Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I could write a lot about the wise men -- they're a fascinating topic.  Here we find some Persian astrologers who are looking into the sky when what should happen, but God writes the truth into the sky, and they're bold enough to pursue it.  Lesson 1 -- God comes to us where we are.  God didn't wait for the Persians to figure out the truth, but God reached out to them in the method they would understand.
  Then the wise men go to Jerusalem, but they don't know where Jesus is born, so they go looking for answers.  Lesson 2 -- don't be afraid to ask directions!!  Just because you aren't certain of how best to follow Jesus doesn't mean that you have to blindly stumble along out of pride -- let yourself be led by the community.
  When they find Jesus, they fell down and worshiped.  Think of it -- beforehand, they had been staring into the sky for answers, and suddenly they're falling down before a toddler to worship.  The truth that was written in the stars came down from heaven to welcome them into a Kingdom of grace.  These outsiders were welcomed as they were, and they laid down their treasure.  Lesson 3 -- the treasure to offer to God is what you have, not necessarily what you think might be needed.  The gifts of the wisemen weren't perfect for a toddler, but that's what they had, so they offered it, and we read about it to this day.  Give what you have, not what you think is needed.  Start where you are -- God is reaching out to you, inviting you in to an abundant and eternal life.  Start the journey!

Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Having never been pregnant, I can't pretend to understand the experience Mary has.  I cannot imagine that riding a donkey while pregnant would be a pleasurable experience, especially when laden with uncertainty.  Mary has been told that she would give birth to the Messiah, and so she knows that she carries the hope of nations within her womb, but the Gospels are silent as to whether or not she has any details beyond that.  Her mind must be filled with questions as her body prepares to deliver the Christ child.
  On that first Christmas morning, she gives birth and lays her child in a manger.  The Messiah has come, God with us, and God experiences life as a helpless, dependent infant, looking to Mary for love and for nourishment.
  I don't know what God has planned for my life, and I don't know what God has planned for your life, but you have been called to bear the presence of Christ into the world.  There is great uncertainty in the specifics, but just as the angel came to Mary and announced that she was chosen by God to serve, know that you have been selected by God to serve in unique and particular ways that only you can serve.  You have been given a skillset and a personality that can bring glory to God and help expand the Kingdom of God, and while there are times that your calling will be intimidating and likely fearful, trust and believe that God is with you and that you are infinitely loved and treasured.  Do not be afraid -- God is with you, and so let the light shine, no matter how strong the darkness may be.

Acts 1:1-5

Acts 1:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  During Advent, we celebrate what God has done and we look forward to what God will do.  It's not unlike sitting down for a meal at your favorite restaurant -- before the food is served, you're comforted by all the memories you have of previous meals there, and it gives you confidence that this next meal is going to be good.  You get excited, looking over the menu with anticipation at what will surely bring delight.
  In Advent, we remember all the amazing things that God has done.  Mostly, we focus on how God fulfilled the promises of the prophets so many years ago.  Those prophets had a challenging duty, calling the people back to faithfulness in the present while pointing forward to God's redemptive work.  They were calling people to rely upon a promise and shape their lives around the basis of God's previously reliable works and the certainty of God's continual providence.
  In the present, we sit down and remember what God has done.  With fondness and affection, we recall the ways that God has worked in our collective history.  We remember the sending of a Savior, a light into the midst of the darkness, and we look over the promises of God in ancitipation of the delight that God will bring to our weary souls, knowing that our hungry hearts will be fed by the Word of God trusting that the God who fulfills his promises will continue to provide for us both today and forevermore.

Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There's something remarkable about John's humility.  He knows that his life has one task, one purpose, and that is to help prepare the world for the public ministry of Jesus Christ.  He joins a long and faithful line of prophets who pointed beyond themselves and beyond their present time to a future where the promises of God would become real, no by their doing, but by the work of God.
  Our job is not so different.  Sure, we don't wear camel's hair (at least I don't) and locusts are not my meal of choice (although the nutritional value of a locust can be found here), but we are called to point beyond ourselves.  Our actions and our words, the way we treat one another, should announce that the Lord reigns in our lives, and that we believe that he is coming again.  The Lord is mightier than we are, and our lives should serve as an invitation to others to participate in the joy of Christmas, when Christ enters into our world, into our lives, and transforms us by God's grace.

Matthew 1:1-7

Matthew 1:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Everyone's eyes gloss over a bit at the genealogies -- I cut this one off 9 verses before the end.  But there is a foundational message included in this genealogy.  Look at some of the names in here, and realize how broken some of the people are that are included.  Jacob was a thief who stole his brother's birthright.  Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law that he failed, so she disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced Judah, and Judah was ready to condemn her until he realized that she was pregnant by him.  Ruth was a foreigner from Moab, a wicked place.  David was an adulterer who had a man killed so that he could take his wife.  Solomon was certainly far from perfect.  The list goes on, each person broken in their own way, each one pointing to Jesus.
  And that's my story, and it's your story -- we're each broken in our own way, but through the grace of God, we point to Jesus.  God is doing something miraculous through the people of faith, and he's redeeming us by his love, so that we can be included in this story. 
  So don't look down upon yourself because you're imperfect.  Don't exclude yourself because of what your past or your present looks like.  Look to the future with hope, and look to God with trust, because God can do a great work through you, no matter how broken you may be!

John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's fascinating to me that John doesn't have a birth narrative, and it's not because he doesn't start early enough, but rather because he goes back before the birth, before the Israelites, before God called a man named Abram into a new relationship, before a man named Noah became a boatbuilder, before Adam and Eve listened to their appetites, before all of that -- there was only God.
  In a way, my story and your story begin there, too.  In the beginning, there was enough, but God's generosity and love overflowed to create, and the same love that carved the mountains from the sea designed you and claimed you, and when it was clear that you were lost to sin, that love reached down and redeemed you at great price.  The Christmas story is a vital chapter in your redemption story, for when Christ came into the world, your salvation entered the human story.  As many have said, the author of the story fell in love with the characters and wrote himself into the story so that the characters might be saved and find their true love.  Augustine says that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God, and the Christmas story is a story of the heart's journey back to God, for that journey is finally free to be made due to the price Christ pays for us to redeem us, to win us back to our Creator. 
  So the beginning of the whole story is part of our story, a story that carries on into eternity, for the light shall forever shine, and the darkness shall fall away.

Luke 1:26-33

Luke 1:26-33 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When you fly enough times, you begin to take airplanes for granted.  You grumble about the speed of the WiFi on the plane, forgetting that you're in a giant metal tube with wings 35,000 feet in the air.  The miracle fades into the background as you wonder if you'll get a decent snack.
  The same is true of the Christmas story -- we forget the miracles that took place along the way.  Mary was chosen to bear the Messiah, the light of the world, and became pregnant when she was only engaged.  This could have easily been a life-threatening situation, and the scandal could have destroyed her life.  As a young teenager, she was willing to risk everything because God had chosen her and was inviting her into something new, something unknown.  An angel showed up in her room, and she was troubled by his greeting, uncertain of what this might mean. 
  The angel's greeting to Mary is the same as the message God wants to send to us -- Do not be afraid!  We often don't know what lies ahead, and there are always plenty of reasons to shrink back in fear, but God is with us, and despite the challenges that await, God will remain with us for every step of the journey. 
  Mary could have easily said no and opted for the easier path.  But she trusted in God and the miracle continued.  May we give thanks for her courage, and may we hear God's words of encouragement to us today.

Genesis 1:1-8

Genesis 1:1-8 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What's amazing to me is that at some point, the canvas upon which Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night was blank.  It was a white rectangle, and he eventually created a masterpiece upon it.  In the same vein, Michelangelo's David was at one point, just a cube of marble, and The Count of Monte Cristo was simply a collection of blank pages (what a sad, sad world it must have been!).  What we consider masterpieces were, one day, not even figments of the imagination.
  The world, the known creation, did not exist at one point.  There was once nothing, a watery chaos if you take the Creation account seriously, a singularity if you lean towards the popular physics interpretation (I think.  Please don't email me and tell me I'm wrong on this.  I work at a bank.  I'm commonly wrong on matters of interplanetary physics.)  At any rate, there was nothing, and then there was suddenly something.  God created, through the power of God's voice, and there was something.  Theologically, we say that God created ex nihilo, out of nothing.
  What's important for you and I is that God created something out of nothing.  If you had looked at the universe before God's creation, you wouldn't have seen anything, and you wouldn't have imagined what could possibly be.  But not only could God imagine what could be, but also God had the power to make that happen.
  In the same way, God can see into your future, and God can imagine ways to use you that you can't even begin to see.  God's vision is so much stronger than yours, and God can imagine how you might be used for God's glory and for the loving service of others that you can't see.  Also, God has the power to make that happen -- God can send the Holy Spirit to bless and equip you, to surround you with a loving and supportive community that helps you into a new future that is beyond what you can ask or imagine.  God is at work, and God can send you forward and create a new future for you.  Trust in the God who creates anew at every opportunity, for God has the vision and the power to make all things new.

Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua 1:1-9 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Movies are often made about what great people do.  The other day, I watched Won't You Be My Neighbor?, the biopic about Mr. Rogers.  He doesn't get as much credit as he deserves -- he was truly a visionary.  He saw the potential in television, and he was willing to take a chance to communicate directly to them, to treat children as though they matter, and their feelings matter, as much as adults.  He resisted the urge to do something easy, something marketable, and as a result he developed something that took them and their problems seriously.  It was a remarkable effort that shaped my childhood.
  When we talk about being strong and courageous, so often we think about things that people do.  What's equally important is what people don't do.  Mr. Rogers didn't turn aside from his main task, and Joshua didn't turn aside, either -- he stayed committed to the Law, even when it was easier to do otherwise. 
  When you and I go out into the world, there are a thousand temptations to take the easy route.  Be strong and courageous, and resist the temptation to throw in the towel when the Lord calls you to something challenging. Be strong and courageous, and know that God is going with you -- waking up every day and continuing to wade forward is the faithful move.  Endurance isn't often praised the way it should be in the church, but we should celebrate the saints of the church who continue, year in and year out, to resist the call to take an easier way and instead take up their cross daily to follow Christ wherever God may lead.
 

Ezekiel 37:1-6

Ezekiel 37:1-6 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Rachel and I had the chance to get away for a few days, and it's such a gift for us to step back from the day-to-day rush of everyday life and take a deep breath.  In these times, we realize that things are in good hands, and while we don't have everything perfectly under control, we're blessed beyond measure and grateful for what we have.
  When you look at the news on a daily basis (or an hourly basis, considering the pace the world seems to move forward), it can be overwhelming.  There are ample reasons for despair, and the constant headlines seem filled with reasons for us to wonder what kind of shape the world is in.  We might fear for our future or for society.  We might feel threatened or want to step back from engaging with those who are different.  We might feel like Ezekiel, in a valley of dry bones and wondering if there is life to be found in such a place.
  But God is still on the throne, and God is in charge -- and there is a possibility of life, there is a future with hope, as long as we let it be in God's hands.  Do not fear, do not despair -- but look for hope.  This Christmas season, remember to look to the manger -- an unlikely place for hope, but one that emerges into the world and shines brighter than any darkness.  The angels sing and the world shines with hope, because God is at work! 

Isaiah 56:1-5

Isaiah 56:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  For some resources, there is only so much to go around.  For Rachel, she's only got so much attention, and each of the three kids demands all of it.  As you can imagine, this leads to occasional conflicts when one of the three kids is feeling neglected.  At work, I've only got so much time, so I've got to ensure that I'm dedicating my time to the most important issues to make the best use of my time.
  When we come to God's love, it's not a limited resource.  There is more than enough for each of us, so we don't have to worry that when someone else receives God's love.  This doesn't mean we receive less, but it rather enriches the entire Kingdom, because there is one more person to join us in eternal worship.  People who are cultural outsiders are welcomed in to the Kingdom because God pours out love unconditionally, no matter their status in the world.  God looks beyond this and invites all who will faithfully serve, who will acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and bestows upon us an everlasting name that shall not, that cannot, be cut off.

