Farewell: It’s a New Day
Today is the day and it has finally arrived. In just a few hours, I will be heading for Fort Hood, TX to report for active duty. In the process, I am leaving my family (temporarily) and Nashville (for a lot longer). I knew it was coming and it came suddenly. Nashville has been home for nearly seven years and now all of that is about to change. I am sad to leave and unsure of what is coming next. There are some thoughts to keep me going today.
I know that my separation from my family is only temporary. I need to report before housing is available so I am heading off today so I can report on Monday. I know my family is just about a month behind me. Last year, I was at Fort Jackson, SC for three months and I went much longer without seeing them. With the technology available to us, I can keep in touch and keep connected until we are together again.
I refuse to say good-bye to anyone. I know paths will cross again at some point. Nashville has been home and I have formed some great friendships along the way. Nashville is also on the trip back to Pennsylvania so we will have to stop here overnight which means visiting with friends. Sometimes we have to say farewell to move on to other things. They are not easy but with friends (and with Christian friends), we never say good-bye. I like this quote I found yesterday:
“A farewell is necessary before we can meet again, and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends.” ~Richard Bach
Finally, I go with God. I know I keep repeating this but it is the truth. I am on this journey because God has called me on this path. I really don’t know what is in store but I know I go with God. That is all that really matters in the end. This morning as I was reading through my devotionals, I came across two verses that jumped out at me.
…do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10 (NRSV)
I have nothing to fear because God is right there. Countless verses in Scripture allude to the fact that following God’s path may not be easy but God will be right there with us each step of the way. I go today knowing this.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? ~Romans 8:31-34 (NRSV)
Again, a similar idea to Isaiah. God is with me (and us) so I really have nothing to fear. Instead, as I prepare to leave Nashville, I look back on the friendships and the lessons I learned over the past seven years. I have grown considerably and as I have been saying, I take each of the people I have met with me wherever I go. The lessons they taught me and the love they showed me will go with me always. It is a wonderful idea that a seed planted in a person will grown and blossom and produce fruits – sometimes far away – but you have a part in planting that seed and nurturing it for a time.
Thanks friends, I will miss you but I cherish what you have shared with me.
A House Divided…
In an 1858 speech, Abraham Lincoln famously said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” He was of course referring to the slavery issue that was dividing the United States and would ultimately lead to the Civil War in just a few years.
Sadly, his words echo today in our climate of vitriolic words of hatred that are swirling from all sides of the election. Supporters of both major party candidates for President are making cases why their person is the best for the job while attacking the other side as blind, misguided, and even stupid. Not the case, you think? Well, all you have to do is glance at Facebook this morning. I glance over the posts and words of people I have known for years and I am surprised at what they are saying about people who do not think as they do. Their keyboards are where their mouths are and I am surprised at what they are saying! What is going to happen when the election is over?
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. ~Isaiah 40:8 (NRSV)
The day after the election in November, someone will be a winner and someone will have lost. We will go back to normal, so to speak, but things will have changed – relationships will be altered, friendships may even be ended. One thing that will not change is God’s word as Isaiah writes. In fact, God’s world has a lot to say about how we should be treating others. Here is just a sample:
- Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble ~Proverbs 24:17
- In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. ~Matthew 7:12
- This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ~John 15:12
- Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. ~Ephesians 4:31-32
This is just a small sampling but my point is this: we cannot attack and tear each other down over small things like elections and they go back to normal. We need to abide by God’s word and love each other. More importantly, we need to see that politics is yet one more thing that divides in ways that make it harder to love each other. Let’s stop.
Trust God’s Timing
I wilSo I am spending this weekend waiting on word about the Active Duty board and an appointment as an Active Duty Chaplain. For those that read my blog regularly, you know I do not wait well nor do I handle worry very well. It is likely, I will end up as a basket case by Monday morning. I did a Google search on some scripture verses this morning and as I was reading them, I began to hear God’s voice speaking to me.
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ~Isaiah 43:18-19a (NRSV)
As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”
“The hour is the God-given moment of destiny not to be shrunk from but seized with decisiveness, the floodtide of opportunity and demand in which the unseen waters of the future surge down to the present.” (Os Guinness, Character Counts **) Nothing is more critical than to recognize and respond to such a moment. A moment is all the time it takes for God to change things.
When God presents you with an exciting opportunity do you eagerly step out of your comfort zone and proceed with enthusiasm? Or like many people do you cower in fear and say to God, “Not me Lord, send someone else!” ? How can God do a new thing today, if we are still hanging on to yesterday’s hurt, pain and disappointment? We must declare as David did, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!”
But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. ~Psalm 31:14-15a (NRSV)
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
The title of this post is from a quote by the immortal British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. I chose this quote as the title because I have been pondering waiting over the past week as I await word from the US Army regarding Active Duty. Of course, for those who know my mind, you know I cannot stay on one topic for very long. So what is on my mind?
We all face failure in our lives at times; whether they are recurring fears, lost opportunities, possibly even moral failures. One of mine is that I get nervous when speaking to groups when I feel like I’m being evaluated. Then my breath gets short and my voice starts cracking. I’m just not myself when that happens and I feel terrible afterwards. It’s not like it happens all the time either. In those situations I feel like Peter, when he walked on water and then began to sink when he got his eyes off Jesus. I can hear Jesus saying…”Oh you of little faith”.
