From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/31 "Sanctuaries Found"

Sanctuaries Found 

Excerpt from Psalm 20 

“May God send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.”

Reflection by Maren Tirabassi

Where are you on New Year’s Eve? I’m in an AA meeting, one of God’s strong sanctuaries, even though they are often located in church basements. Some of you will be there, too, later today – it’s the kind of holiday that is hard to take “one day at a time.” Others of you will be in Watch Night services, Weight Watcher meetings, airplanes headed back to college, Alzheimer’s Care units, dialysis chairs, homeless shelters, online with others leaving situations of domestic violence. Some of you will go to a party and others will watch the ball drop in Times Square with a single good friend.

Psalm 20 is a prayer that asks, “God grant your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans, that we may shout in joy over your victories.” Most personal victories come less from tomorrow’s resolutions than today’s good sanctuaries of physical, emotional, financial and spiritual support. Sanctuaries are found where one or more are gathered to care, to help, and then to just shout in joy for another’s success. Sanctuaries are found where God is present in community.

Recognize the sanctuaries in all their diversity. Plan to be in one when you need help; plan to be in one when someone needs you.

Prayer

God, grant us the humility to seek sanctuary, the compassion to offer it to others – no matter how different they may be from us, and the faith to know that you are always the source of serenity, courage and wisdom. Amen.

About the Author Maren C. Tirabassi is the Pastor of Union Congregational Church of Madbury, UCC, in Madbury, New Hampshire. Her most recent book is All Whom God Has Joined: Resources for Clergy and Same-Gender Loving Couples, co authored with Leanne McCall Tigert.

Daily Prayer - New Years Eve

The Light of the World ...

... Our Light in a New Year

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me.15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone.16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”19 “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”

John 8:12-19 (NLT)

O Precious Christ – the Light of the World – as this year rapidly draws to a close, I pause to reflect upon the journey I have taken. There were days filled with joyous blessings, as well as those that brought heart-breaking disappointment. There were victories won, and causes that were lost. With past days of certainty, and their clear visions of direction and purpose, there were also those days of uncertainty, and a wondering of where life was leading. And during the bleakest of those hours there was the struggle to hold firm to faith and trust.

Now as I approach this New Year of 2011, I lift up my earnest hope for a clearer foresight of your yearnings for my life, O God. So when the sun sets upon this day – this year – my heart will turn to you. And as the sun arises in the morn upon a new day – upon a new chapter in my continuing years – I will turn my face towards your brightness, the faithful Light of the World, in the anticipation of being blinded by your reality, your truth, your very presence in my soul.

I will never be disappointed in you. Draw close in this time of newness, and make me whole, I pray, that I may serve you well throughout all the days you have given me. May your Light of lights lead me faithfully throughout all the years before me.

Amen.

Rev. Michael Kirchhoff

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/30 "The Planet in Praise"

The Planet in Praise 

Excerpt from Psalm 148

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. (NIV)

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

Make no mistake about it, the entire earth is a declaration of God’s awesome power to create and sustain life with wondrous beauty and fathomless splendor.  Every leaf on a tree, every crystal in a snowflake, every feather of a bird, every pebble on a mountain every leg on an ant and every whisper of the wind is a testament to the great care and “attention to detail” of the Creator.

According to the Psalmist, humanity is not distinct from, but very much a part of the earth’s natural symmetry.  When we violate the planet through global warming, toxic contaminants and environmental neglect, we interrupt the planet’s praise to God.  And in so doing, we pollute our own praise to God as well.

Prayer

Gracious God, Let our praise to you be reflected in our care for the planet, and let our love for you resound throughout this wondrous world.  Amen.

About the Author Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, United Church of Christ, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Daily Prayer

How many times have I wanted peace in my life; a relief from the hectic-ness of the day and the sometimes endless demands place upon me by others; clamoring for my attention, or seeking that which I just do not have to give? Bills. Overflowing calendars and never-ending tasks to be attended to. Collectors, or at least, solicitors. Scam artists promising me wealth, security and release from worldly troubles. All intruding into my waking hours, and yet none bringing the tranquility which my spirit – which our spirits – so anxiously seek.

