West Texas Missioner

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

From Catholic Charities USA ... " Advent and Christmas Daily Reflections"

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

I was moved as I read “…God will wipe away the tears from all faces” in today’s first reading. This year, I have witnessed many tears being shed. Children crying after being separated from their parents, neighbors anxious about the future of their immigration status, and even caseworkers overwhelmed by the needs of their community. Yet, there was always someone there to help wipe away those tears – a legal representative, a friend, or a supervisor ...

• Read the rest of today's reflection ...

The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same. Catholic Charities is a network of charities with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The organization serves millions of people a year, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds.

From Advent Conspiracy ... "Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 4"

Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 4

"On the right side of the altar of incense an angel of the Lord appeared. This terrified Zechariah and he fell before him out of fear. The angel said, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid because your prayers have been heard! Your wife Elizabeth will have a son and you will call his name John. There will be a lot of joy, celebration, and many will be glad. Many of the sons of Israel will return to the Lord, his God. He will go before God in the spirit and power of Elijah and turn the fathers’ hearts to their children and the disobedient to an attitude of righteousness. He will prepare people for the Lord."
Luke 1:11-17

Seeing the angel at the altar must have terrified this priest—no one else was allowed into this special place. This must be a divine act. Yet even more divine was the promise that God not only heard his and Elizabeth’s prayers (they were childless) but that their son would one day lead people back to God. There was hope for the people of Israel!

In a time when people’s hearts were captivated by the mighty Empire of power, false peace, and materialism; a faithful couple was told that their son would do God’s work. Lives would change!

Christmas has always been counter-cultural. A Christian holiday celebrated intentionally during the height of paganism. The early church made the decision to celebrate our King on December 25, the birthday of Mithrais and the worship of Saturn. Christmas was an in-your-face celebration stating that God intervenes in time and space with a promise to turn people back to their Lord.

Christmas boldly states that lives can change.

Reflect

Today the Empire of power, false peace, materialism, and consumerism seeks to capture our hearts and distract us from the daily presence of God, especially during this season of Advent. How are you praying for God to appear in your life this Christmas? Where are you longing to see a message of hope?

Pray

Lord,

You appear where no one else is allowed, and sometimes that is the altar of my heart. You also appear in our lives to offer us hope and You cut through time and space to remind us that today people can turn to You, even in the dark times. May we fall before You in love and go before You in faithfulness.

Amen.

Advent Conspiracy was founded on the radical idea that we can celebrate Christmas humbly, beautifully, and generously. Advent is the story of a wondrous moment when God entered our world to make things right. It is the greatest story ever told and it changes everything — including the way we celebrate Christmas.

Be part of a different story this Christmas, one that celebrates our King and brings hope to a watching world ...

• Worship Fully
• Spend Less
• Give More
• Love All

... and join the groundswell of Christ-followers who are choosing to make Christmas what it should be—a joyous celebration of Jesus’ birth that enriches our hearts and the world around us.

From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 4

"Advent ushers us into a season of anticipation, hope, and joy, as we await the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Messiah ... We intend this Advent Devotional booklet as a gift of the season for you, to signify our deep appreciation for all that you do for Austin Seminary. And we hope that you will share it with others, so that they may also partake in the blessings of Advent alongside us. Be assured that our hearts are joyful to overflowing as we celebrate together this season that anticipates what my dear friend John Rogers described in the title of his book, “The Birth of God.” May your heart overflow, as well."

G. Archer Frierson

Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

• CLICK HERE for a complete, online copy of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Advent Devotional for December 4

• 2 Peter 3:1-10

I think the scoffers make a good point. I mean: How long can we Christians go on like this? Every Advent we hear the promise that Christ will come, and everything will be better. But do we ever actually get any closer to “peace on earth” and “good will to all”? We’ve been praying for 2000 years for God’s Kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” So where is it, already? How long shall we keep waiting? Praying? Hoping?

The scoffers suggest we should have given up long ago. Nothing has changed since the world was created, they say, so why expect anything to change now? There is an old adage that says the secret to happiness is to set one’s expectations low. If we let go of hope, we can avoid disappointment. But this is not the way Christians are called to live. We are called to set our expectations high; to risk disappointment; to believe in and to watch for God’s inconceivable promises to be fulfilled.

