Advent Reflections 2022

Week 3, Thursday December 15

“Stranded on a desert island”

Vs. 25:2, “Five bridesmaids were foolish and five were wise.”

During this back-to-school season, our youth have been walking through a series called “Youth Alpha” which is designed to excite and engage youth in conversations about faith. In this series, youth watch videos on certain topics and then engage in small group discussions with questions provided by the creators. One of these lessons was on the Bible, “why and how do I read it?” One of the questions was, “Imagine you are stranded on a desert island and you can only bring 3 things with you. What would they be?” All without exception said, “my cell phone.” I chuckled to myself because they failed to grasp that there wouldn’t be any electricity to charge it or wi-fi to promote a signal. Poor poor kids. 

The ultimate question here is what would you take for survival and it reminds me of the bridesmaids. Some recognized the need to be prepared, and others either failed to recognize that or were just too lazy to gather what they needed. Kind of like taking a cell phone without a way to charge it. It’s going to eventually give out and will no longer be good for anything except maybe to kindle a fire.

Five bridesmaids were foolish and five were wise. What separated the two groups? Oil? Beauty?..... Preparation! Jesus remains in a discourse with the disciples about being prepared for the coming kingdom. In other readings from this week’s gospel, he’s tried all these different approaches or examples to help them understand the only way to ensure you won’t miss it is to be prepared. Those who are wise will be ready and waiting when Jesus comes; those who are foolish may fail to prepare for the long haul or they may mistakenly think they can always rely on others. Like the bridesmaids, the wise - those who have prepared - will be admitted into the glorious kingdom, while the others will be shut out.

We might blame the wise for not sharing and in today’s culture, that would certainly be acceptable. But the point Jesus is making is not about being selfish, but each of us, having free will, has to make the choice of how we’re going to respond to this instruction. 

Weddings are so much fun! And we’ve all been invited to the wedding banquet. Let’s make sure our lamps are filled by attending Sunday worship, the wicks are trimmed by not getting ahead of ourselves while we wait for the second coming, and we have plenty of extra oil by being faithful in study and prayer. So when the doors to the wedding banquet are open, all we have to do is enter. Amen!

Week 3, Friday December 16

Psalm 40

“Music for my soul”

Vs 3: He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

       many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord.

In this 3rd week of Advent, we are over halfway through our time of waiting (in this season.) Week 3 is marked by a theme of joy and what better way to describe this time of joy than to have a “new song put in our mouths!” This reminds me that music was a powerful force in jump-starting my relationship with God. Songs like “How Great is Our God,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “Voice of Truth,” and many more. I was first introduced to Christian worship music as a young adult. It was through these songs that I learned that God wanted a personal relationship with me; that if I were in dark times, He would walk with me, comfort me, and never leave me; and that God is bigger than I can ever imagine. During an especially dark time in my life, God brought me music; just the right song with lyrics He knew I needed to hear at just the right time. And this helped me grow deeper in my walk with Him by understanding His perfect timing.

I spent a bit of time in my chaplaincy training at a mental health hospital. Because I remembered how music spoke to me in times of darkness, I looked for songs that might speak to these folks. So during chapel, we’d sing songs like: “Chain Breaker,” “Praise Before My Breakthrough,” and “Rescue.” It was really glorious to watch as God reached out to these broken and lost folks and lifted them up through music.

And we use music with our kids to help introduce them to and connect with God. Recalling those infamous VBS songs: “Father Abraham,” “Jesus Loves me,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and again the list goes on.

If you’re like me, one of the things we love about this time of year is the music. I could listen to Christmas songs for most of the year. Some of the seasonal songs are just for fun: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” But the songs I really cherish remind me of the birth of the Christ Child: “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Away in a Manger,” and “Mary, Did You Know.” Music permeates our souls. It lifts us up on high. Through this elevation, it’s easy to feel united with the triune God. Jesus walked this earth for a short time healing, teaching, and rebuking and He will come again to draw us all to Him never to be separated again. As we sing “Silent Night, Holy Night,” let us rejoice and take great comfort in knowing in time we will forever be with our Savior. Amen.