Monday, November 30, 2009

Coming Home Takes Preparation

As we continue to focus on our theme of "Coming Home for Christmas" this week we turn our attention to the preparation required in order to go home for Christmas. More specifically, what does it take to spend quality time with God and our Christian family this season?

The passages for Sunday are:
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Luke 3:1-6

These passages all focus on John the Baptist's coming. As you probably know, John the Baptist is the messanger who came in order to prepare the way for Jesus. John the Baptist is an interesting character. He is rough and gruff and does not worry about being pretty. Next week we get a taste of his sermon style, but even this week as he is introduced we get the idea that this messenger isn't preparing the way for Jesus by sprinkling rose petals.

Malachi writes, "who can endure the day when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and a fuller's soap." Zechariah says of his son, "you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins." No matter how you look at things, John the Baptist requires you to get ready for Jesus by doing some cleaning up and examining your sins.

This is important for us, too. Sometimes, we need to look at our lives and do a little cleaning. We need to throw out the bad habits and make way for new. We need to clear off our schedule so that we can find time to spend with Jesus.

And while it's true that the cleaning process is rarely easy, it is equally true that being clean is worth all the effort.

Questions to ponder?
Why is John the Baptist's message important during Advent? Why do we need to look at our own sins in order to focus on Jesus' return?

John the Baptist reminds us to prepare the way for Christ. What do you need to do to prepare to see Jesus during this Advent season?

What things are cluttering your life and preventing you from finding true worship this Advent? What can you do to change this? Is their anything your Christian family can do to help?

May God bless you in your Advent preparations this year!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Come Home This Christmas

This year for Advent, we will be focusing on the theme of “Coming Home.” For me, the best image of homecoming comes from an old commercial for coffee where the oldest son/daughter returns back home and starts the coffee brewing. All the other members in the house eventually smell the coffee and run downstairs to greet the long-absent member of their family.

I love this commercial because in this brief moment, you see the family at their very best. They happily and excitedly welcome home their family member. Their joy is made complete because the one person, who was gone, has now returned home.

This is God’s experience when we “come home” to renew and refresh our faith. One only needs to read the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) to know how God celebrates when one who is lost comes home.

Advent is the season not just for the preparation of the Christmas celebration, but it is also the season when we anticipate Christ’s return to earth. We remember that Christ promised to come again and take us to our true home. Where we get to experience the fullness of God’s love for us. Advent reminds us that even though life might seem very dark right now, Jesus, the light of the world, promised to come again to light our way.

This is an undeniably busy season. Undoubtedly you have many things happening in your lives. But, in the midst of the chaos, we invite you to come worship with us this Advent season. Let us together remind ourselves that God invites us to come and find our true home in the love and peace of Christian community.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Being Thankful For Our King

This Sunday is officially, "Christ the King" Sunday. This Sunday is always the last Sunday of the Lectionary calendar. It happens the week before Advent begins. It is kind of interesting to think about Christ as our King right before we begin to focus on Christ as a newborn baby.

Anyway, the passages for this week are...

Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37

They are very interesting passages because they present two very different pictures of Christ as King. The first is a picture of Christ in glory coming on the clouds. And the second is right before his crucifixion, and describes how Pilate questioned Jesus on whether or not he was the King of the Jews.

Questions for discussion...
Which passage better matches your image of Christ the King?
Which image do you relate to better? Christ as "exaulted king" or Christ the "suffering king?" Do life circumstances make us cling to one image or the other?
Jesus answers Pilate, "my kingdom is not of this world." What does Jesus' kingdom look like? What role do we have within Jesus' kingdom?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Being Thankful in Desperate Moments

During the month of November we are focusing on being thankful. We did this last year, too, but last year I picked passages that specifically focused on giving praise to God. This year, I've decided to use the lectionary, and take these "everyday" passages and look at them closely to find ways to be thankful in the midst of everyday life.

Using the lectionary readings to find stories of thanksgiving has been challenging. Last week we talked about "being thankful for the small and strange." This week the focus is "being thankful in desperate moments."

The passages this week are...
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Hebrews 10:11-25
Mark 13:1-8


The first passage is the story of Hannah. Hannah is the very definition of desperate. The image of her desperately praying in the temple is one that is very moving to me. I realize as I read this story that Hannah is a great model for our faith. She faced a very desperate situation, and did not hide her emotions. But, she didn't waste time complaining or blaming others for her affliction. She took the problem to God. Her earnest, fervrent prayer is a fantastic model for how to deal with desperate moments. Not only that, but when she prayed she made a bargain with God. This is not a move that I recommend, but Hannah (unlike most of us) actually keeps her half of the bargain. She was so thankful, and so completly trusted in God's promises that she was able to completly give her child back to God.