Isaiah 55:1-5

Isaiah 55:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Isaiah spent a lot of time looking forward.  In the midst of challenging times, he lifted his eyes forward and imagined the future God has in store for us.  This future isn't a divided society, where wealthy elites escape the burdens faced by so many just trying to scrape by.  There will be no one sleeping in door frames and searching through the garbage for sustenance.  No, the riches of the Kingdom of God are available without price -- no money would be enough to buy the anyway!  God gives them freely, inviting us to participate in a different economy, where we eat richly and delight in what is good at the will of God.  Our souls will live in an everlasting relationship based on the selfless and endless love of God.
  So be careful when you think about saving for the future.  Don't let the world trick you into believe that the only investment you can make is monetary.  While saving is good and investing is fine, the spiritual riches God offers trump whatever monetary plans we can make.  Our future does not depend upon a bank account and our worth is not measured by the spread on the table from which we eat -- we are counted as worthy because we are counted as Christ's, and the future we hold is abundant because of the great love with which God loves us.

Isaiah 53:4-9

Isaiah 53:4-9 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's easy not to consider the consequences sometimes.  Let's say that you notice there is something wrong with the tire of your car, but since you're still able to drive it now, you keep going, ignoring the problem because it's not impacting you today, and maybe you could continue to drive on it for weeks, or for months, and whenever the noise gets loud enough you just turn the radio up, and the car travels on.  Let's say a warning light comes on, but the car is still running, so maybe you find a sticker to cover the warning light, because it doesn't affect you immediately.  You carry on... until one day the tire bursts on the freeway at high speed.  Then you're really in trouble and you wonder how this happened, suddenly realizing the full impact of the consequences.
  Sin works that way.  So often, we carry on without realizing the full weight of the consequences of our actions.  So much of sin doesn't have an immediate impact on us.
  But God realized the full weight of sin, and God wept at the thought of being separated for eternity from us.  So God, who is rich in mercy and love, accepted the full and painful weight of sin.  Jesus Christ, God's own Son, was pierced for our transgressions, despite having no fault of his own, and accepted the death that we deserve.  All of this was done because God loves you, and God wants you to be free of the weight of the consequences of our sin, and so God pays the price that we cannot pay. 
  Because of this, we have forgiveness and peace and mercy in Jesus Christ, and we receive what we do not deserve -- eternity, the full weight of glory, escaping the consequences of sin, all through the free gift of grace.

Isaiah 52:7-10

Isaiah 52:7-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you're like me, you're somewhat stuck in the middle of your routine, plugging along, pressing forward, every once in a while sticking your head up to see what's going on in the broader world.  (If you're like me, you see how crazy the world is and instantly retreat back into a safe little bubble.)  What happens is that over time, utilizing this approach means that we lose perspective and only see the world the way we're accustomed to seeing it, and we forget the bigger picture.
  Notice here whose feet are beautiful -- it's the messenger who comes to the people and reminds the that their God reigns.  Somehow, in the midst of everything, they've lost sight of that, and they need a messenger to come and remind them of good news, to point to the light in the midst of the darkness.
  So there's two things here for us.  The first is to remember that God reigns.  God reigns in the world and God reigns in your life.  Now, do me a favor -- take a deep breath, let it out, find a mirror, and remind yourself that Jesus Christ ascended the cross so that you would be redeemed from sin and death and spend eternity with God.  God treasures you enough to die for you.  You are worthy and beloved and beautiful.  Remember that today.
  Secondly, think of one person to whom you could bring good news.  Who can you remind that they are lovely and treasured today?  Maybe you could make their day, through an email or a handwritten card or a phone call.  Tell them they're treasured.  Remind them of good news.  They are loved.  You are loved. 
  And love wins.

Isaiah 41:8-10

Isaiah 41:8-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  At last count, our kids have approximately 8,000 stuffed animals.  I'm not quite sure how we arrived at the present population, but we are approaching the point at which we'll need to discuss alternative housing arrangements for a portion of the group or risk being crowded out of the house.  We finally did get Caleb to not sleep with all of them at once, due to a fear that he'd end up on the floor because there wouldn't be any room left for him in bed.
  They have a lot, but there are a select few that are always nearby.  If anything should happen to these few, heaven and earth will be moved to find them. 
  Our God has selected you from the ends of the earth.  God has pursued you, sought out a relationship with you, and awakened your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.  You are beloved and sought out, treasured and pursued.  So do not doubt your worth.  Do not let the voice of fear convince you that you are not of infinite value.  God paid the price of Jesus Christ's life so that you might be redeemed.  God will uphold you, God will help you, God will strengthen you -- so take heart and be confidant that this week is blessed because God is with you!