Advent Devotional 2017 by Asbury First United Methodist Church

Advent Devotional 2017

P The Meaning of Advent P It is good to remember that the word Advent in Latin, translates to COMING, and in this season of the church we ponder the COMING of Jesus. For four Sundays prior to the Christmas celebration, we prepare and anticipate the COMING of Jesus into our hearts anew and for the Love of Jesus to shine forth into our world. Jesus’ COMING is not a one-time event! Jesus COMES again and again and again. Yes, the season of Advent reminds us to remember and reflect on these significant times in our life of faith. This year’s Advent season begins on Sunday, December 3 and proceeds through Sunday, December 24. Interestingly, the first Sunday of Advent also begins the church calendar—so Happy New Year, church! Now you probably are not going to find many Advent greeting cards (if any) in our local stores; perhaps if you look carefully, you may discover an Advent calendar or wreath. Preparing for the coming of Jesus, our Savior has become overwhelmingly commercialized. It seems gift giving has taken on a life of its own while the pace of the season’s events tempts us to fall into a frantic frenzy. Dear friends, Advent offers another option. It offers time for meaningful, reflective, thoughtful prayer as together we “make straight the paths” for the COMING of our Lord.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come

Asbury First’s 2017 Advent Devotional Dear friends, The Spiritual Life Ministry team offers this devotional that we believe will enhance your journey through Advent. Each day you will read the personal stories and reflections of members and friends of Asbury First relating to this year’s chosen Advent themes: Week One Hope Week Two Love Week Three Joy Week Four Peace We encourage your Advent experience to be one of noticing. Notice the sights, sounds and messages of Jesus’ Coming. While in worship, notice the Advent wreath, choir and organ music, Scripture readings and the proclamation of God’s Word from the pulpit. Notice while in nature, at work or play, with family or friends or in quiet reflection. What does it mean to you that Jesus Comes? Prepare your heart to receive the Coming of Jesus, anticipate the Joy of this promised gift for you and for all people, and consider how God’s Son is the source of your Hope, Love and Peace.

During this Advent, let us pray together... -Karen Barner, Cindy Burkhartt, Charlotte Craig, David Crawford, Bill Freed, Linda Freed, Ida Hickman, Kathi Johnson, Bonnie Matthaidess, Penny Peterson, Kathy Rhode, Christine Shaw, Jeanne Stickney, Lois Wentis, and Kathy Thiel 3

n Week 1 Theme: Hope

n 4

P December 3 P This is the beginning. For many, including the Church, Advent is a season of preparation. For some of us, it’s the season when we prepare our homes, our hearths, and our hearts for Christmas—that miraculous time when people are a little friendlier, music a little more familiar, and cookies a little freer. For the Church, this is the season when we prepare for the kingdom of God. This is the beginning of the liturgical calendar year, and in the months ahead we will rehearse together the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—beginning on Christmas. Before we look back, however, we have to look forward. Before we tell the part of the story we know, we pause to remind one another of the part yet to be written. The kingdom of God describes that time when we all finally and fully live as Christ commanded and it draws closer with each kindness extended, with each sacrificial gift, and with each act of love. This is the season when we recommit to living the story, remembering that “the kingdom of God is among us.” (Luke 17:21) As Howard Thurman said in his beautiful poem, the work of Christmas is “to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among brothers, to make music in the heart.” Advent is our reminder that the work is not yet finished, that it extends beyond any one season to encompass the entirety of the Christian life. Perhaps our task in this season of preparation is to ask ourselves what we might do to move the story forward. What part will we play? What can we do in this season that will bring us closer to the promised kingdom? Maybe one of the reflections in this devotional will help you to pause long enough in this busy season to remember that the story of God’s gracious gift to the world is not yet finished. In many ways, this is still just the beginning. -The Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II, Senior Minister

