Advent 2nd Sunday

This week of Advent reflects on peace. Nearing the end of his letter to the Philippians the apostle Paul tells his readers that the Lord is near and therefore to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Phil 4:6). And then he continues:

"...And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (v7).

A pastor friend calls this the peace that makes no sense. This is the peace that we have because of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. There is no other way we can have this kind of inconceivable peace and as far is the world is concerned we should have no peace, but we do because of Jesus Christ. This is the peace that comes from above comes because we are fully relying on God and on his promises. This is the peace that Jesus promised when he was with his disciples and the door were locked for their fear of the Jews. He came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Just to make certain that the disciples caught those words, Jesus showed them his hands and his side and said again, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19-23).

How can we have peace when we don't know from where the next pay check is coming or the fear of foreclosure on a home is frighteningly close? Where is the peace when our children are making choices that are not so helpful and walking with the Lord for them something for which they no longer have the time? What about our job security? How can we have peace when there is no job for us to work? What about the future? The future is unclear, uncertain, and God seems distant and silent on our fears and hopes and dreams. Where is the peace when we can't see what tomorrow will hold or when the diagnosis is not what we want to hear?

The arrival of Jesus Christ into the world, the saviour of the world, was promised from the beginning. He is the Prince of Peace, the glory of the Lord revealed. Peace that the world brings is not peace at all. Peace that the world brings is dependent on me, dependent on my circumstances, dependent on my feelings, dependent on the things that I can provide and dependent on what is visible, and on what I already know. The peace that comes from the knowledge of the Lord does not depend on me. That peace, the kind that makes no sense, the like of which is beyond our understanding is only available to me because the light of the world came into the world and He is coming again.
Listen to the words of Isaiah:

"Do you not know?  

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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"

(Isaiah 40:28-31).

I do not know how this works. I have no idea how there is so much uncertainty all around me and while my expectations may be crashing down and yet somehow, incredibly, inexplicable, I have peace because I believe in the One who made me and has promised me and given me this peace. It is not easy, I don't pretend that it is but there is the peace that makes no sense, no sense at all. Only by God's grace do I have this peace and only by God's grace will I continue to have it.

Prepare the way of the Lord...

Day 4 in Advent

This morning in chapel, I was reminded that Jesus is coming again - for the second time. The first time he came as a helpless baby, needing as much care and attention as any new born would need. However when Jesus was walking around on earth over 2000 years ago, he spoke clearly on what would be happening in the world before his second coming.

The story is not pretty.  

"Many will come in my name," Jesus said, "and will deceive many." He continues,  "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come...You must be on your guard You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them..." And he goes on: "But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light...At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory."

This is not fluffy, attractive reading. It is certainly far cry picture from the away in a manger stable with angels and shepherds and the baby Jesus hanging out alongside the camels and the donkeys and the wise men. But these words are straight out of the gospel of Mark, chapter 13, right there all red-lettered as can be. We can't ignore this truth just because we don't like it.

Jesus' words later in that same chapter - 32-37 say this:

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! Keep watch!"

No one knows at what time that will be so don't predicate; anticipate. Be ready. What does that mean? Know that Jesus is coming again - we celebrate his first coming because it's already happened and therefore we can imagine it because we have seen it and touched it and heard it many times. What we have not yet seen, we can't imagine because we want to control how it's done and that's not our job. It is easier in our human minds to imagine a cute, little baby...the Son of Man coming on clouds with great power and glory...not so easy to take in. 

Our instructions are to be alert. Be ready. Be assured that Jesus could come back any day and he asks us to be ready. Are we ready?

O Come, o come, Emmanuel...

Day 3 in Advent

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25-26)

In July of 2009, I drove from Bend, OR to Chicago, IL. I was returning to Seminary for my final year of school having spent a year in Oregon as an intern. The year certainly had its challenging moments and difficulties, but as I drove east, the grandeur of the mountains faded in my rear view mirror. I was overwhelmed with sadness as in that short period of time, I had grown to love not only the people with whom I had come into contact, but the majesty and beauty all around me. As I continued to drive, I clearly heard heard God say to me, "I can be that good to you again." I could probably count on one hand (if that) how many times I have heard God speak so clearly and directly to me. Since that time I have considered what "good" might mean. I am currently a foreigner and alien living in a country not my own. I do not have a permanent, full time job, and the future has many questions of which I cannot yet answer.

However, once again the prophet tells us to wait on the Lord. God is good to those who wait on him. I wonder what that good looks like. Is it that the good is yet to come or am I already living in the midst of good? Surely there is something good about every day, even the ones that are not so good. I think the answer is in the middle;

"...to the one who seeks him."

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).

God has revealed himself to us in multiple ways. Perhaps the good for me is to be able to seek God even more diligently than I might do if all around me were comfortable, if the next steps were clearly laid out. Perhaps that is God's good for me right now. Jeremiah writes that the Lord is good to those who hope in him. Hope, not expect. Hope for the good that God has for us, whatever that looks like.

O come, o come, Emmanuel...

Day 2 - Advent monday...on tuesday

This post was actually for yesterday but as I do not have easy access to the internet on my computer right now, I did not get the post published. And so, I am writing yesterday's post today.

When I was growing up, my parents always purchased an advent calender for my brother and me. We took turns in opening the doors and I always let him open the first one, not because I was super nice and generous but as my birthday landed on an even day (6th), I wanted to open the door that day. I also became aware that December 24 was always the biggest door and so I would get to open that one too. It had nothing to do with the first shall be last and the last shall be first...

It is cold today, almost cold enough for a snow fall. I am reminded of the song, "In the bleak mid-winter." The words continue, "...Frosty wind made moan. Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow had fallen snow on snow, in the bleak mid-winter, long, long ago."
It is not quite like that yet, but those of us who live in the Mid-west are bracing ourselves to the reality that it's going to get mighty cold out there. The light does not last long either. The sky tonight was losing it's light by 4.30. However, the sky was a glorious array of pinks, orange, and blue giving me a picture of light and beauty reminding me that there is hope in the light even though we only have it for a while.

Jeremiah wrote of God's faithfulness in Lamentations:

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall...Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. I will say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'" (Lamentations 3:19, 22-24)

Waiting is not easy. Waiting is not hip. Waiting is not what we want to do when we really want something to happen. Waiting is sometimes too much for us because all around people don't wait. I can hardly wait for my computer to turn on and be ready for me to use. Waiting is not what we are encouraged to do in our daily life but throughout all his hardships and disappointments, Jeremiah learned to wait. Not only that, but he waited on what God had for him, not for what he wanted.

Advent causes us to wait, not to rush forward, but to wait on the Lord and what he has for us. This is not an easy task....it's so counter cultural, it's almost impossible for us to do. But if we wait, we will see God's faithfulness, we will have what we need for this day.

O come, o come, Emmanuel...

First Sunday in Advent

The Season of Advent starts today, November 24, 2011, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This is the season, before the Season of Christmas, when we deliberately think about God coming to earth as a human being, fully God, fully human in the person of Jesus. The promises of God to redeem all creation, which includes everything – every human, every living thing, every creature, every plant and fruit-bearing tree (everything), God’s revelation of Himself in Christ, the Word becoming flesh, making his dwelling among us and all this because God so LOVED the world. These are why we are waiting.

Seeing God’s glory, majesty and splendor might seem to be hard and perhaps implausible in our current world. We live in a world where this is much darkness and destruction. Nations are fighting nations, rejoicing when others are destroyed, we see only what is directly in front of us. After seeing picture after picture of poverty and destitution, bleakness and despair we turn our heads back to our dinner tables because the problems are so enormous that it is easier to turn our backs and be oblivious to that which is outside of our comprehension and instead we concentrate on our own troubles. And yet, God has promised that he is with us and that there is hope that this is not for what we were born.

Listen to how the Old Testament the prophet, Isaiah writes:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us to up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion, the world of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for way anymore.

Come, house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:2-5)

“…They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…” There will be a day when nations will no longer rise up and fight other nations, or each other and we will walk in the light of the Lord. That day is coming; God has promised through his prophets.

So we wait, in hope and expectation, for God to reveal himself again to the world. Every morning, the news headlines tell us of another war, another faction, another nation rising up against another nation, another argument, another lie, another crisis…will there really be a time when we will all lay our weapons of war aside and indeed fashion them into tools for other use? That’s why we celebrate this time; this season of advent, of coming, of expectation that God is still working, is still moving and is still speaking to his people. My hope for this season is that it will not be just one more year that concludes with Christmas and a buying, tiring, stress-filled frenzy, but it will be a time to eagerly wait for God to enter our world and put on flesh and walk with each one of us.

“O come, o come Emmanuel…”

This is my Father's world

I have been in the State of Washington for nearly two weeks and one of the things of which I am acutely aware is being surrounded by so much beauty. It is everywhere. No matter where I turn my head, there are mountains, bodies of water demonstrating their power by throwing copious amounts of stones and wood onto the beach and the colors of the evening skies are visible markers that I live in a created world that was specially put together by a designer whose creation cannot be bettered. I am reminded of the old hymn, "This is my Father's world."

This is my Father's world, and to to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the sphere.

This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and tress, of skies and seas His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily while, declare their makers' praise. He shines in all that's fira; in the rustling grass I hear hi pass, He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world, O let me never forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father's world: the battle is not done; Jesus who died shall be satisfied and earth and heaven be one.

My chiropractor told me yesterday that if I were to take better care of my spine I would regain my creativity, my energy, improve my sleep patterns and upgrade my well-being to that of being so much better than it is at this present time. My creativity is partially dependent on what I see in the outside world. My eyes have seen live pictures of mountains, lakes, rivers, hills and beaches. As my eyes are the lamp of my body, what they see makes a difference to my well-being.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light" (Matthew 6:22).

I think my creative levels are rising up and to the right....

Are we different?

I wrote this post several weeks ago and didn't post it. I think I want to now. What is it about being a disciple of Jesus Christ that makes us any different from the rest?
This is from September, 11, 2011

I read this morning from Seth Godin's blog;

"But now more than ever, I believe we have an obligation to stand up, stand out and to do work that matters. Wherever you are, there's an opportunity to be different, with respect."

He wrote those words on September 11 under a blog title, "It's different here." He was talking about New York; the good things about a city where over 40 languages are overheard in the public library, where every kind of food is found and can be cooked any way, where the city is constantly changing, constantly active and constantly vibrant.

I like that.

It led me to consider how, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are different and in ways that really make a difference for good. I was in Panera Bread last night, getting dinner before meeting up with a friend and the servers had misplaced my order. They were so apologetic that I stopped to wonder just how often they are spoken to less then graciously when food is not before us asap. We are so used to fast food being FAST that when it is slower than fast, we show frustration and annoyance rather than grace.

We have an opportunity to be different. May we be different with respect to how we are as disciples of Jesus Christ.