A new look at Christmas

A friend send me this as her Christmas greeting today. I think it's really good - so appropriate for where we are. I share it and pray, too, for a new, real, Holy Spirit-led unity, mercy, and grace to fall upon us.

Something happened this year, I am not sure what. The economy crashed. We were daily deluged with news of wars, rumors of wars, global warming and pending environmental catastrophe. We watched politicians battle in ways that cause children to be sent to their rooms, or students to be kept after school in detention halls. My job became overwhelmingly stressful. It rained much of the summer... I don't know, something.... Suddenly it is Christmas Eve, and I have not made cards or baked, have not put on Christmas music, have not felt that "Christmas Spirit" that usually comes to my heart this time of year.

So this morning I am pausing for an attitude adjustment. I step back and consider this beautiful planet, all the peoples on her, and all the sources of hope they are. It is my faith that God is, that God is watching, and that everywhere a human soul looks up and opens their heart, right there the Spirit can enter the fray of all our troubles - with kindness, compassion, giving, innovation, creativity, solution. I am sure the answers for all the woes that plague us exist in God. They just need to be found, discovered, implemented by those who will stop the rushing about and hear/heed the Spirit's whisper.

It is my prayer for you all this Christmas Eve that you will join me in stopping for a minute to just listen, listen for the Voice of Spirit, the Voice that is always there trying to give us our answers. As Christ said, "Let those who have ears, listen."

Depression

¹ Save me, O God,

for the waters have come up to my neck.

² I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

³ I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God. (Psalm 69 NIV)

"My spouse died yesterday after a long battle with illness. I know it's best the suffering is over, but it makes Christmas tomorrow so different...."

"My husband's been out of work for 18 months, we can't sell our house, we have two daughters in college; we don't know what to do...."

"My mom died this year. She loved Christmas - decorated her house like no one I've ever seen. Loved the music, loved the gifts, loved the grandkids...She was gone so suddenly last spring. How will my dad and the rest of the family ever make it through this first Christmas?"

"A year ago she was fine, living on her own. Now she's in an assisted living facility and can't remember who I am day to day. I miss my mom. I miss our conversations, her humor, her fullness of life. She's just not the same."

"My mom died on Christmas and my sister committed suicide because of depression. Now I'm seeing the same signs in my wife...What do I do?"

And so I pray in the words of the psalmist:

¹ My God, my God, why do you seem to abandon us?
Why are you so far away when we groan for help?
² Every day we call to you, God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear our voices, but we find no relief.

³ Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴ Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
⁵ They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

¹¹ Do not stay so far from us, for trouble is near, and no one else can help us.

¹⁵ Our strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
Our tongues stick to the roof of our mouths.
You have laid us in the dust and left us for dead.

¹⁹ O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are our strength; come quickly to our aid!
²⁰ Save us from the sword;
spare our precious lives from these dogs.

²² We will proclaim your name to our brothers and sisters.
We will praise you among your assembled people.
²³ Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!

²⁴ For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.

²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

²⁷ The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
²⁸ For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations. (Psalm 22 NLT, alt.)

God, for those hurting right now, facing the depths of the abyss, I pray that you will reveal yourself to them, deliver and protect them, encourage and uplift them, be their strength and their joy. May they know your love and grace in a profound way. Amen.

Waiting - a musing

Tonight I know two families who are waiting for loved ones to die. Both have been ill a long time, so being released from the physical problems of this world will be a blessing. Both have spouses that will grieve deeply. Both are believers. But Christmas is a strange time of year to face a death.

Christmas comes at the end of fall - the end of long, lighted days. In a way, the time from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is a time of dying. Gradually the days cool, the daylight becomes shorter, and before we know many things like leaves and flowers have died for the season. Even Advent can be a time of dying to ourselves, getting honest with God (again), and surrendering a little more of our will to Jesus. A different type of death.

And yet death is not the end.

Much as on Easter we ask, "Death, where is thy sting? Grave, where is thy victory?" this Christmas these two families can know that the other side of the dying process is LIFE - life lived in heaven with Jesus. And on the other side of the "dying" months, come the "rising" months from the winter solstice to the summer one - and the light gets longer, the temperatures (eventually) rise.

