Advent Reflection

Thursday, December 17
In Human Form
Hebrews 10:5-7

The Bible quotes the Psalms a lot. Jesus quotes the Psalms, Paul quotes the Psalms, the Psalms quote other Psalms, and the writer of the book of Hebrews quotes the Psalms. This text from Hebrews 10 is a near-direct quote from Psalm 40:6-8. But there is an added piece that does not appear in the psalm. The added words are “but a body you have prepared for me.” This line is inserted by the writer of Hebrews to flag its meaning. The writer takes this ancient song of the people of God, a song that everyone in the Jewish tradition would have learned by heart as children, and makes it a confession of faith in Jesus Christ.

The fragment from Psalm 40, along with the extra line “but a body you have prepared for me,” is a clear reference to the incarnation of Christ. The text is making the confession that God has sent Christ, with a body, to do the will of God. An odd plan it is, according to all those people, both ancient and modern, who want to make faith something “spiritual.” A body is so, well, unspiritual. But Hebrews 10 makes it clear that it is in the life of the earthly, embodied Jesus Christ that God’s plan is fulfilled. This quote from the Psalms, with its added line of explanation, is a small Advent treasure, an affirmation of God’s plan fulfilled in the one for whom we wait during this season.

Prayer: Lord of all our seasons and times, we praise you because you came in human form like us. We look forward to when you will come again to make all things new. Amen.

–Leanne Van Dyk

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Wednesday, December 16
God’s Supreme Power
Luke 1:51-55

Daily we are witness to God’s presence as Creator–sunrises and sunsets, a newborn’s cry, the immensity of the universe, the beauty and complexity of the earth, the creative colors and designs of the seasons, and the miracles of healing. All the blessings and glories we experience and sense every day can easily move from the extraordinary to the ordinary, from the unexpected to the expected. In the daily rush of living, God, our Creator, the source of our every breath and our being, is given no more than a nod.

God moves with supreme power across the human landscape. Our God has the power to transform, to exalt and to humble, to bring down to the grave and to make alive. Upon the image of a hand with a child curled into the palm are the words “I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16). “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Let our hearts rejoice and magnify the Lord our God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are in reverent awe that you are the supreme source of our being and our breathing. Our hearts are full of deep gratitude that you do not forget us and that you are with us through Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

–Carole Hintz

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Lectionary Reading for this week

Lectionary Readings left out of this week’s bulletin

Scripture lessons for the week of December 14-20:

Monday:              Micah 5:2-5

Tuesday:       Luke 1:46-50

Wednesday:       Luke 1:51-55

Thursday:       Hebrews 10:5-7

Friday:              Hebrews 10:8-10

Saturday:       Luke 1:39-45

Sunday:              Fourth Sunday of Advent

Advent Reflection

Tuesday, December 15
Loving Shelter
Luke 1:46-50

After Mary said her famous “yes” to the angel, she headed for her cousin Elizabeth’s house. While she was there, according to Luke’s gospel, she burst forth with this song of praise, which has resonated for two thousand years, inspiring painters, poets, and musicians with its beauty and power. It’s a song that tells of a world upended by divine decree, with Mary’s unborn child at the center of it all. And then Luke tells us that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months.

I wonder if it is an accident that Mary’s song is tucked into this story of a visit between kinswomen, a long stay in a place of loving shelter. I wonder if Mary’s faith in the strange ways of God needed a place of safety and counsel in which to grow strong enough to sustain her life and the life of her child. I wonder how many seemingly insignificant households have given birth to astonishing visions of what God is really up to, despite the way things may appear.

Prayer: God, help us create for each other places of loving shelter and wisdom, that we might recognize the miracles now growing among us.

–Laurie Baron

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Monday, December 14
Humbly Called to Serve
Micah 5:2-5

I remember thinking it had to be one of the smallest churches I’d ever worshipped in–room for only sixty or seventy people in the pews, tops, and yet with plenty of good seats still available amongst the smattering of people there that Sunday. As I sang the last hymn and looked out the window onto a broad, windswept plain, I found myself wondering about the future of this place. In such a vast setting, in a world of huge issues, how does such a tiny congregation survive, let alone make a difference?

The hymn over, the benediction pronounced, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “You’re the visitor from the Reformed Church in America staff,” he said, extending a huge paw of a hand. “Just wanted you to know–this church saved my life. Bunch of others, too. Don’t let our size fool you.”

Whenever I find myself thinking that the world is too big, its problems just too enormous, I am reminded by that little church, one of the “little clans” of the RCA, that we are all called by the One who came from little Bethlehem–called to make a difference in our place in this vast world. And I am assured that, through Jesus, we can.

Prayer: Never let us despair, O Lord, of your gospel–humble in beginning, humble in character, yet able to change the world.

–Jeff Japinga

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Sunday, December 13: Third Sunday of Advent
Hope amidst Collapse
Zephaniah 3:14-17

Okay, it’s been a while since I read Zephaniah–is that before or after Zechariah? The book of Zephaniah is a power-packed three-and-a-half pages in my Bible, full of words of warning from a young royal prince-turned-prophet. Written 625 years before Jesus, it is full of warning about rebellious Jerusalem, the power of the evil empire Assyria, and the impending captivity of the people of Judah. Things were pretty bad. The whole nation was about to collapse. Zephaniah boldly makes such cheery pronouncements as, “Ah, soiled, defiled, oppressing city! It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the Lord; it has not drawn near to its God.” I believe the term used elsewhere is “stiff-necked people.” I recognize in this a description of our world in this Advent season of 2009.

Then, in the midst of this gloom and doom comes a rare word: “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!…You shall fear disaster no more…The Lord, your God, is in your midst…he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love.”

Our world–with its fears about climate, bickering politics, and “stiff-necked” pundits–sometimes seem to be on the verge of collapse. And truth be told, like the soon-to-be enslaved Hebrew people in Zephaniah’s time, our world might suffer great pain due to our own rebellion and short-sighted self-centeredness. So what could be a good word on this third Sunday of Advent?

The Lord will renew you in love! This love from the Lord, in this crying baby turned Redeemer, will outlast our rebellion, our stiff necks, the collapse of nations, and even climates. It is a kingdom coming in Jesus that shall overcome our sin. It will make new. It does give hope. It helps us be partners in the Lord’s reign as we seek personal, national, and international repentance. The Lord Jesus came just in the nick of time and reigns even now. The Lord’s kingdom shall have no end. And it’s almost here in Bethlehem!

Prayer: (Begin with quiet silence.) Lord Jesus, Creator and Sustainer, take away our fear. Give us hope. Bring peace. Turn us back to you. Amen.

–David Blauw

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Saturday, December 12
Good News?
Luke 3:15-18

My first reaction to this passage was to wonder what part of John’s message was “good news.” This picture of Christ coming in power, baptizing with fire, using his winnowing fork to clear out his threshing floor, and sending the chaff to unquenchable fire did not meld with my longing for peace and love to reign in the world.

But maybe we need God to do a clean sweep in order to bring about the peace and the love we long for. How else can we get rid of the useless parts of our lives and gather the valuable parts safely into the granary? It will take the power of God to root out the greed, pride, and misuse of power that inhibits us from living at peace with each other. Are we longing for such a Messiah?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, come to us anew to cleanse our lives of the unnecessary and fill us with the joy of your presence. Amen.

–Judith Boogaart

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Friday, December 11
Called to Selflessness
Luke 3:7-14

John the Baptist is “preparing the way” for Jesus’ mission on earth. Along with sharing the good news about salvation, he also challenges people’s perceptions about who they are, how they fit into society, and what rules they should follow.

John breaks down barriers among people, telling them that the importance of their ancestors’ place in society doesn’t matter to God. The way we live out our faith is what matters: we are called to be selfless and fair, we are not to seek advantages for ourselves, and we are to be satisfied with enough.

Advent is, by tradition, a time of generosity and giving. Reading this passage at this time suggests that it’s also a time to recommit ourselves as Christians. In this time of beginnings, we can be challenged, along with John the Baptist’s audience, in our thinking about how God wants us to live compassionately in our world.

Prayer: Lord, help us to bear good fruit. Give us courage to see ourselves as you see us, to live with justice, and to recognize “enough.” Sustain us as we work to live out your compassion in our communities.

–Lois Maassen

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Thursday, December 10
Waiting in the Face of Uncertainty
Philippians 4:4-7

Advent is a season of waiting expectantly for the good news of Christ’s coming. But this year it seems more like waiting for the other shoe to drop. The headlines can easily eclipse our hope: escalating war and violence, rising unemployment, increasing poverty, mounting pollution, and growing divisions among us. As we work and pray for peace and justice in the world, we wonder how much longer we can wait.

Into these times of change and uncertainty come the words of an apostle who knew a thing or two about unforeseeable futures: “Do not worry about anything,” Paul writes. “Rejoice.” Then, in case we missed it the first time, “again I will say, Rejoice.” The joy he speaks about is not mere cheerfulness or a false sense of optimism in the face of troubling times. It is something deeper and more lasting.

“The Lord is near,” Paul writes to remind us in this Advent season that God is still creating life out of chaos and death. In Jesus, the reign of God was inaugurated. We live and work within that reign even as we look forward to the day of its completion. Though the results may not be evident to us, we have faith that God is at work in the world, moving us and all creation toward a future full of hope. We are not alone. In that we can rejoice.

Prayer: Creator God, we give thanks and praise for the gift of your presence that comes to us in Christ Jesus. Grant us faith and courage that we might do our part to bring about the reign of God here on earth even as we await the day of its completion. Amen.

–Beverly Zell

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”

Advent Reflection

Wednesday, December 9
Celebrating the Little Things
Isaiah 12:2-6

The season of Advent brings about different thoughts and emotions for different people. In today’s challenging economic times, it may be difficult to embrace the joy found in this holy season, even as we anticipate the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In these most challenging of times–whether the challenge is financial or other–this passage from Isaiah gives us reason to hope, to let go of our worries for a while, and to find joy, even in the depth of uncertainty and pain. There is good news and there are reasons to celebrate! Look in everyday or unexpected places–a hug from a child, early morning birdsong in late fall, the first snowflake resting on an evergreen, a smile from a stranger, a win for your team, a hot cup of tea, a can’t-put-it-down novel, a change in season…there are so many things, large and small, to celebrate.

Let this Advent time be a space where you can reflect and find reasons to “shout aloud and sing for joy.” Soon we will celebrate the birth of the One who makes all things possible–and this is the ultimate source of hope and joy for us all!

Prayer: Dear God who knows our innermost struggles and pain, please guide us to find joy, peace, and hope during this Advent season and beyond. Lead us to a place where we can celebrate the little things that we might ordinarily take for granted. May they be a source of joy, allowing us to release our worries, giving them up to you. May we feel a deepening sense of peace in our hearts as we anticipate the celebration of the birth of your Son, and everything that Jesus’ birth means for our lives. Amen.

–Kimberly McGraw

Daily readings for the season of Advent, written by members of Hope Church in Holland, Michigan

Art by Kari Miller Fenwood, “Studies of Advent Sculpture 2008 for Hope Church, Holland, MI”