Saturday, December 31, 2005

At Christmas - Called To Believe Today

"Today's Devotion" For December 31, 2005

Read: Hebrews 3:7-14; Psalm 96

AT CHRISTMAS - CALLED TO BELIEVE TODAY

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by Sin's deceitfulness." (Hebrews 3:7-14)

"Out with the old; In with the new." That's what is often seems to come down to as human beings come face-to-face with New Year's Eve and the New Year. The newspapers are filled with remembrances of the past year - the highlights and low-lights of our culture and society. Local newspapers publish obituaries of local, public figures who have died in the old year as well as local news stories of import, including the annual crime statistics (especially the murder count) to show us how "good" or "bad" our cities have been compared to others. National news outlets, especially television news programs, are replete with references to the various "world shaking/altering" events that have taken place. Pieces on economic growth or failure, crime and punishment, war and peace, scientific discoveries or failures, disasters and catastrophes, politics and religion, and the actions and deaths of "famous" or "infamous" people are the substance of such programs. Such stories will continue into the New Year as all the data becomes finalized.

We human beings are quite interesting creatures when it comes to time. We get fascinated with the past - with history - if we believe it can show where others failed. We embrace the past if we can use it to support our successes. Often the only reason for people to look at the past is to wax nostalgic for a better time and grander moments. A reality check reminds many of the old year and how they failed to follow through on their "New Year's Resolutions" of the previous year. Sadly, such looking back doesn't seem to do a lot of good, because what the past can teach us about ourselves, how we treat others, and what we can do to make a better world is mostly overlooked - it's just too hard; it takes too much effort.

At the same time as the human family seems to be preoccupied with the past, it is also obsessed with the future. The New Year is a time for many to "turn over a new leaf," forgetting the past and seeking better things in the future. New Year's resolutions will again be made by many - resolutions to achieve more, fail less, make more money, be better people, etc. Politicians tell us that they'll do business in a "better way." Diplomats assure us that the climate for peace in the world is going to be better - peace is just a day away. Economists predict either great gains or dire consequences to the economy because of a rosy future or a terrible past. This list is endless, yet we dare not forget that again this New Year people will make more "New Year's Resolutions" to change their lives, their circumstances, and their fortunes.

History tells us that "those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it in the future." The Holy Spirit brings that truth to the world already in Scripture. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church that the history of the Children of Israel's wandering in the wilderness was important "as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did...These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come" (I Corinthians 10:6, 11). The writer to the Hebrews follows St. Paul's words as he reminds us of the hardening of the hearts of the people of Israel in the desert over against God, despite seeing His mighty hand at work among them during their forty years of wandering.

With humanity's obsession with the past and its longing for a "better" future it seems that the most important time of all is missed - Today! In our reading from Hebrews today, the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to live in the present, believe in the present, love in the present, and serve in the present. The past is over - we can't change it. We can learn from it but we must not be obsessed with it. The future is something to look forward to as more days to experience the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God. It's something to look forward to because we want to live in God's continual blessings and seek out new opportunities to live in Him, for Him, and through Him to touch the lives of others who don't yet know Him and His salvation in Christ. We look forward to the future because we hope, as the solemn feast of Christmas has reminded us, for Jesus' return to take us home with Him to heaven.

Today, as we stand at the conclusion of the "Old Year" and at the threshold of a "New Year," God's Spirit calls us to faith and service "Today" - in the moment. "Today is is the first day of the rest of your life," is not just a trite phrase. It's a spiritual reality. It doesn't matter if we believed yesterday, or whether we'll believe tomorrow. Yesterday is past and we're still here. Tomorrow hasn't come as yet and we still don't know for certain if we'll get there. We do know, however, that we are alive today, we believe today, we are receiving God's blessings today, we live in His forgiveness today, and today may be the first day of our lives in eternity with Jesus. Perhaps you remember that the Epicureans had the philosophy, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." As God’s people, however, we believe today, work today, serve today, love today, and encourage today because tomorrow isn't here until it gets here. While it's a wise thing for us to plan for the future, faith in Jesus leads us to live for Him today and be grateful for every tomorrow we may see. Because our hope is in heaven we are called to believe today.

Have a Blessed and Happy New Year in Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. Believe Today! "Come, Lord Jesus. Come!

Prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, I have spent the past couple of weeks celebrating Christmas and sharing the glory of Your precious gift of the Savior of the world. Now, at the end that celebration comes the end of the current year and the beginning of a new one. I can wax nostalgic about the old or be depressed by it. I can hope for a better tomorrow or be depressed by the prospect of its unknown nature. By Your grace You have seen fit to come to me through Your Word and Spirit and encourage me to believe today, live today, love today, and serve today in Jesus. Guide my recollection and remembrance of the past so that I might learn from it in order to be a better servant of You and witness to Your love in a world obsessed with itself while excluding You. Let my hope rest in Jesus and not on resolutions, world events, economic indicators, or political promises. Let my life reflect such hope for today that others might hear and believe for a blessed tomorrow and forever with You in heaven. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Friday, December 30, 2005

At Christmas - One Greater Than Moses Has Come

"Today's Devotion" For December 30, 2005

Read: Hebrews 3:1-6; Deuteronomy 34:1-12

AT CHRISTMAS - ONE GREATER THAN MOSES HAS COME

"Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself." (Hebrews 3:3)

As the "Holy Days" are winding down for this year we are on the verge of another year, chronologically the year 2006 Anno Domini (or, if you're a secularist - Common Era). Christmas is five days past, as is the beginning of Hanukkah, which is eight days long. Among some in the African American community the celebration of African heritage called Kwanzaa is also in its fifth of seven days. When Sunday morning shines brightly in two more days, we'll be greeting that New Year of 2006. For many it will mean, psychologically, that they've left behind the problems of the old year and can start anew. For others the New Year symbolizes new opportunities and challenges. For still others the New Year doesn't look too rosy or bright - they can see only gloom and doom on the horizon.

Our celebration of the solemn feast of Christmas as the people of God has filled us with hope, joy, peace, and praise. We've been reminded once more, as we gathered for worship and praise, the exchanging of gifts, the family meals and gatherings, and the visits of loved ones, that God in His infinite love and mercy became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ so that He might redeem us to Himself. We've been reminded that Christ's coming into the world was a direct result of our Sin and the power that it had over God's creation. We've been reminded that Jesus was the fulfillment of all of God's promises to Israel that He would send a Savior to "save His people from their sins" (Mt. 1:21). We've been reminded, by the power of God's Word and Spirit, that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Through Him all things were made...The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us..." (Jn. 1:1-3a, 14a).

God became Man and lived among us. He became Jesus, the Christ. He came in fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The history of Israel is filled with pictures of God saving His people from their sins. His patient forbearance and forgiveness are seen everywhere in the Scriptures as God acted in the lives of His chosen people. Foremost among all the leaders and all the prophets of Israel stand Moses. As we note from Deuteronomy 34:12 that until Jesus came "no one (had shown) the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel." Moses carried out his mission from God to care for God's people - His household - which he did faithfully. But Moses didn't build "the house" of God; he was appointed steward over it. It is Jesus, as we note in Hebrews, who is both the Word through Whom all things were made and the faithful Son over God's house - the full and rightful heir of God's estate.

As we leave the solemn feast of Christmas behind for another year and enter into a New Year, we do so with the hope and comfort that Jesus is our Savior from Sin and the Lord of lord and King of kings. Entering into a New Year with new challenges and opportunities for service, we rejoice because, in Christ, we belong to the household of faith - the Body of Christ. He is our Head. He is our hope. He is our peace. He is our joy. He is our salvation. He is the solid foundation of our lives and faith. Along with Him we are declared, by faith, to be heirs with Him of God's eternal kingdom. In this knowledge and faith, we leave behind the solemn feast of Christmas and begin a New Year of service to God and others in Jesus' name. We step forward in faith as forgiven sinners filled with God's peace and the eagerness to share His love and forgiveness in Christ with the world. In truth, at Christmas, One greater than Moses has come.

Prayer: Father, You have brought me to the end of another year filled with challenges, fears, and opportunities. Your grace has abounded to me and Your forgiveness and love surrounded me every moment of each day. As I recall the "mighty deeds" of Moses, Your servant and prophet to Your people, I'm reminded that as great as he was as a leader of Your children, he was still a sinner who disobeyed You and failed to enter the Promised Land. At the same time, You have again reminded me that Jesus is greater than Moses. According to Your promises He came to be my Savior and Lord. He is an architect of the Universe, yet He became a human being for me and lived in perfect obedience to Your Law and Will in my place. He did what even Moses couldn't do - live a sinless life and suffer and die to "take away the Sin of the world." Fill my heart and life with hope and peace in Jesus as I enter this New Year. Guide me to live for Him and to be a powerful, courageous, and faithful witness of Him in this New Year. Hear my prayer, gracious Father, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

At Christmas - Bringing Many To Glory In Jesus

"Today's Devotion" For December 29, 2005

Read: Hebrews 2:10-18; Psalm 22:19-31

AT CHRISTMAS - BRINGING MANY TO GLORY IN JESUS

"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for Whom and through Whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Heb. 2:10)

How do you feel about suffering? If we could avoid it, most of would do so, of that there can be no doubt. Suffering comes to us in all forms and sizes. People suffer when they get sick, break a bone, sprain a joint, pull a muscle, or bruise themselves. People also suffer when a loved one or trusted friend lies to them. People suffer deep pain when a loved one dies. Suffering can be long lasting and, seemingly, never ending. Soldiers wounded in combat, having debilitating injuries, perhaps even losing a limb or two, are often known to endure physical, mental, and emotional suffering often for the rest of their lives.