Most importantly, at Christmas we celebrate the end of waiting for the Messiah. The Jews had waited hundreds of years for the coming of the King. They didn't expect a baby in a manger, but God's ways are definitely different than ours. If Advent involves dying to ourselves, Christmas involves CELEBRATING all that GOD is and has done through Jesus for us. In him we have life and have it abundantly. In him we live and move and have our being. In him we can see the way, the truth and the life.

Sometimes we must wait for death. But we know it is never the final end. God is a God of life.

Thank you God for life!

Amen

Then pealed the bells

Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. (Luke 2 - MSG)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

God, this time of year is full of traditions, memories, and special events. Even as we remember and reflect and renew our earthly relationships, help us remember the "old familiar" story of your birth is the center of it all.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Thank you for the men and women who have passed down the Christian faith through the years. Thank you for the martyrs, the persecuted church, those that are ridiculed and scored for their faith - both in the past and in the present. Thank you for the witness of all your people through times and places for the Good News of Jesus Christ. Help us to take this faith and live it out in the here and now and pass it on to future generations.

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."

God, for the many places in the world that are still under the thumb of the evil one we pray for deliverance. For those bound in slavery, for those oppressed by governments, for those whose existence is tied to evil - we pray for release for the captives, restoration of sight to the spiritually blind, and the reclamation of the Good News in lives and hearts currently crowded by the many faces of evil. We pray for peace to come into these situations and into every life yearning to know your peace.

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."

Thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you for being living, wonder-working, and the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Thank you for showing your power in our world and faithfully keeping your promises. Thank you for your protection, your provision, your revealed holiness.

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!*

Come, Lord Jesus, come. We need you to finish the work you have begun, turning this fallen, dark world back to goodness and life and abundant life. Use us for the work we can do until there is peace on earth and good will to all.

Amen.

(*by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Transition

Change. Transition.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

"God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

"It's all the same, only the names are changed."

"When you go through the storms I am with you...you are mine."

"Not everyone likes the new things."

At this time of year we remember a young, Jewish, peasant girl whose faith enabled her to accept one of the most enormous changes anyone can experience - the announcement she would be mother to God's Son.

"I am the Lord's servant; may it be as you have said."

At this time of year we remember a young, Jewish man whose faith enabled him to accept his betrothed's changes - which, therefore, also changed his life - and to raise a child that was not his own.

"So Joseph married Mary...."

At this time of year we remember families who have lost loved ones during the past year - families for whom Christmas will be very different. We remember families for whom job losses and economic distress will make this a very different Christmas.

"This Christmas will be so different without them..."

At this time we see an "old year" quickly tumble into a "new year," as if the new is better, or as if the days are somehow fresher in the new year. We breathe a sigh of relief when a hard year is ended, looking forward to a new year with hope for its future.

"I'll be so glad when this year is over."

As our church searches for a new pastor and prepares to make a call we must realize that things around here will change. There will be a new personality in the mix. We will have to release a very well liked interim pastor. God continues to call us to new places, new ministries.

"There is a time for everything, a season for each pastor..."

At the end of C.S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," the main characters are passing from the Old Narnia into a New Narnia. This new land is like the old, except the colors are brighter, the scents are sweeter, the air purer -- it's just better by far. In their first moments in the New Narnia, the main characters go "further up and further in," running with abandon and joy in this new place Aslan (the Christ character) has brought them to.

Not every change or transition we undergo in this life on earth is immediately seen as a "good one." But, if Christ is calling us to a new place, we can trust that as we go further up and further in, as we follow where we are led, we will be accompanied by our Savior.

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how." - Jesus (from Matthew 16 MSG)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5,6 NIV)

God IS the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

God IS faithful, especially to his chosen children.

God CAN be trusted to walk us through the changes and transitions we encounter.

So, Lord, help us turn over to you our anxieties and fears, our hopes for the future, our pain from the past, and our sin that hinders us from running with endurance the race set before us. Grant us your peace so that we may run further up and further in to where you call us to go. May we run with joy and abandon because we are confident in who YOU are. Lead us, Lord, in paths of righteousness for the sake of your Name and your Glory.

