H. Burnham Kirkland

Isaiah 11:1-10
Of the Advent readings, this is one of my favorites. The prophet proclaims that one from the root of Jesse will come and the Spirit of the Lord will be upon him. Righteousness will come into the world. People, nations, even animals that war with one another will be at peace. All will be blessed, from the smallest child to the oldest adult. Mercy and justice will reign. That is the hope, the promise.

Broadly speaking, we human beings turn to two solutions to try to make things better. Whether it is an organization, a family, a church, or a nation, there is always room for improvement, always some yearning for things to be even better than they are. And we generally seek those improvements by trying to find either the right system or the right person.

Revolutions are usually about trying to find the right system. Elections are about trying to find the right person. And human beings seem to have an endless reservoir of optimism when it comes to new systems and new leaders.

Contents
"Less Than A Peaceable Kingdom" by David O. Bales
"Prayer For Righteous Government" by David O. Bales


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Less Than A Peaceable Kingdom
by David O. Bales
Isaiah 11:1-10

Matthew introduces John the Baptist, the person who God has sent to prepare the people for Jesus. John’s teaching is the first sign that the Messiah is coming, everyone should be listening closely. John’s fashion choices make it hard for some people, though. His dirty camel hair toga and general unkempt appearance is not what we expect a great teacher to look like. This is a warning to us all that God’s voice may not always come from the people from whom we expect.

Roddy was plunged into gloom. It was that time of year again - the time of the annual nativity play. Roddy hated it. For a start, he had only once been chosen to actually feature in the play. That was the year he had to wear his dressing gown with a stupid tea towel on his head, and say one line: "Look! Let us follow that shining star!" Only he'd pointed to the star and forgotten the words. The audience had started to laugh, and the teacher said afterwards that "the whole feel of the play had been lost." Roddy was never invited to be in the play again.

A man who lives in Hollywood tells this to friends who come to visit: "When you are in Hollywood, don't miss Hollywood." He reminds his guests that his town is much more than a movie set. They won't see stars giving autographs or movie crews with cameras whirring.

In a similar way the scriptures seem to say to us, "At Christmas, don't miss Christmas." It is easy to miss, isn't it? We can get so busy that the season passes over us like a plane at night, heard but not really seen. And what, during this season, do we need not to miss?