Life lessons are often learned in unexpected places and at surprising times. While our children were in elementary school, we established a tradition. One day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we took them out of school and spent the day in New York City. The enchanting scenes, smells and spirit of the city are unlike any other. Those school-skipping days are in a portfolio of memories that is more important to us than a perfect attendance certificate!
We walked the streets and avenues of the city absorbing as much as we could! While others sing about "chestnuts roasting on an open fire," we know the aroma and have tasted them! "Jack Frost nipping at your nose" is a silly lyric for some, but we know the cold of New York City where the winds whine and weave through narrow streets. Brrr, I feel the chill as I write!
We oohed and aahed at the soaring twin spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral before walking through its cavernous interior. Absorbing its beautiful antique art and feeling the stillness and sacredness of a place which is surrounded by merchants, moneychangers and modern icons on the outside is a memory worthy of a special section in our album of memories. Warmed, we walked through Rockefeller Plaza with its iconic lighted angels blowing trumpets, skaters twirling and tumbling on the ice rink and the TREE! Seeing the TREE in person should be on everyone’s "bucket list!"
Our walking tour was only a few hundred yards long. BRRRR, it’s very cold after a few paces outdoors. The wind injects needle-like doses of winter through one’s skin. Candace, Jonathan and Joanna’s eyes always danced with excitement at the Sak’s Fifth Avenue windows. (Malls don’t have "windows," just a few square yards of glass for posting sales and discounts. Fifth Avenue stores have "WINDOWS," places of fantasy and fun. Mechanized models of make-believe, Bob Cratchit and Scrooge, and boys and girls romping, sliding and skating, elves and reindeer filled each window. Thousands of people exhaled clouds of vapor as they paced in zigzagging lines to get up front and close to enchantment.
Revolving doors with tons of shining brass framing thick glass twirl customers into the warm sanctuary of retail! Pages of print are needed to describe the experience. Why don’t we go together next year and you can see for yourself? We were soon warmed and ready for another bolt of icy air to penetrate the layers of shirts, sweaters, scarves and made-for-the-arctic outerwear.
A few blocks south on Fifth Avenue Macy’s windows and Toyland are awaiting boys and girls with awe-filled eyes and jittery joy on their faces. One can watch Thanksgiving Day parades on television, but one must do Toyland in person! It is spectacular! An inventory of a child’s wish list is easily assembled in Toyland. Toys, games, dolls, trucks and cars are everywhere . . . and sales associates dressed to enhance the fantasy are ready to help.
Lord and Taylor is just North of Macy’s. Retailers compete with windows. The wind shifted, coming from the West. Our young family had moved to the leeward side of Fifth Avenue skyscrapers. Everything was calm. The thermometer registered the same temperature, but we had crossed the street. A mere 100 feet from the place we stomped warmth into numb feet and wrapped scarves across freezing faces, we were warm. At that moment Jonathan looked up at me and said, "Dad, it is so peaceful here!"
What a memory, and what an observation! Just move across the street! Many at this season are close to the truth, familiar with the story of Jesus, but "across the street" and away from the warmth of being next to Him, in close relationship with the Prince of Peace. We trust that you will know the warmth of Jesus, the Christ and Prince of Peace today and always!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Mary's Song
Last night our pastor led us in an exploration of special challenges faced by the people in the Nativity. On occasion I have considered the complexities of circumstances faced by one or two, like Mary and Joseph, but last night we were asked us to consider the difficulties faced by Elizabeth and Zechariah, the Magi, shepherds, Herod and others. Everyone in the nativity story was confronted with unique challenges. Life wasn’t easy for anyone!
Life is challenging! A pastor friend, Bob, learned that a key member of his congregation passed away unexpectedly yesterday and the funeral will two days before Christmas. The brother who passed away was a church musician and board member, among the best qualified leaders in the church. Negotiating the mix of emotions, reminding the congregation of the blessing of the Incarnation while leading the same people in properly grieving the loss of a key member is challenging.
