1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Let us love one another, because love is from God. What a beautiful piece of scripture, this first day after Christmas. What a wonderful gift from God, to keep in mind as we move into a new year with the next Christmas as far away as it gets. What a fantastic group of words to keep in mind as we head out into a world more concerned about after-Christmas sales than loving one another.

I don't know about you, but it is somewhat of a let-down to be on the other side of Christmas. Even as I have aged and December is more about what must be done than about preparing to welcome the Christ-child, I have to tell you that on Wednesday (Christmas Eve) it was all I could do to contain my anxiety and expectation for the special day to come. And now that it is December 26th what comes next?

Maybe, just maybe, remembering that we are to "love one another, because love is from God" might be the spark to a tremendous New Year of living passionately as a disciple of our servant-Lord.

Prayer:
Loving God, grant us all the wisdom to remember your gift of love in Jesus Christ. May we faithfully and stridently accept and follow the gift of your love in our lives in all that we say and do. And now that we are moving into the season after Christmas do not allow us to be too downtrodden, but to persevere in faith and living our faith among all whom you call us into relationship with. Amen.

Isaiah 9:2

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. -Isaiah 9:2

On them light has shined. A friend reminded me, just this morning, of a line from a wonderful movie; "The Spirit of Christmas lies in your heart." This piece of wisdom, from the movie "The Polar Express" echoes the prophet Isaiah's words to us this day. For no matter how blue you may be or to what degree cabin fever has set in or regardless of the holiday expectation game that may be weighing you down; on us the light of Christ has shone and that light burns brightly in our own hearts and minds and souls if we are only willing to tap into it.

So how will you let the light of Christ, the Spirit of Christmas burn brightly in your heart today? What darkness of of the Christmas blues will be banished by your looking within and letting Christ's light shine our? Where will you be led today?

Prayer:
O Light of the World shine your love brightly over us all who feel darkness and depression and dis-ease. Show us the way to live in your light and be illumined by your grace. May this day, come what may, be more about tuning into the true Spirit of Christmas, the Light of Christ in our lives. Amen.

2 Samuel 7:16

Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. -2 Samuel 7:16

Sorry for those of you who have been wanting to follow daily Advent blogs, I have allowed the bah-hum-buggery of this time of year and the unexpected accumulation of snow we've had in Twin Falls to get the better of me. And then I was reminded of this passage of scripture for the fourth Sunday of Advent and I realized how easily we get tripped up by our own failures or sense of importance.

In the above passage God is speaking to the prophet Nathan who is charged with speaking God's Word to King David. What precedes this line of scripture is David's ascendancy to the throne of Israel after war, intrigue and much difficulty. Once David was placed on the throne he realized that the ark of the covenant, the dwelling place of God's Name, still resided in a tent and this cause David much consternation. So Nathan responded, prematurely, that David would be the one to build God's Temple. To which God promptly corrected Nathan and informed him that would not be, but that David's rule and the descendants of David would carry on forevermore.

This whole idea of anything lasting longer than the 24-hour news cycle or one season of time; be it "the holidays" or Advent or the recession or the end of another year-ecclesiastical or secular-speaks to our very human perspective of time. And when we get depressed, because there is too much snow or not enough or because we've done all that we can do or we know that we have let things slip through the cracks, it just might be helpful to ponder what it means for God to be ever before the kingdom of David and David's descendants, through whom we have Jesus who promises to be ever before us no matter what we are going through.

Prayer:
O God of Eternity grant us the wisdom to gain some perspective. Help us own our triumphs and defeats, yes, but bring us up when we fell down and humble us before we congratulate ourselves too much. In this season of high expectations allow us all to gain the perspective of your love for us, love strong enough that it became human and dwelt among us. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blamelesss at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. -1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Sanctify. Now that's a "church word" if there ever was one, isn't it? What I mean by that is that it sounds mysterious and is definitely not a word that we use often, is it? In fact, I must admit that I had to pull out my copy of "Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms" to get a more accurate definition. For, within the context of the above passage of scripture it is easy enought to see that it is something good and not a threat, coming from the God of peace.

So what does sanctify mean? What is this great thing that God is giving to us to help us prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? Well, sanctify comes from the Latin sanctus, that is "holy", and is defined as "That which is regarded as being holy, sacred, or having divine qualities." Wow! Now that is quite a gift, isn't it? That God himself will make us holy as a means of preparing us for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does such a gift make you want to do? If you really took to heart such a gift, how would you live differently? Where in your life would you see things in a whole new way?

Prayer:
O God of peace, help us all to live with the tremendous gift of your sanctification of us. Help us grow in our understanding of what it means to be holy as you are Holy. As we await the Nativity, may we remember not just the baby, but the man who lived, taught, healed, died and rose again so that your holiness may continue to flourish in us all. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. -2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. What a great message for this time of year. I sincerely hope that you have been and are able to take these words to heart and live them out in many ways as you go about your day.

How has our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father strengthened you for life and ministry? In what ways have you shared the love of God in work and word with those God has brought across your path? Where have you been able to see the eternal comfort and good hope of God at work in others?

Prayer:
Gracious and Merciful God, we give thanks for your love and the miracle of Immanuel, your presence among us. Encourage us in work and word to share your love with others. Help us to be creative in how we go about the business of shepherding others into relationship with you. Grant us the wisdom to do so with true hospitality. Amen.

Luke 1:35-38

The angel said to [Mary], “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. -Luke 1:35-38

Here am I, the servant of the Lord. This passage of scripture between Mary and the angel Gabriel has so much good stuff in it, doesn't it? But, for this day of Advent I would like you to think about what it means for Mary to take on the responsibility of carrying the Christ Child. Remember Mary not as we might picture her, through either the lens of Roman Catholicism or Protestantism, but rather through the lens of any young teenage girl (13 or 14 years old) you know. What would it mean for that young girl to become pregnant? What kind of stress; what kind of pressure; what kind of heartache would the young girl you have in mind face as she broke the news to her parents, friends, family, neighbors?

For no matter how tempting it is to say "Well, back then teenage pregnancy wasn't an issue" don't deceive yourself. An unwed, teenage mother, whom no one knew who the father was, is not accepted in any society. And yet, with all of that running through her mind, young Mary said in effect, "Here am I" send me.

So, if Mary could take on the task assigned to her, seemingly so easily, what stops us from living up to our full potential as followers of Mary's Son? I mean, we may face some peer pressure or some strange looks from acquaintances in our efforts to faithfully identify ourselves as Christ-followers. But are any of the stresses or pressures we face for faith anything compared to what Mary faced?

As you ponder these things in your heart throughout this Advent I hope you come to appreciate what an extraordinary model of Christian Discipleship Mary shows us through her acceptance of the angel's message.

Prayer:
Living God shine your love in our heart, soul and mind so that we may follow your will for our life down whatever path you lay before us. Show us all; Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Spiritual Seeker, the model for living presented to all humanity through the strength and courage of a young girl named Mary. Amen.

Isaiah 61:1-3

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. -Isaiah 61:1-3

The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners. This and the rest of Isaiah 61:1-3 provide a stunningly beautiful image of what it means for the Spirit of God to descend upon us. And yet, it is also a real challenge to how we live and how we relate to others, does it not? It almost seems like too much, at least in terms of what one person could accomplish and certainly more than what spare change given to the Salvation Army Bell Ringers might accomplish.

Then again, when a group of Christians, seeking to follow the sacrificial love of Christ gather together with a purpose, such visions as Isaiah sets forth above, have real possibility of getting done. Just last evening I was privileged enough to sit in on one such gathering. The Deacons of our church, with the abundant generosity of our congregation were planning their annual "Christmas Basket" drive. What at one point may have been a basket given to those who need assistance has turned into an annual event of 50 to 60 pounds worth of good tidings going to people across the Magic Valley. What our congregation, through it's faithful Deacons are able to accomplish each year is very much part of Isaiah's vision of what it means to be caught up in the Good News of God's favor.

Prayer:
Abundantly Loving God, you present us with grand visions and we feel so small. Help us to work together and, as your early church did, to pool the resources only you have given to us so that others may come to grasp to power of your love at work in their lives. This we ask, and more, in Jesus' Name. Amen.