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StoriesSaturday, December 19, 2009
Luke 1:5-25 Yesterday they just blared at me, but today I'm humming along with them. I got more rest last night. Tonight we go to O'Hare to pick up Andi and Aki for a week of family time. I am going to plug in the lights in our cupola so stars will shine from the top of our house. Sunday we get to cut a Christmas tree. The darkness of Advent is nearly over. If I close my eyes for just a few more days, and count to ten a few more times, and hold my breath ... well, I can't hold my breath that long ... when I open my eyes the light will be everywhere, and there will be a party in the stable, and singing, and sheep, and a new baby. So please enjoy the first part of this story, and let it begin to take you, in its echoes from the past, along a long and winding road to the end of the rainbow. 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 upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. 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. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." O God, be my rock and refuge and stronghold and safe place. You are my hope and I trust in you, I depend on you. Let me sing songs and tell stories of your marvelous justice and wondrous deeds. (Psalm 71) |
The stories in the first chapters of Luke and Matthew are all the Bible includes about Jesus' first days. They are great stories, and I love to read them during December. The snow is falling in multi-season Illinois, and Christmas music is ubiquitous. Not to say boring or distasteful. But we've all heard a lot of songs a lot of times.