Ruth 1:1-5

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

  Not all new beginnings are welcome.
  When we think of the new year, we think of celebrations and lights and joy -- there is hope in the new year!  But sometimes, people look at the new year with despair.  Perhaps they've barely endured the previous year, and they don't think they have the strength for another.  Or maybe they've just received some devastating news and the horizon seems too bleak.  Maybe the past few years have worn them down and hope seems like a distant concept.  Whatever the reason, change isn't always good.
  When we read Scripture, we encounter real life.  There is drama and heartbreak and joy and sorrow.  God doesn't sugarcoat the often harsh realities of life.  What God does, however, is consistently point forwards to the hope we have in Christ.  As Christians, we are able to point to the hope in Christ that exists beyond the grave.  Even when death surrounds us, hope can still triumph.
  So as you think of the year ahead, it's ok to have some despair and fear creep in.  But those emotions don't have to win the day -- God is still at work, and the long arc of God's justice and mercy will not be defeated by temporary pain and death.  God wins, my friends.  May we rejoice at the knowledge of God's victory, even as we work through the day-to-day realities of life.

1 Peter 1:3-9

1 Peter 1:3-9 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 For a long time, I've looked down on New Year's resolutions.  Maybe I've been unwilling to admit to some of the changes I need to make, or perhaps it just seems cooler to shun them.  There's certainly nothing that says I need to wait until New Year's to make changes, so it would be easier to change something in the moment at which I realize that it needs to be changed...
  But maybe this year is different.  I do need to change -- I'm born again to a living hope, and if that hope is living, then it needs to be constantly pushing on me, prodding me, helping me grow.  Jesus talks about pruning those he loves, and there are areas of my life that I comfortably ignore, due to routine or busy-ness or other reasons. 
  So I'm going to be praying for God to show me how to change over the next few days, in the hopes of turning over some new leaves on January 1.  I know and trust that God is guarding us for our salvation, and that our inheritance is kept imperishable, so I have nothing eternal to fear, and that I am born again only through God's mercy, so my changes aren't about earning more of God's love.  Rather, it's about learning how to rejoice with joy and offer praise, glory, and honor to God in my victories and the trials.  I long for a faithful life that seeks God in all things, and I hope that God will show me some small steps I can take in 2020.
  Will you join me in these prayers, that God may show you what your next step is? 

Judges 13:1-5

Judges 13:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Jesus is not the only miraculous birth in Scripture.  Elizabeth, Sarah, and Manoah's wife all give birth well past the age when it was expected.  The wombs were closed, and yet God brought forth life, and that life testified to the greatness of God, albeit in very different ways.  The ministries of Isaac and John the Baptist and Samson all looked very different, and yet each was used by God to display the power and might of God.  Each was part of preparing the way for the Savior, who also would bring life where it was not accustomed, but rather than the barren womb, Jesus would bring life to the empty tomb, a place of death and hopelessness.  There, just as in our life and world today, the light would shine, and the darkness shall not overcome it.

Mark 1:1-8

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

  Matthew and Luke both begin their Gospels with the Christmas narrative.  Mark does not -- he begins with John the Baptist, announcing the coming of Jesus' public ministry.  Only in the reading of the other Gospels do we get a more full picture of Jesus.  The Gospels work together to enrich our understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus.
  In the same way, the church works together.  There are people who have been in church since they were in the womb, hearing sermons every year of their lives, constantly inhaling the aroma of church life.  Their story is one of endurance and faithfulness and ongoing education.  There are others who start their Christian narrative later in life, often meeting Jesus through the ministry and service of a faithful friend.  Their story is one of awakening, of seeing life for the first time through new eyes, of renewed energy.
  These stories, and the countless other stories that make up the life of the church, combine to weave a rich tapestry of grace.  God works in each of our lives separately, and as well tell and live our stories together, we illustrate how diverse and wondrous the love of God is.  Christmas is a time to celebrate God's radical inbreaking into my life and my story and your life and your story.  This Christmas, listen to each other's stories, ask your friends and loved ones to share their stories, and may we strengthen one another for the lives of service to which we are called.

