MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Now, everything is different, right?! For the church at Colossae believing in Jesus Christ was universally reorienting. The invisible had been made visible. Thrones, rulers and dominions were as sands in an hour glass; the only realm worthy of recognition is the realm of God. On this day where we remember the day of Jesus’ birth, we remember that he is the first born among the dead; the sting of death is no more and Life is in its abundance. So, once again, I say, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! This is the day when you can reassess your relationships, your identity and your entire life in light of the gift of Christ. You are forgiven! You are loved! You are free! Take a moment today to give thanks to God for claiming and calling you all over again; Christ is born to you and in you today! MERRY CHRISTMAS, you’ve received the best gift of all.

Undignified Holiness

Isaiah 61.1-4

I recently read a Facebook post by Jim Wallis (a favorite theologian and author of mine), where he stated a number of ways Pope Francis reminds him of Christ...

“Pope Francis reminds me of Jesus, calling us again to a deeper relationship with Christ. When he invites homeless men to have breakfast with him on his 77th birthday, or provides a chair and food for the Swiss Guard outside his room, he reminds us of Christ. When he kisses the feet of Muslim prisoners, or offers to baptize the baby of a woman who was pressured to abort it, he reminds us of Christ. When he asks, ‘If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?’ he reminds us of Christ. When he chooses a simple place to live and simple clothes to wear and when we hear rumors of his going out at night in disguise to minister to the homeless, he reminds us of Christ.”

Throughout this Advent season, I hope you also have had encounters like these. You don’t have to be the Pope to invite a homeless person into your life; you don’t have to be the Pope to visit prisoners; you don’t have to be the Pope to share a moment of grace with someone who is struggling through a difficult circumstance; you don’t have to be the Pope to comfort those who mourn; you don’t have to be the Pope to choose and model a life of simplicity; and you don’t have to be the Pope to love all God’s children with the radical love, grace, and humility of Christ - which Pope Francis emulates each time he does one of these seemingly “undignified” things.

It is refreshing to see a world renowned religious leader lay down his crown - his worldly power and authority - to reach out and hug a man with leprosy or welcome a hug from a child while he’s addressing a crowd. But isn’t he just doing what all Christ-followers should do? Isn’t he simply following the lead of a God who loved the world unconditionally; who was willing to become humble and take on human form; who didn’t mind getting the holy hands dirty in the stench of a stable; who didn’t think twice about entering the world through a woman’s womb; who dined with sinners; who welcomed children; who allowed a prostitute to wash the holy feet with her tears?

As we celebrate this most holy night, I pray we will look for ways to embody the Incarnate Gift of God’s Love in our own lives. I pray we will follow the lead of our children who have helped the Grinch’s heart grow to an immeasurable size with their FirstActs of Kindness. I pray we will not only give from our pocketbooks, but also give of our time, talents, and passion. I pray we will look beyond the walls of our church, our work places, our homes, and our hearts - and extend the grace of God to anyone we meet.

In so doing, we will not only welcome and receive the Christ Child, we will also give birth to the kind of Christmas miracle God dreams for the world:

The miracle of a world where the oppressed receive good news; the broken-hearted are healed; the captives are set free; those who mourn are comforted; songs of gladness and praise are lifted high; and the devastation of many generations is repaired, renewed, restored, and reconciled with the God who created and loves us all.

Praise be to God! The time is near. The Prince of Peace enters our hearts and our world anew. It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth. Hallelujah and Amen!

Rev. Becky Walker, Minister of Adult Formation

Harvest Time in the City

Matthew 9:35-38

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

“I feel like I’m here to learn something special,” a homeless friend I met on the street explained to me earlier this week. 

“It’s like I’m in a field, a wide field and the ‘harvest’ spreads out before me, but there’s no one to help with the gathering!” he continued. 

The conversation reminded me of the longing, prayerful words of Jesus in this text. 

People need relief. 

People need grounding. 

People need connection and community.

People need hope, direction, joy, peace and love. 

Through St. Matthew, we learn that Jesus’ strategy involved at least three practical dimensions.

First, his mission led him out to the crowds.  His ministry was the ultimate in itinerancy!  He moved from town to town and from gathering place to gathering place to bring a message shaped by the good news that the kingdom had arrived.  There was no waiting for folk to come his way!  Through Advent we’ve waited for the great arrival.  Here we see what the arrival meant for all humanity!  God moves aggressively toward God’s world, and God invites us to join the journey outward.

