his imperfections. He has some very special gifts to give the world around him. He only has the ability to live in the moment. He does not judge, he accepts all. He strives to do his best. He loves unconditionally. He has an unwavering faith in God. He naturally assumes that everyone is good and is devastated when they are not.

As we go through Advent towards Christmas, we take on what we think is important. We have lists of things we want, things we have to do, expectations we feel we have to meet. Just like my brother James, we strive to do more than we should, sometimes to our own detriment.Is this really what God wants this time to be? Maybe this is the time that we need to follow the words in the above verse instead. “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time.” Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

– Maryanne Kyle-DiPietropaolo

Friday, December 6

Psalm 42:1-5 As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

“I can’t wait until I’m 13 and a teenager!” “When I’m 16, I’ll be able to drive. I can’t wait!” “It’ll be great when I’m 18 or 21, or even 30.” But who ever said, “I’m so excited to be turning 60! I can hardly wait!”This past year I turned 60. It’s been a year that’s included my mother’s death and significant vocational and developmental stresses and challenges. Like the Psalmist, my soul has been downcast and disturbed. Like the deer, I’ve been so, so thirsty. That deer is panting because he doesn’t know where he can get his next drink. He’s desperate. I’ve been desperate too, panting for the comfort and encouragement that I’ve experienced from God before but has gone missing at times during this year of turning 60.

But there’s hope. It’s right there. I can put my hope in God. Again, like the Psalmist, when my soul is downcast, I can remind myself where there is hope. “Put your hope in God.” Unlike the Psalmist, I haven’t had people asking me, “Where is your God?” I haven’t had foes taunting me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” I have, however, asked that of myself and have experienced a “downcast soul.” My soul, however, has found comfort and hope. It’s a hope based on God’s grace and not on earthly accomplishments or the fantasy of an unlimited future.

But, like the Psalmist, acknowledging or finding hope is not simply a one-time thing. Two times in Psalm 42 and once more in Psalm 43, does the Psalmist ask, “Why are you so downcast, O my soul?” Each time, he reminds himself to put his hope in God.

May this season of Advent serve to remind us of the hope that’s in our Savior and our God.

– Richard Lauber

Saturday, December 7

Matthew 11:28-29 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls I selected this passage for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it is a beautiful piece of scripture, whereby we are invited by Christ with the opportunity to be relieved (i.e., to be given rest) of the burdens, toils and weariness of sin that one carries around with them and weighs on their soul. How reassuring and comforting is that? Something for which we all, and especially I myself, need to be continually reminded. The other reason why this passage especially resonates with me is that these are the lyrics from one of the most impactful Take 6 (a stunning a cappella vocal sextet) songs that I held dear from the time it was released 30 years ago next year. Whenever I need that reminder and am seeking inner peace, I turn to this song and its rich message, communicated in equally rich harmonies.

– Dan Spiegel

Sunday, December 8

O Little Town of Bethlehem O little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary and gathered all above While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth And praises sing to God the King and Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

1867 w. Phillips Brooks, 1868 m. Lewis H. Redner

Monday, December 9

Galatians 5:22-23 CEB 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.

The Advent season is such a wonderful time. It’s one of great expectations. We anticipate with happiness the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. But the modern world also brings other expectations – getting ready for friends and family by baking, decorating, wrapping, visiting. Our normal routines are deflated in order to add the seasonal extras. It’s a lot to handle! So, the angst sets in. Will I get it all done? Can I get it all done? It’s worth stealing time away from the chores of the day to brew a cup of tea and think of God’s grace. To gaze out the window at the snow or rain, and maybe muse over the beautiful trees and fallen leaves. Watch the birds surrounding the birdfeeder and the squirrels scrounging for seeds on the ground. The natural beauty of God’s paintbrush brings soothing thoughts. In the flurry of the season I can go to Galatians 5:22-23 for a bit of grounding of what matters to me.

– Emily Herndon

Tuesday, December 10

Isaiah 40:3-5 MSG Thunder in the desert! “Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God’s bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said.”

Prepare the way of the Lord! We hear this theme echo throughout the sacred music of the season, but I think it’s safe to say that most of us spend more time preparing for the frenzy of holiday visitors and celebrations than actually preparing the way of the Lord. What does that phrase even mean? The way we typically hear this Bible passage from Isaiah is, “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” To me, that conveys that someone else is doing the lifting, lowering, leveling and sanding of that “way”, so I have no responsibility in those preparations. At one level, that is true. God is the master landscaper, and we have great hope that God is now working on the rough places in the world and in our lives, and when God’s plan is complete, nothing will be left crooked. But on another level, we are also responsible to take action. I like the way The Message version shifts the ownership of preparation to us, and gives us a few hints for ways to prepare.