At those times…some of us start believing the enemy (satan). He tells us that we’re worthless failures or that God does not care about us or even love us. We tend to feel defeated and ready to give up and let the enemy win. Though giving up and giving in to the lies of the enemy seems like the easy thing to do sometimes, is that what God wants us to do?
It’s hard to get up…especially when we try to do it on our own strength. The good news is that we don’t have to do it on our own strength…we have a helper and that is Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God does not want us to do anything on our might. He does want us to take the initial step of faith, repent and then get up, however, He does not want us to do it on our own strength. He wants us to give him our failures, fears and burdens and move forward. Also, He does not want us to live in the past. Many of us relive our failure a thousand times over and over in our thoughts. We need to stop that. The Bible says that we should take every thought captive into the obedience of Jesus Christ. That means that He wants us to consciously cast away thoughts that do not come from Him. We can’t prevent every thought from entering our minds, however, we have to make a decision on what to do with those thoughts. Do we meditate on that bad thought or do we take that thought captive…do we bind it to a scripture and dismiss it? Which route we chose is up to us. Let’s choose right.
God wants us to get up when we experience failure or defeat. Never ever is God saying to give in to defeat. He is our biggest advocate who encourages us to get up because He is an overcomer and has already overcome this world.
The Bible (NRSV) says…
- Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~Hebrews 4:4-16
- Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. ~Psalm 55:22
- ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10
God wants us to get up. The key to success is not the act of falling down but that act of getting back up.
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” ~2 Chronicles 15:7
I wish that I could overcome some of my struggles in an instant, however, it’s more of a slow process most of the time. Nevertheless, God wants us to be overcomers and He gave us all the tools to do that. You might think that you will never overcome this illness, addition, fear, etc. in this life, but that is not what God says. The Grace that saved us from sins consequences also provides us with the power to be overcomers and to live holy, righteous, successful lives. It’s the lack of faith that is truly holding us back. Jesus talked to his disciples many times about their lack of faith. If we had the faith of just a mustard seed we could move mountains. We could pray for the sick and they would be healed.
How do we get more faith? We get it by spending more time in the word, in prayer and in thought with Jesus. We get it by trusting Him when these situations come up and by surrendering our fears, our doubts, our past, our failure continually to him and giving him thanks for the victories. We get it by little victories along the way when we step out in faith and trust God. We get it by getting up one more time. Let’s write down all that God blessed us with and read those blessings once a day for the next 30 days. We need to train our minds toward God and rebuke the enemy who want us to live defeated lives. Let’s start living a victorious life starting NOW!
Don’t give up on God because He has not given up on you. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! You might feel that your sin is too big for God ever be able to forgive you. That is a lie of the enemy. God is not proud of our sins, however, He is always ready to receive us back if we repent and ask Him into our hearts. You might say…I have sinned 500 times…I have done really bad things. Repent, ask God to forgive you, and ask Jesus into your life…He is waiting.
A Reflection on Soaring
When the eagle soars, he doesn’t have to work. The shape of his wings and his momentum are what provide the lift along with the rising air currents. All he has to do is extend his wings and float, so of course he’s not going to get tired. He’s just lying there…Resting. Waiting. Letting other forces carry him along.
We like to flap our wings. It feels good and strong to flap flap flap and suddenly, wow! you gain a bit of speed and lift and you’re flying. Only to fall back to earth panting, dazed and exhausted. But oh, that bit when you were in the air – stimulating in the extreme. Flapping comes naturally to us.
By contrast the eagle most often begins his flight by jumping off a cliff. The very last thing we want to do! Jumping off cliffs does not come at all naturally.
The analogy continues as you consider that the shape of the eagle’s wings is the way God made him to be, tools he’s been given that he had no say over and did not make. For us, that would be all the things God has given us at salvation in the spiritual realm, including the filling of the Spirit — and the means of regaining it when we sin — and His word. The eagle’s momentum comes from flying – from jumping off the cliff and gliding away. After he has glided a bit, he flaps his wings to gain more altitude so he can float some more. For us, flying would be learning the doctrine (flapping – because it does take effort to learn), believing it, then applying it to the circumstances of our lives. Which leads to rest. So… flapping is learning and applying the word to our lives, while floating is the result of that application.
An hour a day listening to/reading the teaching of your pastor. 23 hours resting in what you’ve learned. No wonder the soaring eagle doesn’t get tired.
Broken and Remade
This morning as I was running, I had a thought. Of course, I have many thoughts while I am running but I was thinking about the fact that during boot camp, Soldiers are broken down so they can be remade into, well Soldiers. You have raw recruits who are coming in and need to be shaped up and made ready to serve.
While Christians are not always broken down to be made into Soldiers, I think when we hit our moments of being broken, God remakes us into better people to love and serve God. This morning as I was running, I heard the chorus below and started to sing it and reflect on it.
Brokenness (Brokenness) is what I long for
Brokenness (Brokenness) is what I need
Brokenness (Brokenness) is what You want for me
Those words shot straight to the core of me. I need to be broken before God in order to be used by him. I need to be broken so that any pride that exists can slowly fade away. As I sang those words aloud as cars passed by me, I knew God was showing me that this is where he wants me.
To be broken over the things that break his heart. To be broken over my sin and how it affects others. To allow Christ to break me so that I can better reflect his image to the world around me. To be broken enough so that I realize life is just not all about me (something I reallystruggle with).
I then started to sing the Chorus:
Take my Heart and mold it
Take my mind, transform it
Take my will, conform it
To Yours (to Yours) oh, Lord
I’m so thankful that I can give to him my heart, mind, and will so that he can do what he pleases in my life, even if that means quite a bit of brokenness.
But now, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. All of us are the work of your hand. -Isaiah 64:8 (CEB)
I think we need to be broken and shattered before we can fully realize how much we need God. Maybe no. I am envious of those who fully love God without question but I find that I am one of those people who struggle from time to time and need to be reminded that I need God. When I am at my weakest moment, when I am broken, when I am hitting rock bottom, I am at my fullest need for God and in those moments, I am being remade.
Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong. -2 Corinthians 12:10 (CEB)
Got Purpose?
After embracing the risen and living Christ, the apostles began to get a better idea of their purpose in light of the resurrection. It also helped that Jesus was rather specific in his final instructions to them.
Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. -Luke 24:44-47 (CEB)
We know the rest of the story. They went out from there and spread the good news/gospel to the ends of the known earth and the Church was born. They lived out their purpose in light of the resurrection but what about the rest of us? It is not so simple.
If you listen to some sermons (and read them), it seems we should be out on the streets preaching to people and making sure they know Jesus. I am not mocking this idea but I don’t think everyone is called to this purpose. Instead, I think we are called to live our lives in light of our own purpose. When we live in the hope of our own resurrection, when we live in harmony with others, when we live in harmony with creation, when we deal with pain and suffering with assurance of God’s peace and comfort, we are preaching the good news.
But something even more amazing happens when we live out our life in light of the resurrection. We share in the defeat of death.
Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end, -1 Corinthians 15:26 (CEB)
When we choose to live despite death, despite pain, and despite suffering, we are sharing in the destruction of death that was started by Christ. We are saying to death – you may be able to take my life but I am going to refuse to give it to you. I am not going to fear you or let you destroy this life that I have. It those moments when we live fully and completely in Christ’s resurrection that we are sharing the good news. There is no death when we live in Jesus Christ. This is our hope. This is our assurance. This is our purpose.
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe tears from every face; he will remove his people’s disgrace from off the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken. -Isaiah 25:8 (CEB)
A Transforming God
A reading from Isaiah 50 (CEB):
The LORD God gave me an educated tongue to know how to respond to the weary with a word that will awaken them in the morning. God awakens my ear in the morning to listen, as educated people do. The LORD God opened my ear; I didn’t rebel; I didn’t turn my back. Instead, I gave my body to attackers, and my cheeks to beard pluckers. I didn’t hide my face from insults and spitting. The LORD God will help me; therefore, I haven’t been insulted. Therefore, I set my face like flint, and knew I wouldn’t be ashamed. The one who will declare me innocent is near. Who will argue with me? Let’s stand up together. Who will bring judgment against me? Let him approach me. Look! The LORD God will help me. Who will condemn me? Look, they will wear out like clothing; the moth will eat them.
Throughout Lent, we have talked about being changed by the love of God and being moved by that love to serve.
As we gather for worship this morning, we will experience change in a dramatic way. The Palm Sunday shouts of “Hosanna!” will quickly be replaced by shouts of “Crucify him” as we hear the story of the last week of Jesus’ life. The joy of welcoming the Savior into Jerusalem will be overcome by the pain and sadness of Christ’s final days.
We don’t always experience such a significant change so quickly. Often, change is more subtle and occurs over a period of time. That change can either lead us closer to God or farther away from God. However, we trust that God continues to work in our hearts, wakening our ears to hear the good news of his love and grace each morning. As God changes our hearts, our attitudes change as well. Even when we face challenges, we can stand sure in God’s love and grace. When we trust that God is near and will help us, our shame and fear is changed to grace and confidence.
Especially on this day when we hear the passion story, we may quickly associate these words from the prophet Isaiah with Jesus: “I gave my back to those who struck me … I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.” We know all too well that this is precisely the story we will hear about Jesus during this coming week. But when Jesus died and rose again, he changed the world – and each one of our lives – forever.
Transforming God, you changed the world with your love. Continue to awaken us to your Word, that we, too, may be changed and learn to trust in you completely. Amen.
The Persistent Widow
A reading from Luke 18 (CEB):
He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ ”For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus used this parable to teach his disciples about praying and not giving up, even when the prayer doesn’t seem to get an answer.
A widow went before a judge and begged him to grant her justice against her adversaries. The judge rudely said, “No!” and sent her away. I think the judge was heartless. She went home that day, but time and again she returned to make the same request for justice. Each time the judge shook his fist at her, said “No,” and threw her out of his presence. Finally, she went before the judge one last time. He was so tired of the widow’s constant pleading that he decided to give her what she asked for just so she would leave him alone.
God wants us to pray at all times. Keep praying even when you don’t get the answer you want as fast as you would like. Think about the widow and the mean judge. She kept pleading her case over and over, and eventually this heartless man gave in to her petitions. If someone like this unfair judge will eventually listen, won’t God who loves us listen to his children when they call out to him? God will hear the prayers of his people.