Luke 2:8-20

Luke 2:8-20 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Who were some of the first people to hear the Good News?  Shepherds, out caring for their flock by night.
  Shepherds have a long track record in the Bible.  Moses was caring for sheep when God spoke to him out of a burning bush, and David was out caring for the flocks as well.  Jesus declares himself as the Good Shepherd.
  What to make of all this talk, especially in a day and age when we have so little direct experience with sheep and shepherds?
  Know these two things, today especially.  The first is that God comes with Good News for everyone -- it is not a message that goes first to the powerful, and it is not exclusive to the rich.  Your station in life has no impact upon God's love for you and your invitation into the Kingdom of God.  The love of Christ knows no socioeconomic borders.  The second is that it is okay to not fully understand exactly what God is doing in the world.  When the angels first arrived on the scene, the shepherds were afraid -- it was only once the angels explained their mission that the shepherds understood the next steps.  Likewise, many of us are still figuring it out.  This Christmas morning, know that God calls you, and that the Christ child means hope  is still alive! 

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-7

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

  Throughout human history, God has been at work.  This common thread, at times intersecting with the political realities of the day, is woven into the everyday life of the rich and poor, as God works to gather all people back.  There are times in our common history where we wonder if the thread is broken, but God is still at work, sometimes in subtle and quiet ways, working to sew threads of peace and justice, that unmerited grace and unlimited favor may be the colors that define our lives.  When we look back, we can see how God has been at work, and we know the promises of God will continue to call us forward, creating something beautiful and unbounded, defined by the love that God is and shares freely.
  You are loved, and that is seen fully here in Luke's Gospel, as Mary and Joseph make their journey.  Our hearts go with them, eager to peak into the manger where that baby begins, seeing all the universe held is those tiny, vulnerable hands, knowing that the cries of life that emanated from a plain manger would one day echo inside a newly hewn tomb, where new life would again cry out in triumph after the trial was complete.  On Christmas Eve, we look forward to new life after birth, and it reminds us that through Christ, there is new life after death.
  May we rejoice in the baby, knowing the promise of Christmas only grows.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Christmas is in only 5 days!!!  It's drawing nearer, day by day, minute by minute, and we'll marvel once more about how our all-powerful God chose to come to this earth as a vulnerable infant, dependent on two poor parents, born far from the center of power.  All this is true, but it was part of the mission of God to draw people back to God, so that Jesus might grow in wisdom and power and reveal his purpose -- to save sinners.
  You and I are a small part of the large group of sinners that Jesus came to save.  Maybe our sins aren't as public or as notorious as the sins of others, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.  I'm a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, who for the last few seasons have quietly been one of the worst teams in baseball.  Now, they're not absolutely terrible, so they escape the focus of the national press, but that doesn't make them any better, just because no one notices that they keep losing games (they're going to win the division in 2020.  You heard it here first!!).  They still need dramatic, outside help in order to get better.
  I'm the same way.  My own efforts will not save me.  I depend on the child, born in the manger, who will grow into the man who dies on a cross so that he can rise from the dead.
  As Paul says, this mercy is not just for me.  It's so that God's patience with us can serve as an example.  The idea is that we can declare, with pride, that if God can save us from even our sins, then God can save anyone, and isn't that marvelous?!
  To God be the glory, forever and ever!

Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What does Christmas mean to you?  We all have so many competing images -- the lights, the trees, the memories, the events.  Christmas often comes packed full of social events, so that we end up so busy we're not sure what has happened as the weeks have slid by and Christmas is suddenly upon us!  It's less than a week from today -- are you ready?
  Two thousand years ago, the world wasn't ready.  The world thought the Messiah might come in as a conquering hero, but he came as a dependent baby.  I'm not ready for the Messiah today -- I love him and confess him as King, but my life often denies him through my actions. 
  So as we prepare for Christmas, here's a question -- what's your mindset? 
  Are you ready for a King to set things right?  Are you ready for a King to set your heart right, so that you might worship and have your joy be made complete?  Are you ready for complete humility, even to the point of death for the sake of others?  Are you ready to look to the interests of others?
  Here's a thought -- imagine that Christ has given you a set of gifts, and your purpose is to give them to others.  What's it feel like to give away something that was meant for you?  How does it feel to be a part of making someone else joyful?  How can you serve another?
  Christmas is a reminder of what God has done for us.  How can we celebrate Christmas by serving others?

