Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as us with us to dwell; Jesus our Emmanuel!
Matthew 11:3-6
3 [they] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
James 5:7-8 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
We waited for six years to welcome Coleridge into our lives. Those years were filled with hope, anxiety, sadness, gentle quiet, and excitement depending on the season of the waiting. Sometimes patience was near impossible and sometimes it came with ease and acceptance. In the almost 11 years since God blessed us with the precious gift of a child, I have understood a small fraction of the myriad of emotions Mary must have felt as she waited to meet her baby boy and the saviour of our world. Every one of us has a story of patient waiting that we have been called by God to endure. Each Advent season we witness many forms of waiting: a child’s excitement as she waits for Christmas morning; a parent’s anxiety as he waits to know if he will be able to afford the Christmas meal; the pastors’ hopes as they wait for one of God’s lost children to walk through their doors to discover the gift of Jesus. Yes, waiting certainly strengthens our hearts.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the times you have asked us to be patient and wait. These times remind us to trust in you and let go of our own meagre plans. We are so thankful. May you grant us the patience to continue waiting on your timing. Daily we remember the perfect gift you gave us in Christ Jesus. Amen.
- Danielle Shelley
Luke 1:46-49 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
Psalm 146:8-9 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
It was a sultry summer night as two young men lay under the stars exchanging stories. It was in Afghanistan, one a Canadian soldier and the other, Afghani, an English/ Dari interpreter for the soldier. A promise was made that night to bring that Afghani to see Canada. Six months later his dream was realized when he came to Amherst to spend Christmas with us and our son, Peter. It became a joyous, memorable time for all of us. When I prayed for Peter’s safe return to Canada those seven months, God was also watching over a stranger, “Steve” the Afghani, who became our friend and is now living in Canada with his family.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for watching over us and “strangers”. May we all enjoy the peace and joy for the season and be there for those who need our help. Amen.
- Sandy Corkum
Isaiah 35:1-3 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and shouting. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees
Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring,
By Thy own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thy all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus! Born to set Thy people free,
From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
Charles Wesley’ lyric brings into our lives the experience of ancient peoples, who were even of a different religion than ours. They have the foundation, we the pinnacle: Jesus. One of the names of Christ in this carol catches my attention: ‘Desire of Every Nation.’ Why would we call Him this? As we read on Sunday, November 6th, it says in Haggai 2:7, And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. This line even got used by G. F. Handel in his oratorio, Messiah. Is it true that people of every nation can treasure the One we celebrate in Advent and Christmas? Let us pray, using words of another carol. O come, desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind; Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven's peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee... Amen.
- Rev. Jeff White
Matthew 3:1-3 3 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”
Those days: refers to the time just before Jesus started his ministry, around 26-27 AD and John the Baptist was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, all across the Judean wilderness. Repentance is about changing your ways, not just feeling bad about them. John is telling his followers that they need to turn from their old ways because there's going to be someone else in charge, someone the prophets had spoken about and He's coming now.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for the Gospel of Matthew and how it helps us understand the time when Jesus lived, and for the ministry and message of the faithful John the Baptist. Make our path to you straight during this Advent season, and instead of rushing through the season buying gifts, help us instead to proclaim to the world the Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen
- Bev Curry
Romans 15:12-13 12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the gentiles; in him the gentiles shall hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our family's Christmas story: 25 years or so ago a young couple with two small children were worrying about how they were going to get through this Christmas. The children were off playing in another room as mom and dad were cleaning up the supper dishes. What are we going to do? Will we have enough to pay the bills and still have money left to get the children some gifts for Christmas?
There was a knock at the door and the wife went to answer it. There was a kind looking older man wearing an overcoat and hat. She said “can I help you”? He asked, “is this the home of the Miller family?’ “Yes, it is” she answered. He then handed her an envelope and said “Blessings to your family and Merry Christmas.” He turned and walked away.
Her husband came to the door and asked who was at the door. She said I don't know. I didn’t recognize him. They opened the card and couldn’t believe what they found. There was around $300.00 inside of the envelope. They were so happy and relieved. They now could pay the bills and still have money left to buy the children some Christmas gifts.