Surrender

As the Christian pursuits her goal, she learns that she must offer up her own will and to accept the Lord's will with joy. To do this, complete trust is needed and it is by building altars that Much-Afraid abandons herself. Before every big step in her journey, she builds an altar and her offering is consumed. The biggest sacrifice that is asked by the Shepherd is at the last part of her journey. It is that of offering up the promise that she received when He called her to follow Him as well as the flower of "natural human love and desire growing in her heart[.] " After this offering, nothing is left in Much-Afraid but her desire to do the will of the Shepherd. The times of purification are over and she is finally ready to enter the Kingdom of Love. It is therefore by following the path indicated by her King, by offering up her will and by trusting Him completely that the Bride can arrive to the threshold of the High Places.** http://www.angelfire.com/nm/AndI/HindsFeet.html

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26 MSG)

Surrender don't come naturally to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want, than
Take what You give that I need

And I beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, falling on my knees

Hold me Jesus
I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
Hold me Jesus
Cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace*

I think about a poor, Jewish peasant girl who had an angel tell her she'd be the mother of the Son of God. If something like that happened to me, I'm not sure what my response would be. But hers was simple:

I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me just as you say. (Luke 1:38 MSG)

What was it about her spirit, her faith, her trust in God that led her to so easily say YES to such a huge request by God? Being unwed and pregnant at that time could quickly lead to divorce from her betrothed, societal shunning, and even death. So, why could she so easily (at least as the writer of Luke records it) surrender to God's will?

Where are the places I still need to lay down my will, to let Jesus be in the driver's seat of my life? What are the things I think or say or feel or...whatever... that I need to surrender on the altar so that my heart and soul can be lined up with Christ's? It seems like He keeps finding things in me that I need to clean out of that back closet of my soul - junk he says to give to him so that he can replace that junk with His love and peace.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11 NIV)

Take my burdens, my junk, the stuff that impairs me from being able to follow you

Show me your way

Less of me, more of you

Help me surrender and trust you

Be my Prince of Peace

Amen

* "Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins

** from a review of "Hinds Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard

Logjam

Spiritual logjam.

Angst.

Confusion.

Am I being stubborn?

Desiring discernment.

Wanting to do the right thing.

Not in unity with others.

My spirit all balled up.

My husband and I are making a major decision about a home for our family. I am one of a team of people searching for God's choice for a new pastor for our church. Two MAJOR decisions I am a part of, both with huge implications.

I pray for wisdom. I yearn for guidance. I cry out to God - HELP ME.

My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation. (Luke 1 NKJV)

My soul magnifies the Lord.

My soul MAGNIFIES God.

Magnify, God.

God gets bigger.

I get smaller.

More God.

Less me.

Less me.

More God.

Fill my confusion with you.

Help me know what to do.

Protect my thoughts.

Give peace to my spirit.

My spirit rejoices in God my savior.

He HAS done great things for me.

He is mighty.

His name is holy.

His mercy is on those who fear him.

Merciful blessings.

Merciful peace.

Merciful wisdom.

Magnified God.

May your will be done and your Kingdom come.

Amen.

The Face of Light

I received an email subscription that I thought fit into the Advent season, even though its writer is Rabbi Daniel Lapin. I copied the text of the devotion below (but left off the advertisements!).

[P.S. I can't get the devotion to look formatted correctly here - if you can't read it feel free to follow the link to it directly.]

But first our scripture and prayer...

¹ "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

² See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

³ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isa. 60:1-3 NIV)

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:21 NIV)

Light of the World, You stepped down into darkness, drawing us to your grace, coaxing us to become your Children of Light. Thank you for this gift of grace given. In this season of preparation, help us to come to you in humility and honesty to reflect on our lives, confess our sin, and obtain your forgiveness. We want to be in the Light as You are in the Light and shine like the stars in the heaven. We want to be the face of Light in a word strangled by darkness, hopelessness, distraction, fear, greed, illness and death, cruelty, hunger, and so much more. Help your children in all places to be the face of Christ - the light of Christ - in a dark and dreary world. Hush the noise of strife in our world, and help us to hear the angels' song and to sing with them: Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Amen.

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear © Public Domain by Edmund Hamilton Sears | Richard Storrs WillisIt came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing

And ye beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing

For lo the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong
And man at war with man hears not
The love song which they bring
O hush the noise ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing

Thought Tools by Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Hey, Buddy, Got a Light?