P December 4 P Christmas was definitely different forty-eight years ago. I was stationed on a mountain in Vietnam. It was called Nui Ba Den, a major communications relay site, that soared 3200 feet above the dense green jungle. The view was spectacular but the only way in or out was by helicopter. The Viet Cong owned the entire mountain below our feet. The infantrymen and signal teams shared five tiny acres on the mountain top, about the size of our Asbury First Church campus. It was hard to think about Christmas that year in the midst of war. As December 25th approached I tried to focus on Christ’s pending arrival, but His wonderful message of Hope, Joy, Comfort and Love eluded me. All the ingredients were there: the calendar read December and gifts arrived from home…but it didn’t feel like Christmas in the 90 degree heat and no snow. When Christmas morning arrived so did the helicopters. Visiting Chaplains offered services to all without regard to denomination. A group of Red Cross Donut Dollies, a small USO troop and even Santa made quick visits. Soon the visits were over, however, and silence filled the Christmas Day sky. My thoughts were like everyone else remembering our homes and the families we missed so much. I think that everyone on that mountain prayed for the kind of peace that only Christ could truly bring. In those moments we desperately needed hope. As we pondered the message of Christmas we prayed that Christ’s promise of hope would carry us all safely home. -David P. Crawford, father, grandfather, brother, and veteran who looks forward to the hope, joy, and comfort God brings each day of his life

n P December 5 P

Hope Blooms All of a sudden in the middle of a dry, rocky slope, arises a splash of color â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sure sign of hope, When troubles seem impossible to overcome remember the red cactus opening to the sun. Come holy season, come! -Nancy Davidow, wife, mother of four, grandmother of six, whose interests include traveling, knitting and needle work, reading, and within the past eleven years, writing poetry

P December 6 P

Hope:“The feeling that what is wanted can be had or events will turn out for the best.”* The dictionary definition of hope is “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” This has been a daily challenge for most of my life during the obstacles I’ve been faced with and have overcome. When I stay God-centered and God-focused, it means that I’m living in the moment and am accepting of what God’s love and grace has given me. When I’m not living in the moment, no matter what is being handed to me, it means that I’m leaving God out of my life. Practicing living in hope is like a muscle—if it doesn’t get used regularly, it becomes diminished. And the longer one goes without living with hope, the more their whole world can become filled with fear and anxiety. Imagine living your life with hope or with fear. What would you choose? On most days, I live in hope. We all have bad days when the obstacles of life seem overwhelming. Fortunately for me, the time it takes to recognize I’ve lost hope has been greatly reduced. When I remember that in God’s grace, there is the hope that God’s love and forgiveness will follow me for all my days to come, in this life and life eternal. I accept that things are as they should be and that the hope of God’s love is always there. God is always good. And, for me, God is my hope that everything turns out for the best. -Kathi Johnson, devoted wife, avid gardener, and bird watcher. Mom to Brix, her dog and Sinbad, her cockatiel.

Definition from dictionary.com

P December 7 P I want to share with you a thought that has been going around and around in my head ever since my brother, Bill, went into hospice care for cancer. I have probably heard this quote before, but now, these words by Teilhard deChardin resonate with me:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” This gives me a whole perspective from which to ponder the mystery of eternal life. The first verse from John’s Gospel (The Living Bible) reinforces this perspective: “Before anything else existed there was Christ with God. God has always been alive and is always God. God created everything there is—nothing exists that God did not make. Eternal life is in God, and this life gives life to all mankind. God’s life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Try to realize the possibilities in this perspective of life—spirits were created first, we were then born, and when we leave these bodies, our spirits continue to live on through eternity. Still, “We see through a glass darkly,” (1 Corinthians 13:12); but for me enough rays of light come through to illumine my spirit’s journey and give me Hope for the future. -Dave Petherbridge, husband, brother, father, grandfather, and joyful new great grandfather

