Advent Devotional 20

Joy, a drop at a time

1 Peter 1:8-9

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

By Tess Vandiver

I have a unique relationship with water. This started from a young age, partnered with a few unfortunate events and (voila!) I have developed a deep respect for the vastness of this liquid that covers approximately 71% of the earth. While my swimming skills will do absolutely nothing for me in the event of a flood, I ironically still find that I feel like my best self when I am by the water. Whether I am next to the ocean, feeling the waves rise and fall from the comfort of a boat, or simply listening to the sound of the rain, a sigh of contentment is always coupled with the closeness of water.

Water comes in so many variations in Alaska. In the summer, I see pearls of water pool up in beads on our trampoline. With each jump, the droplets fly into the sky only to drop back down onto the tightly woven polypropylene, ready to burst again with each bounce. Dew is nestled in between the petals of flowers and the waves crash effortlessly onto all those flat rocks that were so conveniently placed there for an avid rock painter to stumble upon. When the weather cools down and the water freezes, we are blessed with ice to skate on, snow to ski and sled, and hoarfrost coating the branches of the trees in the mornings. If I want to find water, I don’t have to travel far in any direction to find it. At times I find it difficult to even wrap my mind around how water can sneak into so many spaces and with so many identities.  

Joy is quite a bit like water. Sometimes it can come in neat, little packages labeled “joy” and you instantly recognize it for what it is. Those moments are filled with clarity, like watching your kid’s eyes light up with the magic of Christmas morning or pouring yourself a glass of water when your mouth is particularly parched. Other times it maneuvers itself into the darkest corners of life, and when it presents itself, it can be difficult to notice, let alone embrace. These are the moments tucked into the busyness of life, like the fleeting condensation that escapes your mouth on a cold day. If you blink at just the right moment, you might miss it. Whichever way joy appears in your life, with intentionality and faith, I remind myself that it can always be found.

Dear Lord, 

Help us look towards the light even when it is hard to see, to trust your plan, and to remember that true joy comes from knowing you.

Tess Vandiver is a St. John member and helps with the Mini-Methodists (M&Ms).

Advent Devotional 19

Joy is the fruit(cake) of the Spirit

By Lisa Wells

There’s a comical holiday commercial where it is revealed that there is really only ONE fruitcake.  That fruitcake gets wrapped up and sent as a gift, and the recipient repackages it and re-gifts it to the next person, who then does the same, and eventually the fruitcake makes it back to the original household.

As I read various Bible verses about joy, I was struck by how the gift of joy is offered with a promise.  That just like the gift of the Holy Spirit, God has given a gift that cannot be taken away from us.  Joy cannot be taken from us any more than the Holy Spirit dwelling in us can be taken from us.  And the more we spread joy, the more joy finds its way back to us.

Just prior Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus assures his disciples, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:22). 

During that same conversation Jesus announced to his disciples the promise of the coming Holy Spirit, (or “Counselor”).  The Holy Spirit is God’s very presence abiding in us.  One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22), and as we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, we too produce the fruits of the Spirit.  Biblical joy is accessible to us no matter what is happening in the world around us, because we don’t have to come up with it on our own, it is found in having a relationship with God.  God provides the joy.  We receive that joy, and send the fruit(cake) of joy back out into the world.

Prayer:

True lasting joy can be found in abiding with you, Lord.  Help us to be vessels of your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,  and self-control; sending out these fruits of the Spirit into the world through us.

St. John member Lisa Wells is a Certified Lay Servant and plays in the handbell choir.

Advent Devotional 18

Finding Joy in Our Love

By Sara Risi

“Did you know you were pregnant with twins?” the ultrasound technician asked. I began to laugh while my husband seemed to go into a state of shock. We had 3 ultrasounds prior to this that showed one baby, and yet here we were in a dark room learning that there were indeed two babies instead of one.

Storytelling is a great source of joy for me, and this is one of my favorite stories to tell, and when I think about joy I often think of my children. They are my greatest sources of joy, but that day in that room there was a lot of fear there as well. We had been hoping for a child for so long and we had found so much peace that we were finally pregnant. It was quite the shock to learn that we would be welcoming two instead of one.

Luke 2:9-11 Then the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Much like my husband's shock at the news from the ultrasound tech, I imagine that the shepherds in the field were in even more shock and fear at the sight of the angel proclaiming the birth of our Savior. Yet the angel was right that they were getting good news and great joy for all the people.

It can be easy to let fear take over when we are in situations where we don’t have all of the information or know what will unfold, but Christ is indeed good news for us, and trusting in Him will often lead us to the greatest joys of our life.