She said, “I have to call mom and tell her what happened.” When her mom answered she began to tell her. “Mom, how did he know our name, where we lived and that we needed help?” Her mom said, “it doesn’t matter how and why but just say thank you Lord.” Mom said “I think you had a special visit from a Christmas angel.” We have retold this story every Christmas and that is why we call it our Christmas Angel Story.
Prayer: I believe in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and the heavenly angels. Thank you Lord for watching over us all and thank you to the heavenly angels. At our time of need you are with us. Amen. - Norma MacGregor
Psalm 72:1-3
1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. 3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
The first church service for a four year old: It was a glorious Sunday. The first day of church ever for Elizabeth. A new coat that was fit for a princess, white ankle socks (but still had to wear the brown Oxfords), patent leather probably had not been invented yet. She couldn’t remember what she wore under the coat, but it didn’t matter, she was never taking it off. But the hat...she was sure the Queen had never worn finer! The soft silky gloves that only a movie star would wear, with the ruffle around the cuff. Such finery to be worn at this Highland Baptist Church on Park Street. The grand finale: Her dad gave her a quarter to put in the plate. What on earth was the plate? So off to church they walked, Elizabeth and cousin Marie, the quarter clutched ever so tightly so it would never come out of that glove. They made it to church, the steps up to the main door (oh so regal) then inside. The pews must have came from heaven. The service went on and on. What the minister said did not matter, just that Elizabeth looked wonderful and cousin Marie didn’t look so bad either. Then it happened…”The Plate” and it was getting closer and closer. Money was going in it, oh dear she thought what shall I do? I cannot part with this money. The plate got to her and Marie gave her the nod to drop the money into the plate. Look, well there was a lot of silver in “The Plate” so Elizabeth dropped the quarter and took a dime back! Needless to say, she got a sharp slap on the wrist, no quarter or dime to be had. Elizabeth wasn’t sure if God would spend it wisely and it really didn’t hurt to give as it was not her quarter to begin with.
- Liz Hickey
Saturday, December 3 ~ Isaiah 11:1-2
1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
People find meaning in work which calls one to the service of others, or in rich human connections, or in following a leader or cause that can give purpose to living. When these diminish or fail, some have the good fortune to discover a cause and a leader that enhance that meaning. As they struggle for answers to personal and social problems, as they realize that respected politicians and celebrities have feet of clay, they hope to find again that Jesus who gives purpose to their lives. They need the wisdom he will share with them if they welcome his coming.
These words of the prophet Isaiah leapt from the pages of the scriptures of the first followers of Jesus. They had seen Jesus’ compassion and power over “evil spirits” that immobilized people. They had witnessed his wise teachings. They realized that this was the leader for whom their nation longed.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you that in Jesus we will find someone whose spirit radiates wisdom and understanding. Help us once again to welcome His coming in this Advent season. Through Him, give our lives meaning and purpose. In His name we pray. Amen.
- Ed Colquhoun
Friday, December 2
O come, Thou key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
As I picked this date I picked it because it was our second daughter’s birthday. I did not look at the verse until later, I realized ‘Rejoice! Rejoice Emmanuel’ I have sung several times over the years and I should be able to write something.
I’m not sure if it was God, Jesus or Emmanuel that was with us on December 2nd when my wife was to be the bridesmaid at her sister Carol’s wedding. Our friend and doctor, Donachie, told us not to worry the baby would be here before December 2nd. He apparently didn’t know God (Emmanuel) had a different plan.
The wedding was at 2; in case she was unable to be the bridesmaid a friend was standing by and she would be an honorary bridesmaid. First thing that morning as she got out of bed, bent over with pain, just a cramp and then another, so off we go to the hospital. However, I am in the wedding party, so I head to the church to be told my wife delivered before I hit the first floor. After the wedding ceremony the entire wedding party march into Highland View Hospital to the third floor to be welcomed by Mom and Julie Arlene. God works in mysteries ways but he always has a plan.
Prayer: Dear God you work in strange ways and make life interesting. Thank you for a life full of challenges and love. Thank you for being a part of or life. Amen.
