Read Genesis 1:1-2:3

The New Year has arrived, and I just finished some projects from last year. Now, I’m supposed to plan and set goals for my writing in 2010. But, I just don’t feel like it. I have no exciting ideas. No motivation. No inspiration. How about you? Are you having a hard time gearing up for the New Year?

My Bible reading plan starts the year with the creation story in Genesis. I dutifully read the creation story for gazillionth time, not expecting to gain new insight. But, guess what I learned? God started with a formless earth and not much else. God’s Spirit hovered over the waters until he was ready to begin. The first creation, light, led to other creations, each one more marvelous than the previous one. And God’s crowning achievement, humankind, was created in his own image. After the flurry of creative activity, God rested and made the day of rest a holy day.

Could it be that we all just need a break? Maybe we need to let our agendas be “formless and empty,” (Genesis 1: 1) like the world was before God worked his wonders. Once we’ve rested, might the ideas and the motivation flow again? Since we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:9), can we not use God’s creative process as our model?

Prayer: Lord, teach us to take a break from the activities that crowd our days. Help us realize that sometimes doing nothing recharges our batteries and makes us more effective. Watch over us in the New Year as we seek to do your will. Amen.

Read Luke 2:8-15

Key Verse: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 (NIV)

My 93-year-old friend shared a Christmas memory with me recently. She told me she grew up on a farm with a large family. When Christmas rolled around each year, they celebrated, but they didn’t have many gifts. One year, relatives spent Christmas with them. “Christmas Eve, I peeked and saw a doll under the tree. But, I knew it wasn’t for me, ” she said. To this day, she doesn’t know why that made her so sad, but her disappointment was real and lasting.

I wonder how many children, or adults for that matter, will be disappointed in their Christmas experience this year. Some people will get too many gifts while others will get none. If we will just remember why we observe Christmas in the first place, we’ll realize that the birth of Jesus was a gift for all the people (Luke 2:10). The gift of love and forgiveness is for every person who claims Christ as his or her savior. No one is left out. No one need be disappointed.

Prayer: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” Luke 2:14 (NIV). May we recognize and accept the gift of Jesus Christ this season. Amen.

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Clip art obtained at no charge from ChristArt.com.

Carolyn is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church of Lexington, KY. She and I served together on the committee of Kentucky Christian Writers Conference 2009. She gave her collection of Advent devotions to her church for their Web site. If you’d like to follow them each day, you can read them here.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Key Verse: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

Somebody issued a challenge on Facebook this year where each person was supposed to post something they’re thankful for each day. What a great way to get in the spirit of the Thanksgiving season. But, what if you’re sick or struggling with your finances? What if your current situation is just not what you want it to be? What if you aren’t feeling particularly thankful?

This scripture was chosen as the text for the sermon at my church on Sunday morning and for our community Thanksgiving service on Sunday night. Both pastors pointed out that giving thanks in all circumstances is hard if we think only in terms of our own difficulties. We can find things to be grateful for even in the worst situation. But, no matter what’s going on, we can be assured that God loves us. He loves us so much that He gave us one thing that we can always be thankful for—-his son.

Prayer: Lord, help us to have a grateful heart. And, above all, thank you for giving us eternal life through your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Suggested song for Thanksgiving: Give Thanks (text). Hear it on YouTube here.

Read Mark 13:5-8 and Mark 13:32-36

Key Verse: No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! Mark 13:32-33 (NIV).

These verses are part of the Revised Common Lectionary readings for this week. As I read them, I was reminded of the 2012 doomsday hype that seems to get more prevalent every day. I’ve seen programs about it on cable TV. I’ve read about it in magazines and online. There’s a movie and even a 2012 Doomsday Web site. This is not the first time that the end of the world has been predicted. But, this one is based on the Mayan calendar, and they say December 21, 2012, is IT. The end of the world. Really.

Whenever I hear doomsday and/or Second Coming predictions, I always think of the key verse above. No one knows when Jesus will come back or when the world will end. Some people are scared to death by these predictions. The main thing we need to remember is that Jesus said we should be alert and be ready. He did not say that we need worry about it or that we should be afraid.

A writer friend, Jim Watkins, provides a list of previous doomsdays in his article, “Is This the End of the World as We Know It?” He also uses this very scripture to point out that there is no need to be afraid.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live productive lives, not worrying about when and where our lives will end. Give us strength to make the most of every day in your service. Amen.

Hymn for All Saints’ Day: For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia, Alleluia! —-William W. How, 1823-1897

When All Saints Day comes around every year, the hymn “For All the Saints” comes to mind for me. Some churches have a time in their service during which they name the members who passed away during the year. As the song says, these saints publicly confessed their belief in Christ and set an example for us, keeping the faith alive for another generation.

Exactly what is a saint, though? The Catholic Church has a screening process, and you have to be specially designated as a saint. According to my online dictionary, there are several definitions of the word “saint.” It can refer to “illustrious predecessors,” those who reside in heaven, or someone who is “eminent for piety or virtue.” But, the definition that jumped out at me was this one: one of God’s chosen and usually Christian people.

