Friendship...John 15:13-15

This week I have been wrestling with friendship...what it means to be a friend and how it affects my friendships. One of today's lectionary readings is from John 15:9-17.  In this passage, Jesus does not call his disciples servants, he calls them friends.  He tells them that the greatest love you can give a friend is to lay down your life for them -- an obvious foreshadowing of the sacrifice that Jesus will make for all of us.  Because Jesus has shared what he has learned from God with us, we can be called his friend.  Over a month ago, I selected the anthem that our choir sang today -- "What A Friend!" by Don Besig & Nancy Price.  This has been one of my favorite anthems for over 20 years.  It incorporates the hymn "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" with an original text:  "When you feel discouraged, when you're lost and alone, ask the Lord to help you.  He will claim you as His own.  If you need to find an answer, he will hear your silent prayer.  Anywhere life leads you, you will find Him always there."  Little did I know when I picked this anthem how significant the words of this anthem and the text of this scripture would be for me this week.

According to my Facebook page, I have over 500 "friends."  Are they truly friends or are they just acquaintances that I have passing relationships with or are "friendly" with?  So what's my criteria for calling someone a friend?  To be honest, it's probably NOT whether they love others, but whether they love me and I can find it in myself to love them in return.  The dictionary defines a friend as a person who you like and enjoy being with, a person attached to you by affection or esteem, a favored companion.  I can count on one hand the number of true friends that I have -- those that understand where I've come from, believe in where I am going in my life, accept me for who I am, and can remind me of who I am and why I am their friend.  Unfortunately, most of these friends are miles away from me and I don't get to see them very often.  I don't get to look into their eyes and see the genuine friendship that we share or hear their voice and the joy they have when they are with me.  The rest of those 500+ friends?  I have to accept the fact that they are just acquaintances who I have a friendly relationship with.  But to those who I truly count as friends, I feel that I have not lived up to the true meaning of a friend.  I have not been a good listener, I have not made them a priority in my life, and I have not reciprocated their friendship to me.  I can truly say that I have been discouraged and, yes, felt alone this week.  And I have been on my knees on numerous occasions this week asking the Lord for help.  And as always, I struggle with surrendering my needs to God.  But today's promise from Jesus that he laid down his life for me, that he will always love me, and that he will always be my friend gives me the hope I need to become a better friend.  

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

 

Sunday, January 18, 2015 - "Here I Am, Lord"

The Old Testament Lectionary reading for the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany is 1 Samuel 3:1-10 -- the story of Samuel and Eli.  We know that it took three times for the Lord to call Samuel's name before he finally responded to the Lord and told him he was listening.  And it was Eli's discernment that helped direct Samuel to listen to the Lord.

For several years, I have been wanting to do a scriptural dramatization in word and song to this passage from Samuel.  This dramatization can only be done this particular Sunday during this particular Lectionary year.  And the song that is used for this purpose is "Waiting" by Pepper Choplin.  I heard about this resource when I attended a reading session that was led by Pepper.  He had mentioned using "Waiting" for the 1 Samuel 3 passage.  It includes added interludes and some changes in words, but is easily done with a little practice and flexibility.  You can find the script on Pepper's website.  Just look for "Waiting" under his "anthems in print" section.

December 25, 2014 Devotional Blog - Celebrate

Today's reading from the LEC Family Advent Devotional is Luke 2:21-38 -- the naming of Jesus and the Song of Simeon.

There are two parts to this story.  The first part is the Jewish ritual that Mary and Joseph followed by taking Jesus to the temple when he was 8 days old to have him circumcised and to name him.  And Mary and Jesus also had to be purified.  We already know that his name will be Jesus.  This part of the story speaks to the responsibilities of Mary and Joseph as parents to Jesus.  The second part of the story is the Song of Simeon.  Simeon was a devout man and was told that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.  Simeon had waited a long time for this day to come, and it had finally happened.  When Mary & Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple, Simeon took the child and praised God saying, “Sovereign 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.”  Mary & Joseph marveled at what he said.  There are three applications that we can take from this part of this passage:  be faithful, be focused, and God's plans for us are good and will be revealed to us in His timing.

Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis) 

by Alexander Gretchaninoff with English lyrics adapted by N. Lindsay Norden

sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

December 24, 2014, Advent Devotional - Light

Today's reading from the LEC Family Advent Devotional is John 1:4 -- In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

We can all probably remember as a child ourselves or our own children being afraid of their shadow.  We're afraid when someone steps on our shadow.  Even Peter Pan had a problem with his shadow.  Today's devotional writer reminds us that the light that John refers to is not just any light.  It's God's light.  And God's light can do what no other light can do -- God's light doesn't create shadows.  Tonight I am singing "I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light" during our Christmas Eve service.  May the prayer from today's devotional be your prayer as you celebrate that wondrous event in a little town called Bethlehem so many years ago -- Dear God, thank you for the light of Jesus, which shines through my obstructions and gives me a hope that will not fade, a peace that will not be understood, a love that will not let me go, and a joy that will not create shadows. Amen.

