Daily Prayer for Watch Night (December 31)
Watch Night
Established in African-American communities on December 31, 1862, Watch Night is a gathering to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation becoming law. When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the Confederate States were proclaimed free. Since that date 146 years ago, African-Americans have celebrated the good news of freedom in local churches on New Year’s Eve. Like the slaves who first gathered while the Civil War raged on, we proclaim freedom for all captives in -Jesus’ name, knowing that for millions, freedom is not a reality. Our celebration is a commitment to join modern-day slaves and undocumented workers in their struggle for justice.
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”
Shout the glad tidings o’er Egypt’s dark sea : Jehovah has triumphed; his -people are free!
Psalm 150
Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy temple : praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts : praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram’s horn : praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance : praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals : praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath : praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
Shout the glad tidings o’er Egypt’s dark sea : Jehovah has triumphed; his -people are free!
Isaiah 26:1 – 9 John 8:12 – 19
Shout the glad tidings o’er Egypt’s dark sea : Jehovah has triumphed; his -people are free!
Writing about the first Watch Night, Booker T. Washington said, “As the great day grew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. True, they had sung those same verses before, but they had been careful to explain that the ‘freedom’ in these songs referred to the next world, and had no connection with life in this world. Now they gradually threw off the mask; and were not afraid to let it be known that the ‘freedom’ in their songs meant freedom of the body in this world.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we know that freedom will prevail because you are already victorious. Help us never lose hope, never stop celebrating your victory, and never stop walking alongside those who struggle to see this freedom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: A Few Ideas
1. Throw a banquet, a really good one with lots of nice food. Invite folks who struggle with homelessness, mental illness, or addiction. Give everyone a chance to share a gift.
2. Do a creative witness outside a shopping mall. And be nice. Invite folks to see that the best things in life are free. Maybe give out free coffee or cookies.
3. Dismantle a bomb. Or dismantle a theological argument that justifies bombs. Or dismantle an ideology of security and consumption that requires bombs.
4. Experiment in creation care by going fuel-free for a week — bike, carpool, or walk.
5. Start a business whose goal is to provide living-wage jobs to persons from economically disinvested neighborhoods.
–Shane Claiborne
A Top 10 End of the Year Reflection Questions
In order to embrace the new, we must release the old. A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go. An important part of preparing for the New Year is to review the past year—to release it—and to learn from it.…
The following questions should stimulate your thinking for this process. I hope that you take time out of your busy schedule this holiday season to ponder where you are and where you’ve been. Talk with people you care about. Write out your thoughts and feelings. Do some journaling. Consider writing a letter—an end-of the-year-epistle to yourself. It could be profound to write it and valuable to read it in the years ahead.
Reflect upon what you did, how you felt, what you liked, what you didn’t and what you learned. Try to look at yourself and your experience with as much objectivity as you can—much like a biographer would.
Here are some suggestions to get you started in mulling over the past year—perhaps the last decade. Feel free to add your own.
- What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, etc.)
- What did I accomplish? A list of my wins and achievements.
- What would I have done differently? Why?
- What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me?
- What were the most significant events of the year past? List the top three.
- What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about? What was my greatest contribution?
- What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun?
- What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?
- How am I different this year than last?
- For what am I particularly grateful?
Consider listing all the things in your life of which you’d like to let go—anything you no longer want. Give thanks for what they’ve brought you in terms of learning and usefulness and then burn the list. It’s a symbolic gesture to help you release the old and be open to the new. The next step is to list what you do want—experiences, knowledge, material things, relationships, healings, whatever.…
I’m confident that anything you can do to make this year-end more dramatic in terms of your own personal and spiritual growth will be valuable.
Of course, in the end, remember that God is control and it is not always good to dwell in the past so much. We need to look forward as well. Reflect on the year and learn but move on and embrace the future.
“This is what the Lord says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:16, 18-19
Sojourners
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. –Hebrews 13:14
We are sojourners, pilgrims passing through a land not our home. We are looking for a better country, the promise ahead of us, straining toward a goal to be received when we are called home to Christ. Called home. Called from this world of travail to a world of eternal peace and joy.
We were made for this world, but we ruined it. Through our sin we have created a place of terrible tribulation. By his grace, God has relocated our home. Though we were made for this world, this world is no longer home. But we do have a home, an eternal home, an incorruptible home, a home found with God.
As you cry out with the suffering people of the world, remember that this world is not your home. We were not created to live in places of sin and suffering; these are intruders, usurpers, and they have already been defeated and will one day be brought to an end.
But as we remember these things, we also remember that experiencing the joys of our eternal home is not a gift automatically applied to all people. There are countless numbers of people who will be eternally cut off from God. experiencing the sufferings of Hell. This means we have work to do. We are not on earth just to endure to the end. We are not on earth to hunker down and survive as best we can until we reach Heaven. We are here to do the work of the Lord – spreading the glory of his name among the nations.
This world offers nothing of lasting value. Lasting value is found only with God. So do not build up treasures on this world. Instead, use your treasures to the glory of God, to spread his name among the nations. One day all the cities of this world will cease to be but the eternal city of God will never pass away. Invest in that city, and live in such a way that you point people to an eternal home with God.
God Never Changes
“If God varied as we do – if He willed one thing today and another tomorrow – if He were controlled by impulse, who could confide in Him? But all praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed, His will is stable, His word is sure. Here then is a Rock on which we may fix our feet while the mighty torrent is sweeping away everything around us. The permanence of God’s character guarantees the fulfillment of His promises. ’For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness will not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,’ says the Lord that has mercy on you.” AW Pink – The Attributes of God
For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. Malachi 3:6
As 2010 winds down, I have noticed people are making pledges to change. I have noticed gyms and fitness clubs advertising change. I have noticed hair salons and the like advertising change. Change is a good thing and sometimes it is necessary.
If God were to change, it would be the worst possible news imaginable. He could not be trusted. Our lives would be spent in fear, thinking perhaps God would rescind His gift of salvation at any time. We would have no rest in a changing God, no confidence in Him whatsoever.
As humans, our lives are constantly changing. We cannot rely on our nature or our own will to remain stable. But the amazing thing is this … we can find confidence and comfort in God! One thing that sets God apart from us is the fact that He never changes. He is the same God today that was faithful so many years ago to lead Abraham to an unknown land, to lead Joseph through harsh circumstances, to lead Hannah through many tears, and to faithfully lead David to a new life beyond his sin and failure.
No matter how unstable my life may be, God never changes. His purposes are fast and His words are sure. This is our God! This is a God we can trust.
For God alone, my soul waits in silence. From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2
Daily Prayer for December 29
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “O Lord, Hear My Prayer”
Listen, Lord; listen, Lord : not to our words but to our prayers.
Psalm 143:7 – 11
O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me : do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you : show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord : for I flee to you for refuge.
Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God : let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake : for your righteous-ness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.
Listen, Lord; listen, Lord : not to our words but to our prayers.
Isaiah 12:1 – 6 John 7:37 – 52
Listen, Lord; listen, Lord : not to our words but to our prayers.
Origen of Alexandria, a third-century Bible scholar, wrote that “as we — by our prayers — vanquish all the demons that stir up war, and lead to the violation of oaths, and disturb the peace, we in this ser-vice are much more helpful to the kings than those who go into the field to fight for them. None fight better for the king than we do. We do not indeed fight under him, although he demands it; but we fight on his behalf, forming a special army of piety by offering our prayers to God.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, what you call compassion, others call weakness. What you call conviction, others call dissidence. What you call love, others call mixing with sinners. We pray that we too might be found weak, dissident, and in bad company, especially if it means we are closer to you. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
–Shane Claiborne
Remembering
Today, I had the chance to visit what my wife and I consider our “home” church in Pennsylvania. The people are very special to us though we have lost a few since we moved to Nashville. Behind the church is the oldest cemetery in town and it is full of graves of the “great” families of our communities. Of course, I find it fascinating to wander through the cemetery and look at the graves and wonder about the people the graves mark.
