REFLECTIONS FOR ADVENT & CHRISTMASTIDE 2017

SEVENTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

SEASON OF THE UNEXPECTED

ADVENT/CHRISTMASTIDE DEVOTIONAL

2017-18

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SEASON

The Season of Advent is the beginning of the church or liturgical year. The word itself is derived from the Latin advenio, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” This season carries with it a sense of movement, preparation, and expectation as we “ready” ourselves for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) celebrating the Birth of Jesus.

Advent, as a season, has existed since the sixth century. Initially it was a six-week period, primarily penitential in nature, similar to Lent. There was fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Over time, however, the season was shortened to four weeks, which it has been since the 8th century.

As in past years, our worship working group prayed with the Scripture texts for these next four weeks and out of our communal prayer and conversations we were struck by a sense of the unexpected — the beginning of something new, of unpredictability. There is a looking for the signs of the times, and awareness that it could all be missed by lack of attentiveness. John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, seemingly out of nowhere, with a message of repentance and of hope, as he speaks of the One greater than he who is to come. Mary’s Song of Praise is filled with courage and sudden wisdom. The appearance of the angel is a surprise that changes Mary’s life, as she says yes to what seems impossible.

Our own stories may be less dramatic than those of our texts this season, but we, too, face the unexpected and unknown. Our world has been full of this truth these past several months with hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and shootings.

To help prepare for — and to be aware of — God’s presence in, through and around us this Season we are sending you this Advent Devotional Booklet. May this be an aid to your reflections and prayers during this Advent and Christmastide as we attend to our theme: Season of the Unexpected. Our prayer is that the familiar scriptures and music of Advent and Christmas can open each of us to new insights, new understandings, and a new vision or path for our lives.

May these words, reflections and questions — written by members of our Seventh Avenue Community — assist you in being attentive to the God of the unexpected as we stand our on tip toes looking for the Gift of the Christ in our lives and world.

In Preparation with you,

Jeffrey S. Gaines

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, NOVEMBER 26

Text: Mark 13.24-37

But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken…Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. - Mark 13.24-25, 33

On August 21st, 2017, parts of the United States experienced a total solar eclipse. Had I been “keeping alert” and planning ahead, I likely would have dragged my family all the way up to Oregon to be in the zone of totality. Instead, two days before the event, we impulsively decided to head a few hours north where the eclipse could be seen at 86 percent. I was gripped with excitement. “The sun will be darkened”—the phrase kept running through my mind. I felt like I was about to experience something biblical and ancient. In our scientific age, the eclipse was hardly unexpected. It was known up to the minute when it would begin and end, as well as the exact coordinates that would be plunged into sudden darkness. And yet, I found myself in a paradoxical state of waiting for something unexpected and mysterious, part of a pilgrimage, gazing up at the sky in wonder.

I cancelled work obligations, made last minute hotel reservations, and, on the morning of the eclipse, we found ourselves in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, where eclipse glasses were miraculously still available! As the eclipse reached its peak from our vantage point, the light became strangely dim and the temperature dropped dramatically. I imagined ancient people for whom the chill in the air and the strangeness of the light would have come on with no warning. And though I was experiencing the eclipse with all my modern understanding, above all I felt an unexpected sense of surprise and awe.

Well, that and a whole lot of jealousy—how I wished I was with all the folks up in Oregon, experiencing totality! Even at 86 percent, without our eclipse glasses the rare astronomical wonder would have been easy to miss or discount. The 14th Chapter of Mark is an exhortation to prepare, to keep awake, to be alert. God enters our world in full cosmic drama, yet if we are not gazing around us, we can find ourselves outside of the experience. For me, witnessing the partial eclipse was an unexpected taste of mystery. Now my calendar is marked for 2024 and I am plotting how to get to the path of totality!

Where have I experienced unexpected awe?

How has disruption served as a portal to the Holy in my life?

This Advent, how can I break away from my routine and become more awake to the presence of God?

Prayer: Holy One, open us to experience the mystery of your creation, finding your presence in unexpected places. Amen.

- Luba Kravchenko

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 3

Text: Mark 1.1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. - Mark 1.1

After stating the subject of his book, Mark starts with a story that doesn’t name Jesus. He is implicit in the quotation from Isaiah, and referred to by John the Baptist as “the one who is more powerful than I.” But Jesus is not named. How, I wondered, do we tell the good news of Jesus Christ without naming him?