P December 8 P O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of our more familiar Advent songs. It’s not exactly a hymn with the same joy as Christmas carols, but with lyrics that speak of hoping, longing, yearning, and even aching for Emmanuel (which means “God with us”). O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Be with us now. The Church’s symbol for Hope is the anchor, the rock-solid anchor that holds a ship secure no matter the buffeting storms or winds it might experience. I see Emmanuel, God with us, as my rock-solid anchor as I face the reality of my personal life and that of the world around me. I pray the same for you. (What are your anchors of Hope?) One such anchor of Hope comes from my family of origin. My grandparents, parents, and extended family come from hearty stock, immigrating to the Midwest, homesteading, living off the land, and suffering a multitude of challenges and losses—and yet, they always pressed on. Often, their Hope was named as Creator God as they gave thanks for a bountiful harvest or prayed for rain in the midst of a drought. They lived in Hope and stood together with family and neighbor. My maternal family joined their neighbors and built the “little white church with a steeple” in the rolling hills of their Iowa farmlands. This church still stands tall as a beacon of Hope for me. This year we buried another dear member of our family, my cousin Kris. As we walked from the church through the adjoining cemetery, my family’s tombstones stood as sentinels for our march to Kris’s final resting place. Kris even wrote a letter to us speaking of her living Hope, (her anchor), the Good Shepherd who sustained her in her long battle with cancer. In the midst of our sadness was Hope. Without a doubt, Hope lives on within the hearts of those buried there and within us as we marched together with Emmanuel, God with us. This Advent, may you walk with Emmanuel, God with you. -Bonnie Matthaidess, a farm girl at heart who gives thanks for Creator God and for her rich heritage to press on no matter the circumstance and prays to offer this same gift to others

P December 9 P The past few months have been clouded by destructive storms, turbulent politics, and questions about our basic freedoms. We have been living in a period of turmoil that has tested friendships and our personal convictions. Yet we have Hope. Hope in humanity. Hope for our country. Hope for our community. Hope in our church. Hope in Christ. With so much uncertainty in our world, where do we find Hope? It is easy to get downtrodden by the constant barrage of negative media. But our faith supersedes all. It is our faith that gives us optimism. It is our faith that brings us together to share love in our church family, and it is our faith that guides us to live out our church mission to Live, Love, Serve, Repeat. It is hope for the future that gave our congregation the courage to say ‘yes’ to a Capital Campaign and multi-year building project to make our church accessible to all. We have recently entered the season of Advent. The start of the official church year, Advent is a time to reset ourselves for all that is to come. We prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ, the Hope of the World. It is a chance to start over, to remember the prophecies of old and to anxiously await the birth

of Christ, coming in the form of a baby—a baby who will grow to lead His followers to understand and show love in its purest sense; a baby who will one day sacrifice Himself for the sake of all. At this time of year, I always pause to take in the beauty of the season. Hope is found EVERYWHERE! It’s in the wonderful hymns, the fellowship with friends and family, the decorations, the preparations (both material and spiritual), and the blessed arrival of Jesus on Christmas Eve. As we sing “Silent Night” and a pastor recites the words to a familiar hymn, we are reminded that Hope is here and around us at all times. Flocks were sleeping, Shepherds keeping Vigil till the morning new; Saw the glory, Heard the story, Tidings of a Gospel true. Thus rejoicing, Free from sorrow, Praises voicing, Greet the morrow, Christ the Babe was born for you! -Brian Bohrer, Director of Asbury Singers and Men’s Chorus. Husband to Melissa, father to Charlie, and proud member of AFUMC since 2003

n Week 2 Theme: Love

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P December 10 P Love Does That by Meister Eckhart All day long a little burro labors, sometimes with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries about things that bother only burros. And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting than physical labor. Once in a while a kind monk comes to her stable and brings a pear, but more than that, he looks into the burro’s eyes and touches her ears and for a few seconds the burro is free and even seems to laugh, because love does that. Love frees. This beautiful poem is about gifts of love—the gift of a visit to the stable by a monk to see a burro, offering presence and companionship, telling the burro that she matters. The gift of a pear, surely a treat, to tell the burro that the visit was planned, the treat procured, this was not a spur-of-the-moment visit. This gift conveys to the burro that the monk was thinking about her and cared enough to bring something she would appreciate. The gift of God’s love expressed in the

