Before we leave 2020, I’d like you to reflect, with help of some beautiful poetry, on the beauty of God being made flesh. But first, I want to tell you where we are going in the six weeks between Advent and Lent, beginning next week, Jan 3 — for I want you to consider how you will participate if you feel so led.
With the help of scholars I trust, we will do an overview of Revelation. I have learned that often the most important things are said when time is running out — so these are the last words of our LORD in His Word, and we are told we will be blessed if we take them to heart.
I think the increased interest in Revelation is due to the worldwide suffering we are experiencing. Believers who know the Word cannot help but wonder if God is shaking us to bring us to our senses. We are going to get the heart of the book of Revelation by looking at the beginning, middle, and triumphant close. God has closed His Word with a message to help us be overcomers.
There are two familiar ways to participate, and one new way, which I hope many of you will prayerfully consider. You can do any or a combination!
- Join in with us here, on this blog. If you are new, just make a comment and give us your name (and a middle name too if your name is not terribly unique) and your e-mail. Your e-mail will not show up. The first time I will need to approve you to make sure you are joining us for the right reason and not to sell us something or endeavor to lead us astray!
- Do this study silently on your own, recording your answers in a notebook.
- Facilitate a zoom or small live study with your friends. You can direct them to the right week to read the opening, where there are pictures and audio/video clips. Then, after the opening, I will provide a link to a word document that has all the homework so they can print it off before or after they fill in the answers. You don’t have to be on our timetable to do this — you just need to direct your group to the right study so they can read the opening. At the end of the six weeks, Lord willing, and technology cooperating, on Sunday, Feb 7th at 3:00 Central time, whoever wants to join me on zoom can click on the link given that morning (or paste it in) to join me to reflect on what we learned. I am praying some of you will do this and God will show you whom to invite!
Now, to close out 2020, I am excited for us to meditate together on some of the great poetry of the season. I was so moved by The Gospel Coalition’s Songs of Hope — and will be sharing two poems from that, as well as two of my traditional favorites.
Day 1. Getting Started
- What stands out to you from the above and why?
- As you reflect on this Advent, share ways God shone a light in the darkness for you. It could have been through sweet fellowship, a moving sermon. a musical presentation, an answer to prayer, or a Scripture becoming radioactive.
Day 2: Christmas in Dark Places
3. Share your thoughts and comments and something that particularly stood out to you and why.
Day 3: Mary’s Song
4. Share your thoughts and comments and what particularly stood out to you and why.
Day 4. Made Flesh By Luci Shaw
This has long been my absolute favorite. Luci was my first editor, and I am still in awe of the talent God has given her.
https://micknailspoetry.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/made-flesh-luci-shaw/
5. Share your notes, comments, and what particularly stood out to you and why.
Day 5. The Journey of the Magi
It was pretty amazing to see the alignment of these two planets this Christmas. I could see a bright light alone in the dark sky with the naked eye, but this is from a telescope in Muncie. I found myself wondering what indeed the star over Bethlehem looked like! And how I love Elliot’s poem!
6. Share your notes, comments, and what particularly stood out to you and why.
7. What is your take-a-way this week and why?
8. Do you know if and how you’ll be joining us for the 6-week study in Revelation?
9. Some believers I know ask God for a phrase or a word to concentrate on in the new year. I remember my friend Twila chose a phrase from Brennan Manning: “The Risenness of Christ.” That’s what she wanted to experience in her life that year, and, by praying for that and focusing on that, she did. You might want to ask Him for a phrase for 2021! If He gives you one, share it here.
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Also the Tim Keller podcast Gospel in Life has been my daily listen to on my hour commute to work every morning. I am always amazed at how often the sermon topic that I’m listening to that day matches perfectly with what is being studied in this blog.
Hi, Dawn! I did not know you have an hour commute to work! Will surely pray for your safety and a meaningful time in the Word as you listen. Thank God for technology!
Dawn — that is probably both the Spirit and the fact that I’m soooo immersed in Keller! 🙂
This week has been such a blessing. A couple of days ago my Dad’s life story arrived in the post. I have read most of it already digitally but what really got me was suddenly seeing that it was the hardship (read: darkness) we went through as a missionary family that had us experience Jesus the most in our midst. And where we kids experienced lack in my parents’ weakness and imperfections – who were constantly pouring themselves out for others- are the places in our hearts where we now look most like Jesus: because we can now see the need of others so much more quickly and move toward others in love, grace and compassion. I often stop to ask myself: what would Mum do in this situation and it always moves me toward giving without worrying about lack. My Mum once fed a family of four from our campervan: and her own family of then six – Jesus made ends meet.
We had friends visiting we haven’t seen in a very long time and I was talking with my dear friend (a South African) about how reading my Dad’s book on his and my Mum’s life made me see our kids are so spoilt and how it would do them good to go through more hardship to be refined in their character. She so agreed with me, having experienced much hardship as a little girl. So, I have started praying for my girls to walk through hard stuff, so they can become more like Jesus through it. Oh why do we bemoan things like corona when it offers the opportunity to shine Jesus into the darkness?! Oh may Jesus refine my selfish heart too that I may lead by example.
It so fit with this light and darkness theme, Dee. My parents knew so much darkness – abuse, persecution, trauma, poverty, loss of home and family and friends, a move to the other side of the world with nothing but money to purchase a campervan for us to live in. But my happiest time as a kid were those days of great loss and hardship. I saw love and family in the Body of Christ like I have never ever known at any other point in my life. Those people in Germany- a mixture of locals, refugees, poor, rich, working class and aristocracy – loved me like family.
Jesus honored my parents’ sacrifice. Yes, they messed up – they’re humans – but they placed their faith in the completion of Jesus. Now, my Dad lives in their midst again: people who remain so thankful to Jesus for my parents. Amongst a people that came to faith in the church he first opened as a little house church as a crazy Kiwi who just went to the other side of the world because God said go – with his wife and four little kids – not knowing what God wanted- they just took one step after another.
Oh may we thank Jesus for the hard stuff – and pray for it, knowing it will make us more like Him and draw many unto Him.
What a treasure you have from your dad!
I will be joining in on the Revelation study. I may not always be able to comment. Staying busy watching grand boys as their other grandma had neck surgery and also helping older one with virtual school…sigh!!
The phrase I feel the Lord has given me is “may I experience resurrection power” from Philippians 3:10. I love this quote from Kenneth Wuest, “He, Paul wants to know in an experiential way the power of Christ’s resurrection. That is, he wants to experience the same power that raised Christ from the dead surging through his own being, overcoming sin in his life in his life and producing the Christian graces.” I will be honest that I’m not sure where the Lord will take me with this, but it will be my prayer.
Sharon, I just sent that very verse of yours to friends with this comment:
It was realizing how that suffering is what draws us to Jesus that made me want my girls to experience it too. I would rather they suffer and know Jesus intimately because of it, than have an easy life and not really know Him. This verse comes to mind:
Philippians 3:10-11
10 (A)that I may know him and (B)the power of his resurrection, and (C)may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may (D)attain the resurrection from the dead.
[Name of friend]: oh yes, I could imagine your Mom praying that. BTW tonight I looked at the story of Abraham and Isaac and just felt the blessing of giving our kids to the Lord to shape and mould them. I thought of how my parents doing that with me meant one day seeing how their weakness and sin was part of my Prodigal turning away – oh how humbling. And I began praying for Jesus to give me the humility of repentance toward my own girls, should their stories of turning away be connected to my failings as a parent toward them and not seeing or hearing the Voice of Jesus in them.
Oh LORD help us all to humble ourselves before you and thank you for our weakness and our need for grace. May it not be our stumbling block, but that which shines the grace and compassion of Jesus into other families.
So: I love your verse for this year. May we all know Him in His death and resurrection, joining Him in His suffering to at whatever cost taste eternal life.
Here a song that includes your verse, Sharon. It is one of my favorites from the ones my Mum loved to sing:
https://youtu.be/pTTlSx6zXio
Thank you Anna❤️…beautiful song and I love the words.
I like that phrase so much, Sharon. Reminds me of Mannings’ “Seeing the risenness of Christ.”
Day 5. The Journey of the Magi
6. Share your notes, comments, and what particularly stood out to you and why.
The Journey of the Magi is a whole other perspective on the Wisemen who came to see and worship Jesus. I feel I grew up with a very romanticized view of them and and like many the mistaken view they came to the stable and manger where Jesus was born. I was well into adulthood before being taught the reality Jesus was probably at least a toddler before they found Him based on timing of their seeing the star and the timing of Herod killing all the Jewish baby boys 2 years old and under to try and kill Jesus. In the poem we get a perspective of laborious travel through rough terrain and cultures totally different to these Eastern Oriental kings. Perhaps racial hostility toward them and many inconveniences with traveling on camels. Their journey was precipitated by their recognization of “His star” rising in the east and that star brought them to their destination of the house where Jesus was. I find it interesting there is no reference to the star in this poem.
There is rich imagery in the poem with references to “three trees on the low sky”, “ an old white horse”, “six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver” and “feet kicking empty wine-skins”. I presume references to other biblical things concerning the Christ. The end of the poem is a pondering of the affects of the journey and meeting the true king of the Jews so soon after his being born into this world but Who came to die. It left them to never be the same even after returning to their old lives in their home country. Among “an alien people clutching their gods”. That phrase stood out to me. That is the way of the world always clutching and hanging tightly onto their gods (idols). It challenged me to remember to not cling to any of my idols because of Jesus. “I should be glad of another death” death to sin and self. I can no longer be at ease in the old dispensation. I am no longer the same because I met Jesus.
7. What is your take-a-way this week and why?
The poetry of Christmas this week has been an enjoyable exercise for me personally considering these various aspects of Christmas and the birth of Christ. So often it seems when Christmas is over the attention of life immediately becomes concentrated on the New Year. I liked lingering a bit longer this year reflecting on Christmas and the birth of Jesus my Savior.
8. Do you know if and how you’ll be joining us for the 6-week study in Revelation?
I do plan to be part of the 6 week blog study on Revelation actively studying and interacting. I will hope to be part of the zoom Lord willing if I don’t have a conflict.
9. Some believers I know ask God for a phrase or a word to concentrate on in the new year. I remember my friend Twila chose a phrase from Brennan Manning: “The Risenness of Christ.” That’s what she wanted to experience in her life that year, and, by praying for that and focusing on that, she did. You might want to ask Him for a phrase for 2021! If He gives you one, share it here.
I shared earlier in the week that I am taking my verses for the year from Philippians 2:1-11 and the theme of that passage is humility. It would seem that is what God wants me to concentrate on.
“who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:6-8 ESV
I loved seeing what you saw in that rich rich poem.
I have been following along quietly this week. I decided to find the poems on-line, print them off, and re-read them (except for Mary’s Song, which I had to write by hand while pausing the video). I think each of these poems are almost like Scripture . . . you can read and re-read and read again, each time discovering something new, each time mining new depths. The thing the Lord has impressed on me is (forgive me if I’ve already written this) that Jesus is all about doing His Father’s will. He obediently and willingly left His glorious, heavenly home and throne to be confined in Mary’s womb, growing until the time of birth, living as a helpless baby, maturing and ministering until His death. Here is Jesus, Creator of the world, Immanuel, God’s only Son, God Almighty, the triune God born into such lowly means and then murdered to save us sinners. Amazing! Amazing grace & love & salvation! I will endeavor to read these poems every year during the Advent season. Thank you, Dee for sharing your gift. I have very much enjoyed this Advent of Holy Contemplation.
I plan to do the study on Revelation and post when I’m able. Lord willing, I will join the zoom meeting on Feb. 7th.
Finally, I believe the Lord is impressing “JOY” on me for 2021. I’ve long been seeking to have joy in my life – but just wasn’t finding “it.” Indeed it has been through this blog and getting to know you all better (thank you for sharing), beginning with the Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, then reading Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, that I believe I’ve “turned a corner” in my life. Hebrews 12:1-2 sums up what I believe the Lord will be showing me and what I will be looking for throughout this new year: JOY!!
“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Karmen! I picked joy as well 😉. I love your post; you transcribed Mary’s Song! Wow! That must have been hard but meaningful. I might have talk texted it…
Glad you are joining us for Revelation. Should be good discussion I would think.
Laura! I saw joy is your theme as well!! 😉
Praising Him for your turning a corner!!!!!
😊
What a beautiful theme for the year JOY! thanks for sharing this verse from Hebrews 12, Karmen. Each woman brings joy to my heart from your perspective sharing faith in Jesus.
😀