A 2 0 1 9 A D V E N T D E V O T I O N A L

Welcoming the Savior

What's in this...

D e v o t i o n a lWhat is Advent?

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How to Use This DevotionalPage 3

Advent Week 1

Welcoming the UnexpectedPages 4-5

Advent Week 2

Welcoming ChangePage 6-7

Advent Week 3

Welcoming those who are PersecutedPage 8-9

Advent Week 4

Welcoming those who are DevastatedPage 10-11

Christmas Eve

Welcoming those who Suffer Page 12-13

Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, begins four Sundaysbefore Christmas Day. It is the Advent season that starts the new

cycle in our Christian calendar. In this season, as written above, weprepare and hope for the coming of Christ, both in remembrance of

when he came to us as a baby some 2000-odd years ago and inanticipation of the day that Christ will come again.

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning an

"important arrival," and is today used in the church to signify thearrival of Christ, the coming of the Savior. As we begin this Adventseason, may you prepare to welcome the Savior into your houses

and hearts anew.

During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We

remember the longing of the Jewish people for a Messiah and our own

longing for, and need of, forgiveness, salvation, and a new beginning.

Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble

stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward, anticipating the second

coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first

coming.~The People of the United Methodist Church www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-advent

What is...

A d v e n t

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How to use this...

D e v o t i o n a l

Pick a quiet time and place to read. Open your time in prayer, asking God to move in you during your timeof meditation and study.Read the scripture and devotion and keep an open mind - how mightGod be speaking to you through these pages?Ask yourself: How am I welcoming this week's theme? What can I doto more fully live into this theme? Consider adding the lighting of the Advent wreath to your devotional.Start by lighting one candle the first week, two the second week, andso on. For more information about Advent Wreaths, check outhttp://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/glossary-advent-wreath orhttp://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-do-the-candles-in-our-advent-wreath-mean Consider journaling - many find the process of journaling edifyingduring their meditative time. A good place to start is by reading thetheme and scripture again, and write your own devotion based onwhat God has put on your heart. Compare your devotion to the oneprinted and pay special attention to where you find similarities.

Some tips on getting the most you can from this Advent Devotional:

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Scripture Reading

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary

had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be

with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and

unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just

when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream

and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the

child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to

name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to

fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”which means, “God

is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord

commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until

she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Welcoming the...F i r s t W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 1 s t

Unexpected

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Meditation

The story of Joseph’s obedience to the word of God is one of the more

compelling stories of Advent as we welcome our Savior into the world. Joseph

had every reason to dismiss his betrothed. He would be exposed to scandal and

derision because Mary suddenly was pregnant, not of his own making. But an angel of the LORD appears and tells him to “be not afraid.” Joseph

awakes from this revelation and does what the LORD commands. It takes courage sometimes to resist the conventional wisdom, the wagging

tongues, to resist the pressures and demands of our popular culture and to

simply follow the word that God is speaking. Honestly, that is how I made it

through some trying times when I worked at the White House and the issues

were not unfamiliar to those who know the story of Joseph, of King David, and

others who have been flawed leaders but nonetheless faithful in their obedience

to God. We don’t talk about that a lot, but faith shapes decisions that are

important and contemporary and we should pray in this contentious, polarized

season for the Holy Spirit to work through those who help our leaders find

common ground and ways for our nation to move forward. Advent and

Impeachment. They will intertwine during our Advent season. Joseph’s

example reminds us that we need always to listen first to the word that God is

speaking, for that word is eternal and not subject to the blowing winds of

controversy that often occupy our daily debates.

- Mike McCurry

F i r s t W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 1 s t

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Welcoming...

S e c o n d W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 8 t h

C h a n g eScripture ReadingMatthew 2:1-12In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men fromthe East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of theJews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” WhenKing Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and callingtogether all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where theMessiah was to be born.  They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has beenwritten by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler     who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact timewhen the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and searchdiligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may alsogo and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there,ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over theplace where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they wereoverwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother;and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, theyoffered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dreamnot to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

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Meditation

When I was a girl my Dad noted how little I liked change. It’s true – I felt safe and

comfortable with the way things had “always been” in my world. In the story of

the visit of the wise men, King Herod fears a potential change in his world – the

world that feels comfortable to him – and he seeks to prevent that change. The

wise men, on the other hand, see a sign of change and then seek it out and

welcome the change and the promise that God has provided for all of us through

the birth of Jesus!

As my boys grew up, it was sometimes easy to wish that time would slow down,

so that I could keep those cute little boys by my side, rather than moving on as

time changed us all. But their eagerness to grow up – to grow into who God

intended them to be – was inescapable. It was God’s way of reminding me that

we have to change to grow, and to welcome the many changes that life brings

with delight and gratitude.

It’s easy to resist change because I am comfortable with what I’m used to. (Full

disclosure – even as I write this, I fondly long for the warmth of this past

Summer.) As we prepare for our celebration of Christ’s birth, I’m trying to be

more like those wise men. I pray that, like them, I can joyously celebrate and

appreciate the miracle of Jesus’ birth. I pray for the wisdom and patience to, like

them, welcome the inevitable changes that life brings, trusting in God’s grace.