exchange of touch and a look of love. Our eyes are the windows of our souls, another poet wrote— and to recognize the material, animal qualities by touching her ears, while also taking the time to look in to her eyes—is a gift of God’s love flowing from one soul to another. Our lives are continuous reflections of God’s love among and within us, and when we accept this gift from God and recognize it in each other, we laugh and we are free. May God grant you eyes to see the gifts that are offered daily to you in presence, treats, and the pure and true love of God and the dance of the Holy Spirit, calling us to dance and frolic and in so doing to know the freedom and joy of God’s unconditional love! May your life be blessed with opportunities to give and to receive God’s love in myriad ways, this season of Advent and all year long! Meister Eckhart was a mystic and theologian who lived in Germany about fifteen hundred years ago. His spirituality, and the ways in which he expressed it, continue to be a great gift to us. -The Rev. Kathy Thiel, Minister of Congregational Care

P December 11 P

“Love is patient and kind… “ 1 Corinthians 13:4 Christmas is coming and we can’t wait - or shall we say, we couldn’t wait. Because while it is true that the liturgical season of Advent, our season of waiting, is observed from December 3 to December 24 this year, one could make the argument that this season of preparation commenced back in September when the store decorations began to appear. But let us not lose our focus on the reason for the season. Instead, let us pray for patience this year. Christmas will come – it is promised! In the meantime, let us acknowledge the gift that is each day, and let us share our own gifts of love daily while we await the nativity.

“Love bears all things … “ 1 Corinthians 13:7 Anticipating the coming of Christmas can be a wondrous time. But for some it can also be a time fraught with worry, sadness, and yes, despair. Love bears this all. Let us be a beacon of light for those who for one reason or another can’t enjoy the bright lights that we see, or the warmth and security that we feel. Let us share the burden of others. Let us come, bearing gifts of love.

“Love never ends … “ 1 Corinthians 13:8 And in the blink of an eye, Advent will end, Christmas will arrive, and then if we allow it, Christmas will also fade quickly from our lives. But it doesn’t have to be so. “Keep Christmas in your heart” is a phrase that has always been near to my own heart. The challenge to keep good cheer throughout the winter months and into the seasons to follow can be a daunting one. But as each season ends and blends into the next, remember this: “Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love and the greatest of these is love.”

P December 11 P continued

The Way of Love â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -Glenn Peck is most comfortable behind the view finder of a camera, where he can focus his eye on the beauty of the world that surrounds him, leaving his ears free to listen for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calling.

P December 12 P

“The light shines in darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.” John 1:5 At a Christmas Eve service many, many years ago, the minister shared that he waited for the true magic of Christmas to happen and it would; together in faith and fellowship, slightly dimmed light; four Advent candles lit, awaiting the lighting of the Christ candle, the light that would be then carried to the congregation, and the warmth of a magnificent burst of light. We have been on this journey before, but the anticipation was always fresh. After he said those words, we waited in silence, reflecting on the moment. I remembered our own Advent wreath in years past. Our four young children sang Mary Lou Walker’s “Light the Advent Candle,” waiting for a turn to light a candle, and tradition that would begin in their own families. The Advent wreath was our important connection with each other, in weeks leading to Christmas. As the children grew older and involved in many activities, we clung to that special time. I sense I am not alone when I say, that at times, darkness comes and the light seems too far off, unreachable. In times of deep sorrow, loss of family members, people caught in harm’s way, people desperate to survive; it is difficult to reach for the light; the love of others who wait in the shadows ready to help. In time, the darkness does lean toward the light, especially when we look for the face of Christ in the people we meet, respecting each and everyone. -Lorraine Fusare, mother, thankful for four children, six grandchildren who keep her young at heart, and is a learner forever

