Wednesday the 18th December

Unless you are a member of the Salvation Army you may be unfamiliar with these words by John Gowans*, but you will, as a Christian, know the truth of them:

I believe that God the Father

Can be seen in God the Son,

In the gentleness of Jesus

Love for all the world is shown.

Though men crucify their Saviour,

And his tenderness rebuff,

God is love, the cross is saying,

Calvary is proof enough.

I believe in transformation,

God can change the hearts of men,

And refine the evil nature

Till it glows with grace again.

Others may reject the weakling,

I believe he can be strong,

To the family of Jesus

All God's children may belong.

In a world of shifting values,

There are standards that remain,

I believe that holy living

By God's grace we may attain.

All would hear the Holy Spirit

If they listen to his voice,

Every Christian may be Christlike

And in liberty rejoice.

All the promises of Jesus

Are unchanged in every way,

In my yesterdays I proved them,

I believe them for today.

Still God gives his willing servant

Full equipment for the task;

Power is found by those who seek it,

Grace is given to those who ask.

[John Gowans (13 November 1934 – 8 December 2012) was a Scottish clergyman, who was the 16th General of The Salvation Army from 1999 to 2002. He is also notable for pairing with General John Larsson in the composition of many songs and musicals. ( wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gowans)]

 

Have you ever looked at a young member of your family and thought ‘He is so like his Dad.’? I have included this song ( which uses the tune Bethany) because of those first two lines, which of course remind us that in Jesus Christ we can see our heavenly father.  

Whichever version of the Bible you use it is very clear in Colossians 2 v 9 that ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’ It is a difficult concept to explain. How could all the power of God, all his wisdom and knowledge be contained in one young man?  Yet we are told it is so [because this one young man is the Son of God]. 

Our best response perhaps is to pray a prayer like this one,  by Timothy Jones, included in his ‘Workaday Prayers’:

O God, whom scripture says is alone immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, keep us from thinking we can manage you or too neatly define you. Give us an adventuresome awe and a delighted sense of wonder that we do not forget how great and beyond knowing you are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Margaret Watson Reverend  (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Tuesday 17th December

Hebrews 11 v 11—16

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 

14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 

15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 

16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

In the New International version of the Bible this passage in Hebrews has the heading ‘Faith in action’. That is a challenge. If our faith is just that, just a trust in God, but doesn’t lead us to positive actions as result then it remains rather inadequate doesn’t it? 

So often the promises of God in the Bible are conditional. In Proverbs 3 for instance we read ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” In Psalm 37 we are told ‘“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”. Our desires must truly be a reflection of Who He is and God will then delight in giving us those desires.

A prayer from Andrew Jones, a Welsh minister:

God of patriarchs, prophets, saints and sinners – the beginning and end of our pilgrimage.

Be with us on our journey.

Guide us in times of trial, give us gladness in sorrow, your presence in our loneliness and fill us with the light of Christ as we rejoice in fellowship with you and all people. 

Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Monday 16th December

As Christmas gets ever nearer we are reminded of God’s great gift of love. 

It [love] is expressed in this anonymous prayer:

Love translated in the Lord Jesus Christ – give us that love.

Love in our thinking.

Love in our speaking.

Love in all that we do. 

Love to our dear ones. 

Love to our neighbours.

Even love to those we find difficult.

Love in joy and love in sorrow.

Awaken within us O God that love which comes from you.

Raise us up to walk the path of love in your company, today, tomorrow and always. 

I Thessalonians 5 v 1-11 (J.B. Phillips, adapted) 

As far as times and seasons go, you don’t need written instructions. You are well aware that the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a burglary to a householder. When men are saying “Peace and security” catastrophe will sweep down upon them as suddenly and inescapably as birth-pangs to a pregnant woman.

