Advent Reflections 2022

Week 4, Monday December 19

Luke 1:1-25

“Let not our lips keep silence”

We have a lot of fun telling the story of the day our second daughter was born. I was scheduled to have a c-section and on the way to the hospital, my husband and older daughter being hungry drove through Taco Bell to get some lunch.  I was starving as I had been instructed not to eat or drink anything since I would be going into surgery at about 5:00 that afternoon.  I thought that was cruel to have to ride to the hospital ready to deliver our second child with the aroma of tacos wafting through our car.

We all love to hear the story of… “Momma, tell us the story of how you and daddy met.” Or “Grandpa I want to hear the story of when you delivered the baby calf in the middle of a snowstorm.” Recalling these stories reminds us of special times and what came afterward. Me and my brother were born as a result of momma and daddy meeting and falling in love. The calf that struggled to survive that winter’s eve ended up winning grand champion at the state fair.

This is the story of the message the angel brought to Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son. But the news was much grander than just having a baby in their old age. Similar to the message Mary received, the angel told Zechariah what they would name their son. The name John derived from the Hebrew Yohanan, means “graced by God.” 

Their son would “be great in the sight of the Lord; before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit; he will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God; he will be filled with the spirit and power of Elijah; and he will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

The birth of John the Baptist was foretold by the prophets, Isaiah and Malachi.  “A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Is 40:3)  “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me.” (Mal 3:1)

During Advent, this story serves as a special reminder. Prepare for the Lord! The angel brought the news of the birth of John the Baptist and John brought the Israelites the news of the coming Messiah. Let not our lips keep silence as we ready our hearts and once again join John in his cry to prepare the way of the Lord. Amen!

Week 4, Tuesday December 20

1 Sam 2:1b-10

This week’s readings are full of conception and birth narratives followed by songs of praise for God’s profound goodness, glory, and might: Monday’s gospel passage had the angel visiting Zechariah to announce that Elizabeth would conceive a child in her old age and he would be named John; today’s readings contain Hannah’s prayer after dedicating her son Samuel to the Lord and the gospel recounts the sacred event of the angel visiting Mary with the news that she had found favor with the Lord; Wednesday’s gospel continues with Mary’s song of praise after visiting Elizabeth; Thursday and Friday we will read about the birth of John the Baptist and Zechariah’s prophecy about John’s ministry, and we end the week with the news of the birth of our Savior.
Celebrating the news of a pending birth is commonplace around the world. Talk of names and hopes and dreams for children yet to be met are part of the excitement as eager parents wait. We don’t find any of these practices in our lessons for this week. From even before conception, Hannah promised her son to the service of the Lord and named him accordingly. In Hebrew, Samuel means, “God has heard.” Elizabeth and Mary were granted no such expectations of having any claim over their sons. They were told what their sons would be called and that their lives would likewise be dedicated to the Lord.

In our culture of self-absorption and almost unbridled control over our lives, we can’t fathom the extent of relinquishment, of anything we possess, much less our children, that these women graciously accepted.

Hannah’s prayer speaks to a God who is holy, humble, omniscient, just, and most of all loving. Taking ourselves out of this equation because in order to process this next thought, we have to. What would it feel like to submit so wholly to the Lord, that you could rejoice and praise him in a time of what you would expect to be your deepest grief? But instead is a source of your most profound delight and joy!

That is the gift of this season. The greatest gift imaginable. The gift that can heal the deepest wounds; mend the most abject brokenness; and level the most unbalanced playing field. The world was redeemed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a few days Christians around the world will celebrate the birth of the Savior. And as we continue to live in the chaos, injustice, and oppression of this deeply broken world, we can take heart that our Saviour will come again. That glorious gift is ours for all eternity. Amen!