Zephaniah 3:20
Advent Devotional Booklet
Introduction
The underappreciated prophet Zephaniah is at the heart of this year’s Advent devotional. This tiny text opens with the realities of people who are soon to be exiled and will face years of hardship, but in the end, the narrative speaks of reassurance. Although the people will soon reside in a land beyond the border, the prophet’s message is clear: do not fear for God will renew and heal, God will rejoice over you in song, and God will bring you home.
For those who traverse borders, home is a glorious word to receive. Home is abundant love and familial comfort. As an ideal, home is unqualified acceptance and abiding peace. Yet, longing seldom represents reality. Longing for home recalls a mixture of sober grief and joyful memories, crossing a threshold into an anxious childhood and a return to the unsafe or prohibited. The journey of life includes crossings that are socially, emotionally, or physically challenging, so our visions for the future evolve to represent new hopes for home.
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is the only seminary in the Reformed-Presbyterian tradition located in the southwestern United States. We recognize the many churches throughout the southwest who act on the prophetic imperative to care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in your midst, and we celebrate our alumni who compassionately engage with those who bravely cross the border to seek asylum. Indeed, Austin Seminary embraces the borderlands as a dynamic geography where diverse perspectives interact and new communities, customs, and cultures emerge. We appreciate borderlands as the spaces between feelings of anxiety and security, unrest and peace. In the borderlands, home represents hope. This is a hope for a new creation where home is a place of belonging, vibrant with the beautiful diversity of God’s people.
Zephaniah speaks of God who is present in lonely and challenging moments and who joins us as we sing songs longing for peace. In this Advent season, let us rejoice for God is known in the borderlands. Indeed, there is no divide, no height nor depth, no boundary nor border that can separate us from the love of God. Wherever you find yourself on your personal or ministerial journey in the borderlands, we pray the words in this booklet drafted by our faculty and leadership will renew your hope of home. We are grateful to be on this journey with you. Please enjoy this year’s Advent devotional.
Introduction to Advent Season
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
Epiphany
Sunday, December 1, 2024
Luke 21:25-36
Dr. Ángel J. Gallardo Assistant Professor of Church History
In the heart of Jesus’ discourse on the end times, we find a passage that serves as a beacon of hope amidst turmoil and uncertainty. Luke 21:25-36, often referred to as the “Great Tribulation” passage, paints a vivid picture of the challenges that will precede the return of Christ. Yet, within this prophetic warning, lies a profound message of encouragement and assurance.
The passage begins with a description of the cosmic disturbances that will herald the end times: “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, confusion, and the roar of the sea and the waves” (Luke 21:25). These images evoke a sense of chaos and upheaval, a world turned upside down. It is a time when the very foundations of human existence will seem to be crumbling. Confusion and anxiety abound. However, Jesus does not leave us in despair. He immediately follows the description of the cosmic disturbances with a declaration of hope: “People will faint from fear and expectation of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26). The word “faint” here carries a sense of both physical and emotional exhaustion. It suggests that the events of the end times will be so overwhelming that people will feel as though they are on the brink of collapse.
Yet, even in the midst of this turmoil, Jesus promises that he will be with his people. He assures them that he will not abandon them, but will instead be their source of strength and comfort. The phrase “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” harkens to the cosmic disturbances mentioned earlier. It suggests that even as the world around them falls apart, Jesus will remain steadfast. While the things of this world may appear to (or actually) be falling apart, our God is unchanging, everlasting.
Luke’s passage continues with a series of warnings about the dangers that will face believers during the last days. Jesus warns of the temptation to follow false prophets and teachers, and of the persecution that will befall those who remain faithful to him. He also emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the day of his return, which will come unexpectedly. Yet, amidst these warnings, there is a message of hope and encouragement. Jesus reminds his followers that they are not alone, but that he is watching over them and preparing them for what lies ahead. He urges them to be vigilant by trusting in his promises.
The passage concludes with a powerful image of Jesus’ return: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). This image is one of hope and triumph, a reminder that despite the challenges that lie ahead, the ultimate victory belongs to the risen Lord. As we face the challenges of our own lives, we can draw strength and encouragement from this passage. We can remember that Jesus is with us, even when we feel alone and afraid. We can trust in his promises and be confident that he will ultimately triumph over all evil.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27)
Monday, December 2, 2024
Luke 21:25-36
The Rev.
Dr. Crystal E. Silva-McCormick Visiting
Instructor in Evangelism and Missions
Jesus’s words here draw on the Judaic tradition of using apocalyptic language—language that signals something cataclysmic is about to happen. Many in Jesus’s time believed the world would end in their lifetimes. Countless generations since have believed they were living in the final days and that the world would end in their lifetimes. Perhaps you’ve felt that way too. Cataclysmic events in our personal lives and on a global scale can easily make us feel the end is near. When we consider the profound pain in this world—the deep groans of humanity and the suffering of the creation that sustains us—it is natural to imagine that we cannot bear it any longer. Jesus’s words and the way life can bring us to our knees remind me of a poem by Nayyirah Waheed: “I don’t pay attention to the world ending. It has ended for me many times and began again in the morning.”
For some, life is an endless barrage of painful events. Others are fortunate, facing apocalyptic moments only occasionally. A unifying aspect of the human experience is the feeling that our world is ending. Equally unifying is the way community helps pull us out of the depths of despair, enabling us to realize that we can, as Waheed says, “begin again in the morning.” Waheed’s poem reminds me that our longing for something better signals our trust in Jesus’s promises—one day, all things will be made whole. Jesus’s words here acknowledge that our worlds end and begin over and over again. We can triumph over the suffering and pain in this world by trusting that we are created for something greater than this. Part of our calling is to work toward making God’s kin-dom a reality now, in this time and place, while we wait for Jesus to usher in the fullness of a world yet to come.
This Advent, if your prayer is “Jesus, come quickly,” rest assured that God hears your prayer and that humanity and all of creation long for that day too. Let us wait—together—so we can begin again in the morning.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Luke 21:25-36
The Rev. Dr. Donghyun Jeong Assistant Professor of New Testament
In today’s passage, Jesus foretells, in one breath, of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. The prediction that the people of Jerusalem will be “taken away as captives among all nations” and that “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles” echoes the familiar Hebrew Bible stories of the fall of the first temple and the Babylonian captivity, which reflects God’s discipline and refinement. What is distinctive in the Synoptic Gospels’ apocalyptic passages, including Luke 21, is that Jesus seamlessly connects this local event with the coming of the Son of Man, which will have global (Luke 21:26, 35) and cosmic significance (21:25-26).
Part of the discourse urges the Gospel audience to recognize the time is now on God’s clock. As the leaves of the fig tree signal that summer is near, so too the faithful should discern the signs indicating the nearness of the kingdom and redemption (21:7, 11, 25; cf. 12:56; 21:31, 28).
However, a greater emphasis is on the habitus of watchfulness: “Be alert at all times” (21:36). Jesus asks his disciples—and by extension, all readers—to pray for tenacity amid afflictions until they stand before the Son of Man (21:36). Jesus instructs us to “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life” (21:34). We are waiting for the coming of the Son of Man and the fulfillment of God’s promises, not passively but actively working with and for God.
“Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, forget Thee.”
(James Weldon Johnson, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”)
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Devotion 1 Luke 21:25-36
Professor Eric Wall
Gene Alice Sherman Associate Professor of Sacred Music, Dean of the Chapel
Early in C. S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair, which is part of the Narnia series, the lion and Godfigure Aslan gives instructions to the children, Jill and Eustace. Sent on a journey, they are told to look for specific signs. However, Aslan cautions them, “…the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there.” “Raise your heads,” bids Jesus at the sight of cosmic signs. “Look at the fig tree,” he says, turning our attention to the small signs of leaves and growth. Perhaps this hints at the essence of Advent: the mighty, end-of-times Jesus who begins the season and the small, humble Jesus born as Advent stands on the threshold of Christmas. In all the advents in Advent and all the advents in life, does Jesus look as we expect when we meet him? Consider two hymns in this light. In Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending (Glory to God 348), Charles Wesley’s text and Thomas Olivers’s tune evoke the mighty breadth expected from a hymn based on this gospel passage. The second hymn, People, Look East (Glory to God 105), invites us, like Jesus in the passage, to look for signs. Set to a light French folk tune, Eleanor Farjeon’s lyrics offer us images of Love both grand—Star, Lord—and unexpectedly intimate—Rose, Bird. Where in the sights and sounds of this season will we notice signs that lift our gaze to the One who alone is our hope?
