By Jodi H. Beyeler, Goshen College director of communications
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV) I must confess, I am somewhat of a Facebook addict. While on some level I find value in and enjoy this communication and networking tool, I also realize that it regularly lulls me into complacency, envy, indignation, self-righteousness. It sucks my time away from me as I read, like, comment, share. Mostly though, it acts as a substitute for real engagement and action with real people and fools me into thinking I am doing something. In our Scripture today (Luke 3:7-18), the crowds keep asking John the Baptist: “What then should we do?” John invites each person – no matter what they do in life, who they are or where they live – to share with those around them in need, to do acts of kindness and generosity, and to be a blessing to others. They weren’t told to be heroes or to just believe. Rather, they are called to build right relationships and to do what they can. So, join me in getting off Facebook, being attentive, looking around for the opportunities that abound and then actually responding. In addition to being this Advent, join me in becoming a doer. Scripture: Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV) John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
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By Ross Peterson-Veatch, interim vice president of academic affairs, academic dean, Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV) Imagine yourself sitting in jail, unsure of what will happen next, you start writing a letter to your friends. You start your letter saying “we should all be bolder and more courageous in proclaiming the Good News!” And you keep saying: Rejoice! Rejoice in spite of suffering! Rejoice in serving others! Rejoice all through your most anxious moments! Do it, people, REJOICE! Rejoice! I said it before, and I’ll say it again: Rejoice! Lay bare your most vulnerable self! Do not fear for the future! Bring everything to God with gratitude! God’s peace will guard you! It’s hard to dispute the notion that we live in dangerous times. Terrorism abroad, police brutality and racial violence at home, mass shootings in schools and on campuses, domestic violence in your neighborhood – what is the world coming to? And yet, Paul’s message to us is all is to rejoice. Not to ignore what’s going on, but to acknowledge it and know that God’s reconciling peace will prevail. This is the great gift Jesus brings… God’s peace. As we spend our Advent season preparing to celebrate the great gift of God’s son, this season is for opening ourselves to God’s miracles, for proclaiming Good News and for rejoicing! Let it be so in our hearts and our homes. Rejoice, dear people, rejoice! Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. By Andrew Hartzler, associate professor of accounting at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Isaiah 12:2-6 (NRSV) This week’s Advent theme is “Freedom: The Path of Trust.” The text for today gives us a road map to finding true freedom through a reliance on and a trust in our Creator God. It gives us an antidote to fear: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid.” As humans we spend much of our lives wrapped up in our thoughts. Often those thoughts focus on our fears, both large and small. We have a couple of options on how to deal with those fears; one option is human reason and the other is a desperate cry to our Creator. As image bearers of God we sometimes are foolish and/or prideful enough to think we can take God’s place and handle our fears on our own. In my experience, there is no peace and no relief from fear through rationalization and reason. It is only when I search beyond myself for the one who created me that I find my salvation. Today’s text proclaims this truth, “For the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” Our temptation as humans is so often to “go it alone;” whether by not trusting in and asking for God’s help, or by denying God’s power or existence altogether. God has made himself real to me so many times, in so many ways, that I can rejoice in the freedom I’ve found by trusting in him. So I join with Isaiah in saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.” Prayer: Lord, help us in our unbelief to trust in your saving power. Help us to relinquish our hold on our fears and turn them over to you. We desire to experience the freedom of resting in your loving arms. Scripture: Isaiah 12:2-6 (NRSV) Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. By Jonathan Schramm, associate professor of sustainability and environmental education at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSV) Although today’s passage is only seven verses long, it is worth reading the entirety of the book of Zephaniah to really let the power of these final verses sink in. Like many of the so-called minor prophets, Zephaniah is full of fiery words carrying God’s judgement on ancient Israel’s oppressive neighbors, but perhaps even more heavily on the religious and spiritual leaders who took advantage of the people’s trust, and cynically used it to make their lives comfortable for themselves. After three chapters of this condemnation, it is with no small relief that we encounter these shining promises of God. Promises that not only will we be forgiven and freed from fear of those who would harm us (v. 15), but that our Savior will be full of love and delight on account of us (v. 17)! After times of sorrows and repentance, it is almost overwhelming to be told that God is not with us only grudgingly, but with God’s whole heart, to the point of singing over us! C.S. Lewis once wrote, in a sermon that was titled “The Weight of Glory,” that we need to remember that God created us in order to be a real element in the divine happiness, and that our awareness of that grace should be our ultimate fuel for righteous living with other people, since they too were created for that same purpose. This righteousness becomes simultaneously a difficult and an easy way to live, since we must leave any self-righteousness and excuses behind. And this path requires our trust in a God who will ultimately restore justice to all the world, and rejoice with God’s followers from wherever on earth they come to find a home with God (v. 20). Lord, help us to trust in your love. Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSV) Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. By Carolyn Schrock-Shenk, associate professor of peace, justice & conflict studies at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions The path of trust? Seriously? We are asked to follow the path of trust? As I write, the details of the San Bernardino mass shooting are just emerging. In my distress I learn that there have been more mass shootings in the U.S. than days of the calendar this year! And gun violence is only one of the many catastrophic realities of our day. Given the state of the world, who in their right mind travels life’s path full of trust? It makes no sense. I have given up trying to reconcile the reality of suffering—my own and the world’s—with belief in a God of love. It seems illogical to hold together a loving God with the reality of so much evil. So I have stopped trying to make sense of it. It’s not that I disengage my intellect to believe in a God who loves us deeply and in whom I can trust; it is that I have come to accept the extreme limitations of my intellect. It is foolish to believe in a loving God, given the disasters all around us. I know that. But I have decided that to not believe in a loving God, simply because I can’t make it all make sense, is the height of arrogance – and even greater foolishness. So I do believe. I choose to believe. It’s that “simple.” And that is what I am learning about trust. I can choose it. I HAVE to choose it. Some days it’s easy and makes sense – the sun is bright. I am loved. I have good work. And some days, like today, I have to choose trust. I have to choose it repeatedly in the face of screaming demons when it seems to make no sense. The path of trust is a choice. A daily, sometimes hourly choice. But a choice that does, indeed, lead to freedom. By Jenae Longenecker, a sophomore at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Luke 3:1-6 (NRSV) A voice cried out in the wilderness. It was bold and confident, shaking with raw emotion. She, the owner of the voice, told her story openly. It wasn’t an easy story to hear – it was a story of pain, of abuse and self-harm. It was truly a story of wilderness. Hers wasn’t the only story of wilderness I’ve heard lately. She’s not the only friend of mine who is struggling. And she certainly isn’t the only one seeking refuge in a world where there seems to be no home. But it was in listening to her voice, her blending of tears and laughter, that this passage came to mind. It’s that voice, the one crying out in the wilderness, that calls us to prepare the way of the Lord. It’s that voice begging for the way, it’s in that voice that I hear the need for God most intensely. It’s in all the voices of survivors, those who find God in themselves when there seems to be no reason to believe in anyone else. And it’s in her that I see God too. When she asks me to believe with her, how can I not? When she asks me to prepare the way of the Lord, how can I not? Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. Inequalities shall be bridged, the silenced will be heard. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation. Scripture: Luke 3:1-6 (NRSV) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. By Joelle Friesen, a senior at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV) Some days, life feels like a collection of questions with each of us seeking answers. At this point in life, my questions often include schooling, future career plans and more. But recently my musings have been centered more broadly on faith. What does it mean to be church? Why do people not live what they preach? How do I live my beliefs without imposing on others? How can convictions be held both strongly and gently? Questions bring us together and tear us apart. They bind us to restlessness and free us from blind acceptance. Questions and answers must be held in tension, and sometimes I feel I am walking a balance beam between them. I attended Mennonite World Conference this past summer, and was struck by one speaker describing such dichotomies as necessary, likening them to the two pedals of a bicycle. Both doubt and conviction, and certainty and uncertainty, are imperative if you want to go anywhere. Discernment and insight are required, and I believe questions must be valued as much as answers. But through my questioning, there is one answer I remain sure of. I am confident of this: a God of love cradles us all, and through an overflow of love – love of self, neighbor and stranger – we find knowledge and insight. Through love, questions can be appreciated and meaningful answers can be found. My hope is that this advent season each of us can find freedom through holding both questions and answers in love. Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart… Try to love the questions themselves… Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, Live along some distant day into the answers. – Rainer Maria Rilke, from Letters to a Young Poet Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV) I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in Gods grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. By Neal Friesen, assistant director of resident life and student activities at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV) Lord, have mercy. The news has been bleak lately. It seems as though every morning the headlines find a new way to break my heart: stories from around the globe of the destruction of war and the plight of the resulting refugees, to local stories of racially motivated discrimination and murder. Cries for mercy and justice by the afflicted are often met with ambivalence or denial by those with the power to affect systemic change as refugees