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LENTEN DEVOTIONALS

As part of our Lenten journey together as a church to Easter, we will be posting Lenten reflections and practices from a variety of sources.

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Welcome to Musings! As participants in the conversations on this blog, we covenant together that we will maintain a spirit of good will, of openness to each other, and of mutual respect in our discussions; that we will listen to each other and endeavor to understand each other, especially those whose views differ from ours; and that we will remember that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why Musings?

  • The Musings Page will be a place to consider thought-provoking, evocative, sometimes polemical but not overtly political, writings, quotes, ideas, and poetry on the Christian life in all its facets: spiritual, religious, ethical, and practical.

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Musings

December 20, 2011

posted on December 20, 2011 by Musings

Fourth Tuesday in Advent – The Proof of God’s Amazing Love

3Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, 4so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Titus 2:3-4. Read the full passage at Titus 2:1-10

Well now!  I must say, out of all the choices of Advent scripture passages for today, this one definitely stuck (its tongue) out at me. Probably more than at any other time of the year I’m watching myself at Christmas.  I focus on the external too much, analyzing my manners and caring about societal mores. I place too much stock in being a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter, while failing to find joy in the things that I do.  And then I feel guilty about all of it.

This scripture passage made me have a wry look at myself.  Have I been a good manager of the household?  No.  Kind?  Ask the dude in front of me at airport security today.  Loving to my children?  Ouch, sometimes not.   Submissive to my husband?!  I’ll let you guess the answer to that one.  Now here is the Bible laying it on thick, as if I didn’t have my own inner voice giving me a constant litany of “shoulds” and doubts about whether I am good enough on the outside.

But Christmas’ coming helps me out of feeling bad about not living up to Titus in two ways.

The first is, while some of my friends and family think of my going to church as a weird thing I do to look a certain way on the outside, to me it’s pure joy- especially at Christmas.  I simply cannot wait to be in the choir loft on Christmas Eve! And second, shoddy householder, mediocre mom, wife, and daughter, worrier – sinner – that I am, God loves me and thinks that I’m good enough on the inside.  Proof of God’s love for me is coming on Christmas Day.

Prayer: God, help us find joy in carrying out the many duties that the holiday season heaps on us.  But also, help us remember that the only judgment that matters is Yours.

Today’s reflection was written by Rebecca Prosino, a member of First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport.

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