Take a moment to read the passage above again, and reflect on these questions to help with your preparations for God’s arrival:

Where in your life or heart, are you on a crooked road/a highway not fit for God? Are there mountains of ego or valleys of shame that need God’s smoothing touch? What are the ruts you have fallen into, that are not life-giving? What rocks have you stumbled over, that are keeping you from being close to God?

Lord, as we survey the landscape of our hearts this Advent, help our hearts to be leveled by your divine grace, so we can draw closer to you.

While we remember and celebrate your past arrival as a human among us, we also long for your return, so that all things will be made new. Please help us to have patience, faith and hope as we prepare our hearts for your arrival. Amen. – Nancy Goodwin


Isaiah 9:6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

ADVENT – The coming or arrival of something awaited or momentous. What could be more momentous than the birth of Jesus? Mary awaits the birth and knows from the angel’s message that this child will be special, he will be called the Son of God. As we prepare for that birth we need to see the significance of that day and the special gift that we have received. This gift is the means by which we relate to God through His Son. He is the way we learn to live as followers of Christ. We find comfort, security and peace knowing Him. He is the way to forgiveness. If we contemplate the incredible significance of Jesus’ birth, all earthly gifts pale in comparison. Life leads us from desiring material things to seeking that which is eternal. This gift that we have received changes everything and all God asks us to do is open our hands and accept His wonderful gift. Jesus the Christ is that something momentous.

– Agnes Kenton


Mary, Nazareth Girl by Ann Weems Mary, Nazareth girl: What did you know of ethereal beings With messages from God? What did you know of men When you found yourself with child? What did you know of babies, You, barely out of childhood yourself? God-chosen girl: What did you know of God That brought you to this stable blessed among women? Could it be that you had been ready waiting, listening for the footsteps of an angel? Could it be there are messages for us If we have the faith to listen?


Friday, December 13

Ruth 1:6-18 NRSV 6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” 14 Then

they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.15 So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said,“Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you!Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge;your people shall be my people, and your God my God.17 Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried.May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well,if even death parts me from you!”18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Every time I read this passage it brings me to tears. The love between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is portrayed as such a sacrificial love. Naomi knows that if her daughters-in-law stay with her their future would be grim. No money, no men, and no children, together they would live a life of poverty. And no children to carry on their family name or even a glimpse of their family history would mean they would soon be forgotten once they died.

Being a mother of three sons and no daughters this passage always gave me hope that someday I would receive daughter’s love and devotion like that of Naomi and Ruth when my sons got married. In my mind I feel so blessed to have sons. When my son Noah got married, I really was so happy to have Cruz become part of our family. The love she and my son shared brought me joy and happiness. I could only hope that I could be a mother-in-law like Naomi whose daughters-in-law loved so much they didn’t want to leave her even after their husbands, Naomi’s sons, had died. Being kind, caring and showing no judgment in the way my sons and their wives live their life. Only giving my advice when it is asked for and giving of myself unconditionally are actions of love that I wish to gift my children. Much like I feel our Lord does for us throughout our lives and because of this I will follow the Lord all the days of my life. – Lisa Blake


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 forever; 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 forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!

Upon planning for Lessons and Carols this year, I was immensely struck by the text written by Shirley Elena Murray, “Away and in danger, no hope of a bed, the refugee children, no tears left to shed”. The first time I heard this text, set to the familiar tune of Away in a Manger, I was left speechless, even a little frightened. It was as if someone had just taken all the fuzzy feelings I associated with Christmas carols and shattered them. But isn’t that how it feels for those with “no hope of a bed”? This lead me to question the miracle of the birth of Jesus. Was Mary only filled with fuzzy feelings, or was there also fear, terror, and confusion around her refugee child born in a foreign land. I really wanted Lessons and Carols this year to focus on Jesus - the refugee, the outcast, the least of these. The final text of text of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day speaks of “peace on earth, good-will to all”. How often in our society do we look around to find that this statement isn’t true. Wars, gun violence, mistreatment of refugees, systematic racism, hatred towards the LGBTQ community, rampant poverty - the list goes on and on and I’m often overwhelmed. I think about the family whose loved one was brutally murdered in a mass shooting. My heart breaks thinking about them gathering for Christmas without that loved one for the first time. For many, the Christmas season bears very little Love, Hope, Joy and Peace. But where we fail - where our society fails – God’s peace endures. This Psalm speaks of the God who executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, watches over the strangers – the refugees. We see a God that loved us so much that he gave his only son that we might continually

have peace on earth, good-will for all! And that peace was found in a lowly manger, running from persecution, judgment, and danger -– the peace that passes all understanding. That peace has to be alive in the most destitute places of our world, right? The closing of Murray’s text says “...in touching, in healing your fear and your pain with dreams for your future when peace comes again.” I want you to think of the peace that was embodied in the birth of Jesus. Now, think about those who may be around you who so desperately need peace. How can you spread peace on earth, good-will to all this Christmas?