4-11 But because you are not living in darkness the day cannot take you completely by surprise. After all, burglary only takes place at night! You are all children of light, children of the day, and none of us belongs to darkness or the night. Let us then never fall into the sleep that stupefies the rest of the world: let us keep awake, with our wits about us. Night is the time for sleep and the time when men get drunk, but we people of the daylight should be alert, with faith and love as our breastplate and the hope of our salvation as our helmet. For God did not choose us to condemn us, but that we might secure his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. He died for us, so that whether we are “awake” or “asleep” we share his life. So go on cheering and strengthening each other with thoughts like these, as I have no doubt you have been doing.

On any day of the year, as people of the light, we can pray this prayer:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us now and make your home within us.

Come to us in the people that we meet, 

Come to us in the beauty of the world, 

Come to us in our joys and our sorrows, 

Come and make yourself known to us. 

Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer

UK

Saturday 14th December

The time is not yet, but the darkness is gathering.

The time is not yet, but the main players are taking their positions. 

Come back soon and wait for the Son of God.

The time is not yet, but our time is now:

To be here and to trust a love that will see this thing through.  

(Adapted from Roddy Hamilton’s ‘Spill the beans’.)

Isaiah 21 v 16b – 20 

You will rejoice in the Lord,

You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

“The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none;

Their tongues are parched with thirst.

I, the Lord, will answer them Myself;

I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them.

“I will open rivers on the barren heights

And springs in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of water

And the dry land springs of water.

“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,

The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree;

I will place the juniper in the desert

Together with the box tree and the cypress,

So that they may see and know,

And consider and understand together,

That the hand of the Lord has done this,

That the Holy One of Israel has created it.

A prayer of St Symeon *

Come True Light, 

Come, Everlasting Life,

Come, Unseen Mystery,

Come, Treasure without Category,

Come, Rejoicing Without End,

Come, Light That Knows No Nightfall,

Come, Raising of the Fallen,

Come, Resurrection of the Dead, 

Come, My Breath and Life, 

Come, the Encouragement of My Hungry Soul, 

Come, My Happiness, My Glory, My Everlasting Light. 

[*Saint Symeon, 949–1022 AD, was a Byzantine Christian monk and poet who was the last of three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox church and given the title of "Theologian" (along with John the Apostle and Gregory of Nazianzus).

Symeon the New Theologian - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symeon_the_New_Theologian]

Wednesday 11th December

Traditionally God is thought of as all powerful. The words omnipotent comes to mind. Yet the Scriptures also portray Him as multi-faceted in His roles, as we see in this passage of Scripture:

Philippians 2 v 5-11, The Message: 

 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honoured him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honour of God the Father.

A while ago I saw the film ‘The BFG’, which stands of course for “The Big Friendly Giant”. The giant was huge in comparison to everything around him. No matter how gentle he wanted to be, until people got to know him, they were quite naturally scared at first. When God poured himself out into our humanity he was no longer big; he became a tiny baby, fragile even. He gave up omnipotence and instead showed us his love.  And, in the passage in Philippians 2, we are told that we should be like him, pouring out the love of God into a dark world. 

Hold us in your love Lord as we learn to see the world as you see it, as we learn to look like you. Amen 

Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Tuesday 10th December

In the past few days I have heard a young woman tell how she resisted the call of God on her life for 13 years—until a complete stranger said ‘Why aren’t you in full time ministry?’ Recently she had her farewell service as she left for The International Salvation Army Training College in London. In that same church service an appeal was given for others to also offer themselves for full time ministry. One lady responded affirmatively, but another fled the building in tears and later returned and offered her life for full time service. 

Mary’s [mother of Jesus] ‘Yes’ was like neither of these two women, who committed themselves to serving God full time in a church service with many witnesses. For Mary, however, there was no big church and no one watching her make her commitment to what God was calling her to do, just a visit in her own home; and this is what happened. I have chosen The Passion version of Luke chapter 1, so that you can read it afresh:

 Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month.  Not one promise from God is empty of power, for nothing is impossible with God!”

Then Mary responded, saying, “This is amazing! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her. (Luke 1: 

‘As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me.’ If you said that to God what difference would it make? 

A prayer from Donald Coggan*:

God, who called Mary to motherhood and servanthood, and entrusted to her the care of your Son, envelop us with your life, so that in surrendering ourselves to you, you may dwell in us and we dwell in you. 