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Luke 21:25-36 Advent 1
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
Church tradition has us begin Advent with stories of cataclysmic end times. Yet this seems discordant with the season. Is not Advent about celebrating Jesus’ birth? We look forward to lighting Advent candles, singing hymns in anticipation of the Christ child, and decorating our church sanctuaries and homes. The weeks are filled with prayers and songs preparing us for the birth of the holy child. However, this long-standing tradition of the church has us begin instead at the end (and it is an end that has not happened yet!).
Scan here to hear Professor Wall play the music referenced in his remarks.
We hear texts describing the end times and Christ’s second coming: “People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). Instead of beginning Advent by pondering the child’s birth, we are confronted with a grown-up and even fearsome figure: “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). We are told to pray for the strength “to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). This image of the Son of Man is unsettling and dispels the calm and comfort we often associate with the season.
Yet what appears incompatible holds a deeper truth. Who is this vulnerable newborn whom angels will laud? Who is this helpless babe lying in a manger before whom kings of nations will bow? It is none other than the One who will go to the cross and the grave and rise on the third day, defeating the powers of evil and sin forever. Advent (adventus in Latin) means “coming.” We begin Advent with the end of the story to truly understand who is coming to set things right: the Redeemer of the world. “Raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!” (Luke 21:28).
Question for Reflection and Prayer
The Rev. Dr. Sarah D. Allen Director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies
When have you ‘stood up and raised your head’ in the face of fear and foreboding? What helps you find the courage to do so?
Prayer - God of all creation, strengthen us to be faithful and courageous witnesses of your truth and grace. May we remain alert for the inbreaking of your kin-dom of love and mercy in to our world. Amen.
Friday, December 6, 2024
Luke 21:25-36
The Rev. Theodore V. Foote Jr. Professor in the Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership
Since my junior high and high school days in the 1960s, I have often found passages like Luke 21:25-36 confusing. Life was challenging in Jesus’ time, as it is in every century. However, Jesus’ teachings add an additional layer to figure out, urging us to be vigilant and persevere through all the difficulties we face.
In his 1849 poem, which was later set to music as the carol ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,’ Unitarian pastor Edmund Sears describes life in stanza 4: “And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow, look now!” Pastor Sears captures both of Jesus’ messages from Luke 21: life is hard and stay watchful.
With life’s many threats, stresses, and forces that can lead us astray, harm us, or even bring us down, Luke reports Jesus teaching in verse 36 with a word that appears only twice more in the Gospels. Here it can be translated as “be in a position to prevail” when God’s “Human-complete-in-God’s-love” appears. In Luke 23:23, “the crowd” cried out with voices “that prevailed,” desiring Jesus be crucified. In Matthew’s Gospel, the word is used when
Jesus affirms Peter’s instinctive declaration of faith, saying, “The gates of hell” or “powers of death” shall not prevail against you.
Jesus is certain that ‘life is hard,’ but also that God’s transformative capability in him is still at work in us. Therefore, ‘stay watchful.’ How? By remembering Jesus’ teaching from the parable in Matthew 25:31-46: “When you see people in desperation here, there, and everywhere, you are seeing me among you.”
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Philippians 1:3-14
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby
The W. C. Brown Professor of Theology
I know what I’ll be doing around the time you’re reading this, shortly before Christmas. I’ll be counting down the days until my kids come home for winter break. It’s August now, and we’re packing our daughter Jessica for her first year of college. Her brother, Xander, is already in his third year. He comes home often, but we still miss him terribly when he’s away. I cope by going into his empty room (still full of his stuff), sitting on his bed, remembering times together and hoping for more to come. I know I will do the same when Jessica leaves, but I can’t bring myself to think too much about that quite yet.
Lately, something my friend Randal told me just after my children were born is echoing in my mind. She said, “Your heart will never belong to just you again. From now on, it will feel like it’s being carried around in your kids’ bodies.”
Paul believed he was “held in the hearts of the Philippians” because he “shared in God’s grace” with them (v. 9). His words show us that it’s possible to have deep, participatory, parental, all-in love not only for our children but also for one another as believers in Jesus Christ.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is overflowing with a desire for their well-being—a love so powerful that it risks overpowering both their and Paul’s sense of autonomy. Maybe this is a risk worth taking. It might sometimes push us into an empty bedroom, a place where we cry, pray, miss, remember, and hope. But through that, we come to better understand the love that abounds and increases when we submit to the knowledge and depth of insight being held in the hearts of others brings (v. 9). This love will continue to expand and contract in our hearts, drawing us into fearless compassion for a world that is waiting, watching, and praying for the homecoming of the beloved.
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Philippians 1:3-11
Dr. David H. Jensen
Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson
Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology
Many of Paul’s letters address controversies and disputes within the church. Typically, these letters aim to correct deficient theologies or practices. In these letters Paul is a teacher; sometimes this teacher gets riled up and contentious. The Gospel is at stake. But Paul’s letter to the Philippians is different. Instead of addressing faulty teachings or idolatrous practices, Paul writes to express his affection for the congregation in Philippi. It’s a letter, first and
foremost, of Christian friendship.
Paul begins the letter by thanking the Philippians for the gift of their friendship, noting his prayers of joy, fond memories of their company, and their continued partnership in the work of the Gospel. Paul gives thanks for this congregation because it reminds him that he is not alone. Even while he is imprisoned, his friends in Philippi are with him in spirit, holding him in their hearts. Their friendship sustains him in his isolation—a great gift indeed.
Paul then turns his thoughts to love, hoping that the Philippians’ love might overflow in knowledge and insight; that their friendship might blossom in fullness, deepen understanding, and strengthen faith. He desires what’s best for his friends. This is one of the true marks of friendship: to seek a friend’s well-being and to rejoice in their flourishing. Right now, there’s more than enough to get riled up about—in our world, our nation, and our hometowns. Tempers rise, indignation boils over, and righteous battles are fought. But our work for justice, our passion for the Gospel, will quickly dissipate if we don’t cultivate friendship. Have you given thanks for your friends? Have you told them how much they mean to you? Have you seen in their faces the face of Christ, who desires our flourishing? Without friends, we are very much alone.
Monday, December 9, 2024
Philippians 1:3-17
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
Many church sanctuaries are adorned with purple or blue colors during Advent. These colors are used for ministers’ stoles and for the sanctuary’s paraments; fabric draping fitted for pulpits, lecterns, and Holy Communion tables. For centuries, purple was the traditional color for Advent, symbolizing that, like Lent, it is a season of self-reflection and discipline, a time to prepare ourselves for the coming Savior. Purple has long been associated with penitential seasons in the church, emphasizing Advent as a time of repentance. Decades ago, a newer liturgical movement introduced deep blue as an alternative color for Advent, shifting the focus to a season of hope and expectation. This blue might evoke the image of the darkening sky at dusk, as stars begin to appear. We hope and wait on the one signified by the star in the east (Mt 2:2).
There is no strict rule regarding the use of these colors in most church traditions; it is a matter of adiaphora, a secondary matter. However, a congregation’s use of the church year’s colors can help us orient ourselves in time, recognizing the purple or blue time of year. Purple signifies our preparation for royalty, calling us to repent and lament all that is not as God intends in God’s regime. Blue means we hope, yearn, expect, anticipate, even long for the One who has come and who promises to come again. Is this not the posture for our lives? Repent and hope. Lament and anticipate what is promised by the one who comes. “Determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless” (Philippians 1:10).
Tuesday, December 10,
2024
Philippians 1:3-11
The Rev. Patricia Bonilla Instructor in Christian Education
Gratitude is a spiritual practice, and like all spiritual practices, it must be put into action. Simply put, gratitude must be practiced for us to receive its graces and gifts. Paul was no stranger to the spiritual practice of gratitude. On more than one occasion, he wrote heartfelt letters thanking the communities that supported his missional goals and stood by him through the trials and joys of ministry. Paul reminds the Christian community in Philippi that partnership in the gospel can never be a one-person job. It is challenging communal work. Paul would never have been able to carry out the work of the gospel without the support of his faith communities. This is why Paul begins his letter with a word of thanks—a thank you for the community’s ongoing commitment to the gospel, manifested in their daily practices of love and care for one another. That love is extended as a daily practice of caring for the most vulnerable and those in need.
Because of what Paul himself has witnessed and received from this community, his message is one of assurance. He reminds his church that they are already living into the gospel. They are “the first fruits of the Spirit.” God is already doing great things through them, and God will continue to do great things. This is the joy of the Good News in Jesus Christ.
Paul’s hope and prayer is that this community, which he holds so close and dear, will continue to grow in the love of God, which Paul defines as knowledge and depth of insight. It is a knowledge of God that moves us into action. As Paul assures his community, we are likewise assured that God began a good work in us, and God will continue to perfect, mold, strengthen, and equip us. The sanctifying grace of Christ Jesus is manifested in our daily, embodied practices toward one another. As siblings committed to the gospel, we can lean into our communities, our elders, and our peers. We must also remember that we are called to build community and to be elders and peers to the generations of Christian siblings that come after us.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Philippians 1:3-11
The Rev. Dr. Philip Helsel Associate Professor in the Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair in Pastoral Care
When I was growing up on the mission field in Bangkok, Thailand, my parents wrote missionary letters to supportive congregations. These letters emphasized that our ministry would have been impossible without the church’s support.
Paul begins this early letter in his ministry with a section of prayer and thanksgiving, addressing a church he had co-founded a few years prior. We would know Paul was upset if the letter lacked this section as seen in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 1).
He tells the Philippians, in poignant language, that he remembers them with joy and that they are partners with him in the gospel. Throughout the New Testament, Paul’s missionary letters are active proclamations that we belong to one another. The gifts, support, prayers, and pastoral care provided to him form the very core of his ministry. Paul wouldn’t be who he is without it. Conversely, they should see themselves as extensions of Paul.
Paul describes the faith they share as God’s ‘good work’ (verse 6), a plural noun that encompasses both Paul and the church in Philippi. As they follow Christ, Paul assures them that God’s work is being completed in them, even amid illness and imprisonment.
Paul emphasizes the importance of ‘love’ (verse 9). Love helps them discern what is important in a pluralistic world. Love clarifies the centrality of salvation, the sharing of mission, endurance in the journey of faith, and the dying and being reborn in Christ, even while alive. The love they share confirms truths that cannot be fully expressed in words. The most important point is that they are not just isolated Christians living in different places. Paul and the church in Philippi are co-sharers in the joyful mission of God, interdependent and belonging to each other in the midst of life’s uncertainties.
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Philippians 1:3-11
Dr. Rodney A. Caruthers II Assistant Professor of New Testament
Although Paul begins this epistle with a standard salutation, it quickly transitions into a heartfelt expression. This joint letter from Paul and Timothy is addressed to the saints (hagiois) and leaders of the Christian community in Philippi, Greece.
Following the bipartite greeting in the name of God the Father and Jesus, Paul moves into praise, encouragement, and prayer for the community. The letter takes on a gracious tone in verse three, where Paul begins by giving ‘thanks’ (eucharistō) to God for the members of the congregation. He expresses his support for them through prayer (verse 4) and offers encouragement, assuring them that God will remain faithful (verse 6). Paul also shares his appreciation for their reciprocal care and support in spreading the good news (verse 7).
The letter then transitions into Paul’s optimistic prayer for the community and its leadership. This section serves as a reminder that modern readers, detached by millennia, are eavesdropping on an impassioned correspondence (verse 8). It offers an opportunity to observe what concerns were at the forefront of the Apostle’s prayers. When reading these verses, it’s important to remember the unnamed recipients—individuals who were trying to figure out how to interact, solve problems, and be innovative. Community leaders, without centuries of ecclesiastical or theological development to guide them, had to navigate what it meant for new converts to be followers of the Jesus movement in a Roman pluralistic society. This serves as a reminder of the types of prayers churches need today. Just as Paul prayed for the Philippian Church, asking that their love (agapē ) would grow with knowledge and insight to determine what is best and produce a harvest of righteousness (dikaiosunē ), these qualities are equally essential for modern congregations (verses 9-10). Let us remember that real people (lay members, volunteers, staff, and clergy) are constantly navigating an ever-changing global society. The messages, decisions, policies, and interactions become increasingly complex. The interplay between religion, science, technology, and politics creates new and interesting issues for the Church to maneuver. As congregations face these new realities, may they be accompanied by prayers for efficacy, discernment, and above all, love.
Question for Reflection and Prayer
The Rev. Dr. Sarah D. Allen Director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies
Who do you “hold in your heart” today? Offer a prayer for them, asking God to provide what it is that they need, and offering your gratitude for their caring presence in your life.
Prayer - Gracious and Loving God, we praise you for partners in the gospel who share your merciful love with the world. Strengthen us to be people of prayer and faithful action, who speak your word of grace with both boldness and love. In Christ’s holy name we pray, Amen.
Friday, December 13, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Dr. David H. Jensen Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology
Zephaniah packs a lot of punch in the final verses of his short prophecy: a song of adulation, God’s victorious presence, and the vanquishing of fear. Choruses of praise resound with striking notes. But it ends with a simple promise: I will bring you home.
We all long for home, but what does “home” really mean? For many today, “home” is about marking territory—distinguishing “ours” from “theirs.” In this mindset, strangers can threaten our sense of home, prompting us to push “them” out. Although the causes of war are complex, they often boil down to contested understandings of home: who rightfully belongs on which land. When competing claims to the same place arise, people feel they must fight for their home.
Another, somewhat related understanding of home is one of cozy domesticity. Home becomes a place where we retreat from the world’s chaos. Home is our familiar resting spot. Home is where we can shut out concerns beyond our own comfort.
Zechariah longs for a different kind of home. This is a home where outcasts find a welcome, a home where shame changes into praise. Whereas these other notions construct home rather narrowly—home is only for the familiar—Zechariah widens the welcome. God gathers the rejected to find a home with each other. This is the kind of home we find wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, heard, and lived out, from Austin to Mumbai, from Lubbock to Harare.
God welcomes us home by helping us find a home with others.
The
true test of home is whether we have helped make others welcome in our homes. Only
then
can all truly find their way home.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Professor Eric Wall
Gene Alice Sherman Associate Professor of Sacred Music, Dean of the Chapel
In this Advent 3 text from Zephaniah, Chapter 3, we are given more than a mere prose description of restoration. It is an exuberant, sweeping portrayal of what restoration will feel like. Each year, the third Sunday of Advent brings us texts like this, rehearsing God’s promises on the way to God’s new thing. Between Advent’s frames of eschatological visions and the anticipation of birth, the third Sunday bursts with life, song, change, and growth. The prophet seems almost breathless in a text teeming with images of restoration. These same images and divine promises are also rehearsed at the Easter Vigil. This same text appears as part of the mighty arc of twelve readings that recall salvation history. That Vigil is another advent—an anticipation of a not-yet that we glimpse now and have glimpsed before.
The opening words of this passage might remind you of the famous aria from Handel’s Messiah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.” Like Zephaniah’s words, Handel’s music sweeps us along, filled with exuberant detail and sheer vocal delight. We might also think of hymns like Prepare the Way, O Zion (Glory to God 106), rooted in another prophet, Isaiah, but filled with language reminiscent of Zephaniah. Echoing this passage’s Advent and Easter connections, we might even hear the buoyancy of the ancient tune Puer Nobis Nascitur, originally a Christmas hymn, “Unto Us a Child Is Born,” and more recently an Easter hymn, “That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright.” We might hear all three melodies converging, just as Zephaniah’s joyful images build on one another.
“Unto Us a Child Is Born”
Scan here to hear Professor Wall play the music referenced in his remarks.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Melissa Wiginton Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Partnerships
On this third Sunday of Advent, tradition calls for lighting the pink candle. Colors are the wavelengths of light itself, and pink comes from the combination of red, the lowest frequency of visible light, and purple, the highest. It’s a fitting color for this midpoint in Advent, as we find ourselves between darkness and light. We could cling to the darkness, or we could lean into the light.
Zephaniah encourages us to lean into the light. “Rejoice, daughters of Zion,” he says describing the life to come as if it were already here. He paints a picture of what life will be like when the Lord forgives His people’s betrayal and gathers them all close, where they belong. Zephaniah tells us to rejoice now—not timidly, but with all our hearts—shouting and singing. Act as if the Lord’s vision is already a reality. The lowest experiences—shame, oppression, and loss—are not the whole story. The red of our darkest moments is fading, and the purple of brighter times comes into being. Today is pink! Anticipation and joy are what the Lord desires for us now.