Peter gives us tips for how to do this. First, he notes that many things have changed since the world was created—the earth was destroyed by flood, for example, and then restored. Second, Peter explains that God experiences time differently than we do. From the perspective of eternity, God is not slow to respond (v.9). This might not lessen our frustration as time-bound creatures, but it does give us another avenue to ponder. Third, Peter reflects on why God is taking time to fulfill God’s promises. God “does not want any to perish,” he says, “but all to come to repentance” (v. 9). In contrast to the days of Noah, when scoffers were summarily drowned, God is this time waiting patiently for everyone to hope in the covenant made with all creation (see Genesis 9:17).

It is scary to expect that this world, with all our uncovered deeds, will be burned away. May we set our hopes high nonetheless, trusting God to create a new heaven and earth where all will be at peace.

The Reverend Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby
The W.C. Brown Professor of Theology

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?

   • Students in our masters-degree programs receive up to 85% need-based tuition aid.
   • Historically, more than 80% of our graduates are called to congregational ministry.
   • Our students come from more than a dozen denominations.
   • Our alumni serve in ministry in forty-eight U.S. states as well as in twenty different countries across the world.

Your gift to Austin Seminary contributes to scholarships, housing, computer equipment, library materials, and other resources needed by seminarians as they fulfill their calls to Christian service and leadership.

Your support underwrites the finest theological faculty and an administration committed to upholding the highest standards possible with respect to the unique vocation of ministry.

Every gift is significant and is appreciated. They are put to work right away and make a real impact. Please send your gift today.

• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

This post produced with Bible Gateway reference/link

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Partners Blog: “The Amar Project: rebuilding hope for children in hopeless spaces”

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma, and now in the Middle East, as well. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other conflict zones.

PR&D Photo

“The Amar Project: rebuilding hope for children in hopeless spaces”

If you couldn’t tell from our blog articles this month, education matters a lot to us at Partners Relief & Development. We do everything we can to ensure that children we work with receive an education regardless of their circumstances ...

• Read the rest of this post ...

Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. "We’re a small, grassroots nonprofit passionate about making a big impact in communities affected by conflict and oppression, demonstrating God’s love to children and giving them the opportunity to live free, full lives." For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partners.ngo/

In the News ... "Salvation Army in Odessa kicks off their red kettle campaign today"

• "Our goal of 85,000. That is needed to continue the work of the Salvation Army year-round"

By Rachel Ripp, Reporter
• KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Bells ringing throughout Odessa to announce the official start of the Red Kettle campaign.

Without these funds, the Salvation Army of Odessa wouldn't be able to provide much of its services to the community ...

• Read the rest of this KWES report ...

In the News ... "WTFB kicks-off Abell-Hanger Foundation holiday donation match fundraiser for #GivingTuesday"

• Fundraiser will run through the month of December

By Rachel Ripp, Reporter
• KWES-TV

MIDLAND/ODESSA, TEXAS - Hunger is a year-round issue," Craig Stoker, the Marketing and PR director of the West Texas Food Bank, said.

This is something the WTFB knows all too well.

When the holidays come around and it gets colder outside, this hunger becomes more apparen ...

• Read the rest of this KWES report ...

In the News ... "Empty Stocking needs help"

• Helping those in need in Odessa

Staff Report
• The Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The 25th year of the Empty Stocking Fund has started with a goal of $100,000 and that won’t be met without your help. Funds stay in Ector County and help needy families like that of Liz, a grandmother raising three great-grandchildren while her granddaughter is in jail.

This family can be helped through the Empty Stocking Fund, an annual fundraising effort by the Odessa American and Salvation Army of Odessa ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "3:11 Ministries spreads Christmas joy with clothing and toys"

Courtesy Photo

• Nonprofit will give gifts to more than 2,000 Midland County children this year

By Brandi Addison, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The people of 3:11 Ministries won’t tell the traditional Hallmark Christmas story about a perfect family, having a perfect Christmas, as they open their gifts in their pajamas and slippers, next to a cozy fireplace and a pine-scented tree.

Instead, they are here to share the stories about children who wish for cots, so they don’t have to sleep on the floor; flashlights, so they can see when they brush their teeth; toothbrushes, so they have something to brush their teeth with; kitchenware, so they can eat their meals normally; and snacks, so they have something to eat...