And then out up of my spirit arises again the truth that I have always known, but have often forgotten; the truth that only my God can provide the peace and serenity for which we all long. It is Lord of Life who provides that which my inner self longs, even amidst the demands of the world around me.

3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

5 He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust.

7 But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.

8 Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.

9 All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God.

 Isaiah 26: 3-5, 7-9a

Almighty God, who is the provider of all that I truly seek – that we all truly seek – and which the world and its riches cannot impart, hear my prayer as I again turn to you.

In the morning, afresh and renewed, my face arises to you, as the sun arises to meet the new dawn.

In the mid-day hour, I stop my endless efforts to pause and seek your presence, strength and guidance through the myriad of tasks before me.

In the evening hour I wait on you in my time of prayer: as I lift up my voice in thanksgiving for the goodness of this day; as I humbly confess my humanness and shortcomings; as I listen for your still small voice which will fortify me and never fail.

And, in this time with you I find my peace – my hope – my direction. I find that which brings wholeness to my being.

Praise and glory be always unto you.

Amen.

Rev. Michael Kirchhoff

based on Isaiah 26: 3-5, 7-9

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/29 "Who Am I?"

Who Am I? 

Excerpt from Psalm 148

Praise God, sun and moon: praise God, all you shining stars! Praise God, all the angels; praise God all God’s host.

Reflection by Anthony B. Robinson

Martin Luther described sin as life curved in upon itself. The theme of today's psalm, praise, is pretty much the opposite of that. Praise is life opened out, expansive, a jubilant response to a gracious and astonishing God. What's especially wonderful about this psalm of praise is that it includes all creation in the great chorus. Perhaps this is part of the reason that many of the manger scenes we see at this time of year aren't limited to human beings alone. They include sheep and goats, a donkey or a cow. They unfold beneath the starry sky and sheltering trees. Sometimes it can seem that all creation is somehow caught up and united in praise of God.

Such experiences tell us something about who we truly are. At one time or another, most of us wonder what life is really about and why we are here. We may think of ourselves as producers or professionals, as family members or citizens. All of these are important and have their place. But most of all we are, I think, worshippers. Whether kneeling at some manger, shouting praise unto the highest heavens, murmuring our gratitude before mystery, we are worshippers. And the reason for our praise? While we were yet sinners, Christ has come for us; while we were yet far off, Christ has come to us.

Prayer

"Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord." And for this we praise you this day and all our days. Amen.

About the Author Tony Robinson, a United Church of Christ minister, is a speaker, teacher and writer. His most recent book isChanging the Conversation: A Third Way for Congregations. Read his weekly reflections on the current lectionary texts atwww.anthonybrobinson.com.

Daily Prayer

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to weep.42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side.44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Luke 19:41-44 (NLT)

Or … Jesus Weeps Over US

As this Christmas season draws ever closer to an end, it is important that we remember the divine reason for this birth of the Christ-Child. It wasn’t simply for the purpose of giving us a name to put our humanity around, as if just pronouncing the name “Jesus” was all we had to say and therefore everything would be right again. No, this name is intimately tied to everything Jesus represented, and to that which we are called to today.

The “Prince of Peace” is just one of those names, which points to Jesus specifically whenever we hear it spoken, but it also declares the undertaking of that one so named. “Prince of Peace” – the child who would grow to declare in various teachings and actions the importance of incorporating his peace into our lives, and who showed us how: by loving our neighbors and praying for our enemies.

