Today’s devotional is offered by Betty Fudge

The Bible is filled with scripture about hope.
In Jeremiah 29:11 we read:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future.”

Wow! Infinite, YAHWEH God, creator of the universe, loves us so much he made PLANS to give us HOPE. That gives me chills.

Having hope is an incredible thing and God knows how badly we need hope in our lives. The challenge with being hopeful is how situational it can, at times, feel.
When life is going well, it is easy to be hopeful.
When crisis enters the scene, those dark clouds of uncertainty can make hope evaporate.
Circumstances can make hope feel very difficult at times, but as I have been reading scriptures about hope, I am continually learning how God helps us experience the kind of hope that will surpass our understanding. God’s hope is eternal, not driven by our circumstances, and will never disappoint us.

Advent is the ideal season to reflect on God’s plans to give us abundant, eternal hope. God came to dwell with us, redeem us, teach us. God remains with us now through the Holy Spirit, and promises never to leave us.
One of my favorite Christmas songs, O Holy Night, describes the scene:
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.”
And then the description of this eternal hope:
“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

The THRILL of hope!
The eternal hope that God gives is a gift to us this Christmas.
The abundance of this hope is described in Romans 15:13:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Amen

Today’s devotional is offered by Haven Parrott.

As a long-distance grandmother, I am extremely grateful for the technology that allows me to see my grandson in Honolulu on a daily basis. A recent video showed Kai determinedly rocking back and forth on his chubby hands and dimpled knees – not going anywhere, mind you – just rocking back and forth with great intensity. Subsequent videos showed more in-place rocking, numerous face-plantings, heroic but failed attempts to gain traction, and undaunted efforts to push himself up and try again. The struggle was real. And as Kai struggled, his parents provided an environment of encouragement, cheering his every move. The much-anticipated video finally arrived, and a proud, goofy grin spread across my face as I watched Kai crawl like a champ across the room from one parent to the other.

Of course, Kai’s developmental struggles have only just begun. He’ll struggle to stand, walk, run, ride a bike, etc, and his parents’ job at every stage will be to encourage him through the struggle, not protect him from it, for the struggle is necessary to the struggler’s freedom and dignity. Besides, you can’t do anyone else’s crawling, walking, living, or dying for them. Parents of adult and trying-to-adult children are often called upon to witness our children struggling in ways we are desperate to waive, if only we had the power. We long to take away or take on their struggles, only to find that such strategies prove ineffectual at best and crippling at worst.

As Advent dawns, I find myself pondering the mystery and wonder of the incarnation with a fresh appreciation for God’s willingness to witness – not waive – Jesus’ struggles. God, the ultimate parent, and with unlimited power, elevated all human struggling by entrusting his son to the same reality. From cradle to cross, the Omnipotent’s self-imposed impotence to make life easier for Jesus lends dignity to our struggles, particularly the struggle to watch, not fix, as our children struggle.

‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and stand before the Son of Man.’
– Luke 21:25-36

Advent’s first scripture readings may not meet our expectations.
We expect a countdown to Christmas. We look to hope, and maybe we expect something akin to relief from the busyness of the season. But God, during Advent, points us far beyond the season, and that is what can give us hope for the living of these days and can far exceed our seasonal expectations.

Our seasonal expectations center on what we get and give. Our energies are occupied by our to-do lists, our decorations, and making sure we get the right gifts purchased, wrapped, and distributed. We look forward to gift exchanges and meaningful experiences with friends and family, but if we are honest, we remember that gifts and seasonal activities may not address our most profound need. Life’s deep need and our ultimate longing is met by the power of God as evidenced through what hope provides.

That gift of hope is beginning to embrace and experience the promise that God was with us in days past, is here in our present, and will meet us when we find our ultimate end. This promise that God will be with us, in the end, is how our Advent hope starts and why Advent scriptures point us beyond our seasonal expectations. To look to the end and have the assurance that God will be there, no matter how arduous our journey, is the gift of hope.

Remembering that Jesus came to walk in our shoes should provide hope.
Sensing that through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Lord walks with us today is the assurance of hope.
And most of all, knowing that in the end, no matter where the call of God takes us when we get there, God will be there. And that can be a source of real hope.

Today we begin our Advent journey. Though it will likely take us to place we may not expect, I pray that we may find the hope of God’s love anew and afresh through God’s promise to meet us in the end. Such a promise and glimpse of the future should assure us that the God who is there at this end is also with us on the way.

