We rejoice, for the Light of the World has come to darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light that no darkness can overcome. Advent is a season of preparation as God’s people watch and wait for Christ. We will be pondering the songs found in the gospel of Luke. The song of an old priest named Zechariah. Mary, the pregnant teenager. And angels come to shepherds in the countryside. We ponder these songs and rejoice.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. The light no darkness can overcome.
Jesus, open our eyes to your light and our ears to your words of hope. Come, O long-expected Jesus. Our hope is in you. Amen.
Word: Luke 1:68
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.”
Meditation: Speechless
Today’s meditation is written by Susan Senechal.
I’m told there were 400 years between the writings of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus in the New Testament. Four hundred years in which God was seemingly silent, 400 years in which it seemed the children of Israel would languish forever waiting for a redeemer. I think they stopped preparing the way of the Lord decades, if not centuries, earlier. They probably decided there was never going to be a redeemer, or at least not in their lifetime. I imagine it had been so long that the people stopped even hoping or imagining what that day would be like.
So when the angel appears to the priest Zechariah, he certainly isn’t expecting it. Even after the angel’s words to “fear not,” he is afraid. Even after the words declaring that he and Elizabeth would be parents, and their son, who would be named John, would do great things for God, even then he is filled with doubt.
Because of that doubt, it is now no longer God, but Zechariah, who remains silent. During the entire nine months of his wife’s pregnancy he remains mute. Even when Elizabeth’s cousin Mary visits with big news of her own, we see this man of God remains silent. Not until eight days after the birth of his son, as he confirms his wife’s words that the child would be named John and not Zechariah, as his friends and family assumed, not until eight days after John’s birth does Zechariah speak.
When Zechariah finally speaks, the words that fill his mouth are praises to God. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” he says, “for he has visited and redeemed his people.” (Luke 1:68) It’s no longer some future event that no one actually believes will happen in their lifetime. It’s right now. In fact, as Zechariah says, it’s past tense. God has visited and redeemed his people. And because he has redeemed us from our enemies we can serve him without fear (v. 74).
What about us? Are we living in those doldrum days, just existing, but not really expecting? Not really believing that God will ever show up or act on our behalf? Sometimes it’s been so long since we’ve seen God act that we forget that he is, every day, delivering us from our enemies; every day he is showing us mercy; every day he is forgiving our sins.
The story of Zechariah reminds us to fear not. And it shows us that sometimes God renders us speechless so that we can watch his works without our words getting in the way…because it’s not about what we say, but about what he has done, and is doing. And at just the right time we can open our mouths to sing his praise, and to serve him without fear.
Thank you, Jesus, that you are always acting on our behalf, even when we cannot see you. Remind us that we can serve you without fear because we have been delivered from the hands of our enemies. We love you, Jesus, and praise your name forever. Amen
Prayer for Neighbors
· For my immediate geographical neighbors.
· For my community, neighborhood, town/city.
· For neighbors hurting from broken families, addiction, violence, abuse, poverty, sickness.
· For the eyes of the Good Samaritan, to see and help my neighbor in need.
Closing Prayer
Father, in the midst of darkness may we cling to your sure and certain promises. Promises sealed in the blood of Christ and proven trustworthy in the empty tomb on Easter morning. Amen!