Yet, we, as the Church today, on a whole, have miserably failed as the peacemakers that our Lord yearns for us to be. Instead of turning the other check to those who strike out at us, many have too often aligned ourselves with the secular god of patriotism and then strike up the bands of war and revenge. As an alternative to working for peace (Matthew 5:9) in our communities and around the world, many have turned inward in a mode of self-survival, instead of offering both our coat and cloak to those suffering in our midst. And as a replacement for the embrace of peaceful love and welcome, far too many in the Church have remained silent or, worse yet, have cried out for deportation or imprisonment or even death for those unlike us. Peace as our Savior lived it, and calls for us to live, is much too often an illusion for the church; talked about but not acted upon, and only given lip-service at best.

My best guess is that such a non-embracement of the peace that Jesus offers as the example of human relationship will have its price.

"… he began to weep.⁴² 'How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.'"

“But now it is too late’, Jesus proclaimed to those who stood around him. They had listened, but had not heard. They saw him, and watched his intimate interaction with their community, but had not seen the way he was pointing for them to walk and live. He wept, for them and for the city, and in the outpouring of his grieving informed them that they would never experience the divine beauty of the peace which he had offered to them.

Will it be the same for Christ’s Church in the world today? Will we hear the voice which speaks that which we need so desperately, and have longed for, for so many years, and which is still not realized? Is it too late for us today? My prayer is that it will not be so; that we, as the Church, will begin to see anew the life and message of this one whom we call the Prince of Peace, and will live that high-calling – a life of peace with our neighbors and all those who share God's Creation, as our brothers and sister everywhere.

Precious Savior – the Christmas Babe – the "Prince of Peace", I pray this day that you will awaken within my spirit, even now, the life of being a peacemaker in the midst of the chaos of our time. Shape me, I plead, that my arms will reach out to embrace all those in need whose paths I may cross. Help me to welcome the poor, homeless, unemployed, and outcasts into my life, as you stretched out your arms to receive them all into your life. Let my life – all my remaining years – be that of a peacemaker, for the Kingdom sake; for your sake. Let it be, before it is too late.

Amen.

Rev. Michael Kirchhoff

based on Like 19:41-44

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/28 "Remember Whose We Are"

Remember Whose We Are

Excerpt from Luke 2: 22 – 40

“They brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…..”

Reflection by Donna Schaper

My little brother’s linen and frilled baptismal robe hung in the coat closet at my house for decades.  He is now past 50.  One day he called and wanted it.  I said, your children are grown, so are mine.  Why?

Because, said he, I want it near me.  Why? I said again.

I want to remember that I was presented to God and that God took me in.  But why now?

Because, he said, life has become very hard for me.  My first wife and my first child are angry with me again.  My second wife just hit my only son.  My third wife is tired of hearing me talk about my first and second wives.

Aha.  Life becomes too much for many of us, many times.  We realize at Christmastide that we not only have to rely on a child for salvation (!) but also have to rely on our own childhood.  It is never too late to have a happy childhood, I have quipped often.

It is also never too late to remember our baptism – “Baptismatus Sum” – as a touchstone of all of God’s promises.  We too have been presented to God.  And God accepted the present of us.

Prayer

When life becomes too much for us, O God, let us remember Whose we are.  Amen.

About the Author Donna Schaper is the Senior Minister of Judson Memorial Church in New York City.  Her most recent book is Sacred Chow: a Guide to Holy Eating.

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/27 "Seeing God"

Seeing God

Bible Excerpt from Exodus 33:18-23

The Lord said, “you cannot see my face…you shall see my back.”

Reflection by William C. Green

When my son was three and away from his mother he would point to a wall or a closed door and say, “My mommy’s there.”  He couldn’t see her, but he knew his mother was with him.

Such trust eludes us as we grow older and more skeptical.  It must have been hard for Moses when God says, “No, I won’t show you myself.”  He is only allowed to see God’s back.  But this was something, after all.  While Moses couldn’t see much, he knew God was present.

So it is for us.  God’s presence in our lives is elusive and indirect.  This is not the fault of our faith or vision.  It’s the way God wants it.  For us to grasp the full reality of God would be like staring at the sun, becoming as blinded as religious fanatics who claim to have God figured out.  We live in the light of the sun’s rays as in the light of God’s glory just celebrated again at Christmas.

As the festivity of the season recedes may this truth remain: although we can’t see Jesus, his presence is real in our lives.  Like my young son we can point to any wall or closed door we face that seems to stand between us and God, and say, “God is there.”

Prayer

Eternal God, may we know your love and mercy beyond anything we can fully grasp or understand.  In the spirit of Christ.  Amen.

About the Author William C. Green, a United Church of Christ minister, is the Director of Long Looking, a consultancy service specializing in fundraising and education for congregations. His new book, 52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving, has just been published.

Daily Prayer

Faith in the Son of God

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross —not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.7 So we have these three witnesses —8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

1 John 5:1-12 (NLT)

All Prevailing Creator - Vulnerable Child in a Cattle Stall – during this season of Christmas, and beyond, empower me to live the life that Christ Jesus came among us to live. Help me to always see and understand my neighbor and my kin as your precious children, and to care for and treat them accordingly. May I have the mind of Christ; not for my own glorification, but for the elevation of all my sisters and brothers in life’s journey.

If I am too overcome the evil that proliferates all around me, then I need you ever more completely in my heart; in my spirit. May I know you more perfectly, that others may come to know and trust in you, too.

Amen.

Rev. Michael Kirchhoff

based on 1 John 5:1-12

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/26 "Learning from Criticism"

Learning from Criticism 

Excerpt from Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15

And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die!” … Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, ‘…As for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.’

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news. Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t kill the messenger?” It became an expression for a reason. People hate to be told off.

Here Jeremiah criticized the people and they turned on him, violently. With courage, he admitted that his life was in their hands. He called them to conscience, and his life was spared when some of the elders spoke up and told the community that Jeremiah was worth listening to.

Who is the hero of this story? Jeremiah, certainly, but I also nominate the elders, who were willing to hear criticism and own up to it. If it’s hard to be the bearer of bad news, it is even harder to receive it.

Here’s a real test of spiritual maturity. How capable are you of learning from criticism? God uses critics to set us straight. When we can’t hear God, God has to engage a third party: a prophet, family member, trusted friend or colleague to sit us down and tell us off.

We’ve all experienced unfair criticism. So our first response is to ask ourselves if this is justified.  But if there’s even a small part of us that thinks it could be, we need to stop, listen and pray. The best way to learn from criticism is to pray over it, and that takes time.

So the next time you want to shoot the messenger, remember the elders who held back the crowd, protected their critic and called the community to conscience.

Prayer

Bless me with an open heart, to learn from the words of others, even when it is painful. Make me an elder who can grow and change. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church, UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Her new book, This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers, co-authored with Martin B. Copenhaver, has just been published.

Daily Prayer

The Day After ...
and after that and after that.

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

 Persecution Scatters the Believers

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

 Philip Preaches in Samaria

4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.8 So there was great joy in that city.

Acts 7:59 - 8:1-8 (NLT)

Not a very pleasant lectionary passage for the day after Christmas, as we begin to unwind from the excitement of the day; scattered wrapping paper; the hours on the phone catching up with family and friends; not to mentioned the festive meals with all the holiday trimmings. And in another day (even today for some) it is back to the old routines of family schedules and work, which makes the contrasts between the Christmas Eve/Day scriptures and today’s a little more palatable. The celebration, with its happiness and joy, is behind us for another year and we enter back into the everydayness of the world.

But one message this passage from Acts lifts up for us today is that the wonderment must continue to be proclaimed, especially within the ordinary events of the day which we experience over and over again. The miraculous events of that first Christmas were years long past at the time that Stephen, and later Philip, were proclaiming this Jesus and his ministry to anyone and everyone who would listen. The announcement of the One, whose birth we have just recognized and celebrated again, was being shared with an ordinary world; an environment not unlike the world in which we struggle to survive. Despite the poverty, oppression, and even the threats of death, these two disciples lived to keep the truth, words and lessons of this Savior alive for everyone to hear. Life-changing words that are just as crucial for us today as they were for those just a few years removed from the wondrous birth and then excruciating crucifixion.