Lucy Glenister-Wilson-Storey
The title of the painting is Paloma. It is used with the artist’s permission.
I believe our pink candle shouldn’t be a soft, pastel pink that hints at sweetness to come. No, it should be a pounding, resounding punch of orangey-purply-red—a deep, hot, powerful pink, alive and full of energy. This is the color of Zephaniah’s words to the children of Israel: rejoice, rescue, delight, honor, praise, restoration, and fearlessness.
Zephaniah 3:14-20
The Rev. Dr. Gregory L. Cuéllar Associate Professor of Old Testament
Lamenting the loss of a loved one can seem easy at first encounter. The shock often triggers a flood of tears and wails of grief. During this time, when the pain is still fresh, words of comfort and hope may seem impossible to hear when the wounds of loss are still raw. In these moments, the most compassionate response might be to offer a reassuring silence. This silence is not born of social fear or emotional lack but is instead a form of presence that prioritizes healing through touch—like a firm hug, hand-holding, or a gentle back rub.
In Zephaniah 3:14-20, the prophet envisions a day when Israel’s season of lament will turn to joy. Their grief is rooted in a series of traumatic events, such as the violent destruction of their beloved city Jerusalem and the forced displacement of family members. Yet, despite the severity of these tragedies, they will not have the final word. Instead, their lament will encounter the power of God’s healing joy.
The joy I speak of is not a fleeting emotion or a momentary burst of happiness brought on by happenstance, competition, or escapism. Drawing from the prophet’s words, “Sing, daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel, be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem,” we can imagine joy as a resilient force within our spiritual being, sustained by lifegiving restoration. Moreover, can this version of joy become a motivating force that drives us to make life-giving changes for others?
In this season of waiting, many long for the joy of restored bodies, families, and communities. May we not lose hope that God’s restorative joy will soon touch us, for as the prophet declares, “I will gather you... I will bring you home... I will restore your fortunes.”
Monday, December 16, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
The third Sunday of Advent is sometimes signified by the pink candle among the purple candles of the Advent wreath. This Sunday is known as the Advent Sunday of joy, of rejoicing. It is Gaudete Sunday, a title derived from the Latin word for the opening phrase of the old scriptural introit of the day: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4).
But how can we rejoice? Sometimes we rejoice in our circumstances, but joyful circumstances are not constant. Often, we feel weighed down, and today this seems truer than ever before. Of course, some among us rarely find reasons to rejoice because of life circumstances, while many of us struggle to rejoice because the suffering of people around the world is too great. Our hearts are heavy. Is it permissible to rejoice?
This Sunday’s texts, including the one from Zephaniah, focus on rejoicing. However, this rejoicing is connected to something other than what is right in front of us. The rejoicing announced by Zephaniah is tethered in the Lord’s work: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love” (Zephaniah 3:17). Here, rejoicing arises from remarkable reversals, from God’s victories over evil events and malevolent leaders: “I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. I will save the lame and gather the outcast” (Zephaniah 3:18-19).
Rejoicing is our response to God, who “Will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival” (Zephaniah 3:17-18). And so we observe Gaudete Sunday—not because we ignore the world’s terrors and evils, but because we are confident that these do not reflect God’s will or way. We rejoice because we trust that God will grant us victory.
“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love”
(Zephaniah 3:17)
Question for Reflection and Prayer
The Rev. Dr. Sarah
D. Allen Director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies
How have you seen the presence of the divine at work in your midst recently?
Prayer - God of Joy, we thank you for your steadfast presence in our lives.
As we prepare for the birth of Christ our Savior, renew us in your faithful love so that we may serve you with glad and joyful hearts. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Dr.
Rodney A.
Caruthers II Assistant Professor of New Testament
Yahweh’s relationship with the people of Israel is often depicted through relational imagery, frequently portrayed as Israel’s parent or spouse (Zeph. 3:14; Isa. 54:5). Rather than being viewed as a distant, impersonal, and indifferent deity, Yahweh is instead depicted as near, using familial terms, and actively involved in Israel’s concerns.
Yahweh’s concern for Israel is especially evident in Zephaniah’s prophecy, which centers on this relationship as the focal point of rejoicing. The historical context of Zephaniah 3:14-20 is disturbing. The religious and social climate of Jerusalem (Zion) had deteriorated to the point where the deeds of its officials, prophets, and priests were marked by corruption and unfaithfulness to the divine Torah (3:3–7). As a righteous judge, Yahweh offered the offenders an opportunity to relent, but they did not (3:5, 7). The corruption of the community leaders had a negative impact on the living conditions of those who desired to be Torah faithful (3:6).
Zephaniah’s prophecy addresses this dire situation for the Torah-adherent members of the Jerusalem community. Far from being unconcerned with their plight, Zephaniah declares that Yahweh will act on their behalf by removing those who are causing their suffering (3:11).
Zephaniah’s call to “rejoice” (śāmah) and “exult” ( ̒ālaz) is rooted in Yahweh’s personal care and concern for what the faithful are experiencing (3:14–15). Israel is to rejoice and take solace in Yahweh’s presence as their King and personal intervention on their behalf. Zephaniah gives the rationale for rejoicing by listing Yahweh’s future actions to restore the community’s fortunes. The prophecy also offers a vivid depiction of Yahweh’s affection for the Torah-faithful. He is portrayed as rejoicing (śûś) and exulting (gīyl) over them (3:17). The prophecy then takes an interesting turn by shifting from the third person to a more personal first-person voice (“I”), as if to further reassure the audience. It concludes with Yahweh proclaiming six actions He will take to reverse their condition and demonstrate His love: He will remove disaster, deal with oppressors, save the lame, gather outcasts, convert shame into praise, and restore their fortunes (3:18–20).
This prophecy serves as a comforting reminder that God is not oblivious to our cares or predicaments. Instead, our perspective can shift from despair to hopeful expectation. The prophecy confirms that God not only observes our dilemmas but also cares enough to intervene. For the faithful, there is further reassurance that God rejoices in their prosperity, whose name means “Yah treasures,” was perhaps the most fitting prophet to deliver a message about God’s personal favor for the faithful.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
Dr. Andrew Zirschky
Director of the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry program and Research Professor in Youth Ministry
In this passage, we witness a profound moment between Mary and Elizabeth, rich with implications for Christian education and youth ministry. Mary, a young teenager, embarked on a daunting 50-mile journey to Elizabeth’s home, likely seeking solace from the whispers and gossip in Nazareth. Elizabeth, much older and more experienced, serves as more than merely an advisor; she provides spiritual companionship and affirmation—a safe refuge for young Mary. Although Mary travels with divinity within her womb, her journey mirrors the paths that youth often tread today, seeking guidance, authenticity, and sanctuary away from societal judgments.
Mary’s courageous decision to seek out Elizabeth speaks volumes about the importance of finding wise mentors. While we recognize the vital role parents play in the lives and faith formation of young people, there is also an indisputable place for non-parental adults and caregivers. It is imperative Christians foster relationships and environments where young people feel safe to embark on their journeys of faith, confident that they will find support and wisdom along the way. This work isn’t solely for a few courageous youth leaders or “young guns”. It often falls to significantly older adults who have walked the path of faith for many years, bringing deep wisdom, life experience, and spiritual maturity to guide, mentor, and encourage.
As adults, it’s also our responsibility to recognize and affirm the sacred gifts in young people. The scripture shows us that Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, immediately blesses Mary, affirming her faith and the divine work within her. While Mary’s situation is unique, Elizabeth’s actions highlight our calling to recognize and celebrate the divine potential within each young person.
May we be those through whom youth find wisdom, experience the embrace of God, and receive affirmation in their faith. As Mary found comfort and blessing in Elizabeth’s presence, so may young people find through us the support and encouragement they need to flourish.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
Dr. William Greenway Jr. Professor of Philosophical Theology
“In those days, Mary…” It’s easy to overlook the gravity of this phrase. What days? Colonial days. Patriarchal days. “Those days” when a teenage girl realized she was poor, pregnant, and engaged to a man who wasn’t the biological father. Days of uncertainty, scorn, and the threat of abandonment. Days after “it” happened—historically, most likely a profoundly traumatic violation. In those crushing, devastating days, Mary hastened to visit Elizabeth, who had long been barren—long disgraced, long traumatized—but was now in isolation, joyful because she was finally pregnant. Not giddy joy, but the qualified, knowing joy of someone acquainted with affliction. A woman comforting another woman in those devastating days. How did the mother of John the Baptist counsel the mother of Jesus the Christ? With what witness, what
touch, what love? Evidently: powerfully, effectively, faithfully. This in no way diminishes Mary’s resilience. She wisely sought solidarity and remained an unbroken, loving, and beloved rock, even to the cross. The Gospel of Luke opens with a towering tribute to two women who overcame. To Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit.” To Mary, speaker of the transcendent “Magnificat.” Advent and Christmas can be full of giddy anticipation and fulfillment. Let’s not begrudge the innocent their giddy happiness (though we might worry over its fragility). But light-hearted giddiness can be a dagger to the heart of those struggling through their own “those days.”