• Read the rest of this MRT report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 3, 2019

#GIVINGTUESDAY - The stress of everyday living often blinds us to the blessings we enjoy. Thanksgiving Day, then, provides an eye-opening opportunity. It is an occasion to remind ourselves of the gifts God has given and to give thanks for them. Gratitude is a crucial component of Christian discipleship. Meister Eckhart, the German mystic of the Middle Ages, wrote, “The most important prayer in the world is just two words long: ‘Thank You.’ ”

However, before last week’s Thanksgiving Day observance ended, Black Friday had already begun. Retailers opened their doors before many had finished their Thanksgiving meal, and Black Friday specials were purchased several hours before Friday dawned. Even more shopping specials were offered online on Cyber Monday.

On the heels of these two commercial events, a third post-Thanksgiving tradition has emerged that redirects our priorities ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Catholic Charities USA ... " Advent and Christmas Daily Reflections"

Memorial of St. Francis Xavier

There is an interesting connection between the readings for this day and the particular readings for the Memorial of St. Francis Xavier. Isaiah’s beautiful and descriptive illustration of the Messianic Age and the sending of the Eleven by Jesus in Mark’s Gospel to proclaim the Good News into the whole world and to every creature (which St. Francis Xavier took to heart in his missionary work, to India, Japan, and China) both share a common vision for a world very different from what we are experiencing today ...

• Read the rest of today's reflection ...

From Advent Conspiracy ... "Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 3"

Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 3

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Luke 1:5-10

The Advent (CHRISTmas) season is my favorite time of year, but I always have to wait for it. And then it’s a season of waiting… in lines, in traffic, for packages to arrive, for gatherings, and for glimpses of hope and encouragement.

Zechariah and Elizabeth understood what it felt like to wait for hope and encouragement. Although both were from priestly lines, and lived righteous and blameless before the Lord, Elizabeth was unable to have children. But God! Often we’re deprived of something in the here-and-now because God has something better for us in the future. Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a child and faithfully prayed for one, but what they received was more than they could have imagined – a prophet.

Advent means coming. Something we look forward to but that’s not here yet. It’s not uncommon for us to feel like God is running late in our lives. I often wish in my own life that the Lord would do more and do it faster. As a church planter I wanted a certain sized team on a specific timeline. But the Lord knew exactly who we needed and when we needed them. Our team didn’t just sit around waiting though, and neither were Zechariah and the people of God. In the meantime, they faithfully served Him, praying with great anticipation.

This might be a season of waiting for you. Maybe even a long season of waiting…But God is still in control.

Reflect

What circumstance, relationship, career move, or worry do you need to surrender to His perfect timing? Trust His timing this season, pray with anticipation, God is never late!

Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for always showing up on time, for fulfilling every promise you’ve ever made, and for having every detail of my life in your loving hands. Help me to trust your perfect timing through this season and into the new year.

Amen.

From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 3

G. Archer Frierson

Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

• CLICK HERE for a complete, online copy of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Advent Devotional for December 3

• Matthew 21:1-22

These three stories—of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, driving the moneychangers from the temple, and the withering fig tree—seem like an odd collection of ideas to juxtapose like this. Why are they placed side by side? What could the authors who compiled the gospel of Matthew have been thinking? In reality, these three texts bear significantly on the nature of Christ’s advent. In a sense these texts articulate the heart of the Christian gospel.

Unfortunately, we have read these stories so many times we forget how shocking they were in the context of Roman Empire. First, the Romans in particular and the ancient world in general valued power over everything else; humility was unthinkable. Great leaders were those with enormous armies, great physical strength and ruthlessness, and a wealth of resources. Jesus entry into Jerusalem on a donkey not only fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Zachariah, but also provided the very model for the new inbreaking kingdom—and the form of faith to be practiced by his followers. The new Christian movement is a paradoxical form of allegiance to a Lord whose power is not found in might but in kindness and compassion; a form of selfhood that empties one’s self in giving to others; a form of sociality that builds peace and not war. Jesus’ entry on a humble beast says all of this in an image.

The story of Jesus driving money-changers from the temple builds upon the image of the triumphal entry. In this second story, in driving the greedy men from the temple, Jesus is affirming a second thing about his Lordship—the Lord who manifests in peace and humility does not allow duplicity or idolatry. One simply cannot declare Jesus as Lord and at the same time worship money or exploit the poor. Jesus’ Lordship is totalizing—it takes precedent over all idols of money, greed, gluttony, lust, crowns, nations, powers, principalities.

The third story of the barren fig tree reveals that even as Christ comes into the world offering the gift of peace, our response—and the response of all creation—is gratitude and giving gifts to others. In the advent of this Lord of peace we receive God’s gifts with gratitude and our lives bear fruit for others. Just as a fig tree that does not bear figs cannot fulfill the purpose of its creation by God, so a life that does not live in humility, that leaves room to worship other gods, and does not give gifts to others, does not live into the purpose for which we are created.

The Reverend Dr. David White
The C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Professor of Christian Education & Professor of Methodist Studies

This post produced with Bible Gateway reference/link

Monday, December 2, 2019

From @chinaaid : "Prayer meeting highlights China persecution "

The ChinaAid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Provided Photo

Prayer meeting highlights China persecution
Distributed by ChinaAid, November 2019 ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A prayer meeting for persecuted churches took place on Nov. 3, highlighting persecution in China ...

• More on this story from ChinaAid ...

In the News ... "Forsan students give back to Happy Day/Salvation Army"

Courtesy Photo

• A big thank you to all

Staff Report
• Big Spring Herald

FORSAN, TEXAS - The Forsan students who are involved in the character class, recently had a blanket drive for the Happy Day Humane Society and the Salvation Army ...

• Read the rest of this BSH report ...

In the News ... "It's quickly beginning to sound a lot like Christmas in Abilene"

ARN Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich

• Variety of inside, outside events over the next two weeks

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - What could be more Christmasy than an outdoor sing-a-long ending with merry carolers belting out “Joy to the World” or an operatic rendition of Handel’s “Messiah"?

How about voices from seven church choirs joining the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra for two presentations Dec. 7?

And if that’s not enough, toss in a performance by the Abilene Christian School Children’s Choir and the Abilene High School drum line joining the orchestra for “Little Drummer Boy.”

If all of that is still not enough Christmas, don’t worry, the real thing will be coming Dec. 25.

But in the meantime, plenty of Christmas music will be available locally to get you in the mood ...

• Read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Sacred Scripts on display in Odessa"

OA Photo by Ben Powell

• Ellen Noël to display more than 80 archived works

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Ellen Noël Art Museum plans to display rare medieval and modern books in an exhibition titled, “Sacred Scripts: 1,000 Years of Religious Texts.”

The exhibit will run from Dec. 6 to Feb. 23, 2020, and will show the progression of religious books from medieval manuscripts to modern mass production. The 79-day exhibition includes workshops, choir concerts, a film screening and lectures from visiting speakers about the role of religious books throughout history ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Photo by DJ Roos

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 2, 2019

GUN VIOLENCE - Though the vast majority of active shooter incidents occur in government, military, commercial or educational settings, houses of worship accounted for 4% of 250 active shootings in the U.S. between 2000 and 2017, according to FBI data.

“It’s deeply upsetting that today’s worshipers, regardless of religion, have to contend with the very real possibility of an armed intruder,” said Rick Poirier, president and CEO of Church Mutual Insurance Company in Merrill, Wisconsin ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Catholic Charities USA ... " Advent and Christmas Daily Reflections"

Monday of the First Week of Advent

I recently began working with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and part of this holy work includes answering calls on the HelpLine. I answer the phone and on the other end of the line is my neighbor, a person living in King County, asking for real help. It could be anything from needing a few hundred dollars to make rent, to needing a crib for their newborn daughter just come home from the hospital, to needing someone to listen as they piece together all their needs for food and clothing and anything we might provide ...

• Read the rest of today's reflection ...

From Advent Conspiracy ... "Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 2"

Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 2

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’.
Jeremiah 33:14-16

It was too dark to see much hope. Our leaders were too susceptible to corruption, our hearts too inclined to selfishness, our affections too prone to idolatry. God told us to repent, but we chose to believe a lie; that it’s too hard to return to your first Love when you’ve loved something new. So we ended up here, exiled in Babylon. Here, it’s too dark to see any hope. They want to change our names and our worship. Our homes and our laughter have been stolen. Our identity is slowly slipping away to Babylon’s message of “Assimilate! Assimilate!…”

This is the context into which Jeremiah speaks his message.

He reminds God’s people that God has not forgotten His promises. That there is a future because the line of King David will be restored. The new King will restore justice and righteousness. Jeremiah dared God’s people to risk believing in hope when there was no evidence of it. He challenged them to believe that their hope, salvation, justice, and future were wrapped up in the story of this Righteous King.

He dared them to believe that living out that hope in exile was worth the risk.

Reflect

We know that this Righteous King is Jesus. Like God’s people in Babylon, our hope, our salvation, our justice, and our future are intricately tied to His story, and like God’s people in Babylon it’s hard to hold on to hope when things feel hopeless and culture pressures us. But the story isn’t over. God’s not done. Throughout your day come back to Jeremiah’s words. Let them challenge you to risk and redirect your hope.

Pray

God,

My heart is too inclined to selfishness, my affections too prone to idolatry, and my life too susceptible to corruption. I can too easily give into the pressure of assimilating to the culture, and too often I place my hope in the false promises of it’s idols. Forgive me Father. Thank you for your Son. Without Him, I’d be left with my weak substitutes for hope. Please give me the courage to live into true hope even when it’s hard.

Amen.

From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 2

G. Archer Frierson

Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

• CLICK HERE for a complete, online copy of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Advent Devotional for December 2

• 2 Peter 1: 1-11

Where do you imagine God to be when you pray? Maybe God stands in front of you as you kneel or sits next to you on your bed. Perhaps you like to stand and look up, praying to God above. What would it be like if instead you imagined yourself encircled by God all around? How would your prayers change if you were to pray from within God rather than to God.

In Advent, the fires of hope are kindled as we look toward God’s birth as a human child. Jesus Christ, flesh of our flesh, makes way for us to dwell within God. It is through the incarnation of God in Christ that theologian Catherine Gunsalus González says, we become “part of the body of the second person of the Trinity.” There is no more intimate a space than being part of another’s body.

As intimate, invited ones, we no longer must pray kneeling before, standing in front of, or sitting at a distance from God. Rather, we can pray from within the life of God, because we dwell inside the circle: Father/Mother, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is God’s promise and God’s gift to us.

We are, as 2 Peter proclaims, partakers of the divine nature. It is from within God that we wait, we pray, we cry out for the world to be made whole. It is from within God that we are transformed into likeness with God. We fail, we faint, we rise, we try again. The whole time God encircles us. We are running a marathon and God surrounds us: cheering us on, handing out water, ready to help us if we fall. God is there from beginning to end: above us, below us, within us, and all around us. And we are within God.

The Reverend Erica Knisely
Director of Programs, Educaton Beyond the Walls

This post produced with Bible Gateway reference/link

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Advent Conspiracy Blog: "Love All"

At Christmas, one of the things that should distinguish a Christ follower is a love that reaches out to the marginalized and the forgotten.

Such giving is an act of true worship. For Jesus this is personal ...

• Read the rest of this post ...

In the News ... "Help fill the Empty Stocking"

• Helping those in need in Odessa

Staff Report
• The Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The 25th year of the Empty Stocking Fund has started with a goal of $100,000 and that won’t be met without your help. Funds stay in Ector County and help needy families like the Smiths, not their real name, a family with a father who has been laid off and a stay-at-home mother caring for two young children.

This family can be helped through the Empty Stocking Fund, an annual fundraising effort by the Odessa American and Salvation Army of Odessa ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... " ‘Love and Mercy’ dives into the vision of Faustina"

Courtesy Photo

• How the devotion to Divine Mercy was born and spread

Staff Report
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Fathom Events will screen the new film “Love and Mercy” based on the life of St. Faustina Kowalska and her reported vision of Jesus Christ in 1931. The docudrama presents new facts and recently disclosed documents that shed new light on the vision of the Polish nun. The film screens at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Dec. 10 at Regal Tall City Stadium.

Aided by scientific analysis, the film reveals how the Divine Mercy image she envisioned (which was later painted by Eugene Kazimierowski) and the Shroud of Turin were compared to one another which, according to the film, drew substantial conclusions.

Dramatically recreated scenes between St. Faustina and her confessor, Father Michał Sopoćko, trace the story’s origins of the image and how the devotion to Divine Mercy was born and spread despite a ban by the Vatican in 1959., according to a press release.

• For more information or tickets, visit fathomevents.com ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 1, 2019

WORLD AIDS DAY - Today marks the 31st anniversary of World AIDS Day, and Presbyterians are encouraged to participate as part of Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness. This year’s theme is “Know your status.” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From Catholic Charities USA ... " Advent and Christmas Daily Reflections"

First Sunday of Advent

It is the hour now to awake from your sleep, says Paul to the Romans. Stay awake, exhorts Matthew. God surely does not wish us to stumble through life, half-asleep. And yet, in the darkest weeks of the year, as we spend more time in our homes, it is surely a temptation to move toward the comfort of a warm bed. At least it is for me.

God’s repeated message in today’s scripture of “awakening” prods me from my natural inclination to hunker down in the cold dark. But to what shall I wake? To what shall I give my attention? Matthew warns us that we don’t know when God will come into the world, so we should be alert to God coming to us unexpectedly ...

• Read the rest of today's reflection ...

From Advent Conspiracy ... "Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 1"

Daily Advent Devotionals, Day 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5

John’s take on Jesus coming into the world was that He was light driving out darkness. John has barely begun his gospel narrative before introducing this cosmic conflict as the reason God the Father sent the Son. With a confident foreshadowing of the story’s end, John assures us who will ultimately come out on top.

“That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

Right here John sums up the season of Advent. Even amidst the great deal of darkness in this world, the light of Jesus Christ shines bright. He who experienced all of the darkness, even death itself, and was not overcome now dwells in us as God’s Spirit.

As followers of Jesus, we still live in a world where darkness seems ever-present. This is no surprise to many of us. We experience suffering in relationships, through disease and death, and seeing the world run by and for those in power. Remembering the truth found in John 1:5 and the resurrection of Jesus allows us to have faith that, in the words of Frederick Buechner, “the madness and lostness we see all around us and within us are not the last truth about the world but only the next to the last truth.”

Reflect

Consider today how the light of Christ may shine into the darkness around you. Are there times in your life where you’ve accepted the darkness in which you may be called to carry the light of Christ? How might practicing the four tenets of Advent Conspiracy bring about light into our dark world?

Pray

Jesus, Light of the World, During this Advent season, may we not ignore or fear darkness, but help us see the same light that came into the world 2,000 years ago still shines in us today. When we grow weary, strengthen our hearts. When we feel despair, encourage us through community and your words, And where there is darkness, lead us to be light. Amen.

From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 1

G. Archer Frierson

Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

• CLICK HERE for a complete, online copy of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Advent Devotional for December 1

• Matthew 24:36-44

In all honesty my preparation for Advent involves searching my hall closet for our Advent wreath, buying new candles, and changing the dining room tablecloth before setting up the wreath so that we are ready for Advent candle lighting, devotions, and prayer. I prepare, mindful of the long arc of this season: I anticipate the comfort and joy of the birth of God in our midst. We draw near again to the church’s annual feast of the Nativity of Christ, born to unite heaven and earth, born so that death and sin are not our end, born for the salvation of all creation.

So it is jarring to read this passage, the initial Gospel text this Advent, with its stern declaration about the coming of the Son of Man. I lean toward Christmas, so it is disconcerting to consider instead the days of Noah, the ones taken and the ones left, and the thief breaking into our home.

Yet Advent begins this way. With the end. It begins with the Son of Man who comes to judge. We may anticipate comfort and joy but first we start with the end times. Some will be found worthy and some found wanting. Underscored here: we cannot know the time or day of the Lord’s coming again so we must be prepared at all times.

This reading is a part of Matthew’s discourse on the coming judgment (24:1– 25:46). Let us notice that this section ends with the parable of the sheep and the goats. Matthew shows us what it looks like to live in expectation of the coming of the Son of Man: it is in our care for “the least of these.” So while some have preached these texts to force Christ’s disciples into fearful obedience and others have preached these texts to turn followers of Jesus toward a fascination with the afterlife, Matthew preaches: live expectantly! And this means deeds of mercy, forgiveness, deep care for the lost and the least.

Are we ready? May our preparations enable us to stand blameless before the one who will come again in glory.

The Reverend Dr. Jennifer L. Lord
The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies

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