God our Father, giver of daily breadBless the hands of those in needCover the heads of those in dangerGod our Mother, lead us into peaceDraw close those who are searching for loveComfort all those who are grieving

Jesus, brother, guide our very stepDeliver us and help us show embodied solidarity Jesus, savior, rescue us from ourselvesBring us to a place were we continually fight for peacePeace on earth, good-will to all

– Kedrick Armstrong

Sunday, December 15

Mary Did You Know? Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you. Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand? Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God. The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again. The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb. Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy Is heaven's perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you're holding Is the great I Am.

Copyright: © 1991, 1993 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, LLC) and Rufus Music (admin. by Gaither Copyright Management) CCLI License No. 1970054

Monday, December 16

1 John 4:16-18 NLT God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

FEAR NOT. It’s a Christmas-oriented message that goes back to words spoken by angels to Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds. Beyond Christmas, it was a consistent word preached by Jesus to his followers: FEAR NOT.

Fear is a debilitating emotion with anxiety that robs us of a Spirit-filled, flourishing life. We fear all kinds of things: failure, rejection, weakness, the future, or even death.

God knows our need and he has provided an antidote to fear. That solution is “perfect love.” Human fear is dispelled as we embrace the love of God.

Dallas Willard in Renovation of the Heart describes the four dimensions of perfect love: God’s love for us; our love for God; our love for others; and others’ love for us. There it is – the love of God in vertical and horizontal dimensions.

No room for fear. In that little town of Bethlehem, the innkeeper said, “NO ROOM,” no room for another guest. The Inn was fully occupied.

When our lives are filled with the love of God, there’s no room for anything else. Most importantly, there’s no room for fear.

– Pastor Steve Kellough


Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hillsfrom whence will my help come?My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved;he who keeps you will not slumber.He who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep.The Lord is your keeper,the Lord is your shade at your right hand.The sun shall not strike you by day,nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all evil;he will keep your life.The Lord will keepyour going out and your coming infrom this time on and forevermore.

This Psalm has always given me great comfort and peace. It starts in a place where the psalmist is looking down or feeling down and is physically down in a valley surrounded by hills. For help the psalmist looks up, to the hills and to a place where connection can be made to the Lord. When we are in a valley, pulled down by loss, depression, grief, pain or suffering of any kind, we often move inwards becoming consumed by the feelings that are weighing us down. To look up is to move outside of ourselves to seek something beyond our pain. It is only when we look up that we can ask the Lord for help. Often, finding solace in nature also helps to move us out of pain and suffering. To look to the hills or a forest or a running river can reaffirm our place in the universe and allow us to realize that we are part of something much larger… the Lord who made heaven and earth, the Lord who neither slumbers nor sleeps. Once we have looked up and asked for help, the psalmist reassures us that the Lord is our keeper. The psalmist continues to use metaphors of creation, like the sun and the moon, to

remind us that we are part of the Lord’s creation and he will keep our life no matter what is happening to us in the moment. And then the psalmist gives us our greatest comfort that the Lord will keep our coming and going for all time. Thus we can remember always that when we fall into the valley, we have only to look to the hills to find our help.

– Chandra Gravit


John 1:1-5 NIV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

One of the things I love about this time of year are the lights. Well, not the all-out Griswold style displays from Christmas Vacation. I prefer something simpler – a string of plain white lights in the trees outside or the icicle lights hanging from the gutters. The lights for me symbolize hope in a world that can be very dark.

We can take hope in the fact that God came to us in the world. He was born a baby to an unmarried couple, traveling far from home with no place to stay. Not exactly what one expects of the Messiah. God doesn’t always do things the way we think he will or should. But God has a plan. He knows our struggles, our pain, our weakness. Jesus, the light of the world, walked with us on earth. God walks with us in our life. He may not answer in the way we expect, but we can keep hope in the fact that He is always there with us.

– Andy Leonard


Getting to the Front of the Stable by Ann Weems Who put Joseph in the back of the stable? Who dressed him in brown, put a staff in his hand, and told him to stand in the back of the creche, background for the magnificent light of the Madonna? God-chosen, this man Joseph was faithful in spite of the gossip in Nazareth, in spite of the danger from Herod. This man, Joseph, listened to angels and it was he who named the Child Emmanuel. Is this a man to be stuck for centuries in the back of the stable? Actually, Joseph probably stood in the doorway guarding the mother and child or greeting shepherds and kings. When he wasn't in the doorway, he was probably urging Mary to get some rest, gently covering her with his cloak, assuring her that he would watch the Child. Actually, he probably picked the Child up in his arms and walked him in the night, patting him lovingly until he closed his eyes. This Christmas, let us give thanks to God for this man of incredible faith into whose care God placed the Christ Child. As a gesture of gratitude, let's put Joseph in the front of the stable where he can guard and greet and cast an occasional glance at this Child who brought us life.


Friday, December 20

Isaiah 9:6 CEB A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

I find it ironic that Advent is the period of waiting. That implies there is much time spent pensively contemplating, with wonder, and in pleasant anticipation. When I was a child, those things were probably true. But as I have gotten older, I find the Christmas season starting earlier, spinning faster, and requiring more from me each year. It is anything but a season of joyful anticipation or childlike wonder. The Christmas season can be the exact opposite. Beautiful decorations look gaudy to me when they go up at Halloween. Sales and coupons start sooner so the gift giving chaos takes on frenzied panic even at once-sacred Thanksgiving. I find that the only thing I am waiting for is for it all to be over.

Yet in the midst of my pandemonium, probably during the Lessons and Carols service, I WILL experience joyful anticipation and childlike wonder in the retelling of the story of Jesus’ birth. There are angels with strange messages, shepherds both awe-struck and scared, and wise men bearing gifts from far-away places. A baby born in a barn in a no name town and a king trembling because of it. I will be struck by Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” Her world was spinning pretty fast on that first Christmas, too, yet she managed to see the wonder in it and appreciate the epic story, likely without even fully comprehending it. Maybe Mary, too, wondered when all the chaos would end.

This Christmas season I will look harder to see Isaiah’s prophesy in chapter 9 verse 6 that “he is named…Prince of Peace.” I will treasure the words of this special story and ponder them in my busy heart. I will wait for His peace to arrive.

– Lisa Vliek


Psalm 118:24 This is the Day that the Lord has made, let us Rejoice and be glad in it!

Mark and I start EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. with these words from Psalm 118. It’s the perfect way for us to center ourselves for the day, set our path straight for whatever lies ahead and to remind us who is in charge of our lives. We hold hands, look directly at one another, and pray those words into each other every morning.

Many years ago, during an anniversary celebration of First Pres Wheaton, two long-time members of our church; Harold and Sandy Crittenden, spoke during a service about how they started each day with this reminder to each other. Mark and I loved the Crittenden’s and also loved the meaning and foundation of starting our days this way. Most people who know us, know that this is ‘our thing’. Our daughters have grown from eye-rolling at us as adolescents to joining us if they are at our home in the morning. We also engage any overnight guests to join us in this prayer of Faithfulness. This focused reminder, every morning, centers me and reminds me that God is in control; not me, not my job, not my anxiety or my worries. It frees me to remember to celebrate Jesus and all he has done for me rather than focus on all the ‘what ifs’ that are out of my control. It also reminds me of the gift God gave me in Jesus that I am forgiven and the slate is made clean each and every day for me. I am so grateful for these wonderful words that focus my energy and thoughts, daily, on the way to make my path straight. First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton has been a blessing to me and my family for two decades. Those words spoken by a dear couple so many years ago have really made a genuine impact on my life. Yet another reason I am so grateful for the FPCW community of Believers.

– Robbie Spehr

Sunday, December 22

Once In Royal David’s City Once in royal David's city, stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, and His cradle was a stall; With the poor and meek and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

For He is our child-hood's pattern, day by day like us He grew, He was little, weak, and helpless, tears and smiles like us He knew, And He feeleth for our sadness, and He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him, through His own redeeming love; For that child so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heaven above, And He leads His children on, to the place where He is gone.

Lyrics by Cecil Frances Alexander

Monday, December 23

Matthew 2:10-11 CEB 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God put a spectacular star up in the sky to help guide the wise men so they could find Jesus and meet him. That bright light brought them such joy as they followed it! When they found Jesus they fell to their knees to worship and praise Him. God sent Jesus to be a light to shine upon us! To help guide us and teach us about God’s unending love for us and bring us peace. Now we can look for a “star” to guide us in our own life and be ready to follow where He leads us! So let’s do as the wise men did and follow that spectacular star and worship and praise Him as He leads us along a path of hope, joy, peace and love in our lives.

– Lynn Nuzzo


Had We Been There by Ann Weems Into the stable they straggled, poor and dirty, hardly suitably dressed for polite society. Had we been Joseph, we would have feared robbery. Had we been Mary, we would have feared germs around our newborn. Had we been God, these are not ones we would have chosen to first come and see the child. After all, they showed a certain carelessness about the rules of the church. And yet, God-chosen, they came to kneel and worship Him whom we would later call the Good Shepherd. Perhaps we could brush up on our humbleness.


FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of Wheaton

715 North Carlton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187 Phone 630-668-5147

Email: [email protected] www.firstpreswheaton.org

gathering in bethlehem · in search of our kneeling places by ann weems in each heart lies a...

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