Advent Devotional 4

Co-creation with God

By Andy Gilg

I love Advent because we are invited to hope for things that are not seen. I don’t mean hoping in an empty way that doesn’t involve work. I mean daring to hope for something through action. 

I believe that part of what makes Jesus so profound is that he showed an oppressed people how to hope for something more. The Jewish people were oppressed by a Roman occupation, and a religious system that had been co-opted by systems of power, through rules. He showed them (and us) that by naming the injustices, we can start to do the work of solving them. I see this work as getting to co-create with God.

I’m not saying people need to pull themselves by their bootstraps. Feeling like someone needs to do their own work to not be oppressed is a dangerous belief that isolates people. The work of co-creating with God is best done when it benefits others, and not ourselves.

Over the last year I have seen this through the work of In Our Backyard in Anchorage. (I am not affiliated with In Our Backyard beyond being a witness to the amazing work they are doing.) Through the work of a myriad of people, this ministry has gone from "something should be done about homelessness,” to an entity that has the power to transform lives from house-less to housed. The past, present, and future work done, for others on this project is nothing short of Hope.

If this this type of work does not come naturally to you, or even if it does, I invite you to pray this prayer:

Hey God,

Please show me ways to co-create with you for others to thrive.

Amen.

St. John member Andy Gilg is chair of our Finance Committee.

Advent Devotional 3

Finding hope in gratitude

By Carrie Gruhn

As the season of Advent begins, we reflect on the candle of hope. 

Advent, in my own experience, has been a time of preparation.  

Waiting. Watching.  Hoping.  Looking towards Jesus’ birth, and what God will do in the coming year. 

One of the songs in our hymnal is “Be Still My Soul.” 

During times of stress, anxiety, grief and worry, I find it is really hard to be still. 

It is really hard to wait. 

It is really hard to place my concerns with God 

      and leave those concerns with God. 

It’s also been difficult to hope. 

The second verse of the hymn says 

“Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; 

all now mysterious shall be bright at last.” 

There are so many things that shake my hope some days, 

And yet I remind myself that God is at work in my life. 

Those of us in overwhelming times can’t often see what is happening 

Yet God *is* with us. 

As we take steps in discipleship, or following God more closely, 

it is easier to keep our confidence in the truth of God’s word -  

that what is mysterious will become brighter in our understanding  

as we continue walking the path of faith. 

Gratitude helps me find glimmers of hope.  

I take time to make a small list each day. 

Remembering even the small things that I experience, 

   holding them as a flickering candle 

   letting the light grow 

   Helping hope feel renewed. 

Hope begins our month of anticipation.  

Waiting for the birth of the baby who becomes our Lord. 

May we find and renew our hope in the stories of the season 

In the songs we will sing 

And within our conversations with those around us 

Lord, we reflect on Hope today; the first of the five candles we’ll light this month. 

Help us feel confident in our hope, and aware of how you are working with us and through us. Renew and strengthen our hope, so we can joyfully share your light within our world.  Amen. 

St. John member Carrie Gruhn is a Certified Lay Servant and part of our youth group leadership team.

Advent Devotional 2

A Megadose of Hope

By Sed Charic

Luke 2:52 (NIV): "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and [people]."

I know that many of us can look at the world around us and find it hard to find hope. This is not too foreign a feeling for those who were living in Judea and Galilee at the time of Jesus' birth: they were under the control of an occupying power, their homeland was divided, and there was no temple (though it was under construction). They had plenty of reasons for despair.

Enter Jesus, who is introduced as a megadose of hope! See, in the early days of Israel the prophet Samuel was considered one of the great leaders of their nation, and was instrumental in helping them to turn back to the Lord and experience God's favor once again. In Luke's Gospel, we get very clear comparisons to Samuel that show us how much better Jesus is! With Samuel, there was one unexpected pregnancy (1 Samuel 1:1-20); with Jesus, there are two (Luke 1:5-25,26-38)! With Samuel, there's one song to celebrate this miracle (Hannah's song, 1 Samuel 2:1-10), but in Luke, two miracles means two songs: Mary's (Luke 1:46-55) and Zecharaiah's (Luke 1:68-79)! And this is just the start; if you have time, I highly recommend reading the first four chapters of 1 Samuel and then the first two chapters of Luke and see what jumps out to you (I'm confident the Spirit will aid you in this).

So what does all of this have to do with the verse at the beginning? Well, first off, if you suspect I'm grasping at straws, that verse is almost identical to 1 Samuel 2:26: "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people." Secondly - and just as important - as followers of Jesus, we are empowered to become more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit, which means we too can continue to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God! In a world where the church continues to strive towards this goal, that is a reason to hope because goodness will continue to increase. That increase may look (or be) inconsistent at times, but I firmly believe it is the key to God's will and kingdom being done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.

Lord, thank you for sending Your people - and us - a megadose of hope in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to grow in wisdom and stature and favor, so that we may use these attributes to influence those around us as a force for good in this world that you have entrusted to us. Amen

Sed Charic is a St. John member and plays in the worship band.

Advent Devotional 1

Digging deep for hope

By Betty Hertz

From Romans 15:12-13 (The Inclusive Bible)

12 and again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse is coming,

and will arise to rule over the nations,

and they will place their trust in the Coming One”

13 May the God of hope fill you with such peace and joy in your faith, that you may filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The first Advent candle is Hope. It is also known as the Prophet Candle. In the Old Testament prophets, like Isaiah, foretold the coming of the Messiah. For us the Hope candle represents our anticipation of the birth of Jesus and the hope He brings to the world.

Honestly, I have had to dig deep in my heart to feel hope recently. When I chose to write about hope, I know God chuckled because He knew my recent struggles. As I read Verse 13, I thought about the relationship between faith and hope. That led to asking if I am struggling with hope, am I also struggling with faith?

Of course, God decided I needed a refresher course on faith. I have given up counting the number of times I have needed that refresher! Do I have enough faith? Do I need more faith? Well God sent me an answer through The Kingdom Of The Poor by Charles Strobel. I read these words: “We do not need more faith. We need confidence in the faith we have.” As long as I allow the Holy Spirit to work within me my faith is restored and refreshed. I experience confident faith. With that faith, I have room to allow hope to grow.

Hymn of Promise (from UMH, p. 707) has anchored me when my faith has wavered, and everything has seemed hopeless. Verse 2 especially speaks to me:



“There's a song in every silence, seeking word and melody,

There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me

From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,

 Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.”

Ever Faithful God,

Thank you for your patience as I wander from your plans for me. You remind me that when I let your Son’s words and the Holy Spirit’s power work in me, I return to your path. My faith is restored, and I experience peace, joy and hope. In your beloved son’s name, Amen.

Betty Hertz is St. John Lay Leader and a Stephen Minister.

Where are You?

As Christians, we know that the gospel is literally the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ.  We know this cognitively and celebrate it weekly at church.  But, it’s easy to be distracted by chores, career, family, health, everything — so much so that the gospel barely skirts the edge of our minds.  God, in His mercy, knows life is hard and we are pulled in many directions, doing the best we can. But still, how can we live a more technicolor, high-def gospel life?

As much as we hate to acknowledge it, traumatic times in our lives can make God pop off the page, so to speak.  In our pain and desperation, we may dive deep spiritually, reaching-out to God for divine help.   

At the same time, it’s also easy to feel disconnected from God, questioning where He is when life goes sideways.  We can be reassured, though, that God is always with us, even when we don’t feel it.  The last sentence in the gospel of Matthew encourages us, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Chew on that a bit:  Jesus is ALWAYS with you.  Always!

For me, I need to rehearse the awesome beauty of the gospel, over and over — tumbling it around in my mind, sifting out ever more gemstones from its message, savoring the amazing truth that Jesus is the lover of my soul, of everyone’s soul.  

In my St. John UMC grief support group, Betty Hertz suggested that we journal our grief.  Thank you, Betty, for helping me along my path of healing.  I dedicate this poem to you.

Where are You?

By Karen Biggs

Jesus, where are You today

In my doomsday disarray?

Will You stay, I pray, or be away?

In the flurry, I hurry and worry,

My mouth turned down

In a heartache-heavy frown.

What do I do now

With that 1-2 punch-pow?

Jesus, where are You?

Getting ready for Your big debut

Seated in the heavenly-high

Like in another-dimensional sci-fi?

But I need You to meet me

Right here under the ash tree

Where I’m humbled in dust,

(A reminder to trust)

Sensibilities slipping into hoodoo,

Personal peace fluttering up the flue too.

I overhear that You aren’t here. 

Will my Dear ever appear?

Jesus, I want to find You,

The Way, the Life, the True,

In my splatter-shot still-life

Dripping with distress and strife.

Come save me, away me

Cast me a glance at least

A dash of Your love unleashed.

Any favor for me to savor

To bless my worn soul,

To make my half whole.

Jesus, come quickly.

The brambles are thickly

Obscuring and blurring

The Life-Love You’re stirring.

Bring courage and repairing,

Your caring forbearing.

Elevate my spirit —

Jesus be near it.

Jesus, You are here.

Enduring every sneer-jeer,

Emptied entirely for all,

Lashes, nails, and bitter gall

You pick up my pain

And bear the dark stain.

Now let me weep at your feet,

With my hair wipe complete.

Forgiveness, wholeness,

Aware of Your holiness,

Ever-present in my aloneness.

Jesus, in the quiet I find You

When I’m catawampus askew

Crying, cat-calling, craving You

Only You, only You will do.