Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2025

Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. James 5:7 

Reading this bible verse gives reflection to “what is patience and perseverance?” Here’s some examples: living through a pandemic, experiencing childbirth, living with a long-term illness, being unemployed with no one calling, and the constancy of troubling world events.

Each day we are confronted with life events that truly weigh heavily on our hearts and our spirit.  Those events can cause emotions like fear and anxiety.  As Christians we know that we are to remain faithful and not succumb to fear.   When you live through a pandemic, you learn the importance of resilience.  While in the gestation period of childbirth, you await the miracle of a new life.  As you live with a long-term illness, you learn to accept the things you cannot change and resolve to live through the circumstances.  When unemployed and no one is calling, you learn to self-motivate and self-educate in order to remain encouraged and relevant.  When confronted with the non-stop barrage of troubling world events, you lean on your faith.  

In all situations, faith is what allows you to be patient.  Matthew 21:22 reads “and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”   Hebrews 11:1 reads “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Faith is what gives us confidence in things we do not fully understand yet we live with assurance.  Faith gives us the courage to keep believing and moving forward even during life’s difficulties.  As James 5:7 reminds us, “be patient” because through all of this, our Lord is in control and will return in his time.  Be reminded of his time as described in 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  

God of all creation, give us both the patience and faith of the farmer in James 5:7, especially in challenging times. Remind us that through it all, you are in control. Amen.

Charmaine R. Maddrey-Smith is the Director of Training and Leadership Development for Liberty Lutheran.

Friday, December 12, 2025

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you!

Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

In this verse, Ruth is speaking to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who had moved to a new land and then lost her husband and sons. Facing this new reality, Naomi tells Ruth to go back to her people so she can have a chance at a new life. This is Ruth’s response, she refuses to turn her back and chooses to stay. 

When it feels like the world is crashing down around us, it can be difficult to feel that there is hope. At times it can seem kinder to push people away so they don’t need to share in our heaviness. It is in these times that we can often feel the love of God through those that surround us.  

In this time of Advent, reflect on who has been a loving presence in your life or who you’ve made the decision to stand beside. When we are struggling to feel God’s love or to understand why life’s twists and turns are happening, take a moment to look into the faces of the people in our lives who show up. 

There are the big, life-changing moments that can be seen and acknowledged and there are quiet struggles that can be overlooked or brushed over but can be so tough to carry every day. In our daily lives we are faced with the decisions of how to be present with those around us, what are you choosing to do today?

Make the phone call, bring the cookies, show up at the performance, send a silly card, have the conversation, listen – do the things you think about but may not always make the time in your schedule to do. You may never know the impact that a gesture, big or small, can have on someone. 

It can be hard. Allow others to stand by you. Be there. 

Dear Lord, As I reflect on my relationships during this Advent season, open my heart and mind to ways that I can support those around me. Help me to be a source of light, love and comfort. And when I am the one in need of your loving embrace, allow me to see the countless blessings all around me in the form of those who show up. Amen.

Sharon Schmidt is an employee at The Manor at Yorktown

Thursday, December 11, 2025

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you!

Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

Ruth was a Moabite, an outsider to the Hebrew people.  And yet, she commits herself to following her relative, Naomi, to Israel and becoming a follower of God.  This incredible act of trust brings blessings not just to her and her family, but eventually the entire world as her great-grandson will be King David and her lineage will include Jesus.

Ruth’s story is one of an outsider, someone who should not be welcome according to tradition and culture, challenging division and being brought into a community.  In our lives, we are challenged to welcome outsiders and open ourselves to what they may bring to us.

The devil’s work in this world is often focused on dividing us, on setting us up against each other.  People “on the other side of the aisle” become our enemies, instead of our neighbors.  Yet scripture calls us to seek reconciliation, which transforms our relationships.  It doesn’t mean we simply give in, but it means we forge a new way of living together in community, and the Holy Spirit gives us strength to do this.

I spent time in South Dakota, with many Lakota people as my neighbors.  The racial divisions and historical tension runs deep in many places there, yet God was already at work.  I quickly learned a Lakota phrase, Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ, that can often be translated as “we are all one” or “all my relatives.”  In a Lakota congregation, this phrase was used as the “amen” at the end of prayers, reminding us all that God’s family is larger than any social or cultural divisions we may have in this world.

This Lakota congregation, Woyatan Lutheran Church, worked to make space for strangers, as Naomi and other welcomed Ruth into the land of Israel.  Facing some of the worst divisions I have encountered in the United States, this group of faithful people made space for outsiders, for those outside the Lakota people, to be part of their community.  In wonderful acts of trust and reconciliation, the Holy Spirit was forging new relationships.

In this Advent, let us remember that God makes a place for us, and the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to welcome strangers.  In this work, the love of Christ is embodied, as people are able to see the reality of Immanuel, that God-is-with-us, making us one.

Lord of all peoples and nations, of all tribes and cultures, of all times and places, come and be with us.  Break down divisions where they exist, and stir in us the compassion for others that you have for us.  Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ.

The Rev. Jonathan Steiner is associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, and serves on SEPA Synod Council.

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 

Years after the Flood and years after the collapsed Tower of Babel, God was in the midst of another “do-over”, choosing to work through an individual human and his family – Abram and Sarai – to renew and restore God’s relationship with humanity. Abram and Sarai were both quite old (as old as me!) when they left their country, their people, and all that was familiar to them to begin a journey. It is unclear what qualifications God looked for. Do you ever wonder how it came to be that God chose you and called you? In what ways was your response to God a brand new adventure of leaving behind to go forward?

God made wonderful promises to Abram of land, many descendants, and blessing to all the families of the earth through Abram and Sarai. What do you sense that God has promised you?

In truth, Abram wasn’t always “all in” as an unwavering believer. To save himself, he once shoved his wife into Pharaoh’s arms with the pretense that Sarai was his sister. (And this wouldn’t be the last time he used this ploy.) Thinking that God hadn’t studied the reproductive abilities of seniors, Abram suggested that his younger male slave Eliezer could be the first branch in that promised family ancestral tree. Sarai would also offer an alternative solution. Can you recall, admit, and now chuckle at some of your own missteps as you stepped forward bearing the name, spirit, and mission of Jesus Christ? Aren’t you glad that the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love? 

In Genesis 15:1-5 God offers Abram blessed words of reassurance. Where in your life do you need God to say, or to pass on through God’s human ministry partners and angelic messengers, “Don’t be afraid, I am your shield, your great reward.”?

The entire journey of Abram and Sarai to that first promised child would take a name change for each, plus twenty-five years of waiting and wondering in the midst of sore feet and long divine silences. And, after the birth of Isaac, there would be more challenging moments.  But, the fact that Abram (and Sarai) didn’t quit the journey along the way and didn’t give up on the vision, brought joy to God’s heart, as today’s Bible verse suggests. “The Lord reckoned it as righteousness.” Like Abram and Sarai in today’s verse, you are still in the midst of that journey. There are days, miles, and challenges ahead.  

Dear God, we are grateful that You have given us life and breathed into us your Spirit… that You have led, fed, and blessed us along the way… that You have pledged your love to us and called forth our hope, trust, and faith… and that You have promised us both a meaningful journey along the way and an unfailing treasure in heaven at the end of the journey. Help us to hold on just a little while longer.  We are ready to step forward again.  Amen.  

The Rev. Neil A. Bond is pastor at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, West Oak Lane, Philadelphia, PA

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

I will open rivers on the bare heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water. Isaiah 41: 18

Hope is expensive. Every day, images of war, disease and famine flood our screens. Disturbing stories of greed, lust, and hate cross our newsfeeds. Our energy is spent wading through the nastiness, searching for a drop of good news. Hope is unaffordable when our spirits are crushed in a sea of fear and desperation. 

Isaiah lived in Jerusalem during a time of fear and desperation. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrian army and Babylon had conquered and sacked Jerusalem and exiled the elite Jews. Heathens who didn’t believe in Israel’s God had destroyed the temple and scattered the people. God’s promised land seemed lost. Isaiah’s job was to relay the word of God, but in a time and place where the future was so terrifying, what could God possibly have to say to the people of Jerusalem? 

Isaiah is not terrified. Instead of fear, he offers a word of assurance to the people, despite the uncertain future ahead of them. God is not going to abandon God’s people. God will judge the conquerors and provide for Israel, God’s chosen. Isaiah reminds the people of God’s power and might. When there is desperation, God is still there, providing hope. 

Hope is expensive, but God pays the price. Fear has no power over God. Isaiah’s vision reminds us that we are a people of hope, no matter how bleak the circumstances. Living into the truth of God’s word means flooding peace, joy and love into a broken world. We trust that there is always something better coming, because God has promised us life with Jesus. And we know that God always keeps God’s promises. 

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of hope. When we are flooded with despair, remind us of Your light. When we can’t go any further, carry us home. When we feel lost and alone, remind us that we have each other, and You, to be our community. Give us the peace that only You can give. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Heidi Shilanskas is Director of Faith Formation and Discipleship, and MLK Day and GWOH Day Coordinator for LCS.

Monday, December 8, 2025

I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

This scripture tells the story of God’s promise to Noah after the flood. The world was washed clean. Noah and his family now had the opportunity to begin again. God showed them a new start, the rainbow. It was a sign. A beautiful message in the sky. Even more, it showed His love, mercy, and faithfulness to His people.

When we read the whole chapter, we see that God cares deeply for life. He blesses Noah and his family. The rainbow stands as a reminder that God is patient and that His heart toward us is peace.

For us today, the rainbow still speaks to us. The rainbow shows us that God’s love is greater than our worries and that His promises last forever. And just as the rainbow points to God’s covenant, it also points us to Jesus — the greatest sign of God’s love and grace.

So the next time we see a rainbow after the storm, may it remind us: God is faithful, He is with us, and His love never fails.

Thank you for the rainbow that reminds us of Your promise and Your love. When life feels hard or uncertain, help us to remember that You are always with us and that Your word never changes. May every rainbow remind us of Your peace and grace. Amen.

Rose Richardson is Executive Director of the West Philadelphia Senior Community Center, a life service ministry of Liberty Lutheran.

Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, 2025

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:10  

This verse of Isaiah is positioned between two sections of chapter 11.  The first part describes a shoot of Jesse growing from the roots of a stump.  Life shall spring forth from what appears dead and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon this person or “shoot” who will be an amazing combination of the Good Shepherd with the Mighty Counselor.

Then we arrive at verse 10, which transitions us to how this shoot of Jesse will be a signal to the nations, coming to establish love, peace, and justice to the earth – to all of humanity, the animals, and creation itself.  God will continue to redeem and claim, to call the remnants, the distanced, and the outcasts.   ALL people are called back to God no matter how unlikely or far off they may seem.  Hostility, jealousy, and division shall end too.  What a relief that must be! 

Today, we look around and see wars raging, violence in schools, and unease spreading.  Perhaps worse, we see envy, competition, and isolating, do-it-alone attitudes in our churches.  These words of Isaiah written thousands of years ago remind us that others have faced these same evil things.  It is hard to know if it is comforting to know we are not alone, or if it is profoundly discouraging, wrestling with the fact that violence has persisted for millennia.  For all our modern talk of progress, international interdependence, and so-called enlightenment, it does not sound like we have made much progress at all.  When will this signal finally ring in this new era of harmony? 

Jesus is our signal.  Jesus taught, healed, and loved in ways that showed a new way to live.  While violence did not cease as Jesus suffered a terrible death on the cross, death and violence did not have the last say.  Jesus did not lash out in retaliation; instead, the power of love lived into a resurrection dawn.  The Holy Spirit remains with us, empowering us to live in these new ways.  We, too, have the power to choose love over hate, kindness over greed, forgiveness over resentment.  We experience these Jesus-signals in the breaking of bread, in acts of kindness, in moments of reconciliation, and in so many other ways each day.  May this Advent season be a signal to live in the power of God’s unfailing love.

O God of all peoples, we long for your peace – both inside our souls and outside our homes.  Signal us to participate in your breathing of justice and love upon all nations, near and far, until we can live in harmony with you and one another.  Amen.

Deacon Kat Tigerman is Director of Evangelical Mission for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA.