The sermon this coming Sunday focuses on the idea that Christ is the Way.
Surely all of you have been lost at one time or another. We know that getting lost and feeling lost happens not only in physical ways but also in emotional and spiritual ways.
The texts for this week are: Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8.
These texts both have the image of a "voice crying out: 'in the desert prepare the way of the Lord."
I guess it's a good thing that we already established Advent is like the waiting desert. So, the good news this week is that when you are lost in the desert, God can still bring guidance and help us find our way.
The birth of Christ did not happen completely out of the blue. It was something that the prophets had discussed. God had prepared the timing perfectly. Through Jesus' ministry on earth, we can see, understand, and know God's love. Jesus is fully God and fully human ("hail the incarnate deity"), and through his work on earth, we see the full extent of God's love for us.
When we are lost in the deserts of our life, Jesus helps us find our way, and makes our paths straight. May you find the Way to God this Advent season.
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3 comments:
Though I've referred to myself before as John the B. eating bugs in the desert; I have to admit that instead of bravely shouting "REPENT", I've been too worried about my head and silver platters! Maybe it's not more people being John that we need, but more people being Jesus?
Having just read "The Shack" (see http://lifenotestoday.blogspot.com/), it's hard for me not see its message everywhere right now. This week's foci on: being spiritually lost; Jesus as the measure of God's infinite love; Jesus' full humanity and complete divinity; Jesus as a gift; etc. can all be found in this powerfully disturbing and uplifting little book. There is comfort in knowing that you can never be so lost you can't be found.
When you spoke of Jesus being "fully God" and "fully human" this week in your sermon, Pastor Becky, you reminded me of the basic question all followers of Christ face: Why did Jesus have to die?
At this time of year, we celebrate the fact that God cared so much for we humans that he sent his son to save us. I also just finished reading "The Shack," and thought it had a great way of describing God's purpose here through Jesus. (See chapter 11, "Here Come Da Judge.")
Novels, and movies, and tv specials (such as we have watched at our church movie nights) can help clarify what's in the Bible. I, for one, need all the help I can get!
Someone recently visited Arizona and posted beautiful desert pictures. I quite often think of the desert as desolate and woebegone. However, your pictures and explanation showed great beauty. I do believe after passing through a "desert" period in life we often can look back and see the beauty God presented to us (but we were blind to it at the time). The Shack is a whole different discussion as a literary work. I agree we need all the help we can get is seeking the truth in our journey.
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