Thought for Christmas Eve

Luke 2: 1 – 14

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Day!

Thought for Monday December 23

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
 Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Luke 1: 57 – 66  Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.

What do I see god doing for other people?  Do I rejoice with them?

Action:  Rejoice with your family and friends for the next week or so – eat great food, sing carols, cheer on your favorite teams and don’t forget to thank God for everything he has done for you and them.

Thought for Wednesday December 18

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

Matthew 1: 18 – 25  She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

How do my actions give my name meaning?   What do I want my name to mean?

  

Action:  Make a point of calling people by their names today, conscious that we are all still creating ourselves as persons.

Thought for Tuesday December 17

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

Matthew 1: 1 – 17  Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab.  Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.

Who cares?  Why are people interested in genealogy?  Is it important to see ourselves as a product of a long line of people even if we don’t who they are?

Action:  Send a Christmas card to your most distantly related, shirttail cousin or friend just to acknowledge that we are all one family in Christ.

Thought for Monday December 16

Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Matthew 21: 23 – 27  “By what authority are you doing these things?  And who gave you this authority?”

Do I respect God’s authority over his creation?  Can I think of any examples of his authority being dismissed?

  

Action:  Look around you for something that seems to be out of kilter with God’s intent, and take  step toward fixing it.

Thought for Friday December 13

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Matthew 11: 16 – 19  But wisdom is vindicated by her works.

What works have I seen wisdom produce?  Do I respect wisdom?

Action:  Talk to three wise people this weekend and heed what they say.

Thought for Thursday December 12

You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
You are the highest honor of our race.

  

Luke 1: 39 -  47  And Mary said:  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;  my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

  

What does my soul proclaim?  What does my mouth proclaim?

  

Action:  Do something today to rejoice in God’s greatness.

Thought for Wednesday December 11

O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
O bless the Lord, my soul!

Matthew 11: 28 – 31  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

  

What burden would you like taken from you?  Do you trust Jesus enough to give it to him?

  

Action:  Ask Jesus to help you with some task that has been bothering you.

Thought for Tuesday December 10

The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
The Lord our God comes with power.

Matthew 18: 12 – 14  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills  and go in search of the stray?

Am I more likely to stay with the safe crowd or go looking for the one stray?  What will I risk to help one person?

 Action:  Go out on a limb to help someone who really needs it; or adopt a stray dog or cat.

Thought for Monday December 9

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Luke 1: 26 – 38  Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

 

How hard is it to say yes to God?   Would I ever give God such an open-ended yes as Mary did, or do I want more control?

Action:  Say yes to something God has been trying to get you to do. 

Thought for Friday December 6

The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Matthew 9: 27 – 31  When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”  “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

Did Jesus really think they would say, “No”?   How important is it to proclaim your faith?

Action:  Tell someone you love/care about them even if you think it is so ridiculously obvious that you don’t need to say it.

Thought for Thursday December 5

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 7: 21 – 27  Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

What is my house built on?  What kind of foundation is necessary to live your faith in modern society?

Action:  If there are in soft/sandy spots in your foundation, make a plan for shoring them up.

Thought for Wednesday December 4

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
 I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Matthew 15: 29 – 37  The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole,  the lame walking,  and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Do I acknowledge that people I know have changed or do I still think of them the way I always have?  Do I want people to let me grow and change?

Action:  Thank God for all of the infirmities he has helped you overcome.

Thought for Tuesday December 3

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Luke 10: 21 – 24  Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

What do I see and hear that prophets and kings missed?  What have others seen that I missed?

  

Action:  Share something you have seen or heard with someone who has not seen or heard.

Thought for Monday December 2

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Matthew 8: 5 - 11  “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

This line replaced, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you…,” in the Mass.  What is the difference between receiving something and receiving someone in your home?  Does this sentence change your understanding of receiving Communion?

Action: Receive someone new into your home (or office or social circle or etc.).  If you just had 20 people at your house for Thanksgiving, you can skip this one.