December 29, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 29th: Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 148, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23: Theme: The Twelve Days of Christmas Matthew: By this time, the hoopla of Christmas is well over. Wintertime has set in, and the waiting of advent is over – the baby is here. This story reminds us that there are some tuff times on the journey between fulfillment and a dream come true. This is the story of the slaughter of the innocents. Herod has ordered the killing of all boy children two and under. Joseph stays faithful to his role in protecting the Son of God. In a dream he is told to go to Egypt until the threat to his son is over. When they return, they return to the horror that all of the other children and mothers have suffered. But in the end, Jesus grows up to fulfill his mission to bring salvation to any who desire to be with God. Jesus is also killed, for standing up to the powers that be – We can celebrate though that this story transforms our world into a beautiful place. Isaiah: This is a continuation on the theme of the dark journey to a fulfilled dream. Israel is lamenting because of all of the turmoil in their homeland. All they seem to see if desolation everywhere? How can they see the good in any of this? All along for 63 chapters, Isaiah has been promising hope and peace. No one seems to see it. The days after Christmas can be a very dark time – it is cold, it is dark, people are still away on vacation, so the pews are empty – there is not a lot of money coming in. This is a time for lamentation for the church. We too are called to see the light in the midst of the darkness. We too are called to see hope in the midst of despair. We too must walk that lonesome journey between a prayer and an answer. Questions: what horrid conditions are the children of today facing? Is God calling us to do anything to help them? What challenges do we face as a church? What prayers need to be answered for our time?

December 22, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 22nd: Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25; Theme: Fourth Sunday of Advent Matthew: We only hear of the story of Jesus birth in the book of Matthew. As we get closer to Christmas, we hear the telling of that story in each of our scriptures. Matthew focuses on the role of the father in this story. Joseph has a lot of thinking to do about his role. Mary has announced that she is pregnant, but they are not even married yet. By every right, Joseph has the right to divorce her and to move on. But just as an angel comes to Mary, an angel comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him what to do. Joseph understands that he is a critical part of the story – he takes care of Mary and the baby in the coming days. He understands that God has a plan, and it will come to pass with the birth of this baby. Isaiah: The people of Israel were looking for a change. They were looking for something to have hope in. Isaiah tells the story of the birth of a baby, as that child grows, change will become evident. This story has some striking differences from the Matthew story. First, the woman who gives birth is a young woman, but not necessarily a virgin. The child is not the messiah, but someone who serves God. Isaiah says the baby should be called Immanuel, Matthew says Emmanuel – both mean God with us. Both stories remind us that God is with us, and that God is always our salvation. Both are stories of hope and celebration for the signs in our lives that God cares about us, and always sends a person to make a difference. Questions: What signs are present in your life of God’s presence? What children are present in your lives that give you hope for the future? What role do father’s play in teaching children to have faith? Have angels ever spoke to you in a dream? Did you follow what the dream told you to do?

December 15, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 15th: Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 1:47-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11; Theme: Third Sunday of Advent James: Advent is about learning to wait. It is about learning to get away from this instantaneous culture and realizing that the best things in life are worth waiting for. James encouraged the church to learn patience in an impatient world centuries ago. The book of James is a strong message against exploitation that is so prevalent in our culture. We are called as Christians to be different . Christmas can bring out the worst in us – it is so easy to get caught in so many bad habits. Advent is designed to bring out the best in us. It is intended for us to get in touch with the point of the season – to depend on God for all things as we prepare for the coming of his Son into our world and into our life! Matthew: We hear about the ministry of John from Jesus’ perspective. Unfortunately, John never got to see the fruition of Jesus ministry – he was executed very early on. But he was the for runner, who prepared the hearts of many to be prepared to receive the messiah. Jesus does speak of those people who did witness his ministry – the blind, the crippled, the sick. Jesus brings up John to prepare many others for the healing of the messiah including us: the modern generation. Jesus is grateful for all that John did for him, he was even baptized himself by John. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Jesus appreciated all that we do in our ministry the way he appreciated John? Questions: How good are you at waiting? What are you preparing for this advent? How are you telling others about the messiah coming? Who are the people who could use a savior in this modern age?

December 8, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 8th: Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7.18-19; Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12; Theme: Second Sunday of Advent Romans: The gifts of the season are hope, joy, love and peace. As Paul speaks to the gentiles, he passes on those gifts and explains that they all from God. In this scripture Paul particularly speaks of the gift of hope. We learn hope through studying the scripture and living out our faith. We are also called to give our faith to others through hospitality. We are to welcome them into the same family that we have been welcomed into – God’s family. According to Paul, the gentiles hearing and accepting the gospel is proof of a loving God. If God love us then we can accomplish anything. That is the meaning of hope. Matthew: John the Baptist is a key figure during the season of advent. He is the precursor to Jesus. He tells everyone what to expect. John does not seem to have very good social skills. He does not even like the people that he is talking to. But he gets his point across even to us listening – that it is time for us to change our lives, to turn from evil and to embrace God. Whomever we are, we are being challenged to think differently. To look at our motives, and to make sure that they are in alignment with what Jesus was taught us to do. If John, who is a relative and determined to serve him, calls himself unworthy, than neither are we. But if we turn our life around, our gift this advent season will be grace. Questions: What gives you hope in your life? How do you pass hope onto to others who have none? What do you need to repent of? What needs to change in your life?