Wherever we may look in the world around us we will see suffering of all kinds and all levels. People's pain, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, is obvious and very real as it is brought into our homes by the news media on any given day. A year after the massive destruction caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami last Christmas, people are still picking up the pieces and relief work has barely touched the surface of the needs and suffering of those affected. In late August Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast States, particularly Louisiana and Mississippi with horrific force and consequences. Cities were nearly destroyed, lives were lost, and tens of thousands of people were left homeless. The suffering experienced by those victims, whether from the tsunami or from the hurricanes is intense, and, in many cases, can't be fully experienced by us.

Perhaps it's not necessary to say it, but all the suffering we see in the world around us and experience in our own lives is a direct result of humanity's disobedience - our sinfulness - before God. By nature we don't honor Him in our hearts or lives. Our desire is for ourselves first, not Him or other people. The consequences of disobedience to God are seen all around us - suffering is the sure sign of it this side of death. While it's true that all of us can relate to the suffering of others, none of us can truly experience of "feel" another's pain (no matter what a former President once said). No matter how much we might want to suffer along with a loved one or a friend, it's not possible for us to walk in their shoes and experience their pain exactly as they do.

While we are limited in our empathy toward others, there is One who suffers the same pain and truly understands the suffering each of us experiences as if He were us. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fully and completely became one with us, taking on our human form - God became a man. He took our suffering because of Sin's power upon Himself and experiencing in His own body and spirit the consequences of Sin's power over us. Certainly, we can understand that the wages of Sin, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually are certainly deserved by human beings. On the other hand, the Lord of Life, the Lamb of God, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and the Prince of Peace deserved nothing of the suffering He endured - He was, and is, the only-begotten Son of the Father. He was sinless, perfect and holy in every way. His was a life of obedience to the Father in our place, yet He suffered more intensely than any of us can imagine as He bore the power and devastation of the sins of the whole world on His head.

The writer to the Hebrews declares the wonder of God's grace to us and the world in Jesus Christ. We're reminded that Jesus, "who was made a little lower than the angels" (2:9) was also made "perfect through suffering" (2:10). He became as one of us, of the same family (2:10), so that He calls us "brothers" (2:11). As our brother, Who took on our pain and suffering because of our sins, He truly "feels our pain" and truly understands the suffering we experience in our lives. He became one with us in our humanity so that He might redeem us and bring us into the Father's glory forever. He overcame temptation for us so that we might live in the fullness of God's love for eternity - forgiven sinners, redeemed children, saints.

At Christmas we remember that God became flesh and lived among us. He was and is the perfect Son of the Father that we have failed to be. He is our living Lord and Savior, the firstborn from the dead , Whose birth gives us hope, His death, redemption and forgiveness, and His resurrection the God's assurance that the sacrifice and payment for our sins is once and for all times complete. At Christmas we remember that Jesus came into the world in order to take on all our pain and suffering because of Sin. We are reminded that the purpose of His live was to bear our sins on the Cross and be our Savior. His life, suffering, death, and resurrection is a model for godly, faithful living, but also for enduring the suffering Sin brings into our lives. Jesus also gives us a model for loving one another and sharing in the suffering of others, as He has suffered for us, so that we might be instruments of the Holy Spirit through whom others might come to have faith in Jesus and be saved. At Christmas we are pointed to the manger but also the Cross, for the sole purpose for God becoming flesh is to bring many "sons to glory" by His blood.

Prayer: Father, as life winds down from the Christmas rush and festivities, I also realize that many people are suffering depression and sorrow despite the joy of the season. Wherever I look, suffering can be found. Sin hasn't taken a "holiday" even though we've been celebrating Jesus' birthday this past week. Much as I would like to believe I can "feel" the pain of others, in truth I can only, really, experience my own. Yet, by Your grace and mercy, Jesus came into this world for one purpose, and for only one purpose - to truly experience the pain of Sin in the lives of human beings and, in perfect obedience to You, "take away the Sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). Father, I give You thanks and praise for sending Jesus to bear my sins and be my Savior. Help me to live in the sure hope that His suffering, death, and resurrection give me life and will lead me to see You in glory. Above all, as I continue to walk this earth as Your redeemed and forgiven child, give Your Spirit in abundant measure that I might always, in every circumstance, be a messenger of Your love for the world in Jesus so that others might be brought into the glory of Your presence forever as well. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

At Christmas - Made A Little Lower Than The Angels

"Today's Devotion" For December 28, 2005

Read: Hebrews 2:5-9; Psalm 8

AT CHRISTMAS - MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS

"Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (Heb. 2:8b-9)

Have you ever been hungry or cold? Most likely all of us can answer such a question in the affirmative. Now, here's another question - Have you ever been homeless? There's a pretty good probability that most of us can't answer this question in the affirmative. That leads us into the third question - Have you ever been hungry, cold, and homeless all at the same time? Odds are that very few of us can answer that question affirmatively. The reality of life, however, is that there are a whole lot of people in the world, on our city streets, who are hungry, cold, and homeless. They have no families to care for them, nor people who love them and are concerned for their welfare.

While many people look down on such folks, most of those who are in such dire straits aren't "shiftless," "lazy," or "unwilling to work." According to statistics, a great many of those who are hungry, cold, and homeless are mentally or physically ill in some way. Yet, for most of us, relating to their needs and situation is really very difficult. If it weren't for the many public, church, and other faith-based shelters more people would die. At Christmas, those who are created by God to be a little lower than the angels, find themselves without anything except what they have on their backs. If not for the shelters, many of them wouldn't have had the opportunity for a hot meal on Christmas nor a warm, dry place to sleep.

Sadly, such situations exist for more people than we would dare imagine. In perhaps the most prosperous nation the world has every known, people live on the and die on the streets of our cities broken, penniless, helpless and hopeless. Of even greater sadness, especially to us as the people of God redeemed in Jesus Christ, is the reality that God created human beings to be a "little lower than the angels." The power of Sin is so pervasive in our lives that we often show little indication that we are, in fact, created by God to be a 'little lower than the angels." Too often we allow Sin to dictate our actions and behavior toward God, one another, and the creation God has placed in our hands as stewards. We act, because of the power of Sin in our lives, as if God is of no consequence and we are in control of our "destinies."

Because of the power of Sin in our lives, God sent Jesus, His One and Only Son, into the world to save us from our sins. In order to accomplish that purpose and mission, the Messiah, the Christ, came down in the form of a man called Jesus who, like us was made a "little lower than the angels" in order to enter into our lives, understand our needs, experience the same temptations we face, know our hunger (physical, mental, and spiritual), and appreciate our pain. He experienced all these things for us so that He might redeem us from the power of Sin that focuses our eyes on the bad things in life instead of on the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness of God. Because Jesus perfectly fulfills God's purpose for us, God has put "everything (in heaven and on earth) under His feet" (Heb. 2:8). He is our Lord; He is our Savior; He is our brother and our hope.

At Christmas we are reminded that Jesus came to earth as a man to save human beings from their Sin. At Christmas, we have again received God's assurance that He has subjected the whole of creation to Jesus, the Word made flesh. We're reminded in the writer to the Hebrews words of what John proclaims in his Gospel about Jesus - "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made" (Jn. 1:1, 3). He who created the heavens and the earth came to earth that first Christmas and made Himself a "little lower than the angels" - He became a human being. With great joy and filled with hope, we rejoice in each day of life, believing with all our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He is our true and only Savior from Sin, and that through faith in Him - His gift to us - we have God's hope and peace in our hearts and lives. At Christmas, then, we give thanks that Jesus became one with us - being made a "little lower than the angels" - so that we might be saved in Him.

Prayer: Father, there is, perhaps, no more misunderstood or forgotten truth of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus than that He was made, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be just like me - "a little lower than the angels." You have put all things in all of creation under His feet to assure me that He has truly paid the price, once and for all time, for my sins and the sins of the whole world. You have put all things in all of creation under His feet to assure me that He, and through Him, You, truly understand the challenges of my life, the temptations I face, and the spiritual struggles that are part and parcel of my life as a sinner. Fill me with the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit that I may focus my attention on Jesus, following Him as He leads me to life with You and on the road to my heavenly home. Let Your grace, mercy, and love so fill my heart and life that I might live as one recreated in Christ Jesus to truly live as one made by You to be "a little lower than the angels." May such living and speaking on my part be an effective and powerful witness to others of Your love for them in Jesus so they, too, might believe in Him and be saved. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

At Christmas - Paying Attention To Salvation

"Today's Devotion" For December 27, 2005

Read: Hebrews 2:1-4; Psalm 16

AT CHRISTMAS - PAYING ATTENTION TO SALVATION

"This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." (Heb. 2:3)

This week after Christmas is the week when shoppers flock to stores. We might assume that store owners would be grateful, but for many of them their business is more about people returning Christmas gifts than it is about new purchases. According to a recent article in the local newspaper, merchants aren't going to be as willing to accept returns that don't have receipts or look worn or used. Some of them have instituted restocking fees and even requirements that tags must still be in place on clothing or they won't accept the return. So now, following the hubbub of the gift-buying craze that preceded Christmas and caused so much stress for so many, we're also seeing the hubbub of the girt-returning rush, extending the stress for some for at least another week. I wonder if we'll ever learn.