P December 13 P

Advent is a season of anticipation. Advent is a season of mystery. Advent is a season of traditions. Some traditions visit our homes, our churches, and our communities once a year. Other traditions make their way into our daily lives and never depart. We have a tradition in our home. It is a simple tradition, not fancy or complicated. It is something that we do each and every night—all year long: After baths have been given, pajamas have been donned, teeth have been brushed, stories have been read, and three little bodies have climbed into their beds…. a song is sung from parent to each child: You are my sunshine, My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, How much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. Perhaps you remember this song? Can you hear the tune? Maybe it was sung to you years ago by someone who loved and cared for you? Could this be God’s lullaby to us each night? Could it be that we may never know just how much God loves us? Could it be that God longs for a relationship with us...no matter the season? This Advent, listen carefully for God’s voice. Listen for God’s song to you. Because once you hear it, you may just start singing along. -Emily Cady, wife, mother to three wonderful children (Ellie, Charlie, and Hannah), school counselor and educator, who loves to run, laugh, and sing!

P December 14 P “The first duty of love, is to listen.” -Paul Tillich We often find ourselves filled with anxiety as we wait in anticipation for something to happen. This anxiety and sometimes fear of the unknown can cause us to seek new ways to become busier and more consumed just so that we do not have to deal with the silence. Yet, the space between right now and where we will find ourselves is a space that calls for us to pause and listen. It is in our season of anticipation that we are able to spend less time doing, and more time listening. Listening to God, listening to one another, listening to ourselves…listening for those moments when suddenly we receive clarity and assurance about what is ahead. And it’s in this ability and privilege to listen, that we find God. As Paul Tillich reminds us, “the first duty of love, is to listen,” and that is a reminder that in the act of listening we find love. And even more than this, in finding love, we find Love. Love being a God who as St. Augustine so beautifully notes, “loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” Isn’t that good news in this season of anticipation? Doesn’t this make you actually want to wait? If 18 waiting brings about silence,

and silence brings about a time to listen, and to listen pulls me closer to love, and love is all that God is; what a joy it is to wait! In this Advent season, friends, we are being called to listen. Imagine how a season of listening might pull you closer to the steadfast love of God. Suddenly, our anxiety turns to eager expectation of all that God will reveal and share with us, as we wait. I offer you this prayer: May the God of peace, strength and love, Remind you in this season of eager expectation That you are never alone. May God be an ever present help in time of trouble May God’s steadfast love meet you right where you are May your call to listen pull you closer to Love, which is the reality of who God is. May you be encouraged as you wait, Empowered as you listen, And enabled as you seek new ways to share this duty of love, and this call to listen with all those around you. -The Rev. Jackie Nelson, sister, daughter, and friend, who is inspired daily by the ability to share God’s love with everyone she meets

P December 15 P Did you ever think of the many, many ways we use the word love? I love my husband, I love my family, I love fresh strawberries, I love walks in the woods, I love my Asbury First family and I love Jesus. My, oh my, love has many ways of being expressed, doesn’t it? I really love the season of Advent, too. I find the beauty of the Advent wreath breathtaking with the aroma of its rich, lush greens encircling four elegant royal blue candles and the Christ candle ever present at the very center of this unending circle. I love how each week, a candle is lit with the telling of a personal story, which adds life and an evergrowing light.

Advent prepares me . . . invites me to notice . . . slows me down . . . Yes, I’ve really come to learn to love the season of Advent; the season of preparing, anticipating and waiting for the coming of Jesus anew. You see, Advent speaks to me saying that Jesus’ Coming is not a onetime experience celebrated in December. Rather, Jesus comes again and again—everyday in my everyday. I pray to be open to notice, to receive, to live in this reality. There are many facets of Jesus that continue to emerge for me and I love that God continues to raise up new ways for me to encounter Jesus. Perhaps in this year, 2017, it is the deep awareness that Jesus, the source of my Hope, a Hope that will not fail no matter the circumstance, is as real as the unsettling world in which we live.

I love knowing, without a doubt, that this love chooses to dwell within me and you to be treasured and shared. -Bonnie Matthaidess, wife, mother and grandmother who loves the awakening of each day, starry nights, long walks and being by, on, or in Keuka Lake 19

P December 16 P

In this Advent season, will you share your love, as God shared God’s own love with us? It is the Christmas yearning of every heart to love, and to be loved unconditionally in return. The Christmas story assures us that we begin and end our lives loved—by our God. Love is a big idea. One we think we understand...but do we? We love those closest to us and those who are good to us. We struggle with loving those who are different from us, those who dislike us, those in need. God knew that love, real love, modeled and revealed to us, touching us, filling us, and changing us, would fix the love “problem” in the human heart. In my preparation and my anticipation of the birth of our Lord Jesus, I want to remember the love that God has shown us, and extend my love to those who struggle to show love to me. To those who are different from me, to those in need; of a smile, a hug or of things greater. -Karen Barner, Mom, wife, grandma, behavior specialist-who loves working with children, loves the Adirondacks, long hikes and quiet reflection

n Week 3 Theme: Joy

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P December 17 P

“Rejoice Always” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 As a pastor writing for an Advent Devotional, I am left with the quintessential quandary: to provide the theologically rich pastoral meditation; or to fall prey to the juggernaut of joy. I think you can guess where this is going... Below is a choral refrain that was often stuck in my head as a youth: When I was a little man Playdough came in a can I was Star Wars’ biggest fan Now I’m stuck without a plan GI Joe was an action man Shaggy drove the mystery van Devo was my favorite band Take me back to my happy land

Not only was this song catchy, but it was also by a band that was stuck on joy. The Aquabats started as a joke in the 90s to combat the serious and aggressive nature of the punk scene. They dressed as superheroes and wrote songs about villains like the Powdered Milk Man. Instead of focusing on the negatives and harsh realities of life, The Aquabats invited their listeners into an alternative punk/aka world of joy. In this season of Advent may we remember not to get too bogged down by the hectic nature of life, and may we take a moment to remember joy. May we remember to find our “happy land” wherever we are, and do our best to help share that joy with those around us. I encourage you to reminisce about some of the joys from your youth, and how you might bring those joys with you throughout your today.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4 -Mike Mullin, Minister for Youth and Discipleship, takes joy in his family, the outdoors, and taking on the personae of superheroes and 22 princesses with his children

P December 18 P

A Christmas Eve Present Poem Can you believe, it’s Christmas Eve And Santa’s on his way, With toys and goodies for you and me Wrapped up and on his sleigh. But always remember the importance of Christmas Is not the gifts or tree, It’s really about a baby boy Who was born for you and me. That little child born long ago And very far away Is the true reason we celebrate This grand and glorious day. God gave us little Jesus To save us from our sins And if we believe and follow Him Eternal life we’ll win. So, tomorrow, when you wake up, Unwrap your gifts with joy. But remember that the greatest gift Was God’s gift of a baby boy. -Len Davidow, husband, stepdad to Nancy’s four children, and “papa” to six grandchildren. This poem was written for the grandchildren as a Christmas Eve gift. Len’s interests include photography, travel, reading (especially military history) and thrillers.

P December 19 P It has brought me great joy to be affiliated with Heritage Christian Services for twenty-two years. This organization began in Rochester because three local families knew that their children with significant disabilities were not receiving adequate care—even bordering on mistreatment. These six people of deep faith worked tirelessly, sometimes moving mountains, to make straight the paths for the creation of loving homes with highly professional staff to care for their precious children. From one home for four children there are now eighty-four homes in Rochester and Buffalo! This warms my heart in true joy! My parents modeled for me a deep compassion for those with disabilities. We regularly visited my great aunt, Emily, who resided in a facility for adults with physical and/or mental disabilities. I remember how my parents loved Aunt Emily unconditionally and in turn, she loved us. The passion and model of care offered by Heritage Christian Services focuses on what each individual client can do. Our driving force states that, “It is every person’s rightful heritage to live a full life.” Folks who may not be able to walk on their own have incredibly joyful faces while riding a horse at Heritage’s therapeutic stables. Witnessing our wheelchair clients in specially designed outrigger canoes competing in the Special Olympics is amazing. I could go on and on and on... Joy? Yes, Amazing Joy. One of my favorite Scripture verses is John 10:10:

“I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” It is my joy to be a member of an organization that brings abundant life and joy to these special members of God’s family. -Dan Matthaidess loves boating on Keuka Lake, time with his grandchildren, cruises, spending time with his wife, Bonnie, and his 24 family and friends

P December 20 P As we light the third Advent candle for Joy, I am reminded of one of my favorite songs, which I learned at Vacation Bible School when I was a child: I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. (Where?) Down in my heart. (Where?) Down in my heart. I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay. This song fills me with joy! You know how something just reaches out and touches you? Well, that’s the way the word “Joy” resonates with me. In the book, The Mountain that Loved a Bird by Alice McLerran, the story is told of a mountain in the desert that is solid rock. Nothing touches it but the elements, until one day a bird lands on its peak to rest, and the mountain feels the touch of its feet and feathers, and hears the songs it sings. The mountain asks the bird to stay, but it cannot because there is no food to eat or trees to build a nest. But, the bird, whose name is Joy, promises to return every Spring on its way through the desert. And, since it will not live forever, Joy promises to name her daughter Joy and tell her how to locate the mountain, and her daughter will do the same, so there will always be a returning Joy.

That makes the mountain happy, but also sad, and the mountain cries, producing water that breaks open the rock, and on subsequent visits, Joy brings a seed and places it by the stream many times until the seeds grow and the mountain is transformed into a lush, green area filled with plants and trees. Finally, when Joy arrives, she tells the mountain that she has come to stay! This symbolism reminds me of the importance of promises kept, and how the power of a simple touch or kind deed can make a difference. God gave us the gift of His only Son to transform the world through our love for one another. The second verse of the song says, “I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart,” let’s share it with the world. When I was undergoing radiation for breast cancer many years ago, the nurse’s name who attended me was Joy. I shared the book with her as I have with others. So, as we light the candle of Joy, there is another song that resounds, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” May you be blessed with the Joy of knowing Jesus down in your heart... to stay! -Linda Freed, Wife, Mom, Grammy, teacher, Dahlia lover, thankful person who enjoys life and retirement

P December 21 P

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5 Maybe the holidays serve as an upsetting reminder of a loved one who has passed away. Maybe you’ve recently lost your job and you don’t know how you’re going to give your family the Christmas they deserve. Maybe your marriage is falling apart. Or maybe you live with depression and seeing just about everyone else in a bright and festive holiday spirit only makes you feel more isolated. In spite of—or perhaps even because of—the merriment, cheer, and tidings of comfort and joy and all that, the holiday season can be really painful. For many, finding joy in the midst of loss is an arduous task. When it feels like you’re standing at the precipice of the abyss and darkness completely engulfs you, it’s nigh impossible to see or even feel the light of Christ. Perhaps this is why we celebrate Christmas when we do. Oh sure, we can talk about how early Christians appropriated pagan solstice customs and rituals, but at the end of the day, there’s something deeply profound about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ—Light from Light—just a few days after the darkest and longest night of the year. Emmanuel, God with us, comes to us and stands in solidarity with us during the darkest seasons of our lives. No matter the sorrow or pain we might be feeling, the love and grace of God surrounds us. And so on this, the shortest day and the longest night of the year, my prayer is that everyone may be made aware of the love and light and joy of God that already encompasses them. May it be so. -Ian C. Urriola, Asbury First Ministry Intern

