Advent 2020: Love

Week 4 of Advent is the week that we light the second to last candle of Advent.  This candle represents love. But what is love? Is it an action? Is it a feeling? 

Love comes in many different ways.  We love movies, certain foods, places to visit, or songs.  There is also the love that has to do with relationships.  We love our parents and family members.  We love our friends.  We love our wives and husbands.  We love our pets.  We love ourselves.  We love God. 

Matthew 1:18-24:

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’

All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.

I look at these verses and I think about the movie The Nativity Story. Can you imagine how hard it must have been for Joseph to not make an accusation and still marry Mary? Here is the woman he was betrothed to, and she's pregnant? Now we all know a modern man would accuse the girl of being unfaithful, and I am sure that crossed Joseph's mind too. In the movie, her parents Joachim and Anna were livid, begging her to say it was one of Herod's men. The entire village gossiped about her. Here was Mary, a virgin when she became betrothed to Joseph, she went to visit her family in near Jerusalem and she comes home pregnant. What was her family to think? 

Mary's only come back was "I have broken no vow. An angel told me..." Now, let's be honest here, if your child came to you and said that an angel had spoken to them, they'd be in the psychiatrists office first thing Monday morning, especially if you've never experienced that sort of thing before or didn't believe in it. Yet in Judaism, angels (Hebrew: מַלְאָךְ‎ mal’akh, plural: מלאכים‎ mal’akhim) are supernatural beings that appear throughout the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), rabbinic literature, apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, and traditional Jewish liturgy as agents of the God of Israel. They are categorized in different hierarchies. Their essence is often associated with fire. The Talmud describes their very essence as fire. And the people of Mary's time would have been familiar with angels as messengers, but ti would still be hard to believe that an angel of the Lord had come to Mary. 

So God sent Gabriel once again to Joseph to assure him everything Mary said was true. Therefore he made no accusation, he took Mary to be his wife and claimed Jesus as his son. I imagine Jesus growing up in his father's carpentry shop learning the trade, even though Joseph is worried he can't teach him anything, yet he taught him how to be a carpenter. 

This week, we see that God loves us so much that He sent his Son to live among us. We see that Joseph loved Mary in such a way that he didn't raise accusations against her, we see that Mary loved God so much that she didn't question Him, and accepted her calling. 

Advent Week 4 Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, The whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four letter word…LOVE. You sent your gift of pure love to us that first Christmas. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. Love lay in the scratchy hay of a manger in a meager barn in Bethlehem. All of your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in swaddling clothes. This final week of Advent, help us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus.

Your word became flesh and you made your dwelling among us when Jesus was born. You set aside all of the glory and splendor of heaven and chose the most humble way to enter into your kingdom. Beneath the stars, surrounded by all of the hosts of heaven, Love came. Welcomed by an earthly mother and father, shepherds and wise men, Love came. 

You are King and King and Lord of Lords, Messiah and Ruler of All, yet you came not as a lion but as a lamb. You came as an innocent baby whose purpose was walk this earth in complete love, and then to sacrificially give his life as an atonement for the sins of His children. Emmanuel. God with us. Love in the form of a man.

That was your plan. From beginning to end, you knew every minute of Jesus life. You knew that the cross of Calvary was waiting for Jesus, yet you still sent your only Son so that our sin debt could be paid and we could walk blameless because of the shed blood of Jesus.There is no greater gift then this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You willing gave the gift of your life because of your love. Your righteous blood covered our sin. You redeem and restore us when we confess you as Lord and Savior of our life. In that moment you give us the gift of your love for all eternity. We receive grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy in that moment.

The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger. Our perfect gift would later be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross on Calvary, all because of love.

Father, this final week of Advent, fill our hearts and minds with the significance of that truth. Thank you, Lord, for loving us enough to send Jesus. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen

Advent 2020: Joy

There is a video on TikTok where "God" asks an "angel" if he's finished scheduling the 2020s. And the angel replies, "2020s, as in plural?" God says "Yes, plural, you didn't schedule 10 years worth of events in one year, did you?" And the angel says "no, no, 2020s." God then says "Did you?" The angel finally replies, "yes" then some profanity ensues then the angel says "and the Americans have an election." There are people who would say that 2020 has been a year that has sucked the joy out of them. 

This being said, today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent; it is time to recognize that our joy doesn't come from this world. 

What is Joy?

Webster's dictionary defines Joy as 1a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight. b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety. 2 : a state of happiness or felicity : bliss. 3 : a source or cause of delight.

Today's candle is known as the Shepherd's candle, the candle that reminds us of the joy that Jesus' arrival gives, and the joy that salvation gives. 

Now you may be wondering why this candle is different from the others, there are several thoughts on this.  

Although Christians have presented several reasons for the pinkish nature of the candle, from a tradition where priests would wear pink vestments to parents eagerly awaiting the joy of a child’s arrival by painting the room pink, the rosy candle has its roots in something known as Gaudete Sunday. During this third week of advent, this Sunday celebrates the passage Philippians 4:4-5, its verses extolling readers to “rejoice” for “indeed the Lord is near.” 

In other words, this week celebrates the joy of Christ’s coming to earth. 

Even in the disappointments of this years election for many people; we can find the answer to joy in Philippians 4:6-7 In verses 6 and 7, Paul tells us that prayer and thanksgiving lead us to peace and rejoicing. The Message version translates those verses this way: 

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

 
Only then do we find real joy—the kind that springs from the heart, fills the soul, and holds you tight in its embrace, even when the storms of life rage around you. This Christmas, may you find real joy by taking all of your cares and worries to the God who set each star in place, who numbered the hairs on your head, and who loves you so much that He gave his only Son so that you could have the greatest gift of all: eternal life.

Joy came the night of Christ's birth, there is a line in the movie The Nativity Story where after the angel's announce the birth of Christ to the Shepherds they arrive at the stable,  Mary shifts Jesus so the shepherds can get a better look and says "He is for all mankind." That one line brings tears of joy to my eyes and I sob like a baby.

You see things like elections and leaders are temporal; they aren't permanent. People are worried about New World Orders, but aren't worried about the eternity of their neighbors down the street. They are worried about losing worldly freedoms, not realizing the freedom they have in Christ. The election didn't steal people's joy, COVID-19 didn't steal people's joy, people freely gave up their joy.

Instead of letting temporary situations steal your joy, we need to focus on what is permanent and can bring lasting Joy...the hope of Christ's Advent, the peace that He brings and the Joy that we can have eternal life. 

Our prayer should be:

O God, we bring all of our cares, disappointments, worries, heartaches and longings and we lay them at your feet. We ask you to exchange them for your joy and peace. Help us daily to trust in you and to rejoice in your goodness as we seek to share with others your gift of love that has transformed our lives. Amen.

Advent 2020: Peace

It is the second Sunday of Advent and we are about to light the candle that stands for Peace. Again, I think that as Christians this year has not been as peaceful as it could be. For American Christians, this year has been particularly hard, with the election.

Recently, I posed the question, "What if Joe Biden is God's plan for America?" Let me tell you, the lack of peace was definitely shown by people "putting me in my place." Personally, I have peace of the election. Yet, I find it amazing the lack of peace that Christians exhibit even in light of Romans 8:28 which many profess to hold to tightly. 

Earlier this year, my pastoral candidacy came to an end. I was hurt, I was disappointed, I never wanted to go back to church. Yet over the past few months, I have started yet again seeking where God is wanting me to serve. And the peace that I lacked when I was hurt by my candidacy ending, has flooded back to me. Why? 

Because it's God-given peace. I am reminded of a story about Dante. Like many of us, he had attempted to live his life by his own rules and desires. He didn't have peace. In fact such a lack of peace drove him to the Franciscan Monastery at Lunigiana, and when the door was opened, he was asked "What do you want?" He replied, "Peace!"

Our Old Testament (Isaiah 40:1) reading this week starts out with

"Comfort, comfort My people," says your God.

The word for comfort, is נַחֲמ֥וּ (nachem) it means to be sorry, to pity, console. When you are doing these things, especially if you are sorry, and consoling someone you are in effect bringing them peace. Jesus Christ himself said John 14:27, 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The word here is Εἰρήνην (Eirēnēn) it means peace; by implication, prosperity.

You see 2020 has been a year that has been un-peaceful for many, it's been lacking in prosperity, due to job loss and other issues. But the world is looking for peace, comfort and prosperity as the world gives. Not as Christ gives. All of creation is an imperfect window onto divine reality. God shines through all things — some more, some less. His quest teaches Dante that his fundamental error was to make idols out of icons. That is, he believed that he could find perfect happiness in created things: first, the love of a woman, and then the pursuit of literary fame, political power, and so forth. In truth, Dante was searching for God in all the wrong places, expecting satisfaction from things that can never satisfy.

Not everyone has the same gifts, or the same responsibilities. Do not envy what others have, but accept with gladness the part God gave you to play in the grand drama of life. Love is more important than justice. God doesn’t want you to be just like everybody else; he wants you to be the person he made. Trust him, as does the nun Piccarda, who tells Dante, “In His will is our peace.” 

Whatever your frustrations, whatever is stealing your peace is of this world; it is certainly not of Christ. However, this being said, life will be okay, why? Because God already knows what is going to happen, nothing is a surprise to Him and in Him is our peace.