Dear Lord,

Help us to find joy in all circumstances, and to trust in you when joy is hard to find. 

St. John member Sara Risi is leader of our Mini-Methodists (M&Ms) and vice chair of Church Council.

Advent Devotional 17

Where is the Joy?

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  - Luke 2:10-11

By Gail Skurla

Many Decembers ago, I was driving my young son and daughter to school. They were sitting behind me in our minivan in their car seats, and in the rearview mirror I could see them whispering and smiling conspiratorially. "What's up?" I asked suspiciously. One of them said, "Do you know what we're going to ask Santa for, Mom?” (dramatic pause) “A BABY!"

They were thrilled with their plan to expand our family via chimney delivery, and I still laugh at this memory. It brings me a lot of joy.

Finding joy in the Advent season can be tricky. It’s such a mashup of consumerism, Santa, expectations and holiday to-do’s, it's hard to keep our eye on the prize: celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s also a time of year when so many of us wrestle with stress, heartache, grief, loneliness or other heaviness. Where is the joy?

Despite being a lifelong Alaskan (or maybe because of that), I feel overwhelmed by winter's darkness more and more every year. To get through these dark months, I’ve been intentional in trying to find joy - and it really helps! I make little mental lists throughout the day of what makes me happy and grateful: a hot shower, a soft bed and my uncool but trusty minivan. Joy from delicious hot toast for “second breakfast” ever since Pastor Andy bought a toaster oven for the staff kitchen (I kid you not, this has been amazing). Joy from surprising a stranger at the grocery store with a smile. Joy in the silhouette of the Chugach range. Joy from witnessing daily the incredible passion for outreach and open arms by members of this church. 

In the midst of these little joys, I try to remember bigger, deeper ones. Every Christmas, we are offered the gift of celebrating the birth of baby Jesus. Now, all babies are miracles, right? Watching a little life unfold day by day is one of humankind’s mysteries: who is this person, and who will they become? But with the birth of Jesus, we KNOW what we're getting. He’s a collective miracle for all of us, with the bonus of no sleepless nights or diapers! Every year we get to unwrap this amazing gift - a Messiah of hope, peace, joy and love. That makes me joyful in this season of darkness, with the promise of Christmas Day and a baby. And no chimney delivery from Santa is necessary.

Dear God, thank you for our joys in this world, no matter how big or small.  Amen.

St. John member Gail Skurla is the church office manager.

Advent Devotional 16

Finding Joy in Our Love

By Kathy Pefley

Everyone knows that the Christmas season is supposed to be joyful. Decorations, lights, great food, gift giving (and receiving), anticipating the looks on children’s faces as they greet Santa at the mall … all these things are supposed to contribute to an overwhelming sense of joy during these very busy days leading up to the grand finale of Christmas morning. But for many of us, what we feel is an overwhelming sense of overcommitment, overspending, unmet expectations, and looming stress of not enough time, not enough money, and surely - not enough joy.

Let us remind ourselves (sometimes many times a day) not to confuse joy with pleasure, happiness, or success (whatever that means to you). If we seek a quiet moment and turn our focus inward toward the Holy Spirit inside us, we may feel a quiet murmur of anticipation that has nothing to do with the outward trappings of the holiday season, and everything to do with the glad tiding of great joy - for Behold unto us is born this day a Savior which is Christ the Lord!  And He does not look for how beautifully we decorate our homes or how lavish the gifts are that we purchase or make for our loved ones. He would rather rejoice in how we have prepared a place for him in our hearts when there was no room for him at the inn for his birth. And He is more pleased with our gifts of prayer, time, and effort toward loving our neighbors.

Lots of times I feel like I have failed to give my children and grandchildren the Christmas memories I have from my past of cookie baking, sledding, and perfect Christmas celebrations. Then I remember that the littles in my life know that Papa’s big ask at Christmas is for the family to attend Christmas Eve services together.  Let them enjoy and build memories of other Christmas traditions with other extended family (the other Grandma is way more put together when it comes to holiday stuff). I will try to demonstrate that we need to find joy in the love we have for each other, and the love we show those who may be unloved by others in the world, and most importantly by the love God showed by sending his son as a little baby to grow up to die for us - who were powerless in our sin. 

Father God, prepare our hearts to receive the gift of your son Jesus freshly this Christmas. Let us feel your joy of new birth, and hope for the future. Use us to spread your joy to a hurting, fearful world. Amen.

St. John member Kathy Pefley sings in the worship band and is a Biblemania leader.