In the New Testament, Paul often refers to members of the early church as saints. See several references at this link. It seems that Paul considers us saints when we accept Christ as our Savior and resolve to live according to His example. We know that some of the early church members were not saints in the sense that they were perfect people, but they were chosen by God to establish the church. They persisted in the faith and gave us the church as we know it today.

Honor the saints who have passed on, but remember that they passed the torch to us. Jude, one of the earliest saints, said: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” Jude 1:3 (NIV).

Prayer: Thank you, God, for those who came before us, who contended for the faith in their generations. We thank you especially for family, teachers, and friends who personally nurtured us in the faith. Help us to live up to their example. Amen.

Songs for All Saints’ Day

For All the Saints

Sing with All the Saints in Glory

When the Saints Go Marching In

Read Job 42:10-17

Key Verse: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” Job 42: 5-6 (NIV).

Job, the man who had everything and lost everything, would not “curse God and die” as his wife suggested early in his ordeal (Job 2:9). Job was a “just and upright” man. Surely he deserved God’s favor. Job’s friends offered opinions, including the suggestion that maybe he wasn’t so just and upright after all. But, Job refused to blame God.

Near the end of the book, God speaks directly to Job, properly rebuking him for questioning God. Job responds by admitting that God is more powerful and trustworthy than he imagined. Job immediately repented. Once he prayed for the friends who had almost led him astray, Job’s fortunes are restored.

Just reading the book of Job is an ordeal for me. Really studying it makes my head hurt. I wonder. Does God test us today like he tested Job? If so, we can take comfort in Job’s example. We only see our few pixels in the whole image. Trust God, the one whose plans cannot be thwarted, the one who sees the whole picture.

Prayer: Lord, whatever comes my way, help me to realize that what happens to me is just a small part of your plan. Help me to endure what I see as hard times. May I remember to praise you when things are going well. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Read Joel 2

Key Verse: Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. Joel 2:1 (NIV)

In the Old Testament, blowing the trumpet (or ram’s horn) was a call for the people to come together for an important event. This reading describes a swarm of locusts that’s marching across the landscape eating up everyone’s livelihood. The prophet asks for the trumpet call to warn that disaster is coming. Later in the chapter, he asks for the trumpet call so that people can assemble and call upon God to save them.

Why is it we only call on God when disaster strikes? Sometimes it hits without warning. Other times, we had plenty of warning, but we ignored it or rationalized that surely it wouldn’t happen to us. Again and again in the Old Testament, God asks people to keep his law. God established a covenant , people failed to hold up their end of the deal, and disaster followed. The people knew that God had always saved them when they cried out for help. God always came to the rescue in his own time.

Our daily news is full of warnings of possible future catastrophes. We are concerned about everything from environmental problems to nuclear weapons. We attempt to plan for the future and to avert disaster. But, we must remember to call on the name of the Lord. He has saved his people in the past, and he will do it again. All we have to do is ask.

Thought for the Day: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32a)

Prayer: Lord, give us wisdom to avoid disaster. Give us strength to overcome whatever calamity might come our way. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Read Mark 10:13-16

He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” Mark 10: 14-15 (NIV).

Jesus said that the kingdom of God belongs to the child-like. But what does that mean? What actions would we take to become like a child?

• Celebrate. Children like to celebrate birthdays, holidays, every day. Adults are too often caught up in daily routines and work. To become like a child, let’s celebrate the blessings of life and help others to do the same.
• Help. Even young children know that helping others is a desirable quality. Any task is easier when there are more workers on the job. Yet it’s easy to pass up a chance to help someone. Seek opportunities to help someone else each day.
• Inspire. Few adults will turn down a request for money or other assistance if it is for the benefit of children. They are our hope for the future of humanity, and they bring out the best in us. Let’s encourage others and inspire them to be their best.
• Love. Children love unconditionally, as God does. It’s so simple, yet so difficult. Love others without expecting anything in return.
• Dare. Grownups are inhibited by fear of failure and the expectations of others. Children react spontaneously, giving freely and openly of their love and possessions. If we let go of our fears, we can do things we never thought we could do.

Adults are expected to build themselves up, advance their careers, or seek recognition for the work they do. But Jesus said that the greatest in His kingdom will be those who become like little children, humble and loving.

Prayer Focus for Today: Pray for children and for those who care for them, teach them, and heal them.

Read Romans 7:14-25

Key Verse: What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. Romans 7: 15-16 (The Message).

Our town recently installed traffic cameras at certain intersections to catch people running the red lights. At first glance, one might think that we have lazy policemen or town coffers that need additional revenue. When I read the newspaper article about it, I found that accident statistics showed a high incidence of crashes at these locations. And, the mishaps were usually caused by people running the red light. We know the traffic laws, but we break them all the time.

We know God’s laws, too. We have the Ten Commandments on which our American legal system is based. And, Jesus taught the Greatest Commandment, loving God and loving our neighbor. But, we ignore or intentionally break those laws regularly. Imagine what our world would be like without God’s laws, though. Total chaos. Every man for himself. We need guidelines for living because we just can’t seem to do the right thing on our own.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us your law as a guide for living. Forgive us when we fail to follow, and help us to do better in the future. Amen.