Exodus 2:23-25

Exodus 2:23-25
English Standard Version (ESV)

  The reality of our world includes sin and brokenness.  I'd love to say otherwise, but since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the whole of creation has been disrupted, both on an individual level as well as relationally.  We see the effects in ourselves, but we sometimes forget that it is sin that causes conflict between us.  We do not always treat each other well, and the people of Israel experienced this when they were enslaved in Egypt, trapped doing hard, physical labor because Pharaoh was afraid of them.
  But God did not forget the people.  God heard their prayers, and a plan was in place to deliver the people.
  That same God hears our prayers when our lives are disrupted by the brokenness of sin.  When you are hurting, when you are in pain, when you are yearning for redemption, God hears your prayers, and God is at work bringing all of creation towards redemption.  Even when the timeframe of deliverance is longer than we desire, God is still at work, because God hears our prayers.  As Romans 8 says, when we do not know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  So even when we cannot form the words to pray, God hears our prayers, and God knows.  We are never forgotten by God.

Malachi 3:1-3

Malachi 3:1-3
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's easy to sit back and judge, to remove yourself from the immediate situation and only tell others what you think of the situation or outcome.  It seems like much of social media exists as an ever-accelerating whirlpool that exists to judge others, with the crowds often serving as the judge and swiftly executing jury.  (As an aside, is anyone else considered that society's first impulse seems to be to capture something on video rather than step into the fray and assist?)
  One of the things that's fascinating to me about God is that God is not content to sit outside of the situation and only judge.  Refining is hard work, laborious work -- and yet God partakes, joining in with the effort.  Refining involves heating the subject up until the impurities are burned out -- and so the refiner must be close enough to the fire to judge when that occurs.  In the same way, God enters into our world to save us, and in the process, we see the pain and suffering that Jesus undergoes as a result, because God loves us too much to remain outside.

Isaiah 6:1-7

Isaiah 6:1-7 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Here is Isaiah, certain he is about to die, and what is the message of the angel?  It is one of grace, and a reminder that Isaiah's sins have been atoned for.
  Friends, no complicated message today.  Just a simple reminder -- despite however lost you may feel, despite whatever worries press in on you and convince you that you are lost, remember this:  Out of the majesty of God's grace, a simple reminder:  your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.
 

Isaiah 53:4-6

Isaiah 53:4-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

  The Christmas story has two sides, and it all wraps up into one marvelous mystery, full of grace and truth.  The baby who is born in a manger, a tender scene portrayed in nativities, dependent on his poor parents, is the child that grows into the man who teaches with authority, heals the sick and raises the dead, and is the condemned to die as an innocent man.  The child who brings light and life is put to death, crushed for our iniquities, an atoning sacrifice for our sin who willingly goes to the cross  We have sinned, and he is punished.
  Because of his resurrection, we can look at Christmas morning with hope, for the child will overcome all of this and will come again in glory.
  So when you look at the obstacles before you, focus not on the darkness and challenges that seem to overwhelm.  Remember that because he rose, you also will rise, and the one who has overcome will give you the ability to overcome as well. 
  In the child we have hope, and in the child we have life.

Isaiah 65:17-19

Isaiah 65:17-19
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you're even a casual sports fan, you're familiar with the plight of the Boston Red Sox or the Chicago Cubs.  These baseball teams hadn't won championships for decades, often coming tantalizing close, breaking the hearts of their fans over and over again.  Fans questioned if they would see their team finally break through, and when each did eventually win a championship, it was national news -- the narrative had changed.  Now, when things get rough, they can look back with fondness on recent championship memories and be consoled. 
  The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God is still at work -- even in the darkest of nights, the light is still shining, and the hope of redemption is still a real thing that people can cling to.  It will be centuries between Isaiah's words and the fulfillment of the prophecy, but the church and God's Kingdom will stand forever.  The joy that the Kingdom rests upon will overwhelm grief, and we can hope in our God and the power of the Kingdom. 
  This Advent season, look forward with hope, that the coming joy may fill your heart now, and when sorrow and sadness come, remember that they are temporary, and that one day, there will be only joy.

Psalm 133

Psalm 133 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This Christmas, I encourage you to reach out to someone.  Maybe it's a family member, maybe a friend, maybe someone on your street or in your office.  How good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity -- reach out and assure them, invite them, inquire after them.  We live in a lonely world, and we rush by each other, often barely impacting each other.  We are all intertwined, even though we don't often live like it, so partake in God's greater mission that extends to the outer edges of the cosmos and beyond, that involves all of creation.  May our lives intersect so that we learn how to live together and invite one another to experience grace.

