November 29, 2016 by lscholl

Advent Day 3: Dinner party

The feeding of the 5,000 is one of my favorite miracle stories. It’s not just because of the magnitude of the miracle, turning five small loaves and two small fish into a meal for 5,000 plus individuals. It’s not just because of the way Jesus knows what he’s going to do, and the disciples are (again!) surprised. I think, at its heart, it’s because Jesus is taking care of the basic needs of his followers.

It’s not extra stuff—not fancy wine at the end of a wedding. It’s not showy stuff—not bringing someone back from the dead. It’s not even desperate stuff—it’s not people in their greatest need, no sick children, no blindness, no insanity. It’s just plain, old, ordinary supper.

Even I can throw a dinner party!

It shows that Jesus cares even about the things that we take for granted every day. Jesus cares that we are fed. Safe. Secure. Warm.

Which means that we should care that people are fed. Safe. Secure. Warm. We should care about the gentleman standing on the corner with a sign. Has he had a meal today? Is he overheated in the sun? Is he warm enough? Has anyone noticed that he’s a human being today?

TODAY’S ADVENT ACTION: Feed someone today, whether it be through a homeless shelter or taking a meal to a neighbor. Help someone meet their basic needs. It’s also Giving Tuesday, so you can give a donation to your favorite shelter. How about Crises Control Ministry?

November 28, 2016 by lscholl

Advent Day 2: Bullies

Read Matthew 2:1-13.

Here’s what bullies do:

They control and dominate.
They are quick-tempered and impulsive.
They take pleasure in seeing people in distress.
They blame the target, saying they “got what they deserved.”
They are intolerant of differences.

Jesus was born into a kingdom with a bully for a king. Herod was such a big ol’ bully that he ordered the death of all the boy children born in Israel during Jesus’ time.

Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life was also a bully. He saw a weakness in George and took advantage of it.

The opposite of bullies are allies. Allies believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Allies confront their own prejudices and biases. Allies listen with an open minds and do not make assumptions about others. Allies defend others against discrimination, and stand up when someone makes derogatory comments about people based on race, class, gender orientation, and sexual orientation.

TODAY’S ADVENT ACTION: Notice your reading list today—is it made up of cisgender, male, white people with privilege? For today, seek out a articles written from a perspective of oppressed peoples: LGBTQ, Muslim, refugees, and/or people of color. A good starting place is HuffingtonPost Black Voices, Latino Voices, and Queer Voices. I’ve been enjoying the writing of Starlette McNeil for a fresh voice in Baptist life. Who are some writers you’ve enjoyed?

ADVANCED ACTION: Only read sources from marginalized groups for an extended period of time. Two authors tell stories of having read people of color almost exclusively: Sunili Govinnage and Victoria Law.

November 27, 2016 by lscholl

Advent Day 1: Expectation

Advent is the season of expectation,
of waiting,
of seeking the light that is going to break into the world on Christmas morning,
in the shape of a little tiny, brown baby, born into poverty,
to a people without political power,
to a mother who is unmarried,
a father who is absent throughout his life,
during a time when the king of the people
has a deep, abiding paranoia.

Advent is the season of expectation.
that God is going to break into the world,
turn power structures upside down,
change our lives,
change our hearts,
and help us to love one another better.

Read John 1:1-5.

The God child will enter into the world—a world full of oppression—not to shiny Christmas carols, lighted houses, and big sales. Instead, the God child will enter into a world of religious registries, government-led genocides, a world too unsafe to survive.

At every turn, the family of the God child has to resist. Joseph resists family pressures by not “putting away” Mary. Elizabeth resists societal norms by celebrating with the unmarried mother. The young family resists the genocide by emigrating to Egypt.

So how do we resist those same forces? How shall we resist white nationalists striving to “make America great again?” How shall we resist governmental positions sold to the highest bidder? How shall we resist brutality, hate speech, and the loss of rights, so hard won so short a time ago, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters?

We shall do it in small acts of resistance. We’ll visualize world peace. We’ll read poetry. We’ll call our legislators. We’ll wear safety pins. We’ll fund organizations who are resisting. We’ll gather together to celebrate God’s goodness. We’ll work to make the way straight for this little baby Jesus.

TODAY’S ADVENT ACTION: Grab a picture of light entering into the world. Think about it in terms of good breaking into the world. Visualize the light entering into your heart and the hearts of others.

Wake Forest Baptist Church