Elmer, the Very Large Fish — the Rest of the Story

You might think that would be the end of the story, but it wasn’t. There was something about Jonah that made him not a very good dinner at all. You see, God didn’t want Jonah to die inside of the big fish. He still wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah and tell the people there to behave themselves. So, God gave poor Elmer a case of indigestion. Do you know what that means? It means Elmer got a tummy ache!

Elmer swam and swam, then he rested and rested, but all the time his poor tummy was hurting more and more. Finally, after a couple of days, Elmer swam up close to the beach, and — guess what. He did what people sometimes do who get a bad stomach ache — he threw up! Right on the beach! Gross!

Artwork by Mary Grassell

Jonah lay on the beach for a while, surprised that he was still alive, and no longer inside the fish’s stomach. Then he got up and washed some slimy stuff off in the nearby water. He soon found out that the fish had delivered him right to Ninevah. Isn’t that amazing? Anyway, Jonah went into Ninevah and did what God had sent him to do — warning the people of Ninevah and their king — and the people immediately apologized to God for being bad, and they began to behave themselves. Jonah was not too pleased, but God eventually convinced him that God knew best –something we all need to learn.

What about Elmer? He went back to the bottom of the sea, and after that he didn’t bother waiting for things to fall off of boats during storms, because he had learned that even the things that looked like they would be good to eat, weren’t. And Elmer just kept getting bigger and bigger. Maybe he is still there today, bigger than ever.

“The men of Ninevah will rise up at the judgement of this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”(Matthew 12:41)

January 5th — Twelfth Night Devotion

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east come to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'” Matthew 2:1-2

January 5th is known as Twelfth Night, the last day of the twelve days of Christmas. It is also the eve of Epiphany, the feast which memorializes the visit of the three kings (the wise men) to the baby Jesus. The magi were not really kings, they were scholars of priests from Persia or Arabia. Their study of the stars and their traditions led them to believe that a star would proclaim the birth of a great king in Judea. Seeing the star that accompanied the birth of Jesus, they followed it, in order to worship and acknowledge His kingship. They also brought him symbolic gifts — gold (kingship); frankincense (priesthhood); and myrrh (foreshadowing His death).

In Spain, on Epiphany Eve, good children are visited by the kings who leave them gifts. In some countries, it is traditional to bake a “king’s cake” or “twelfth night cake” with a bean hidden inside. Whoever receives the bean becomes King of the Feast. Often the day includes games, carols, entertainment and wassailing (going from door to door singing Christmas carols and offering wassail — mulled or spiced wine– in return for a gift.)

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION: What gift can I give Christ this year?

Activities for the Day:

Read the story of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12.

Sing or listen to the carol, We Three Kings.

Watch a favorite Christmas movie.

Look up a recipe for Wassail, or another Christmas punch, and enjoy if with family and neighbors.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, as we come to the end of the season remembering the Incarnation of your Son, open our eyes to the next season of the Church year, the Epiphany when we celebrate the coming of the Magi and the revelation of Christ to the whole world. Lord, you so loved the world that you gave your only begotten Son that any who believe in Him will be saved. I believe and I pray that my faith will be visible to all. Amen.

December 28th — Feast of the Holy Innocents Devotion

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” Matthew 19:14

December 28th is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Some have called it the Good Friday of the Christmas season. When Herod realized that the wise men had failed to return, he was infuriated. He saw this new “king” as a threat to his throne and ordered the slaughter of all male children in the region under the age of two in order to eliminate that threat. December 28th commemorates the killing of those innocents. In a season that celebrates Jesus as the light of the world, this story reminds us of just how dark the world he came into was, and still is.

In earlier times, this festival was known as Childermass (England) or Kindermass (Germany), and there was a tradition of setting the day apart to remember children. Some countries held parties for the youngsters. In England, children were given a special blessing and took on special roles at church. In Germany, children would go about the neighborhood with switches, demanding small gifts. In Belgium, children were given all the keys to their homes, and allowed to lock unsuspecting adults into a room or closet until they paid the ransom — an orange, sweets, or a toy.