That's the same kind of question the writer to the Hebrews is asking as well. There's no doubt that people all over the world have celebrated or observed the "Christmas Holiday." We've heard the phrases "Season's Greetings," "Happy Holidays," and "Merry Christmas" for the better part of the month of December and can expect to hear them for at least the next week. Yet, when we look at all the various meanings behind these "sentiments" being dispensed so freely (dare we say, loosely?), it's all too obvious that more often than not people aren't paying careful attention to the true meaning of Christmas and its importance for the salvation of the world - and theirs as well.

In the aftermath of the solemn feast of Christmas it's not too difficult for people to forget the "reason for the season" as they head into the next "holiday." The New Year is just around the corner and for many people it's viewed as a new year, with new opportunities to get more, be more, control more, and do more than they managed this past year. The blessings of God to humanity through the gift of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, are all too readily forgotten until the next time Christmas comes around on the calendar. Yet, to forget God's gift of the Savior of the world, unless it's convenient is both dangerous and eternally deadly.

At Christmas, then, we don't just celebrate for a day, but for each day of the year. Christmas has no aftermath for God's people for each day, in our Baptisms, we are reminded and assured that God has come to us and made us His very own. He has redeemed us in Jesus Christ whose birth we both celebrate at Christmas and each day of our lives for in Him we have been reborn as new creations before our Father in heaven. Each day, whether the calendar says it's Christmas or not, Christmas continues to live for us as we pay attention to salvation as it comes to us in the "Word made flesh" (Jn. 1:14). For God's people, Christmas continues throughout the year, because each day by the power of His Word and Spirit, Jesus comes to us anew, bringing us His forgiveness and love, and giving us hope and peace with God. Each day, through the power and promise of our Baptisms, Jesus in born anew in us and we in Him. By the power of His Spirit, He comes to us each day so that we might remember to pay attention to our salvation each day. It's God's constant, continuous gift to us, one which we don't need to return because it's a perfect fit.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your perfect gift of salvation in Jesus. It's really very easy for me to forget the meaning of Christmas when it's over and go on to the next thing in my life. Forgive me for such foolish behavior on my part, gracious Father, and guide me to keep the meaning of Christmas alive in my heart every day of the year. Guide me by Your Word and Spirit, in the power of my Baptism, to remember Christmas each day as I am able to come into Your presence through Your Word and in prayer because Jesus came to earth and brought Your salvation into my life. Father, I pray that You would empower me to be a constant, faithful, and winsome witness to others of the reality of the gift of salvation, celebrated at Christmas, but renewed in the heart daily by Your Word and Spirit. Hear my prayer, gracious Father, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 26, 2005

At Christmas - A Time To Ponder

"Today's Devotion" For December 26, 2005

Read: Ephesians 1:1-14; Psalm 90

AT CHRISTMAS - A TIME TO PONDER

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

Today we begin the "aftermath" of the "Holiday Season," at least for Christians (Hanukkah is in the second of its eight days and Kwanza is still in full force). With the exception of a few late Christmas parties and family gatherings to take place over this week prior to the New Year, most of the hustle and bustle of preparation and expectation is over. It's been hectic for so many people. Tempers have been short, patience has been at a premium, and calm hasn't always prevailed. Many have eaten too much, drunk too much, and haven't gotten enough sleep. The emotional highs and lows of this "holy season" have been as intense as ever for many people.

I was reminded of the intensity of the "season" late last night. I was sitting at the computer, pondering what to share with you today, when I heard the outside door open. The next thing I know is that someone's trying to open the kitchen door. It was chained and locked. Then I heard fumbling for keys and I knew it was one of our children. Quickly, I jumped up, went to the door, removed the chain and unlocked it. There stood our younger son. He had gone out a couple of hours earlier to move a vehicle and then, because it was so peaceful and quiet, he decided to sit outside and "ponder" a few important things in his life. As a senior in high school, holding down a job, doing volunteer work, involved in extracurricular activities at school and church, and studying hard to achieve his academic goals, finding the time to "ponder" his plans for the future are few and far between. Perhaps, after all the hubbub leading into yesterday's Christmas celebration and family gatherings, it's not such a bad idea for us to do some "pondering" as well.

There's certainly good precedent for such post-Christmas "pondering." Luke tells us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Mary spent some time pondering herself. In fact, it seems that Mary, on the same night of Jesus' birth, after the visit by the shepherds, spent some time "pondering in heart" all that had transpired since the Angel Gabriel's announcement that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world. Talk about overwhelming! Historians tell us that it's quite probable that Mary was a young teen when she gave birth to Jesus. The events that were taking shape had to be most overwhelming for her and a challenge to her faith and "sanity." Yet, this blessed young virgin, God's chosen servant of His purpose and will, had the presence of mind and heart to take the time to "(treasure) up all these things and (ponder) them..."

When we really appreciate all that Christmas means in God's plan for our salvation, it's not too hard to get overwhelmed with the shear magnitude of His grace, mercy, and love. for sinners. The power and wonder of God's gift of Jesus as Christmas are important to carry with us every day of our lives. As St. Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Ephesians, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..." (Eph. 1:7). How marvelous is God's love for us! How magnificent is His grace toward us! How wondrous is His mercy for sinners!

With such a wondrous gift from God - the coming of the promised Savior from Sin, Death, and Satan's power - we do well to take the time to "treasure" and "ponder" all these things in our hearts. We have the marvelous and quiet example of Mary herself to show us the way and remind us that God so very often speaks to us in "a still, small voice." As the old year winds down and the New Year is upon us, taking the time to ponder the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness of sins God gives us each day can only strengthen our faith and trust in Jesus and prepare us for whatever God's plans for each us are. At Christmas we truly have a marvelous time to ponder His gift of salvation to the whole world.

Prayer: Father, amidst the hustle and bustle of the "Christmas Season" it's not too difficult for me to forget to take time to ponder what You've done for me in Jesus. Even though Christmas is a "solemn feast" remembering the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it's really very easy for me to get caught up in other things related to the "season" - gift-giving, gift-getting, putting up decorations, preparing meals, going to "holiday parties - and completely ignore my relationship with You. Forgive me, gracious and merciful Father, for the sake of Jesus and renew my heart each day that I might continue to grow in Your grace and love and live a life of winsome and courageous witness to Your gift of salvation for the world in Jesus Christ. Guide me by Your Word and Spirit to take the time to "ponder all these things" in my heart and live them in my life. Hear my prayer, gracious Father for the sake of Jesus in whose precious and most holy name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

At Christmas - A Shepherd's Announcement

"Today's Devotion" For December 24, 2005

Read: Luke 2:8-20; Psalm 80

AT CHRISTMAS - A SHEPHERD'S ANNOUNCEMENT

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep...I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me." (Jn. 10:11, 14)

In this morning's paper, on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel was a picture of soldiers from a Wisconsin unit checking cars in Iraq in search of terrorists. The story detailed how they spend their days searching the roadway for anything out of the ordinary - a stray bottle or candy wrapper could actually be a bomb. While they're patrolling an area between Kuwait and the British base in southern Iraq, a relatively peaceful place, three of their buddies have lost their lives to bombs in this month alone.

As we begin the solemn feast of Christmas today, Christmas Eve, we do so in relative peace and safety. To be sure, we have drunken drivers on the road who can kill people, criminals who commit murder and armed robbery, and our own brand of terrorism in communities plagued by gang violence and drug activity. Yet, by God's grace, we haven't had any of the types of terrorism experienced by the Iraqi people on our side of the world. This evening and tomorrow we're going to go to church and worship our Newborn King without fear that someone is going to blow up our church or plant a car bomb in the parking lot.

About two thousand years ago, in a place that's not quite a thousand miles away from where our soldiers are patrolling to prevent terrorist activity, shepherds were peacefully tending their flocks in the fields around the city of Bethlehem in Israel. It was a time of relative peace and tranquility in the history of the world. Israel was under the foreign domination of Rome. The Pax Romana, the "peace of Rome," permeated most of the known world. From as far away as the borders of India to the shores of the British Isles, and from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) north into France and parts of Germany, Rome kept the peace. It was the time that God determined was the right time for His Son, Jesus Christ, to come into the world to fulfill His promise to redeem His people from their sins.

