Christian Reflection and Prayer

First Sunday of Advent
(November 27, 2011)

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.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in
clouds with great power and glory. But about
that day or hour no one knows, neither the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Keep alert, for you do not know when the time
will come…in the evening, or at midnight, or at
dawn. Keep awake. (Mark 13:24-26, 32, 33, 35, 37).

Such amazing things happen in the sky to
herald the return of the Son of Man:
…Jesus, coming in the clouds
  …the sun grows dark
     …the moon doesn't shine
       …and stars fall from the heavens

So different from that first coming more than
2000 years ago:
…with angels singing of God's glory and peace
on earth
   …with the single star guiding the way to the
manger
     …with shepherds and wise men -- rich and
poor -- coming to worship

And so we watch, and wait, and stay alert,
waiting again for the coming of Jesus.
And we light a single candle in preparation for
that glorious day.

[Light the first candle on the Advent wreath.]

…And even if the sun should grow dark
   …even if the moon refuses to shine
     …even if the stars should fall from the sky

…we will have Jesus, the Light of the World, to
shine brightly in our hearts, lighting our way.

 COME, LORD JESUS. AMEN.

When you celebrate Thanksgiving this year
remember this and pray:

The poor maybe thankful for:

SMALL THINGS: 
Maybe it is earning 25 cents
today, or having electricity for an extra hour,
or having a pencil to take to school this morning,
the extreme poor are grateful for little things that
come their way.  What we take for granted, some
poor are giving thanks to God for them.

DAILY PROVISION:
When you don’t have a refrigerator,
a bank account, or a regular paying job the fact
that there is food for you and your children to eat
is not overlooked.  Waking up in the morning, We
don't give much thought about where our next meal
will be coming from, but for the poor, today’s
challenge is providing today’s meal.  My Pastor
would always pray before each meal “For what
we are about to receive, may we be truly thankful”.  
Amen.

STANDING BEFORE GOD:
In our society today we shun
the poor, we look down on them, and often choose
to forget about them.  When we see them we look
away from them.  When no one respects them
The poor are thankful for the love and respect shown
to them by God.

PROTECTION: 
A slum community is one of the most dangerous
places on earth.  Drunkenness, drug use, and gangs
make slums a violent and volatile place to live. 
1 Peter 5:7-9 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your
great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring
lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against
him, and be strong in your faith…”.  No one feels more
vulnerable to the “enemy” than a person with no
savings, no job, and no home.  God is their fortress
and their trust is in Him for protection.

HEALTH: 
In a poor community a cold can easily turn into
pneumonia, a cup of water can bring dysentery,
a cut can become infected and lead to other more
serious illnesses.  Doctors and medicines are hard
to come by so when you are healthy you give thanks
to God.

JESUS:
He is our Savior and friend.  For the poor, faith in
Jesus gives hope for eternity.  Never having to live in
a garbage dump or shanty house again, and knowing
your future house is a mansion with streets of gold
and no more illness, suffering, or death. There is a
wonderful hope.

The life of a poor person is hard; I don’t think I could ever
survive.  It is awful and grotesque, but out of these horrible
conditions come some of the Godliest people.  They love,
trust and thank God for simple things that we take for
granted almost every day.

Thanksgiving is about sharing food with friends and family.
But more importantly,Thanksgiving is about sharing with
those in need. It’s about helping those suffering from
hunger and poverty.
More than 46 million Americans are living in poverty today,
As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and
family, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT
THE LESS FORTUNATE.  REMEMBER THEM IN PRAYER
AND PROMISE GOD THAT YOU WILL HELP THEM
TO RELIEVE THEIR SUFFERING
AND THEN PLEASE MAKE GOOD ON YOUR PROMISE!

Scripture:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! . . .
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. —
Psalm 107:1-2

Unexpressed Gratitude
               by Cindy Hess Kasper

The whole reason for saying thanks is
to let the giver of a gift know how much
you appreciate something. Author
G. B. Stern once said, “Silent gratitude
isn’t much use to anyone.”

When our son was young, he sometimes
needed to be reminded that avoiding eye
contact, looking down at his feet, and
mumbling some unintelligible words was
not an acceptable “thank you.” And after
many years of marriage, my husband and
I are still learning that it’s important for us
to continually express our gratitude to each
other. When one of us feels appreciative,
we try to verbalize it—even if we’ve said it
many times before about the same thing.
William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling
gratitude and not expressing it is like
wrapping a present and not giving it.”

Showing our gratitude is obviously important
in human relationships, but it’s even more
essential in our relationship with God. As
we think about the many blessings we have
received, do we express our thanks to Him
throughout the day? And when we think of
the amazing gift of His death and
resurrection for forgiveness of our sins, do
our hearts bubble over with awe and
thanksgiving? (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 9:15).

Take the reminder in Psalm 107:1 to heart
each day: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He
is good!”

How great should be our gratitude
To God our unseen Friend!
The volume of His gifts to us
We cannot comprehend. —Hess

GOD'S HIGHEST GIFT SHOULD
AWAKEN OUR DEEPEST
GRATITUDE.

ESPECIALLY ON THANKSGIVING
GIVE THANKS TO GOD!

(Our Daily Bread)