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h2odevos
Advent and Lenten Devos based on the music of Peter Mayer and written by Pastor Ron Glusenkamp.
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December 2008 Episodes:
- In Harmony 122708 December 27, 2008 St. John the Evangelist Day
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- I want to thank you all for making the journey to Harmony during Advent 2008. Your notes, comments, prayers, suggestions and encouragement are all very helpful. I’m delighted that this virtual congregation is able to gather together on a frequent basis.
I especially want to thank Peter Mayer for his beautiful music and insightful lyrics. His friendship and kindness is very much appreciated. You can learn more about Peter and his music @ www. Petermayer.com
Special thanks go to Delia Stewart for sharing her angels with us. If you’re interested in the angels you’ve seen, drop her a note at deliastewar@comcast.net
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Link- The Harmony of Light- Christmas Day 122508
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- Well, we have arrived at our destination, Bethlehem. Or better yet, Bethlehem has come to us. So, today’s devo is short. It’s all about the miracle of the Word becoming flesh.
The Gospel of John tells the story….
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Once Again this is for you! -122408 Christmas Eve
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- “Once again, the story begins
Bringing good news in the night
Ring out the bells Christmastide”
Ring Out the Bells Peter Mayer
Today’s devo is simple. It’s an invitation to marvel in the wondrous and simple story of a God who loved the world so much that his son was sent as a heavenly stimulus package.
This heavenly stimulus package is called “wonderful counselor, mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
- The Harmony of Mystery-122308 Tuesday
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- “Out of night the dawn is breaking
O’er the hills of Bethlehem
From Despair a world is waking
Barren earth will bloom again
Gloria for joy we sing
For Jesus Christ the Light of Christmas Day
Christmas Day
The Light of Christmas Day by Peter Mayer
- Joy 122208 December 22, 2008
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- Sing Joy by Peter Mayer
I don’t imagine that too many people were singing Joy at the Census Bureau Office in Bethlehem back in those days. It was a “got-to,” another rule/regulation laid onto the people by an occupying, oppressive foreign power. The scene was predictable and chaotic similar to trying to get one’s license at the DMV on the last day of the month right before closing time. I would suspect Mary and Joseph’s journey was taking longer than they had anticipated. Singing Joy was probably not a high priority.
- From No Tannenbaum to OH Tannenbaum, December 21, 2008
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- Mary is in the upper right hand corner in the blue dress. The title for the work is
The Virgin Mary with the Apostles and other Saints.
I remember how the first time I ever saw the album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band I was so taken by the characters on the cover. I spent hours looking at the cover (needless to say this was before the days of surfing the web, Nintendo or even my awareness of the opposite sex). If you want to find out more about the album cover check out http://www.beatlesagain.com/btsgtppr.html
- Nothing 122008 Saturday, December 20, 2008
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- But, in the “nothing-ness” of that time,
I also trusted and hoped in the words of St. Paul who wrote in Romans 8,
“ in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Peter’s song echoes those words of St. Paul,
We have a God who loves us and walks with us during the times we experience
“nothing.”
* Raise blossoms where nothing could bloom
* And nothing shall come between us and you
* Nothing can sever this gift of forever
Tell someone today of the hope and joy we have because nothing, absolutely nothing separate us.
- Source of All Gifts, 121908 Friday, December 19, 2008
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- Maybe you feel like the “wind” has been knocked out of you. Perhaps the economy or health concerns have “punched you down.” No matter what’s going on with you I want you to know and believe that Jesus is “Source of All Gifts.” And that we are being called to come together. That means to set aside quarrels and complaints which tend to separate us from having harmony. It means to be a friend and also be-friend another. It means to offer forgiveness and perhaps even harder, to receive forgiveness and pardon for one’s sins and shortcomings.
- Troubled Waters & Troubled Hearts, Thursday, December 18, 2008
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- There is a story in the Gospel of John which has always intrigued me. The first few verses from chapter 5 set up the narrative:
2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. (King James Version)
Quickly we get the basics of the story. There is a place of healing in Jerusalem by the sheep market which is a pool. At this place people who are in need of healing gather and anticipate the moving (or troubling) of the water. The water is troubled by an angel. One man in particular has had an infirmity for 38 years.
- Hamrony of Heart and Hand, December 17, 2008 Wednesday
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- Just a week from today is Christmas Eve! Tempus fugit, time flies. It is easy to become overloaded and stressed out from all the things one wants to do before Christmas. But, as Peter reminds us, “This Christmas this Christmas
There’s e a gift that only you can give.”
- Blueprints of Harmony, December 16, 2008 Tuesday
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- In case you need a refresher course today on the Decalogue, the 10 Commandments, here you go:
* You shall have no other gods before me.