Rather than being watchful for roadside bombs and terrorist activities, as is the case these days in Israel too, the shepherds were concerned to keep lions and other predators away from their sheep. Most likely they had a fire going; quite likely some of them were standing watch while others were resting or eating. Above all else, they were engaged in keeping their flocks safe and secure.

It's no coincidence, it seems to me, that God, the "Shepherd of Israel" (Ps. 80:1), chose to make the first announcement of the birth of the Savior, the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11, 14). His was a "Shepherd's Announcement" to those who truly understood the full depth and meaning of what a shepherd does. Their response, hurrying to Bethlehem, seeking the Child, and then glorifying and praising God and sharing the Good News with all they met, shows that they truly understood the "Shepherd of Israel's" announcement and what it meant for them.

That same "Shepherd's Announcement" is what we celebrate this Christmas and every day of our lives as we live in Christ, redeemed, restored, and forgiven by faith in His sacrifice to save us from our sins. Perhaps we can, with the Spirit's guidance, put ourselves in the fields surrounding Bethlehem, to hear with the shepherds the angel's announcement, the message sent to earth by the "Shepherd of Israel" and made a reality in the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the world.

By God's grace have a blessed and happy Christmas celebration, rejoicing that the Good Shepherd has come among us and has taken us to Himself, redeeming for God through His suffering, death, and resurrection.

Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding me that You are the "Shepherd of Israel" who sent the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, to be my Savior from Sin and the Lord of my life. Give me the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit that I might truly understand Your promises to me in Jesus. Help me to respond to Your "Shepherd's Announcement" with the same wonder, joy, and enthusiasm that the shepherds did when Your angel announced Jesus birth to them. By the power of Your Word and Spirit, strengthen my faith and trust in You that I may never lose the wonder of Christmas and the joy of Your salvation no matter what situations I face in my life.

Gracious Father, I also pray that You would be present with and provide safety for all those soldiers patrolling in Iraq and Afghanistan in order to keep people safe from those who would prey on their lives. Let those soldiers be instruments of Your peace in a violent and murderous place, and grant them Your peace and assurance that no matter what happens to them nothing can separate them from Your love. In Jesus' precious and most holy name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Friday, December 23, 2005

At Christmas - Celebrating Homecoming

"Today's Devotion" For December 23, 2005

Read: John 14:1-6; Psalm 90

AT CHRISTMAS - CELEBRATING HOMECOMING

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." (Ps. 90:1, 2)

In two days God's people will once again celebrate Christmas. You may have noticed that this year, 2005, Christmas Day also falls on a Sunday, a day each week when we regularly gather for worship and remember Jesus' resurrection, which we celebrate each week as a reminder that Christ's sacrifice for Sin is complete and He has overcome death and the grave for us, thus assuring us of eternal life in heaven. Part of our celebration of Christmas is the simple, yet profound truth that Jesus left His home in heaven to become a stranger and pilgrim with us on earth. In His sojourn here He lived for us in obedience to the Father and then suffered and died for our sins so that we might have a new life with our Father in heaven. His resurrection assures us that as He lives, so also shall we live.

In some ways it's ironic that Jesus' left His home to bring us home. From a human perspective, "home" is where we are. Of course that's one definition of "home." At Christmas, at least in our culture, there's a lot of celebration of homecoming. Troops who have been stationed on foreign shores, in war zones, and on ships at sea look forward to having the rare opportunity to come home at Christmas. For parents, Christmas is a time of "homecoming" as many of them eagerly await their children's return from being away at college, in the service, or living and working in another place. For parents, who are also grandparents, Christmas is a time of "homecoming" as their children bring their children to visit.

Of course, it's also true that each of us develops a different sense of the meaning of "home" when we start new families, develop new friendships, and engage in different careers and activities in our lives. I remember the first time my wife and I were far away from either of our childhood homes at Christmas. We were living in San Diego where I was a chaplain at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. As a junior officer, with little leave time on the books, a short pocketbook, and assigned duties for the Christmas break, I apologized to her that we wouldn't be able to "go home" for Christmas. I did offer to send her and our daughter "home" (Yes, it's true! At one time there was only one child in our household) for Christmas. Her response was quite definite and firm, "Home is where we are." While that had been my attitude all along, having been on my own away from "home" for a number of years already, it was good to hear her say that.

Last weekend I had a conversation with a mother of six children (I'm not lying! There are still some families out there like mine). She shared with me that a few years ago she and her husband had realized that their older children had their own lives and their own homes. One of their sons is married. As a result of that realization they no longer ask their children if they'll be "home for Christmas" but whether they'll be able to come for a visit at this time of year. As she was sharing this insight with me, I was reminded that I no longer consider my parents' home, my "home." My home is where I live with my wife, and when I wonder if our children will be "coming home" at Christmas, I'm wondering if they'll be with us, not their grandparents.

As of last night there's only one of our children that's not "home" for Christmas. He's still out in California. While he's got liberty for Saturday through Monday, he told me the other night that he'd probably work on Monday after spending time with a friend on Christmas Day. His perspective on "home" has already changed. Last year at this time he was in Iraq. Coming home meant staying alive and returning to the United States.

There's no doubt that Christmas invokes all kinds of thoughts about "homecoming" and seeing family and friends. Yet, at Christmas, we're celebrating more than being with loved ones. At Christmas we're rejoicing that our Lord left His heavenly home and lived among us so that He could take us to our true home with Him in heaven. Jesus' own words to the disciples as recorded by John make it clear that our place is with our Father in heaven, with our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "In My Father's house are many rooms... I am going there to prepare a place for you...I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am" (Jn. 14:2, 3).

At Christmas we celebrate homecoming - our homecoming. We celebrate the wonderful gift of "God made flesh" as the very Son of God came into the world so that He might take us our real and eternal home with our Father in heaven. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem reminds us that we aren't at home on earth because Sin has separated us from God. Earth is a "desert drear" as the hymn writer said so eloquently over a century ago. As each of our families celebrates the various "homecomings" of this Christmas it's good for us to be reminded by the Birth of our Savior in Bethlehem, that He came to bring us home, as forgiven, redeemed sinners in Him, to our true and only real home – heaven. What a wonderful gift from God, that our Lord left His home in order to bring us home.

Prayer: Father, too often I get so attached to life on earth that I forget my only true home is with You in heaven. By Your grace, mercy, and love given to me in Jesus, You have touched my life so that I might truly appreciate that "heaven is my home" and that Jesus has prepared a place there for me. Help me to celebrate Jesus' birth as a reminder from You that You want to come home to be with You forever. Keep me focused on heaven as my true home so that I might be a true and winsome witness for You and Your salvation of the world in Christ so that others might also truly know and believe that heaven is our only true home because it is being forever in Your presence. Father, grant me the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit this Christmas that I might truly give thanks and praise to You for arranging and paying for my journey home to You with the very blood of Your Son, the Holy Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world.. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

At Christmas - Celebrating The Richest Of All Names

"Today's Devotion" For December 22, 2005

Read: Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:1-11

AT CHRISTMAS - CELEBRATING THE RICHEST OF ALL NAMES

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21)

One of my favorite internet sites for bizarre, strange, and otherwise out of the ordinary information is located at Netscape.com. Perusing the site last night a rather interesting article caught my eye. It was titled, "Baby Names Your Should Never Use." Along with the title information further discussion was offered concerning names that "bring wealth," names that are most common, names that are considered the most sexy (mine isn't one of them), and names that we might consider really bizarre. It will come as no surprise, I'm certain, that the name Jesus appears nowhere on any of the lists.

Most interesting from the perspective of the names that are supposed to connote wealth and success is the fact that my wife's name, Susan, is right at the top of the list of women's names. My name, Richard, is seventh on the men's list. While we do consider ourselves spiritually "wealthy" and blessed by the Lord, there's pretty good evidence represented by our bank accounts and bills each month that our names haven't brought us any of the wealth the researchers into these sorts of things suggest we should have.

What struck me about this research data is that human beings are always looking for a "leg up" on the competition. Perhaps if one's name is in the "wealth" category then better times and greater resources and material things might be "in the cards." On the others hand, having one of the "sexy" names could also be a way to greater success and notoriety. Certainly, it might be safely said that if anyone has one of the most common, popular names, which over the past five years have been Jacob and Emily, some might say that those bearing these names aren't too special or unique and thus unimportant.

Lest we pooh-pooh the importance of names, it should be noted that God Himself considers names to be important. He gave Adam and Eve their names. He changed Abram's name to Abraham to better describe what Abraham's mission and purpose in life as God's servant was. This was also true of Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. God sent the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, not only to announce that he and Elizabeth would have a son in their old age, but that his name was to be John, contrary to the Jewish custom of naming a son after his father. But the most emphasis in Scripture upon a name and its meaning comes when we hear the announcement of the angel to Joseph, instructing him to take Mary as his wife and to name the child to be born of her, Jesus - a name that means "Savior."

At Christmas we are celebrating the birth of the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the world. The name of Jesus carries all the power, love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God with it. He is the Savior promised by our Father in heaven to Adam and Eve already in the Garden of Eden. The name of Jesus is the richest name of all. It brings God's love to bear in the hearts of all who believe in Him. It's a name that brings hope and peace to the world as God reaches out through His Word and Spirit to bring a lost and fallen world back into His loving arms. The name Jesus, as given to the One and Only Son of God, is an exalted name filled with all of God's power and majesty, as Paul writes to the church at Philippi: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).