Isaiah 40:31 says: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Easter is close but it is not too late to make a choice to find a Lenten practice in the last few weeks before Easter. Begin today to pray. Be persistent and faithful in your prayers – God hears and God is waiting.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us the Lord’s Prayer and teaching us to pray constantly. Amen
For the Sake of Others
A Reading from Isaiah 53 (CEB):
Who can believe what we have heard, and for whose sake has the LORD’s arm been revealed? He grew up like a young plant before us, like a root from dry ground. He possessed no splendid form for us to see, no desirable appearance. He was despised and avoided by others; a man who suffered, who knew sickness well. Like someone from whom people hid their faces, he was despised, and we didn’t think about him.
It was certainly our sickness that he carried, and our sufferings that he bore, but we thought him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented. He was pierced because of our rebellions and crushed because of our crimes. He bore the punishment that made us whole; by his wounds we are healed.
Like sheep we had all wandered away, each going its own way, but the LORD let fall on him all our crimes. He was oppressed and tormented, but didn’t open his mouth. Like a lamb being brought to slaughter, like a ewe silent before her shearers, he didn’t open his mouth. Due to an unjust ruling he was taken away, and his fate—who will think about it? He was eliminated from the land of the living, struck dead because of my people’s rebellion. His grave was among the wicked, his tomb with evildoers, though he had done no violence, and had spoken nothing false.
But the LORD wanted to crush him and to make him suffer. If his life is offered as restitution, he will see his offspring; he will enjoy long life. The LORD’s plans will come to fruition through him. After his deep anguish he will see light, and he will be satisfied. Through his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will make many righteous, and will bear their guilt. Therefore, I will give him a share with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong, in return for exposing his life to death and being numbered with rebels, though he carried the sin of many and pleaded on behalf of those who rebelled.
Some vocations occasionally require suffering for the sake of others. Nurses, doctors, social workers, those serving in the military, firefighters, police officers and many more sometimes must put themselves in harm’s way for others.
When we hear in the news about someone who acts heroically to save another, we are moved and touched. In Isaiah, it is the servant – our savior, Jesus Christ – who is hailed for standing in harm’s way for all of us. He suffered for the nations, not just for the Israelites. Like a police officer who puts life on the line to save someone who has put himself in a precarious situation, Christ sacrificed himself because we sinned, we transgressed.
And what about the rest of us, those who don’t have to make a personal physical sacrifice? We are called to use the gifts that God has given us. The gift of grace frees us to do what God asks of us. Our faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifices he made for us give us hope to trust in ourselves and in humanity.
We are called to love one another as God loves us. The Holy Spirit acts within us to inspire, uplift and awaken the gifts God has given us. Let our faith sustain us so that we trust in that which God asks us to do, even when we may have to give of ourselves for the sake of others.
Dear Lord, we are thankful for those around us who take the blows for us. We are especially grateful for the sacrifice that was made for us sinners. Thanks and praise to you always!
The Magi Have Come
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem.They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. -Matthew 2:1-12 (CEB)
The magi did not come to study Jesus. They came to worship a newborn king by following a special star. Sacrificing time and comfort, they brought gifts to a baby who demonstrated no outward signs of prophetic confirmation. They held no assurance of how the story would end. All they had was prophetic knowledge of a star and a coming messiah. Reflected in their eyes was an economically limited toddler, in modest surroundings, lying in a teen mother’s arms. To the intellectually perceptive, this scene was not a scholar’s formula for future success. Yet, by grace, the magi had the faith to experience unbridled joy. They beheld the substance of things hoped for and humbled themselves to worship the gift of God. Jesus was the promise of salvation for the world and the gift of joy that sent the wise home by another way.
The Magi came asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” Tradition has it that there were three Magi, probably because the Bible account names three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh.) The names used for these Magi are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, and tradition also says that they are of three different ethnic groups, signifying that Christ comes not just for one nation but for all people.
In fact, that is what we celebrate in January at Epiphany: Jesus Christ as the Light of the world. We celebrate Christ as Light to the whole world, not as the Light to one small group in the world.
Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance. Lift up your eyes and look all around: they are all gathered; they have come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on caregivers’ hips. Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will tremble and open wide, because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you; the nations’ wealth will come to you. Countless camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. They will all come from Sheba, carrying gold and incense, proclaiming the LORD’s praises. -Isaiah 60:1-6 (CEB)
Many Christians mark Epiphany in only cursory ways, as if everything about Christmas ends at midnight on December 25. We do seem in a hurry sometimes to put away Christmas. … Most of us stop playing Christmas music, too, as if the songs are inappropriate at any other time of the year. …
Commentators have said we seem in a hurry after Christmas to box up once again our patience, our tolerance, our generosity and put them back in the attic, as if we can sustain good behavior for a few weeks but wouldn’t want to risk making it a way of life. We may also put away our willingness to give a bit more, to be more forgiving, even to be more patient in traffic as we often are during the holidays. Perhaps we even box up our desires to hope and our openness to miracles and mystery, as if the messages of the Christmas stories can’t quite survive the rigors of real life in the rest of the year. The Magi call us to continue our observance of Christ’s coming after December is over.
The Light of the Glory of the Lord
Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance. Lift up your eyes and look all around: they are all gathered; they have come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on caregivers’ hips. Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will tremble and open wide, because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you; the nations’ wealth will come to you. Countless camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. They will all come from Sheba, carrying gold and incense, proclaiming the LORD’s praises. -Isaiah 60:1-6 (CEB)
We are just a week or so past the celebration of the incarnation of God into the world. We talked about, sang about, and prayed about light coming into the world and being all around us. We spent four weeks in the darkness as we journeyed towards the light.
The light of the glory of the Lord is akin to the kingdom of heaven: it is already breaking into reality around us, but we often fail to see it. Insofar as the light is also identified with Christ, one might also reflect on Matthew 25’s description of Jesus as present all around us in the hungry, sick, and imprisoned, but recognized in none of these forms. During the holiday season, rather than being too downcast to lift our eyes, we may instead be too busy and distracted, and may thus miss the true light of the world.
“Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ -Matthew 25:31-40 (CEB)
These revelations of increasing light, in Jerusalem and in the Christ, draw us closer to the nature of God and allow us to see ourselves more clearly. Indeed, we might ask ourselves: How do I respond to God’s initiative of grace? What gift do I bring to the Christ and to this congregation gathered in his name? How is the global church drawn together in adoration of the Christ? What do the “outsiders” in the passages from Isaiah and Matthew’s Gospel teach us about who we are and who Jesus is?
Consider this question today: what gift(s) do you bring to Christ through participation in a specific congregation or in the world as a whole?
Life’s Big Moments and the Bible
Today is my wife’s 32nd birthday. As we celebrate, I am reminded of the big moments that have happened to me this year. I completed and graduated from seminary in May. I joined the Army and survived Chaplain school. I left one church and briefly served another before we parted ways because of the uncertainty of Army life. These are all significant events and I see God’s presence in each one of them – including my wife’s birthday. God guides us if we take the time to listen and hear.
Which is why I am reminded that the Bible also contains big moments in the life of God’s people. We have Abraham and the first covenant. Noah and the flood. Moses leading God’s people out of Egypt. Joshua choosing God. David and Solomon. Jesus calling the twelve. Paul and Timothy. So many lives that reflect a faith, love, and trust in God. The Bible literally shows us the way to go if we look at how other people handled the big moments in their lives as shared in the Bible.
Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. -Psalm 119:105 (CEB)
I have heard Psalm 119 quoted many times as people reflect that the Bible guides us on life’s journey. I agree. Many of the major events in my life have a counterpart in the Bible and I can read and reflect on how someone else handled it. Yes, I am aware that the Bible does not have modern examples in it but that doesn’t mean I can’t find guidance with in the pages of the books as I go through life. It is a lamp, a road map, a compass, a bridge, a path, and so many other things to life.
…because God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. -Hebrews 4:12 (CEB)
Have you ever thought about the Bible being living and active? I have seen Bibles that are not living or active – they are covered with dust and look brand new hardly used. Then I have seen Bibles that have no covers, worn pages, tears, and lots of notes. Those are the living Bibles – the ones that have been on the journey with someone for years and years. It is not enough to just own a Bible – you have to use it as well. You have to spend time reading it, studying it, meditating on it, and praying over it. I believe the more familiar you are with the Bible (I am not talking about memorizing verses but you can; I am terrible at it) then you will know where to turn in the Bible when you need to read something for a situation.
So back to life’s big moments and the Bible. We are going to experience great moments of joy and great moments of sadness. In between, there will be times of peace and silence and times of uncertainty. Through it all, God’s word will be a constant for us because it never changes. Through all of life’s moments, we have God and God’s word to guide us.
The grass dries up; the flower withers, but our God’s word will exist forever. -Isaiah 49:8 (CEB
So my advice this morning as I prepare to celebrate with my wife has several pieces.
- Find a good Bible translation that is easy to read and one that you want to read. I am part of the Common English Bible tour (and I actually like it!) so I will recommend that translation. It is written in modern language and is easy to read and understand. You can also pick up a copy of the NIV which is also easy to read and understand. Whatever you choose, open the Bible and read it every day as you go through life’s moments.
- Once you have a good translation, actually read it. Find a good reading plan or devotional and follow it. Here is a 90 Day Reading Plan that takes you through two chapters of the New Testament each day. Whatever plan you choose, stick with it but if you miss a day, don’t sweat it. Pick up the next day and keep reading. You will be amazed at how relevant the Bible is to your life.
But you must continue with the things you have learned and found convincing. You know who taught you. Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus.Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good. -2 Timothy 3:14-17
It’s December 26. Christmas Is Over.
For many people, today marks the day after Christmas. Gifts will be returned to stores. Decorations will come down. Radio stations stop playing Christmas music. It’s as if a month or more of waiting and preparing are gone and we have moved on to the next big thing. Christmas is over, right?
As the earth puts out its growth, and as a garden grows its seeds, so the LORD God will grow righteousness and praise before all the nations. -Isaiah 61:11 (CEB)
Many years ago, events unfolded around a single baby born in a cave and laid in a manger. It is likely that he was not born on December 25 but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that he was born. It was like the spreading of seeds into the world that would grow and spread through out the world. The day that we call Christmas does celebrate the incarnation of God. We sing hymns, go to church, share in Christmas spirit and fellowship, and yes we even exchange gifts. This is a celebration of the incarnation but then suddenly on December 26, we stop celebrating the incarnation of God and go back to our ordinary lives.
Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them will recognize that they are a people blessed by the LORD. -Isaiah 61:9 (CEB)
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year,” says the repentant Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” As the end of 2011 draws near and we look toward a new year, “keeping Christmas in our hearts” could become our resolution for 2012. One way to do so might be to take the familiar carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” as our guide.
In recent years, it has been asserted that “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was originally written as a secret catechism, used to teach the principles of the Catholic faith during times of persecution in England — i.e., four calling birds were secret references to the four Gospels, or the four evangelists, etc. While the evidence for this claim is a tad dubious, that doesn’t mean it might not serve us well just the same. By taking a new look at this old song, we may discover we have 12 months’ worth of ideas to help us keep Christmas — and to grow in our faith — in the year ahead.
January: A partridge in a pear tree. The partridge is said to represent Jesus, the one true gift of the Father. This month, renew your commitment to faith by spending time each day in prayer with Jesus. Don’t make it so difficult you quit before you begin. It is enough to start each day (maybe while brushing your teeth) by simply saying, “Jesus, be with me today.” After doing this for 31 days, it’s likely a new habit of trust and hope will have taken root in your heart . . . just like the pear tree in the song.
February: Two turtledoves. The Old and the New Testaments are presumably signified by the turtledoves. This month, pay special attention to the readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament in church. If you are feeling particularly motivated, you might choose to read one book from each of the testaments. If you’ve never read the Book of Genesis, you might be surprised at what some of the stories you think you know by heart, like Adam and Eve, really say. The same goes for Paul’s letters, especially the Letter to the Ephesians.
March: Three french hens. The Magi are said to have brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ Child. Gold is symbolic of our money, frankincense of our faith, and myrrh of the ultimate end of our lives. During March, take time to consider how you are using your financial resources, how you nurture your faith, and how you are living your life in light of the final union with God.
April: Four calling birds. The four Gospels tell the story of Jesus and our salvation. Select one Gospel verse this month and ask for the faith to bring it to life. Since April is tax month and a time of worry for many people, consider Matthew 6: 25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “. . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
May: Five gold rings. The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Torah or the Pentateuch and contain the foundations of our faith in the one, true God. They would have been very familiar to Jesus, who would have read them in the Temple. During May, the month of Our Lady, take some time to consider how the prophesies of the Old Testament were fulfilled through Mary and her son.
June: Six Geese a-laying. For six days, God labored and worked at creation. On the seventh day, he rested. This month, make an attempt to keep the Sabbath free of unnecessary work. Use it, instead, for things that renew and rejuvenate your spirit.
July: Seven Swans a-swimming. We are taught that the Holy Spirit has given us seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, piety and fear (or awe) of the Lord. During July, look for evidence of the gifts of the Spirit in your life. Pray that the gift you need the most becomes manifest and “swims” bountifully in your life.
August: Eight maids a-milking. Listed in Matthew 5: 1-12, the Eight Beatitudes give us a concrete formula for living a holy life. In fact, St. Augustine called the Beatitudes the ideal model for every Christian life. During August, choose one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy (see sidebar) in order to live out the Beatitudes in your own life.
September: Nine ladies dancing. In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul lists nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (5:22-23). When we receive the Holy Spirit at our baptism and confirmation, these gifts enter into our lives. This month, ask that you can fully experience their presence in your daily life.
October: Ten lords a-leaping. This month the presidential campaign will kick into high gear. As you prepare to vote, pray that the candidates remember the Ten Commandments and the principles on which our nation was founded.
November: Eleven pipers piping. We sometimes forget that there were only 11 faithful disciples left at the time of the Crucifixion. During November, remember all those family members and friends who are no longer practicing the faith, as well as all those who have died and gone before us.
December: Twelve drummers drumming. Sometimes we make our faith more complicated than it really is. The Apostles’ Creed contains all the basics that we must believe. Sometime this month, read the creed slowly and make your own assertion of faith to each of its 12 points.
To maintain the spirit of Christmas alive all the year is simply to keep the spirit of Christ living in our words and in our deeds. By looking at an old familiar carol in a new way, we can truly keep Christmas every month of the year.
It may be December 26 but it doesn’t mean that Christmas has to be over. Let’s live out the joy of the incarnation of God all year long whether we are surrounded by the trappings of Christmas or not.
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Peace
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light.
On those living in a pitch-dark land,
light has dawned.
You have made the nation great;
you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as those who divide plunder rejoice.
As on the day of Midian,
you’ve shattered the yoke
that burdened them,
the staff on their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.
Because every boot
of the thundering warriors,
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned, fuel for the fire.
A child is born to us,
a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be vast authority
and endless peace
for David’s throne
and for his kingdom,
establishing and sustaining it
with justice and righteousness
now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this.
-Isaiah 9:2-7 (CEB)
The promise of Christmas Eve: endless peace for the throne of David—not once upon a time, but endless peace now for all God’s Davids and Davidas, all God’s children everywhere. Humans can talk about peace, pray for peace, even (alas) fight for peace. God comes to bringpeace. God comes as a child, the Prince of Peace—the Wonderful Counselor who alone can reconcile everything. God is the one who can make peace happen. But where is God’s endless peace?
When is it? Now, says God.
It is a gift.
Take it and rejoice.
Take it and live.
Take it and use it well.
Merry Christmas!
Joy Returns
Isaiah 12 has been called the Thanksgiving hymn. It is a surrendering to the Messiah and enjoys the benefits of that surrender.
God is indeed my salvation; I will trust and won’t be afraid. Yah, the LORD, is my strength and my shield; he has become my salvation.” You will draw water with joy from the springs of salvation. And you will say on that day: “Thank the LORD; call on God’s name; proclaim God’s deeds among the peoples; declare that God’s name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, who has done glorious things; proclaim this throughout all the earth.” Shout and sing for joy, city of Zion, because the holy one of Israel is great among you. -Isaiah 12:2-6 (CEB)
In this section of Isaiah, the people of Israel are coming out of a time when God was angry with them for their arrogance and lack of trust in him. What God demonstrates and the people discover is that even through the anger, God still loves them and wants to comfort them. Once that love and caring is rediscovered, we read in Isaiah 12, great joy is exclaimed.
The story in Isaiah has often played out for me to see in my own life. Even though I am many years past childhood, I still wonder, how many times growing up did I anger my parents, the very people that wanted to love and comfort me? At the time of their anger, my world seemed out of balance and bleak. As the anger dissipated and I again felt their love and comfort, my life again regained its balance. Joy returned as I realized the depth of their love.
The same can be said for my relationship with the Lord. When I don’t trust, act arrogant, rely on myself and forget to give thanks, then the Lord reminds me of this and my life feels out of balance. Once I remember that the Lord wants to love and comfort me, then I feel that joy.
At the time of Isaiah, the Lord Jesus was being prophesied. The people of Israel very clearly felt the wrath and anger of God. I am living in a different time, one where I still know that God can become angry at his children, but a time when the Messiah that was prophesied in Isaiah has come and is my peace. How blessed am I that I can live in this peace.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Veni, veni Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exilio
Privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
-Latin hymn, 12th century, tr. John Neale 1818-1866
This carol may have some of the richest of all the Biblical imagery in our Advent hymns. Its ancient, 12th century Latin text is economical and elegant. It is the kind of song that could persuade many Protestants that a bit of Latin is appropriate in worship. (The 15th century tune is beautiful as well.)
The song calls upon Jesus to “ranson captive Israel, who mourns in lonely exile here.” N.T. Wright has recently underlined the theme of “homecoming from exile” in his writing on Jesus’ ministry and message. The exiles of God’s people were political and spiritual; personal and private. We sing this carol today and remember that the world is full of “exiles,” near and far. Christ comes to gather them all into a new community.
But the sun of righteousness will rise on those revering my name; healing will be in its wings so that you will go forth and jump about like calves in the stall. -Malachi 4:2 (CEB)
The song bids the Lord of Sinai to come to us in the perfect law-keeper, Jesus. It invites the branch of Jesse and the Key of David to once and forever bring the “government” that the prophets promised and that even Abraham longed for. David’s Kingdom is only a shadow of the Kingdom that entered the world in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of David moved from glory to shame. The Kingdom of Jesus moves from shame to glory. So, to those to whom this child comes, there is something all persons long for: Peace on earth and goodwill among all made in God’s image, but living in the shambles and broken promises of a thousand petty earthly Kingdoms and trembling empires.
He is the Dayspring from on high, the light that those in darkness have waited for. Jesus is the light of life, and his arrival in our world is a time of rejoicing. The lighting of Advent candles is most appropriate to remind us that the light draws near, and will dawn in Bethlehem, on Easter and at the end of history.
He is the incarnate Wisdom of God. Ordering the path of earthly knowledge, but revealing to us the only knowledge that truly matters. He is the great “Desire of Nations,” bringing all the world into himself, and into one Kingdom with one Lord and one Father.
There is no richer hymn anywhere. Every verse suggests a Biblical message. Listen to it often. Meditate on the Christ to whom every word is a prayer. Then be grateful that we can share in the wonderful gift of such music from the church of long ago.
Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. -Isaiah 7:14 (CEB)
God Remembers
Advent is a season to celebrate remembering, to rejoice in the truth that God remembers his people.
This is illustrated time and time again in the Old Testament as this example from Isaiah shows:
If only you would tear open the heavens and come down! Mountains would quake before you like fire igniting brushwood or making water boil. If you would make your name known to your enemies, the nations would tremble in your presence.When you accomplished wonders beyond all our expectations; when you came down, mountains quaked before you. From ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any god but you who acts on behalf of those who wait for him! You look after those who gladly do right; they will praise you for your ways. But you were angry when we sinned; you hid yourself when we did wrong. We have all become like the unclean; all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag. All of us wither like a leaf; our sins, like the wind, carry us away. No one calls on your name; no one bothers to hold on to you, for you have hidden yourself from us, and have handed us over to our sin. But now, LORD, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. All of us are the work of your hand. Don’t rage so fiercely, LORD; don’t hold our sins against us forever, but gaze now on your people, all of us. -Isaiah 64:1-9 (CEB)
Call and response is a familiar worship practice to the community of God. We call and the Lord responds. From the Egyptian captivity onward, the people of God cried out to God for salvation. They cried out and waited for the day of deliverance, and like verse 4 declares, God Almighty is the only god who acts for those who wait for him.