* You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
* Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
* You shall honor your father and your mother.
* You shall not kill
* You shall not commit adultery
* You shall not steal
* You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
* You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
* You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor ( Exodus 20)
- Faith in Angels 121508 Monday, December 15
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- I’d like to introduce you to two more of Delia’s angelic creations. The first one is Faith. The second one is Gratitude. I believe it is important to present both of these in tandem today because that is what the season of Advent is all about, namely Faith and Gratitude.
It takes Faith to believe that what “cannot be seen” consists of what is “eternal.” Coupled with that notion is the idea to live each day being as full of Gratitude as one can be. I like the positioning of Faith. It also appears that she has something like trumpets on her sleeves. It takes Faith to proclaim and blast out joy in times which don’t always seem joyful. I really like the fact that Gratitude’s halo is a bit uneven. I would imagine there are some of us who would complain that we had an uneven halo. But, not Gratitude. She is grateful for who she is and what she has. Although there isn’t a face on her it seems to me that I can see her winking and smiling.
- Advent Alarm 121408 3rd Sunday of Advent
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- I was out walking around the park yesterday when I noticed there was one car alarm that was having some kind of problem. It just kept going off and on again and again. I thought about John the Baptist whom some people thought sounded like a broken record, announcing again and again, “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Sometimes the message of Advent comes into our world and lives like a car alarm. Initially, one stops in one’s tracks to listen and pay attention. But, then after the expiration of some time people tune out the beeping or screeching noise. It’s not that the Advent Alarm dissipates from the cacophony of sounds, but rather we just don’t hear it anymore.
- Annunciation- Friday, December 13, 2008
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- I think Peter’s words describe the mystery about as well as it can be described,
“Then an angel appeared and said Joe don't you fear
But the spirit will dance with your date.”
There was a time in my life when I really wanted proof, evidence and some kind of scientific verification that certain things were true or real. I suppose some of that desire came from being raised in a fairly conservative and traditional religious home. I was taught not to question what I had been taught. I remember the story of Zacharias in Luke 1:18ff. (I’ve referenced it here in the King James Version to take me back to late 1950’s) When informed that his Senior Citizen wife Elizabeth was going to have a baby he asked what seems to me to be a reasonable question for a member of AARP.
- Brushed by an Angel's Wings, Friday, December 12, 2008
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I’d like to introduce you to Harmony today. A close examination shows some wings which have been formed and reformed by rust. Her head is a circle which suggests balance and continuity. There is a flange held in place by a couple of bolts. While the wings aren’t symmetrical there is Harmony.
I’ve always loved the following passage from the Psalms,
“11For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”Psalm 91
Have a day full of Harmony. Be alert for the brushing of
Angel’s wings.
- A Little Bit of Hope- Thursday, December 11, 2008
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- First of all, I want to thank you for your positive response to the h2o devos.
I’m honored and glad they bring some bits of harmony into your daily experience.
Secondly, the response to Delia Stewart’s angel by the name of Serenity was amazing. If you wish to contact her (Delia, I mean) drop her an email to inquire about other angels and purchase price, etc. You’ll be seeing other members of the angelic host as we draw closer to Christmas.
Today I would like to introduce you to another angel by the name of Hope. Delia told me the other day that she names her smaller angels Hope, “cause everyone needs a little Hope.” What a great line. What an even better confession and profession of faith.
Yes, it’s true, “everyone needs a little Hope.”
Angles are both messages and messengers from God. Think of an angel as an IM (from the one who called himself “ I AM.” Now in the case of angels, IM stands not for Instant Message, but rather INTIMATE MESSAGE. And in turn, these messages and messengers convey God’s desire and intentions for the world.
- Keep Walkin' -Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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- Following the surgery while I was doing physical therapy I got the idea to walk a marathon. When I shared this information with one of my therapist he asked me, “Have you ever seen the movie “Dumb and Dumber?” I laughed and said “yes.” There is a scene in the movie when the character played by Jim Carey keeps pestering a lovely woman to go out with him. She keeps turning him down. Finally he asks her to give him a number, a set of odds by which she would go out with him. She says something like,
“Not even one in a million.” Carey’s character smiles and says, “so you’re telling me there’s a chance!” “So you’re telling me there’s a chance” became a mantra of sorts for me.
I started my training. At first, I was winded just walking about our block. Hannah Grace and Sue Ann would walk with me. Then I started walking with my friend Aaron Rodzinak.As you can tell by the photo he is much younger than I am (and also more handsome). He willingly accepted the challenge to be my companion and promised me that he would stay with me throughout the marathon.
As you can see in the picture on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 we successfully completed the Quebec City Marathon.
- Serenity, Tuesday, December 9, 2008
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- All you have to do is google the word “serenity” to realize that lots of people are looking for it at the same time lots of people are willing to sell you something that they suggest resembles it. I am not so sure Serenity is something which can be ordered online or purchased like a commodity. I suppose if that was possible there could be quite a “futures market” for Serenity. I can hear the reports already, “Serenity was up ¼ of a point today at the end of trading, while Hope went up ½ and Peace stayed the same.”
- The Harmony of Comfort-Monday, December 8, 2008
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- Yesterday the soloist and choir sang selections from Handel’s THE MESSIAH. We had three baptisms, lots of people, great energy, all sorts of activities taking place and most important of all, Holy Communion. Taking a cue from Isaiah 40:1-2, I shared with the congregation that the Lord’s Supper is the ultimate comfort food. If you are going through a time in your life that is un-comfortable, I encourage you to experience as the Psalmist sang, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” (Psalm 34).
The waves of sand in the picture on this page create patterns of harmony. During our regular routines we may not see the patterns which exist all around us. And yet, they are there. Just like the promise of a new day when the “Dry deserts turned from sand to bloom.”
- WILDERNESS- 2nd Sunday of Advent, Dember 7, 2008
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- I don’t see John the Baptist making house calls. Rather he was into “performance art” by
Waking up people from their spiritual doldrums. His role in stirring things up is to “prepare the way of the Lord.”
If you’re wrestling with questions of meaning and purpose you can be sure that John the Baptism has paid a visit to you in the wilderness. And John knew like nobody else knew that this Living Water which was coming to quench the thirst of the world was and is an oasis of hope and not a mirage. This Healing Water was indeed worth loosing one’s head.
- A Star of Harmony-Saturday, December 6, 2008
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- If I was to summarize today’s message into a single sentence or two it would be this:
Often we look externally for some kind of sign or message. The good news as both writers by the name of Peter remind us is that there is a Star whose brilliance and glory is so pervasive and wondrous that our hearts are the launching pad for the illumination.
The “joy will stay long past the turn of the page in the story of Christmas.”
- Finding Harmony in the Junkyard- Friday, December 5
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- The Biblical word for “Junkman” is “Redeemer.” This is the one who rescues, returns and buys back those who have been lost, held hostage and rejected.” Redemption is the “reason for the season.”
Maybe there is some part of you that feels like “junk.” Perhaps there are broken parts and pieces which are scattered in your “junkyard.” I’m here to tell you that new life can come from the old, the broken and the rejected.
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed,
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb; I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth.” (Isaiah 44:24)
- Stirring Up Harmony-December 4, 2008 Thursday
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- I can’t exactly remember when I started collecting eggbeaters but as you can see from the picture I have a pretty sizeable collection. As a child I spent lots of time in the kitchen with my mother, Levera and my two grandmothers, Katherine Vogel (my mother’s mother) and Frieda Glusenkamp (my father’s mother). All three of them taught me how to cook and to bake. I find that when I “stir it up” in the kitchen I feel very connected to them now that they as saints in heaven enjoy and celebrate the Feast of Victory which has no end. As I bake and then deliver baked goods to others there is a sacred mixture of
“deep gladness” and “deep need” coming together
- Seeing Harmony- December 3, 2008 Wednesday
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- This Advent I feel very called to proclaim that the “world’s deep need” is harmony.
I also know that “my deep gladness” is connected to this whole enterprise. This need and desire for harmony is greater than images from a commercial (circa 70’s or 80’s) with people joining hands, singing and drinking Coca-Cola. It is about shalom, wholeness, completeness, wellness and joy. It is rooted in the conviction that for harmony to be realized, to truly be seen, it takes all of us to answer the call of the Lord
- Crossing the Jabbok -Tuesday December 2
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- The point of the story and this devo is to encourage you and me to cross the Jabbok River. In other words, to wrestle with God and to be on a mission, a quest to restore
harmony and peace with those from which we are estranged and separated. Advent is a time of aloneness. It’s a time of wrestling in the dark.
If you listen real carefully to the song Harmony you hear Peter sing the first line.
Peter sings, “It doesn't really if it's yours or if it's mine” and then Mac sings
“It's the same amount of distance taken one step at a time”
What I take from this is that it takes two, one to make the first step or two and then another to respond in kind, with a step or two on his/her part.
- WELCOME HOME 120108 Monday, World AIDS DAY
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- I once saw a banner hanging in an Episcopal church with the words “OUR CHURCH HAS AIDS.” It was and still is an amazing statement. Clearly and lovingly it proclaims a word of wholeness and peace among the brokenness of life. It seemed to me to be a “Welcome Home” sign to any one who had AIDS.
Today’s devo is for anyone who feels “far off” or estranged from home.