December 9, 2009 22nd day of Kislev, 5770 Volume II Issue #49

Forward to a Friend

What three changes could you institute that would improve your life? Most people know exactly what they ought to do and what they ought to stop doing that would make their lives better. Which begs the question; why don’t

we just go ahead and do these things?

The answer is what I call “The Force of Darkness.” Understanding and learning to conquer this sinister force is so important that God introduces us to this primeval darkness and general chaos no later than the second verse of Genesis.

According to ancient Jewish wisdom this verse reveals a dark force built into the universe that attempts to combat progress towards improving our lives. This is why it is harder to diet, exercise, and grow thin, than it is to sit around, eat, and grow fat. This is why it is harder to save and invest than it is to spend and consume or to educate one’s self and improve one’s career rather than to seek entertainment. This is why self-discipline is harder than indulgence or why it is harder to build a marriage than it is to destroy one. In other words, keeping the flame burning is just plain hard. It is far easier to sit back and allow darkness to win.

If the problem is darkness, surely the antidote is light -- which brings us to Chanukah, the festival of light.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah is a post-Biblical rabbinical holiday. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, its roots lie in the Torah and within the prophecies of Hagai and Zecharia, centuries before the historic events.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah exists because about 2,150 years ago the Hasmonean Maccabees won an extraordinary military victory over the Greeks and Jewish Hellenists. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, one of the reasons the loyal and faithful Jews were able to win the war was because it was fought on the days already prophetically preordained for light to defeat darkness.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah is an annual holiday celebrated by playing silly games while eating oily potato latkes. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, just as ranchers must vaccinate their livestock each year to keep them healthy, Chanukah is an annual vaccination of light to keep ourselves healthy enough to dispel darkness.

On the first night of Chanukah we light one flame. We add a flame each successive night until we have a glorious extravaganza of light emanating from our menorah on the eighth night. Why don’t we increase the total light on this holiday by kindling eight flames every night?

Simple arithmetic reveals that lighting correctly requires a total of 36 flames. It is no coincidence that the word light appears 36 times in the Torah. It is also no coincidence that the first word in the Bible possessing the numerical value of 36 (each Hebrew letter is a number as well) is the Hebrew word AYEKA, meaning “Where are you?” which God asks Adam after his sin.

Needless to say, God knows where Adam is hiding. The question was not an attempt to discover Adam’s physical whereabouts but instead it was God admonishing Adam to reflect on his spiritual condition.

That word echoes down the ages as God asks each one of us every day, “Where are you?” The message of the 36 bright flames, increasing by one each night, is that you dispel darkness by achieving just a bit more today than you did yesterday. Remaining in one place is just a slower way of moving in the wrong direction. Staying the same is an illusion, not reality. That is simply the way God created the world.

Anticipation

Sometimes God answers "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes "wait."

Anticipation. Waiting. Expecting. Hoping. Waiting some more.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." (Eccl. 3:1 NIV)

• Prophecies hundreds of years old telling of a coming Messiah.
• A couple eagerly awaiting the results of a pregnancy test.
• A man hoping and praying his job offer will come through today.
• A child waiting in line for lunch.
• A woman watching her elderly father's life slowly wind down.
• A lonely person waiting for a friend to call.

In so many ways our lives are full of anticipation - sometimes with eagerness for wonderful things, sometimes with dread for hard things. Sometimes our anticipation is for a fairly short amount of time - seconds or minutes - but sometimes it is months, years, even decades.

All anticipation comes with waiting. All waiting comes with time. And all time is the Lord's. Patience may be a virtue, but few of us want to really have our capacity for patience strengthened through long times of anticipation and waiting. Yet, God promises strength in the midst of the waiting.

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isa. 40 NIV)


God does not grow weary. Thanks be to God!

May we not become weary, either, as we wait for God. May we be watchful for what God is doing. May we be prepared as we anticipate the coming of our Lord.

42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Mt. 24 NIV)


God of Infinity,

Thank you for the gift of time - the gift of time to know you, to love you, to serve you. May our days on this earth be used in such a way we further your Kingdom and proclaim your Good News. Thank you for the challenges in our lives. Help us to turn them back to you - to trust you with them, to release and surrender them to you, to strengthen in faith as we await a resolution. Many of us are facing questions or waiting periods, not sure how to proceed in one or more areas of our lives. Help us to hear your Spirit's leading, to be courageous to go where you call, and to rejoice at your presence and path. Pour out your wisdom, discernment, and clarity in our decisions. Strengthen our faith in times of waiting. Grant us grace when we struggle with unbelief. In the strong name of Christ we pray....Amen.

Wisdom & healing

There seem to be two themes in my life right now. First is that of seeking God's wisdom and guidance for decisions to be made. Second is that of needing healing. These themes manefest themselves in different ways - a friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has "weeks or months" left - wanting God's choice for the new lead pastor at our church - another friend whose husband and two children are ill right now - our family needing to make a major decision based on faith ... wisdom, healing. Healing, wisdom. God. It all ties in together.

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near....My word that goes out from my mouth...will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa. 55:6, 11 NIV)

God of Wisdom, Mercy, and Peace,
In many corners of this world people are facing decisions, health crisis, and/or death to this life. Pour out the power of your Spirit into those places. Pour out mercy, healing, and peace upon those struggling with health or end-of-life issues. Pour out wisdom, knowledge, guidance, and peace upon those seeking your way. We claim your promise that your word will not return empty but will accomplish your desires and achieve your purposes. May we seek first your Kingdom and call upon you who is always near for your honor and for the futherance of your Church's ministry here on earth. In the powerful name of Christ we pray.
Amen

The New Norm

I the LORD do not change. (Mal. 3:6a NIV)

²⁹"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12 NIV)

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28 NIV)

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. (John 21 NIV)

⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV)




In the last several months I have done a lot of reading about our current economic/political situation. One very interesting book I read was by a man who was exploring the demographic trends/cycles that led to our current point in history. One comment I see repeated in his writings is "Welcome to the new norm." He says that because of the demographic trends, their resulting economic impact, and the political decisions being made, we can expect about ten years of economic depression. So, therefore, we shouldn't expect our society to go back to the boom years of the 1990's and early 2000's. I've read stories about unemployed people who are still living a lifestyle as if they had that six figure salary -- evidently, they don't realize the New Norm is here to stay.

(By the way, don't let the title scare you; the book is really interesting: "The Great Depression Ahead: How to Prosper in the Crash that Follows the Greatest Boom in History" by Harry S. Dent.)

I think the disciples didn't get the New Norm either. One day they are fishing for a living, collecting taxes, doing normal every-day things. Then in a moment it all changes - a traveling rabbi invites them to "come, follow me" and they leave everything to go with him. They wander around Israel for about three years, listening to his teachings, watching him heal people and cast out demons, witnessing his interactions with the religious leaders at the time. Their time with him seems to culminate as they enter Jerusalem, their Leader on a donkey, surrounded by people praising him. It must have been an amazing moment.

And then, in a few days, it all came crashing down.

Jesus. Dead. Crucified like a criminal. Followers in hiding, fearing for their lives.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

Or.....alive???? Could it be?? Are Peter and John and the Marys right??? IS JESUS ALIVE?

A new norm indeed - has anyone ever risen from the dead???

And then Jesus reappears...and he fixes them a meal on the beach...and he shows them his scars...and he recommissions them to go and make disciples...to feed his sheep...to tell others what they have seen and heard.

Another new norm.


Everyday life. Then life with Jesus. Then life without Jesus. Then life empowered by the Holy Spirit to go tell people about Jesus.

Talk about your "norm" having changed!



The new economic norm we live with is that we must live differently than we did even two years ago. The new norm the disciples lived with is that they had witnessed the greatest event in history - God becoming man and living among us - and then were sent to tell people about it.

But some things haven't changed. The disciples call to go and make disciples is also our call. The imperative to go to the ends of the earth with the Good News of Jesus Christ is also ours. The commandment to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves remains. God does not change.


We may not have wanted a "new norm;" some of us did very well under the old "norm." But whether we like it or not it IS here. We either adapt or (figuratively) die. Even though few of us want to change or adapt, just for the fun of it, the good news is that GOD is with us. God does not leave us or forsake us. Instead, God calls us to be strong and courageous:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

Even as we travel into this new norm, we can trust in God's promise that he will be with us wherever we go.


God of strength and courage, give us your heart for the lost, give us your wisdom for ministry, give us your viewpoint of our circumstances. And may our lives be a pleasing offering to you. Amen.

All balled up

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. (Gen. 2:6 NLT)

I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you. (from Isa. 43 MSG)

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:17 MSG)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Mt. 11:28 NIV)


It seems in my life that every so often I find my spirit/soul/mind/emotions all balled up. I get myself into a place where I'm too busy, too scattered, too unorganized, too overwhelmed, too....something. And then something will remind me to take a step back and just breathe.

Breathe.

Or I get balled up in discontentedness or some sort of restlessness. (The last two times I went through a major spell of that we ended up with subsequent babies. :)) But I remember a time in my life when I was chaffing against a perceived life-not-going-anywhere time. A very wise friend reminded me that maybe God was calling me to rest.

Rest.

By nature I want to be somehow on the move - not necessarily physically, but feeling that my life has momentum and purpose. And, yet, I get reminded that I am a human "BEING" not human "DOING." And, besides, every life has value just because God created it. So whether I'm being productive or not, I am still precious and valued.

Precious.

God, help us remember today to breathe in your Spirit, to rest in your arms of love, to know deep in our being that we are precious and loved by you. Amen.

Freedom 2

My husband and I have a favorite movie that probably seems odd, since it was made before even our parents were born - "Holiday Inn" with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. (Awesome movie I highly recommend!) In the movie the main characters are tired of working every day plus holidays in "show business," so one decides to open "Holiday Inn" - a venue that will only be open on holidays. This song is from the July 4th show:

SONG OF FREEDOM
Freedom, freedom
That's my song for today
Listen to this American troubador from the U.S.A.
I'm singing a song of freedom
For all people who cry out to be free
Free to sail the seven seas
Free to worship as we please
If the birds up in the trees can be free
Why can't we?
I'm bringing a song of freedom
To all people wherever they may be
Free to speak and free to hear
Free from want and free from fear
Sons of freedom far and near who agree
Sing with me
That all God's children shall be free
[By Irving Berlin for "Holiday Inn" (1942)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4841GZL5AhA]

I think we can agree that freedom isn't free. Our Founding Fathers and their generation fought a long and bloody battle with England in order to gain independence. Eighty years later an even more bloody battle was fought that, in part, ended in the freeing of slaves. Eighty years later there was a second "world war" to free people from tyrants like Hitler and Mussolini. And the fight for freedom continues around the world today in different places and different ways. I don't believe that the human condition is such that anyone can say they want to be a slave to someone else. So, the quest for freedom in its many forms goes on.

I guess that part of my prayer today comes right from that song:

For all people who cry out to be free
Free to speak and free to hear

Free from want and free from fear
That all God's children shall be free

Those whom the Son has set free are free indeed. May all your children be free. Lord Christ, may it be so. Amen.

Freedom

Today is Veteran's Day, usually a day which goes by with a quick internal recognition of the price generations have paid for these United States -- and a grumble about the Post Office or Bank being closed for the day. But for several days I've been thinking about freedom - both cultural/societal as a U.S. citizen and that freedom we gain from Christ. I will save my strong concerns about our freedom as US citizens for another blog. Instead, I will, too, thank God for the men, women, and families who have fought, served, and persevered in order to maintain these United States.

But, because my citizenship on earth is relatively temporary and I have a permanent citizenship as part of Jesus' family, my thoughts and prayers head in that direction. Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36 NIV) My first freedom - and therefore my first allegiance - must be to Christ. Tommy Walker said it this way (and I agree):, "My allegiance and devotion, my heart's desire and all emotion go to serve the Man who died upon that tree"*. After all, "the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor. 3:17 NIV) So, Spirit, grant me your freedom.


As we know, though, there are still many who live without freedom, especially spiritual freedom. And we are called, at least in part, to proclaim that freedom to those in bondage:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (Isa. 61:1 NIV)


You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:13 NIV)


Maker, Father, Savior, Redeemer, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder,Free-er:

All praise to you, Lord God for the beauty of your Creation and we, your Created.

With thanks we remember our freedom from death and sin. Thank you for the gift of grace.

Spirit of the Lord, be present and give us our spiritual freedom.
May we preach the good news to the poor in spirit.
May we help to bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners.
May we serve each other in love.
May all our allegiance and devotion go to serve Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen.




*("Only A God Like You," (c) 2000 Integrity's Praise! Music).

Prayer for a friend

Dear Friend,

Your husband asked me to write a letter of encouragement to you as you attend a special women's retreat at your church this weekend. I think I will pray over you and let the Word of God work within your heart and mine.



"Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water!
Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
Buy without money—everything's free!

Why do you spend your money on junk food,
your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
fill yourself with only the finest.

Pay attention, come close now,
listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.

Seek God while he's here to be found,
pray to him while he's close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
God's Decree.
"For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

"So you'll go out in joy,
you'll be led into a whole and complete life. (From Isa. 55 MSG)


Spirit of the Living, Loving God, as my friend enters into this weekend I pray first that she will be at peace with leaving the rest of her world behind for this short period of time. Help her to entrust her family into your care and to fully submit herself to your Spirit and grace.

I pray for her mind this weekend to not be cluttered by the cares of this world, but to be focused on your Voice, your Will, your Way.

I pray for her body this weekend that if she's struggling against any germ or allergy, you would heal her from that and return her to full health. I pray against any contaminates that would come against her and distract her from her focus this weekend.

I pray for her emotions this weekend, that where she needs healing you would be her Balm of Gilead. Where she needs comfort you would be her Comforter and turn her mourning into dancing. Where she needs peace, that you would calm the storm. Where she needs joy, may you fill her so full that her joy is overflowing.

I pray for her spirit this weekend. If there are specific questions she's asking, Lord hear her and answer her. If there are specific things you want to say to her this weekend, give her spiritual ears to know you, hear you, and respond. If there is a time and a way in which she can just relax into your arms of love and crawl up into her Abba Father's lap, Lord meet her there and hold her lovingly. May she go out with joy and be led forward in a whole and complete life.

I pray that your will would be done and your Kingdom come through this weekend. May you be honored and glorified in this time.

Amen.

turmoil

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning..." (Ps. 30:5)

The ministry to moms at our church is preparing for our next meeting. We are talking about parenting during turmoil. Would you join me in praying for those in our world who are in turmoil?

GOD who is IN CONTROL

who is all-knowing
all-powerful
mysterious
personal
paradox
Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider...

We pray for provision, wisdom, guidance, and PEACE to those in our world experiencing whatever kind of turmoil...

For those experiencing economic struggles

job loss

economic crash

greed

hunger

doubt about economic stability

May they have the faith of the widow friend of Elijah and trust God for finances, food, and provision.

For those experiencing worldly trials

terrorism

wars

political unrest

injustice

human slavery

famine

persecution

blizzard, hurricane, tornado, typhoon

May they have the faith of David as he was chased by Saul and call out to you for help. May they have the faith of those in the Exile to hold on and keep the faith even when you seem silent and distant.

For those going through family struggles

divorce

death

illness

moving

addictions & substance abuse

infertility

surprise pregnancies

truly troubled teens

mental illness

May they have the faith of Mary and Martha to call to Jesus for help. May they have the peace of Hannah, Sarai, and Elizabeth to accept God's plans for their lives. May they be like the woman who hemorrhaged 12 years and reach out in faith to touch the hem of your garment and be healed.

For those struggling with spiritual issues

unanswered prayer

attack of evil

temptation

sin & its consequences

unsaved loved ones

May they be like the widow talking to the unjust judge and persevere - keep calling out to God for help - put on the armor of God and run with endurance the race set before them. May they continually be seeking God, trusting more deeply, surrendering more fully, and living more godly.

May we remember the ultimate turmoil of the Cross Jesus suffered for us and remember, again, to praise in the midst of the storm.

Turn our sorrow into joy we pray....in the strong name of Christ. Amen

"Desert Song" by Brooke Frasier

(c) 2008 Hillsongs

Chorus 1

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 1

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Verse 3

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Misc 1

(BRIDGE)
All of my life in every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
(REPEAT)

Verse 4

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

If you can, check out this video of the song "Desert Song"; one of the worship leaders gives her testimony and it's powerful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE33ejdgWIY