Advent Devotional

Week 3Dec. 13 - 19

Sandy Fitch - SundaySandy has been a faithful member of our congregation since she and her husband Hal moved here from Wyoming in 2005. (Hal passed away in 2010) She was raised in the Catholic church and has an interesting faith journey, find-ing a home with the Methodist church. Sandy is currently teaching the Disciple III class on Monday nights and participates in a variety of studies and ministries. Sandy is currently employed by Walmart in the Contact Center, specializing in Gift Cards and enjoys yarn crafts in her spare time. She also enjoys being the extra “grandma” to a number of children and youth of our congregation.

Jill Hale was born in Nebraska and moved to Prescott, Arizona, with her family when she was eight years old. She worked as a legal secretary and then as a paralegal for the same law firm during her entire professional career. Jill and her husband, Richard, moved here from Arizona after retirement, almost a full circle from where she began. Jill serves as secretary for several church

groups. Normally, she sings in the church choir and plays handbells. She is praying that those activities may be able to be resumed soon.

Chet and Cheryl Campbell moved to Bella Vista in 2003 from Wyandotte, OK. While living in Wy-andotte for 26 years, they were members of the Methodist church and were long-time educators. Upon arriving in Bella Vista they immediately joined FUMCBV. Chet did not grow up attending church. He started going to church after he and Cheryl were married. They have always gone to the Methodist church wherever they lived. Chet was baptized on Dec.24,1989 at Wyandotte UMC. Since moving here, he has been active in several ministries and activities including United Methodist Men, Board of Trustees, several church golf and bowling groups, Habitat for Humanity, BV Recycle Center, Missions Committee, and has gone on numerous mission trips with UMCOR and other groups.

jill hale - monday

chet campbell - tuesday

Meet Your Advent Devotional Writers

Wanda Williams - WednesdayWanda Williams was born and raised in Colora-do but due to following grandchildren has lived in Montana, South Carolina and several times in Arkansas. She loves to read, do cross stitch and other needle crafts as well as make her own greet-ing cards. Wanda recently retired after being in human resources for many years and is now living at Concordia Independent Living here in Bella Vista. Her joy is her family which consists of her daughter, Amy, and son-in-law James, and their two children Alec and Jenna. She also has a grandson, Craig Jr., who lives in New Jersey.

renee van dyke - ThursdayRenee van Dyke and her husband, Roger, moved to Bella Vista from Northern Minnesota followingRoger’s retirement. Renee came on board at First United Methodist Church in October 2018 as YouthLeader for a brief 2-month period. At that time Roger was diagnosed with terminal brain can-cer. He passed away in June 2018. She recently returned to First United Methodist Church ac-

cepting the NextGen Director position. She came to us as an expe-rienced church worker. Renee began her ministry at First Presby-terian Church in Hibbing, MN serving the elderly and homebound congregants. She was co-leader for the Junior High Youth Group and directed special children’s events. During this time, she also served as resource person for the Hibbing Area Ministerial Associa-tion. Renee served 2-year rotations as a Hospice Chaplain and as a Hospital Chaplain. Upon graduation from the Presbytery of North-ern Waters Commissioned Pastor program in Superior, WI she was called to serve a small federated Lutheran (ELCA) and Presbyterian (PCUSA) as solo pastor. Renee’s duties there ranged from teaching and preaching to fixing the furnace to cooking lutefisk! She served at Congregation of the Good Shepherd until retiring with Roger.

sonnie andersen - saturdayIn spite of long-established roots in Iowa; never-the-less, Sonnie and her spouse were ready to move on to new adventures and a warmer win-ter climate. Our involvement in church choir and other musical activities was something we wanted to resume; and with scarcely “missing a beat”, we joined FUMC choir.A major change to affect our future was: scaling

back on our already 26 years of voluntarily serving married couples around the world. In the same way we had benefitted years ago, we sometimes visibly witnessed life changes in couples; but almost all couples benefitted in some way. Often we learned of miracles hap-pening because of the Holy Spirit working through open and honest sharing of our life stories. Finding God’s wonderful intension for Holy Matrimony is far from won; but Dick and I felt honored to be a part of His Team and to pass the baton on...a legacy of choosing to love in all relationships.Boldly, but gently, sharing our faith continues to be a “conquest”..amidst life’s circumstances...all of our lives. And, yes, many blessings have been returned to us through sharing hymns, anthems and spiri-tual songs...and even in sharing our “real life” experiences!

Alec Gilmore - fridayAlec Gilmore is currently a senior at Bentonville High School. His family, including parents, Amy and James, sister Jenna, and grandmother, Wanda Williams, have been a part of the church since 2009. He loves being active in Youth Ministry, Media Minis-try, and wherever else he can be! He’s written devo-tionals for previous Lenten and Advent seasons, and absolutely loves doing it!

The Year of the LORD’s FavorThe Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD

for the display of his splendor.They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;they will renew the ruined cities

Isaiah 61, NIV

Christmas from the “B side” wouldn’t be complete without something from the prophet Isaiah - and something from King David.

For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m currently leading the Disciple III class (The Prophets and Paul…) and we just finished reading all of Isaiah. Three weeks’ worth of study – we’ve been fairly buried in Isaiah lately. One of the joys of Isaiah is that the book covers over 200 years and prophecy for the Hebrew peo-ple before, during and after their exile in Babylon. As we read the passages, we are discovering from where many of our

Sunday, december 13 - third Sunday of Advent

hymns are drawn. We find the call to return to the covenant and the hope of restoration. We also hear the promises of the coming Messiah – the suffering servant. This passage from Isaiah may sound familiar. It is the passage Jesus read while in the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath recounted in Luke 4:16-30. I encourage you to read that Scrip-ture paying close attention to the last few verses. If Jesus were to arrive in a church today and read this passage from Isaiah, would we have the same response?

How wonderful and awe inspiring is our God, who long before the time of happening, sent a prophet to tell the people of Israel (and us!) that He would fulfill the promise of the covenant made with Abraham and Moses and all of our forebearers. How humbling that our Creator loves us so much that He remem-bers his promises even today.

Prayer: Pray with me – Great Creator of the Universe – Thank you for remembering us in the vastness of your creation. Thank you for loving us so deeply and completely that you would come to us in human form and suffer with us. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit that remains with us even today. In the name of the one who took our form – Jesus the Christ – Amen.

Written by Sandy Fitch

“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

In my faithfulness, I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and arrayed me in a robe his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Isaiah 61:8-11 (NIV)

In this year of coronavirus, fires, floods, hurricanes, and person-al and financial devastation for so many people worldwide, it seems difficult to have hope—to keep a positive attitude. The ancient words of Isaiah bring us that hope. Even at a time when the chosen people of God were trying to put their lives back together after many years of captivity in Babylon, Isaiah pro-claimed hope and joy and salvation and forgiveness after the long exile. How can we say the same today?

In our beautiful corner of Arkansas, it may be easier to find joy than in other locations. Today, the sun is shining. We were able to worship our God. True, the worship service was virtual rath-er than in person, but we are able to praise and worship, hear beautiful music, and receive uplifting messages. Many are not as fortunate.

Monday, december 14

Tuesday, December 15

The second half of Isaiah contains many messages of hope and joy, of the promise of a Messiah, of salvation, and of a better day to come. Picture the beauty of our being clothed with the glori-ous garments of salvation and righteousness on a day of rejoic-ing, as a bridegroom and bride on their wedding day! Although today our hearts ache for human contact, for hugs, and for time with family and friends face-to-face, the promise of the Messiah can sustain us until that time comes when we can be together again—joyfully. Just as the words of the prophet reach out from a distant time and place to encourage us and tell us of the salva-tion that the Messiah brings, let us reach out to others in this difficult time with a message of love and hope.

Prayer: Our most gracious and holy God, we pray today for en-couragement and for hope. Let us rejoice in your promise of sal-vation through your precious Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we lift this prayer. Amen.

Written by Jill Hale

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his

words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.Luke 1: 26-29

What a surprise!! Can you imagine how Mary must have felt when the angel suddenly appeared before her? Although she was pledged to be married to Joseph , she was a very young girl. What would you have done? Mary was very troubled but she stayed put and listened to what the angel told her. We should always be prepared to receive a message from any source the Lord chooses to use.

Prayer: Gracious Heavenly Father, Help us to be prepared to hear your message and be willing to follow your instructions. In the name of Your wonderful Son, Jesus. Amen.

Written by Chet Campbell

wednesday, December 16 “Then the angel told Mary. ‘Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. He will be

great and will be called the Son of God Most High. Your Lord God will make him king as his ancestor David was. He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom shall never end.’“

Luke 1:30-35 One Bible

Since David is only briefly mentioned in these verses, I am go-ing to look at the angel, Gabriel, as the B player in this week’s verses. However, I have a hard time thinking of an angel, espe-cially as one as important as this one is, as a secondary play-er. What a message he had for Mary! Who else would Mary believed if someone other than Gabriel had told her this? Can you see a priest telling her all this? She would have thought he had too much of the sacramental wine and secretly laughed at him. What if her cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant in her old age with John, had told her? She probably would have thought that hormones were raging in her cousin. So, the Lord sent his angel to tell her knowing she would be confused and troubled by the news. So in this instance, the B player becomes a VIP – Very Important Person or I guess more accurately a VIA – a Very Important Angel.

This made me wonder how many times has a B player come in to my life and I didn’t pay attention because it wasn’t an A player? Angels come in many disguises.

Prayer: God, our Father, help me to be open to VIPs or VIAs that you send to me. And help me remember that angels don’t always appear as Gabriel did to Mary, but may come in many other forms. Amen.

Written by Wanda Williams

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a cen-sus should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was

the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.

Luke 2:1-4

It is said that only two things in life are certain: taxes and death. Taxes were as common in ancient times as they are today. Although it may have been more than a decade in between summons, Joseph having to return to his hometown for a cen-sus was not unusual. After all, Rome had expenses to meet. It was through this ordinary circumstance, however, that the intent of man and the plans of God intersected. “The Emperor thought he was simply implementing a new tax program, but in the purposes of God, the point was to get Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem” (Ellsworth Kalas).

You see, Bethlehem was an “on the way” place. You passed through Bethlehem because you were on your way to or from Jerusalem. Bethlehem was indeed a little town. The town itself was home to perhaps a few hundred permanent residents. The inns and guest rooms were occupied by pilgrims on their way to other places to pay the census tax required by Caesar Augustus.

thursday, December 17

When God chose Bethlehem as the birthplace for his Son, he taught us something about the values of heaven. If God has wanted worldly pomp and ceremony, Jesus would have been born in Rome. If he had wanted good standing for his Son, he would have chosen Athens. If he had wanted religious acclaim, he would have chosen Jerusalem.

But he chose Bethlehem, “least among the clans of Judah.”

When Jesus was born, the world paid no attention to a young couple giving birth in a stable in some tiny village. No one no-ticed the baby wrapped in rags sleeping in a feeding trough.

In such an unlikely way, God moved into our neighborhood and became one of us. God’s ways are not our ways. If you doubt that, take another look at that sleeping baby in his lowly man-ger bed. He will one day rule the world.

Prayer: Gracious and Redeeming Father, we give thanks for your Word – the Word that guides us, inspires us, strengthens us and serves as a constant reminder of your love for us. Help us to remember that your ways are not the ways of man, for you have greater purpose in mind than we could ever imagine. You are the God of great surprises. Thank you sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Amen.

Written by Renee Van Dyke

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is

the Messiah, the Lord.Luke 2:8-11, NIV

What makes Jesus’ birth so special?

I pose this question not out of ignorance, nor to stir controversy. It’s a question we all ask ourselves at some point on our faith journey, whether from the outside looking in or in a moment of devout reflection. During the holiday season, amidst all the Christmas spirit, I have time and again pondered why this time of the year is so passionately celebrated by so many. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it and understand the story of the Nativity and the classic Biblical tales. I know we celebrate that Jesus was born, but why? I ask again...what makes Jesus’ birth so special? This four-verse excerpt from Luke answers that perfectly.

The idea of God seems, put simply, unbelievable. It can be difficult to fathom one entity possessing complete power and might over the world, especially considering that the world is still plagued with evil and suffering that, one would think, a “su-preme being” would not allow. An almighty and just God seems all well and good if one is living a generally rewarding worldly life, but skepticism is much more common among those en-during more struggle and hardship. This is certainly true for the shepherds. Here they are, working under the moonlight, while the Savior of the world is born. They work hard enough to get by without much to spare. Any changes in their routine could have a major impact on their lives, so when the angel of the Lord descends from Heaven, their fear is understandable.

friday, December 18

They fear that their lives are about to change forever, and they’re right--but the angel is quick to assure them that it will be for the better.

It’s worth noting that, in Luke, the record of Jesus’ birth is imme-diately followed by the passage above (for context, Jesus is born in Luke 2:7). God ensures that the shepherds are among the first to hear the good news. He recognizes that they aren’t generally considered among the social elite, or be the first or best of any-thing worldly. To be surrounded by others constantly being glorified, seeming to do no wrong, makes one feel unloved or unnoticed--it weighs on the soul. But God loves everyone equally; He wants everyone to know that. God made each and every person in His image; He wants everyone to know that. No one is innately more or less than someone else. The angel even says that Jesus was brought to Earth “for all people.”

That brings us back to our question. Jesus being born is a sym-bol of God’s love and our redemption—‘our’ referring to every-one. In God’s eye: the decorated king, struggling shepherd and everyone in between are all equal and exactly how He wants us to be. Throughout this Advent season, we’ve looked at the “B-side” Christians’ stories that aren’t told perhaps as they should be. These “B-side” stories are what Christianity is all about. Just as we all make mistakes, we all have a chance at redemption. We all have a chance to be faithful—thanks to the birth of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for Your son, and we thank You for Your undying love for all of us. We recognize that we are better than no one and that no one is better than us; we are all part of Your creation. In this season that celebrates that love, we pray that you help us in spreading that love to all on our end—as difficult as it can be to do sometimes. We thank You for staying by our side as we continue to navigate these trying times, and pray that a measure of peace is found by those who most need it during this season. It is in Your Name we pray, Amen.

Written by Alec Gilmore

saturday, December 19An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has

been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:9-14, NIV Study Bible

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the high-est, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

I think it is a good time to review this section of scriptures by John Witte, Jr : “In the incarnation, God masterminded the an-nouncement of the good news of the birth of Christ. He sends prophets well in advance to foretell the coming of the Messi-ah. He commissions an angel to announce the birth to a virgin. He sets a new star in the heavens to summon wise men from the East. He sends a company of singing angels to pronounce Christ’s birth to the shepherds in the fields. Though Christ was born in a lowly manger, there was nothing quiet about his birth.”

The angel’s announcement of “good news” (good tidings) is for us, too, and brings greater joy to the world than could any other news. Furthermore, the message brings forth three great Chris-tian claims about Jesus 1. He is Savior, 2. He is Messiah/Christ, 3. He is Lord.

I seem to recall in those days, society ranked shepherds along with tax collectors as “low life”. God honored those workers in the fields to be the first to learn of his great miracle, and the means (via the angel) as to where to find “the baby, lying in a manger”. Just imagine what awesome wonder the night skies became as an army (host) of angels gave glory to God as they praised Him in all His majesty...and gave reference as to His

dwelling in heaven. The final phrase, not found in all transla-tions, is a warning. Peace is not assured to all but only to those pleasing to God. While the Roman world at that time was ex-periencing external tranquility; the angels, however, proclaimed a deeper, more lasting peace found in the mind and soul made possible by the Savior. Romans:5:11 tells us that “Peace with God is received by faith in Christ”.

For reflection: “Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light, And usher in the morning;Ye shepherds, shrink not with affright, but hear the angel’s warning.This child, now weak in infancy, our confidence and joy shall be,The power of Satan breaking, our peace eternal making.”

Prayer: Dear Father on High, In greatest thankfulness we come to You on bended knee(s) for sending Your messengers to announce our greatest gift...Your son. But we have an assignment. Jesus promised us peace but He also brought conflict (the “sword”); peace with God involves opposition to Satan and his work. With so much conflict is the world today, Dear Lord, give us strength and endurance to face the opposition, to stand up for “what is right, what is Your truth and to share our belief in You and why, so that others will like-wise receive the promise of inheriting the kingdom where You are.” In Your Holy name, Amen.

Written by Sonnie Andersen

20 Boyce Drive, Bella Vista, AR 72715fumcbellavista.com

479-855-1158

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9:30am - Carol Sing-a-long & Christmas Pageant

Join us in worship online to sing a long to some fa-vorite Christmas songs and watch the children’s annual Christmas pageant!

Monday, Dec. 20 at 6:30pm - Longest Night Worship

Are you dreading the holidays this year? Have you had so much loss and loneliness and stress that you cannot even begin to find a glimmer of hope? Maybe you have lost a loved one due to COVID-19 or other tragedy. Maybe you have lost a job due to the eco-nomic downturn in our country. Maybe your health has taken a turn for the worse. Maybe you can’t put your finger on it; your soul just feels heavy. Join us for the Longest Night worship service as we find hope together.