Jesus - the name that is the wealthiest and richest name to be found in heaven or on earth - is whom we celebrate at Christmas. We carry His name with us, living lives that fully reflect His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, humbly bearing the name Christian. So we Christians, at Christmas, celebrate Christ, who is also called Jesus, who "will save His people from their sins." His is the richest and most exalted of all names and for that we rejoice and give thanks each day, for He has, in fact, "saved His people from their sins."

Prayer: Father, forgive me for so often forgetting that there no name more precious and vital to my life than the name of Jesus, Your only-begotten Son. He is my Savior from Sin and the Promised Messiah, the Christ, Whom You promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In these latter days You have sent Him into the world so that the whole world might be saved through His blood. By Your grace and mercy I have been called by Your Word and Spirit in Holy Baptism to be Your very own child and daily receive Your forgiveness for all of my sins. You have showered Your forgiveness in Jesus on me, saving me through Him, that I might receive every blessing from You and be filled with every good thing that comes from Your hand. As I again celebrate the solemn feast of Christmas, rejoicing that the One who is called "Jesus" came to earth to save His people from their sins, fill me with Your Spirit that I may be a loving and winsome witness to the world around me of the true purpose and meaning of Christmas and the name that is the richest of all names - Jesus. In His precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

At Christmas - Light Overcomes Darkness

"Today's Devotion" For December 21, 2005

Read: Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:1-5, 9

AT CHRISTMAS - LIGHT OVERCOMES DARKNESS

"The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps. 27:1)

We're experiencing a rare phenomenon this Christmas. December 25, on which we Christians celebrate the birth of the "Light of the world," Jesus, the Messiah, our Jewish neighbors will celebrate "Hanukkah," the "Festival of Lights." In some ways there's an interesting parallel in the two celebrations. In both cases a miracle of God's grace and mercy is celebrated.

For us Christians, the celebration of Christmas marks the miracle of God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ as our Savior from Sin and the mediator between God and Man. Isaiah and John both describe Him as "light" from God. For the Jews, Hanukkah (meaning "dedication") is a celebration of the rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem after the Syrians and their Greek king were driven out by the army of Judah Maccabee in 165 B.C. It's called "The Festival of Lights" because when they wanted to light the menorah as part of the rededication ceremony they were only able to find a small flask of oil with only capable of fueling the menorah for one day. According to tradition that flask of oil lasted for eight days, long enough for them to find additional supplies.

The common theme between these two religious celebrations is "light overcoming darkness." For the Jews, Hanukkah is a symbol of God's deliverance from the dark oppression of foreign invaders and occupiers and the restoration of the symbol of His presence with His people, the Temple. For Christians, Christmas is the solemn feast celebrating humanity's deliverance from the darkness of Sin, Death, and Satan because God became man and lived among us in Jesus Christ. Hanukkah is centered in the Jewish people; Christmas is focused on God's gift of salvation for the whole world.

In last Sunday's comic section the cartoon "Pickles" by Brian Crane had a rather humorous take on this theme. Grandma and Grandpa were sitting in the living room when the power went out and they were left sitting in the dark. Grandpa responded, "The blankety-blank power is out again!" Grandma responds, "Haven't you heard the expression 'It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness?'" Then she hears, "Ouch! I stubbed my toe!" "Aargh! I bumped my head!" "Ow! I burned my finger!" Moved by Grandpa's pain, Grandma responds, "I take it back. In your case you're probably better off just cursing the darkness."

This theme of light overcoming darkness has both a spiritual and physical dimension to it. In many ways the expression, "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness" has a deeper spiritual meaning than most might believe. We live in a world filled with the darkness of Sin. Death is an ever present reality because of our sins, in complete contradiction to God's intended Will for human life at Creation. It's our nature, because of Sin, to "curse the darkness" of spiritual ignorance, evil, and all the many "wages of sin." Yet, as redeemed children of God in Jesus Christ we aren't just celebrating a "Festival of Lights" because there was enough oil to light a menorah for eight days. We are celebrating the coming of the Light of the world, whose life bring God's light into the world so that Sin would have no more power over us, death might no longer be our enemy, and Satan could no longer accuse us before God with impunity.

Sometimes, because of the challenges to our faith in Jesus that Sin brings into our lives, it's easier for us to "curse the darkness" than live in hope and faith. We find the darkness of Sin and evil so fills the world and our experiences that we often end up "stubbing our toes or bumping our heads" on the barriers to God that get put in our way. Too often we seek to overcome the darkness of Sin using our own, limited spiritual resources, and end up with that darkness permeating every nook and cranny of our existence.

At Christmas we rejoice because the Light of the world has come to overcome the darkness of Sin, Death, and Satan for us. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to earth to take on the "darkness" and overcome it for us. We have no need to curse the "darkness" because we have been saved from it by His suffering, death, and resurrection. At Christmas we rejoice that we live, by faith, in the full and total light of God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness as it came to earth in the Babe of Bethlehem. Perhaps, as we also remember that our elder sisters and brothers - the offspring of Abraham - are celebrating an act of God's grace, mercy, and love in performing the miracle of the oil on Hanukkah, "The Festival of Lights," and it might be a good time to share with them the true Light of the world, the Messiah God promised for so long, even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is, after all, their Messiah, their Savior from the darkness of Sin, just as He is ours.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for bringing the light of Your grace in Jesus Christ to light the darkness and draw me to Yourself. Father, it's so very easy to "curse the darkness" instead of giving thanks that Jesus has overcome it for me and shed the light of Your grace abroad in my heart and my life. As I again celebrate the birth of the Light of the world this Christmas, I pray that You would fill me with such courage and strength of faith that I may be a bold purveyor of that Light to all whom I meet each day. Help me to be a faithful and winsome witness to the Light of the world, Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord, so that others might come to see Him as their Light and life as well, and be saved. I especially pray that as Your chosen people, the Jews, celebrate Hanukkah at the same time as I am celebrating Jesus' birth, that You might bless me with opportunities to share the Light of His love so that He might fill their hearts just as, by Your miraculous power, the light from the menorah filled the Temple. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

At Christmas - The Blessings Of Tradition

"Today's Devotion" For December 20, 2005

Read: Isaiah 40:1-8; Psalm 139

AT CHRISTMAS - THE BLESSINGS OF TRADITION

"O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." (Ps. 130:7, 8)

I received a note from a sister in Christ yesterday that touched my heart. She had written to thank me for the blessings she has received through reading "Today's Devotion." She's a widow, and along with so many others in her shoes, both men and women, in this holy season of the year, there's an emptiness and sorrow because their life's partners are no longer with them to celebrate Christmas. Most of us have traditions of Christmas that serve to bind our families together and lend deeper meaning to this solemn feast. When a member of the family is missing, especially when we know that they will never again rejoice and celebrate with us this side of heaven, a sense of sadness can find its way into the heart and take away the real joy that Christmas brings into our hearts. In such times, our traditions of faith at Christmas can serve as a bulwark against the pain and emptiness their absence brings to our hearts.

In Sunday's comic strip "For Better Or For Worse" by Lynn Johnston, grandma and grandpa are looking out the window at the snow coming down. Grandpa remarks, "Darned weather. I can't do anything. I feel so cooped up!" Grandma responds by saying she's going to call their daughter, Elly. Maybe they can do something with her. Grandpa speaks up, "She'll take us somewhere for dinner and then on a tour of the Christmas lights." Then Elly shows up asking if they'd like to do just that. Grandpa responds, "See? I knew that's where we'd be going! I said to Iris, 'Elly's going to take us out to dinner and then on a tour of the Christmas lights!'" Elly responds, "Oh. Well - we could do something else. You could come to our place, or we could go to a movie, or..." "What?" grandpa responds. Elly continues, "I don't want to take you out to dinner and a tour of the lights if you don't want to go!" Agitated, grandpa answers, "Of course I want to go! 'TSK' Just when you start looking forward to something...They try and change the routine!"

For almost two thousand years, Christians have been celebrating the solemn feast of Christmas during this time of year. Over the millennia, traditions have developed among us that serve to remind us of God's love for us as the Word became flesh that first "Christmas Day" in Bethlehem. Those traditions serve as foundation stones to help us stay focused on the birth of Jesus. Those traditions give us consistency and encouragement in spite of the challenges to forget the "reason for the season" posed by the world around us. When those traditions are challenged or they're lost because a loved one is missing from our lives, our lives can become "discombobulated" and anxiety can take the place of joy, peace, and hope.

God's Word to us in such circumstances is, "Comfort, comfort my people" (Is. 40:1). One thing we can always be certain of is God's "tradition" of loving us and offering us His forgiveness of all our sins in Jesus Christ. God's "tradition" never dies; His Word is always sure and certain and "stands forever" (Is. 40:8). King David reminds us of God's consistent love and never failing mercy when he writes in Psalm 139, "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar" (Ps. 139:1, 2). David goes on to thank God for his unfailing mercy and grace and His continual presence in the lives of His children.

Our traditions at Christmas can be powerful blessings from God which help us to focus on His Word and His promises. Our traditions at Christmas lend us a sense of stability and sameness in a world full of turmoil and strife, helping us focus on the greatest gift of all - God's peace to us in Jesus Christ. Our traditions at Christmas, focused on Jesus' birth and forged in the certainty that God's promises are sure and certain and that He is always with us, give us peace and joy even in the absence of loved ones. Our traditions at Christmas, as they are grounded in God's Word and focused on His love for us, help to strengthen our faith and hope in Him and encourage us in our living as witnesses for Christ to the world around us.

A final note. One tradition at Christmas - which has come under fire as politically incorrect - is wishing others a "Blessed and Happy Christmas" (I personally prefer this to "Merry Christmas"). Personally, it's a tradition, full of meaning and comfort, blessing and hope, which reminds me of grandpa's response above, "'TSK' Just when you start looking forward to something...They try and change the routine!"

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your consistent and certain love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in my life. It's Your "tradition" to bless me with hope and comfort in the face of the troubles of the world. You continue to provide me with the sure assurance that You are ever present in my life and are always at my side under any and all circumstances. While I may leave You, turn my back on You, and disobey Your Word, You are always there for me, always love and forgive me in Jesus, and seek only the best for me in all things. Guide me by the power of Your Word and Spirit to hold fast to the "traditions of faith," not only at Chritmas but throughout the year, so that I might always be comforted by them no matter what happens in my lfe. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 The Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 19, 2005

At Christmas - The Simplicity Of A Child

"Today's Devotion" For December 19, 2005

Read: Luke 2:36-40; Isaiah 11:1-9

AT CHRISTMAS - THE SIMPLICITY OF A BABY

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." (Is. 11:6)

There's nothing quite like seeing the wonder in a toddler's face as he or she first sees and recognizes a Christmas tree adorned with lights, ornaments, and garlands or tinsel. It's a wonderful sight to see such little ones rip open their first Christmas presents - most of the time moms and dads are more interested in the gifts than the child - they just love that wrapping paper.

Oh, yes! Don't forget the boxes. All the money spent on presents never seemed to have the same impact as the boxes some of the gifts came in, especially those boxes big enough for a toddler to climb into. When our children were little I can remember Christmas boxes used as toys long after the original gift that was in the box had been destroyed and put in the trash.

How different is our perception of Christmas as we have grown older. All too often, instead of enjoying Christmas as many of us did as children, we're overwhelmed and harried by the hustle and bustle and expectations that we and other adults have laid on Christmas. People seem to want just the right gft for the right person or child so they'll be happy and remember us for years to come. People seek to have the best Christmas table ever, so that the delicious food and holiday atmosphere might be better than it was at Aunt Shirley's last year. People want to be able to show they had a "better" haul of Christmas "loot" than their co-workers when they return to work after the holidays. Such thinking and expectations are both counterproductive and unattainable. They certainly don't reflect the true meaning and purpose of Christmas for the people of God.

One of my all-time favorite comics is "The Family Circus" by Bil Keane. In yesterday's "The Family Circus" the first panel shows little Jeffy sitting in church praying. In his mind's eye he sees the old, white-bearded man in a white robe, glowing with a halo around his head, sitting on a golden throne with a gold canopy. Behind the throne, Jeffy sees angel trumpeters, an angel harpist, and an angel choir. The next panel shows Jeffy kneeling on his bed in his pajamas, talking, laughing, hands moving - praying - with a picture in his mind's eye of a baby in a straw filled manger in white clothing, and a golden glowing halo around his head. In the final panel, Jeffy's mom looks in on him and Jeffy, still kneeling on his bed, hands folded, says to her, "Prayin' is easier when I'm talkin' to Baby Jesus."

"And a little child will lead them," the prophet Isaiah writes. It was a little child that was sent from God that changed the world. No matter how old Jesus was when He suffered and died on the Cross, He was still that little child of Bethlehem because of the true and very real simplicity of His sacrifice of Himself for our sins. Christmas is a solemn feast of simplicity, focused in a child. God didn't come to earth in the form of a grown man, or in king's robes and with a king's entourage. Instead, He came in the form of a child, a baby, to show - I believe - the true simplicity and purity of His plan of salvation for the world.

Martin Luther says it so very clearly in his explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed - "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come the living and the dead." Luther writes in explanation: "I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature. Not with gold or silver but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. That I may be His own and live under Him in kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Even as He is risen from the dead, He lives and reigns to all eternity."

Luther ends his explanation of the Second Article with "This is most certainly true." Christmas is a time for the simple. It's a time for the simplicity and innocence of a baby born to save us from our sins and bring us to eternal life through faith in His blood. Little Jeffy in "The Family Circus" isn't wrong. When we have our heads on straight about Christmas, and life in general, it's sure much easier to pray to the Baby Jesus than to an image of God that loses the simplicity and promise of His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Christ. May God bless us, by His Word and Spirit, with the simplicity of a childlike faith and trust in the Babe of Bethlehem who gave His life that we might have life eternal.

Prayer: Father, I find myself too often forgetting the powerful simplicity of Your salvation of the world in Jesus Christ. You didn't accomplish my and the world's salvation with pomp and circumstance, but by the birth of Jesus in a stable to a simple and faithful young virgin named Mary. You revealed that simple truth to Isaiah a thousand years before. You revealed that simple truth to Simeon in the Temple, and to Anna, the prophetess, as You gave them the desire of their hearts and let them see the baby Jesus before taking them home to heaven with You. You remind me of that same truth as You share with me that Jesus grew as any normal child would, becoming strong and being filled with wisdom and Your grace. Father, help me to keep it simple at Christmas. Help me, by the power of Your Word and Spirit, to rejoice in the simplicity of Your gift, the gift of a baby who takes away the Sin of the world. Lead me to be a witness to that truth so that others may come into Your presence and receive Your full forgiveness in Christ; in whose precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 The Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

At Christmas - The Glow Of Anticipation

"Today's Devotion" For December 17, 2005

Read: Luke 2:25-35; Psalm 130

AT CHRISTMAS - THE GLOW OF ANTICIPATION

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Ps. 130:5, 6)

It amazes me, when I stop to think about it, how different Christmas is for me as an adult. When I was a child I couldn't wait for Christmas to come. I looked forward to participating in the Christmas programs at church, the Christmas parties we had at the Lutheran school I attended, the music and caroling, putting up the Christmas tree, seeing the lights put up on the house, visits to and by family and friends, and chomping at the bit to find out what gifts I was going to receive.

As I got older and got a job, my anticipation of Christmas began to change. I still anticipated the Christmas music and caroling, putting up the Christmas tree (now without my father's help), helping to hang the lights on the house, and worship on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I still waited eagerly to visit with my grandparents and other family, but I began to lose my interest in going to visit my parents' friends. While gift-receiving was still high on my list of great things to await on Christmas, the giving of gifts became a "requirement" because I had a job and thus a chore. No matter how much I wanted to give my mother a really great gift for Christmas, shopping for it was another matter.

When I left home for college, my anticipation of Christmas also changed. I couldn't afford to come home from school too often, so Christmas break was a great opportunity to come home, see my family, see my friends, and enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth with those I loved and cherished in my life. Christmas gift-giving was no longer a chore but an anticipated way of letting my family know that I hadn't forgotten them and how much I loved them. I can remember how numb and angry I felt the year I had my car broken into while at work and all the gifts I had for my family stolen. It was my last year at the seminary and I didn't have any money to replace them. I was headed home right after work (from Indiana) and had everything packed and ready to go.

As a parish pastor and single I remember anticipating the special worship services we would hold at the small parishes in Montana and North Dakota. After my Susan and I got married the anticipation of Christmas took on a whole new meaning. I remember the second Christmas of our marriage when I told her we couldn't "go home for Christmas" because I couldn't get leave. She looked me squarely in the eye, put her arms around my neck, gave me a big kiss and said, "Home is wherever we are." Anticipation at Christmas changed for me once again. (This was especially poignant for me when I was away for Christmas during Desert Shield/Storm).

As our children grew, the anticipation of Christmas came to full circle. Watching their eyes light up as the Christmas tree and the decorations were set up was worth waiting for each year. Their eagerness to see what gifts they were receiving at Christmas was a glowing light of anticipation for me as well. Going to church as a family to worship our newborn King, Jesus, was a precious gift to be awaited with eagerness each year, even in the years when I was still a parish pastor and struggling with worship planning for multiple services and other church activities. As our children grew, their outlook and anticipation of Christmas grew with them. In many ways, as they anticipate Christmas this year, with a couple of them no longer in school (one unable to come home because he has no leave this year), a couple in college, and three still at home, each of them is doing so in their own way, from their own "space," experiencing for themselves the different anticipations of Christmas that come to us in life.

