Advent Meditation for December 23, 2009

Go, Tell it on the Mountain
Scripture: Luke 2:17; Matthew 28:18-20

This is an African-American spiritual that may be sung in a couple of different contexts. Surely it proclaims the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ using familiar images of shepherds watching their sheep, the holy light that appeared, angels singing and Jesus lying in the manger.

In Luke 2:17, we read that those same shepherds became the first evangelists. Note the refrain that begins the hymn:
Go, tell it on the mountain over the hills and every where;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
These words have an evangelistic thrust, echoing the words of Jesus to the disciples in the Great Commission:
. . . go and make disciples of all nations.


Words to ponder: Where will you go? Who will you tell?



Just a bit of news. Tom was admitted to the hospital tonight with pneumonia. I, rather reluctantly, took him for physical therapy this afternoon and it took all both of us could do to get him there. He kept getting distracted in the midst of the getting ready process and I had to call and tell them we would be late--being late is an absolute no-no for him. I sat in the parking lot and waited because of my concern and when I went inside to meet him, the therapist came out to tell me there had been a problem with his blood pressure. Long story short is, they sent me to the emergency room, many tests were run and pneumonia was discovered. We were both surprised! IV antibiotics were started immediately.

It was hard leaving him there by himself, but he insisted. His balance has been worse lately, as has his cognitive function. He has been so tired that he'd go to sleep in the midst of a conversation and today I had to keep reminding him to eat his sandwich at noon. I know that Parkinson's is degenerative, but the recent symptoms didn't seem to me to be the usual "Oh, the Parkinson's is getting worse" kind. I would have never guessed he might have pneumonia.
Please pray for him. I'll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret