"Running in Faith" is an electronic devotional guide written by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Each week, writers use their personal interpretation of scripture to write an inspirational message they hope will help readers take their Sunday faith into weekday lives. Your comments are appreciated and, when related to a particular devotion, passed to the writer. We hope you will share these devotions with friends and coworkers. We are always happy to add new names to our e-mail list. Please contact us if you wish your name to be added.

Devotion for the week of December 3, 2001
Submitted by Pastor Tracie B.

"The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness does not overcome it."
John 1:5

We have just lit the first candle on the Advent wreath. We have just entered into that waiting/preparing/pregnant time of Advent. In this time we will pray for Christ's return while reflecting on the meaning of his first arrival among us. We will watch as the days grow shorter and the darkness comes earlier. We will speak about light, the light that illumines the darkness around us. The light that is Jesus the Christ. Only this year, we do so with a new awareness of how desperately we need that light to shine in our hearts, in our country, in our world. And together we will pray in earnest: Come, Lord, Jesus.

Again I turn to the words of poet Gerhard Frost for our prayer:

Devotion for the week of December 10, 2001
Submitted by Michael S.

At this time of the year we find the conjunction of the high holidays of the world's three monotheistic religions, Christmas for the Christian, Hanukkah for the Jew and Ramadan for the Muslim. It is also interesting that in a world of multiple deities, Father Abraham provided us with the world's only monotheistic religions through his descendants, Isaac and Ishmael. In my readings through the great books of each faith, I was struck by certain similarities of sentiments. I would share with you some of them.

From the Hebrew Morning Prayer:
"You shall always be praised, great and holy God, our King in heaven and on earth. Songs of praise and psalms of gratitude become You, acknowledging Your might and Your dominion. Yours are strength and sovereignty, holiness, grandeur, and glory always. We offer You our devotion, open our hearts in acclamation. Praised are You, Sovereign of wonders, crowned with adoration, delighting in mortal song and psalm, exalted King, eternal life of the universe. Amen."

From the Koran, the first Surah:
"Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds!
The compassionate, the merciful!
King on the day of reckoning!
Thee only do we worship, and to Thee do we cry for help.
Guide Thou us on the straight path,
The path of those to whom Thou has been gracious;
-- with whom Thou art not angry, and who do not go astray."

From 1 Peter 3:8-9, 12:
"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or revilin g for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you are called to thi s, that you may inherit a blessing. . . . . For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers."

Oh Lord, our God, be with us in all things, give us open minds and hearts as we pray to You and remind us that we, all of us, are Your children in this world and the next. Amen.

Devotion for the week of December 17, 2001
Submitted by Amy M.

"The Word was made flesh."
John 1:14

My favorite words of Martin Luther about Christmas are when he exclaims, "O, what a ridiculous thing, that the one true God, the high Majesty, should be made human; that here they should be joined, the human and it's Maker, in one Person. Reason opposes this with all its might."

I love the fact that we have a "ridiculous" God. Imagine if there indeed were 'other' gods: what would they be saying about Yahweh, the weird God who decided that the best way to maintain contact with his people was to become one of them?! What a bizarre, seemingly unproductive, undramatic, banal way to be divine. What a compromise for the Ruler and Creator of the universe! And yet...this very 'compromise' is the essence and center point of God's majesty and reign.

I thank God that God is the one Being who is free enough to pour out love to the entire world, through space and time. Thank God that God's love is strong enough to enter into the lowliest, weakest, and most secretive places. Thank God for Christmas.

Lord, be with us this season, whether we 'feel' the glow of Christmas or not. Thank you for being ridiculous. Open our hearts to the irony and the unexpected events that you offer to us in our own lives. Amen.

Devotion for the week of December 24, 2001
Submitted by Nancy E.

"Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
in Judea, during the reign of King Herod."
Matthew 2:1 (The Living Bible)

Devotional:

What are you doing for Christmas?

In the past few weeks, this question has been asked and answered many times. Typically, the question and answers are asked and given from the secular point of view...going to visit family, the kids are coming home, I'll be alone this year, baking cookies, shopping, open house, etc.

As we begin this week of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the first few days of the religious Christmas season, let's ask and answer the question from a spiritual point of view. What are you doing for this Christmas this week?

Every Christian should celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus. But how? Webster defines celebrate as:
-- to honor;
-- to perform a ritual;
-- to commemorate (honor the memory or by ceremony) with festivity;
-- to honor publicity; and
-- to have a good time

Participating in and not just attending a Christmas Eve church service certainly goes a long way in fulfilling these definitions. It is in celebrating the birth of Christ with other Christians that we can begin a week-long pageant for commemorating the Holy event i.e., reenacting the birth of our savior.

Maybe you will choose the role of Joseph. He took with him Mary, his fiance, who was obviously pregnant by this time. (Luke 2:3) Do you find yourself identified with, and accepting responsibility for something others have brought to pass? Like Joseph's, your situation may even be something unpleasant that you don't understand that has to be accepted. Scriptures give us very little information for how Joseph did it. That is wonderful. It means he simply did the right thing in a quiet way without worrying about how others would talk about his actions. It is not essential for historians to document actions to make them powerful.

Maybe you would like the role of Mary. She gave birth to her first born child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger. Notice that even though weak from a difficult trip in the last stages of her pregnancy and giving birth without the medical care we expect today, Mary (not others) first made sure the baby was taken care of. The Bible doesn't tell us, but she must have anticipated the needs of a newborn and brought the wrappings with her so that she was prepared to care for her child. Then, note how quickly she placed Jesus in a place where he was close enough for him to be cared for but in a position where he could be about his Father's business and learning to be independent. Jesus lay alone in the manger where all could see him. It would have been so much easier for Mary to have been selfish, hugged the baby to her breast, and told Joseph she didn't want any visitors.

Here's your chance to be an angel. Announce to everyone you meet, the most joyful news ever, that the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord has been born. Tell them, in these turbulent times, not to be afraid. Sing out with gusto, Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.

And shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Knowing the hard workers of our congregation, I am sure some of you will cast yourself as shepherds. You will continue to do the work for which you are paid, put the welfare and care of your responsibilities above those of your own, and maybe even those of your family. But, wait, Scriptures tell us the shepherds were afraid when they experienced the angel's message. However, they listened and decided to leave their sheep and run to the village where they found their way to Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Then, they went back again to their fields and flocks, praising God for the visit of the angels which led them to see the Child -- just as the angel had told them. Priorities count.

May you joyfully assume your role in reenacting the birth of Jesus, let's take our show on the road, and realize it will have a long run.

Lord, let me like Mary treasure the story of your birth in my heart and often think of it.

Devotion for the week of December 31, 2001
Submitted by Lois P.

Scripture Readings
Related verses are included
within text of the Devotions.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have made a New Year's resolution. As a 10-year-old child, it was "I will try not to sit on my eyeglasses at all this year." As a "30-something" adult, it is "I will try to tackle my high cholesterol problem without the assistance of Merck & Co. " Most resolutions are based on good intentions and the desire to improve ourselves and life for those around us. But whether we make formal resolutions or not, many of us use this time of year to assess ourselves, contemplate what has happened the past year, and maybe even make plans to "reinvent our lives" a little bit. This may even be more prevalent this year given recent tragic events and our increased awareness of a desperate worldwide need for peace. I have heard many people speak of the positive changes that have occurred since September 11th, in individuals and in communities. It is my prayer that this continues and that we all continue to examine ways in which we can shine God's light on those around us.

The Women of Faith organization's website features a really neat segment on "Reinventing your Life with Grace," ( www.womenoffaith.com ). This segment focuses on how to live according to the way you were created and how to help you see the grace that already surrounds you. I have gained some insight for my "spiritual resolutions" based on their four areas of focus: passion, purpose, people, and praise. I have summarized those four areas below and have added a related bible verse for each one.

Passion
Let us understand that "we inhabit a planet created in an act of wonder by a passionate God, who has instilled in us a passion for life." How can we grab hold of that passion and let go of the things that are holding us back?

Verse: Joshua 22:5
"Love the Lord and follow his plan for your lives. Cling to him and serve him enthusiastically!"

Purpose
"Finding your purpose is like searching for treasure, when you discover purpose, you will also unearth your talents and gifts." (Patsy Clairmont) Consider devoting your life to making choices that authenticate your God-given self.

Verse: Philippians 3:12
"I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be."

People
Intentional relationships; the greatest need in every human heart is the need for love, a rich and empowering love. We can remember this as we relate to one another.

Verse: 1 Thessalonians 3:12
"And may the Lord make your love to grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else."

Praise
Being attentive to God; God is already attentive to us; praise is an act of worship that focuses our attention on God.

Verse: Psalm 95: 6-7
"Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Oh that you would listen to his voice today!"

Gracious God of hope and love, we praise you for your creation of this world and of us. Lead us into a new year with renewed passion and purpose so that we may spread your Word and shine your Light. In your name we pray, Amen.