At this time in my life, the anticipation of Christmas has again changed. I don't expect our children to be "home" because as they get older "home" will be where they live, work, and play. Their friends are new, their experiences are new, and their opportunities are new. If and when they get married, they will be establishing their own families and homes, and, perhaps, we'll be traveling to visit with them. At this time in my life, my anticipation of Christmas no longer is focused on the things or even places, but the wonderful opportunity to observe once again the solemn feast of Christmas along with my brothers and sisters in Christ the world over.

Simeon, in his old age, rejoiced that he had the precious opportunity to see His Savior, the Messiah, before he died - according to God's promise to him. Simeon lived in anticipation of God's fulfillment of that promise, his soul waiting for the Lord as the Psalmist himself wrote (Ps. 130:5). Simeon lived with eager, but patient, anticipation that God would fulfill His promises to Israel, filled with a longing for the appearance of his Savior that was even more eager than "watchmen wait(ing) for the morning" (Ps.130:6). Simeon's prayer of rejoicing reflects the joy of his anticipation in the Messiah fulfilled and being, finally, at the doorstep of eternal life (cf. Luke 2:29-32).

At Christmas the Holy Spirit fills us with the glow of anticipation - anticipation that awaits the final coming of Jesus on the Last Day. We rejoice with Simeon that our "eyes have seen Your salvation" as we give thanks to God for His gift of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we live our lives of faith, the things we anticipate during the Christmas season will change as our lives change. Yet, the one sure and certain reality is that our anticipation of Jesus' coming and return according to God's promises will never change because God's promises are sure. What a wonderful blessing to be able to bask in the glow of anticipation at Christmas as we give thanks for His coming and look forward to His return.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You fill me with the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit so that I might never lose sight of Your grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness in Jesus. By Your Spirit, in the power of my Baptism, You fill me with anticipation as I approach the celebration of Jesus birth and look forward to His return to take me home forever. Father, I pray that You would fill me with a powerful sense of anticipation in Jesus, just as You filled Simeon, so that Your promises will always be at the forefront of my life and witness to others in Jesus' name. Fill me with the glow anticipation at Christmas so that I might be a beacon and light to the world and glorify You with my life. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 The Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Friday, December 16, 2005

At Christmas - Preparing For Jesus

"Today's Devotion" For December 16, 2005

Read: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 1:1-17

AT CHRISTMAS - PREPARING FOR JESUS

"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.'" (Is. 40:3)

In the past week my wife and children have gone out Christmas shopping a couple of times after school (my wife is a teacher so it's "after school" for her too). They're getting ready for Christmas. We still, however, don't have our tree up, nor are there any other decorations cropping up around the house. Except for some Christmas shopping, by the cultural standards all around us we're not very "prepared" for Christmas.

On the other hand, our preparations for Christmas as a family are more focused in the spiritual than the material. Over the years we've not had a lot of money and there's always something that seems to come up around Christmas that becomes a higher priority than buying Christmas presents (ex.- earlier this week my van broke down; today I found out the transmission has to be replaced). What we have done as a family is strive to focus on the spiritual purpose of the solemn feast of Christmas so that our celebrating is focused on worship, prayer, and spending time with family and friends enjoying the precious gift of Jesus given by our Father in heaven.

Preparing for Jesus at Christmas isn't easy. There are so many distractions that we often see Jesus' birth being overlooked. The struggle to truly prepare to receive the Christ Child at Christmas has become a “cause celebre” these days. Editorial columnists have had a field day with the issue of whether Christians are being discriminated against because "Happy Holidays" has become the mantra instead of "Merry Christmas." No matter the argument, it seems foolish for God's people to get caught up in the debate because it only distracts us from preparing for Jesus. After all, Christmas has no meaning for God's people without Jesus. Without Him at Christmas there's really nothing of worth for which we would need to be preparing.

God knew from the beginning how important it would be to keep His people focused on His promises of a Savior and keep preparing them for His coming. Through the prophets, such as Isaiah, God sent His Word to His people to encourage them to hope in His promises. He sent the prophets to declare His promised salvation to them over and over again in order that they might be ready for the Savior to come. Over and over again, God sent the prophets to lead His people to repentance, preparing them to receive His precious gift. Matthew's genealogy (Matthew 1) is a firm reminder of God's plan of salvation working through the ages, preparing His people, preparing us, to receive Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins so that we might be saved through faith in Him.

How are you preparing for Christmas? Are your preparations focused in the material - baking cookies, preparing food, holding parties, attending parties, looking for just the right gift - or are they focused in the spiritual as you prepare your heart to say "Happy Birthday" to Jesus on the solemn feast of Christmas? Certainly the aforementioned activities can be carried out as acts of love and devotion to the Lord as we love others as He loves us. Preparing for Jesus means keeping all the material preparation for Christmas in a spiritual perspective. Preparing for Jesus means always being ready for His return to take us to Himself forever in heaven.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for every blessing You give and every gift You give so that I may be Your child, forgiven and restored to You through faith in Jesus. Forgive me when I let the world influence me in such a way that I forget just why I live and what Your purpose for my life really is. You give me the solemn feast of Christmas so that I might always be reminded of how much You truly love me - enough to send Your One and Only Son into the world to take on my condition and be tempted even as I am. Help me to continually be preparing my heart for Jesus so that He might live in me and I in Him forever. Remind me, Father, that in Holy Baptism, You have not only made me Your very own but You continue to prepare me daily to know You and Your love for me in Christ Jesus and to share that same love in Christ with others. Thank You, Father, for all You do to prepare me to meet Jesus in Your time; in His precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 The Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

At Christmas - Giving Glory To God Our Savior

"Today's Devotion" For December 15, 2005

Read: Luke 1:46-56; Psalm 29

AT CHRISTMAS - GIVING GLORY TO GOD OUR SAVIOR

"And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...'" (Lk. 1:46, 47a)

Years ago, one of the more common descriptions of a sailor in a dress blue, Navy uniform was "glorified bellhop." It wasn't intended to be kind, nor was it necessarily intended to be hurtful. It was, however, a statement made by those who wanted to "tone down" the lofty conceptions of both sailors and the public as to their importance. By giving an unflattering description of a sailor based upon the uniform, it was a way of humbling those who were seen to be "preening" in their spiffy uniforms.

Perhaps you've also heard the term, "glory hound." Again, this is a term that takes us back not just a few years. For many people, this terminology hasn't been heard in their lifetime. It's a phrase that implied that an individual, ofttimes a star athlete, was just "too big for his britches." Rather than humbly and graciously accepting the accolades and praises such a person might have received for his feats in athletic competition, the person upon which such a designation was hung often acted as if the "sun - and his team's fortunes - rose and set on him."

Ultimately, to be praised for one's actions, for doing well in an endeavor, and doing good things for others is a wonderful thing. But praising someone for his or her actions isn't the same as giving them glory. Glory implies exaltation of one who is seen to be superior and more distinctive in their achievements and is most often and, it would seem to me, most properly to be applied to God. God Himself reminds us through the prophet Isaiah (42:8), "My glory I will not give to another." For all His wonders and marvels that He performs each day in the lives of human beings, our God is due all glory and praise. To ascribe glory to anyone for the works of God is to deny the very grace, mercy, and love of God for His Creation.

King David's song of praise in I Chronicles 16 is filled with pictures of God's mighty works and deeds among His people for which He deserves glory and praise. David declares, "Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy in His dwelling place. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name..." (I Chronicles 16:23-29a).

Mary's "Magnificat" in Luke 1, in response to all she was experiencing - from the visit by the Angel Gabriel to her visit with Elizabeth and the baby leaping for joy in Elizabeth's womb - is a powerful declaration of why God deserves all glory and praise. He is redeeming His people and doing so through the "humble state of His servant" (v. 48) and He is to receive glory because "His mercy extends to those who fear Him" (v.50). Mary so vividly reminds us of the longing of God's people for redemption and salvation over the centuries as they believed God's promises and waited for His time. Her declaration, "He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and His descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers" (vv. 54, 55), focuses our attention on the true meaning and purpose of Christmas. It's a special time for us to glorify God for His gift of life and salvation from Sin, Death, and Satan as we celebrate the birth of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

Following David's and Mary's examples, giving glory to God for the gift our Savior is what we take the time to do in a special way at Christmas. No Christmas "spirit," Christmas shopping, Christmas partying, Christmas decorations, or even people wishing us a "Merry Christmas" instead of a "Happy Holiday" is going to give God the glory and praise due His name. Instead it will be the humble spirit in which God's people seek to glorify His name by sharing His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Jesus in our interactions with the world. Perhaps it doesn't make any difference how the world "celebrates" Christmas, whether it wishes us a "Merry Christmas" (my personal greeting is always "Have a Blessed and Happy Christmas and New Year") or a "Happy Holiday." Perhaps what really makes a difference is how we as God's redeemed and forgiven children in Jesus Christ observe Christmas, the solemn feast of Jesus' birth. Rather than debating the world's ignorance of the "true meaning of Christmas" it might be better for us, no matter how difficult the circumstances (remember Jesus told us that if they treated Him badly we shouldn't expect to be treated any better), to be seen giving glory to God and truly living the "reason for the season."