Revelation 5:11-14

Revelation 5:11-14 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  The church is a wondrous organization, called and gifted by the Holy Spirit with one purpose -- to participate in God's greater mission to the cosmos.  This Advent season, as we draw near to Christmas, may we all remember that the church is about far more than individual salvation.  May we never forget that Christ has handcrafted us and loves us uniquely, but that Christ also calls and redeems us as a community.  The throne room of God is surrounded by millions and missions (myriads and myriads in other translations).  This isn't just about us -- we are one of many, and participating in Christ's church means having a heart for the larger world and the greater mission of God.  We are called, we are blessed, and we are sent!

Christmas Lights

  We can all agree that one of the greatest technological feats of the last 150 years is the development of Christmas lights that don't all go out when one bulb dies.  Many of us spent hours as children trying to find the one dead bulb that was preventing the entire strand from lighting up.  One faulty bulb doomed the whole strand.
 
  As Christians, we can rejoice that one little sin does not doom us to eternity without God.  God is perfect and cannot tolerate the presence of sin, so any sin, no matter how small, threatens our ability to dwell forever in the throneroom of God.  We would never be able to atone for our own sins -- especially given how high Jesus sets the standard, equating hatred to murder.  Fortunately, Jesus is willing to pay the price for our sins.  God's love is so powerful that we're set free from the penalty for sin by God's grace, and no one single sin will separate us from God forever.  We can confess our sins with gratitude to God for grace and love and have confidence in the salvation God gives freely to us.

Revelation 3:7-13

Revelation 3:7-13 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Here we see the contrast between Jesus and his followers, and we learn about the nature of Jesus.
  When Jesus opens doors, there is not a force in the universe that can close it.  And so the door is open to eternal life -- remember that Jesus says in John 10 that he is the door through which we enter.  No one, not even death, can close this door, and so we can rejoice in having such a strong advocate. 
  In contrast, we are weak.  The church in Philadelphia cannot open the door, but they know how to obey, and they have placed their trust in Jesus.  They know their own strength and weakness, and they understand where true strength comes from.  They are saved not by their own merits.
  I don't know that self-examination is very high on the list of desirable traits in the modern world.  But when we know ourselves and acknowledge our weaknesses, we're looking to Christ to hold the door open, and falling into his grace and love.  The crown of life is given to us by the one who is stronger than we are -- so may we receive with grateful hearts, and depend on God to lead us forward into eternal life.

Revelation 3:1-6

Revelation 3:1-6 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  This is always a hard day for me.  19 years ago, my best friend didn't wake up, and I did, and ever since that day, I've wrestled with the basic unfairness of it all.  To be 19 and invincible and have the world crash down around  you is a terrible thing, and then to try and make sense of something insensible... it's impossible, and yet the sun rises in the morning, and we must press on, right?  There is hope on the other side of the horizon, and yet every day, seeing the path can seem like grasping for the light switch in the dark, where any step can send you careening into unseen obstacles.
  I don't know why some live and some don't, why some thrive and others don't, why life happens the way it does.  I think about where my friend should be, and it hurts, to this day -- the sorrow is an ache to the depths of my soul.  I still remember the tears I cried and the tears his mother cried and the way our souls still weep to this day.  Often, I have only a little strength left, and it is almost gone. 
  Here in this letter, the church is urged to stretch towards God.  We can run in fear, or we can turn to God in trust.  Each day, I try and choose trust.  I don't always do it, and some days I wander in fear and uncertainty and mourning, but trust calls  to me still, whispers to my soul, and I want to choose faithfulness, to walk with the Lord towards the light, to let God carry me forward, for my strength is not my own, and my wisdom is not my own, and my life is not my own -- it belongs to God, body and soul, and I entrust myself to God's greater providence.  I know not  what the journey holds, but I know the end, and I trust in God to lead me there.