John the Baptist appearing in the wilderness reminded me of my move from Los Angeles to San Francisco in August of 1980. My initial months here felt like a time of wilderness. While I had moved to be close to my brother and his family, they lived in Novato, and I only saw them every month or so. I felt so alone in that time.

I knew of Old First Presbyterian Church through friends in LA, and started worshipping there. Sometime in September, I saw a notice in the bulletin for a Young Adult Group (in 1980, I qualified). Introvert that I am, it was totally unexpected for me to join a group of people that I didn’t know. But in my loneliness I found the courage to attend, and met people who became my first close friends in San Francisco. These individuals, without knowing it, had prepared a way for me to hear and recognize the good news of Christ in a new place. Their openness and friendship helped me start to recognize some of the contours of my new life in San Francisco. I will be forever grateful to this small group of people, whose welcome told me of Christ by their actions.

When have you been in a wilderness?

Who or what appeared or met you in that wilderness?

How were you changed by the experience?

Prayer: God of wilderness, help us be attentive to the unexpected ways you enter our lives. Amen.

- Susan Baker-Lehne

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 10

Text: Luke 1.46-55

Magnificat She Could Have Said No

My Spirit Rejoices!

Have you ever been surprised by a decision you have made, an action you have taken, the inspiration coming seemingly out of nowhere?

How might you be more open to and aware of those moments of surprise and vulnerability this Advent as you go about your day?

Is it possible to be like Mary and say Yes, to be part of the revolutionary change begun that Advent so long ago?

Prayer: Dear God, create in us an open heart so that we don’t miss those moments when you call us to say Yes!

- Gail De Bellis

Can you hear in her exultation? Embrace the Change! Ah, the utter humanity of it... “Mary!” hailed Gabriel, She could have missed it. “Are you talking to me?” As she looks behind her, Incredulous, “I’m imagining things...” “O favored one!” Gabriel persists, Fearful, “Surely you can’t mean me, a simple girl,” She backs away... but also now curious, a warm light surrounding her, “You shall bear a son, most holy, the Son of God.” Oh, the impossibility of it! A strange wave of courage flows through her, her mind turns,

Suddenly so wise, so trusting, “Let it be,” she timidly whispers. Perhaps still doubting, “I must share this with Elizabeth!” “Is it to be believed?” she asks her friend, her kinswoman. “Blessed are you among women!” “So it is true? Let it be so!” My soul magnifies, my spirit rejoices!” “Oh, if God can choose me, a lowly maiden, to bear the Son of God, All things are possible: The mighty will be cast down and the lowly raised, the hungry will be fed!” Change, the Revolution thus began. She Could Have Said No... But instead... The Ultimate Yes.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 17

Text: Luke 1.26-38

The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. - Luke 1.30-31

At first, Luke 1:26-38 felt like a straightforward and familiar passage. It is a story that all Christians are taught from our very early years and reminded of over and over after that: Mary, a virgin, was chosen by God to birth Jesus, the Christ.

What struck me as different this time was Mary’s fear in the face of this God-sent angel. Why is Mary afraid of seeing an angel? Why is Mary afraid of God? And why is Mary afraid of becoming the mother to the son of God? This all struck me as peculiar.

Fear is a natural pre-requisite to some of life’s most awe-inspiring and joy-filled moments. One moment in particular that comes to mind is during my adolescent years. In late middle school and early high school, I grappled with a deep anxiety that permeated my daily life – whether I was alone in my house watching television, going out to dinner with friends, or attempting to pay attention at school, there would always be a lurking sense of doom, inadequacy, and self-loathing. I numbed that pain by locking myself in my room and watching gratuitous amounts of Japanese cartoons. Yes, Japanese anime. As the months flew by, I knew something had to give in life. I devoted myself to learning Japanese, researched exchange programs, and at 16 years old I hopped on a flight by myself and lived with a host family outside of Tokyo.

Despite the all-consuming fear prior to that trip, it changed my life forever. In the summer of 2011, I saw the resilience of the Japanese following a catastrophic tsunami, the inherent sameness of a foreign people, and the kindness of every day strangers. And through that fear, I saw God just as Mary did.

When have you faced an overwhelming fear and what strength have you derived from it?

Where in the world exists such a fear and danger as part of daily life and how is God seen in those places?

How can you look at the struggles in your daily life and find God in each one of them?

Prayer: God, let us seek you in every experience and realize your Light through the fear and familiar, the hardship and the happiness, and the stress and love. Amen.

- Jonathan Maresca

CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24

Text: Luke 2.1-20

As we gather together on Christmas Eve, our Church lit with candles and hung with wreaths, our minds return to the ancient Christmas Story.

It starts out with Joseph and Mary (an engaged couple) returning to Bethlehem to register for a census. Mary was expecting a baby, and on their journey, she went into labor, and delivered a son. No details are offered to us about this delivery, alone in a strange place, and probably just as well!

The Bible story goes on to tell us that Mary swaddled the baby, and placed him in a manger. There were shepherds in the nearby fields, and Angels announced to them, “Do not be afraid, I am bringing Good News, a Savior has been born !” Suddenly, the story goes, a multitude of Heavenly Hosts appeared, and began praising God, saying “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven, and on Earth, peace to People of Goodwill!!”

So as we gather this night to celebrate the Goodwill of this ancient story, what are you celebrating? Perhaps it is the Love that exists in out dear 7th Avenue community. Perhaps it’s the memories of wonderful Christmas Eves in your past. It could be the Joy and Love in your heart, as we gather together on this special night, celebrating together in song and worship.

Prayer: In this special, magical moment, open your hearts to the Love and Joy in our dear community. Pause, and fill your hearts with wonderful feelings of Love and Peace this night. May they stay present with you, sustain you, guide you, and strengthen you throughout the coming year, Amen!

- Kitty Lynch

CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 25

Text: John 1.1-14

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. - John 1.14

When I agreed to write a reflection on John 1:1-14, my immediate memory was an experience at a week-long retreat at Mercy Center led by Father Michael Fish. One day he announced that we would participate in the sacrament of confession the following day. He asked us to search out the one thing that was keeping us from a more intimate relationship with God.

After pondering his question, I came up with the word “fear," that the fear of God kept me from believing that God was love, that I could be beloved by God, or that I could even be capable of love. This answer surprised me since as a secular humanist, I thought I had left the concept of the "fear of God" in my distant childhood.

The next day just before supper, with the sun’s last rays filtering through the stained glass windows, we lined up in the sanctuary. As we stepped up to the altar, Father Michael put his arm around each person's shoulder.

“Fear," I said when my turn came to confess, "fear of the experience of God."

"Ah, yes," he replied. "That is why the Jews would not speak that name. But think of Bethlehem.”

And since then, when I remember, I am able to fall into fearless devotion to a vulnerable, precious baby who is God, and into the mystery of incarnation: His, mine, yours.

Sharon’s Christmas Prayer … John Shea

She was five, sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every word was revelation. She said they were so poor they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat. The lady rode a donkey, the man walked, and the baby was inside the lady. They had to stay in a stable with an ox and an ass (hee-hee) but the Three Rich Men found them because a star lited the roof. Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep but not feed them. Then the baby was borned. And do you know who he was? Her quarter eyes inflated to silver dollars. The baby was God! And she jumped in the air, whirled round, dove into the sofa and buried her head under the cushion—which is the only proper response to the Good News of the Incarnation.

What keeps us from the deepest intimacy with Love?

How can we incarnate words such as truth and grace and justice?

Can we allow ourselves to be born again in the vulnerability and resilience of our God-given selves?

Prayer: Oh, God of Precious Innocence, help us to nurture the seeds of goodness and love within us. Amen.

- Jan Elvee

OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS, DECEMBER 31

Text: Luke 2.22-40

My eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel. - Luke 2.30, 32

This story from Luke is one of the few narratives we have of Jesus’ childhood. The gospels are not primarily biographies, or child development stories. It is clear that Luke’s childhood stories seek to make a theological point. Jesus was born a Jew among Jews and he and his family followed the laws of Moses. Mary and Joseph travel to the temple to perform the tradition, circumcision, and to offer a sacrifice. We note from the nature of their sacrifice that this young family is poor and in a marginal position in society.

It is at this point that both Simeon and Anna enter the story. Simeon appears out of nowhere. But we are told that he is righteous, devout and a man of faith looking for “the consolation of Israel,” meaning the restoration of Israel through the coming of the Messiah. We are also told that Simeon was filled by the Spirit. It was the Spirit that sent Simeon up to the temple and identified the baby as the Messiah. Here the story takes a radical turn from Jewish tradition. Simeon was a devout Jew but he did not view the Messiah’s coming as only for the benefit of Israel. The Messiah came for Jews and Gentiles, for God’s salvation is for all men and women.

Anna was at that point in her life where she spent her time and energy in the temple. She happened to come upon the scene of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and Simeon, just at the time Simeon was identifying the child as God’s Messiah. She, too, began to give thanks and then to broadcast the good news to all in the temple.

Hidden in this passage is the underlining issue of age. We have two senior citizens proclaiming the presence of the Messiah, a baby for all the world. We are not given the age of Simeon, only that he is ready to die. We infer that he was elderly, like Anna, and I think rightly so. The only surprise to me is that Luke supplies us with the age of the woman, but not the man. (For your edification, the author of this devotional is seventy four.)

Do people in the institutional church today have the same spirit and energy as Anna and Simeon? How and how not?

How do we see and experience the Messiah, “God with us,” in our world, community and church?

Do we affirm and respect the elderly in our midst?

Prayer: For the Christmas story as it has unfolded among us, for the words of Anna and Simeon as they recognized the miracle of your coming, we give you thanks. Amen.

- Ken Watt

EPIPHANY SUNDAY, JANUARY 7

Text: Matthew 2.1-12

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. - Matthew 2.12

Our daily lives often require us to take another road. When light shines brightly upon us, we are often thrilled, excited, and a bit afraid. But, once our eyes adjust, we often see things more clearly by that new light.

In my journey from my home in Kentucky to this strange new land of San Francisco over 15 years ago, I started on a path of change and new light. For the first time, John and I were going to be a family. We had never lived together before we moved here. My family back in Kentucky was both concerned and hopeful that my new life out west would help me find success and happiness.

That first year was a struggle. I asked John, more than once, when I would be allowed to go back. My mother became ill and passed away in the second year. The surrounding light seemed chaotic. But I eventually adjusted.

When I decided to leave my comfort zone and set out on a different road, the change was challenging, but it also set me on a path that made me a better person. I changed my career path over time, while still enjoying what I love to do. As I turned and let this new light guide me, the new road brought me home.

When faced with a new path, how do you sort through the chaos to find a guiding light?

The familiar may be a safe route, but does it challenge us to become more?

Have you ever wondered if a blinding light in our eyes just might be showing us a pathway if we only turn around to see the direction the light is illuminating?

Prayer: May the light of that ancient star guide us and lead us on to wholeness in God’s everlasting love. Amen.

- Tom Stafford

BAPTISM OF THE LORD, JANUARY 14

Text: Mark 1.4-11

“John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness… and he ate locusts and wild honey.” As I read this line, layered memories of taste and texture and story return. I am transported, lined up beside my preschool classmates at First Presbyterian Church of Brighton. We must have just finished a unit on whales and were about to experience the finale our teachers had prepared for us. We were going to find out what whale blubber tasted like! Whether or not this would be considered appropriate today for all sorts of reasons, these teachers were excited. It is a memory retained in my mind with no sound. My four-year-old self was filled with anticipation and a dose of concern. As I waited, I pictured a blue green bucket of lard coming down the line to meet me – certainly nothing I would want to put in my mouth. But before I could peer behind the teacher to confirm my suspicion, she told us to close our eyes and open wide. One by one, a piece of something soft, squishy, sweet was placed on our tongues. When I opened my eyes and saw the bag of mini-marshmallows, whale blubber and marshmallows became forever intertwined, taken in together.

The brief narrative of what has become known as “The Baptism of the Lord” is layered with images and memories. What might have been an aside about John the Baptist’s eating habits has led to the often wondered question: What was the eating of locusts and wild honey about? Images of the Great Plagues of Egypt flood back in. Quickly following come tales of land flowing with milk and honey; traditions of taking in the sweetness of God with each new year. John, without explanation, takes them both in, side by side – the locusts and the wild honey. This is what sets the stage for an astonishing baptism with its own mix of memory and smell and vision and sweetness.

What associations arise within you as revisit this familiar story?

Are there layers of sweetness? Concern?

Do you remember a time when taste transported you?

Prayer: God of memory and delight, be with us in our touching and in our tasting, in our hearing and our seeing as we take in your sweetness this new year. Amen.

- Jenna Meyers

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL 2017-18

SEVENTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1329 SEVENTH AVENUE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122-2507

Meaning of the Advent Candles

The First Candle is the Prophecy Candle, symbolic of the long years of waiting before Christ's nativity.

The Second Candle, the Bethlehem Candle, represents the preparations made for the coming of the Messiah.

The Third Candle, the Shepherd's Candle, reminds us of the responsibility of God's people to share the gospel.

The Fourth Candle, the Angel's Candle, symbolizes Christ's love and the Second Com-ing.

The Liturgical Color for this Season is Dark or Royal Blue reminding us that out of darkness came the Christ. Blue also represents hope, expectation, and heaven. It is also the color associated with Mary in art and iconography.