Today's verse is 1 John 4:9. "This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him."
Is this not what Christmas is about. God coming to us so that we may have life. What more could we ask for. In a world that is full of darkness, the only hope that I see is in the life of Jesus Christ and the promises of the covenant God has written on our hearts. Can you imagine any other power that is greater than God or has done anything in this world to better the world? Some may say science, technology, laws, government have done so. Yet, I would challenge you to look around and say is what we witness in the world what you imagine for your children and their children and their children's children. I don't see what the worldly powers have done to eliminate poverty, to feed the masses, to offer hope in areas of the world where hope is often absent. It is through God that the greater good can happen.
I am not suggesting that there are not religions that twist and manipulate the word of God to fit their own agendas. Rather let us in our belief of our Messiah Jesus live according to his teachings and to God's purposes. Than that revelation of love God has sent can be shared with those around us.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Love 2
Today the scripture on love comes from 1 John 4:7. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
As I reflect on this season of love and love evident, this verse strikes me about this season. I had written in our newsletter that maybe one of the greatest gifts we could give one another is forgiveness. I believe that the only way we can offer that gift is if we love one another. The love that God shows us in Jesus Christ becomes for me the love that is all encompassing. Knowing that God's love has been extended to me allows me to share that love with others. According to 1 John, that can happen only because we are born of God and know God.
This season of love what are some of the ways that you can extend love to one another. Last Wednesday we talked about having a gentle spirit. In the hustle and bustle of this season, maybe one way we can be a messenger of love is through gentleness, kindness, patience, generosity, peace and most of all filled with joy.
As I reflect on this season of love and love evident, this verse strikes me about this season. I had written in our newsletter that maybe one of the greatest gifts we could give one another is forgiveness. I believe that the only way we can offer that gift is if we love one another. The love that God shows us in Jesus Christ becomes for me the love that is all encompassing. Knowing that God's love has been extended to me allows me to share that love with others. According to 1 John, that can happen only because we are born of God and know God.
This season of love what are some of the ways that you can extend love to one another. Last Wednesday we talked about having a gentle spirit. In the hustle and bustle of this season, maybe one way we can be a messenger of love is through gentleness, kindness, patience, generosity, peace and most of all filled with joy.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Love 1
I was reading the insert that we have for our bulletins called Taking Faith Home. One of the suggestions was to read certain scriptures each day leading to Christmas Morn as a family and talk about the passage. The ending of the time was to say Our Household is a circle that is held together by God's love. Come, Lord Jesus, and fill us with your love. Amen.
The first scripture verse comes from Psalm 36:5. I am quoting from the TNIV:
"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."
Have you thought about the extant of God's love. Especially at this time of year. There is no end to it. A circle is a best way of imagining it if one can imagine a circle the contains all of the universe and beyond. There is no beginning or end to God's love. There is no place that God's love is not. Wherever we may be in our personal lives as well as places, God's love is already there and available. That is what makes this time of year so awesome. God who is present everywhere choose the particular to come to be with us. And in that birth to show us what love can look like for us. Stay tuned for the verse for tomorrow.
May God bless you and your family, friends, and church community during this time of Advent.
The first scripture verse comes from Psalm 36:5. I am quoting from the TNIV:
"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."
Have you thought about the extant of God's love. Especially at this time of year. There is no end to it. A circle is a best way of imagining it if one can imagine a circle the contains all of the universe and beyond. There is no beginning or end to God's love. There is no place that God's love is not. Wherever we may be in our personal lives as well as places, God's love is already there and available. That is what makes this time of year so awesome. God who is present everywhere choose the particular to come to be with us. And in that birth to show us what love can look like for us. Stay tuned for the verse for tomorrow.
May God bless you and your family, friends, and church community during this time of Advent.
The hectic pace of Advent
I was reading in one of my devotionals about the hectic pace of Advent as a call to confession. I found this in This Day by Stookey. I wanted to share it with you as I have felt that push to be so busy that somewhere I have lost some sense of remembering. Here is what Stookey had to say:
The pressures of scheduling, that many people feel during Advent cause us to recall the opening words of a poem by William Wordsworth:
The World is too much with us; late and soon,
getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature is ours.
As we rush from one social engagement to another, as we shop, and travel, and bake, and cook, and decorate, and send cards, and wrap gifts, the world seems far too much with us. And yet, that world is the very world God loved so much as to send Jesus into it! So in some sense the world is not with us enough, if our getting and spending distract us from it.
Ironically, even the Advent tasks of the church can distract us: the many services and the necessary preparation for them, the added social gatherings within the congregation--even these can put us further out of contact with the world God so loves. Thus Advent may compel us to confess:
O Lord, in preparing to see you more fully we have allowed ourselves to be blinded to the presence we are already capable of recognizing. Forgive us for putting, second matters first, for being distracted rather than edified. Remove from us all that competes with your way for us. Quiet us down, that we may be still and know that you are God, that in silence we may hear your Word with new clarity and keep it with new intensity. Grant this for the sake of Jesus, whom we would worship in spirit and in truth. Amen.
The pressures of scheduling, that many people feel during Advent cause us to recall the opening words of a poem by William Wordsworth:
The World is too much with us; late and soon,
getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature is ours.
As we rush from one social engagement to another, as we shop, and travel, and bake, and cook, and decorate, and send cards, and wrap gifts, the world seems far too much with us. And yet, that world is the very world God loved so much as to send Jesus into it! So in some sense the world is not with us enough, if our getting and spending distract us from it.
Ironically, even the Advent tasks of the church can distract us: the many services and the necessary preparation for them, the added social gatherings within the congregation--even these can put us further out of contact with the world God so loves. Thus Advent may compel us to confess:
O Lord, in preparing to see you more fully we have allowed ourselves to be blinded to the presence we are already capable of recognizing. Forgive us for putting, second matters first, for being distracted rather than edified. Remove from us all that competes with your way for us. Quiet us down, that we may be still and know that you are God, that in silence we may hear your Word with new clarity and keep it with new intensity. Grant this for the sake of Jesus, whom we would worship in spirit and in truth. Amen.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Twas a week before Christmas
It is hard to believe that a week from today is Christmas Eve. I am in the preparation for the services that night. At the same time, I am trying to take some time to reflect on where God is leading me. I have felt for a long time that God is leading us to re-examine what is our purpose as a church. A comment was made in a meeting that the purpose for what we do was to fill our pews. I was struck with that statement and failed to comment on that. As I have had time to reflect, our purpose is not to fill our pews but to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform our world. In fact I would even go to making committed disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform our world. I am always amazed as to how much emphasis is placed on having numbers rather than disciples making up the church. I believe that if a person is given the opportunity to become a committed disciple of Christ the pews will fill themselves. It is almost having the cart in front of the horse.
Maybe that is why Jesus did not start with building a new church or synagogue but rather started with teaching and living the good news with his followers. His emphasis, especially found in the transfiguration, was not to build tabernacles, temples, or even tents. His commission to us was to make disciples throughout the world, teaching them what he has taught us, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For three hundred years there were no churches. People met in their homes or in the catacombs. When we who are called to be disciples begin to reach out to others in word and deed, we become what God has ordained.
This Christmas may be a time of reflecting on the stories found in the Gospels about Jesus, not only his birth, but what that may mean for you and I. Take some time this Christmas to spend with family and friends and share the good news of Christ. That will do more to fill the pews than anything else.
Maybe that is why Jesus did not start with building a new church or synagogue but rather started with teaching and living the good news with his followers. His emphasis, especially found in the transfiguration, was not to build tabernacles, temples, or even tents. His commission to us was to make disciples throughout the world, teaching them what he has taught us, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For three hundred years there were no churches. People met in their homes or in the catacombs. When we who are called to be disciples begin to reach out to others in word and deed, we become what God has ordained.
This Christmas may be a time of reflecting on the stories found in the Gospels about Jesus, not only his birth, but what that may mean for you and I. Take some time this Christmas to spend with family and friends and share the good news of Christ. That will do more to fill the pews than anything else.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Advent article for the church newsletter
I wanted to put the entire article that I had written for our church newsletter. I made copies for the congregation but in the mailing half of what I had written was left off. Actually the first half was repeated twice. So here is the article and the rest of the story.
From the Pastor’s desk December
Everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by Christmas decorations and displays. As we anticipate this holiday season, I would ask what is it that would make the perfect gift for you and your family. We spend a lot of time looking for just the right gift to give to others whether spouses, significant others, children, co-workers and friends. We look to make that gift be special and meaningful. Sometimes we will spend a great deal of time just to find that special gift.
Here at the church we have many opportunities to give to those in our community as well as to children throughout the world to make this holiday season be a special Christmas. We finished our Operation Christmas Child and collected 32 packages to send overseas to children throughout the world. We are collecting new toys and other gifts for the Tri-Community United Methodist Church so that those in our community can share in the choosing of gifts that are so special for children and for children to share with their parents. We are collecting Stocking stuffers of socks, underwear, toiletries for the Open Door Mission and for Together, Inc. We have our mitten and hat tree for children here in Sarpy County. We have many opportunities to share our blessings for so many. This is especially of concern today as the economical worries surround us. Those who are most effected by the recession are those who are the hourly laborers. Omaha has been spared so far from the extreme effects of the economy but many will still have problems getting gifts for their special some ones.
This is also a time of anticipation for us. Throughout Advent, we will be looking at the times and concerns of the early church and the times of Jesus’ birth. They too were difficult times with many worries. What amazes me is that it was in such times that God chose to come to us. That God gave us the greatest gift that any of us could ever have and that was His Son. God gave us the gift of forgiveness. Jesus was born and lived so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice of love, the ultimate act of forgiveness. What a special gift that we have been given. In the midst of our shopping for that special gift for our special some one, I would like to encourage everyone to spend some time reflecting on what it means for us to receive such a gift. Maybe the perfect gift might be to seek out someone and to share forgiveness with them. To no longer hold onto past hurts but to share the love Jesus commanded us to show to one another. We discussed in our bible study the idea would we want to have God act towards us the way we sometimes act towards others.
Advent is the beginning of the church year. So maybe our Christmas resolution would be to give the gift of forgiveness to someone now.
May this Christmas be a joyous occasion. May you find the peace of God’s grace be with you. For in Jesus is that perfect gift for us all, we need no other.
Pastor Eldon
I hope that the message is one that we can all relate. We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Spend some time thinking about that special person that you need to ask for forgiveness and extend the opportunity for reconciliation. That is what God has done in Christmas to us.
From the Pastor’s desk December
Everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by Christmas decorations and displays. As we anticipate this holiday season, I would ask what is it that would make the perfect gift for you and your family. We spend a lot of time looking for just the right gift to give to others whether spouses, significant others, children, co-workers and friends. We look to make that gift be special and meaningful. Sometimes we will spend a great deal of time just to find that special gift.
Here at the church we have many opportunities to give to those in our community as well as to children throughout the world to make this holiday season be a special Christmas. We finished our Operation Christmas Child and collected 32 packages to send overseas to children throughout the world. We are collecting new toys and other gifts for the Tri-Community United Methodist Church so that those in our community can share in the choosing of gifts that are so special for children and for children to share with their parents. We are collecting Stocking stuffers of socks, underwear, toiletries for the Open Door Mission and for Together, Inc. We have our mitten and hat tree for children here in Sarpy County. We have many opportunities to share our blessings for so many. This is especially of concern today as the economical worries surround us. Those who are most effected by the recession are those who are the hourly laborers. Omaha has been spared so far from the extreme effects of the economy but many will still have problems getting gifts for their special some ones.
This is also a time of anticipation for us. Throughout Advent, we will be looking at the times and concerns of the early church and the times of Jesus’ birth. They too were difficult times with many worries. What amazes me is that it was in such times that God chose to come to us. That God gave us the greatest gift that any of us could ever have and that was His Son. God gave us the gift of forgiveness. Jesus was born and lived so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice of love, the ultimate act of forgiveness. What a special gift that we have been given. In the midst of our shopping for that special gift for our special some one, I would like to encourage everyone to spend some time reflecting on what it means for us to receive such a gift. Maybe the perfect gift might be to seek out someone and to share forgiveness with them. To no longer hold onto past hurts but to share the love Jesus commanded us to show to one another. We discussed in our bible study the idea would we want to have God act towards us the way we sometimes act towards others.
Advent is the beginning of the church year. So maybe our Christmas resolution would be to give the gift of forgiveness to someone now.
May this Christmas be a joyous occasion. May you find the peace of God’s grace be with you. For in Jesus is that perfect gift for us all, we need no other.
Pastor Eldon
I hope that the message is one that we can all relate. We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Spend some time thinking about that special person that you need to ask for forgiveness and extend the opportunity for reconciliation. That is what God has done in Christmas to us.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Monday morning musings
I am writing this following our children's service. What was wonderful about the service is that the program was the re-telling of the birth story of Jesus from Matthew and Luke. I have had many people comment so often about the Christmas season being one of shopping, feasting, family, and often not one of remembering what the holiday is supposed to be about. Christmas was been preempted by our secular society. What is interesting is that this is not new. I am reading a book on the Battle over Christmas. The author traces the concerns about Christmas throughout history especially looking at 1600's in England and the United States.
The early church did not celebrate the birth of Christ for many centuries. It was only after concerns about pagan celebrations that Christmas began to be celebrated. December was chosen even though from what we can determine in Scripture the actual birth of Jesus probably occurred in the spring nearer to Passover. December was chosen as there was a major Roman festival, Saturnus, around the winter solstice. The festival was one of excessive drinking, immorality. It was also a time when the poor of the people were not expected to work and that the well-to-do were to offer charity to the poor.
The early church struggled with the immorality of the season and came up with the idea of celebrating the birth of Christ at the same time. As one can see, there are similarities in the way we celebrate now as well as then, with the festival. Over the years that tradition continued. In England and the States this continued to be a time of excessive drinking and other vices. In fact the Puritans banned celebration of Christmas in the Northeastern states for over 60 years. Their concern was that Christmas was not scriptually based and led to nothing but problems.
The other major insight about Christmas as we celebrate this holiday in the US is Santa Claus. The idea of Santa probably did not come from the Dutch Saint Nicholas. Our image of Santa was the marketing idea of Macy's in the late 1800's.
Today we have been so inundated with secular and pagan imagery combined with Christian symbols it is difficult to tell where one begins and one ends. To have a festival to celebrate the beginning of the light returning to our hemisphere and for the harvest, is by itself not wrong. To insist that this has to do with the birth of Christ in the way we celebrate, is cause for reflection on all of our parts. Sharing with those who are less fortunate should not be a one time of year process but occur daily. That is why it was so important for us to remember the stories that supposed to shape us. It is not a matter of either or but of and both.
The early church did not celebrate the birth of Christ for many centuries. It was only after concerns about pagan celebrations that Christmas began to be celebrated. December was chosen even though from what we can determine in Scripture the actual birth of Jesus probably occurred in the spring nearer to Passover. December was chosen as there was a major Roman festival, Saturnus, around the winter solstice. The festival was one of excessive drinking, immorality. It was also a time when the poor of the people were not expected to work and that the well-to-do were to offer charity to the poor.
The early church struggled with the immorality of the season and came up with the idea of celebrating the birth of Christ at the same time. As one can see, there are similarities in the way we celebrate now as well as then, with the festival. Over the years that tradition continued. In England and the States this continued to be a time of excessive drinking and other vices. In fact the Puritans banned celebration of Christmas in the Northeastern states for over 60 years. Their concern was that Christmas was not scriptually based and led to nothing but problems.
The other major insight about Christmas as we celebrate this holiday in the US is Santa Claus. The idea of Santa probably did not come from the Dutch Saint Nicholas. Our image of Santa was the marketing idea of Macy's in the late 1800's.
Today we have been so inundated with secular and pagan imagery combined with Christian symbols it is difficult to tell where one begins and one ends. To have a festival to celebrate the beginning of the light returning to our hemisphere and for the harvest, is by itself not wrong. To insist that this has to do with the birth of Christ in the way we celebrate, is cause for reflection on all of our parts. Sharing with those who are less fortunate should not be a one time of year process but occur daily. That is why it was so important for us to remember the stories that supposed to shape us. It is not a matter of either or but of and both.
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