Sunday, December 9

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 72; Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12; Roman 15:4-13; Psalm 7

One thing that has saddened me deeply as a Christian is the way that Christianity got co-opted by a small group of Christians and used for very specific, very political, very personal gains in the 1980’s and 1990’s. This group was totally obsessed with gaining political power and privilege and didn’t care whose lives were destroyed in the process. Sadly, because they loudly trumpeted their faith, many in our society came to believe over those two decades that that was what Christianity stood for: mean-spiritedness and divisiveness. Thankfully, today’s words from Isaiah remind us that this is NOT what God intended; for the prophet’s words lay out very clearly the sort of effect the promised Messiah would have. God pointed us toward a Messiah whose presence would cause the wolf to lie with the lamb – the leopard with the goat – the calf and the lion and the yearling – the cow with the bear – the infant and the cobra. If Isaiah re-appear and share the effects of the Messiah in our language, I can only envision how that vision might look: the Republican would get along with the Democrat – the straight with the gay – the citizen with the immigrant – the pro-life with the pro-choice... The list of polarzied and hostile camps these days unfortunately could go on and on. Such a vision would be the very embodiment of Good News! This holiday season, my fervent hope and prayer is that each of us will give God the very best Christmas presents possible: peace, harmony, and humility. Til next time.

Saturday, December 8

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 28; Isaiah 5:8-12, 18-23; John 1:29-42; Romans 3:21-31; Psalm 49

Within many church circles, there is a name for some folks who visit churches only occasionally. That name is CE Christians. The C and E stand for Christmas and Easter. The name means these are folks who come to church only for these two special occasions. That name speaks of a larger cultural dynamic at work that seems to motivate folks at these times of the year to try to draw closer to God. Today’s words from Romans draws into question that notion that it is ever WE who draw closer to God. In Romans 3:28, Paul says: “What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade” (The Message). In my old Wesleyan circles, this act of God’s reaching out first is called prevenient grace – the grace that comes BEFORE our response that makes it possible for us to even respond in the first place. This holiday as you are tempted to try “running the parade” in preparation for Christmas, take a moment and stop. Remind yourself who has really done the work this – and every- holiday season. Now resume your activities: this time not driven by a spirit of manic urgency but rather a spirit of gratitude. Til next time…

Friday, December 7

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 80; Isaiah 5:1-7; John 1:19-28; Revelation 5:1-10; Psalm 40

One of the most frustrating aspects of living in the modern age for me as a mystic is resisting the urge modernists have to neatly define everything – including God. Lost in the modernist approach toward life is the reality that some things – by their very definition – defy definition. I can think of nothing where this is more true than of God. The psalmist beautifully captures this truth in the 40th Psalm when he wrote in verse 3: “More & more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.” The natural response to this mystery? “I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither number nor words account for you” (Psalm 40:5 – The Message). While many modern folks are uncomfortable without having things neatly defined, I can think of no time better than Christmas to abandon yourself to the mystery we call God. Think about the many times your experience of God transcends definition during this season: the feeling you get in your heart when you watch your child excitedly open a gift; the emotion you feel when you sing “Silent Night” by candlelight at the Christmas Eve service; that moment when you walk out of the Christmas Eve service at midnight and your breath is taken away by the cold and the calm. Each of these experiences testifies to the truth of the psalmists’ words. This Christmas season I invite you to resist the urge to define God and instead abandon yourself to the Mystery. Til next time…

Thursday, December 6

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 76; Isaiah 4:2-6; John 1:6-13; Acts 10:9-16; Psalm 43

Lot’s of folks have a “wish list” when it comes to Christmas: things that they desire but seem well beyond their reach. For some this list might include an expensive flat-screen high definition TV; for others it might be a diamond ring; for still others, it might be a trip to another country. There’s one such thing that is on most people’s list that’s so elusive that – over the years – they’ve completely forgotten to even include it on such a wish list. That item is total love and acceptance. Over the years we’ve become so use to living with others’ expectations of who we are that gradually we begin to give up on the notion that anyone can love us for who we REALLY are. Instead, we settle for letting them love and appreciate the person they think we are. Luckily in today’s Gospel reading from John, we are reminded of One who does in fact love us for who we are. In the prologue, the author uses these words to describe the dynamic around the coming of Jesus: “But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, he made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves” (John 1:12 - The Message). As we prepare ourselves once again to receive the coming of the Christ-child, we can give thanks for the one who not only allows us to be our true selves, but who actually helps make that possible. May our experience of the Christ-child this year awaken us to the fact that we can cross at least one item off our wish-list. Til next time…