At Sinai, the sky was rent, the earth shook, and fire blazed as Yahweh declared, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” He had not forgotten the words of promise spoken to Abraham and he proved the He indeed remembers his people and hears when we call.
This call has always ultimately been for a messiah to deal with our broken relationship with God. More than deliverance from slavery to other nations, we need salvation from our slavery to sin. And once again, God has heard our cries. He has not forgotten that we need healing to our humanity, forgiveness of our sins, and a a true shepherd to lead is into the way of peace.
God has not forgotten. In fact, he has already given us forgiveness, healing, salvation in the incarnation. Zechariah heard the first whispers of this fulfillment, and after nine months of silence he extolled the Lord saying:
John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, “Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house, just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago. He has brought salvation from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us. He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered his holy covenant, the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham. He has granted that we would be rescued from the power of our enemies so that we could serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes, for as long as we live. You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. You will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace.” -Luke 1:67-79
Far from God forgetting, he has chosen our savior to be Emmanuel: God made flesh to save us from our sin and give us true healing and deliverance. Jesus is our savior. He is Christ the Lord, and his birth is the fulfillment of God’s word to man.
Advent is our celebration and remembrance of the incarnation. We rejoice that God has remembered man kind, and has chosen to make all who believe in this savior a community that draws life and hope from the humble act of the Son of God.
We All Need a Savior
The mood of Advent is dark and serious. It’s not the mood of Lent, which is a particular kind of seriousness as the shadow of the cross extends over our path. It’s the mood of darkness that comes because the world is in darkness.
I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them. -Isaiah 42:16 (CEB)
We need a savior.
This is the time that we stop and see that the powers of evil are entrenched in the world. Evil authorities and and evil persons are having their way. A good creation is being ruined. Hearts made for love and light are imprisoned, crying out and empty.
There is war, terror, the loss of innocence and the curses of ignorance, poverty and death. The wise men of this age are propagating nonsense. Men and women made in God’s image are addicted to the worst the darkness has to offer. They think backwards and cannot find their way out of the dungeon. They have lost their will to live and love, and have settled for the cheapest and palest of imitations.
Advent’s darkness includes the failure of religion to bring any light to this fallen and dying world. Religion has become as empty as fool’s errand as can be imagined. The religious take themselves seriously, but the world hears the hollowness of it all.
In the Christian family itself, the prosperity gospel makes a mockery of the very savior it claims to proclaim. Western Christians plunge into the pagan celebration, spending thousands on themselves and their children. We spend enough on our lights to save thousands upon thousands of lives. But those lives are in the darkness of Advent’s waiting. Our “lights” are nothing more than an extension of that darkness. They have nothing to do with the true light that comes to the world.
The real center of Advent’s dark mood is that we need a savior. We who sing and go to church for musicals and eat too much and buy too much and justify the season by our strange measurements of suffering.
We light candles and wait because, after looking around and taking stock, there should be no doubt that we need a savior.
Ironically, after 2,000 years of offering our Savior to others, we- Christians- need one more than ever. When we mark ourselves has “having” Christ more than “needing” Christ, we miss the Spirit of the Advent season.
Despite the fact that the world needs a savior, those offering him and his story to the world look no more “saved” than anyone else. In fact, with an extra facade of religion or two, we seem to be in every bit as bad a shape as the world we call “lost.”
The mood of Advent is that we are all lost. Advent isn’t about the “saved” telling the “lost” to “get saved.” Advent is a light that dawns in all of our darknesses. Advent is bread for all of our hungers. Advent is the promise kept for all of us promise-breakers, betrayers and failures.
Can we find a way to celebrate Advent as those who NEED to be saved? As those who NEED a savior? Not as those who know for certain that someone else does?
Scripture says that we who had not received mercy have now received mercy. Those who were nobodies are now the people of God.
The key to Advent is not living as if we are the people of God and always have been. The key is to live as if we need a Savior, and he has come to us, found us, saved us and is there for everyone in the world.
The mood of Advent isn’t “come be religious like us.” It is “We are all waiting for our Savior to be born. Let us wait together. And when he comes, let us recognize him, together.”
When the day dawns, let us all receive him. We go to the manger and worship. We give to him our gifts. We take his light to the poor.
Until then, we are the poor, the weak, the blind, the lonely, the guilty and the desperate. We light candles because we who are in darkness are in need of a great light. We need a savior.
So we wait amidst the ruins, we protect the lights we hold in hope. We sing to one who is coming. We look and wonder. We pray for his star to take us, once again, to the miracle.
The Glorious Incarnation of Christ
As we move through into this Advent season may we meditate on the glorious truth of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Already, there is a desperation to find Christmas gifts and prepare for parties and attend Christmas programs. We have lost the mystery of this time of year and the chance to stop and reflect. I offer several verses on the incarnation of Christ (the reason we celebrate this season) for you to reflect on. I invite you to stop and find some quiet time, perhaps pull out a journal, and reflect on what the verses mean to you. Ask God to open your heart, calm your mind, and allow you to take in this season and prepare.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. -John 1:1-3 (CEB)
The Word became flesh and made his home among us. -John 1:14a (CEB)
A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6 (CEB)
