Advent Day 3 (December 3)

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God's tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” John grew up and became strong in spirit. Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. Luke 1:76-80

John the Baptizer was the forerunner of Christ -- the preparer of hearts & minds to receive Christ and all He would bring with Him. John's message was that salvation is found not through rules, rituals, or religion but through forgiveness of sin. The light of heaven was about to break upon the people, like a glorious sunrise and bring hope and mercy to those whose lives were surrounded with darkness. The path of peace was on its way. John's message was one of preparation for that glorious day.

We also have a message of preparation. A message of hope, peace, forgiveness and light to those who are living in darkness around us. As well, we have a message of urgency. Like John, the time was coming soon -- the arrival of the Promised One! Luke says that John grew and became strong in the spirit in preparation for that time. We are entering the busiest time of year for many of us. Shopping, decorating, cooking, preparing... but preparing for what? Are we preparing ourselves for His coming arrival? His return in Victory? Are we intentionally taking steps to grow strong in the spirit?

Dear Lord, remind us that we have a message of hope and urgency to those around us. Holy Spirit, give us words of hope, peace and forgiveness that sheds light upon the people around us. Keep our focus on the preparations that matter, even while we prepare to celebrate your birth this Christmas. Amen

Advent Day 2 (December 2)

'O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.' Matthew 2:6

No matter how insignificant a person, place, or event may seem to us, God has BIG purposes for them! From a poor, dusty, little town in Bethlehem would come the most earth shattering event in all of human history! To a village carpenter and a teenage girl would come the opportunity to change the world. Sometimes we feel unimportant, or unseen, but God knows who we are, and why we are in the place and events we are in. Each of us have a significant, and purposeful place in human history -- otherwise we wouldn't be here. God knows who we are, why we are here, and what is happening in our lives.

Lord, sometimes we feel like a dusty little spot on the map of this world, like nothing of importance or significance can come from our lives, but You have BIG plans for us. Help us to see You in the events of our lives, and be reassured that we matter not just to You, but we matter for the unfolding of Your plans and Your Kingdom come. Amen

Advent Day 1 (December 1)

"Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD Almighty Malachi 3:1

God has always sent a messenger to prepare the way for the arrival of His mighty Word. From the beginning of all things in Genesis 1 when God sent the Holy Spirit to prepare the void to receive His mighty creative Word, to John 1 when God sent the Baptiser ahead to prepare the hearts and lives of the people to receive His redemptive Word made flesh -- Jesus the Christ.

God is sending His messengers and His message into our lives to prepare us to receive His Word for us, in this time. Malachi said, "The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming" -- how eagerly are we looking for the message of the covenant in our lives today?

Dear Lord, we eagerly look for signs of Your message in our lives. Psalm 119:123 says, "my eyes eyes strain to see your deliverance, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled." Help us to not grow weary of searching for you. Amen

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving ,and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100

My friend Cheryl and her daughter Laura have been living in Memphis most of this year while Laura undergoes treatment for cancer at St. Jude's hospital. Yesterday, I received the following message from Cheryl. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Thanks Cheryl, for reminding us what real blessings look like!
Happy Thanksgiving,
robyn

From Cheryl:

Since this is close to Thanksgiving, I thought I would share all the things that
I am thankful for…

1. First and foremost, that this “ugly mug” has “saving grace”. (There is a coffee made here, locally in Memphis. I love the name of the brand “Ugly Mug”. This brand has great names for each of it’s roasts, one of which is “Saving Grace”. )
2. For St Jude and the awesome care Laura is receiving.
3. For the transportation and details that St Jude takes care of for us.
4. For the nurses, doctors and staff that treat Laura as if she is the only one they are caring for.
5. For the medicines that fight this disease and the fact that we get it all for free.
6. For the fact that while Laura is in the hospital, she does not have to share a room with anyone but me.
7. For the bed I get to sleep in, in the hospital, and not a chair.
8. For the roofs that are put over our heads while we are here and the food provided. This includes the Grizzlie house, Ronald McDonald House and Target House (with hepa-filter).
9. For the many different companies that bring meals and entertainment to share with us.
10. For the sweet friends that show God’s love to us here in Tennessee, Marie, Barbara, Rita, Sheila and their Sunday School class.
11. For the snail mail and words of encouragement that makes Laura smile and me too.
12. For friends who flew out here to bring smiles and love.
13. For the friends and family back home who send us love all the time.
14. For Roger (husband/dad) and Geoff (son/brother), who can’t wait for us to come home (us too!!)
15. For Memphis BBQ and sushi.
16. For Laura’s awesome attitude and humor through all of this.
    
    For all of this and more...Thanks.

Thank you Cheryl and Laura!

Searching with Priority

...seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

I lost my cup of coffee this morning. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, even as I write this it seems kind of silly, but it was a big deal; a BIG deal. I couldn't figure out where I put it! I had it in my hand, I took a sip, and then... well, I put it down somewhere, to do something, and when I went to take another sip, it was .... well, gone. I hadn't even left the room. I retraced my steps from the sofa to the window, from the window to the chair, to the table, and back to the sofa. I hadn't gone anywhere else -- oh wait, I went to get the newspaper. I must have set it down outside on the front porch... but no, it wasn't there either. Where was my coffee! My mouth was waiting for those last few sips that were waiting -- cooling --- in the cup. My day was getting away from me -- I had important things that I needed to get done, I didn't have time for this --yet, where was my coffee?

I couldn't get past it. Now, it isn't like I couldn't make more coffee, or that I didn't have more cups in the cupboard, but I was obsessed! I wanted that cup of coffee -- where was it? In the end after searching, retracing my steps, mentally processing everything I had done, everywhere I had gone, looking high, low, and in between, and just as I got to the point of despair, eureka! my cup peeked out behind the potted plant. I still don't remember putting it there, nor can I imagine why I would put it there -- but it didn't matter, especially as I savored those last couple sips of java.

I've been contemplating what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God." What does it mean to "seek"? It's not a word we use a lot -- we look for things, we search for things, but to "seek" -- what does that mean? According to the dictionary it means:

To try to locate or discover; to search for. To endeavor to obtain or reach; to go to or toward. To inquire after; to try; to set one's eye on. To explore. To grab out to, to quest for.

Like my search for my coffee. A quest that will not stop until it reaches its destination or acquisition. I wonder how intensely I seek for God's kingdom, for a right relationship and perspective (righteousness) with Him... as intensely as I searched for my coffee this morning?

But Matthew 6 says to seek first God's Kingdom. Not just intense searching, but priority searching! Jesus says that our top priority in time, place, importance, and order is His Kingdom, and His righteousness. This morning, my day just could not continue until I found that coffee. My coffee starts my day, it wakes me up, perks me up, it clears the cobwebs from the night and sets my mind on today. I wonder, what would my day look like if it didn't begin -- I mean, it truly could not begin until I was firmly planted, heart, mind, and soul in God's Kingdom perspective, plan, and presence?

The Mission of the Church

Henri Nouwen wrote:

There are more people on this planet outside the Church than inside it. Millions have been baptised, millions have not. Millions participate in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, but millions do not.The Church as the body of Christ, as Christ living in the world, has a larger task than to support, nurture, and guide its own members. It is also called to be a witness for the love of God made visible in Jesus. Before his death Jesus prayed for his followers, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). Part of the essence of being the Church is being a living witness for Christ in the world.

How does the "outside" world see us? According to recent surveys by the Barna group, "16- to 29-year-olds who aren’t followers of Christ have an overwhelmingly negative view of Christians and Christianity. These young people believe Christians are insensitive, judgmental, and hypocritical." In his book Speaking My Mind, Tony Campolo talks about a professor who, when seated at a table with a variety of students, asks them to respond to the word "evangelical." Their responses run from "bigot" to "homophobic" to "male chauvinist." When the same group is asked to respond to the name "Jesus" their answers are "caring, understanding, forgiving, kind..."

"Doesn't it bother you, " the professor asks, "that the name of Jesus elicits a completely opposite reaction from the name 'evangelical'?"

Well it bothers me. It bothers me that so many people in the Western world see Christ-followers as intolerant, judgemental, hypocritical and hyper-critical; while ironically, many in the Eastern parts of the World equate Christianity with American indulgence, crime, and immorality. What then is our position as Christ-followers?

Jesus prays in John 17:18; "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world"

How was Jesus sent by God into a world that did not know Him? As an innocent babe, as an agent for PEACE through forgiveness, as a feeder of the hungry, a voice for the oppressed, and hope for the broken-hearted. As a sacrifice for all mankind. Until we who are called by His name return to our calling to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, cry out for justice, and heal the sick, the world "outside" will continue to see us as "the problem" instead of THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE!

The Church is not a "closed club" but an open calling to care, to serve, to love.

What now?

A great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper... a voice ...said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-14

The Bible says that when Elijah went out to the mountain to look for the Lord, he felt alone and worn out. And as he stood there, wind, earthquake, and fire passed by (it sounds like California!) But Elijah could not find the Lord in the disaster -- He came in the sound of a low, soft voice. And the voice empowered Elijah! "What are you doing here?" Then the voice told Elijah to "go" -- to go and find the support that God had waiting for him. To "go" and do the work that was left for him to do.

As the fires begin to come under control, and people begin to go back to what has been left in its wake, we are overcome with the images of devastation. Devastation that leads to confusion, fear, frustration, and despair. At times like these it is natural to ask "why" -- and it is important to allow ourselves to grieve and to express all the emotions that we are feeling. God does not resent our questions, nor does He abandon us in our raw and real emotions.

It is OK to ask "why," -- but it is empowering to ask "where", "what", "how", and "who".

Where do we go from here?

What is our purpose here in this place, now at this time?

How do we proceed?

Who does God want us to reach out to and reach out for?

God provided the sustenance that Elijah needed, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally to do the work that was required. Ask God the questions you are feeling -- He has more than answers, He has help waiting for you.