- Marge Higgins

S e c o n d W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 8 t h

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Welcoming those who are...

T h i r d W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 1 5 t h

P e r s e c u t e d

Scripture ReadingMatthew 2:13-15

N o w a f t e r t h e y h a d l e f t , a n a n g e l o f t h e L o r d a p p e a r e d t o J o s e p h i n a

d r e a m a n d s a i d , “ G e t u p , t a k e t h e c h i l d a n d h i s m o t h e r , a n d f l e e t o

E g y p t , a n d r e m a i n t h e r e u n t i l I t e l l y o u ; f o r H e r o d i s a b o u t t o s e a r c h

f o r t h e c h i l d , t o d e s t r o y h i m . ”   T h e n J o s e p h g o t u p , t o o k t h e c h i l d a n d

h i s m o t h e r b y n i g h t , a n d w e n t t o E g y p t , a n d r e m a i n e d t h e r e u n t i l t h e

d e a t h o f H e r o d . T h i s w a s t o f u l f i l l w h a t h a d b e e n s p o k e n b y t h e L o r d

t h r o u g h t h e p r o p h e t , “ O u t o f E g y p t I h a v e c a l l e d m y s o n . ”

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MeditationThis passage illustrates what would be an absolutely terrifying situation foranyone, let alone the parents of a newborn baby. I cannot even begin to imaginehow fearful Joseph must have been when he heard the news that the mostpowerful man in the region had put out a hit on his newborn son and that theonly thing he and Mary could do to protect their baby boy was to flee thecountry. In reading the story, it is hard for me to not draw a parallel between what theHoly Family experienced and the persecution that so many families around theworld face today. What first comes to mind for me, is the stories and experiencesthat so many immigrant families who are fleeing violence have shared abouttheir journey in seeking asylum in the United States. It’s no secret that the opinions and emotions surrounding immigration in thiscountry are varied at best. But, whatever your personal opinion on the mattermay be, I think we can all agree that we pray for the safety of all who areexperiencing the horrors of persecution like the Holy Family did so long ago.- Jay Codner

T h i r d W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 1 5 t h

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Welcoming those who are...

F o u r t h W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 2 2 n d

D e v a s t a t e dScripture ReadingMatthew 2:16-23When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated,and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were twoyears old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wisemen. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

 “A voice was heard in Ramah,wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream toJoseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to theland of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ThenJoseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his fatherHerod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he wentaway to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town calledNazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might befulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

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MeditationThe Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your houseempty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.The dark thought, the shame, the malice.

meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.Be grateful for whatever comes.

because each has been sentas a guide from beyond.

— Jellaludin Rumi

Welcoming that which makes us uncomfortable, that which is painful, that whichis devastating, we work so hard to avoid and steer clear of all of it, for ourselvesand for others. When my Mother was in and out of hospice for five years (a hospice record ofsorts), so many emotions came and went that our time together started to feelroutine. I always felt ill equipped to go and be present with her. Many days Ispent at her bedside welcoming her into my space (she could not speak  andslept much of the time). I recall one late afternoon when I nodded off and woketo her watching me and we shared a rare smile. As I feel about the Holy Spirit,she was always there, waiting to be with me, it was I who would leave, come and go.- Kenzie Raulin

F o u r t h W e e k o f A d v e n t | D e c e m b e r 2 2 n d

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Welcoming those who...

C h r i s t m a s E v e | D e c e m b e r 2 4 t h

S u f f e rScripture ReadingMatthew 11:2-14When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by hisdisciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait foranother?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: theblind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. Andblessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” As they went away, Jesus beganto speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness tolook at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someonedressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than aprophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater thanJohn the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven hassuffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and thelaw prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijahwho is to come.

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Meditation“Heavenly Father, from whom comes every Good and Perfect Gift...”

That’s the start of the grace Beth’s late father, a dairy farmer from Wisconsin,would recite at every meal.  I memorized it so now Uncle Jim says grace at allfamily and friend meals.  It reminds me that Jesus’ coming brought to usmany gifts through the Word; some are called prophets, some are miracles, andothers are parables to teach us God’s laws and moral code.  God gives the gifts oflife and daily bread, climate and water.  We’re also given the skills and intellectto be fruitful in our professions, and the gift of compassion to love and welcomethose who we love and those who are suffering.  We exchange gifts with familyand friends and delight in the children receiving their Santa gifts to show themour love.  Our church, through your generous gifts, provide food and other giftsfor those in need in our area. Complete the grace to be a prayer of Thanksgiving and worship of Jesus:

“...We thank you for these gifts and every token of your love.  Give us grateful hearts for all of your benefits and

feed our souls on the bread of life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Amen.”- Jim Hitchcock

C h r i s t m a s E v e | D e c e m b e r 2 4 t h

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(301) 933 - 7933www.stpaulsk.org