Monday
November 29, 2010
Peter sings, “A star to guide you”
Abram was the Donald Trump of his day. Genesis 13:2 says, 2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
The only problem in Abram’s mind was that he didn’t have an “apprentice” namely, a son, an heir to inherit the family business. So, once again he was singing the blues and complaining that everything would be grand if he only had a son when God dropped by for a visit in a vision. Here’s how Genesis 15 tells the story,
2But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." 4But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." 5He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
This my friends was the beginning of the Original Stars and Promises Tour!
Now here’s the deal. Abram and his wife were old. They had their AARP cards (Association of Aramean Retired People). They used them to get discounts on tent supplies, sheep dip and bbq sauce. But, God kept promising that they would have a child together. This promise backed up with the collateral of constellations of stars seemed like great foolishness. But, someway, somehow they believed (after laughing about it on numerous occasions). They laughed so hard they had to get elastic bandages to wrap their ribs which hurt from laughing, chuckling, guffawing and giggling again and again at the prospect of becoming parents at 100 (Abe) and Sarai (90). But, that’s what happened.
And they named their son “Chuckles” or in Hebrew Isaac which means, “laughter.” You can read all about it in Genesis 21. One thing to remember about the comedy of the Gospel is that God often has the last laugh!
Peter sings, “A star to guide you”
Here we are many years later. We don’t live in the fertile crescent. Nor do we often sleep under the stars. However, every once in a while we catch a glimpse like those stargazers did 2,000 years ago. It might just be for a split second or moment in time. We get the sense that God is up to something new when we become of aware of astrological “post-it” notes across the sky.
Peter sings, “A star to guide you”
A question for you today is this, “where are you being led?” As part of “the story of Christmas” how are you following the star? Think of Advent as a time of holy mapquesting, there is “a star to guide you.”
It’s exciting isn’t it?
Joyfully,
Rtg
PS the Star at the top of the devo is a “recycled” star. It was made at Camp Arcadia
http://camp-arcadia.com/ God continually “recycles” so called “junk” to make new and remarkable things. The “theological” term for this righteous recycling is REDEMPTION
This past summer Peter and I presented God Standard or Gold Standard: Studies in Proverbs. You can learn more about that Bible study by check out
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?clsid=197636&productgroupid=0&isbn=0806696001
In 2011 Peter and I will be at Camp Arcadia from July 9-16. Our theme for 2011 is
Passages4Passages
The Story of Christmas
by Peter Mayer
New colors dancing on evergreen branches
You feel a change in the wind
Brings new light to your eyes once again
A year full of meanwhiles, hard times, good smiles
Suddenly the yuletide is near
Creeps in quietly, soon undeniably catches your heart
You’re part of the story of Christmas
Chorus
Joyful day
A star to guide you, a song to remind you
The Joy will stay
Long past the turn of the page
In the story of Christmas
Ribbons and strings, cold frozen streams
Forgotten dreams running wild
When every Mother and Father is a child
The song of an angel, good cheer to a stranger
The ones you’ve known all the way
Coming back to the heart of the matter to scatter the whistles and
bells
You’re telling the story of Christmas
Chorus
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