That is the important link that brings our Christmas and post-scriptures together. The story of that first Christmas – of God’s intrusion into our chaotic life, in the flesh – is the decree which needs to be declared over and over again by each of us as we enter back into a post-celebratory world. The story of God’s compassion, mercy, healing, love, righteousness and justice – which was born among us on that first Christmas – is the narrative which each of needs to share throughout our days. Christmas is not over, but, in fact, has just begun; God’s presence in our daily labors of life, as we grapple with the complexity of human life is what we are called to proclaim; day in and day out.

May 2011 be filled with boundless opportunities to be the proclaimers of the life-story of the One who came to us in a simple manger, so many years ago. That is my prayer for you and I, this day and always.

Peace - Shalom - Salaam

Even in Unexpected Places

God is with us, even in unexpected places: Messages of Faith

By The Rev. J. Bennett Guess

Some of the more serious-faced Christians I know feel as if it's their job to critique everything, especially at Christmas. They seem overly irritated by the commercialism of the season, the lavish gift-buying, and the numbing effect of too much to do, too many parties. They are rubbed wrong when the secular seems to be encroaching on the sacred: Mention Rudolph at church and your own Christian credentials could be called into question.

To some extent, I understand the angst. Every year, my family still makes a point to drive by that house with the unique lighted-plastic Nativity scene, the one that includes Santa and Frosty in the mix, alongside the shepherds, Magi and holy family. It's a predictably good laugh.

I've long suspected that the creators of that holiday mash-up were both ill-informed and tacky. (Did I mention it also includes a red-white-and-blue bald eagle statue?) But maybe they know exactly what they're doing. Perhaps it's their way of saying that all things can play a part in revealing and relishing God's love in the world. You can haul out any old thing from your attic, or your heart, and place it at Jesus' feet and that's OK by him.

Locating the "holy" in already holy things is not that difficult. What's hard is training yourself to find the sacred in the ordinary, or even the profane. God thrives on the unseemly and unexpected at Christmas -- a barnyard backdrop, an unwed teenage mother, a bed of straw and livestock slobber, and poor commoners as the first to comprehend some significance in it all. It's as if God is stressing the point: You will find me in the last place you think to look for me.

The church calls it "incarnation" -- the idea that God embraces our humanity, so much so that it's OK for us to embrace it too.

Twenty years ago, as a freshly minted pastor, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what's sacred and what's secular. But the older I get, the less comfortable I am with making such hard and fast distinctions. Defining certain things as religious and other things as outside that realm drastically narrows our search for life's deeper lessons. It's what confines religious people to looking for God in ancient texts and traditions, and perhaps little else, and reinforces the misconception that nonreligious people aren't really on a spiritual journey because they're disengaged from all that "churchy" stuff.

St. Paul once instructed early Christians to "pray without ceasing." I doubt that meant mandatory 24-hour prayer vigils but, instead, asked for an attitude adjustment about how we see ourselves in relationship with the world. It means everything is a dialogue between you and God, a chance to live your praise and gratitude, your questions and worries, in the constant perpetual motion of your crazy life. It's why an impromptu toast among friends can feel like one of the most authentic forms of prayer (and why it's OK to keep that spiritual realization to yourself if you'd prefer.)

The oft-worshipped Everything's-Perfect God zaps too much of our religious imagination. Instead, it's the overlooked Real-Life God who is the one that refuses to compartmentalize us, knowing full well that the holy can be revealed in the strangest of circumstances, even tacky Nativity scenes.

So, this morning, just after you spy what Santa has brought the kids and what the family has picked out for one another, somewhere amid all the strewn wrapping paper and last night's dirty dishes and the angst of paying for it all, when the bonds of family and friendship feel impermeable and your usually hectic schedule has paused itself for a second, remember to look for where your too-distant God is breaking into your life again, maybe even without your consent.

"Emmanuel! God is with us!" the world shouts today. The trick is to live as if it were really so.

Guess is director of publishing, identity and communication for the 1.1 million-member United Church of Christ, which has its national offices in downtown Cleveland.

http://www.cleveland.com/religion/index.ssf/2010/12/god_is_with_us_even_in_unexpec.html

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/25 "Flesh"

Flesh

Excerpt from John 1:1-14

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…..And the Word became flesh and lived among us.”

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

This is what we celebrate: that God, who didn’t need one, got a body.  That God was so hungry to be close to us that nothing—not eternity, not power, not immortality—was too much to give up, and nothing—not time, not weakness, not a mortal body—was too much to take on.  This is what we celebrate: God with a body.

So it’s fitting that so many of our Christmas traditions have to do with delights of the flesh: eating, drinking, singing, hugging and kissing, seeing beautiful things, hearing beautiful sounds, smelling good smells.  Each is an opportunity for worship and praise.  So today of all days, take time to consecrate your fleshly pleasures to the God that consecrated your flesh by taking it on.  Make them sacraments: Marvel at the miracle of food and drink.  Be astounded by the sanctity of human touch.  Wonder at the beauty around you, delight in making and hearing sounds of praise, revel in a beautiful smell.  Celebrate with your body, and say that God is great.

On Christmas, this is what we celebrate: that bodies are good, and flesh is a gift, and our God put them both on for us.  Be sure you take some time to use yours to praise God today.

Prayer

Holy and eternal one, the wonders of your love are beyond my ability to comprehend.  But I thank you for my body, I thank you for getting your body, and I praise your holy name.  Merry Christmas, God.  Amen. 

About the Author Quinn G. Caldwell is Associate Minister of Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

Daily Prayer - Christmas Day

The Way Has Been Given

²  The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep darkness, a light will shone.³ You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.⁴ For the yoke of their slavery and the heavy burden from their shoulders, you have broken, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

⁶ For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

On this Christmas morning, amidst the excitement and garland of this day, I stop to lift before you my prayers of thankfulness for the perfect gift of this season; your gift of the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Your gift to all creation – of yourself – in the person of the Child of Bethlehem – in Jesus the Christ, my Lord.

Praise and glory forever be unto you; our God, through all eternity.

Amen and Amen.

Rev. Michael Kirchhoff

based on Isaiah 9:2-4, 6

From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/24 "Home for the Holidays"

Home for the Holidays 

Excerpt from Zephaniah 3:14-20

“I will bring you home.”

Reflection by Ron Buford

It’s Christmas Eve and I ask you, “What exile are you bringing home for Christmas?”

Is it easier to talk about making peace between Israel and Palestine, about international cease-fires, about bringing full marriage rights to same-gender loving people, about freeing Tibet and illegal aliens than it is to forgive someone who betrayed you, or a family member or friend who hurt, violated, embarrassed you or let you down?

You think making peace is easy. So, what exile are you bringing home for Christmas?

It’s time.

Bring an exile home. Make peace without conditions.

Think you cannot do it?

Oh! Are you the exile? You can’t forgive yourself for something? God says, “It’s time to bring the exile home.”

If this nation can put a Black man in the White House, with a mix of northern and southern states, then you and I can make peace – with ourselves, with others, with the world.

It’s time.

God has taken away judgments against us. We have escaped disasters’ worst. Those who aimed to hurt us have not totally overcome us. Our fortunes are beginning to be restored . . . and you and I can make peace.

Prayer 

Gracious God, Help me do the thing I really do not think I can do. Help me make peace. I do not have the power or the will to do it. Please give me the strength, the courage, the wisdom, and opportunity to make a healthy and lasting peace with some exile in my life this holiday. Amen.

About the Author Ron Buford, former coordinator of the UCC’s God is still speaking campaign, currently serves as Director of Development for the Northern California Nevada Conference. A consultant, group leader and speaker, he appears in Living the Questions: Resourcing Progressive Christians.