Advent 4- Come Follow Me

November 30, 

The Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle

Read John 1:35 – 42 and Genesis 22:1 - 19

Andrew, faithful Israelite, was waiting for the promised Messiah. He, like Abraham, trusted that The Lord would provide a sacrificial lamb. He heard the call to repentance issued by John the Baptizer and sought out the ‘Lamb of God.’ We have also heard the promise of the Messiah and have seen, with the eyes of faith, the ‘Lamb of God.’ Andrew’s next action was to bring his brother, Simon, to the Savior. We also have brothers, sisters, families, and neighbors to bring to the Savior.

The hymn ‘Come Follow Me’ extends the invitation to follow Jesus to us, to our families, and all on earth.

“Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake, “All in My way abiding; 

Deny yourselves, the world forsake, Obey My call and guiding.

O bear the cross, what e’er betide, Take My example for your guide.

“I am the light, I light the way, A godly life displaying;

I bid you walk as in the day, I keep your feet from straying.

I am the way, and well I show How you must sojourn here below,

“My heart abounds in lowliness, My soul with love is glowing;

And gracious words My lips express, With meekness over flowing.

My heart, My mind, My strength, My all, To God I yield, on Him I call.

“I teach you how to shun and flee What harms your soul’s salvation,

Your heart from ev’ry guile to free, From sin and its temptation.

I am the refuge of the soul And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”

Then let us follow Christ, our Lord, And take the cross appointed

And firmly clinging to His word, In suff’ring be undaunted.

For those who bear the battle’s strain The crown of heav’nly life obtain.

For the Family:

The symbol for today is the shield of St. Andrew, a white chi (the Greek letter for the first letter in the name of Christ) placed on a shield of royal blue. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and give thanks for the promise fulfilled, the Lamb of God given for you.

Follow Me- Advent Bible Journaling
 John 1:35-42

Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

The Cross of St. Andrew is the center piece of the national flag of Scotland. For that reason, and also because I really like short bread cookies, I picked the following recipe for this day. I should confess that I have never made them. I first had these a month ago at a church supper (Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, VA) and I liked them so much I ate 2 and begged for the recipe.

Scotch Short Bread Cookies

3 cups flour ½ lb butter ½ cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt

• Pre heat oven to 350
• Combine dry ingredients in large bowl
• Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is like coarse crumbs
• Press into ungreased METAL baking pan (8 or 9” square) use fairly firm pressure but do not make mixture too solid
• Bake at 350 until top is lightly brown about 35 – 40 minutes
• Remove from oven and let rest 5 – 10 minutes; then cut into squares (must be done while still soft)
• When cool, remove from pan and serve or wrap gently. 20 servings.

Here is a gluten free shortbread cookie recipe that I have made and really like a lot. My daughter, who is gluten free, also likes them. If you’ve never baked with almond flour you should be prepared for sticker shock. Expect to pay about $9 for a 1 pound bag.

Gluten Free ALMOND FLOUR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 cup almond flour  

3 TBS softened butter

3 TBS powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms
• Scoop 1” balls of dough onto baking sheet. Arrange balls about 2” apart
• Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about ¼” thick in cross hatch pattern
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until they start to turn light golden brown on top
• Remove cookies from oven and cool them on pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely before serving. Yield 15 cookies

For thumbprint cookies use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each ball and fill the hole with about ¼ tsp jam. 

For maple pecan shortbread cookies add 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp maple syrup, and 1/3 cup chopped pecans to the dough. Shape dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake.

Tree of Promise Devotions
Natalie Grace Hartwig