In my journey through the cemetery, I came across the grave of the associate pastor of the church who encouraged us and supported us and is partially responsible for our moving to Tennessee. She was quite a lady and a strong force of God. As I paid my respects, I was reminded that she meant a lot to us and we do miss her. However, I was also reminded of several things. First, she knew what she meant to us and she knew we cherished her advice and her guidance. We made sure to tell her what she meant to us. Second, while she has left this earth, we know she is with God and still watching over her husband and children and her church. I am sure you all have someone like this in your life or you have met someone like this before.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. –Philippians 4:4
There is more to this than just simple memories. When was the last time you told someone near and dear to you that you loved them and told them what they meant to you? When did you offer kind words to tell someone they are special. If you haven’t done so for awhile, you may want to think about it. We never know when our last breath is coming.
Funerals are sad affairs but I am not sure if they should be – especially for Christians. We can be confident in our faith that we are going to be in God’s presence and that is cause for celebration. I wonder if funerals are sad because people realize they have things left unsaid. Perhaps they wanted to tell someone what they meant but didn’t get a chance to do it.
Just a random thought for the day.
God Descends to Reascend
C.S. Lewis says that “In the Christian story God descends to reascend.”
He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity…. But he goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders.
Or one may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in midair, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to color and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing that he went down to recover. He and it are both colored now that they have come up into the light: down below, where it lay colorless in the dark, he lost his color too.
In Christmas we bow before an eternal miracle: The God of glory did descend into our human darkness, that we might be made the children of Light.
Bethlehem: Where God’s Love Broke In
This is what happens when God’s power breaks in: darkness is cast out. The power of evil spirits is broken and driven away. The Holy Spirit creates a pure atmosphere, one of unity and of peace.
The little stable in Bethlehem was a place where God’s love broke in. While on earth, Jesus expected God’s kingdom to break in. His expectation was that light must break in upon this darkened earth. He saw that death had heaped up a barrier so that light could not come into life on earth. Therefore he sacrificed his life so that in the area of death an opening might be made; so that there might be a rift in the layer of gloomy fog around the earth – an opening through which the light of God could come in. If a house has even only one window where the sun shines in, it can no longer be dark inside the house.
If Jesus opens a breach in death then God’s kingdom comes down to this earth. This was the faith that the early Christian church had when they waited for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were determined to wait until the flame of the Spirit, like the star over Bethlehem, should come down at this one place. And this did happen; it came.
From the place where a stream enters, it pours out into the entire world. Where love breaks in, all other forces yield. Jesus was victorious on the cross, not by a greater force, but by a greater power – the power of love – in comparison with which all force is nothing. No human force is able to achieve anything in comparison to the power of love.
The birth of Jesus is the in-breaking of the power of love.
Raging Winds
This morning I could hear the howling winds blowing as the snowstorm passed by off the coast. My parents’ house was shaking in the winds and I had several thoughts pass through my head. First, I was grateful that I am in a warm place on such a cold morning. Second, I couldn’t help but think back to scripture and a particular passage in Mark.
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ –Mark 4:35-40 (NRSV)
The disciples were frightened by a raging storm and called out to Jesus. He woke up and he calmed the storm and the winds. Despite the raging storm, he was able to make it stop and the lake was “dead calm”. While that is an awesome display of God’s power, I think there is another part to consider.
We all have storms raging inside of us. We have doubts. We wonder if God is real. We question our lives. Through it all, the storms rage inside of us and we are frightened. We call out for help (and many times, we call out to the wrong person or thing for help). If we have faith in Jesus and cry out to Jesus, he can calm the storms that rage inside of us as well.
I caution you, though. It is going to take faith to call out to Jesus. We have to believe and accept Jesus and in doing so, our storm are not so great. When we hand things over to Jesus, we are giving up control and we accept that Jesus will care for us. It is a big step to take but if we want the storms to calm and stop raging, it is really the only step to take.
“Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” I have faith. Do you?