- Roy Pettigrew
Thursday, December 1
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Do you enjoy singing Christmas carols? I certainly do! And childhood memories in church with my family, singing carols in many choirs, and carolling door to door with church groups (Explorers, C.G.I.T., Young Peoples) all bring feelings of warmth and joy!
This carol above (O Come, O Come Emmanuel) was originally written in Latin during the 12th century. John Neale (England, 1860s) made it accessible to us by translating it into English. Sung in Advent, the carol anticipates the first coming of Christ to earth. The old term “Dayspring” can be translated as “the rising sun” and is a metaphor for the coming or birth of Jesus, “Emmanuel”.
Hunger, poverty, sickness, greed, materialism, war, and natural disasters of our current world feel like the “gloomy cloud of night”, as sung in this carol. But we can welcome Jesus, the babe, once again! The hope and joy that He brings can “put to flight” these “dark shadows”. So let us sing this wonderful old carol and “Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come!”
Prayer: Dear Lord, as we listen to carols and raise our voices in song in anticipation of Your coming, the “Dayspring” of our challenged world, may we experience in our lives the joy, hope, and love that You bring. Amen.
- Susan Colquhoun
Wednesday, November 30 ~ Matthew 24:42-44
Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Jesus lived and died a long time ago and for a lot of people He is no longer foremost in their minds. It is easy to get caught up in our busy lives and forget that our life is brief and nobody knows what day will be their last.
The Bible says that Jesus will one day return to us to establish His kingdom on Earth. It could be during our lifetime. We should prepare daily and live with expectation. When we stand before Christ, all that will matter is what we did for Him while we lived. So live your life full of good deeds and expectation. Ready or not, He IS coming.
Prayer: Jesus, we stand before you today asking for you to remember us during your second coming and judgement. Prepare us for the new Heaven and the new Earth where you reign with righteousness. Help us to prepare others with excitement about your return. In your name we pray. Amen
- Karen Fraser
Tuesday, November 29 ~ Romans 13:11-12
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
It is time to rouse our minds from slumber, to be alert to what God is doing in the world, and to live in accordance with God’s coming salvation.
The time has come for believers to cast off any works of darkness, including drunkenness, immortality, and jealously.
Prayer: Let us light up every day with thanks and salvation for us believers and followers in the days ahead, now and forever more. Amen.
- Deane Allen
Psalm 122:1-4
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” 2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
I awoke very early this morning thinking about decorating the house for Christmas. Many of the decorations have memories - some happy, some silly, and some very sad. Every year I look at them and remember a different time and place. Like small gifts from our children and grandchildren made by them to decorate our Christmas tree, to a note on an old box of lights written by my father in the last year he was on earth with us.
Christmas is like this: everything is accumulated in a very short time but the baby Jesus is always there smiling and you know everything is the way it should be and life with Jesus will keep us stronger and on the right path of life.
Prayer: Father, help me to remember the reason for decorating our home, not for my glory but to the glory of God, from which all good is born in the form of a baby - “Jesus”. Amen.
- Nancy Allen
First Sunday of Advent, November 27 - Isaiah 2:4-5
4 He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Our World: COVID-19, Massacre in Portapique, N.S., War on Ukraine. Tragedies, we often ask ourselves as well as others why does God allow tragedies to happen. Why Lord Why? Why? The world God’s creation, Adam and Eve brought original sin into God’s perfection.
The passage comes from around 740 BCE. Assyria was threatening to overrun Syria and Palestine. Throughout history each generation has often asked God the same questions. Isaiah, the prophet, clearly spoke out against military coalitions. He called on people to trust God. He called on people to walk in God’s way. God’s way: a world where relationships between people are restored. There will be no hunger, no war. All the weapons will be turned into tools for food production.
Walking in the light means to be prepared. Walking in God’s light requires we put our hope in God alone. When we walk in God’s light we live each day as if it were our last. It means looking for signs of God in the everyday events in our lives. It means taking the opportunities, which God gives us, to help others see His light.
Come, let us walk in God’s light. Let us put our hope in God, our Saviour.
- Rev. Marlene Quinn