Daily Bible Verse: Matthew 2:10-11

The secular world was done with Christmas 12 days ago, but in the religious, liturgical world, we celebrate until Epiphany and the coming of the Magi.  The shepherds arrived at the nativity earlier in the story and went out into the surrounding areas to tell of what they had seen.  The coming of the 3 kings, or wise men, give Jesus's birth a different perspective and impact.  The shepherds were regular people, even lowly, but the magi were much more important and elevated in terms of status.  Both visits are important and significant: They show that Jesus was, in fact the Messiah, being visited by wise men who had followed a star to find him and pay him homage with impressive and expensive gifts, but also that Jesus was not going to be the expected Messiah.  He was born in in a stable and laid in a manger, and his first visitors were less than impressive.  Shepherds and wise men both indicate the type of Messiah brought forth in Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse: Luke 2:40

We don't get a lot of insight into Jesus's childhood.  There's the story of his teaching in the temple around the age of 12, but we don't get much in the way of childhood stories.  What we do get is this verse, which is brief but tells us that Jesus grew and not only became strong, but also grew in wisdom.  We know that he is growing and evolving and, most importantly, that God's favor was upon him throughout his childhood and his entire life.

Daily Bible Verse: Galatians 4:6-7

These verses follow the ones posted on Sunday of this week and continue that theme of being children of God.  We are so beloved as God's children we are encouraged to call God Abba, which translates closer to Daddy than Father,  a term which gives us an idea of the intimacy involved in this relationship.

Daily Bible Verse: Psalm 148:1

Praise the Lord in everything you do today!

Daily Bible Verse: Isaiah 61:10

I love the book of Isaiah for many reasons, but especially for the imagery.  Rejoicing in God is a common enough theme throughout the bible, especially in the Old Testament, but here we have someone who is rejoicing with their entire being.  Then they describe how God has clothed them as a bride and groom are clothed, which reinforces the idea of rejoicing because weddings tend to be joyful occasions.

Daily Bible Verse: Luke 2:25-32

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." (source)

I love the faithfulness in these verses.  Simeon is faithful in his belief that he WILL see the Messiah, and faithful in listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  God is faithful in keeping that promise made to Simeon.  If only we could all be as faithful and reciprocal in our relationships.  I look to figures like Simeon to remind me not only to be faithful and trusting in God's promises, but to pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit, so that I too might see the light of Christ in my life.

Daily Bible Verse: Galatians4:4-5

During this Christmas season we are reminded of God's love for us.  A love that culminated in God sending God's son to live among us, to experience humanity in all of it's joys and flaws.  God did this so that we too might be children of God through the promises made through Jesus.

God Moment: Flat Risa

Today's God Moment comes in the form of Flat Risa.

Have you ever read the Flat Stanley books or had a child do a flat version of themselves?

All 5 of my nieces have participated in this process over the years, and this week I have been having adventures with Flat Risa, the 2 dimensional version of my youngest niece.  Since it's Christmas week, she has helped me make truffles as gifts for our neighbors, open presents, went with us to see Star Wars, celebrated our dogs' birthdays, and helped me in the studio with the podcasts.

I've taken a lot more pictures, I just didn't want to subject you to them.  I've had a lot of fun, though.  And yes, I did make my dogs birthday hats.  I also made Flat Risa a birthday hat, a sparkly outfit for Christmas Eve, as well as headphones...  I keep imagining what 7 year old, 3 dimensional Risa will say about some of the pictures.  I picture a lot of eye rolling and exasperated "AUNTIE!"(s).  She's quite melodramatic and more than a little bit of a sassy pants, which is partly why I love her so.

I often see God through the faces of my nieces.  As much as I'd rather be able to spend the holidays with them in person, it has been fun to have this miniature version of a real niece to remind me how lucky I am in terms of the family I have.

I hope your Christmas week has involved adventures of some variety.  Flat Risa and I need to go to the park now.

                                                             

Merry Christmas!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did  not overcome it. (John 1:5, NRSV)

Merry Christmas!  May the light of Christ shine in your hearts and lives today, and every day.

All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace. Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.  (Source)

Christmas Eve

It's always a little strange to me when the 4th Sunday of Advent happens on Christmas Eve.  It all feels a bit rushed and makes Advent feel smooshed into Christmas.  But, that's the way the calendar works sometimes, so what can you do?  You celebrate Advent in the morning and then slowly transition into Christmas Eve throughout the day.

May your Christmas Eve be filled with love, family, friends, and the light of Christ made incarnate in the world.

Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

(Source)

Advent 4

Advent is my favorite season.  Partly because the liturgical color is blue, and blue is my favorite color.  Partly because as a kid I was so excited every Sunday to see another candle get lit, knowing that it brought us closer to Christmas.  As I got older I began to appreciate the season for the waiting, and the moments of quiet contemplation that the waiting can bring.

Now, don't get me wrong, I hate waiting.  I'm terrible at waiting, at least when it comes to something I'm really excited about.  I don't get put out about waiting in lines or waiting at the doctor's office, etc. because those times just give me the opportunity to read whatever book I have on my phone.  But waiting for something important or that I really really want?  I'm not great at that.

In Advent, though, we get images of Mary waiting, and pondering the words of the angel in her heart.  Waiting gives us time to ponder.  It gives us time to prepare.  We aren't just waiting for Christmas Eve and the joy of opening presents and spending time with family, we're waiting for Christ.  We're waiting for the light to shine into our darkness.

We know that light will come, just as we know Advent will give way to Christmas.  But the waiting can be hard, especially when the darkness seems so very pervasive.  That darkness can take many forms, from depression or anxiety to financial worries, to family issues, to concerns about the state of the world, the list goes on and on, seemingly never-ending.

And so we wait.  We wait for the light to shine into that darkness.  We watch as more candles are lit each week and the light gets brighter, knowing that the light will get brighter in our own lives as well.  We don't wait passively, because we are called to be out in the world, sharing God's love.  But we wait in hope and trust, knowing that joy will come in the form of the light of the world.  In the form of a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  In the form of God's love for us made incarnate.

Blessed 4th Sunday of Advent to you.

Interivew with Angela Breidenbach

OK.  So.  GSMC Bible Study Podcast now has a Blog.  I'm guessing it will evolve over time, as everything does, but at the moment I'm visualizing it as a place to relate God moments as they happen.  A podcast episode is a bit long for these kinds of sightings, depending on what they are, so hopefully I can share them here and possibly relate them to the podcast.  We'll see how it goes, and I welcome your prayers as I move into this journey.

My God moment right now actually directly relates to yesterday's podcast, an installment of Friends on Faith on Fridays, where I spoke with my friend Angela Breidenbach.  Angela is an author, a speaker, a podcaster, a mother and grandmother, and much, much more.  I originally had her on the GSMC Book Review Podcast to talk about her books, both fiction and nonfiction, but as we were talking I was reminded of just how faithful a person she is.

Angela is a member of Atonement Lutheran Church, in Missoula, MT, which is where I had my first call as Associate Pastor, so we've  know each other about 10 years.  Ang lives her faith every day, and it is present in her writing, her podcast, and her everyday activities.  She truly lives her vocation through the work that she does, and she uses the gifts and abilities that have been given to her by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel in everything she does.  Because of this, I asked her if I could air that interview on the GSMC Bible Study Podcast as well, and she graciously said yes.

So Angela is my God moment right now, because she reminded me what living a life of faith can look like.  I all too often get caught up in the acedemics of my faith, or what my faith "should" look like, and to see it spoken of and lived out in such an integrated way was an excellent reminder.  God speaks to us in so many different ways, and this week God spoke to me through Angela.

If you would like to hear the interviews you can click on the following links:

• GSMC Bible Study Podcast
• GSMC Book Review Podcast

And if you would like to know more about Angela's work, especially her writing, here are some helpful links:

·         Website: http://angelabreidenbach.com/

·         Blog: http://angelabreidenbach.com/category/a-muse-ings/

·         Facebook: @angbreidenbach

·         Twitter: @angbreidenbach

·         Instagram: @angbreidenbach

·         Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AngBreidenbach/

·         Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AngelaBreidenbach

·         Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Breidenbach/e/B00460W4F4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1513978292&sr=8-1

Source

Angela's Bio:

Angela Breidenbach is a bestselling Montana author and the host of Lit Up! with Angela Breidenbach, Grace Under Pressure Radio, and Historically Speaking (Along Came a Writer Network on Blogtalk Radio). Angela serves nationally as the Christian Author Network’s (CAN) president. With a volume of appearances online, television, stage, and radio Angela loves to share her knowledge to help others. She’s spoken and trained nationally for organizations and groups such as the Christian Booksellers Association, UNITE, the Christian Authors Network, and a myriad of writing conferences including Mount Hermon, RWA, ACFW, the Munce Group, Colorado Christian Writing Conference, Philadelphia Christian Writing Conference, etc. on platform, marketing, online marketing, social media, creating book club/special events using Google Hangouts, Youtube, Skype, Facebook, as well as the craft of writing, family history as inspiration, and speaking for women’s events on becoming a woman of confidence, courage, and candor. Angela Breidenbach is often asked to speak on her experience as a professional book judge of nearly 1,000 books to help authors understand contests and judging expectations. She has one foot in researching history and genealogy and the other as a 21st Century techie enthusiast. Her passion is researching family genealogy and writing those love stories into novels and now screenplays. (Source)