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For the Love of Our Children

12/19/2018

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Children are starving in Yemin.  A 7 year old dies in an detention camp in the U.S.  Children go missing.  Children are sold for food for the rest of the the family to survive.  And how can forget the Sandy Hook massacre six years ago?  This too is part of the Cristmas story, a part that is painful for us to look at. A part we would prefer to ignore. King Herod was leaving no stone unturned in his desire to kill Jesus, and rid himself of a supposed rival.  He didn't think twice of killing those baby boys in Bethlehem as long as he got to Jesus.

This is what Evil does.  It wants to destroy our hope. Our future. Our innocence. Our ties love and relationships.  It wants to plant seeds of despair; seeds of bitterness. It wants to train our hearts to see other people as "objects."   The same evil that drove Herod to kill has prompted countless others down the ages to kill, abuse and destroy human community.


God knew this. And God knew we were powerless to stop the Evil One, powerless even on our own to change our hearts.  So God sent Innocence into the world. God sent us a Future, a Hope; someone to connect to -- in Jesus. In Jesus, God forever binds Godself to every grieving parent and every parent made a refugee. and every hope held by a loving adult for the children in their midst. In Jesus, God reaffirms a priority to care for children and the vulnerable. In an age when children were loved but treated strictly, taught to work hard, taught not to speak unless spoken to, Jesus told his disciples, who were scolding some children to stay away : "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."Matt. 19:14. The Bible frequently calls us to care for orphans, Psalm 68:5 even calling God "Father of the Fatherless." God is the Father who embraces the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32).  


May the tragic events of this Advent season remind us that evil  is carried out every day, somewhere in our world. May it make us loving advocates and protectors for the "least of these." With God's help, may we never cease to act in the name of the One who emptied himself and made himself the Least of the Least, so we might have life in his name.

PRAY: We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,  who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes. And we pray, for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

       We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish, Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money, Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, Who slurp their soup.

      And we pray for those  who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal,who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

     We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

    And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist,who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being. We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother…and for those who will grab the hand of anybody

kind enough to offer it.
We pray for children. 
 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,  Because they are no more. Matt. 2:16-18"



LISTEN TO:  Maria Muldaur, cover of Bob Dylan's "Lord, Protect My Child"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVxGLAU7AMA



The tragedy of the Newtown, CT. school shooting last week reminds us of a sobering fact: mass murder has always been a part of the Christmas story, a part that is painful for us to look at. A part we would prefer to ignore. King Herod was leaving no stone unturned in his desire to kill Jesus, and rid himself of a supposed rival.  He didn't think twice of killing those baby boys in Bethlehem as long as he got to Jesus.


This is what Evil does.  It wants to destroy our hope. Our future. Our innocence. Our ties love and relationships.  It wants to plant seeds of despair; seeds of bitterness. It wants to train our hearts to see other people as "objects."   The same evil that drove Herod to kill has prompted countless others down the ages to kill, abuse and destroy human community.


God knew this. And God knew we were powerless to stop the Evil One, powerless even on our own to change our hearts.  So God sent Innocence into the world. God sent us a Future, a Hope; someone to connect to -- in Jesus. In Jesus, God forever binds Godself to every grieving parent and every parent made a refugee. and every hope held by a loving adult for the children in their midst. In Jesus, God reaffirms a priority to care for children and the vulnerable. In an age when children were loved but treated strictly, taught to work hard, taught not to speak unless spoken to, Jesus told his disciples, who were scolding some children to stay away : "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."Matt. 19:14. The Bible frequently calls us to care for orphans, Psalm 68:5 even calling God "Father of the Fatherless." God is the Father who embraces the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32).  


May the tragic events of this Advent season  remind us that "Sandy Hook" is carried out every day, somewhere in our world. May it make us loving advocates and protectors for the "least of these." With God's help, may we never cease to act in the name of the One who emptied himself and made himself the Least of the Least, so we might have life in his name.


  
PRAY: We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,  who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes. And we pray, for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

       We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish, Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money, Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, Who slurp their soup.