The second passage is from Hebrews, and again reminds us that because of all that Jesus did for us on the cross, we can lift up our hearts and be thankful. Even more, the author seems to know human nature very well, and so reminds us that we need to remember to "provoke one another to love and good deeds." Sometimes, we all need a little help being thankful. But, as Hebrews reminds us, when we gather together, we can help one another to live out our calling.

Last, but not least, we have the passage from the Gospel of Mark. In it, Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, and the end of the world. I can imagine the shock and the horror that his disciples must have felt upon hearing this news. No one wants to imagine such horrible destruction and chaos. Yet, here is the question that I have, what does it mean that these awful predictions came from Jesus, their trusted teacher, friend, and Savior? Somehow in the very fact that Jesus predicted such awful things, we know that Jesus will be with us in these awful moments. And that, gives us a reason to be thankful.

Questions to ponder...
Where have I seen God working in the desperate moments in my life?

How do we comfort those who are going through desperate times? How do we show them that God is there?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Being Thankful for the Small and Strange

November is here, and that means that my thoughts have turned to one of my favorite holidays... Thanksgiving. I know everyone else likes Christmas best. But, Thanksgiving has always been a favorite of mine. There is no pressure to buy people gifts that they don't want or need. There is no need to dress in costume or hang lots of lights or anything like that. Thanksgiving is about spending time with people you love, enjoying a meal together, and being thankful.

And so, during the month of November, I think it's important to spend time being thankful. We need to be thankful for what God has done, not just on Thanksgiving day, but be thankful always. And so, here are this week's passages to inspire thankful hearts...

Ruth 1:19-21 & 4:13-17
Mark 12:38-44
Hebrews 9:24-28

It isn't really much of a list. Actually, these passages have more to do with how miserable life can be, and not how to be thankful.

The first part of the story from the book of Ruth is about tragedy. A famine caused Naomi's family to move to Moab. Something happened in Moab so that her husband, and two sons both died. While it may have been a blessing that Ruth stayed by her side, she still had no way to provide for herself or her daughter-in-law. She changes her name from Naomi (meaning that is pleasant) to Mara (meaning that is bitter). Life is very difficult for her.

The Mark passage doesn't have much cheer either. Jesus criticizes the well respected scribes for putting on a show of holiness, but instead actually doing much harm to the widows. Everything they do is "for the sake of appearance." The only person who doesn't put on airs is a very, very poor woman who puts into the temple treasury all she has to live on. It is a sad picture-- this lonely widow, putting in ALL the money she has to live on. How can she be thankful now that she has no money?

Finally, we have the passage from Hebrews. This passage contains much good news, but the text focuses around the sacrifice of Christ. It is easy to look at death by crucifixion as a great tragedy. And it was not easy (at first) to find anything to be thankful for about such terrible suffering and shame.

Each of these stories contain difficult and depressing images. At first glance, there's not much for which we can be thankful. But...

We know that the story of Naomi and Ruth has a great ending. Better than either of them could have ever imagined.

Similarly, the widow in the temple does not leave in shame because she could only put in two coins. Instead, she leaves with the praise and accolades from Jesus. Her act of faith and courage does not go unnoticed.

Lastly, we know that while there was great shame in the crucifixion, there was also redemption and resurrection. God transformed the shame of the cross into glory so that now Jesus is our great high priest. He speaks directly to God and intercedes for us. His sacrifice was once for all for the sins of the world. And, he has promised to return to those who are eagerly waiting for him.

God invites us to share in a secret. The people that the world quickly dismisses, are not quickly dismissed by God. God walks with us (as Ruth walked with Naomi) in the midst of our sorrow. Not only that, but God can bring redemption and rejoicing even in the midst of the worst tragedies.

This Thanksgiving, do not let your grief and sorrow overwhelm you. Instead, ask God to help you be thankful for the "small and strange." Ask God to help you find ways to rejoice even in the midst of deep pain.

Questions for reflection...

When have you had the opportunity to give thanks for something small and strange?

Has God ever turned your tragedy into something greater?

An Apology

Before I say anything about today's passage, I first want to apologize for a comment in my earlier posting. I was trying to re-motivate myself last week to start blogging again. And in doing so, I described the pity party that I was throwing for myself. I wrote "no one reads this blog anyway."

I am very, very thankful that this statement is not true. There are many of you who do read the blog. We have made new friends through this blog.

So, let me say a big thank-you to all of you who read and comment on the blog, and let me send out a wish that more may join in reading and commenting -- so that we can all grow together.