Margaret Watson, Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Monday 9th December

Matthew 8 v 8 includes words familiar to many, forming, as it does, part of the Roman Catholic mass: ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.’ And I must admit the idea of God living and breathing among us can seem overwhelming. When I know I am expecting visitors there are always things to tidy up, but if Christ were coming! But Christ turned the words on their head so to speak, commending the centurion for his great faith. 

At around this time of year we go up to the attic, if we have one, and search out our nativity scene. Who is included? Mary, Joseph and the infant Christ of course, but also the shepherds, ordinary working people, who were invited to come and see the wonder that God had done. Later came the magi, as my grandson once put it ‘They were late, very late.’  Later, but not too late to see the Christ. So people from another land, not part of the exclusive club of Judaism. And there would have been others too, fellow travellers, the local women. 

So why do we at times fail to see the Christ in our Christmas? Is he hidden among the tinsel and wrapping paper, the busyness of rushing to the school nativity straight from work? 

Richard Rohr* links Matthew’s word to those of Isaiah 2 vv 2-3: 

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills,  and all nations will stream to it. 

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,  to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways,  so that we may walk in his paths.”

Gracious God, in the midst of our busy lives, help us to turn towards you this Advent tide, to seek to know the wonder you are, revealed so long ago in Bethlehem. Amen. 

[*Richard Rohr, OFM, (born 1943), is an American Franciscan priest, who was ordained in the Catholic Church. He is also a well-known author and has been called, “one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rohr)]

R

 Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

2nd Week of Advent

Sunday 8^th December 

In a time of darkness Good News is wanted – it is urgently needed- it is awaited. 

Isaiah 40 vv 9 and 10 (The Voice Translation) 

Ascend a high mountain, you herald of good tidings, O Zion;                                                                                         With a clear, strong voice make known to everyone the joy that belongs to God’s chosen place, O, Jerusalem, You herald of good tidings!                                                                                                                        Make the news ring out! Don’t be afraid!                                                                                                                                               Say to these cities, this Judah: “Behold your God!” 

The Lord, the Eternal, comes with power, with unstoppable might; He will take control without question or delay….

God is coming!

The coming of God is feared by those who fear change. It seems easier to avoid challenge, to stay with what we have always done, with the easy and comfortable. 

The coming of God is welcomed by the outcast, the enslaved, and the oppressed. The coming of our God brings acceptance, freedom, justice and release.

Your God is coming. Prepare his welcome. 

Dearest, wonderful God. Help us to recognise your coming and to welcome you. Make clear the paths you want us to tread, and the knowledge that always, you will prevail. 

 Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Friday 6th December

God on earth! God among us!

“God on earth! God among us!” Those words come from a homily [sermon] by Basil the Great, who lived back in the 4^th century C.E. Yet they sound so modern, because God still dwells with his people. Not in the flesh, but in Spirit. 

John 1 v 9-12:

“For the Light of Truth was about to come into the world and shine upon everyone. 

He entered into the very world he created,   yet the world was unaware. 

He came to the very people he created to those who should have recognized him,

 but they did not receive him.

But those who embraced him and took hold of his name were given authority to become the children of God!”

You come to us now dear Spirit of God, into our lives and into our world, still bringing light to your people. We ask you once again to accept our worship as we journey towards the manger once more. Help us to see the light that can shine for us, not just on one special day, but every day of our lives. Amen.

Margaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK

Saturday 7th December

Let us set out together to go to God’s dwelling place :

Isaiah 7 v 14  

See, a young maiden will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us. ( The Voice translation) 

God, once seen in a manger cradle, we approach you in love and awe.

God, once set high upon a cross, we approach you with humility and shame.

God, once known to break out of a tomb, we come to you with gratitude and a sense of great wonder, 

God, once felt in rushing wind and flames of fire,  we come near with longing for renewal power. 

God, be present in this place, made known at this time, this Christmas tide we pray.

argaret Watson Reverend (retired)

Former Salvation Army Officer, UK