Prayer: Father, it's too easy for me to grouse and complain about the lack of "Christmas spirit" and the loss of the "true meaning of Christmas" in the world around me. I get over saturated with the grumblings of too many other Christians who are frustrated with the world's lack of respect for Christian culture, not to speak of its lack of respect and honor of You. Yet, what's so very important for me is to be a faithful witness to Your love, grace, and mercy in Jesus for a sinful world. Help me to approach the Christmas celebration of Jesus' birth as a time to give glory to You for Your goodness and love. Send Your Holy Spirit upon me so that I might be a living witness to Your glory and love as I live a life of preparation for Jesus' return to take me home to heaven. Let me be a living example of why You deserve all glory and praise, so that through my life of faith others might be touched by Your love. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 The Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

At Christmas - Filled With Joy

"Today's Devotion" For December 14, 2005

Read: Luke 1:39-45; Psalm 47

AT CHRISTMAS - FILLED WITH JOY

"As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." (Lk. 1:44)

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time with my personal pastoral counselor and coach. I was a little late arriving but he was still in another session. No sooner did he come out of his office to converse with his receptionist than she told him there was a call he had to take. It was an emergency and he spent some time on the phone with a woman in deep distress. As we sat down to visit he of course apologized for keeping me waiting, explaining that since right before Thanksgiving he had been under a constant barrage of distressed, depressed people, including those who had lost loved ones in the past year and are facing their first Holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) without them. In addition, because of the strain of the season and the demands on their time, pastors, their wives, and children are also experiencing similarly difficult times.

From personal experience I can certainly understand the challenges he's been facing at this time of the year as a pastoral counselor and personal coach. Certainly, it begs the question as to the strength and health of his own mental, emotional, and spiritual resources at a time where others are taxing him in their times of crises. When I was a parish pastor it wasn't at all unusual for people to feel more depressed and alone at Christmas, especially if a loved one, particularly a spouse, had gone to be with Jesus during the previous year. The additional stress of counseling and caring for such persons during such a hectic time of the secular year, much less the Church Year, often left me with little or no personal resources left to take care of myself and enjoy the solemn feast of Christmas.

Yet, this time of year - Christmas - is intended by God's grace, mercy, and love, to be a time of celebration and joy. Our marvelous and gracious God comes to us again and again every day through His Word and Spirit and reminds us that He loves us and forgives us of all our sins in Jesus. While this blessing of God is ours each day as we remember our Baptisms and live in His Word, at Christmas we have a special time to remember His gracious redemption and be filled with joy in celebration of the Word becoming flesh and living among us (Jn. 1:14). How precious are these days in preparation for Jesus' birthday celebration! How important it is in our preparation to be filled with joy rather than frustration, sadness, depression, and despair!

Elizabeth's words to Mary upon her visit to her older cousin are very powerful, because they remind us that God doesn't leave us to our own devices. He knows the struggles and challenges that face us every day, and no less so during times of the year, such as Christmas, when the challenges to our lives of faith are assailed on all sides by the world around us. So we have great joy and comfort, peace and courage from Elizabeth's revelation that her baby, soon to be born and named John (later John the Baptist), was filled with the Holy Spirit and leaped in her womb for joy as he heard Mary, the mother of our Lord, approaching. If the Holy Spirit can bring joy to the heart of an unborn child how much more isn't He able to bring joy into our hearts no matter how harsh the circumstances we face? If the Holy Spirit can bring joy to the heart of an unborn child, how much more can't we rejoice that God loves us and holds us in the very palm of His hand?

At Christmas we don't need to be depressed, despairing, hurried, hassled, frustrated, or sad, even if some of us are facing our first celebration in years without our loved ones by our side. Rather, we can give thanks be filled with joy in the Lord because the redemption that came that first Christmas not only fills our hearts and lives, but is the full and never ending experience of our loved ones who have died in the Lord and are now in His presence forever. As they are singing with the heavenly choir of angels and saints, so also does the Holy Spirit fill us to sing along with them with our hearts and voices while we yet live on the earth. We, too, like the baby in Elizabeth's womb, leap for joy as we are filled by God's Word and Spirit and freed from the burden of Sin and the fear of Death by the love of Christ our Savior and Lord. At Christmas, being filled with joy is a reality for all of us when we turn all the "baggage" of the season and our lives over to Him who loves and gave Himself for us - our newborn King and Savior Jesus.

Prayer: Father, all too often I find that the joy that ought to permeate my life because I'm Your forgiven child in Jesus is nowhere to be found. This becomes especially true for me and many others at Christmas, when Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness become all too obvious in the solemn feast and celebration of Jesus' birth. In Him, You became flesh to live among people so that we might truly know Your love and You might save us from Sin, Death, and Satan. Yet, the very even, the Word becoming flesh, which ought to bring me great peace and joy often gets lost because of Sin's effect on my life and the world. Father, I pray that You would send Your Spirit upon me and all people in abundant measure during this season, that the power of Your Good News of salvation and forgiveness of sins in Christ might fill me and the world with joy and peace. Help me to be filled with such joy that I may be an unflinching and unfailing witness for the solemn feast of Christmas. In Jesus' precious and most holy name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright (c) 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

At Christmas - Time For Miracles

"Today's Devotion" For December 13, 2005

Read: Luke 1:26-38; Psalm 77

AT CHRISTMAS - TIME FOR MIRACLES

"Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display Your power among the peoples. With Your mighty arm You redeemed Your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph." (Ps. 77:13-15)

One of my all-time favorite Christmas movies is "Miracle On 34th Street." No doubt you're wondering how a movie about Santa Claus (Kris Kringle) can be a favorite of mine since it has absolutely no emphasis on the birth of Jesus at all (except for a few Christmas carols). I could say that the marvelous acting of an all-star cast made up of some of Hollywood's all-time heavyweights, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood, and William Frawley makes it a movie classic all its own. Certainly I wouldn't be lying. On the other hand it's a sad commentary on both the commercialization of Christmas (already in 1947) and the loss of the sacred meaning of Christmas in Jesus.

A speech by Edmund Gwenn (Santa Claus) touches upon the loss of a sacred vision at Christmas that has stayed with me since I first saw the movie as a child. He was speaking to Mrs. Walker (Maureen O'Hara) about how important it was for him to be recognized as Santa Claus:

"You see, Mrs. Walker, this is quite an opportunity for me. For the past fifty years or so I've been getting more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster, and look shinier and cost less that Christmas and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle."

What always struck me about this speech is that already in 1947 it was becoming evident that the true meaning of Christmas was being lost. Not because believing in Santa Claus was obsolete, but because this monologue, in a movie about Santa Claus, was devoid of any reference to Jesus and the miracle of His birth and the salvation He brought to the world.

John Payne plays the role of an attorney defending "Kris Kringle" as Santa Claus before a New York court. He makes this impassioned speech to Mrs. Walker: "Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris that's on trial; it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles." Natalie Wood plays the little girl who is befriended by Santa Claus but has been told by her mother, Mrs. Walker, that no such person exists. In the end, however, when Santa Claus is in trouble with the court, accused of being mentally unbalanced, the little girl's response is quite telling: "I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe."

As miracles go, "Miracle On 34th Street" is no "miracle." It's a sentimental movie, fun to watch, but with no real substance behind it. It's plot is "miraculous” only in the sense that it somehow manages to avoid talking about the true meaning of Christmas, centered in Jesus Christ. But Christmas is a time of miracles. The birth of the Savior of the world is a miracle of miracles. By the power of God's Holy Spirit, a young, teenaged girl, still a virgin, named Mary, became the mother of Jesus, the Christ, the promised Messiah. She, too, cried out an "I believe" in response to the angel Gabriel’s announcement, but in a different way. Her words ring out with faith and hope and trust in God. Her words reflect the miracle of God's love, grace, and mercy in her life. Her response, "I am the Lord's servant...May it be to me as you have said" (Lk. 1:38), is a powerful statement of true faith and a miracle of God's working.

A miracle is, by definition, a suspension of the normal laws of nature. Only God can perform miracles, becasue only He has that power over nature. At Christmas we see once again that miraculous power of God - the God who caused the Savior to become man and dwell among us through His birth of a virgin - a true suspension of nature's laws. At Christmas we see God's miraculous power, not only in the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit's power, but also in the suspension of human nature as God worked faith in Mary's heart to believe Gabriel's message. At Christmas we experience that same miracle of faith in our hearts and lives as we again prepare to celebrate this solemn feast and give thanks that our forgiveness of sins and salvation to eternal life has come into our hearts and is born again in our lives every day. Christmas is truly a time for miracles - miracles of God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness in Jesus.

Prayer: Father, help me to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas found only in Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Forgive me for too often getting caught up in the secular nature of the season and forgetting that Christmas is a miracle of cosmic proportions, since it brings salvation to Your creation. Gracious Father, point my heart, mind, and life always toward Jesus so that my life might truly experience Your miracle of faith, just as the Blessed Virgin Mary did when Gabriel announced that she would bear the Son of God and Savior of the world. Lead me to share that miracle with others who don't yet know Your love, so they, too, might know that Christmas is, as is every day lived in Christ, a time of miracles - blessings from Your hand. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright (c) 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.