December 5, 2025 - The Way I See the World

 The Way I See the World

By: Lori Wheeler

Friday, December 5, 2025

Before moving to West Plains after retiring from teaching, my husband and I lived deep in the Mark Twain National Forest. We raised our children there, surrounded by nature’s quiet rhythms for nearly 25 years. I absolutely loved it. With windows on every side of the house, and hardly a curtain in sight, I could look out and see God’s creation from every room. I prayed out loud, walked in the woods, and felt so close to Him there.

Now I live in a neighborhood where dogs bark and cars sometimes race by, but I’ve met so many people and heard so many stories. I have heard and become connected to the stories people share, stories of life, love, and sometimes despair and hardship. And in all of it, God is here too. I still spend time in my garden, talk to my flowers, and appreciate the world He created. But as I prepare for this season, readying my home in remembrance of the One who has already come and will come again, I’m reminded of a spring morning in 2013.

I was cleaning the house when I heard a strange clicking sound. I went to the window, but even the dogs hadn’t barked, so I went on with my cleaning. However, throughout the day, the same sound returned. Eventually I noticed a cardinal perched on a branch near the deck and every time I looked out, there he was. Early the next morning, it happened again. This time, I grabbed my coffee, pulled up a chair at the dining room table, and decided to watch.

It was the same cardinal, and now he had my full attention. But I couldn’t understand his behavior. For days, he returned. I tried everything to distract him. I even tried placing a fake snake on the canopy, but he was determined. About two days in, I realized something else, a female cardinal sat quietly on a branch just inside the woods, watching him. All day, from sunup to sundown, he slammed himself into my six-foot window and she never moved from her spot.

I even prayed for God to help this little bird.

Finally, I stepped outside to where he was. When I turned back toward the house, I saw it, and my heart sank. The window reflected the woods. From the cardinal’s point of view, he wasn’t attacking glass. He was trying to fly into the very world he was made to live in. He was doing what he believed he was called to do, to prepare a safe place for his family. All he needed to do was turn around and fly a different direction. But he never did. Eventually, he died trying to do the right thing, but in the wrong way because he never realized he could change his approach.

Another male cardinal had been waiting nearby, and after the first one died, he stepped in and cared for the faithful female who had been watching all along. They went on to raise a cardinal family that summer.

God reveals Himself to us in so many ways through His creation, often offering insight into things that feel difficult for us to grasp. As we enter this Advent season in 2025, we once again find ourselves in a time of holy waiting. We prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ, yet we also hold close the promise that He will come again, not as a child in a manger, nor as the suffering servant on the cross, but as our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

As a church family, we know what it feels like to struggle. In many ways, we are like that determined little cardinal, we often work with sincere hearts but limited perspective. We extend invitations, we gather food and ensure it reaches those who need it, we prepare our spaces so that anyone who enters feels welcomed, valued, and cared for. Sometimes people return; sometimes they do not. And yet, people are fed, hearts are touched, and God sees the faithfulness behind every act of service.

But when we look back to the church described in Acts, we see a community built not on programs or attendance, but on relationships. This church example was grounded in deep, spirit-filled relationships rooted in shared meals, shared worship, and shared life. Relationships with Christ at the center, where Jesus moved among the people and met each one right where they were. That kind of community reached far beyond walls and gathered many into God’s family.

We have been commissioned to go, and sometimes that calling will take shapes that look different from what we’ve known before. So how do we remain faithful to that mission during this in-between time, this time between Christ’s humble arrival in Bethlehem and His promised return as King of Kings? The world is watching, longing for hope, and waiting for the Church to lead with grace and courage. 

It may require new eyes, new approaches, and a willingness to let the Holy Spirit guide us in ways that stretch us beyond what we have always done and known. Beyond what may be comfortable. Advent invites us to pause, to listen, and to ask whether we are walking in the direction God is calling us. 

May God change how we see the world as he opens our eyes and our hearts this Advent season, that we may see what He sees, hear what He is asking, and faithfully serve Him as we wait with hope.

God of hope, who brought love into this world,

be the love that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world,

be the peace that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought joy into this world,

be the joy that dwells between us.

