Lesson for Chapel Services on Wednesday, DECEMBER 11, 2019
Isaiah 11: 1-9
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
and the People respond, “Thanks be to God.”
This reading from Isaiah is associated with Advent, as Jesus was a descendant of the line of Jesse. The passage is thought by Christians to be prophetic voice that points to Jesus as being the long sought Messiah. I am particularly drawn to the last line of the passage. Isaiah says that there will be a time when all the earth will be filled with the glory and knowledge of God, just as the waters cover the sea. I often think of this piece of Scripture when I gaze upon the mighty ocean.
It is my custom that at the last Chapels before our break, I read stories to the students. For Early Childhood, I will be reading Christmas in a Manger, a board book by Nola Buck. It is a very simple telling of the story of the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem. For our Lower School children, I share The Last Straw by Frederick H. Thury. It is a story about a camel named Hoshmakaka, a grumbly old beast of burden. He walks with many gifts on his back to visit the Christ child. In Middle School, I read A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg, one of my very favorite stories for this time of year. It is about a man who reluctantly goes to visit his elderly aunt right before Christmas. Finally, I share with the Upper School Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl Buck. Ms. Buck shares a sentimental story about a fifteen year old farm boy and his gift to his father for Christmas.
I do hope that during this season of Advent, we will all have the opportunity to read to children. It is a great gift to the child and the adult and gives us a chance to slow down in this hectic time of year. If not already planning to be in Chapel, please join us in a service to hear one of these great stories.