Perhaps it helps to realize there was nothing easy or giddy about “those days” for Mary or Elizabeth. They are heroes of faith, though we may not all be heroes, because their trauma did not break their surrender to love. Despite their affliction, and buoyed by their mutual surrender to love for one another, Mary and Elizabeth raised sons who were consumed by love, exquisitely sensitive to suffering and injustice, and resilient enough to speak love to power, even unto death. Their lives were not carefree. Their joy was not giddy. But there was joy nonetheless, a resilient joy rooted in shared fidelity to divine love. This is the joy of Mary and Elizabeth, the qualified, knowing joy of Advent.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
Professor Eric Wall
Gene Alice Sherman Associate Professor of Sacred Music, Dean of the Chapel
Among the four gospel writers, Luke gives particular attention to Jesus and John before they reach adulthood. In Luke’s account, Jesus is a youth at the temple, ditching his parents, and both Jesus and John are children growing strong, even as babies being born. In this passage, Luke’s imagination is vivid, even in the womb, John is already responsive to the approach of Jesus. His mother, Elizabeth asks, “Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” She seems to anticipate the adult John, who, in Matthew’s gospel, says when Jesus comes to him for baptism, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Sometimes, carols capture Luke’s gauntlet of imagination more vividly than hymns. In The Cherry Tree Carol, Matthew’s Mary and Joseph talk and argue. Their conversation interrupted by Jesus speaking prophetically from the womb. Even closer to Luke’s story is another carol where Jesus sings from the womb: Tomorrow shall be my dancing day:
I would my true love did so chance to see the legend of my play, to call my true love to my dance.
Sing, O my love, O my love, my love, my love.
This have I done for my true love.
Is Luke’s blending of incarnation and imagination an invitation to us? Does it encourage us to do the same, to wonder what God might accomplish with flesh and blood, with the substance of creation? Do our hearts, minds, souls, and strength leap when they sense God among us?
Scan here to hear
Professor Wall play the music referenced in his remarks.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
If you have participated in an Evening Prayer service in a Lutheran, Episcopal, or Roman Catholic church, you have likely joined in saying or singing Mary’s song. This canticle—a scriptural song other than a psalm—is called the Magnificat, named after the first word in the Latin version of the text. While many of us hear these verses during Advent, Christians in prayer book traditions recite this canticle daily. Presbyterians and Methodists also include it in the daily prayer sections of their worship books. Eastern Christians sing this canticle at Morning Prayer, making it a daily devotion across various traditions. All of this highlights that Christians pray Mary’s song every day.
Another old church tradition frames the Magnificat in a special way from December 17th onward, using it as part of the O Antiphons, a set of verses used only during the last seven evenings of Advent. The O Antiphons are seven scriptural images of the coming Messiah (e.g., O Wisdom, O Root of Jesse, O Dayspring) sung antiphonally at Evening Prayer and paired with the verses of the Magnificat. Thus, every year just before Christmas, this great canticle of reversals is interwoven with names for the One who is to come.
May we, too, pray daily and with intensity. Like Mary and Elizabeth, let us wait for the dominion of God, for release from suffering, and for God’s transfiguring mercy here and now. O Wisdom! Scatter the proud! Fill the hungry with good things! Put down the mighty from their thrones! O Wisdom, evening comes. Turn all things toward you and order us in your ways, now and forever!
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
The Rev. Patricia Bonilla Instructor in Christian Education
Both Mary and Elizabeth were experiencing incredible and almost unbelievable miracles in their lives. Elizabeth, who had resigned herself to being a childless married woman, became pregnant at an advanced age. Mary, on the other hand, became pregnant as an unmarried adolescent girl. Who would believe them, let alone call them blessed among women? Yet, they could share their mutual joy and support one another through the awesome complexities accompanying these blessings.
No doubt, the blessings God bestowed upon these two extraordinary women filled them with excitement, but they also undoubtedly experienced some trepidation. They could share in the anticipation, apprehension, insecurity, and emotional rollercoaster that comes with pregnancy, including its moments of joy. This is a time when all emotions are heightened. All one can do is wait and pray for an uncomplicated pregnancy, a healthy delivery, and the medical care needed if something should go wrong. Mary and Elizabeth shared the experience of being with child; likewise, they shared the burdens of being women chosen by God to be instruments through whom perfect redemption would come into the world. The words Elizabeth exclaimed to Mary were exactly what Mary needed to hear to know she
was not alone in the responsibilities ahead as the mother of Christ. In response, Mary burst into song, proclaiming, “God who is mighty has done great things for me...” (Luke 1:48). May this Advent season be a time of expanding and extending our compassion and care to all who need support and encouragement. May we intentionally reach out to those who live unconventionally and carry heavy burdens.
Monday, December 23, 2024
Luke 1:39-45
The Rev. Theodore V. Foote Jr. Professor in the Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership
Young Mary, sensing that she is pregnant and remembering a recent encounter with a messenger from the Most High God, travels to visit her older cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband, Zachariah. Elizabeth is also pregnant, and when Mary approaches, Elizabeth’s unborn child stirs, turns, moves, even cartwheels!
Pregnancy, in both broad and specific terms, is a culturally and psychologically sensitive ‘land-mined stretch of ground,’ touching on issues of fertility and infertility, miscarriage, fetal abnormalities, self-image, and the innate desire to participate in procreation. Sensitivity to others’ feelings – often raw feelings – is a crucial component for positive community relationships.
These verses narrate Elizabeth’s joyful welcome of Mary and her anticipation of Mary’s pregnancy as a harbinger of the amazing yet vulnerable work God is doing in the realms of creation, history, and humanness. I am not Elizabeth or Mary, nor am I any woman who has conceived and is gestating a child. But years ago, someone said to me, ‘None of us are carrying fetus-Jesus, but we are all pregnant with God’s love for the world!’ And of course we are—wherever we are on life’s journey, every one of us.
In 1922, Carl Sandburg published ‘Rootabaga Stories: For People from 5 to 105.’ One of his many characters is the ‘Potato Face Blind Man,’ who sits on the sidewalk near the town’s post office with a sign pinned to his sleeve that reads, “I Am Blind Too.” When asked what the sign means, he replies, “People pass me by with eyes functioning to get them to some destination, but they see nothing important. They are my blind kin. So I wear this sign. “I Am Blind Too.”’ May God help us see what is important, including the realization that we too are pregnant with God’s love for the world!”
Question for Reflection and Prayer
The Rev. Dr. Sarah D. Allen
Director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies
In this passage, Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” What are some of the promises that God has fulfilled in your life? How have these fulfilled promises served as a blessing to you?
Fill us, Faithful God, with your Holy Spirit, so that our hearts leap with joy at the sound of your voice. Help us to trust in your promises and receive the blessings that come through your love. Amen.
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Luke 2: 1-20
The Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer Vice-president for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, The First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies
The words of Luke 2 transport many of us to a Charlie Brown Christmas, particularly Linus’s famous recitation of them. But Luke tells a grittier story, a story of Jesus’s birth in the borderlands.
The story begins in Rome with an imperial decree to increase tax collection and surveillance throughout Augustus’s vast empire. Worlds away in Galilee, on the eastern borderlands between the Roman and Parthian empires, a couple uproots themselves to travel to Jerusalem. While art often depicts them traveling with a donkey, it’s just as likely they walked the 90 miles uphill to Bethlehem. We don’t know exactly when they traveled. They may have left for Bethlehem months before Mary was due, but she was certainly already pregnant when they made their forced migration up to the mountains of Judea.
Can you imagine Mary’s frustration? Where was Gabriel now? Where was the God who would sweep down the mighty and scatter the proud?
Meanwhile, Luke tells us that there were shepherds living outside, so the Greek tells us. These were unhoused individuals living between civilization and wilderness. To these border-dwellers, God’s messenger appears. In their presence, God’s army acclaims God and declares God’s peace, a peace so different from Rome’s. These border-dwellers receive the news: Christ is born!
Only when she listens to the border-dwellers does Mary hear of God’s inbreaking once again. The shepherds arrive to find her swaddled son lying in a feeding trough for the family animals, in the antechamber of Joseph’s family home, the room that borders home and world. Here is a border-dwelling infant Messiah, born to people on the borders, and declared to border-dwellers!
To those far from the center of power, God declares: ‘For you is born this day a son, a savior, an anointed one, the Lord!’
“That is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
John 1:14
Denise Nance Pierce Chair of the Board of Trustees
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it… He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”
John 1: 1-5 and 11-14
Today, we celebrate and stand firm in our conviction that the Word became flesh and lived among us. The very Word who created us—and all things—came to live with us, showing us the way of love, truth, forgiveness, and reconciliation. For this Word, we give thanks. To this Word, we offer honor and praise. Through this Word, we encourage one another. May the presence and power of the Word bring peace to your heart and home today and ever more. Merry Christmas from the Austin Seminary Board of Trustees.
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Luke 2:22-40
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies
This scripture passage frames our reflections during the twelve days of Christmas. Christmas extends beyond December 25th – we live out its good news with joy and festivity until January 5th, only then to revel in another great feast of the church, the Day of Epiphany on January 6th. While much of the world celebrates Christmas primarily before and on Christmas Day, the church has kept it as a twelve-day feast, harkening back to ways that these holy days developed in the ancient liturgical centers of Rome and Alexandria. This text takes us forward to the fortieth day, recounting the rituals of presenting newborn males at the temple, the purification rites for the mother, and the offering of the poor, turtledoves. The narrative intensifies as we encounter the elder Simeon and the prophet Anna, and hear Simeon’s canticle, the Song of Simeon. Though Anna’s words are described but not reported, both Simeon and Anna announce the good news of this little child: the redemption of Israel and a revelation to the Gentiles.
In traditions that follow the prayer book, the Song of Simeon (known as the Nunc Dimittis from its opening words in Latin) is sung daily, a practice that dates back to the 4th century and is included in Evening Prayer and Compline services. Daily Christians sing of God’s redemption. Fittingly it is also included in funerals and memorial services: “Now you are dismissing your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29-30). This redemption is for all nations and for each one of us.
Let us observe the twelve days of Christmas, rejoicing in the One whom the elder Simeon held and whom the prophet Anna proclaimed, the One who holds us, and all creation, in peace, redemption, and salvation.
Friday, December 27, 2024 Luke 2:22-40
The Rev. Dr. Donghyun Jeong Assistant Professor of New Testament
In Luke, the infant Jesus and his parents are portrayed as law-abiding, devout Jews. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21; cf. Gen 17:12). After the time of purification, his parents brought him to Jerusalem for dedication (2:22-24). There, they encountered two exemplary Jews: Simeon, a righteous man (2:25-35), and Anna, a pious widow (2:36-38). After fulfilling “everything required by the law of the Lord” in Jerusalem (2:39), they returned home
to Galilee. This wasn’t just a one-time event; they brought Jesus to Jerusalem every year to observe Passover (2:41; cf. Exod 23:17; 34:23). Jesus and his parents embodied the values of a virtuous Jewish family, and as Jesus grew, the favor of God and people was upon him. (2:40, 52).
Luke does not simply suggest that God’s covenantal relationship with Israel has ended or been replaced by Christianity as a new “religion.” Rather, Jesus the Messiah fulfills Israel’s hopes, bringing God’s consolation for Israel (2:25) and being a light of revelation to the Gentiles (2:32). As Zechariah prophetically uttered (1:68), the redemption of Israel would come through Jesus (2:38; cf. 24:21).
At the same time, Luke tells us that the fulfillment of Israel’s hope would not happen in the ways some people expected (19:11; cf. Acts 1:6-8). The devout child Jesus challenged and surprised the teachers at the temple with his wisdom and boldness (2:46-47). In Simeon’s blessing, Jesus is paradoxically portrayed as a stumbling block or a litmus test, “destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel” (2:34).
Between Christmas and Epiphany, we hear this dual message. God, through Jesus Christ, affirms God’s faithfulness to previous promises but also challenges us to be true and attentive to how God is revealing Godself and transforming the world in new ways.
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Luke 2:22-40
Dr. David H. Jensen
Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology
This reading focuses on the testimony of two figures in Luke’s gospel: Anna and Simeon. Nowhere else in the New Testament are they mentioned, as they disappear from Luke’s narrative after meeting Jesus and his family. We read that Anna and Simeon are devout, spending much of their time in and around the temple, longing for Israel’s redemption. Beyond these few details, little is known about them. If there are “minor” characters in the gospel, these two certainly fit the description.
Yet, despite their limited presence, Anna and Simeon understand the significance of the young child Jesus. Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and breaks forth into song, declaring Jesus as light to the Gentiles and glory for Israel—a glory that will also bring pain, both for Jesus and his mother, Mary. Upon seeing Jesus, Anna praises God and begins to tell others who long for redemption about the child’s importance. These two characters might be the first proclaimers of the Gospel in Luke’s story. They understand Jesus even better than his own parents.
What makes Anna and Simeon stand out is that the major characters of the gospel—the disciples, religious leaders, and Roman powers—typically misunderstand Jesus. Some of them will even deny, betray, or crucify him. In Luke’s gospel, Anna and Simeon are the ones who get the story right..
Who do we listen to in our journey of discipleship? Is it only the “major” figures with authority and stature in the church and society? Or do we also attend to those we consider “minor” characters? Who have we ignored? Who do we need to listen to again as we follow the One who places outcasts and nobodies at the center of his story?
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Luke 2: 22-40
Professor Eric Wall
Gene Alice Sherman Associate Professor of Sacred Music, Dean of the Chapel
Age is a prominent topic in our civic, political, and cultural life. In Luke 2, we encounter Anna and Simeon. Anna is eighty-four years old and has a long-standing presence in the temple. Simeon is also presumably advanced in years. He is guided by the Spirit into the temple to meet the child Jesus and his parents. He offers words of blessing and prophecy, the “Song of Simeon,” which we often sing as a dismissal from worship, making it a threshold song for the life and work that await us.
I have a friend in North Carolina, a retired pastor who lives near a church conference center and is invariably present at worship, lectures, conferences, and conversations. He still talks about his ongoing interests and his latest research projects. At almost ninety years old, he continues to allow the Spirit to guide him into the church, much like Anna and Simeon. During a recent hymn-sing, he requested Hymn 307 from Glory to God: God of Grace and God of Glory. “We need to sing this hymn these days,” he said. He was right, and he still is. Although not an “Epiphany hymn,” it resonates with the themes of our time: “on thy people pour thy power…free our hearts…lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal… the gift of thy salvation…grant us wisdom, grant us courage.” It is a hymn of attentiveness, encouragement, ongoing strength, and revealed glory. Indeed, we need to sing it, along with all the songs the Spirit uses to guide and fill us, at every age and in every place.
Monday, December 30, 2024
Luke 2:22-40
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby
The W. C. Brown Professor of Theology
Scan here to hear Professor Wall play the music referenced in his remarks.
Simeon is a respected leader in the community, considered righteous, devout, and filled with the Spirit. He’s the kind who probably chaired the latest pastoral nominating committee or is secretly funding the sanctuary’s new air conditioning system. He’s confident, not only that he is right in his prophecies about Jesus but also that he is entitled to his private dispensation of them.
However, his know-it-all-ism, however bonefide, can irritate those of us who admire Mary, especially after the power of her magnificent words in Luke 1:46–56. I mean, who is he to tell her—the One whom all generations will call “Blessed”—that “a sword will pierce her soul”? By what right does he presume to inform Mary that her child—the one who will save their people from their sins—will be a force that stirs up conflict in Israel (v. 34)? Is he simply mansplaining something he’s been pondering since before she was even born?
Maybe. But notice this: In verses 34–35, Simeon speaks only to Mary. There’s a distinct and intentional shift in perspective from verse 33, where Mary stands beside her husband, both “amazed” by the words of this bewizened prophet. Then, Simeon turns to Mary and addresses her alone with all the soul-piercing revelations. He doesn’t speak to her as a woman ancillary to the man next to her, but as a fellow prophet—not as someone blindly amazed by the words spoken about her, but as someone pondering how prophecies about
Jesus reconcile with events like the flight into Egypt and Herod’s massacre of the firstborn sons.
