Daily Devotional

During the holidays, St. Luke’s Children’s Centers have many activities planned for both staff, parents, and children. Specialevents start in November with our All-Family Thanksgiving dinner. We invite all the parents and children from our Children’sCenters to join us for a wonderful dinner prepared by our amazing kitchen staff. Our teachers serve our parents and children andthen have the opportunity to sit together and share fellowship that they are not able to have on a daily basis.

As we move into December, we start the month with our Christmas Sing…

The song, O Holy Night is the epitome of the Advent season, leading up to Christmas and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The words, taken from a poem written by Placide Cappeau, paint an intricate picture of that extraordinary night. Personally, when I hear this beautiful song, I am instantly transported through time.

It is a dark, serene evening in the Holy Land. Imagine a barren landscape that isn’t affected by the illumination of modern cities. If you have ever been able to escape large cities and have been given the gift to look up to the heavens and see the millions upon millions of stars in the sky, you can now picture the same imagery I see. The stars are shining brightly and Psalm 147:3 reminds us, He determines the number of the stars and calls them by name.

Like so many of us, I love the Christmas carol, O Holy Night. The music is beautiful, and the lyrics speak to me in a way that lifts my spirits and reminds me that at Christmas… hope appears when the Christ Child is born again in our hearts. One of my favorite lyrics from the song follows the line, Long lay the world in sin and error pining. The very next line is the answer to the world’s problems: Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Without the birth of Christ, our souls are weighted down by the human condition.  Paul sums up that condition when he says, “I can’t seem to do what I know to be right and I keep on doing the evil I know to be wrong.” But then Christ comes into the world reminding us that despite our sinful nature, we are still of great value to God…

In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. – John 1:4-5

2020 was a challenging year for so many reasons. Covid closed schools, businesses, and churches. Around the world, people isolated themselves. We began to work from home. We taught our children at home. We worshiped at home. As the Advent season approached, we knew we needed to prepare for our family of faith to be at home and not in person for worship. We wanted to have something special for this occasion, something that would help unite us and keep the hope of Christ alive in our homes. We created an Advent Wreath to distribute to our family of faith that year. It would be the light of these candles that would represent what connected us, while we were still isolated at home.

The Advent wreath is an ancient practice of the church…

As we navigate the busyness of the month of December, our calendars are often filled to the brim with events, gatherings, and to-do lists. Amid the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. In the midst of the whirlwind of activity, the timeless song O Holy Night offers us a moment of reflection.

This carol invites us to think about an ordinary night that became extraordinary because Jesus was born. It reminds us that, despite the chaos that often defines this season, the heart of Christmas lies in the simple yet wonderful message of Christ’s birth.

In the middle of our jam-packed schedules and endless errands, we can find a glimmer of hope…

Which person has spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to more people than anyone else in history? That’s hard to calculate. JohnWesley rode more than 250,000 miles on horseback. Billy Graham spoke to nearly 215 million people in 99 countries. What about…Elvis?

Oh c’mon. The guy who sang Hound Dog? Well, Joe Moscheo thinks Elvis belongs in this conversation. The former singer with The Imperials, who played with Presley in the early ‘70s, even wrote a book called The Gospel Side of Elvis. “He had personal problems and demons, but… he introduced gospel music to a secular world,” Moscheo said. “In a way, he was an evangelist.”

Talk about a potential congregation…

Several years ago, our grandson Park asked us if he could share a playlist of Christian songs that he loved. We said of course, so he took our phones and downloaded his list. For years now, Park has felt closest to God when he is listening to music, and it was heartwarming for him to share his joy with us. We were thrilled!

This past year has been filled with so many emotions as we all lived through extremely challenging days making significant decisions for the future of St. Luke’s.

One day I was especially discouraged and exhausted from the stress and emotion of this season in the life of our church, certainly a time in our ministry that I never anticipated. Frequently, I would have trouble falling asleep or wake up in the middle of the night with a troubled heart…

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. – Psalm 86:11

I am one of those annoyingly cheerful morning people – just ask my sweet husband! So, it’s not surprising I arrived as the coffee shop was opening that particular morning. I ordered my necessary caffeine and settled into a rhythm.

When I arrived, only two employees were behind the counter. As each of the subsequent employees trickled in, they were greeted with warmth and kindness. Their presence was valued just as God values each one of us. I was impressed by how much these people respected each other, laughed together, and encouraged each other during the busyness of a coffee shop during the morning rush…

There are lots of special Christmases I remember, usually because they were a first Christmas of some sort. For instance, I remember the first Christmas Marsha and I spent as a newly married couple. And then there were the special Christmases that we had after our daughter, Kelly, was born and after Paul was born. I remember our first Christmas after we came to Oklahoma; it was so special to become part of the St. Luke’s family of faith.

And this year will be another first Christmas…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will 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, upon 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 for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. The prophet gave the people hope with the prophecy of the coming Messiah – coming as a child.