Life is challenging! Another pastor friend, Abe, began radiation treatments and chemotherapy this week, right in the middle of Advent. Everyone is waiting to learn how my friend’s body will respond. If this were going to happen, couldn’t this have waited until summer when church attendance is usually down and the church calendar is a bit more simple?
Life is challenging! Another friend and former co-worker, Marvin, is losing strength as the effects of Lou Gehrig’s Disease takes its toll. I call and talk with my pastor-teacher friend, but only after praying because I have many questions and find the challenges Marvin and his family face frustratingly complex. Sometimes I think it would be easier if they weren’t such good, devoted and dedicated followers of Jesus. I just don’t understand.
Life is challenging! Victor’s wife passed away a few days ago. How does one sing joyous carols while the strains of favorite songs sung at a memorial services are still echoing in one’s soul? What is the appropriate way to remember a spouse and move forward? I just don’t understand!
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would use Mary’s song as my text, a song which exposes insights into how she negotiated imponderable and inscrutable circumstances of life. Mary’s song is profoundly important. Answers to Mary’s prayers become lyrical as she moves through a divinely designed path for her life. Mary sang:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s conversations with the angel, followed by prayerful pondering, resulted in worship. We often commit energy and resources on arranging an environment for worship that includes sound, lighting, seating arrangement and special effects. From deep within Mary’s spirit sprang upward in worship. While face-to-face with God she learned, "He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." I have noticed that in positive circumstances and carefully-arranged environments some remain lethargic and disinterested. In contrast, when one wrestles with complexities and prayerfully ponders challenges at hand, he discovers "God my Savior!" As Samuel Shoemaker taught, "Prayer is intended not to change God’s mind, but to find it."1 Mary found God’s mind and worshiped!
As a result of prayerful pondering Mary was able to sing, "From now on . . ." Mary’s song is an affirmation, a statement of assurance and anticipation. I have a future! Others will "call me blessed!" Mary’s role was unique, and so is each of ours. The One with whom we converse in prayerful pondering is fully qualified to orchestrate our lives to bless others. We begin to live when we pray, "Lord, help me to bless those who you arrange for me to meet today." Let us live as Mary sang, with anticipation and assurance of God’s blessing.
Mary’s song is a record of the long track record of God’s interventions. The language is brilliant. Vocabulary throbs with strength. "Mercy extends!" He "performs, scatters and brings down." The "hungry are filled with good things," and he "has sent the rich away hungry." The Lord’s activity will continue toward "Abraham and his descendants forever!" Children of Abraham, let’s sing!
Prayerful pondering energizes while the challenges are still present. Mary sang her song well before all the angel’s promises were fulfilled. A long list of questions remained when Mary broke out singing, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me!" Townspeople still chattered away in idle gossip. Joseph’s family and friends may not have been convinced about the angel’s message. The Word had not yet become flesh. Little proof of the information to which Mary was privy could be validated. But, Mary knew!
It is reported that Winston Churchill convened a meeting of his cabinet the evening it appeared that England would be invaded. German bombs had pelted London, port cities and strategic industrial sites throughout the nation. Churchill withheld no facts. The cabinet listened to the grim report, and then, he leaned back in his chair and said, "And you know, I find it all quite inspiring!" That is the kind of faith that triumphs in times of confusion and complicated challenges.
Life is challenging! Let us ponder prayerfully. Let us engage the Almighty in conversation. By His Spirit we will learn His mind and face challenges confidently. Then we will sing! We will worship! The songs we sing will be enduring, as memorable as Mary’s song!
Life is challenging! A pastor friend, Bob, learned that a key member of his congregation passed away unexpectedly yesterday and the funeral will two days before Christmas. The brother who passed away was a church musician and board member, among the best qualified leaders in the church. Negotiating the mix of emotions, reminding the congregation of the blessing of the Incarnation while leading the same people in properly grieving the loss of a key member is challenging.
Life is challenging! Another pastor friend, Abe, began radiation treatments and chemotherapy this week, right in the middle of Advent. Everyone is waiting to learn how my friend’s body will respond. If this were going to happen, couldn’t this have waited until summer when church attendance is usually down and the church calendar is a bit more simple?
Life is challenging! Another friend and former co-worker, Marvin, is losing strength as the effects of Lou Gehrig’s Disease takes its toll. I call and talk with my pastor-teacher friend, but only after praying because I have many questions and find the challenges Marvin and his family face frustratingly complex. Sometimes I think it would be easier if they weren’t such good, devoted and dedicated followers of Jesus. I just don’t understand.
Life is challenging! Victor’s wife passed away a few days ago. How does one sing joyous carols while the strains of favorite songs sung at a memorial services are still echoing in one’s soul? What is the appropriate way to remember a spouse and move forward? I just don’t understand!
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would use Mary’s song as my text, a song which exposes insights into how she negotiated imponderable and inscrutable circumstances of life. Mary’s song is profoundly important. Answers to Mary’s prayers become lyrical as she moves through a divinely designed path for her life. Mary sang:
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s conversations with the angel, followed by prayerful pondering, resulted in worship. We often commit energy and resources on arranging an environment for worship that includes sound, lighting, seating arrangement and special effects. From deep within Mary’s spirit sprang upward in worship. While face-to-face with God she learned, "He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." I have noticed that in positive circumstances and carefully-arranged environments some remain lethargic and disinterested. In contrast, when one wrestles with complexities and prayerfully ponders challenges at hand, he discovers "God my Savior!" As Samuel Shoemaker taught, "Prayer is intended not to change God’s mind, but to find it."1 Mary found God’s mind and worshiped!
As a result of prayerful pondering Mary was able to sing, "From now on . . ." Mary’s song is an affirmation, a statement of assurance and anticipation. I have a future! Others will "call me blessed!" Mary’s role was unique, and so is each of ours. The One with whom we converse in prayerful pondering is fully qualified to orchestrate our lives to bless others. We begin to live when we pray, "Lord, help me to bless those who you arrange for me to meet today." Let us live as Mary sang, with anticipation and assurance of God’s blessing.
Mary’s song is a record of the long track record of God’s interventions. The language is brilliant. Vocabulary throbs with strength. "Mercy extends!" He "performs, scatters and brings down." The "hungry are filled with good things," and he "has sent the rich away hungry." The Lord’s activity will continue toward "Abraham and his descendants forever!" Children of Abraham, let’s sing!
Prayerful pondering energizes while the challenges are still present. Mary sang her song well before all the angel’s promises were fulfilled. A long list of questions remained when Mary broke out singing, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me!" Townspeople still chattered away in idle gossip. Joseph’s family and friends may not have been convinced about the angel’s message. The Word had not yet become flesh. Little proof of the information to which Mary was privy could be validated. But, Mary knew!
It is reported that Winston Churchill convened a meeting of his cabinet the evening it appeared that England would be invaded. German bombs had pelted London, port cities and strategic industrial sites throughout the nation. Churchill withheld no facts. The cabinet listened to the grim report, and then, he leaned back in his chair and said, "And you know, I find it all quite inspiring!" That is the kind of faith that triumphs in times of confusion and complicated challenges.
Life is challenging! Let us ponder prayerfully. Let us engage the Almighty in conversation. By His Spirit we will learn His mind and face challenges confidently. Then we will sing! We will worship! The songs we sing will be enduring, as memorable as Mary’s song!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Small stage, huge play!
Phillips Brooks, rector of Church of the Holy Trinity1, in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" more than 100 years ago. He was inspired to write the lyrics one evening while visiting the Holy Land and viewing Bethlehem from a distant hilltop. Brooks originally thought that the song would be sung by a children’s choir at Holy Trinity, but it quickly caught on among people of all ages.
Micah’s prophecy defined Bethlehem as "little": "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) We Americans are "big" people. Small things are most frequently viewed as "anemic" or "ill," something needing a remedy. We tend to tolerate small more than embrace little with respect for its intrinsic value.
But, we are inconsistent. We are drawn to babies and are willing to make foolish looking faces and strange sounds in order to get an infant to smile. Model railroads are an irresistible attraction for others. Miniatures are big business. But the footprint of "big box" stores trample small businesses to death. Mom and Pop merchants roll up their awnings and sell the last remnants of inventory as the heavy tromp of the big boxes smash the remaining life of village downtowns into shards of memories.
Consider Bethlehem. It is no small wonder that Bethlehem survived at all. Bethlehem was one of twelve towns inherited by Zebulon’s family when the Promised Land was divvied up. Eleven other surrounding towns included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron and Idalah. (Joshua 19:15). "Bethlehem" ends the list. Bethlehem almost looks like an afterthought. It doesn’t seem like there ever was a real estate boom. But the town survived!
Ibzan, hardly a household word, one of the judges of Israel hailed from Bethlehem. He may have gathered more ink in the Jerusalem papers if he had plied his craft in a major market. His claim to fame was that he fathered 60 children and ruled Israel for seven years. None of the kids married in the tribe. Poor Bethlehem! Chamber of commerce members had to be frustrated.
There is a story in Judges 19 about a young Levite, a native of Bethlehem, who went house-hunting. He found lodging with Micah, not the prophet, but a man who made shrines to gods from his mother’s silver. It is unclear to me if the story of a Bethlehem Levite in chapter 19 is the same. But the poor fellow got caught up an event reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently Bethlehem’s stigma followed her youth, even when they left home!
Small town economies are fragile. A famine came into the area. People were hungry! Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons and daughters-in-law left Bethlehem for Moab in search of food. People still do that. They move from place to place in search of work. Hunger drove the family from tiny Bethlehem. The rest of the story is in the Book of Ruth. The story of Ebimelech’s family is too important to the salvation story to overlook. When reviewing it, remember, the plot includes a small village and her citizens.
But even the most depressed of villages may experience a change of fortunes. Tourism is big there nowadays! Good things began to happen. David was anointed King of Israel in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16), one of the first positive events the Bethlehem Historical Society was able to record. It was followed by the account of David’s mighty men who risked their lives to fetch a flask of water from Bethlehem’s well. Some entrepreneur ought to start bottling "Agua Beth!" I may share my idea with Restoration Hardware! They are into stuff like that. There is a dollar to be made!
I think the storyline of Bethlehem has potential for some mini-series. Philistines occupied the town for a while during one of the many skirmishes with Israel. The cemetery at the edge of town has some notorious people, and heroes, buried there. The townspeople were patriotic too. When Ezra was enlisting workers to rebuild the walls and Temple in Jerusalem, Bethlehemites responded.
There is much more to Bethlehem’s story. But, the one event that changed the little village forever was the one Phillips Brooks had in mind when he wrote the Christmas Carol. Micah’s prediction came to pass and from that tiny epicenter of salvation the Savior of the whole world was carried in Mary’s arms into the center stage of history. The events of the night Pastor Brooks memorialized changed the world’s calendars. Note "BC: before Christ," and "AD: anno Domini" or, "year of our Lord," is a watershed of history, one greater than any other. Those who belittle things deemed too small ought to remember that Bethlehem’s stage was small, but the play was huge!
Micah’s prophecy defined Bethlehem as "little": "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) We Americans are "big" people. Small things are most frequently viewed as "anemic" or "ill," something needing a remedy. We tend to tolerate small more than embrace little with respect for its intrinsic value.
But, we are inconsistent. We are drawn to babies and are willing to make foolish looking faces and strange sounds in order to get an infant to smile. Model railroads are an irresistible attraction for others. Miniatures are big business. But the footprint of "big box" stores trample small businesses to death. Mom and Pop merchants roll up their awnings and sell the last remnants of inventory as the heavy tromp of the big boxes smash the remaining life of village downtowns into shards of memories.
Consider Bethlehem. It is no small wonder that Bethlehem survived at all. Bethlehem was one of twelve towns inherited by Zebulon’s family when the Promised Land was divvied up. Eleven other surrounding towns included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron and Idalah. (Joshua 19:15). "Bethlehem" ends the list. Bethlehem almost looks like an afterthought. It doesn’t seem like there ever was a real estate boom. But the town survived!
Ibzan, hardly a household word, one of the judges of Israel hailed from Bethlehem. He may have gathered more ink in the Jerusalem papers if he had plied his craft in a major market. His claim to fame was that he fathered 60 children and ruled Israel for seven years. None of the kids married in the tribe. Poor Bethlehem! Chamber of commerce members had to be frustrated.
There is a story in Judges 19 about a young Levite, a native of Bethlehem, who went house-hunting. He found lodging with Micah, not the prophet, but a man who made shrines to gods from his mother’s silver. It is unclear to me if the story of a Bethlehem Levite in chapter 19 is the same. But the poor fellow got caught up an event reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently Bethlehem’s stigma followed her youth, even when they left home!
Small town economies are fragile. A famine came into the area. People were hungry! Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons and daughters-in-law left Bethlehem for Moab in search of food. People still do that. They move from place to place in search of work. Hunger drove the family from tiny Bethlehem. The rest of the story is in the Book of Ruth. The story of Ebimelech’s family is too important to the salvation story to overlook. When reviewing it, remember, the plot includes a small village and her citizens.
But even the most depressed of villages may experience a change of fortunes. Tourism is big there nowadays! Good things began to happen. David was anointed King of Israel in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16), one of the first positive events the Bethlehem Historical Society was able to record. It was followed by the account of David’s mighty men who risked their lives to fetch a flask of water from Bethlehem’s well. Some entrepreneur ought to start bottling "Agua Beth!" I may share my idea with Restoration Hardware! They are into stuff like that. There is a dollar to be made!
I think the storyline of Bethlehem has potential for some mini-series. Philistines occupied the town for a while during one of the many skirmishes with Israel. The cemetery at the edge of town has some notorious people, and heroes, buried there. The townspeople were patriotic too. When Ezra was enlisting workers to rebuild the walls and Temple in Jerusalem, Bethlehemites responded.
There is much more to Bethlehem’s story. But, the one event that changed the little village forever was the one Phillips Brooks had in mind when he wrote the Christmas Carol. Micah’s prediction came to pass and from that tiny epicenter of salvation the Savior of the whole world was carried in Mary’s arms into the center stage of history. The events of the night Pastor Brooks memorialized changed the world’s calendars. Note "BC: before Christ," and "AD: anno Domini" or, "year of our Lord," is a watershed of history, one greater than any other. Those who belittle things deemed too small ought to remember that Bethlehem’s stage was small, but the play was huge!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Family, Tradition and Gospel"
Growing older isn’t too bad, especially if your children know how to give gifts you can never forget. Are you like Pat and I who often searched for something to give our parents when our parents already had everything? The chest that holds my sweaters is full. If I received a new one in that chest would have to go! Tools? Well, there are never enough tools! But, we don’t need anything for the house. (The attic has more pictures than will ever be hung on our downsized walls.) But, we have children who give us memories!
Last year one of our Christmas presents was a gospel concert with some of our favorite artists, a delightful meal and hotel room near the concert site. This year Candace, Otis and Alison took us to a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. How could one ever forget an evening like that? The pre-performance meal was authentic Italian and the short walk to the church in driving rain, added to the winter ambience. The highlight was hearing the text, The Bible, set to Baroque music. Ah, life is wonderful!
Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, chorus and symphony converged to present Good News! At times musicians painted scenes of slowly-lapping waters at the edge of a calm lake and moments later one might imagine mighty tides of torrential truth probing the spirit like wind-driven rainy sleet. We were moved from the Tenor’s tender "Comfort ye, comfort ye," to the chorus’ rousing answer, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed."
Life is richer when one listens, absorbs and mediates while soprano and alto voices mingle, reminding us that "He shall feed his flock," and "Come unto Him, all ye that labor . . . " The chorus immediately follows with "His yoke is easy and his burden is light!" Ah, that truth is redeeming, refreshing and reason for rejoicing.
The message throughout Messiah is powerful because it is God’s Word set to music. The lyrics melt into melody and then flow like relaxing rivulets and roaring rivers . . . As I type away now I am listening to The London Symphony Orchestra present "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Isaiah is alive and well in my spirit! Isaiah 6 just may be my text when I preach Sunday!
Ah, what an evening! Our granddaughter Alison was easily the youngest person in the building. She is only ten years old but she has already been introduced to a wonderful family tradition. To view the Church of the Holy Trinity is worth a trip to Philadelphia, and spending several hours in its sanctuary listening to the Gospel is heavenly! Nothing can be better than spending several hours reveling in salvation truth! Ah, growing older with children who delight us with profoundly rich experiences has to be what God Himself had in mind for family!
Last year one of our Christmas presents was a gospel concert with some of our favorite artists, a delightful meal and hotel room near the concert site. This year Candace, Otis and Alison took us to a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. How could one ever forget an evening like that? The pre-performance meal was authentic Italian and the short walk to the church in driving rain, added to the winter ambience. The highlight was hearing the text, The Bible, set to Baroque music. Ah, life is wonderful!
Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, chorus and symphony converged to present Good News! At times musicians painted scenes of slowly-lapping waters at the edge of a calm lake and moments later one might imagine mighty tides of torrential truth probing the spirit like wind-driven rainy sleet. We were moved from the Tenor’s tender "Comfort ye, comfort ye," to the chorus’ rousing answer, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed."
Life is richer when one listens, absorbs and mediates while soprano and alto voices mingle, reminding us that "He shall feed his flock," and "Come unto Him, all ye that labor . . . " The chorus immediately follows with "His yoke is easy and his burden is light!" Ah, that truth is redeeming, refreshing and reason for rejoicing.
The message throughout Messiah is powerful because it is God’s Word set to music. The lyrics melt into melody and then flow like relaxing rivulets and roaring rivers . . . As I type away now I am listening to The London Symphony Orchestra present "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Isaiah is alive and well in my spirit! Isaiah 6 just may be my text when I preach Sunday!
Ah, what an evening! Our granddaughter Alison was easily the youngest person in the building. She is only ten years old but she has already been introduced to a wonderful family tradition. To view the Church of the Holy Trinity is worth a trip to Philadelphia, and spending several hours in its sanctuary listening to the Gospel is heavenly! Nothing can be better than spending several hours reveling in salvation truth! Ah, growing older with children who delight us with profoundly rich experiences has to be what God Himself had in mind for family!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Immanuel: A Name for all seasons
Stuff piles up! Unlike financial savings, unopened junk mail, e-mail spam, laundry, emotional baggage, distresses of life and bad news all seem to multiply without any special effort. The evening news spews the latest evidence of a culture going wild, a society writhing with dysfunctional systems and inadequate solutions. Murders and mayhem, robberies and riots, falsehoods and furies all pour through stoic news readers’ lips as high-definition video support the latest societal troubles, amassing in our thinking and dulling our spirits and suggest all is lost.
Pat and I, like many of you, are processing the "pile up" of unwanted news. A dear friend has esophageal cancer, another longtime friend recently passed away as a result of cancer, Pat’s father is battling cancer, other long time friends have two daughters receiving treatment for cancer and still another friend has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease. Grim and gloom pile up without apparent help!
Some casually suggest that we are simply experiencing what happens to everyone as we age. That observation may have more than a little bit of truth in it, but how can we cope, what counsel can we share with those in the throes of sickness and sorrow? How do we keep our equilibrium? What words of comfort will ring true and go beyond shallow assurances?
Isaiah’s prophecy excites me! The descriptions of Isaiah’s world reported in the first seven chapters of the book are as menacing as the long list of piled-up troubles already mentioned. The Deliverer had freed their fathers from Egypt’s Pharaohs, had miraculously provided shelter and food in the dessert and had given the nation lien-free ownership of a land filled with "milk and honey." That Deliverer was being treated with contempt. Injustice, immorality, and ingratitude ruled the day. If one didn’t know better, he could mistake the circumstances in Jerusalem as that of any American city.
Isaiah was assigned the burden of announcing the destruction of the nation as Israel hurled headlong in arrogance and stubborn refusal to serve God. The first pages of Isaiah are filled with tension. God is good, but people are bad in return. God is patient, but the people are smug and unresponsive to overtures of forgiveness in return for loyalty. Prophets contemporary to Isaiah, Amos, Micah and Hosea reinforce how systemic and universal were the sins of the nation.
And then, in the deepest darkness a ray of brilliant hope emerges. A promise cuts through piled up despair of a society whipped into servitude by ungodly rulers. The promise is announced by the Spirit! "Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.’" (7:13-14)
We often make the promise of Immanuel a seasonal emphasis. Immanuel, the "One with us" will appear miraculously, wondrously and powerfully. Today, He is Immanuel! He is everywhere present, residing with his people. He is the same as he always has been. He has promised to never leave us! Immanuel is the Name to remember when things are piling up, when the bad news seems to snuff out the light of all God’s good. Immanuel! God is with us at this Advent season and always!
Pat and I, like many of you, are processing the "pile up" of unwanted news. A dear friend has esophageal cancer, another longtime friend recently passed away as a result of cancer, Pat’s father is battling cancer, other long time friends have two daughters receiving treatment for cancer and still another friend has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease. Grim and gloom pile up without apparent help!
Some casually suggest that we are simply experiencing what happens to everyone as we age. That observation may have more than a little bit of truth in it, but how can we cope, what counsel can we share with those in the throes of sickness and sorrow? How do we keep our equilibrium? What words of comfort will ring true and go beyond shallow assurances?
Isaiah’s prophecy excites me! The descriptions of Isaiah’s world reported in the first seven chapters of the book are as menacing as the long list of piled-up troubles already mentioned. The Deliverer had freed their fathers from Egypt’s Pharaohs, had miraculously provided shelter and food in the dessert and had given the nation lien-free ownership of a land filled with "milk and honey." That Deliverer was being treated with contempt. Injustice, immorality, and ingratitude ruled the day. If one didn’t know better, he could mistake the circumstances in Jerusalem as that of any American city.
Isaiah was assigned the burden of announcing the destruction of the nation as Israel hurled headlong in arrogance and stubborn refusal to serve God. The first pages of Isaiah are filled with tension. God is good, but people are bad in return. God is patient, but the people are smug and unresponsive to overtures of forgiveness in return for loyalty. Prophets contemporary to Isaiah, Amos, Micah and Hosea reinforce how systemic and universal were the sins of the nation.
And then, in the deepest darkness a ray of brilliant hope emerges. A promise cuts through piled up despair of a society whipped into servitude by ungodly rulers. The promise is announced by the Spirit! "Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.’" (7:13-14)
We often make the promise of Immanuel a seasonal emphasis. Immanuel, the "One with us" will appear miraculously, wondrously and powerfully. Today, He is Immanuel! He is everywhere present, residing with his people. He is the same as he always has been. He has promised to never leave us! Immanuel is the Name to remember when things are piling up, when the bad news seems to snuff out the light of all God’s good. Immanuel! God is with us at this Advent season and always!
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