Monthly Archives: January 2022

As we go through life we face all kinds of challenges. Some are smaller daily challenges – the car breaks down, a leaking pipe, or trouble with a work assignment. Others are life changing challenges, loss of a job, serious illness, death of a family member. Regardless of severity, whether short or long term effect, remember this: God is faithful and God is for you.

“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭46:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

(Remember that “Selah” is a signal to pause and reflect on what you just read.)

Think about a movie about battles in the Middle Ages. When trouble comes the townspeople run to the castle, the fortress for protection. It was the same in the time of the Psalms. Trouble coming? Go get inside the fortress walls.

But deep in the fortifications is the throne room, the most protected space in the fortress. Aside from the elite guard and highest officials, only the family of the monarch were allowed there. Here there was the deepest safety and comfort.

It’s the same today for we followers of Jesus. We know that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father at the throne of grace. He is speaking on our behalf because he completely understands our struggles. He can empathize with us because of the Incarnation. As fully human, he experienced life as we do, was tempted as we are, was opposed as we sometimes feel.

Jesus gets it.

As fully God, He sent the Spirit. He resides in each of us. When we’re frustrated with family, our jobs, our friends, we are understood by God.

So when it’s tough, when you’re disappointed, frustrated, or afraid, run, don’t walk, to the throne of Grace.

God is faithful and God is for you.

Think about THAT!

We are still in the season of Epiphany, the season where we celebrate Jesus as the light.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You have to HAVE the light to be the light.

Follow him.

I have a buddy with red hair who works real hard, and succeeds, at being the light. He will often text or email “Be the light!” It’s like he’s a natural.

Let me tell you, it’s not natural for me. Is it for you?

Hard or easy, Red is right, be the light!

Here’s Jesus: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Jesus is the light (remember, it’s Epiphany – today is day 3 of 12 in the season) and he indwells us so we can be the light, just like my buddy likes to exclaim.

There are many ways to be the light, but the first is to love people more than judge them.

Let’s look for ways to love people that don’t seem so lovable to us. In this way we too can be the light. In the accumulation of all our little lights there can come a glow. That’s kind of like what I think the Magi saw, the collective glow from the angels giving glory to God. That got the Magi moving westward, but they will see light again. See, they’re not quite half way to Judea yet, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, be the light! In this way, Jesus says, we glorify the Father.

It is Christmas Day in the Orthodox Christian world.*

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Think about this, YOU are so important to God that, in his great plan, he sent his son to take on humanness so he could save us.

And the eternal Son of God was willing to leave heaven in obedience to the Father because he loved YOU.

The great and holy Creator of all there is was willing to sacrifice self for YOU, dear reader.

Thank you God!

Merry Christmas!

___________________

* This difference in date is because Orthodox churches (there are many of them and are nation based e.g. Ukrainian, Russian, Greek, etc.) still use the Julian calendar (apparently from Julius Caesar no less) instead of the Gregorian calendar (16th c. long after the East-West schism in 1053). I love it because it extends Christmas longer!

Fun fact: Kievan leader Yaroslav the Wise sought to spread Christianity across the realm.

He sent emissaries to Rome and Constantinople to choose the form of the church to spread through the Kievan state. As the story goes, the emissaries returned and described the mystical beauty of the Eastern churches in Constantinople, that factor was large among the reasons for his choosing Eastern style.

Happy Epiphany!

The LIGHT has come!!

Today is the traditional liturgical/Christian Year celebration of the coming of the Magi. (There is another one on February 2nd and that’s when we’ll dwell on why that day makes sense in linear time.) But today we will consider the main point: The light has come to the Gentiles.

Essentially it’s like this, if you’re not a Jew, you’re a Gentile. (There are those who are mixed but I’m not chasing that rabbit, I’m staying on this trail.) God made it quite clear throughout the Bible that he cares about non-Jews and Jews alike. Remember Melchizedek? Not a Jew. When Solomon dedicates the Temple the prayer including all peoples. The Temple had a court for the Gentiles. (See what Jesus said in Mark 11:17) If you think back to your Gospels you’ll recall Jesus was amazed at the faith of some Gentiles. A centurion comes to mind (Matt. 8:5-14).

Anyway, the Magi traveled to bring gifts (essential to God’s plan) and worship in newborn Jesus. We’ll get more into that in due course.

These scholar-astronomer-astrologer-religious followed the clues (they had studied in the Hebrew prophets) and the phenomenon they observed in the sky. They sought the king.

As the light, what clues about Jesus are we leaving for people? What phenomenal stories about him are we telling that they may seek the king?

Jesus came, the Incarnation happened, because God loves all people. Remember again the angels:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

The light has come for us.

REJOICE!!!

Be the light! One of Jesus instructions to us was to be the light! We’ve received, let us give!

Oh, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate Armenian Orthodox Christmas!

Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve to all our friends who follow the Orthodox calendar (Julian calendar)!

I think I’ll leave the tree up a couple of more days after all!

Today is the final day of this year’s Christmas season, or, if you will, festival.

When Jesus was 12 days old we might consider that Mary was now strong enough to travel, the government registration was complete and that the family soon began the journey home.

Traditions push the timetable up and we might think that the Magi (who are likely still on the way to find the new born king) and the dedication have occurred. But a careful reading of Leviticus is clear that Mary had to wait several weeks to come into the sanctuary. (Leviticus 12 indicates circumcision on the 8th day (last Saturday) and then 33 more days before the offering.)

So, by now the family is on their way or, maybe, already home in Nazareth. It was a four day journey so if they left after the circumcision, they would just about be home.

Since about the 6th century, the traditional celebration of 12th day of Christmas was the final day and night for celebrating Christmas before the end of the holiday season. (Shakespeare even wrote a play called 12th Night.)

According to some traditions, one should remove Christmas decorations on the 12th day of Christmas. This guy goes out today (the presents are long gone).

All along this journey through Advent and Christmas we’ve been reminded to think about the wonderful work of Christ because of God’s faithful love for us. Today let’s remember that Jesus commanded us to give. Love.

Give love, as he did, to neighbors, enemies, and one another. He said that people will know we are his disciples by our love.

But let’s be real, love is often hard. Our pride can (and does) get in the way of love. Jesus didn’t have that problem, the perfect union of man and God – the Incarnation that we are celebrating – meant that though he was tempted just as we are (Hebrews 4) he overcame temptation for us. This kept him the perfect sacrifice for our sins, which result from our giving in to temptation. He died the perfect death and rose and ascended to the right hand of the Father because the Incarnation began that aspect of the salvation work of Jesus. Then He sent the Spirit to indwell us and help us follow him.

So, …peace be unto those upon whom his favor rests… remember, believer, disciple of Jesus, YOU ARE FAVORED!

Just in case you have five more minutes and want to hear the story one more time, here you go…

We have not been left alone.

We have so much to celebrate on this 12th day of Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Rejoice!