are denied refuge and systemic violence is written off as actions of a few bad apples. Jesus was born at a particular time, in a particular place, and to a particular people-group. There is a long and rich history that lead up to the arrival of God’s Son on Earth, and after nine months of divinely imposed silence leading up to the birth of his son John, Zechariah bursts into praise that recognizes this context. The redemption of the world was not accomplished in a day. God was up to something big and the people needed to be prepared. It’s easy to think of John’s role in the Gospel narrative as just another part of the historical development that prepared a particular people in a particular place at a particular time for the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth. It’s easy to overlook our continuing need for preparation to receive Jesus. As Luke sets out to write “an orderly account” of the Good News for Theophilus (1:3), he doesn’t begin with the Priests or the Pharisees, nor did he begin with the religious zealots who want to violently overthrow their oppressors. Rather, Luke begins with the birth of a fiery preacher in the wilderness calling us out for the ways we have been the brood of vipers and demanding we bear good fruit or be cut down for firewood (3:7-9). Before we are ready to receive Jesus—God’s mercy—we need John bringing knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins and guiding our feet in the way of peace. Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. By Paul Keim, professor of Bible and religion at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV) The exuberant refrain of “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” has been radiating from the Goshen College mainstage production of Godspell (2012 revised version) these past few weeks, resonating with the changing season. The first snow falls. The first fire crackles in the hearth. Minds and hearts and bodies turn, attuned and attentive. Getting ready. Evoking the same phrase as found in Isaiah’s oracle of return (40:3), our passage announces the coming of a messenger. There it imagined a road building project through the vast wilderness that separated the exiles from their homeland. Here it evokes a path clearing for the sudden appearance of the Lord, whose arrival we have been awaiting, in whose covenant we delight. But the coming of the Lord is not just a gift (or, God forbid, gifts). It is also a reckoning. Can we endure it? Can we stand before such scrutiny? Like the Levites who corrupted their covenanted obligations, we too are in need of purification. Like them we stand dumbfounded when our compromised offerings are not accepted and ask, “Why not?” (Mal. 2:14). Like them we disregard our moral compass and unashamedly demand, “Where is the God of justice?” (Mal. 2:17). The day of the Lord’s visitation is coming. It will not be all sweetness and light. We will be put to the test. Refined in the fire. Reshaped and recast. Scrubbed clean with an abrasive agent. Getting ready as a priesthood of all believers, rendering us worthy once more not to receive, but to give, to offer just and pleasing sacrifice, to administer grace. Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV) See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delightindeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. By Luke Gascho, director, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, professor of sustainability/environmental science at Goshen College
Reprinted from Advent Devotions Things are out of sorts. Following regional, national and global news is a reminder that there is much brokenness in the world. Fragmentation comes into our personal lives too. We wonder how love can overflow in a time when there are such pervasive issues? Can mending occur? I step back from this reality and reflect on a different construct. I remember that the universe was called into being as an expression of God’s love and mercy. This is a statement that raises awe and wonder in my spirit – and reminds me that every part of God’s creation declares the very mercy and love that comes from God. When mercy and love are not evident, I seek to understand how restorative acts might bring love into expression again. A first step is to re-member that which has been dis-membered. The texts for this week refer to a vision for righteousness. I often found righteousness to be an off-putting word until I started to see it as the concept of making things right. As N.T. Wright frequently states, righteousness is “putting things to rights.” This is a process that God pursues passionately – and invites us to join in that same action. The prophetic call for John the Baptist was to “prepare of way.” I am inspired by the concept of re-creative actions in the landscapes of the world. As a messenger, he fostered the way to peace, which is truly a “putting things to rights.” This is a remaking of the channels for mercy and love to flow freely again. Like John the Baptist, I am committed to putting God’s creation right. I am grateful to be a participant with God in these actions. Restoration processes take time, but at the same time are amazing. A year ago I planted native prairie seed in a strip along my new gardens and orchard in Goshen. The seed fell on quality prairie soil – soil that had only supported grass and weeds for more than 50 years. I was inspired to see the native flowers and grasses begin to emerge this summer. Life was returning to this strip of land – a grand showing of mercy and love. The selected flowers will attract native pollinators, which will add to the diversity and health of my small landscape. My planting story is representative of many other restorative actions I take in my life, the community and the world. God’s mercy and love are what brings life to my actions. As the texts for the week note so clearly – change is afoot. Commit to being on the path of “putting the world to rights” and anticipate the harvest of righteousness. |
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