God of hope, the rock we stand upon,

be the centre, the focus of our lives

always, and particularly this Advent time.

Amen

Prayers for Advent - FaithAndWorship.com

December 4, 2025 - Pure Praise

Pure Praise

By: Geoff Posegate

Thursday, December 4, 2025

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

I first heard the words of Isaiah 9:1-7 in a performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.”  I was a child at the time.  Since then, I’ve been a part of any number of studies and classes dissecting these verses and promoting multiple theories about them.  Some say the words went to parchment before or during the fall of Jerusalem.  Others believe they emerged during the subsequent exile of many of the residents of Judah, or even after that.  There are those who say this poetry is about the specific continuation of the lineage of Israel’s great King David, while others say this section is a prophecy about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth specifically.  Regardless of how I’ve seen it picked apart in six decades, I still look at the words and I hear Handel’s grand musical proclamation from 1741.

Beyond the contextual details, I believe these words evoke praise.  (Personally, I think this was Handel’s aim.)   Praise is about God; who God is and what God does.  Praise is not about how we benefit from God.  That’s thanksgiving, and it has its place.  Praise is purely an explosion of celebration of God for God’s own sake.   Praise is being captured by the One who is God-with-us (made real in Bethlehem’s stable) and being almost breathless in the presence of the One who continually makes all things new.

In Isaiah 9:1-7, I see a seven-fold template of praise.  Often, I use this flow; lingering for a bit on each element:

1. WONDERFUL:    Wonders happen in the presence of God in Christ Jesus.
2. COUNSELOR:  Wisdom resides in and proceeds from the heart of God.
3. MIGHTY:  God is a power that will not wane.
4. GOD:  God is the one whose very name is beyond the capacity of any human language to contain.
5. EVERYLASTING:  God cannot be bound even by the constraints of time.
6. FATHER:  God is beyond the very most loving parent we can imagine.
7. PRINCE OF PEACE:   God in Christ is the Lord of existence as it should be:  loving God and loving each other as God has loved us.

Try this for each of the remaining days of Advent.  Spend 3-5 minutes a day using the Isaiah 9:1-7 template.  Linger in praise of the One who has come into our midst in Bethlehem’s manger.

Please, Lord, join me on the road, enter into my closed room, and take my foolishness away. Open my mind and heart to the great mystery of your active presence in my life, and give me the courage to help others discover your presence in their lives. Amen. Henri Nouwen

December 3, 2025 - The Government will be on His Shoulders

 The Government Will Be on His Shoulders

By: Pastor Sean McIntyre

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV)

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan – 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

When reading one of the most famous passages not just in the bible, but ever penned in human history, it is hard to identify one thing to focus on. However, I’d be lying if I told you that in the midst of a hyper-political climate, I would be lying if I told you that the discussion of government in the midst of this proclamation capture my attention. And it undoubtedly would have caught the attention of the readers/hearers of this message from Isaiah as well, because in the entire Old Testament, this word is only used twice. And you just read both of them. (If you did not, go back to the top and actually read the scripture this time 😊). This word is used exclusively about the Messiah implying a sovereignty and rule that is political, spiritual and eternal. In other words, all power will be given to this Messiah who will usher in a new reign. This prophecy of Isaiah is given during the height of the Assyrian empire in the 8th century BC. The fragility of human rule was on full display. As they had seen human governments abuse power, harm people and only help themselves (sound familiar?) this image gives them certainty of a divinely established kingdom. 

All power and authority are given to this Messiah. A leader more gifted and qualified than ever before. A rule more powerful than any before. A reign that will never end. A dominion over all of creation. But how did the Messiah choose to use this power? The text actually gives us a hint. It says that the “government will be on his shoulders.” And I can’t help but picture the Messiah, Jesus, carrying the cross on his shoulders. The Ruler of the most powerful Kingdom uses his power to serve. While we have used earthly power is used to keep people under our thumb, the new King uses power to uplift the lowly. 

“Of the greatness of his government there will be no end.” What does greatness look like according to this King? “establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness.”  

In all corners of our lives and the world we face rulers, regimes and principalities that promote all sorts of harmful rhetoric. There are no perfect companies, leaders, governments or churches because there are no perfect people. As the world suffers at the hands of those who choose to use their power for personal gain and/or the detriment of others, we must also confess that we too have perpetuated this type of perverted kingdom. 