For churches, Holy Innocents Day was a time to remember newly baptized infants, and also a time to mourn all the innocent deaths of the past year.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

Question for reflection: How can I participate in nurturing the young children in my church and family?

Activities for the Day:

Read the story of the Holy Innocents in the book of Matthew 2:13-16.

Pray for youngsters in your church family.

If you have children, have a party with special games and snacks.

Contribute to a cause that benefits children such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Prayer for the Day: Almighty God, we are overwhelmed by the news of massacres and wars. We are repelled by the images of the dead, especially those of children. We also live in a time when millions of children being knit in their mother’s wombs are being destroyed in the name of “choice.” We ask, Father, that we be given a heart for those children and give us, too the strength to work for an end to this horror. Amen.

Persevering Mentally

“You are not the only one with wandering thoughts. Our mind is extremely roving; but as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to God, as their last end.”

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

I don’t know about you, but my thoughts can quickly take me to bad places. I start worrying and fretting about what might or might not happen; I dwell on how someone has injured me; I allow myself to indulge in sinful fantasies. Although we try to tell ourselves that such things are not really sinful, because they are not actions, this isn’t what Jesus teaches. In chapter 5 of the book of Matthew He says:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. ’But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” Matt. 5:21-22

and:

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. ’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matt. 5:27-29

It’s obvious that thoughts count. Why? Well, in many cases, sinful thoughts lead to sinful actions. They destroy our joy and our peace. They distract us from focusing on Christ. And unfortunately, because of original sin, they are our default setting.

So, what’s the remedy? How do we counteract our unruly mind? What helps us to persevere in righteous thinking?

“…. whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

For more posts about our attitude see:

The Attitude of This Saint

Please Sorry Thanks by Mark Batterson — Book Review

Which One Are You?

More About the Invocation

This continues the post from yesterday, with the following quotation from A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church by T. Maschke.

“At the Invocation the members of the congregation may make the sign of the cross on themselves, a sign first placed on each gathered guest at the time of his or her Baptism. The Invocation reminds us that only through faith can we come into God’s house and approach God’s heavenly throne. We invoke God only because we have been made one of God’s gathered guests through the water of Baptism. The sign of the cross is also a physical action that draws the whole self into the act of worship…..

As the Invocation is said, recall your Baptism and the fact that through Baptism you are a ‘holy priest’ and a child of God (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 2:9). Some Lutheran congregations have moved their baptismal fonts to the entrance of the sanctuary, which has encouraged worshipers to recall their Baptism.”

Does knowing that you are a child of God encourage you to persevere? It should. No matter what happens, God is with you, and He has a plan for you. All the promises in the Bible are yours, made by the best promise keeper there is. The race may include difficulties and pain, but the end is certain. Just keep going.

For more about baptism see these posts:

United with Christ in our Baptism

What Happens in Baptism?

What Makes Baptism Effective?

The Humbling of Peter

Peter seems to have been a pretty confident guy, sometimes downright cocky! He doesn’t hesitate to leave his fishing business when Jesus says, “follow Me” (Matthew 4:18); he was first to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8:29); he was even willing to walk on water, if Jesus was there with him (Matthew 14:29)! At the last supper, when Jesus predicts His arrest and crucifixion, Peter declares:

“Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You. “Matthew 26:35

Peter was sure of his beliefs and positive that he could follow through on them. He was relying on himself and his ability to stand firm. Of course, we know what happens. Peter does deny Christ. In fact, he denies Him three times! We read about this in the book of Luke:

“And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:58-62

It’s not hard to imagine how Peter felt — shamed, upset, humiliated. He couldn’t live up to his promises. He wasn’t as brave, as resourceful, as committed as he imagined. He was a sinful man, and sometimes that sin got the better of him.

It happens to all of us. However, we should remember that the glance of Christ was not condemning, but loving. He knows our weakness, and we need to admit it, too. Our confidence should be in Him, not in ourselves. Peter learned to be humble, and so must we.

