Due to inclement weather, all activities held at Biltmore United Methodist Church are canceled for Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018.  This includes both the TreeHouse Contemporary Service in the Event Center and the Traditional Service in the Sanctuary. This also includes the SART Sanders Family Christmas and Let It Be Christmas performances, too. If you had tickets to these shows, you may use them to see another showtime on a not-so-snowy day.

While we may not be on campus together this morning, we can still be together in worship. Please see Pastor’s Lucy’s note and devotion as follows.

Dear Biltmore Friends:
On this Second Sunday of Advent, instead of our normal time of worship together, I invite you to reflect upon the words of the Prophet Malachi and the devotion which follows. Stay safe!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Lucy

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4 (Common English Bible or CEB translation)

Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me;
        suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple.
        The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
² Who can endure the day of his coming?
        Who can withstand his appearance?
He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
        He will purify the Levites
            and refine them like gold and silver.
            They will belong to the Lord,
                presenting a righteous offering.
⁴ The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
        as in ancient days and in former years.

Devotion: Advent: A Message of Hope
The weather forecasters seem to have nailed it this time, hammering us with countless messages about the inclement weather expected this weekend. I hope you heeded the warning and prepared yourself. It’s clear someone has, and not just by making the typical “bread and milk” run we dash out for at times like these. As I strolled the aisles of Ingles on Friday, the butter was almost gone, the chocolate chips were in great shortage, and there wasn’t even a single bag of Pillsbury or Laura Lynn brand flour in the store. Snow days must be the time to bake cookies. I decided to follow suit. Whatever these days bring in your household, I hope you heard the messenger loud and clear! There’s a winter storm coming. Get ready!

Meteorologists aren’t the only messengers we catch a glimpse of this time of year. Advent is a season full of messengers just waiting to deliver their declarations. This Second Sunday of Advent is no exception. We begin in the Old Testament, in the last book, written by the Prophet Malachi whose name means, “My Messenger.” The real name of the author is unknown.
Malachi is writing in post-exilic times, when the Hebrew people had returned home after living decades in Babylonian exile. According to the prophet, it is a time of confusion and conflict – the people find themselves tempted to pledge allegiance to the powerful Persian Empire instead of to their God. Malachi knew that God’s people had lost their way, and was determined to call them back to the covenant. Malachi’s message flows as a monologue meant to challenge his listeners.

The day is surely coming when the messenger will arrive, clearing the path before me, the prophet writes. Who can endure it? He is like a refiner’s fire or a cleaner’s soap, refining, purifying his people so that once again they will be the righteous offering that God desires.
This was the prophet’s declaration for the Hebrew people, and it’s also one for us. As people of God, we, too, can lose our way – seeking after the idols of this world instead of living into the covenant with our Lord. (And we know this to be the case, especially this time of year as we anticipate Christmas and all the excessive tendencies that go along with it.) As Christians, we, too, need to be refined, purified, and cleansed so that we can more clearly and beautifully bear the image of God in our hearts and our lives.

This message of the prophet is truly one of hope. God doesn’t leave us as we are – lost, broken, or impure, but is refining us to more visibly bear God’s image. It’s a process that hurts a little, as the impurities of our lives are burned away. But in the end, this process is one that allows us to shine even more brightly as God’s people now and forevermore.

                As we reflect upon this prophetic word of Malachi, let us consider:

1. What impurities in my life need to be burned away, allowing me to shine God’s image to all I encounter?
2. What refinement do I need to focus on in my life that would allow me to grow more deeply in love with God and my neighbor?
3. How are the choices I make, especially in this Advent Season, impacting my relationship with Jesus and others?

Prayer:
Covenant God, you send us messengers to cleanse and refine us for your coming. Help us endure the mirror of the prophet’s message, that we may see you when you suddenly appear among us; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
from: Feasting on the Word: Advent Companion, 2014

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Tune in next Sunday, in-person, when we look to another messenger called to “Prepare the Way for the Lord” and the challenging word John the Baptist offers us all.