During this season of waiting, may we anticipate the coming of a Kingdom defined by justice and righteousness by creating righteousness and justice in the world around us. Not by might or force, but the same way Jesus did: by carrying a cross; by lifting up the lowly; by having less so that others might have more; by living out the truth that the greatest among us shall be the servants. 

Lord Jesus,

We thank You for being the Light who breaks our darkness 

and the King whose power is carried on shoulders willing to bear a cross.

As we wait for Your kingdom of justice and righteousness, 

shape us to follow Your way—

serving others, lifting the lowly, and living as people of Your peace. 

Let Your reign begin in us today.

Amen.

December 2, 2025 - Imagine

 Imagine!

by: Bambi Wheeler

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Imagine living in Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth:

• Your king is Herod, and he was appointed “King of the Jews,” but only as a political ploy. When it benefited him, he would lean on his Jewish heritage, but his loyalty was to Caesar and not God. He was a powerful man, but he was ruled by paranoia, insecurity, and a hunger for greatness.
• You have the Temple to worship in, but even that has been defiled by Herod and his ambition. He is determined to make it the biggest, best, and most beautiful temple in all of history. It’s a sight to behold, for sure, with all its marble and golden splendor. But it’s not God’s design, and it’s quickly become known as “Herod’s Temple,” not God’s.
• Although you are living in the land God promised your people, you’re not really free.  Everything you “own” actually belongs to Rome, and they can take it from you whenever they want. You’re a resident in the land, but you’re not a citizen.
• It is becoming increasingly difficult to feed your family. You are taxed at every turn. You have Caesar’s tax, Herod’s tax, and the Temple tax. It feels like there will be a breaking point when it finally becomes too expensive to simply live.

The world feels dark and heavy, and it almost feels foolish to expect that anything better could be coming. And yet, you cling to the hope of these words from the prophet Isaiah:

The people who walk in darkness 

    will see a great light. 

For those who live in a land of deep

    darkness, a light will shine.”

A light will shine, but when? And then, behold! Good news brought great joy to all people, and a baby was born in Bethlehem: the Messiah, the Lord. And the words of Isaiah rang true:

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Finally, the Messiah has come, but it doesn’t look anything like you imagined it would. Rome is still ruling over Israel, taxes are still real, and there is religious and political turmoil at every turn. And yet, you have this unexplained feeling of peace, because His arrival changed the way you live in expectation. You suddenly have the ability to look for light, even in the midst of darkness.

And that is what we get to celebrate now as we enter this Advent season. We celebrate this way of living in expectation. And when I say “Advent season,” I really don’t mean Christmas, though I DO love all things Christmas: the decorations, the lights, the cookies (oh my gosh… ALL the cookies), the music (yes, I really do enjoy it, and it really is okay if you want to start playing it in November), the whole shebang. But this “Christmas cheer” that I enjoy so much is fleeting. It’s here for a month, or maybe two if I can convince the grinches in my life to let me bask in it before Thanksgiving, but then it’s all neatly packed away for another year.

But living in expectation shouldn’t be fleeting or based on warm and fuzzy feelings associated with garland and twinkling lights. Our hope rests in something so much deeper. His birth was His first coming, and He will come again. That kind of expectation isn’t something I pull out for a season and put away in a storage bin. It’s the posture I’m invited to live in every single day.

So if we are meant to live with this posture of expectation all year long, what does that actually look like? What should we be doing while we wait?