For more posts about Peter see:

2 Peter Chapter 2 — What Stands Out?

1 Peter Chapter 3–What Stands Out?

It’s Not too Late …. Yet

“And rend your heart and not your garments.
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.” Joel 2:13

There is a response in our weekly Lenten services that is based on this verse from the book of Joel. Lent is to be a time of examination, reflection, and discipline. It’s not unusual for any of us to drift away from these things, as the world is always with us, and always a distraction. Here Joel reminds us that what God requires is (once again) an open heart. True piety is not about an outward appearance of holy behavior — it’s about a change in the way we think, believe and act.

It also tells us, that it is not too late to repent and change. God will not reject us for our failures if we willingly repent and turn away from evil. Think of the loving Father in the parable of the prodigal son — God is waiting to welcome us back.

However, there is another parable in the book of Matthew. It speaks of the wise and foolish virgins and being ready for the Bridegroom. Those who were foolish slept during the time of waiting, and didn’t have oil for their lamps. Afterwards, they were not admitted to the feast. At some point it will be too late. As the parable warns,

““Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Matthew 25:13

We do not know when we will die, and we don’t know when Christ will come again. I pray that each of us will use our time wisely, particularly during this season of Lent. The best time to return to God is NOW.

For more posts about an open heart see:

A Heart Open to Joy

An Open Heart

Open Your Heart to True Piety

You’re Not a Bystander

A sermon I heard recently included a short anecdote. The church was having a Christmas play. One little girl went home and in excitement told her parents that she was given a part to play. She couldn’t remember the name of the person she was to portray, but she knew it started with the letter “B”. The family wracked their brains trying to figure out what role their daughter was to play. Finally, on the evening of the performance, as they perused the bulletin, they realized that she was simply a “bystander.”

The point of the sermon was this: none of us are bystanders in the Christmas story. Why? Because the story is still going on. The Bible is one long divine drama, and each one of us is important. We may not be a star, but we have a role to play. Our part could be to support or serve in a quiet capacity. Our gift might be encouragement or mercy. We may not touch millions of lives, but we will touch some. And each one is loved by God.

In the book of Ephesians, we read:

““For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Isn’t that an amazing thought? Before we were even born, God was arranging our character, our environment and our abilities. He had plans for us, and those plans did not include simply standing by. We are to get involved, to get our hands dirty, to serve others and play our part. We may never be recognized with awards or fame, but we’ll receive something even better. We’ll feel God’s pleasure and when the time is right, we’ll hear these words:

“‘Well done, good and faithful servant! … Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Matthew 25:23

For more about using your gifts see these posts:

A Quote about a Favorite Topic — Spiritual Gifts

What are the Spiritual Gifts?

Serving God with Your Gifts

A Man with a Message

A recent sermon at our church was based on this gospel reading:

“As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no on greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:2-11

John the Baptist was the last prophet, and it had been 400 years since a prophet (probably Malachi) had spoken to Israel. No wonder people were lining up to hear him! He was a man with a message, and that message was simple: Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand! It wasn’t a gospel message, because it wasn’t good news. It was a warning, a call to change before it was too late.

John came to prepare the way for Jesus, and a new covenant. He probably didn’t understand what that meant. Like others of that time and place, he might have been expecting Jesus to defeat the Romans, to turn Israel into a world power. We just don’t know. What we do know is that John couldn’t keep quiet. He was the sort of person who would obey God and speak the truth, no matter what it cost. In the end, it cost him his life, but he continued to be faithful to his call.

What a good example to contemplate during Advent. We know much more about the truth than John did. We have the New Testament, and the church to instruct us. He saw a glimpse of what was coming, but we have the full story.

Have you told this story to anyone recently? If not, why not? The best time to do it is now.

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 1 Corinthians 6:2

For more about John the Baptist, see these posts:

The Kingdom of God

I Must Decrease

Following the Lamb of God

A Quote by Erma Bombeck

I came across this quote in a book I’ve been reading about the writing life. It reminds me of the parable of the talents in the book of Matthew. The point is to be truly committed to using your God-given gifts to the best of your ability. The reward will be to hear the words, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:23

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me.”

Erma Bombeck

For more about our gifts and talents see these posts:

Spiritual Gifts from the Holy Spirit

What are the Spiritual Gifts?

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts