The Light of Christmas

When the world is filled with darkness, it is sometimes difficult to see the Light. But it is only by the Light, that we can truly see.  That was the reason Immanuel, God With Us, came to be born in a stable to a virgin over 2000 years ago.

“Behold people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”—Isaiah 9:2

It is fitting then that the Light of the world would be heralded this way when the angels appeared to the shepherds in the Judean hills near the town of Bethlehem:

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. For I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.’” Luke 2: 9-11

So when life seems its darkest, remember the words from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem which he wrote during the American Civil War:

And in despair I bowed my head

 “There is no peace on earth,” I said,

 “For hate is strong and mocks the song

 Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

 “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

 The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

 With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Out of balance

My Chinese friends emphasize balance in all things in life. Mom used to emphasize it in medical terms; in fact, one of her favorite words was homeostasis—the attempt by the body to maintain internal stability. Experts tell us how important balance is to our well-being. But despite these admonitions about balance, we’re also told the only thing constant in life is change.

In reality, the only true constant thing in life is God and I maintain He is not all about balance. At least I don’t think His love is.  The contemporary Christian group Downhere captures the essence of God’s unparalleled love in their song “How Many Kings?”

“How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only One did that for me…all for you, all for me.”

God’s love can’t be balanced because it is extravagant, unconditional, and incomprehensible. There is no god like ours for only our God would dream of going to such lengths just because He loves us.  So this Christmas let me encourage you to get out of balance. Not in spending. Not in eating or drinking. But in loving.

Blaze of Glory

John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Six weeks ago, I went to Birmingham to see my Dad who was in the hospital ICU in serious condition.  It was not a fun reason to go out of town, but during the four and a half hour trip, I could feel God’s presence in a special way. As only He can, God turned my gloomy road trip into a wonderful time of prayer, praise and worship and it all started with leaves.

When I left for Birmingham the leaves had not begun to turn in Mobile. Each fall, I relish seeing the leaves change colors, but living on the Gulf Coast, the autumn is not quite as spectacular as it is a little north from here. So as I traveled nearly 300 miles to see Dad, I enjoyed the strands of trees bejeweled in gold, red, crimson and plum. As I rounded curves in the road and saw more and more eye candy from God, the sight was enough to make me gasp. I may seem quaint but I love the splendor God put into nature and I think He likes it when we show our appreciation for His gifts, no matter how ordinary they may seem. Yet for me, there’s nothing ordinary about seeing the sun shining through gold and orange leaves making them look as if the tree has caught fire without being consumed by the flames. It reminds me of the burning bush Moses observed on Mt. Horeb.  

And that reminds me of God describing Himself to Moses as “I am.” He is the God who is with us; He is the God who sees; and He is the God of love. And on a lovely fall day, He quieted my spirit with His love and His presence. And then He did a miracle and Daddy went home less than a week later in much better health. Like John, I can say I have seen God’s glory, the glory of the one and only Son.

I Thank You God

i thank You God for this most amazing day:
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything                                                                                  
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

So begins one of my favorite works by E.E. Cummings—a short little poem filled with praise for the Creator and His magnificent works.  I thought of it as Thanksgiving approached and I began to focus on being grateful for all God has done this year.  Thanksgiving has always been a hallmark of God’s people. Thousands of years before the Pilgrims came to Plymouth and shared a momentous feast with the Native Americans or Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation during the Civil War, God explained to the Israelites the importance of offering praises for His blessings to them.

The Psalmist admonishes us in Psalm 100:4 “to Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.” God wants us to praise Him not to stroke His ego, but because it helps us focus on our dependence on Him as well as His overwhelming grace and goodness. Praise recognizes God’s attributes—His goodness, love and mercy. Remember He described Himself to Moses as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Thanksgiving declares our awareness of His benefits. “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation" (Ps. 40:9-10)

In my church’s communion service called “The Great Thanksgiving,” the responsive reading says: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.”

It is always right to praise our God who is so good and kind and to offer thanks for His many gifts.

 

Here Comes the Son

“There cannot be a dark cloud where Jesus is.”   Pastor John Prince

The other day while I was at the lake, the sky was covered with dark clouds and the wind was stirring up the lake waters. It was somewhat cool and there wasn’t even a hint of sunshine. Then suddenly, the clouds parted and the sun shone so brightly I was immediately warmed and had to relocate to the shade. The water became so still it looked like a liquid mirror and everything was quiet. Even the butterflies which I love but had not yet seen began to flutter around me.  It was as if God had torn apart those dark clouds to shine His light and love directly onto me and I felt like I was standing in a celestial spotlight.

I paused in my prayers and just enjoyed that special time with God. There are some struggles about which I’ve been praying for days to which God has simply responded  ”wait.” The break in the dark clouds did nothing to change my circumstances or lighten the cares which are weighing me down, but in that holy moment God reminded me that He can shine His grace into anything in my world and my life and it will change instantly.  He gave me a much-needed shift in focus, redirecting me back to Him, the One whose face shone like the sun (Matt. 17:2) on the mount of transfiguration which was the basis of Pastor Prince’s sermon.

The same picture of Jesus is echoed in John’s words in Revelation 1:16 where he describes Jesus’ face as “like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” When we turn our eyes toward the Son, His bright countenance will eclipse all of the dark clouds of our griefs, our pain, and our doubt. Even though it’s now fall and the weather is cooler, go out today and bask in the sun. While you’re there, bask in the Son, too!

“I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else.” – C. S. Lewis

A Well-loved Life

God has had me meditate on love a LOT over the last six months. Specifically, He has had me ponder the verses in 1 Cor. 13 in which He tells us how to love. This shouldn't surprise me because for many years I have told some of my closest friends that I have received more love in my life than most people ever do and I believe it’s true. I am not certain why God has poured out His grace on me in this way, but I can remember even as a very young child people showing kindness and gentleness and generosity to me. People have always had a need to take care of me, even when I became an adult. They often treat me with kid gloves as if I am a fragile, delicate figurine and even strangers come up and hug me.

Please don’t misunderstand. None of this makes me prideful; in fact, it humbles me. I have done nothing to deserve all this love, but it is such an overwhelming display of the grace of God who loves us without measure and without making demands on us and who expects us to love people the same way. Years ago I was awestruck when I discovered Jesus’ words in John 13:35:  “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”  Jesus could have said they'll know you’re My disciples by your martyrdom; by your piety; by your obedience; by your faith. But instead He chose to emphasize love. Why? Because love puts the focus where it belongs…on Him. He loved us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8) and loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16).

God tells us frequently of His love for us. It is the overriding theme of scripture. God did not and does not do anything out of obligation, rather all of His decisions and actions are motivated by love.  When we truly understand this and experience God’s great redeeming love for us, we can’t help but overflow and pour that love on others. Our daily prayer should probably include this idea: “Father, today fill my heart so full of Your love that I cannot keep it to myself. Make me a willing vessel to share Your great love with everyone I encounter this day. Thank You for Your infinite, inexhaustible love.”

A Lost Jewel

“A family that has an old person in it has a jewel.”  Chinese proverb

Not long after I met Aunt Ella she decided to call me Chris. It’s a nickname I've only allowed a few people to call me and then only those closest to me ever used it. I was glad she made that decision; it made me feel like we had a real kinship even though we were no relation. But that’s how Aunt Ella was—strong-minded and decisive.  She also had a good sense of humor and a warm, affectionate manner. Friends and family noted she enjoyed dressing like a fashion plate who at about age 100 on the day she broke her hip tried to insist she still keep Friday hair appointment.  

But what really stands out about Aunt Ella is her faith. And last week her faith became sight when at age 105, Aunt Ella left this earth for heaven.  She had led a good life and set a godly example for all who knew her. Aunt Ella spent her days serving the church and others. Well into her 90s she still baked cakes and pies which she kept in her freezer to take to grieving families or share at a church function.  For her, faith was a way of life that sustained her through difficult days and brightened days of joy.  She was a tenacious woman who persevered through many trials and Aunt Ella quietly and openly shared her faith with everyone she encountered but mostly she shared her faith in leading by example.

With her departure to heaven comes a great loss for all who knew her: a loss of terrific stories that made us laugh or inspired us to live a better life and the loss of more than a century of experience and wisdom.  We have all indeed lost a precious jewel. But thankfully, for those of us who know the Lord, we can rest assured we will see Aunt Ella again and she will rejoice at our homecoming.

Proverbs 16:31: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” ESV