Second, Jesus delivered what people needed.  His arrival brought healing of all sorts of human maladies.  Jesus didn’t come just to talk!  Jesus came to engage, to change life and circumstance.  By tackling the deepest pains of those he met, Jesus defined and displayed the authentic nature and the clear intent of God’s amazing kingdom in the here and now.

Third, Jesus recognized the pitiful plight of the people he came to liberate.  The people Jesus addressed and healed were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  The backstory of the oppression of the people he came to touch moved him deeply—his compassion could not be constrained.  Jesus lived and worked as the strong shepherd who would upset and remove the forces of oppression and tyranny that captured those he loved so deeply. 

Advent and the incarnation call us to move out beyond the safety of church and clan where we discover people in need of grace.  The life of Jesus we celebrate today compels us to take action to provide what people really need.  The amazing child of Christmas presses on our hearts to work alongside the oppressed for liberation in a world of injustice and darkness. 

Like my homeless friend, Jesus recognized a labor shortage in the company of the kingdom.  The call of Christmas is to join the revolutionary movement created by this amazing child.

Rev. Larry James, President and Chief Executive Officer of CitySquare

Sympathy for Our Weakness

Hebrews 4.14-16

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The dictionary defines a priest as “a mediatory agent between humans and God.” To be a mediator is to negotiate between two parties who have a disagreement. Throughout history priests have represented the gods’ displeasure with human beings. Since many of the gods were incarnate in Pharaohs and Caesars, priests served to tell the people what to do if they wanted to receive the bounties (including a possible afterlife) from these “gods.” Hebrew religious figures were a little different. Do you remember Moses begging God to forgive the people who had worshipped the golden calf? How about Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom if there are just ten righteous people in the city? Or what about the time when God is more generous than his messenger Jonah, and spares the people of Nineveh?

The relationship of this Hebrew God with his people and his mediators is a lot different than those of the gods incarnate in the Pharaohs and Caesars that the world was used to. This God cares for people even people who have no power, even people who sin, even for people who have not mediator to truly represent them. “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” – Psalm 145:9

But we still don’t get it. We think God ought to favor our family, or our country, or our values, or our religion. And we think God is all about isolating and punishing the people who don’t measure up. And so, we will only help those who are “truly deserving.” And just like the people of old we are fascinated by wealth and fame and power. We respect empire. We want a god like Pharaoh or Caesar who is awesome and bigger than those other peoples’ gods.

So God, to get his point across, has to become incarnate for real this time – not in a mighty warrior, or a great judge, or a superman with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. God comes to us in Jesus, a helpless infant, born of parents so poor they must find shelter for him in a stable, in an occupied country which has little chance of throwing off the oppressor’s yoke. Here is one who can understand our weakness. He has been there. And he has drawn upon the God within him for such strength that he can empower our poverty, heal our weakness, and even forgive us as we crucify him. Here is the perfect priest, tested as we are, yet responding to life and to us only with compassion, nurture and healing, for he represents a God whose steadfast love endures forever, a God from whom we will always receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Prayer: God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, thank you for showering us with mercy and grace. Thank you for showing us that you are for us and with us even in our weakness. Fill us with your strength, that your steadfast love might surround us and flow through us. Make us agents of your mercy and grace that we might help those around us in their time of need as you have helped us in ours. We pray this in the name of the one who lived to demonstrate your way of peace on earth, good will to all, Jesus, our priest and our king, forever. Amen.

Rev. Tom Downing, Minister to Senior Adults

Cravings

John 6:35-40

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

What is your favorite food?  For me, I absolutely love tacos.  Simple, sure, but I am almost always ready to eat a taco(s) for lunch, dinner, a late night snack… Okay I think you get it.  Now think of the most delicious meal you have ever had.  Imagine if we craved a relationship with Jesus Christ that much, or even more. 

In these verses Jesus does a few things.  He says that He is the bread of life.  Food is very much necessary for our own survival.  We need it every day.  But only Jesus can provide us with the spiritual sustenance necessary to truly live.  This bread is not something that we should eat only on Sundays.  It is not something that we should overly indulge on only on Easter, Christmas, or during the Advent season.  We need Jesus in our lives every day.  He should be our breakfast, lunch, and dinner, our appetizer, main course, and dessert.  If we center our lives around Him in such a way, Jesus tells us that He will not only sustain us, He will never drive us away.  This kind of love is barely comprehensible in its scope and beauty, yet Jesus came to all of us over 2,000 years ago to show us just how much we mean to God.  He has been preparing this feast for eternity and all we have to do is accept, take, and eat.  So this Advent season, and every season of your life, make room for Jesus Christ in your heart, mind, and soul as His love sustains, fills, and lasts forever.

Jon Reed, Director of UrbanLife

God’s Kingdom Breaks In

Isaiah 64:1-4

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!  When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.


One of my favorite fictional characters is Father Tim, the priest of Lord’s Chapel, in Jan Karon’s series of books about the small town of Mitford.  As I have read and reread the Mitford books, Father Tim has become for me a role model of how God calls us to be in the world.  He is a person who consistently recognizes God’s kingdom breaking in all around him, who acknowledges It when he sees It, and acts to further It when he can.  His daily conversations are sprinkled with phrases like, “Thanks be to God,” “Hallelujah,” and “He restoreth my soul.”

The author of today’s verses from Isaiah ups the ante and focuses on the Kingdom breaking in on a grand scale. In his description, mountains quake and brushwood kindles. Could there be a grander description of God’s power to break into our human world?  Could there be a promise more powerful, as we wait, than that we can anticipate with certainty God’s presence here with us? 

Although God’s power and promise are enormous, he works through us on a human scale.  During this Advent season we focus on a quiet event, the birth of a baby, to a young woman who recognized her chance to play a role in God’s Kingdom breaking in.  A quiet event at which any of us might have said “Thanks be to God” if, in the midst of our humanness, we were focusing on God and his Kingdom, and which, over time, would have the metaphorical power of mountains quaking and brushwood igniting.

And so, this Advent season, look around you for God’s Kingdom trying to break in, whether in ways big or small.  Acknowledge It and try to further It if you can.  Mary did.  The Wise Men did.  The fictional Father Tim does.  And, like them, we can too.

Diane Bricker, Chair, FUMC Adult Education Council

Through the Eyes of a Child

Mark 10.13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Every December, I think about Pre-Kindergarten. You see, that’s when I got to re-enact history with my classmates in the highly anticipated Pre-K Christmas Pageant. We all knew the story because we had heard it from our parents, watched it on “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” talked about it in Sunday school, and the teachers at my Episcopal school had read us the book.  I remember being assigned the role of an angel. There were lots of angels. There were shepherds, sheep, a cow, a donkey, and a mouse. The three wise men, and the most important roles, Mary, and Joseph, were chosen by the music teacher. Baby Jesus was a doll from our classroom. We rehearsed the songs about “Yonder Star” and Mary and Joseph going door to door and finally finding a stable and a manger.

The day of the Pageant, we lined up at the back of the chapel with our halos and wings on, excited to tell the great news. We couldn’t wait to proudly march down the aisle. We never doubted the story. We believed because those we trusted told us it was true. We were there that day to faithfully retell the story just as the class before had done. Jesus said that we should believe in him with the kind of childlike faith the children in the passage above felt.

This Advent season, don’t think like an adult. Don’t rush around too much worrying about all that shopping and spending. Remember the wonder and awe of your pageant. Or the way you believed in Santa Claus.  Summon your childlike faith and celebrate!

Adelaide Graham, Variations & YAC member

Following Wholeheartedly

Colossians 3.20-24

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

A word from another time and a word from another place, but still has relevance today. These were specific instructions for these Pauline followers for children, fathers and slaves. The references for these are purposeful: to transform the powerful and the powerless to their rightful place in the hierarchy of the kingdom of God. (Purposeful language used here for kingdom; for the context, a ‘kingdom’ or ‘realm’ would be relevant for the earliest of Christians.)

Now, replace the words “children, fathers, and slaves” for “servants” for our context. What does it look like for servants of Christ today? What positions and roles have to be righted in our lives in order for us to follow Christ more faithfully? Maybe we can reframe our titles as ‘Christian’ or ‘United Methodist’ or ‘leader’ or ‘minister’ and embrace our role as Follower of Jesus Christ. Following means waiting, listening, watching, responding to God’s call on our lives. So, put yourselves to the task of followership! When we finally understand this, our reward, our inheritance, will be evident and it will be abundant!

Homeless but Assured

Psalm 121.1-8

I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night.

During the fall semester 2012, I enrolled in a class, Ministry to the Poor. This class required a final project paper on a subject relative to poverty.  I chose to write about the homeless.  Since I had never been homeless I decided to become homeless by sleeping in a shelter.

I checked into a local homeless shelter in Dallas on a cold Friday night in November dressed in the image of homeless people I had encountered on city streets. After a two hour assessment/ enrollment process I was given permission to sleep in the shelter for the night. The people there did not dress like the people I had encountered on the streets. I was improperly dressed.

My time was spent pretending to be asleep while eavesdropping on conversations and counting down to the time I would text my sister to come pick me up Saturday morning.  Through these conversations, I discovered that many of the women were employed or looking for work. They shared their varied unfiltered stories with one another while mentioning God with a sense of assurance.  I sensed thankful hearts in the midst of unwelcomed temporary circumstances.

Emotionally, I wanted to check out and could not sleep. I listened with annoyance to the rhythmic, round rotation of snoring by at least five different voices.  None of the other women complained nor ask them to “shut up” as I had expected.

While I have not physically returned to the shelter, lessons learned on that cold November night are indelibly etched in my mind.  I learned that these women can sleep in the midst of homelessness and snoring voices because the God who keeps and cares for them does not sleep; these women demonstrated what it means to be kept by God.   Neither homelessness nor any peril can separate us from God’s loving care. Trusting God means we find joy and hope in the midst of the situation with an undying faith in God’s promises.

Prayer Focus:
Most Holy God help us to enjoy the assurance of your care and love in the midst of change and  unwelcomed circumstances; and help us  to enjoy the promised expected gift of love, hope and protection that is wrapped in the message of this Advent Season. 

Evelyn Kelly, Ministry Intern

Preparing a Place

John 14:1-6

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Christmas lights didn’t look quite right, so back to the store I went.  Yet another errand I made to ensure the holiday decorations were just right for the Christmas season.  Add putting up the Christmas tree, setting the table, hanging the stockings, and it quickly became a multi-day affair just to decorate my home for the holidays.

For my husband and me, this has been a year defined by establishing our home.  We moved three times in nine months, and just in time for the holidays, we are finally into our new home.  It has taken an enormous amount of time, energy, and resources to prepare our house.  But at last, it feels so wonderful to be settled in.

Jesus does even more for each of us!  What a blessing!  The energy we all put into our homes, whether it be decorating for the holidays or moving into a new place, does not even compare to what Christ is doing for each and every one of us.  What a glorious sight!  Our God is preparing a place for us right now.  I envision Jesus building a fire, hanging the stockings, and fretting over the Christmas lights.  He cares this much for his people – we are blessed indeed!

It’s my prayer this Advent season that as I continue to prepare my home for the holidays, I also make room for Jesus in my home and in my heart.  With each present I wrap and every dish I cook, I hope and pray to be blessed by God’s presence and be a blessing to others during this holy season.

Amy Sanderson, UrbanLife member

Make a Straight Path

Isaiah 40.3-5

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
   make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
   and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
   and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
   and all people shall see it together,
   for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

I love the boldness, authenticity, commitment, and conviction of the prophets.  To the very best of their ability, they interpreted life within the context of their faith (first) and the cultural milieu.  I firmly believe in their heart of hearts, they truly believed they were speaking for God; many times they (like us) were right on the money and other times….

To better understand today’s blog passage, we need the first two verses (40:1, 2) for context: “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service is ended, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  Credible biblical scholars estimate that chapters 40 thru 45 were written between 556-539 BCE.  At this time the Jewish people are still under Babylonian rule, but the Persian King,

Cyrus II, appears to be one who could topple the Babylonian empire—and eventually he does.

So, once again, there is hope, that God will deliver the Jews from exile, will send a savior, this time in the person of Cyrus.  In fact Isaiah 45:1 refers to Cyrus as the messiah or the anointed one.  Verse 13 says, “I have aroused Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his paths straight; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward, says the Lord of hosts.”  After being under Babylonian rule for so long, understandably, the writer of Isaiah and the Jewish people were ready for life to be easier; they especially wanted the way of their messiah, their savoir (this time) to be easy, achievable.  Now fast forward ….

Like Matthew and Mark, Luke (3:4) refers to part of our blog passage when speaking of John the Baptist, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”  John the Baptist paid the ultimate price to make a straight path for Jesus Christ, for God’s glory—God’s love.

Well, if the path of the savior is to be straight, more direct, easier, because mountains and hills will be made low, valleys raised, and rough ground leveled, then we have much hard work to do.  We may hope God will do the heavy lifting or the savior-of-the-day will do it; but it is us, the church, the body of Christ, that will make the path straight for the glory of God to be revealed—and we won’t get this work done in malls (Remember, Christmas Is Not Your [Our/My] Birthday).

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Righteous New Year! 
Rev. Jay Cole, Minister of CCS

P.U.S.H.

(Pray Until Something Happens)

James 5:15-18

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

I will never forget in the wee hours one morning many, many years ago when I was awakened by a very strong urge to pray.  Not just any prayer but to pray for my PaPa (my grandfather). 

I was in high school and my PaPa and I were extremely close.  So I said a short prayer, turned over to go back to sleep, but again, I was urged to pray for PaPa.  I am now thinking “why?” for my PaPa was at his home and I was sure sound asleep which is what I wanted to do – sleep!  But I prayed again!  All of a sudden our phone rang, I heard my parents stirring around and so I got out of bed to check out the situation.  My mom stated that something was wrong with my PaPa and my dad was going over to drive him to the hospital. 

In our scripture today, we read about Elijah who prayed and prayed and his prayer was answered.  We can read many other scriptures with the same results – people praying and praying and receiving an answer.  Sometimes we might not realize the answer until later but all we have to do is pray.

Prayer is our communication to a very loving God who wants to hear from us daily – no, God wants to constantly hear from us.  I am amused at times when I hear someone state that they would not pray for a situation for it was so trivial or minor.  “God has more important prayers to hear and answer.” 

Our scripture today states it very complete and very simple – “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed...”

During this Advent season, no matter how big, how small, please take the time to pray.  Pray for others, pray for your church, and pray for yourself.  God is waiting to hear from you. 

And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.  I John 5:14-15

As for the conclusion of my story at the beginning, my PaPa had a heart attack but he survived and was able to live for several more years and on another time I will tell you about his death. 

Nancy Woolbright, Administrative Assistant to Congregational Care & Membership

Hope in the Darkness

Isaiah 9:2-7 

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 

As I sit through the ice storm which is just now hitting Dallas, I can’t help but feel surrounded by darkness in some ways. The clouds are a deep, dark grey. The roads are covered with brown, sometimes translucent, ice. I can’t hear anyone, as it seems most people are staying inside on this gloomy day.

Days like this one can get me down at times. I am a person who doesn’t always like this cold, dreary weather. I am more accustomed to heat, sunshine, and the occasional laughter of families and friends in the park. This current weather has me sitting in a darkness, just waiting for the sun to come out, the ice on the roads to melt, and the people of Dallas to come back out of their hiding. Thankfully my power hasn’t gone out, but I pray for the safety and comfort for those who have lost theirs.

In this season I pray and call for all of us to remember the best Christmas gift we have received. I feel I am always able to “hold out” during the gloom of an ice storm in my life because I know that there is an inner light within me always, guiding me towards the better times ahead.

I can’t but imagine all the people who experience darkness in their lives too often. Those who are sitting in gloom, feeling helpless, alone, powerless. Perhaps they are waiting for a “light” to come on as well. Maybe they’re given up hope.

But there is hope.

And if they do not know the hope and love of Christ which is present with them this advent season, let us serve as a constant reminder of his work in our lives. Let us proclaim and celebrate the anniversary of his birth! The one who is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace. The one we call the messiah is born! And with Christ on our side, the darkness will never win!  

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. – John 1:5

Scott Anderson, Pastoral Resident

Just the Beginning…

Romans 5:6-11

Six weeks before I joined the staff here at FirstChurch I gave birth to my second son.  For 40 VERY long weeks I anticipated his arrival and all that would come with it. Would his big brother squish him? Could I even handle two boys? How on earth could I add another human being to my household and still get the laundry done? It was 40 weeks of patience, anticipation, waiting and prayer. Finally the day came and Case entered our world. I was reminded of how short 40 weeks really was and we began our life as a family of four. My questions changed: Who will these boys grow up to be? What will they contribute to the world? I have realized that being a parent means being comfortable with the questions.

As we experience this Advent season together I reflect on Mary and the questions she faced. Who was this baby she was carrying? What would it mean for his life to be the son of God? In anticipation of the celebration of the birth of her baby boy how could she truly know what his mark on this world would be? This time of reflection for us comes with the comfort of knowing the end. Our bible verses today remind us of the magnitude of what this one baby would bring to each of our stories for millions of years to come.

“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

You see, in the celebration of the birth of Jesus we find comfort in the grace that God has given us. With the birth of this small baby comes the promise that in his death we will find forgiveness. Whether we are looking for forgiveness for our cranky moods, finding joy in the laughter of the season, searching for a love that we’ve forgotten, celebrating with family or struggling to make it through today, we can find love in the celebration of Christ’s birth, for in his death we found new life. We can take a moment to see the beauty in the gift that was given and share that gift with someone we love. 

That is the challenge I have given myself today and hope that you will consider for yourself. No matter where we are in our own journeys, let’s take the time today to encourage someone else in theirs. In the birth of a small baby, in the birth of Jesus, we find the promise of so much more. What will we contribute to the world? What will our birth mean? Who will we grow up to be? The answers to the questions are open and we write our own answers at any age. Today, we can help to give so much more to those around us. What a perfect gift to give in this season; the gift of encouragement.  Tell someone the good news today. Share this blog, pray with a friend, send a note… and remember the true magnitude of the birthday we soon celebrate.

Jennifer Tolin, Director of Connectional Ministries

Anticipate Goodness!

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

On Thursday, December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years because he opposed apartheid and the oppressive racist policies of the government of South Africa. In 1990, President Willem de Klerk announced the release of Mandela who rose from prison declaring the struggle would continue until the black majority received the right to vote to become President of South Africa in 1991. Mandela rose from prison with a determination to fight for freedom without repaying evil for evil but to unite all people of South Africa. His vision for peace, democracy and freedom for all was one embraced by not only South Africa but the entire world.

Two  quotes of President Mandela resonate this Advent season:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.”

This Advent season may we choose love, goodness, and seek to encourage one another always.

Prayer Focus:

May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant us the will to live in harmony with one another so that together, with one voice, we may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and live our lives in ways that reflect our love. Amen

Evelyn Kelly, Ministry Intern

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This final admonition of the apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonika is instruction on how to take care of one another. The church was under significant scrutiny and in hiding, so taking care of one another, sisters and brothers in Christ, is of the utmost importance. The call of Christ is a precious gift. To affirm another disciple is to recognize Christ within them. In order to work in the same community, each member must learn to trust, encourage and support the other. Certainly, persons of the same church community would see their fellow disciples in their everyday tasks; knowing the complementary ways the disciples work together strengthened the ‘body’ of Christ. You can sense the movement of Paul’s theology here toward his metaphorical discourse on the body of Christ which we now find in Paul’s letters to the Corinthian and Roman churches (found in chapters 12 in each book). Paul knew that staying together would not only mean incredible support but also survival.

So what importance does this have for us today? I cannot imagine going through life without the church. Can you?! There is something about the level of care that is life-giving. It reminds me of the theme song to the television show, “Cheers,” from the 1980s:

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.”

Okay, I know that Cheers was a bar, but you get my point: to support and care for one another, as if it was our own joys, pains, comforts, or sorrows is the whole point of Paul’s admonition that is still relevant to today’s church. I do wanna be where everybody knows my name!

Dr. Andy Stoker, Senior Minister

My Rock and Refuge

 2 Samuel 22.2-7

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
    from violent people you save me.
“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves of death swirled about me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
“In my distress I called to the LORD;
    I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came to his ears.

The holidays are notoriously stressful. Yes, tis the season to be jolly, but once the Christmas music starts playing, everything and everyone seems a little more on edge. With school and work in high gear before the end of the year, in addition to the added responsibilities of carrying out Yuletide traditions, we get distracted. Who wouldn’t? This passage serves as both a source of solace in times of stress and a reminder to remember why the Christmas season exists—not to panic through parties and wish lists and last minute obligations, but to celebrate the personification of God’s love with those dear to us.

Grace Gilker, Higher Ground & Variations member

Fire!

James 3.2-12

For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Foot and mouth disease, stress exhaust, ready fire aim! All of us have either had, or known someone with these biblical afflictions. (insert nervous laugh here). Who knew James would have something to say about it way back in the 60's... late 60 - 70 AD!