In this more intimate exchange between Mary and Simeon, we see hints of the Magnificat seeping out the edges.. Mary mostly appears as society expects a woman to appear. But if we look closely, we witness a reversal of kingdoms. Mary—along with all who are downtrodden—is finally recognized by the prophet Simeon as a central player in God’s saving work.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Luke 2:22-40
Sean Watkins Associate Dean of Lifelong Learning
In 1949, Howard Thurman wrote a small but profound book titled Jesus and the Disinherited, where he interprets Jesus’ ministry through the lens of marginalized communities. Thurman argues that to truly understand our Lord’s message, we must recover three key aspects: Jesus was Jewish, born into a poor family, and lived under Roman oppression. His ethnicity, economic status, and social position are instrumental to either understanding—or misunderstanding—the gospel.
“Why is it that Christianity seems impotent to deal radically, and therefore effectively, with the issues of discrimination and injustice based on race, religion, and national origin? Is this impotence due to a betrayal of the genius of religion, or is it due to a basic weakness in the religion itself?” —Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited
As I write this in July 2024, the United States is deeply polarized on issues of race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, politics, and more. Like all of us, depending on your social and cultural context, you may find yourself in a position of power in some settings and on the margins in others. In Luke 2:22-40, we see people from different contexts united not by their comfort zones but by the Spirit’s leading. A poor Jewish family makes a pilgrimage with their newborn to honor religious laws. While they are there, a devout man, prompted by the Spirit, meets this family as they offer two pigeons. At the same time, a prophetic widow— remarkable in a patriarchal society—gives thanks to God and speaks to “all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
How often does the Spirit lead you to meet, worship with, and listen to people from contexts entirely different from your own? This Advent season, may we follow the example in Luke 2, inviting the Spirit to introduce us to people who, though different from us, love and worship Jesus just as we do.
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
Dr. William Greenway Jr. Professor of Philosophical Theology
Luke’s gospel was written around the year 90, several generations after Jesus lived, after Emperor Nero’s brutal persecution of Christians in 64—likely resulting in Paul’s death—and after the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 and Masada in 73. By this time, Jews and
Christians were beginning to be seen as distinct groups, both struggling to survive under Roman rule. By 90, anti-Jewish sentiment burned among some Christians. Luke, a Gentile Christian, pushes back against this by emphasizing Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness to the Torah—the circumcision, the sacrifice—and the witness of the Jewish prophets Simeon and Anna. For Luke, Jesus doesn’t negate the Torah; he fulfills it. But does this continuity still separate Christians from Jews, who reject Jesus as the Messiah? If the focus is strictly on doctrinal fidelity, the answer might be “yes.” But that’s never Luke’s main concern.
Consider John Wesley’s proclamation that grace comes through the life and death of Jesus, a temporal event with eternal meaning, such that this very grace was available even to Eve and Adam, to Abraham, Ruth, David, Isaiah, and Micah. Think of Luke’s Parable of the Good Samaritan: what is required? Prove neighbor, period. Who are the sheep? Any who feed, clothe, visit, and comfort others. For, as 1 John 4:7–8 reminds us, “Whoever does not love does not know God,” but “everyone who loves is born of God.” Belief, ritual, doctrine— these are important, but they are not the point. Even the “goats” may believe; after all, “even the demons believe—and shudder” (James 2:19). Faith is not belief. Faith is living in surrender to love. God is love. Jesus is God incarnate—a concrete manifestation of “love divine, all loves excelling.” This was true not only in Luke’s day but also in the days of Abram by the Euphrates, and in the days of those living by the Jordan, the Ganges, the Huang He, the Mississippi, the Amazon, and the Zambezi. Emmanuel—the awaited Love of Advent—is already spiritually omnipresent.
Celebrate rituals, develop doctrines—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Choctaw—as long as the point is love. Advent “waiting” is awakening to Emmanuel, the omnipresent Spirit of God with us. Prove yourself a neighbor: Awaken, rejoice, and hope!
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
Dr. Ángel J. Gallardo Assistant Professor of Church History
At the heart of the Christmas narrative, amid the joy and wonder of the newborn King, we find a poignant scene that illuminates the enduring nature of faith. In Luke 2:22-40, we meet Simeon and Anna, two elderly individuals who, guided by the Holy Spirit, eagerly awaited the Messiah’s arrival. Their unwavering faith and steadfast hope serve as a powerful reminder of the strength found in trusting God’s promises.
Simeon, a righteous and devout man, was promised by God that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Anointed. His life was marked by expectation, a constant yearning for the fulfillment of God’s word. When he entered the temple as Jesus was being presented, in keeping with Jewish custom, that long-awaited promise was fulfilled. Simeon recognized the infant in his arms as Israel’s long-awaited Savior.
In a moment of profound spiritual insight, Simeon exclaimed, “Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Simeon’s words echo a deep conviction at the heart of Christian faith. His life found its ultimate meaning in witnessing the fulfillment of God’s promise. After what must have seemed like an eternity of waiting, Simeon could finally conclude his life in peace, knowing his trust in God had panned out.
Anna, a widow and prophetess, also played a significant role in this sacred encounter. She had spent eighty-four years in the temple, serving God through fasting and prayer. Her life was characterized by spiritual discipline and deep devotion to Yahweh. Upon seeing the child Jesus, Anna immediately began proclaiming his arrival to all who were waiting for Jerusalem’s redemption, wasting no time in spreading the news of the Messiah’s arrival. The stories of Simeon and Anna offer valuable lessons about the enduring nature of faith. Their unwavering trust in God’s promises, despite the passage of time and the challenges they faced, serves as a powerful inspiration for believers today. Their lives remind us that faith is not a fleeting emotion but a disciplined life of service, sustained by a deep conviction in God’s faithfulness rather than our immediate circumstances.
In a world often marked by seasons of uncertainty and doubt, the example of Simeon and Anna provides a beacon of hope. Their unwavering faith in God’s promises reminds us that our ultimate fulfillment lies in Him. Like Simeon, we may yearn for the fulfillment of God’s plan in our own lives. Like Anna, we may dedicate ourselves to serving God with unwavering devotion. May their example encourage us to live with relentless hope, knowing that God’s promises are sure and His love endures forever.
Friday, January 3, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
Dr. Rodney A. Caruthers II Assistant Professor of New Testament
The narrative of Jesus’ presentation at the Jerusalem Temple contains intriguing historical and theological elements. Historically, it provides vivid imagery of first-century Torah practices for presenting a male child and illustrates the types of events that could occur during such an occasion (verses 22-24, 28, 34). The narrative also introduces interesting theological concepts. For instance, the Holy Spirit is described as resting on and guiding Simeon, a description that corresponds with those in the Hebrew Bible. However, it also raises questions about when the Holy Spirit arrives, the criteria for receiving it, and how it functions, especially compared to its reception in John and Acts (John 20:22; Acts 1:8).
The narrative includes several prominent figures: Simeon, Joseph, Mary, the child Jesus, and Anna the Prophet. Each character plays a key rhetorical role in confirming Jesus as Israel’s divinely promised Messiah (Christos). Jesus’ parents ensure that he fulfills Torah regulations by presenting him at the temple, while Simeon and Anna’s declarations serve as spiritual and prophetic witnesses to his messianic destiny to restore the kingdom of Israel (verses 25, 30, 38).
Although each character is significant, Simeon appears to be the most pivotal. His name, meaning ‘one who hears,’ reflects his role, and he is depicted as a righteous and devout man filled with the Holy Spirit. He takes center stage at Jesus’ temple presentation. Two details about Simeon particularly stand out: his resolute hope for the consolation of Israel and the revelation he received from the Holy Spirit about the Messiah (verses 25-26). The Spirit rests on him, reveals things to him, and guides him. He epitomizes a character whose life is divinely attuned, and his convictions, informed by the Holy Spirit, lead to his elation and praise of God. The narrative does not delve into Simeon’s daily struggles or how long he waited to see the Messiah. Instead, it emphasizes his unwavering ambition and how it comes to fruition.
Simeon’s conviction should remind us to consider what experiences in our lives inspire hope. What has been revealed or made clear to us? How often do we revisit these revelations, and
where do they rank on our daily to-do list ? Meditating on moments of divine clarity can rejuvenate one’s purpose and restore hope. Amid life’s emotional and mental fogs, episodes of divine clarity can serve as anchors, holding us steady and guiding us through turbulent times.