I Want to Walk As A Child of the Light sung by the Concordia Choir

Today's Advent Photo of the Day

#light #pictureadvent

Today I am sharing a picture of my daughter's.  Every year they bake a "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cake, light the candles, blow them out, and celebrate Jesus' birthday.  Today's devotional suggests that families bake a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake just like this one and remember who the real light of the world is -- and that's Jesus Christ.  So tonight as the Christ Candle is lit during your Christmas Eve service, say a silent "happy birthday, Jesus" and make a wish that the whole world will know the Light of the world.

December 23, 2014 Advent Devotional - Gifts

 

Today's reading from the LEC Family Advent Devotional is Matthew 2:1-12 -- the story of the Magi.

On coming to the house, 

they saw the child with his mother Mary, 

and they bowed down and worshiped him. 

Then they opened their treasures and presented him 

with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Today's devotional is about gifts.  We know the symbolism of the three gifts that the Kings brought --  gold, a symbol for kingship on earth; frankincense, a symbol for deity; and myrrh, a symbol for death.  While we tend to focus on these physical gifts that the Kings brought, the real gift that they brought was the personal worship that they gave to the baby Jesus - giving of themselves, their time, their treasure, and their honor.

Their is a story by Frederick Thury, "The Last Straw," that I have used for a Children's Choir Christmas Program.  I just love this story!  It's about an old camel named Hoshmakaka.  Because he was old and wise, he was picked to accompany the wise men to follow the star and find the baby Jesus.  All along the trip, people stopped Hoshmakaka and asked him to bring a gift for them to the baby.  They loaded their gifts on Hoshmakaka's back, and it became harder and harder for him to travel.  As they approached their final destination, a little boy stopped the camel.  He told him that he didn't have much to give him but that he did have a piece of straw.  He asked Hoshmakaka if he would give the baby the piece of straw to soften his bed.  Even though Hoshmakaka was tired and his back was aching, he agreed.  When they finally arrived at the place where the baby was born, he was so tired by the burden on his back that he fell to his knees in exhaustion.  The kings that were traveling with him saw that Hoshmakaka had fallen to his knees and said "if the wise, old Hoshmakaka kneels before the baby, then we too must kneel before him and worship him."  During the entire trip, Hoshmakaka had grumbled and felt terribly imposed upon that these people were asking him to deliver their gifts.  But when they arrived and he had fallen to his knees from the weight of his burden, he looked up and saw the smiling face of the baby Jesus.  At that moment, Hoshmakaka realized how important his journey had been.  Even though that final piece of straw that the little boy gave Hosmakaka was the straw "that broke the camel's back," Hosmakaka learned a valuable lesson about humility.

Today my daughter had the following conversation with my granddaughter:

My daughter: "St. Nicholas was the first Santa Claus."
My Granddaughter: "No, Jesus was."
My daughter: "You're right, he gives the best gifts."
My Granddaughter: "Yes, love."

During these last few days before Christmas, we often feel overwhelmed by what we have left to do.  Maybe you feel as far away from Christmas as those Magi had to travel to see the child.  As my granddaughter reminded us all, the important thing to remember is that we have already received the best gift -- and that gift is Jesus Christ and His love.  Just as the wise men fell to their knees and worshiped the child, may this be your prayer:  "I will answer God's call to fall on my knees in humility and seek His face in repentance so that He might forgive my sins."

Today's Advent Photo of the Day

#gifts #pictureadvent

This is a picture of a stained glass window at St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Galway, Ireland.  It depicts the wise men visiting the baby Jesus.

December 23, 2014 - O Antiphon - Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Savior.  Come and save us, O Lord our God.

 

Today marks the last antiphon.  Our expectation now finds joy in the fulfillment of the prophesy that is now at hand.  By calling Jesus "Emmanuel," we use one of the most personal and intimate titles -- God with us.  His birth reminds us that he came to earth in flesh and human nature.  But he is also our king, our judge, and the one we honor and obey.  He is our Savior -- long-expected by all of creation.  The final cry of today's antiphon shows us the urgency of our need for salvation and forgiveness of our sins.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to Thee, O Israel.

December 22, 2014 - O Antiphon - King of Nations

O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one.  Come, and save man whom you fashioned out of clay.

This sixth antiphon clearly addresses the savior as the king of the gentiles and the desired one of the nations.  The messiah is the cornerstone and this cornerstone unites Jews and gentiles into one, making peace between them.  The final plea is that God save all of humanity, all of his creations that he formed from the clay of the earth and to breathe new life into them.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to Thee, O Israel.