We've all been entertained or offended by the trite sayings written on billboards or church marquees, but in my neighborhood there is a marquee in the most unexpected place that almost always makes me think. It is above the front door of the automotive center that has become my home away from home over the years. The place where I have received more than one lecture about regular oil changes and checking tire pressure with the change of seasons. The guys who work there look out for my safety, and I have come to consider them part of my extended family. Today the marquee reads "You don't have to explain what you don't say." Can I get an Amen on that?! The one before that said, "the tongue doesn't weigh much but very few can hold it."  Are they trying to tell us something?
James 3:5-6 "How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! and the tongue is a fire..."
Fire, yes. Am I the only one who has ever reflected upon a fast exchange of words and felt a burning sense of regret? That lingering post-edit from our internal arm-chair quarter back, that tries and tries again to create a better outcome to retract guilt, shame or hurt... create a better past?  

In my morning devotionals, I've been reading Mark, and last Tuesday's was Mark 7. In verses 14 and 15 Jesus says, "Listen to me, all of you and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."  Now Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were more concerned about cleanliness codes than about the will and commandments of God.  In my mind's eye, I can picture the law abiding, over worked, stressed out, control-freak Pharisees who just have the best interest of the temple at heart. After all, who will uphold the rules and standards if they don't... among the still black and white images, I think I see someone who looks a little like me... Naaah, surely not...

Matthew 18: 21 - 22 Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times."

God grant me an open heart, a heart free from of the burning fires of guilt, imperfection, hurt and fear. A heart that is open to receive and give forgiveness and love; and may your praise be continually in my mouth. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Dana Effler, Director of Music and Arts

Let It Be

Luke 1.28-38

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

In Christmas is Not Your Birthday, Mike Slaughter writes, "Every miracle of God is conceived in the heart of a believer, grows in conviction and clarity, and then is delivered through a committed action... In other words, you must have a clear picture in your mind of what God wants to accomplish  through you before the miracle can become a physical reality. God plants the seeds of miracles in the hearts of available people who are willing to act on God’s vision."  

As people of faith, we believe God is still active in the world, that God interrupts people’s lives, transforms them, and uses them to bring God’s hope and health to the world.  In the biblical text, Mary's life is transformed from peasant to prophet, from humble youth to the mother of God, from doubt to discipleship. Mary’s story also can move us from who we think we are to what God has called us to be. 

As members of FirstChurch, we’ve recently been challenged to think “Beyond Possible.” Like Mary, we may doubt and question the call.  How can that be, since we are just ordinary people?  But God is asking us to imagine a miracle through us. We are being called to be transformed during this advent season to bring hope and help to others.  We, like Mary, are bearers of God’s love for the world.  Are we willing to respond to that vision?  Are we bold enough, like Mary, to respond: “I am the Lord’s servant.  Let it be with me just as you have said.” (Luke 1:38)

Lord God, open our hearts this Christmas to the miracle you plant in our hearts and minds, and give us the faith to respond.  Amen.

Rev. Linda Roby, Minister of Congregational Care, Local & Global Missions

A Good Life

Matthew 11.25-30

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I like that we come off the Thanksgiving season and move directly into Advent. Moving our hearts and minds with a spirit of thanksgiving into anticipation of the coming of Christ just seems right and good. The scripture lesson for today emphasizes that Christ is the way to rest and a good life.

What does it mean to rest and have a good life I wonder?  I am a doer by nature. I like to make things happen, strive to make things better, bring people joy and a feeling of being loved and cared for. That does not translate into taking a nap or lying around "resting". A good life means to have enough to eat, a roof over our head with loved ones near.  The good life takes work, intentional work on my part. And yet as I move through the middle years of my life I realize that there is a balance in striving and letting go. It is in Christ and through resting in Him that I find the good life.  A life of purpose, love, joy and hope. A life focused on Christ is not a life of ease, but it is a life of light. This season of Advent I wish for all of us to renew our relationship with God through Christ with expectation of the joy and light that comes from resting in Christ Jesus.

It is with a Thankful heart that we enter into this great season of anticipation of the Christ child again!

Sherrye Bass, Executive Assistant to Dr. Stoker

Not-so-Perfect

Romans 7. 14-25

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

One of my family’s most lasting Christmas Eve traditions is the post-dinner screening of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I always feel a little guilty about finding so much pleasure in the Griswold family’s holiday pain, but seeing the movie each year helps temper my expectations of a “perfect” Christmas at home.

If Clark hadn’t fallen from his roof while stapling 25,000 twinkle lights; if Cousin Eddy hadn’t parked his rust bucket on wheels in the driveway; if Snot hadn’t lapped up all the Christmas tree’s water; if Uncle Lewis hadn’t taken a break from dinner to light a cigar; if that pesky cat hadn’t gnawed on an electrical cord…. You get the picture. If families were perfect, they wouldn’t be much fun. And if all of God’s children (that’s us) lived up to his expectations from Day 1, the adventure we all call life would lose so much of its zest.

Paul’s words give us a strangely uplifting notion to ponder this month: We are all slaves to sin, incapable of living the lives God wants us to live. But in this Advent season when we strive to better our lives in the coming year (and to finally mold our families into the iconic Norman Rockwell paintings we all strive to live in) Paul’s message liberates us.

No, we aren’t perfect. And we never will be. Our families will always be a little more Griswold than we care to admit, and no matter how hard we work to honor God’s will, we will often fall short. But there is great joy to be found in aspiring for greatness and purity. So when we gather for Christmas in a few weeks from now we can still fret over the small things. We can sweat all the details—working so very hard to make everything just right. And then as we watch my dreams of a “perfect” Christmas disappear quicker than you can say “Jelly of the Month Club” let us all strive to find comfort in Paul’s words and understand that only by first acknowledging our weaknesses can we fulfill God’s expectations for us.

(If you’ve yet to meet The Griswolds, tune in to ABC Family on Wednesday, December 11 at 8 p.m.)

Noah Bunn, FirstChurch Communications Consultant, UrbanLife member

Child of God

John 14.13-18

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.”

Do you promise? I mean really promise? Isn’t this what our heart truly desires – to be told “Yes, I will be with you for ever.”

This year, as a congregation, our church is studying Christmas is Not Your Birthday for Advent. We’re being guided through this season of expectation, of want and desire. But what are we really wanting, and what are we really waiting for? I think at the heart of most of our wants is a desire for a purpose. I know I desperately crave a purpose in this life and a chance to feel like I’m at least trying to fulfill it.

What is my purpose? It might be the same as many of yours… it came to me because I finally heard these words whispered to me from above, “My child, I will not leave you”. It’s a feeling I think I first experienced high in the Appalachian Mountains. And again at some of the lowest moments in my life. I heard it in the churches of San Jose, Costa Rica, where children sang out “On a day like today, I need God!” In the slums on Delhi, India, where bare-foot children ran about crying out for attention with smiles and laughter. I felt it along the wall in Palestine, where school children play in shadows of armed guards. In the warmth of the Fiedler Atrium, where hundreds of school aged children received their very own school uniform.

Truly, can there be a better gift than the love of God? If so, I haven’t found it yet. So give it away by the truck load! Smiles, prayers, love like never before. Shout it! Until every child on this Earth, every person around hears, “You are a child of God, you are precious and you are loved!”

A prayer for the orphaned: God, we cry out today… every day… for those who are forgotten, neglected, alone. We know that You are the Protector of the weak, the Shelter for the cold, and that in You – because of grace – we are adopted! So, train our hearts to beat as Yours, cause our eyes to see as Yours, and move our hands to act as Yours.

Kat Kaden, Media Resources Manager, Chancel Choir Member, Rotunda Board Chair

Praise The Lord!

Psalm 150

 

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

 

Is this the eleventh commandment?! Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai the ten we know about: believe in One God, don’t make idols, don’t curse, take a break for God’s sake, honor your parents, don’t do bad things and treat others as you would like to be treated (Exodus 20:1-21). Then, the eleventh commandment is “Praise The Lord!” Well, of course, what else is there to do?! It hardens back to the first commandment that God is One and One with us! When we fully understand this the only other option is for us to “Praise The Lord!” This eleventh commandment also reflects the ‘great commandment’ that King Josiah delivered in Deuteronomy. It is known as the Shema, this name is from the Hebrew for ‘listen’. “Israel, listen!” Deuteronomy 6:4 and following begins. That’s right: People of God, LISTEN! The psalmist expands this even further, “Let every living thing...” Listen! Listen because God is in our midst, beside us, walking with us, and providing for us.

After we listen, there is just one response: make noise, shake things up, stir the pot! Grab everything you’ve got from horns to strings, percussion to voice, and proclaim that God is One and one with us now and forevermore! “Praise The Lord!” Let it begin today!

Dr. Andy Stoker, Senior Minister