Daily Prayer for December 26
Stephen of Jerusalem (? – 35)
Stephen was the first in a long line of Christian martyrs. He looked on those who were about to kill him and asked the Lord to forgive them (Acts 7:60). His courageous nonviolence in the face of death resembled that of Christ. It is said that -Jesus sat at the Father’s side after his ascension into heaven, but rose to greet Stephen when he arrived.
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Woke Up This Mornin’ ”
In the morning when we rise : may your image shine in us.
Psalm 119:164 – 68
Seven times a day do I praise you : because of your righteous judgments.
Great peace have they who love your law : for them there is no stumbling block.
I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord : and I have fulfilled your commandments.
I have kept your decrees : and I have loved them deeply.
I have kept your commandments and decrees : for all my ways are before you.
In the morning when we rise : may your image shine in us.
Isaiah 62:6 – 7, 10 – 12 John 3:31 – 36
In the morning when we rise : may your image shine in us.
Fourth-century church father Gregory of Nazianzus wrote, “God became human and poor for our sake, to raise up our flesh, to recover our divine image, to recreate humanity. We no longer observe distinctions arriving from the flesh, but are to bear within ourselves only the seal of God, by whom and for whom we were created. We are to be so formed and molded by -Jesus that we are recognized as belonging to his one family. If only we could be what we hope to be, by the great kindness of our generous God!”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, your coming is still miraculous. Your joining the family of the poor and displaced still baffles and convicts us. Keep us by your manger until we learn the way of love. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm; may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you; may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Come and Linger
Come, and linger awhile
with ancient prophets who hear whispers of a
wonder they will never see, a
wisdom beyond their understanding
and that their words can never fully express…
and yet that they believe in hope.
Come, and linger awhile
near a simple virgin girl who is
overwhelmed when an angel announces
(with terrible calm) that she will be
overshadowed by the Most High and bear a Son Who will
reign over all people and all things for all time.
Come, and linger awhile
through the restless night of a grizzled carpenter who was
shocked by the seeming betrayal of love’s sweetness,
reassured when an angel appeared in his dreams, and
stunned into faith that the Son His beloved carried would
save people from their sins.
Come, and linger awhile
in a shepherd’s night-darkened field, at first
muffled in the ordinary quiet of snores and sheep sleep,
awakened by one angel, a messenger blazing with Glory, joined by
resounding songs & shouts of an angel battalion bringing
good news of great joy to all people.
Come, and linger awhile
by a rough feeding trough in a dead-end stable, where a
Baby lies, God’s glory in skin, proof that
Love arrives, heaven in our broken world, and from there
Hope eyes the promise of peace, joy, life forever.
So, this Christmas…
Come and linger awhile with Jesus.
Be breathlessly quiet,
kneel amazed, awestruck and grateful,
wonder-full and captivated by
Mercy in a manger.
Come…
and linger awhile.
a poem by David Head
Waiting with the Ones Who Waits for the One Who Comes
Just the mere thought of Christmas can bring visions of joy, excitement, family, friends, shopping and gifts. Or, it can bring visions of endless waiting and loneliness, overwhelming sorrow and separation and ongoing fear and darkness.
One of my favorite children’s Christmas story books begins “walk, walk, walk.” It tells the Christmas Story of Mary and Joseph along with their donkey and their very long walk. They “knock, knock, knock,” but are “sad” when there is “no more room in my house” for them. They end up in a barn with their donkey and the resident cows and cats and their kittens. Joseph covers Mary with “his coat so that she would be nice and warm.” They peacefully “sleep, sleep, sleep” in the hay. “ During the night… an exciting thing happened…a little baby.” “Hush, hush, hush.” Mary knew “little babies liked to be loved.”
Have you ever stayed up all night just to experience the dawn – the gradual dimming of the stars as light gently pushes back the darkness revealing the now? Somehow all is refreshed, brilliant – light has come.
Christmas is just this – Light blessing the now. Christmas is not the end of the Advent waiting and journeying. It is the dawn of Advent. It is Light blessing and sanctifying the journey, the waiting itself.
Who waits for whom? Who blesses whom? Parents, siblings, buddies and lovers pensively wait for those who are engaged in ministry, mission and service to come home. Parents eager with anticipation wait for the infant soon to be born. Parents, friends and strangers compassionately journey with the lost and forsaken. Longingly families and friends wait for the estranged. The outcast in yearning wait for welcome. The hungry in trust wait for the cook. The homeless in hope wait for the host. The jobless in faith wait for the employers. The imprisoned desiring freedom wait for the visitor. And children everywhere joyfully wait for the anticipated delight.
And so I walk, and I knock, and I wait. At times I sleep. At times I awake. At times I am cold. At times I am warmed. At times I am hungry. At times I am nourished and nurtured. But in the hush of Christmas I am invited to witness the gift of the Light that shines in the now. I am invited to notice and to receive the sanctifying presence within my journey, my waiting. I am invited to sing Alleluias to the Christ in my life. To Jesus who walks with me in the now – wherever and however that is.
And the goodnews: Christmas is for all of God’s children. Alleluia, Alleluia!
Christmas and The Holy Spirit
The first mention of the Holy Spirit comes in the second verse of the Bible: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). Here the Holy Spirit is involved in the creation of the cosmos, working in concert with God’s word (as He always does) to bring order out of disorder and create land and trees and animals and people. The first biblical reference to the Spirit has Him tightly involved with stuff. The first mention of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament also has Him involved creatively with stuff: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Luke elaborates on this, telling us that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The Holy Spirit, it seems, is always involved with stuff – making it, shaping it, animating it, conceiving it. He was involved in the creation. He conceived Jesus in the virgin’s womb. He raised Jesus bodily from the grave. He will breathe physical life in all His people at the general resurrection. Christmas teaches us that Christianity is not spitirual, that even the Holy Spirit is concerned primarily not with some ethereal “spirituality” but with the material “flesh and blood” stuff of human life.
Just a Piece of Candy?
I know you have all probably read about the Legend of the Candy Cane. Last evening at church, my daughter participated in children’s church (in fact, she was the leader of the group and we were visitors!). Anyway, at the end of the sermon, all of the children received this version of the legend and I want to share it with you this morning.
A piece of candy at Christmas time can be a reminder as well.
A stick of pure white hard candy is white to symbolize the Virgin conception & the sinless nature of Jesus; hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of hte Church; firm to represent the promise of God.
The shape of a “J” to represent the name of Jesus, who can to earth as our Savior. The shape of a staff of the Good Shepherd with which he reached down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
The smaller stripes of red to remember the painful stripes of Jesus’ wounds by which we are healed. The large red stripe for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Just a piece of candy for many, but for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it can remind us of so much more…
Look at the Candy Cane.
What do you see?
Stripes that are read like the blood shed for me.
White is for my Savior who’s sinless and pure!
“J” is for Jesus my Lord, that’s for sure.
Turn it around and a staff you will see.
Jesus my shepherd was born for me!
Madonna and Child
May the blessings of Christmas be with you and yours.
Merry Christmas!
The Long Wait for Jesus
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. –Genesis 3:15
The serpent’s deception led to Adam and Eve’s rejection of God’s righteousness. The serpent would continue to be an enemy of all God’s ways. His favored method of assaulting God is to assault God’s treasured possession, human beings. His opening salvo took place in a garden paradise and his deception lured Adam and Eve into sin.
From the very beginning of fallen human history we had the promise of a Savior. Even in the midst of judgment God delivered a promise that from the woman would come One who would crush the head of the serpent.
Jesus Christ did not come in a vacuum of history. His entry into humanity fulfilled thousands of years of promise and hope. In Eden, Adam and Eve were barred from the tree of life. In Jesus Christ we are given the bread and water of life. His coming brought hope and restoration and victory over sin and the grave.
Christmas is about a Savior who entered human history to crush our age-old adversary and to pay in his flesh the penalty for our sin. We cannot celebrate his birth without remembering why he was born. Without Easter, Christmas would have no meaning.
Rejoice in the knowledge that your enemy is vanquished. Satan’s power has been crushed and God has won a people for himself. The children of God are eternally secure even though the forces of darkness continue to rage against them. People of God, rejoice! The serpent has been crushed! Your sins are paid for! You have been redeemed! You are no longer of this world but belong to the kingdom of God your Father.
All this because over two thousand years ago, God took on flesh.
The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed
Today is Christmas Eve. Once again the Seasons of the Church are turning, the Light is here, tonight, for us Christians, and all the world, the Incarnation shall come once more.
Unfortunately we rarely talk about the Mystery of the Incarnation except at this time of the year. It truly is a Mystery beyond human comprehension, but I do believe and confess that one night, long ago, the Word was made flesh.
That miracle of Incarnation to me, teaches us that we should share in all human happiness and mourn every human grief. All genuine human joy and contentment is the business of a Christian because it was shared by God, Incarnate. Not staying in the walls of a Church, getting into the business of life is Incarnational. But also, all human suffering, misery, depression, and darkest despair is our concern because Christ walked with us there also. When my late wife suffered in the pain of her cancer, Jesus was there, with her, with me, going through that agony. There is no human condition that Jesus did not share with us, apart from sin.
In dealing with pain and suffering in this broken world, Archbishop Rowan’s words speak to me: “There is something about Christianity that always pulls us back from imagining that everything will be all right if we can find the right things to say – because for God, the right thing to say at Christmas was the crying of a small Child, beginning a life of risk and suffering. God shows us how, by His grace and in His Spirit, we can respond to the tormenting riddles of the world.”
That the Word of God, Who was with God from the beginning, and Who is God should have become flesh, not just putting on some sort of human “skin suit”, but becoming flesh, recreates all human experience into a new place, one that God Himself deigned to dwell.
So tonight, in the candles, incense, and songs of the devout, may we greet once again, the Lord of Glory!
A Reflection on My Detour
Yesterday, I wrote about my Army chaplaincy detour. It seems that my plans changed but I was okay with the change in plans. I had no worries or concerns. Shortly after posting that blog, I had several good friends comment on the post and I heard God speaking through their words. I was validated in my course and I was strengthened for the detour. Things do not always work out as we plan but they do work out as God plans. This detour has a purpose and I am confident as I move down this detour. The words of my friends validated and reinforced this path. I believe God spoke through them to me to encourage me.
They both pointed out to me that I have changed – and not just physically - on this journey. Just a year ago, I would have probably thrown up my hands and given up and walked away. I would have been frustrated and quit. I have no desire to quit. I have come a long way and I want to see this journey through to the end – whatever that may be. I appreciate the opportunity to reflect and realize that I have grown as a person. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I have grown and I have changed and I am proud of who I have become – with God’s help.
I would ask you to reflect on your course in life. Are you lost or searching? Listen for God and trust that God will speak to you in some way or another – whether through friends, the Bible, or someway you don’t expect. Listen and know that God will guide you – if you just trust God.
The Inbreaking of Light
This is what happens when God’s power breaks in: darkness is cast out. The power of evil spirits is broken and driven away. The Holy Spirit creates a pure atmosphere, one of unity and of peace.
The little stable in Bethlehem was a place where God’s love broke in. While on earth, Jesus expected God’s kingdom to break in. His expectation was that light must break in upon this darkened earth. He saw that death had heaped up a barrier so that light could not come into life on earth. Therefore he sacrificed his life so that in the area of death an opening might be made; so that there might be a rift in the layer of gloomy fog around the earth – an opening through which the light of God could come in. If a house has even only one window where the sun shines in, it can no longer be dark inside the house.
If Jesus opens a breach in death then God’s kingdom comes down to this earth. This was the faith that the early Christian church had when they waited for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were determined to wait until the flame of the Spirit, like the star over Bethlehem, should come down at this one place. And this did happen; it came.
From the place where a stream enters, it pours out into the entire world. Where love breaks in, all other forces yield. Jesus was victorious on the cross, not by a greater force, but by a greater power – the power of love – in comparison with which all force is nothing. No human force is able to achieve anything in comparison to the power of love.
The birth of Jesus is the in-breaking of the power of love.
