Well, we’re now at the 3rd Sunday of Advent and pretty far into our devotional, The Stars Tell the Story. It seems that since we’ve heard from Polaris about God’s faithfulness and then the fallen star of Lucifer about his attempts to use power over us, I guess word got out that we were having all these stars come in to talk with us. I got a ton of mail this week from other stars that wanted to come and share their story of how they’ve seen God work in the world. Well, there’s not enough time for everyone so I decided I’d read a few of their letters. Today we’re going to hear from 3 different stars about times they’ve watched God make and keep promises and about the hope people have in God’s promises to be near, faithful, and forever in covenant with creation. So, let’s read a few of these and see what we’ve got. This looks like a good letter to start with (open letter). It reads:
Greetings from the distant sky,Wow, that was a fine letter. I’ve never thought of God’s faithful relationship with Abram as being what made the difference. Well, let’s see what else we’ve got here. (open another letter) This looks like a good one.
My name is Gamma Arietis. You may have seen me as part of the Aries constellation. But I’m not writing to tell you about me. I’m writing to tell you about God. You see, I have watched God work for so long now but don’t get to share much. A favorite story of mine you probably already know. But it’s worth telling you about anyway.
You see, it was about 4000 years ago and God came to talk to a man named Abram. Now, Abram was already pretty old and had enjoyed a full life. This life wasn’t without heard work but it was still a good life. He had built pretty stable a life for he and his wife, even though they had no children. They had also seen a good bit of heartache. They had rescued Abram’s nephew Lot, had to compromise their relationship while in Egypt, and in general had survived so much together.
So, God sent Abram a vision and said, “Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!”
I think it goes without saying that Abram was startled by this. But he was still able to speak his heart and mind to God saying, “Holy God, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything? See, you've given me no children, and now my land foreman is going to get it all.”
But God comforted and reassured Abram that this promise of grand reward would happen. God said, “Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir.”
Then God took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!”
Now, I have to tell you I always like it when God points to us. And you know what? There I was watching this happen. Abram looked at me and all the other stars in his view and tears came to his eyes when he thought that what God said could be true. I knew exactly what the tears were about because he often sat out at night crying sorrowful tears that he and his wife never had children. He would weep for his own mortality and all that he could not share with a child. He wept for his wife and the dream she had of being a mother. But this time the tears had something that they didn’t have before. They had hope.
You see, Abram believed God. God declared him righteous or “Set-Right-with-God.” It was a big moment in Abram’s life. He had already been a lover of God but from this point forward, he knew that his life had meaning because it was part of God’s plan. He didn’t have to wait for the child to be born to believe or to know how God was going to work all this out that he would have so many decedents. What made the difference for Abram was feeling like he had a real and genuine relationship with God, a place in God’s will and workings.
I think that’s what I like most about Abram. He didn’t say, “Where’s the proof?” He simply knew that this relationship with God was enough and God would do the rest.
Well, I appreciate you letting me share with you. If you ever want me to come speak, let me know. I’ll be there.
Faithfully,
Gamma Arietis
Grace and Peace to you,Hmm… well Mizar seems a friendly one. I’m glad he had such a good story to share. I too am always amazed that Mary was so faithful even in a time that could have caused such great trouble. But what is more amazing is that she stayed faithful through everything. It’s true. Nothing is impossible with God.
My name is Mizar and I’m a part of the Big Dipper. You’re Advent series calling on us to share what we’ve seen has me intrigued. I’ve seen some good stuff too and thought I’d write you about a very special time I remember. I think you’ll appreciate this story because it happens just before the guiding star leads you to Bethlehem.
You see, about 2000 years ago, in the Galilean village of Nazareth, God sent a special messenger named Gabriel to a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph who was descended from David who was also descended from Abraham.
Upon entering Mary’s house, Gabriel greeted her: “Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.”
I remember thinking that walking on into a young woman’s apartment in the middle of the night was a bad idea but somehow Gabriel pulled it off because you see, Mary was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But Gabriel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”
Now, I find that if you are going to enter a situation with unexpected news, it’s best to blurt it all out as quickly as possible but Gabriel missed a key piece in his blurting. Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’m not with Joseph yet and our wedding isn’t for several months yet.”
The messenger gave an answer I’ll never forget… and I’m sure Mary didn’t either. Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will hover over you; the child you have will be called Holy, Son of God. If you’re having trouble believing, did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! You see, noting is impossible with God.”
Now I don’t understand the mysteries of all this hovering stuff but I do know that Mary was a very brave young woman. I don’t know many people who would have handled it that well to hear the news that God was going to use them is such a special way yet a way that could deeply complicate their lives. Honestly! Young women were kicked out of their homes and stoned for showing up pregnant.
Mary said to Gabriel, “Yes, I see it all now. I am God’s helper, ready to serve. I pray that it be with me just as you say.” And then the messenger left her.
When I saw all this, I took a special interest in this young woman and followed here everywhere she went. She had an extraordinary life. Joseph believed in God’s plan too. They raised Jesus and other children too. Their life was a beautiful one. Even when Jesus put down his carpentry tools and took up the mantle of spreading God’s word, Mary continued to see herself as God’s helper by supporting Jesus and even spreading God’s word too.
I suppose that’s a pretty amazing gift to realize that God wants our faith to do things in the world. Mary’s faith that God would make a way for her and this child led her down paths she could have never expected. She saw things that changed her life and everyone else’s too. God asked her to do what was faithful and she was part of making the world a better place.
I hope I’ve made the world a better place by sharing what I’ve seen of God. Hey, when you look up at the sky and see the big dipper, I’m in the middle of the handle. Say hi sometime and remember that God’s promises reach far beyond what you may ever know.
Take care,
Mizar
Now let’s see what else we have here. (open another letter) This one looks good. Here we go.
To the good folks of FPC Crown Point,Sisters and brothers, I can think of no better note to end on as we continue our journey toward the newborn Christ. God is faithful and present. And God’s faithfulness is seen all around us. Our job is to keep our eyes open to it instead of letting fear, pain, pride, and other barriers stand in our way. Our job is to keep making that next faithful step. Amen.
My name is Alpha Andromedae. I’m part of the Pegasus constellation but I’m not sure if you have ever seen me. You have to look carefully. Anyway, I am writing because I know you are enjoying stories from stars about God’s work leading to Jesus. I wanted to share a story of the same thing but it may not be what you expect.
You see, I was watching out over some of the people I like and a new person named Fran caught my eye. She was a little girl in a very problem filled home. Her mom was a very empty woman full of resentment for the world and she took out those resentments on the little girl. I continued to watch this girl because no matter how sad she was, she still believed that God was with her. She would lay in bed and cry to God wondering why her family was so full of pain. She could see that her mother’s resentment were from having been hurt and wronged so much. But that did not make Fran’s life better.
I watched her over the coming years as she struggled to make sense of herself, her family, and the world. Sometimes watching her pain made me question the existence of God but from what I can tell, she just kept believing that God was with her.
As Fran got older, she worked so hard at school and was very involved in activities that kept her away from home. All that paid off because she got to go to college and she’s been a school teacher most of her adult life. She’s gotten to do lots of great things but I can still see the memory of her upbringing when I look at her.
I’ve watched her for over 60 years now. She’ll be retiring soon and I’m glad for her. But you know what? Until recently, I could not understand how this little girl made it through so much pain and sorrow. If I had been her, I would have given up… or at least I thought I would have until I overheard her talking to one of her grandchildren, Jasmine, recently.
They recently had a death in the family. Her granddaughter’s best friend died in a car accident. When Fran was trying to comfort her, she told Jasmine some about her own life and times when she felt alone and in the dark. What surprised me wasn’t the details of what she shared but how she understood them.
Fran said that even when things seemed their darkest, she always found what she needed. Somehow she learned the lesson early on that family could be more than your blood relatives, a belief that supported her all her life. As she got older, she came to understand that as the Body of Christ. When Fran felt most in the dark, she said that it was amazing how she would meet someone who showed her a new way to see light or have an encounter that connected her back to hope. She said that those encounters were God being with her to meet her needs. She said she’s met lots of messengers from God. And when Fran worried that her life would never change or that it would always be so full of despair, she said that something would happen… an opportunity to serve, a youth outreach event, a friend in need… things that reminded her that she was interconnected with others and that her best next step was any faithful step forward. She didn’t have to know the outcome. She just had to be faithful.
I cried. I had watched her but never really seen what was on the inside. She chose to see God instead of keeping the blinders on to the darkness. For that, Fran’s as guiding light as I can think of to point to Christ.
Your fellow seeker,
Alpha Andromedae