Revelation 2:18-28

Revelation 2:18-28
English Standard Version (ESV)

  To be completely honest, there are times when I read the Bible, close it, and then hope that I didn't read what I just read.  Not that I'm worried about the specific sins referenced here, but rather just because the overall tenor can be rather threatening at times.  God searches the mind and heart, and I'll certainly confess that my mind and heart aren't always perfect places -- there are some dark places that each of us harbor, and the thought of God knowing the fullness of my sins and brokenness is troubling.
  Fortunately, God knew all of this before God ascended the cross to die in order to redeem me.  My sins are ever before me, but they aren't a surprise to God.  God knows that I cannot save myself, and so God sends Jesus Christ to save us.  We are desperate and in need, and so God comes to save.
  Sometimes, it feels like 'Hold Fast' is about the only thing that I can do.  I desperately want to write my name in the list of those who conquer and keep God's works, although there are days when enduring seems like too great a task, and conquering will have to be left to those more worthy than I.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit comes and prays with sighs too deep for words, and I am reminded that salvation depends on God, not on me.  Thanks be to God!

Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:12-17 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  When Abram left the world he knew behind to follow God's call, he was eventually given a new name as a sign of his new identity. 
  When Daniel was sent to Babylon, he and his fellow exiles were given new names in an attempt to transform their identity, to leave the old behind.
  When Saul left behind his persecuting ways, he became Paul, a passionate advocate for the early Christian church.
  The church in Pergamum was offered new names, just as you and I are, to mark our new identity in Christ.  To those who persevere in faith, who endure the road of discipleship and keep their eyes focused on the call of Christ, a new name is offered, one rooted in the identity of a risen Savior, in the grace and love that is freely given.  We are no longer ours but have been purchased by God, liberated from sin and death, and our identity is rooted in God.

Revelation 2:8-11

Revelation 2:8-11 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  You can hide things from colleagues for a long time.  Less time with friends, and even less with family, although there are some who keep secrets buried deep for decades.  With God, however, we can keep no secrets -- fortunately, we don't have be afraid, but can be confident that God knows us completely and still loves us.
  Note, here, how God mentions the poverty of the people of Smyrna, but they have plenty of money.  Their poverty is spiritual, and it's an affliction that is as common today as it was then -- material wealth cannot hide spiritual poverty.
  To the people in Smyrna, God reminds them to stay faithful, even until death, for there is life beyond death.
  The same charge is directed at us.  Put not your trust in riches, as tempting as it may be, but rather lean into the grace and love of God, depend on God and God alone for life, and the second death cannot hurt us.

When it rains

  My son loves sidewalk chalk.  Personally, I struggle with the texture of chalk, and I'm a terrible artist, so sidewalk chalk and I are not a match made in heaven.  He, however, would do it all day long if it were up to him.  He'd skip school to draw maps and zoos on the driveway.  It's astounding.
  Once, he had completed a particularly complicated map of a zoo when it started to rain.  Distressed, he grabbed an umbrella and was out standing over one spot, and then another, trying to shield his creations from the rain.  It was touching and sweet, but ultimately futile, as the rains pounded down and slowly washed his creation away.  (His sadness quickly passed as he anticipated a blank slate upon which to create anew).
  I thought about how often I try to hold onto my own sins in light of God's onrushing grace.  There are things in my life that I struggle to let go, things that I hold on to, that I'm certain God can't forgive me for.  I beat myself up time and time again, as though God's grace can't cover those sins. 
  But God's grace covers all.  The forgiveness is complete, despite it being unearned.  I have no need to hold on to things -- that is only fear speaking.  God's grace is strong enough for all of my sins, no matter how deep. 

Revelation 2:1-7

Revelation 2:1-7 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  There are letters to seven churches in Revelation -- we looked at the one for Laodicea on Friday.  Here is the letter to Ephesus, and notice how personal it is.  It addresses the specifics in Ephesus, and it praises the way they endure and their intolerance for sin, while calling the church back to their first love.  The Ephesians have endured, but they're tired, and here they are encouraged/threatened to ensure their love sustains, and they are reminded of the crown of glory that awaits, the feast in the garden.
  God's love for each of us is unique -- we are each handcrafted by the love of God.  God knows our strengths, and our weaknesses, too.  God surrounds us with community, with a tribe, to encourage us as we grow and develop.  At times we need to hear the harsh truth and be held accountable, and at times we need encouragement to continue using our strengths.
  Find a church that acts as a tribe, that surrounds you and loves you and holds you accountable.  In this, we hear the nourishing words that remind us of our hope in Christ and points us towards the garden that awaits.