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
The Rev. Dr. Philip Helsel Associate Professor in the Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair in Pastoral Care
Few transitions are as momentous as the birth of a child, marked by traditions like a cherished baptismal gown passed down through generations and a shared meal. These traditions, along with the promises congregations make during baptism, underscore that raising children extends beyond the abilities of any one family. It requires the support of the community and a restatement of God’s promises.
Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple as faithful parents—a journey that would have taken them a week. As Howard Thurman notes, according to Levitical codes, their gifts indicated that they were among the poor in their society.
At the temple, they are met by eager faith sponsors, Simeon and Anna, who are spending their retirement as prophets. In this role, they are eagerly involved in their religious community, with an attitude of expectation and delight in how God continues to be involved in the world.
This willingness to stay involved in their religious life, coupled with their open expectation of God’s ongoing promises, is a fitting portrayal of many in the third act of life who are active in congregations. Because of their unique position, they are primary witnesses to God’s activity, what Luke Powery calls Spirit Speech, that speech which brings about what it says, pointing to how God’s reign is already starting to come. In that very moment, Simeon announces that God’s promises are being fulfilled in a distinctive way through Jesus. I only wish we had Anna’s words. Simeon describes how ‘salvation,’ understood holistically as peace, justice, and a right relationship with God, has begun in a distinctive way through Jesus’ presence. There is an uncertain note—a mention of a sword and the revelation of inner thoughts. We are left to wonder if Mary and Joseph pondered this as they made the week-long journey back to Nazareth.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
Dr. Andrew Zirschky Director of the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry program and Research Professor in Youth Ministry
In Luke 2:22-40, Mary and Joseph present their infant son in the temple, consecrating him to God. This moment, rich in tradition, echoes through time in our own practices of baptism and child dedication. But beneath the surface of this sacred act lies a deeper calling—one that we often overlook. The consecration of a child is not only about the child; it’s about the lifelong dedication of parents and the community to raise this child as holy, to guide them in the ways of faith in the Lord.
As it did for Mary and Joseph, this journey often begins with a joyful gathering; of family and friends celebrating this new life in the context of the religious community. Yet, the real work—arduous and unending—lies ahead. Parenting in faith is not a momentary act, but a continuous, sacred labor full of joys and sorrows.
In the case of Mary and Joseph, this journey begins somewhat differently as Simeon and Anna prophecy over their son. These prophecies reveal to these new parents a future filled with both glory and grief. Mary, blessed as the bearer of God, but also blessed in the common experience of motherhood, is reminded by Simeon that this includes struggle, strife, and suffering.
The struggle of bringing children into the world does not end at birth. Parenthood is perpetual labor—a dance of joy, pain, expectation, and fulfillment. As we dedicate our children to the Lord, let us also dedicate ourselves to this sacred task. As required of Mary and Joseph, let us trust that God is present in both the triumphs and the trials, using each moment to shape our children and hearts. May we, as a community, support one another in this sacred responsibility, recognizing that every step we take in raising children together as the Community of Christ is part of God’s greater purpose.
Monday, January 6, 2025
Luke 2:25-36
The Rev. Dr. Crystal E. Silva-McCormick Visiting Instructor in Evangelism and Missions
In this passage, Simeon serves as our guide. It explains that Simeon was waiting for “the consolation of Israel,” meaning he was waiting for the Messiah, God’s anointed one. As the Holy Spirit had revealed to him, Simeon was privileged to see the Messiah in the child Jesus before he died. Surprisingly, Simeon doesn’t simply express joy and relief. Instead, he offers some disconcerting news: this Messiah will cause strife and will himself endure suffering. Is this the consolation Simeon and others were waiting for? Is this the consolation we are waiting for? The gospel responds with an emphatic yes! This Advent, we are reminded that the birth of Jesus the Messiah ushers in Truth, the kind of truth that reveals the thoughts of our hearts and causes the mighty to fall and the last to be first. The world’s consolation comes to turn power structures upside down and lift the oppressed.
Simeon is telling us precisely who Jesus is and what the nature of his kin-dom will be. This is good news for Truth, justice, and the mending of the world. However, Simeon also warns that the Messiah is bad news for those who oppose this good news—for those who resist Truth, justice, and the world’s healing. As we journey through Christmastide in a profoundly broken world, may Simeon’s words remind us that we await the One who will bring Truth, justice, and the complete restoration of this broken world. May we continue to follow the One who brings joy and solace to the lowly. Amen.
This Advent,
we are reminded that the birth of Jesus the Messiah ushers in Truth, the kind of truth that reveals the thoughts of our hearts and causes the mighty to fall and the last to be first. The world’s consolation comes to turn power structures upside down and lift the oppressed.
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Ephesians 3:1-6
The Rev. Dr. José R. Irizarry President and Professor of Practical Theology
1This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Advent opens with the prophetic expectation that a child will be born and a son will be given to us. The historical events fulfilling this prophecy include a cast of rulers, parents, family members, and humble shepherds working in the fields. The narrative is incomplete without the presence of angelic beings and heavenly hosts. With such a range of characters highlighting the significance of this birth, a mystery remains unresolved: Who among these constitute this “us” for whom the incarnation of God takes place in history?
This question may seem readily answerable, but it should not be considered lightly, for it has been at the center of theological debates since the first century of the Christian era. From Jewish Christians seeking to adapt their traditions without losing their ethnic and religious identity, to today’s questions about the relationships between Christian faith and nationalism, the question of who is included in our excluded from the promise of Christ’s salvation remains contentious.
Attribution to this “us” gave the church a rationale to engage enterprises that sought to assimilate individuals and groups to the Christian faith and to determine the conditions of membership. Conquest, colonialism, forced conversions, and some forms of social segregation arose from the inability to acknowledge and resolve the mystery of God’s salvific act in Jesus. Driven by this exclusive framework, the Christian church overlooked the ways in which God’s revelation was made evident in the very cultures deemed “other.”
When faced with this question, Paul addressed the members of the emerging church to help them resolve the mystery. The child born in the concrete historical context of Jewish Palestine is also a son given to the Gentiles. The “us” for whom God became flesh is an all-inclusive reference to every other flesh, to every other creature that participates in Christ’s history of redemption. In Christ, God redeems those who work the fields in Palestine just as He redeems regal wisemen from faraway lands. The epiphanic experience is, in fact, the opening of a mystery. It is the resolution to an often-hidden secret: no individual or group can possess or co-opt the immensity of God’s grace, for it encompasses divine benevolence for all peoples and all of creation. Epiphany is a celebration of this revelation. No one lives on the outskirts of redemptive reach. God’s Grace is borderless.
Prayer: God with us, whose compassion is all-encompassing, be a constant presence in the lives of those who feel excluded from your Grace. Reveal to us the many ways we should embrace your people and welcome them to your community of belonging. In the name of Christ, our Redeemer, we pray. Amen.
Advent and Christmas Tide Greetings from the Board of Trustees of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Chair: Denise Nance Pierce (MATS ’11)
Lee Ardell
Thomas Christian Currie
James A. DeMent (MDiv’17)
Jill Duffield (DMin’13)
Britta Martin Dukes (MDiv’05)
Peg Falls-Corbitt (CIM’20)
Jackson Farrow Jr.
G. Archer Frierson
Jasiel Hernandez (MDiv ’18)
Cyril Hollingsworth (CIM’16)
Ora Houston
Dave Jensen (faculty representative)
Shawn Kang
John Kenney (CIM’20)
Keatan King
Steve LeBlanc
Steve Miller (MDiv’15)
Lisa Juica Perkins (MDiv’11)
Mark B. Ramsey
Stephen J. Rhoades
Sharon Risher (MDiv’07)
Pamela Rivera
Kenneth Snodgrass (MATS’16)
John Van Osdall
Michael Waschevski (DMin’03)
Sallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87)
Elizabeth Currie Williams
John Williams (MDiv ’87)
Rachel Wright
Shirley Zsohar
Trustees Emeriti
Cassandra Carr
Lyndon Olson
B.W. “Sonny” Payne
Max Sherman
Thank you for walking with us through the Borderlands this Advent season. May your 2025 be filled with Blessings.
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For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian- Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip people for ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources for the nurture of the church; to practice and promote critical theological thought and research; to engage a range of voices and perspectives within and beyond the life of the Seminary; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God’s people.
