Mon, Dec 26 Devotional

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 Unto us a boy is born! The King of all creation,

Came He to a world forlorn, The Lord of every nation.

          Christmas is past, the tree and decorations are put away.  Many days and money were spent for yesterday’s big party.  For what reason-just to have a big party, or was it for another reason?  Did you open your Bible and read Luke’s account of the birth of baby Jesus?  Did you bow your heads and thank God?

The baby Jesus grew to manhood to be our Saviour.  At the age of 30, He started His three year mission of teaching, preaching and healing.  Great crowds followed HIM.  The religious leaders hated Him and made plans to crucify Jesus.  Besides being our Saviour, Jesus gave us three more gifts.

Death: Jesus died on a cruel roman cross bearing our sins in His body and shedding His blood to wash away our sins; so we can stand before God the Father - justified - just as if we had never sinned.

Resurrection: After lying in the grave from Friday sunset to sunrise Sunday, Jesus arose and appeared to His disciples and faithful followers.  Someday, we too shall arise to be with Him.

Ascension: Jesus told His disciples to go to a nearby mountain where He would meet them.  He spoke His last words and told them “...go and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19.  He ascended through the clouds and is seated by God, His Father.  One day we shall ascend to be with Jesus in that most beautiful placed called HEAVEN.

Is Jesus your Saviour?  He’s mine!

      - Eben Lennox

Sun, Dec 25 Devotional

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Luke 2:6-7 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

      Whether it is an unexpected visit at just the wrong time, an unscheduled meeting in the middle of the day or a flat tire on the way to hockey practice, life is full of interruptions.  These unplanned and unwanted little inconveniences alter our plans and change our agenda, often leaving us irritated and upset.

Jesus was born amidst just such an unplanned and inconvenient interruption.  I am sure that the unscheduled trip to Bethlehem or the added inconvenience of sleeping in a stable were not in Mary and Joseph’s plan, particularly in the ninth month of pregnancy.  Yet, what seemed an unwelcome interruption to Mary and Joseph was really a part of a much bigger plan.  The journey to Bethlehem and birth in a stable were necessary parts of fulfilling the prophesies concerning the Saviour.

It is my belief that God has a purpose and plan for our lives, that plan being to create in each of us the very character of Christ.  Ordinary, everyday problems have a way of forming our attitudes and shaping our reactions.  If we have God’s perspective, it is in the unexpected that we can expect to see Jesus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to see You in all circumstances in our lives.  Thank You for making our lives a part of Your plan.  Teach us always to follow the footsteps of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  In His name we pray.  Amen.

 - Greg Wilson

Fri, Dec 23 Devotional

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Psalm 96:11-13

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar and all that fills it;
12     let the field exult and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13     before the Lord, for he is coming,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
    and the peoples with his truth.

When we read a bit of this Psalm, I think of church services. Our whole plan can be seen in the 13 verses of Psalm 96. Here is: singing, saying how amazing God is, telling what God does, and bringing offerings/gifts. Author, Marva Dawn, has written a whole book about Christian worship, modeled on this text.

What we usually do in Churches is a far cry from what ‘worship’ was for Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth in the Middle East. The traditional Christmas Eve Service in our pews tomorrow evening will draw a large crowd. It is nothing like the animal sacrifices or ceremonial washing prescribed in the Old Testament. Yet the Psalms - and other texts - are filled with words of praise that still inspire our singing and talking and praying when we worship God.

One interesting image at the end of Psalm 96 is that mention of the trees (of all things!) singing for joy: God is arriving to make things right! Let’s pray for this.

Holy God, do you really bring joy even to the trees? In these days may we join all creation and all Christians in loud praise of Jesus, making things right. And give us quiet moments amid the hustle and bustle to rejoice as quietly as the trees do.

- Rev. Jeff White

Thrs, Dec 22 Devotional

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Isaiah 9:6-7  For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The moment I read the words “for unto us a child is born” I begin to sing them in my head, doing my best to capture the sprightly cadence of the 12th part of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah. I do not possess a talent for recounting scripture, but I am confident I can recite Isaiah 9:6—sing it, even. My familiarity with these verses is because my father listened to the entirety of Handel’s Messiah every Christmas Day while we cleaned up from the morning’s activities.

My father also made efforts through the years to attend live performances of Messiah with me, each of which occurred during the days leading up to Christmas. As such, Isaiah’s foretelling of Jesus’s birth and establishment of His kingdom, and the zeal by which the Lord (Jesus’s father!) will perform these feats, is as much a part of the Christmas story for me as the account of Jesus’s actual birth as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. With each line, Isaiah’s words impress upon me the love of a father, whether it be my earthly one or my heavenly one.

Prayer: Jesus, during this season of your birth let us remember the love of fathers, as Your father loved You and as You love us as our everlasting Father.  Amen.    

   - Joshua Shelley

Wed, Dec 21 Devotional

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Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;

Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

 The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen: it had been just as the angels had told them.

When the shepherds returned to their flock of sheep after seeing the baby Jesus, do you think they may have been singing Gloria in Excelsis Deo?  The same song they heard the angels singing.

Sometimes a sing gets into your head and you can’t stop yourself from singing it. The song may make you happy, it may make you sad, or it may have you remembering someone you love. I truly believe God likes to hear us sing. He doesn’t care how we sound, it just makes Him happy. It doesn’t matter whether we are singing about Him, singing a popular jungle or a lullaby to soothe a crying baby. Sing it loud and proud God and you are enjoying it and He loves to hear you sing.

Prayer: Dear God we have so many reasons to sing your praises. As this Christmas season draws near help us to be grateful for all you do for us. Always remembering Your son Jesus is the true reason for this season of great joy for over 2000 years. Amen

- Sherrill Pettigrew

Tues, Dec 20 Devotional

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Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains.

And the mountains in reply Echo back their joyous strains

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

The angels sang. The mountains replied - heaven & earth harmonious! The familiar carol recalls the experience of the trembling shepherds' from Luke's Gospel, so vivid and gripping it prompted them to search for the birth of Love.

On Christmas Eve morning 2020, fleeting as it was, I experienced a heaven-and-earth moment myself. Out early to complete last minute errands, I was grumpy - a pandemic was messing with family plans. In seeming accord with my frame of mind, the most dreary Christmas carol I'd ever heard  was playing on CBC.

 In its rhythm, the traffic light flashed green.  At the same time I registered the only clear lyrics from the grating carol, ..."dreams do come true"...hmp.  Making a left turn onto Robert Angus Drive I noticed,  for the first time that morning, a clear azure sky.  Straightening the car, now heading directly East, that sky was lit by a brilliant white flash, then a cascading watercolour vapor trail: blue to aqua to green to pink before fading.

 It must have all happened in a moment , but at the time I felt transported to the heavens. I'd become a part of the splendour of a rare daylight fireball! As the heavenly body vanished my heart sang a new song  -  gratitude and love. Like the shepherds of old, I would praise the day knowing: a young couple can surmount daunting circumstances; a stable can be a home for a time; & a little child can lead us.

Prayer: Wondrous God, open our hearts to perceive the glory of your presence in our everyday lives. We need  to hear the Angel choirs singing peace to troubled minds;  breathing softness and compassion. And hearing the songs,  we ask your guidance to act in harmony.  Amen

- Cynthia McCarthy

Mon, Dec 19 Devotional

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Matthew 1:19-21 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

My Poem:  Joseph was worried about his dear wife 

Because she was ‘bout to give birth to a life  

But she was a virgin and he was ashamed,

He’d divorce quietly and not be to blame

But that night on high, an angel came to him,

And said that the child would clear man of sin.

The angel also said that he should not leave his son

Mary was to name him Jesus and he’d be the only one;

To save all God’s people from the sin that they had done.

 

My Reflection: Frankly, I’m impressed at how brave Joseph would’ve had to be to face that he might have been publicly disgraced. But, he was brave, and in the end, he chose the option of protecting and raising his son - at the risk of being mocked - instead of the latter. I, in this position, would have found it very hard to decide. Of course, I don’t have any experience raising a child, but I bet it was hard for Joseph. 

Prayer: Lord, help us today to make good decisions even if we don’t want to. Help us also to be brave like Joseph and the unfathomable decision that he was told to make. Many times in the day we do not follow this, and choose not the right path but the most convenient option we see. In Your name, Amen.     

- C. W. SHELLEY

Sat, Dec 17 Devotional

Psalm 80:1-3 1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2  before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

On October 16, 2015, my family and I received the call no one wants!  “Your husband had a bad work accident and is being life-flighted to Halifax.”  He had fallen 17 feet from a ladder and had crushed his skull, crushed his pelvis and broke ribs, his shoulder and bones in his back and neck.  He had three brain bleeds.

As we sat together in the family room the doctor gave us the bad news that he had 99 percent chance that he would not survive!  At that moment I felt a peace come over me and a feeling that everything would be alright.  We prayed every hour and had people praying all over the world.

By December 24, he was giving a day pass to spend Christmas with our family.  The doctors call him the “miracle man” because they have no scientific how he survived.  He is our “Christmas miracle”.  God is with us not just through the happy times, but also through he darkest times.  When we call to Him he answers.

Prayer: Thank you for always being there for us and hearing our prayers.  Because of you, we are never alone.  As we celebrate another Christmas may we always remember your gift to us of your precious son.  Amen.

         - Tammy Arseneau

Fri, Dec 16 Devotional

Isaiah 7:13-14 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.

At times of uncertainty, we may look for a sign from God to guide us.  There are moments in our lives when we may reflect on having little faith and not trusting.  At these times, we may pray and ask God to show us the way to restore our faith.  However, we may be uncertain of whether to ask for guidance, and if so, how?

Signs from God can appear in many ways before the reveal themselves to us. They may be subtle and appear ordinary or they may be obvious, as in the scripture referred to above.  Patterns may develop that point us in a particular direction or we may notice signs shortly after praying for guidance.  Signs may occur as passive observations or they may occur by suddenly surprising us.

Are you open and receptive to receiving signs from God?  Are you able to recognize them when they present themselves?

It is important to regularly take time to be thoughtful and reflective.  Create quiet time and a clear mind so that God may speak to us.  God may send messages through various ways - whether in church, through another person, while connecting with nature or other means.

I invite you to practice meditating regularly, if only for a minute or two, allowing you to create inner peace-a time to be present and attentive to signs.  Start now by taking a few deep breaths and actively paying attention to the signs around you.

               - Tammy Allen

Thrs, Dec 15 Devotional

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Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings

T’was the night before Jesus came and all through the house

Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.

Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care

In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,

Not once kneeling or bowing a head.

And Mom in her rocker and baby on her lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray

I knew in a moment this must be the day!

The light of His face made me cover my head.

It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,

Was written the name of every saved man.

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said, “it’s not here,” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound

While all the rest were left standing around.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There’s only one life and when comes the last call,

We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

 

-  a traditional poem, submitted by Pauline Lusby

Tues, Dec 13 Devotional

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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.”

Mon, Dec 12 Devotional

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

Sat, Dec 10 Devotional

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

Fri, Dec 9 Devotional

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

Wed, Dec 7 Devotional

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