P December 22 P

“Joy to the World, the Lord is come” This message and that of everlasting life, are the basis of our Christian faith and are the reason for us to be joyful. We have a loving, forgiving Creator who watches over us and who sent us a gift, Jesus, as an example of how we should live. When I pause to ask God’s guidance, I am led to love and serve others. One of my greatest joys has been visiting shut-ins in their homes or at an eldercare facility. I can feel God’s presence as I listen to their stories and witness their faith. Sometimes what they need most is a listening ear or a hug. After these visits, I experience an inner joy as having been God’s messenger of love. I am fortunate to have some of my family in town. When we gather for a meal or a special occasion, I feel great joy in having been blessed with all of them and I share this feeling of joyfulness with them. It is through prayer and support from others that deep grief can slowly be replaced with the joyful memories of the years spent with a loving mate. Another one of God’s gifts that brings me joy is friends. Having come to the city to teach, I knew few people, but my land-lady brought me to Asbury First and it was here that lasting, loving friendships developed with other young people. One Sunday School class, the Doublers, is like a second family. One of our class presidents opened every session with “Good morning, joyful Christians.” This Advent season gives me the opportunity to focus on God’s gift to us—Jesus Christ—and the opportunities God provides each day to share with others my joy in being a Christian. Thanks be to God! -Jeanne Rowe, widow, mother, grandmother, friend who likes walks around the neighborhood, visiting friends and neighbors, family gatherings, flowers, classical music, fishing and enjoying her cottage in Canada

P December 23 P Today is the day before the end of Advent. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. For millions of individuals the 23rd of December is the day when gift and food shopping, pre-Christmas “parties” and holiday travel reach its most frenetic pace. Advent’s message of hope, waiting, and anticipation does not play well within our culture of immediate and on-demand gratification. But the truth of Advent is that it is a time of celebrating “waiting.” “What! Who celebrates waiting?” Advent is not celebration while we wait. It is at its foundation celebration of the very idea of waiting. To celebrate waiting opens to us a “threshold of discovery” of the “joys” that accrue simply from waiting and anticipation. Think of the bride and groom who await their wedding day; or the child who excitedly awaits her birthday celebration; the doctoral student who anxiously waits for graduation day; the parents who are expecting the return home of their college students. Anticipation provides a perch from which one poignantly remembers the past, even as one anticipates the hope of fulfilled expectation. There is sweet joy to be savored in this kind of waiting. Advent is anticipatory joy. It is the kind of joy that feeds the spirit and fuels the life of the soul. The joy of Advent realized in Christmas, while it may lead to exuberant and boisterous Hallelujahs on Christmas day, for myriads of Christians, the joy of Advent will be fully realized in the holy hush that descends on Christmas Eve. Within the Christmas Eve worship, as candles burn in the darkness of the sanctuary, the faces of worshipers are surrounded with a continuous halo of candle light, which gives a dreamlike transcendence to the joy exuding from their faces as they sing: Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light; Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. -The Rev. Dr. Timothy J. Johnson, a steward of God’s grace was called to the ministry of Culinary Art, Emeritus Professor of Social Work – Roberts Wesleyan College, and is blessed to reside with his spouse 28 at Sabbath Rest Farm in Clarkson, New York

n Week 4 Theme: Peace

n 29

P December 24 P

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out!” John 1:5 Christmas Eve, 1966, Philippines: Our family walks along a dry, dusty path to the church. There is no electricity in our village so it is very dark. It is sweltering hot! We miss the snow! We think of our families in the states, driving through the snow to attend Christmas Eve services. Afterward, they will gather as families to celebrate Christmas Eve and the gift of family and friends. As we walk along this dusty path, we notice bits of light moving through the cogon grass and other bushes; bits of light moving toward the church building. It intrigues us! We continue to watch as we walk. Suddenly we realize that people are bringing their lanterns to the church so we will have light for the service. The lights gather for worship! It is a holy moment! The service goes well, though we understand very little as it is in the Ilocano dialect and we have been in our village for only one month. The service ends and we depart. The light moves through the cogon grass and bushes once again as folks return home. The light, gathered in the church to provide light for our worship, is now taken into the world to provide light for all; to celebrate the light that came into the world this Bethlehem night. The light of Christmas! The light of the world! The light of Christ! We remember: “I am the light of the world; those who follow me will never walk in darkness!” Darkness can never extinguish the light! Thanks be to God for God’s ‘un-turn-off-able’ light! Let it shine through us! A beautiful, memorable Christmas Eve in our new Philippine community.

-The Rev. David P. Lubba, Retired UMC Minister

P December 25 P

n John 1:1-9

Jesus Comes The Word ( Jesus) Became Flesh In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made, that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Notes, Prayers, P and Meditations P

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