Well, first I want to share what I shouldn’t be doing, and because I find lists exceedingly helpful, I will provide one:

• I should NOT be predicting the rapture. If Jesus didn’t know the time, then friends, neither do we. I have lived through a minimum of five highly publicized non-raptures, and each one is more bizarre than the last. In the one where we were all supposedly left behind in September, I saw a post from an influencer who had received a private message from a lady who was planning on being raptured and needed someone to take care of her dog when she was gone. Because of this influencer’s lifestyle, she was fairly certain he’d be left behind, but he did love animals, and she felt like he’d be qualified to take good care of her dog. His response was, “What?! Am I not invited to heaven?!” While we are waiting on Jesus, let’s maybe not try to schedule His arrival, and let’s not leave a single living soul off the invite list. Let’s NOT do that.
• I should NOT be running around screaming “the sky is falling!” and causing general panic. Are we living in the end times? God only knows. Are things not great right now? No, they really aren’t. Is this season of life the worst it’s ever been? Check out the beginning of this post and you’ll see that it’s probably not. 
• I should NOT be turning on my neighbors. We certainly have different ways of interpreting Scripture, responding to tragedies, and dealing with difficult times, but when we vilify our brothers and sisters, we are in complete opposition to Scripture. Since we don’t have Paul here to write us a new letter telling us to pull it together, we might need to lean a little more heavily on the ones we already have.

So what should we be doing while we wait? Be a friend to those who need it. Lend a hand when we can, but never make someone feel like they owe you for doing them a favor. Share His love in real and tangible ways. Be His hands and feet while you’re here on this earth. His first coming showed us how to love, and the time we have while waiting for His second coming gives us the chance to demonstrate that love to a lost and broken world.

God of promise,

waiting is hard, but I know You are near.

Shape my heart to see Your blessings in the in-between,

and give me patience to welcome Your light when it comes.

Amen

December 1, 2025 - Unto Us a Child is Born

Unto Us a Child is Born 

By: Rebecca Pruett

Monday, December 1, 2025

My fifteen year old daughter was telling me a story about another student in her class who is being raised by her grandparents, who are in their late 50s. The student told my daughter how “old” they were, and my daughter looked at her in shock since her own parents are in their early 50s! And that made me stop and think back to when my own children were born.

I had actually given up hope that I would ever have children. I was in my mid-30s and unmarried; it seemed unlikely that I would ever have children. And as much as I longed for children, God did not seem to be making a way for me.

I was missing out on all the child-like wonder of the world. I longed to cuddle a small baby, take a walk with a toddler, discover the excitement of learning to read with a 5 year old, teach a ten year old how to cook, teach a fifteen year old how to drive, watch an adult child get married, and cuddle my first grandchild. I wondered who would look out for me when I became older. Would I sit alone, wishing for someone to visit me?

And then something surprising happened. God showed me a wonderful man, who had been nearby all along. We married and I was content with where I was and who I was sharing a life with.

And then (I know this is not surprising to anyone but me), we discovered I was pregnant! And all those dreams I had hoped for with a new baby all began to come true! I cuddled a sweet little baby, and then a second. I took (short) walks with toddlers. We discovered the excitement of putting letters together to make words and words together to make stories. We started school. We learned to cook together. And now we are learning to drive.

God granted the deepest desire of my heart, not in my time, but in His time. And His timing was perfect!

God didn’t just do this for me. He granted the deepest desire of His people’s hearts. He  did this for Israel and in so doing, also blessed the entire world! Isaiah 9:2 says, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

I really did feel like I was in darkness. The hope I had for a husband and children did not seem very close. And for the Israelites, hope did not seem very close either.

But then Isaiah 9:3 says, “You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.” And I really did rejoice! My children really are my harvest! (Ok, don’t tell my children that they are the spoil! They might decide to take advantage of me!)

And then Isaiah 9:6 points this out:

“For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

    and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

    there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

    to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

    from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Did you notice that last line? “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” “Zeal” is another way to say “eager, enthusiastic interest”. I love my children and when I am not totally exhausted, I certainly have “zeal” and “enthusiastic interest” in them. But this is NOTHING compared to the enthusiastic interest God has for us. His zeal and enthusiastic interest resulted in Him sending His own Son as a baby to us - His Son who is our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace!

One of my favorite expressions of this shows up in Handel’s Messiah. Talk about zeal! This excitement shows up in echoing lines in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass lines along with the underlying orchestra parts! Make sure you play this at full volume!!!  

Lord, thank You for Your amazing gift – the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace! Thank you for loving us so much that You planned this before the foundation of the earth. Hundreds of years in advance, You put all the pieces in place – pieces we had no idea would fit together and they did! They fit together just like You planned and You prepared the way for Your perfect salvation for us! Thank you for your gift, Your Son, who came to earth as a baby, experienced the world the way we did, was the sacrifice for our sins, and then rose again. Help us to remember and appreciate the Gift You have given us and point us to You in this season. In Jesus’ precious Name, Amen.

November 30, 2025 - Shine

Shine

by Carol Powell

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-5

I wiped the sweat off my neck and struggled to catch my breath as I completed my workout. So frustrating! I used to do this with ease, but now my joints complain, my back hurts. How did I get old so fast? Why do I seem to dwell more on memories than than what will be? Thoughts randomly flit through my head: an old friend long gone, something my mother told me, something I wish I had done better, an action I wish I could take back. I rarely look forward, only behind.

I glance at the scripture I was reading earlier from Isaiah 60:

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people’s, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you

My LIGHT has come?? I’m nearly 74 years old. Not shining so much anymore. I indulged myself with these kinds of thoughts a bit longer. After all, I’m much closer to the end of my life than the beginning. And that’s when He spoke up. Or maybe that’s when I paused enough to hear his voice:

Why would I send you a second chance at love at 67 years old if your light couldn’t shine? Why would I give you experience and wisdom to lead a Bible study in your seventies, or find new ways to serve the church if your flame was extinguished? With whom have you shared a prayer, or a recipe, or given comfort to just in this past week?

Joy of Aging by Joanne Turney

And just like that, my God reminded me that while I might not move as quickly or accomplish things as easily, I am still His, and I am still “fearfully and wonderfully made” for those things He calls me to do at this stage in my life. I can still lead, I can still learn, I can still listen and follow His will. I can still love deeply, gasp in awe at the beauty of the world and its creatures. I can cry at yet another glorious Christmas cantata, smile at the wonder on a child’s face as she marvels at the glow of holiday lights. There is a light within all of us, young and old, that God has placed there so that we shine for the world. We are called to carry this light-the light of Christ-to the very end of our days. And if we’ve done it right, His light will continue to shine, long after we are gone. 

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. 

We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day, 

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. 

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. 

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. 

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.
To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!'
Amen.

- Henri J.M. Nouwen

November 27, 2025 - In Your Light We See Light

In Your Light We See Light

by: Brian Groe

November 27, 2025

 

                         How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

                             People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

                         They feast on the abundance of your house;

                             you give them drink from your river of delights.

                         For with you is the fountain of life;

                             in your light we see light. - Psalm 36:7-9

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the time of year that we all pause to give thanks for the many blessings that God bestows on us every day!  

How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!  This is the truth that we can rest upon.  Even in difficult times when we focus on this truth, we can rest assured that God is working. People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  They feast on the abundance of Your house. 

God's unfailing love and provision is the light by which we see the light of God working in all of our daily lives.  For with [God] is the fountain of life.  God is the source of all that we need, and He abundantly provides for us every day!

We are once again entering that season of Advent.  That time of anticipation of the coming of Christmas, and the patient waiting for Christ to return again.  I pray that this Thanksgiving finds you full of God's love and overflowing with thankfulness.

Over the last 3 years we have done a daily devotion and blog during Advent written by various members of the congregation.  You can see by the map below just how far our blog has reached around the world!  It is amazing that our little church can reach so far, and have such an influence on so many people.    

This year we will do our blog/devotion again.  I hope that you all enjoy these devotions as various members of the congregation share their memories, hopes and thoughts about the scriptures of Christmas.

I hope that you will feel free to comment on these posts, asking questions, or sharing your own memories or thoughts.  We look forward to hearing from all of you!

Salvation is Created is a beautiful choral piece written by Pavel Chesnokov.  I hope you enjoy this recording of this wonderful piece.  For those of you that don't speak Russian, the text is based on  Psalm 74:12 - 

"Salvation is created, in the midst of the earth, O God, O our God. Alleluia".

Lord Jesus,

Free me from the many things that occupy and preoccupy me. 

Help me just to be with you. 

To pray with you, glorify you, thank you, worship you. 

I want to be attentive, more ready to hear you, 

more willing to understand the mystery of your birth and life, 

your dying and your rising. 

Make me still, Lord, make me quiet, and speak to me in that silence.

Amen.

Henri Nouwen