      And we pray for those  who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal,who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

     We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

    And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist,who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being. We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother…and for those who will grab the hand of anybody

kind enough to offer it.
We pray for children. Amen

   http://www.appleseeds.org/childpry.htm

 

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Know Peace

12/11/2018

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" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"  John 14:27


LISTEN TO:  Murdo McRae, Adam Lopez and Marc Tewksbury; cover of John Lennon's "
"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" 



 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKyK-ladS7I   



Back in the third century Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage wrote to his friend Donatus: "It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered, in the midst of it, a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.  They have found a joy, which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians, and I am one of them.”

So what is the “great secret” of the “quiet and holy” people?  It is found in the message of the advent candle we light this week: peace.   Jesus, our Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) models for us what peace means.   The root meaning of the Hebrew word peace means “to be whole.” It is both an internal, personal state of being (i.e., calmness, freedom from anxiety, relaxed, blessed) and a social condition (absence of war and strife, people comfortable and at ease with each other).  Peace is rooted and grounded in Jesus, in his actions, his teachings, the compassionate way he ministered to people. Everything Jesus did was to lead us to the wholeness, the abundance of life.” I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10).”  The promise of abundant life is not abundance of material things.  It is abundance of love and peace.  Even in our imperfections, through Christ God’s peace radiates through us and touches the restless hearts of those around us. This happens without even speaking a word! 

So as we follow Jesus on our Advent journey, we remember that Jesus knew a principle of peace that we often forget in our self-centeredness and focus to get ahead:  It is this:

‎"People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used."

Remember the Angel’s song on the  night Jesus was born: it is God's purpose is for there  to be peace on earth  (Luke 2:13, 14). It begins with love. Love brings peace.

Yes, our age, like every age before, has its bad aspects.  How then shall the world know wholeness?  Abundance of spirit? Security? Freedom from anxiety?  Each one of us, in a “quiet and holy way” or in an exuberant, outspoken manner, must, this Advent season learn to love as Jesus, and let peace flow from our love to the hearts of those around us.


The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be with you!






PRAY:  "Jesus our Peace, fashion us to leave as a peaceful people.  May we know your peace and may it lead us to love in your name, Amen."

" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"  John 14:27


LISTEN TO:  Murdo McRae, Adam Lopez and Marc Tewksbury; cover of John Lennon's "
"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" 



 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKyK-ladS7I   



Back in the third century Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage wrote to his friend Donatus: "It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered, in the midst of it, a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.  They have found a joy, which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians, and I am one of them.”


So what is the “great secret” of the “quiet and holy” people?  It is found in the message of the advent candle we light this week: peace.   Jesus, our Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) models for us what peace means.   The root meaning of the Hebrew word peace means “to be whole.” It is both an internal, personal state of being (i.e., calmness, freedom from anxiety, relaxed, blessed) and a social condition (absence of war and strife, people comfortable and at ease with each other).  Peace is rooted and grounded in Jesus, in his actions, his teachings, the compassionate way he ministered to people. Everything Jesus did was to lead us to the wholeness, the abundance of life.” I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10).”  The promise of abundant life is not abundance of material things.  It is abundance of love and peace.  Even in our imperfections, through Christ God’s peace radiates through us and touches the restless hearts of those around us. This happens without even speaking a word! 


So as we follow Jesus on our Advent journey, we remember that Jesus knew a principle of peace that we often forget in our self-centeredness and focus to get ahead:  It is this:


‎"People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used."


Remember the Angel’s song on the  night Jesus was born: it is God's purpose is for there  to be peace on earth  (Luke 2:13, 14). It begins with love. Love brings peace.


Yes, our age, like every age before, has its bad aspects.  How then shall the world know wholeness?  Abundance of 
spirit? Security? Freedom from anxiety?  Each one of us, in a “quiet and holy way” or in an exuberant, outspoken manner, must, this Advent season learn to love as Jesus, and let peace flow from our love to the hearts of those around us.


The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be with you!






PRAY:  "Jesus our Peace, fashion us to leave as a peaceful people.  May we know your peace and may it lead us to love in your name, Amen."



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"Celebrating Light"

12/4/2018

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Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  Matt. 5:17

 Listen to: Maccabeats:  "Candlelight" have fun!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU


Part of the Advent journey is cultivating peace.  One of the many places we can forge peace is in all our relationships. With our Jewish friends celebrating Hanukkah,   it is good for us  to remember our ties to the Judaism, the faith into which Jesus was born, from which Christianity has its deepest roots .
 
Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication" or the "Festival of Lights," is not among the holidays God commanded Israel to celebrate in the Hebrew Scriptures. In fact, we find only find one mention of the holiday in the Bible, in the Gospel of John: "Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon's porch." (John 10:22-23)

Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over King Antiochus Epiphanes from Greece, who tried to ruthlessly impose his religion and culture in 165 BC. Hanukkah  also celebrates the re-dedication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Prior to the reign of Antiochus, the Jews lived in relative peace under various rulers and kings.   However, when Antiochus came to power, he placed many burdens upon the Jews. They had to pay high taxes. Antiochus tried to force them to replace their Jewish laws and traditions with Greek ones.  New priests began to steal from the Temple and send precious gold and silver to Antiochus. 
The people were furious!

Fearing a revolt, Antiochus ordered his army to storm the Temple. They tore down the city walls and stripped the Temple of anything they could carry. The soldiers placed a Greek idol upon the golden altar and allowed pigs to run within the sacred grounds. Jews were threatened with death if they refused to worship the new idols. The soldiers drank the holy water and set fire to books containing holy writings. Amongst all the chaos, the oil in the lamp was spilled and the light in the Temple went out.

Because Antiochus had his army storm the Temple on the Sabbath, the Jews wouldn't fight back. Thousands were either killed or carried off and sold as slaves. However, later, a man named Matthias refused to obey the king's men. He took his five sons and others who would follow him into the mountains where they planned how they might regain their right to worship as they pleased. King Antiochus sent an army after them, but they were unsuccessful in defeating Matthias and his men. Under the direction of Matthias and then later his son, Judah, ordinary farmers and shepherds learned to fight like brave soldiers. Finally, after many battles, the king's army was beaten by Judah's men. Jews consider this to be the first miracle of Hanukkah.

The Maccabees, another name for Judah's army, returned to Jerusalem where they found their Temple abandoned and defiled. They immediately set forth to cleanse and rebuild the Temple. When it came time for its rededication, Judah and his men looked for oil to re-light the lamp, but they could only find enough for the lamp to burn for one day. However, the lamp continued to burn for eight days and nights until more oil was made. Jews consider this to be the second miracle of Hanukkah. 

Jesus, the Light of the World, would have been familiar with this story, and the miracle of the lights.  Hanukkah reminds us that each of us is a living temple (1 Cor. 6:19), with the Holy Spirit in residence in our hearts. This Advent, we need to rededicate ourselves to God — remove those foreign elements that run contrary to God's will for us, and allow God’s light to shine through our lives in order to touch others.

The miracle of the light reminds us of Jesus, who the prophets predicted would be, "a light to the Gentiles" whose salvation would reach "to the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).

A traditional Hanukkah hymn declares to God: "Rock of Ages, let our song praise thy saving power; thou admidst the raging foes wast our sheltering tower; furious they assailed us but thine arm availed us; and thy word broke their sword when our own strength failed us."  How well these verses speak to the saving power of Christ we need to recall as Christmas draws closer.

As our Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah, let it be for us a reminder of why we celebrate Christmas:  Jesus came to conquer the kingdoms of this world with all its power and principalities, and to set a light that would never be extinguished.  

Let Hanukkah  inspire us as we light our Advent candles, and pray for Christ’s light to shine brighter and brighter as we journey to Bethlehem to adore our Prince of Peace.

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-celebrations/hanukkah.html
​

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    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

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