Amen.

– Chris Aho

 

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
– Luke 19.1-4

One of the great Gospel stories is that of Zacchaeus, who wants to see Jesus, so he climbs up a sycamore tree to get a better view. In one of my favorite interpretations of this story, the author Joshua DuBois conveys that “it is always a good idea to try to get a better view of God.” I hope that is what will happen with our 2018 Oxford Baptist Church Advent Devotional Project.

This website is designed to be an Advent companion. Each day you have the opportunity to read a devotional written by a member or friend of Oxford Baptist Church and my prayer is that the time spent will feel like climbing a tree to get a fresh view of God’s love through the season of Advent.

Our Advent Devotional Project begins tomorrow, December 2, with The Gift of Hope. In the weeks to come, devotionals will reflect on the gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. I hope the offerings help you experience God’s love again and anew. This is my prayer for our Advent Journey. I trust that through God’s presence and love these prayers will be answered.

Chris Aho

Our Advent Devotional Project will begin with an introductory post in about 10 days. Then, devotionals will be posted daily beginning December 2, 2018.

Anyone who would like to get these devotionals via email can contact the church at oxfordbaptistoffice@gmail.com

Thanks so much.
Chris

Plans are in the works for our 2018 Advent Devotional Series. I hope you will join us as we reflect on the gifts of Advent.
See you soon,
Chris Aho

This is our last post of the season. I did not plan for it to go on forever, but I hope we can come back and do something like this again.

Until then, I share this word with you that came to me in an email from the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In their daily email on December 14, felt appropriate for us and our journey.
It takes time.
Things start small.
But with intention, they grow, they blossom, and they can flourish.

That is my hope for an online space like this and it my prayer for my spiritual life and for yours as well…that we may, in small ways each day, move towards flourishing.

Though there will not be devotionals here for a little while, you can visit any of these other sites for a good word each day:

http://d365.org/ is one of our favorite and is from Passport.
https://www.ssje.org/word/ provides a way to get a daily word like the one above, in your email each morning.
http://www.sacredspace.ie/ provides a way to pray daily through your computer.
https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/how-to-use-daily-office/ This site also provides daily prayer and is excellent.

These are just four sites that I trust, but if you need help with a different one, please let me know.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us. I pray it has been as meaningful to you as it has been to me.

God Bless, Chris Aho

Today’s devotional is offered by Chris Aho.

“…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”“…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
– Joshua 24.15

Everyone has a story. Every one of us has a history, an identity, and a narrative that helps us navigate the world.

Some of us identify with a school or a ball team, while others avoid sports altogether.
Some of us feel tied to where we are from, while others have a hard time telling if we are from anywhere.
Some of us find our surest identity through our work, while others go to work just get home at the end of the day.
Some of us are Republicans. Some of us are Democrats. Some of us are Independent. Some of us are Other. And the rest do not care.

But all of us have a story, a set of stories, or at least a handful of plot points, that we rely upon to help us understand who we are. These stories that make up our identity are important because they shape how we see the world, how we interact with the world, and therefore, how we see God and God at work in our world.

I name this because, on the Advent and Christmas journey we have taken through these devotional readings, we have added a plot point. Four weeks ago, we added these devotionals to our lives. I hope the reason was to grow closer to God and allow God’s story, love, and presence, to take root in a new way. We started an Advent project because we knew it would help us grow closer to the Lord and one another if we took a few minutes each day and found a way to be influenced by God’s story, as expressed by our brothers and sisters in Christ. These devotionals have helped us grow in our preparation for the season of Christmas. They have also helped us grow in our faith during this season. And finally, they have helped us grow in our appreciation for one another. 

In every way, these daily devotionals were an attempt to help into a story and identity connected closely to the Lord. These devotional thoughts were designed to help us live by the narrative that God has for us, rather than the ones given to us by social media, retail companies, politicians, or even the places of business and work we give so much of our lives to. These devotionals help us live into God’s story by helping us take time each day to read, reflect, and respond. I hope that these four weeks have helped you grow closer to the Lord and align your life with God’s love and presence.

Though we have reached the end of this season’s devotional project, the work is not done. There are still other stories that are demanding our time, energy, thoughts, and life. But I hope that by taking time together each day, we have prepared ourselves to choose like Joshua implored the Israelites to choose…

Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

My prayer for all of us today is that the time we have taken now will help us follow the Lord more faithfully for each day that is to come.

Thank you for sharing this journey. I pray we realize that it has only just begun.

Today’s Devotional is offered by Rev. Pat Cox. 

“Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.” 
-Rev. Chris Aho, 2nd Sunday in Advent 2016

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 
– Matthew 2.12 KJV

The truth is most of us, including preachers, have as much trouble remembering the pastor’s sermon as anyone else. However, I love a great quotation and the above by my pastor spoke to me in a special last year.

Most of what we know about the life of Jesus is a combination of facts that come to us from a collection of sayings we call the gospels. Each gospel is different in many ways but so alike in many other ways. Each author has perhaps a different audience, a different purpose in writing, and even a different interpretation to explain the same event.

The birth of Jesus is a magical story full of wonderful characters about a time and place so long and far away but it still speaks in ways that strike the imagination of many.

Even though we speak and sing of the “Three Kings of Orient Are,” we question like many others over the years: who were these three visitors bearing gifts? The interpreters of the story have explained the visitors and assigned to them the role of foreign kings, astrologers, philosophers, and wise men. In fact, the Bible does not actually speak of “three” visitors at all. However, in the telling of the story because there were three gifts there arose the idea that there were three special visitors. Even the timing of their visit is not specified and could have been some time after the birth of the Baby Jesus. Legend names the visitors as Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar.

They came and inquired of King Herod where they might find the Christ Child. Herod asked that they return to him when they find the baby that he, too, might visit and pay homage.

When the visitors from afar found Jesus and presented their gifts they rested after there long journey and in a dream were persuaded by the Lord to return home “by another way.”

The simple truth of this story about the birth of Jesus as explained by Rev. Carlton Smith, pastor at Delrayno Baptist Church, many years ago, spoke to me and encouraged us who meet Jesus and present to him the claim he has on our lives is that we too depart another way.

Prayer: Lord, we come to offer ourselves and our best to you. Help us to be changed and to walk differently because of how we have been blessed by giving ourselves to you. Amen

 

Today’s Devotional is offered by Chris Aho. 

Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends thee.
– Verse 4, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”

It’s Christmas! It’s the high point of the most wonderful time of the year, and I hope this is a wonderful day for you and yours.

When I think of my Christmas traditions, they are quite varied.
We have celebrated Christmas alone, with our parents, with grandparents, and even with our whole family.
We have shared a full spread with cranberries, stuffing and roast beast, and we have feasted on cheeseburgers on the road at Waffle House.
Christmas has happened on the road, in the airport, and at home.
All of this is to say, our Christmas traditions are varied, and that is fine because, no matter where we are, Christmas day just feels different. It feels different than every other day, and that is good because, amid the difference of that day, I always manage to find a moment of peace away from the celebration and the chaos.

Most years, I reflect on how quickly the season came and went. Some years, I thought about the gifts I got or didn’t get. And certainly, during a few years, I was spiritual enough to think about the true celebration of the day. I hope you can pause and reflect today and no matter where your mind and heart wanders, I hope might ponder anew because, if ever there were a day to be a human ‘being’ rather than a human ‘doing,’ Christmas is that day.

As you ponder, you might consider the unique way God changed the world on this day. Isn’t it interesting that the life of Jesus started small? This birth that changed the world happened off the radar, almost unnoticed, on the edge of town. Jesus’s birth was not in the middle of the temple, the castle, or the capital. Mary gave birth in a stable. This world-changing miracle started small.

This news spread to the lowly shepherds first.
The Gifts of the Magi show up later.
Jesus gathers disciples after he is grown.
He performs great miracles later.
His meaningful teachings are a long way away.
And his most important teachings first happen, not in the pulpit of the cathedral, but among the regular people.

In every way, the birth of Jesus mirrors the work of God in our lives. It starts small and grows. We cannot teleport into a deep relationship with God. We grow in our faith slowly. Over time. With little investments and moments each day.

So today, take a moment. Steal a quiet few minutes. Sneak away from the chaos to breathe and ponder anew. Sense that God is at work, God is with you, and the towering strength we will someday need might begin with a seed that is planted in a few minutes today.

We sing, “Ponder Anew, what the Almighty can do,” because in his love, we have been befriended.

This is the message of Christmas. And thanks be to God that we can start small, just like that baby in the manger.

 

**The Photo was taken in the Stanford University Memorial Church, Palo Alto, California. You should visit there sometime.