Time After Time

Time After Time

 

John 1:29-42

Christ revealed as the Lamb of God 

 

1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 

1:30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'

 

1:31 I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."

 

1:32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

 

1:33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

 

1:34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One."

 

1:35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

 

1:36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"

 

1:37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

 

1:38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

 

1:39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

 

1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

 

1:41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).

 

1:42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

 

When is the last time you thought much about time? What IS it? In how many ways does it affect me? Can I control it, in any way? We’ve all heard the various cliches about time: “A stich in time saves nine,” “A watched kettle never boils,” “Time flies when you’re having fun,” “Time heals all wounds,” “Time is money.” There are songs about time, poems about time, movies about time and time travel, and Lord only knows how much personal anxiety is raised over time, meeting schedules, and arriving somewhere on time! Why, just the other night, I was heading to a meeting in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, from my home in Southern Butler County, expecting that the traffic South on I-79 and Rt. 376 would be light, because most of it was coming NORTH during rush hour (my meeting was at 6:00PM). I hadn’t counted on it being a HOCKEY NIGHT in Pittsburgh! And while my timely attendance at this meeting wasn’t crucial to its core purpose, I DO like to arrive on time, so I had left my house almost an hour and fifteen minutes beforehand. And while I arrived at almost exactly 6:00PM, my anxiety level was heightened, probably a leftover from my “working days” of ministry when I was often leading the meeting! (Of course, it could have just been elevated by my personal preference to be “on time” at everything I do?)

 

I like those movies or TV sci-fi shows that do something with time, either controlling it, traveling in it, or being trapped by it, in some way. “Time After Time” is a favorite, a reworking of H.G. Wells’ classic, “The Time Machine,” that involves Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, Jack the Ripper, and a stolen time machine. (If that doesn’t get your juices flowing, you need to shock your heart back into sinus rhythm!) Think of all the episodes of Star Trek TOS that involved time and time travel, or the mega-popular trilogy of films around the “Back to the Future” theme. Time DOES entertain us, one way or another. 

 

Dara and I are putting together material for a class we are leading at St. Paul’s UMC on “Native American Spirituality and Heritage,” and as part of this preparation, I was watching a webcast of an interview with a Native American author and commentator. As she was discussing a question about “prophecy,” she related how Native Americans understand time as something that “wraps around” us, and is not just a linear construct. By viewing time as an embracing factor, it means that our ancestors—both past and future—are held close to us, and we are in position to “hear” what they have to teach us. In this “hearing,” Native Americans find prophecy, both to warn them of foolish decisions or remind them of what has blazed helpful trails in the past. To imagine time as something that embraces us is a helpful spiritual component, not just for my own spiritual practice, but as an understanding of time, itself. 

 

The great physicists of the past century (this seems more prudent than always deferring to just “Einstein”) have boggled our minds with theories about the fluid and “relative” nature of time, scientifically. I get that, and will never cease to be amazed with what they tell us. In fact, as an amateur astronomer, I am able to “look back in time” using my various telescopes. Just the other night, I imaged a galaxy that is 30,000 light years from Earth, meaning that the light from it which I recorded had been traveling over 30,000 years to get here. That body may not even EXIST anymore, so I may have actually been looking back in time. As one who loves to gaze at the cosmos, I can clearly see how the physicists began postulating that in space, time is a “relative” thing. (Full disclosure: what people like Einstein and Stephen Hawking theorized about time and space goes WAY beyond not just the realities of “light years,” and way beyond my ability to fully comprehend their wider work!)

 

Why all this talk of time? Well, when it comes to “God stuff,” time is also a quite relative thing. Theologians and Bible scholars theorize that God “has always been”—had no beginning, and will have no end. Isn’t this among the “basics” we believers are all taught about God? So, if we believe in an “infinite” being, how does our temporal nature stack up against this? Today’s text has a very interesting and cryptic statement made by John the Baptist, who may be trying to tie together our existence with the reality of a divine, infinite Creator. In referring to Jesus, who is approaching John to be baptized, John says, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” What in the world is John trying to tell us? 

 

One possibility is that this is John’s way of announcing that the infinite has stepped into the realm of the temporal. Jesus was not just “before” John, but before all of humanity, which we Christians believe he had a hand in creating. This same Jesus, who was born of Mary, was baptized by John, walked among us, was tried, put to death, and rose from the darkness of death to life again, was “before” all that we understand as the created order. Sure sounding a bit “Einsteiny” and “Hawking-like” to me! For we humans, whose experience of the linear passage of time colors how we understand time, this starts to get a bit crazy. It’s quite puzzling from our limited perspective how an eternal, infinite being could step into our temporal existence, be terminated, and then rejoin the infinite. Perhaps this is why we call it “faith”? John, who was no Rhodes Scholar, is possibly describing this tenet of our faith in one compact sentence! Here is what he is saying: 

 

“The man you are about to meet has been around since the beginning of time as part of the eternal godhead. He has been born into our temporal world in order to interact with us, understand our time-locked journey, teach us, heal us, redeem us, and love us. He participated in our creation, was deeply hurt by our selfish response to his goodness, and yet still wants to know us more intimately, and “reconnect” us with his eternal ‘Father.’” 

 

And for this, we killed him. I’m sure it’s another “mystery” of time that we don’t understand how much of the trial and killing of Jesus was part of some plan, or just another violent human response to someone’s best intentions, and whether God wanted it to go down like that, or out of love and grace, “rescued” humanity from their blood-thirsty error. I tend to go with the latter, as I do NOT believe that “everything happens for a reason.” Instead, I believe that in Jesus Christ, God KEEPS intervening in the human condition and KEEPS rescuing us from our selfish folly. In Jesus Christ, the one who was “before” will welcome us into the divine realm “after.” 

 

It should not fall on deaf ears that John’s was a baptism of repentance, and this may be exactly why Jesus chose to be baptized by him—as an example during his temporal experience that, going forward, humans will need to understand both repentance and redemption. We will have many opportunities to “turn our lives Godward” (a definition of repentance) and Jesus will be there to meet us with forgiveness and redemption! When Paul says there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” he is tapping into this great eternal/temporal/eternal “cycle” of God’s redeeming work in Christ. May we not obfuscate it unnecessarily by doctrines, dogmas, and rules seeking to be “gatekeepers” of who is eligible. Please. Let God be God. We have enough on our hands being temporal, human, and trying to live by faith.

 

In this great biblical drama, we have all the time in the world, but are led by the Spirit to “get it right,” day by day. This is the “time riddle” of the Jesus who was “before,” is “now here,” and will be forever after. Accept it, my friends. Learn, live, and love, and let God handle the heavy lifting! Amen.

 

Legacy

 Legacy

Acts 10:34-43

Jesus' ministry after his baptism 

 

10:34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality,

 

10:35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him. 

 

10:36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all.

 

10:37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:

 

10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

 

10:39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,

 

10:40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,

 

10:41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

 

10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.

 

10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

 

 

Legacies are interesting things. Most all of us would want to leave a legacy, of some sort, after we’re gone from this earth. Some might want external peripherals like statues or buildings named after us, while others would be happy to just be remembered by their loved ones for loving them back, and earnestly. For me, I hope my career in ministry has touched more lives positively than negatively, and that maybe someone is closer to God because of what I preached and did my best to model. On that note, I would say that the legacy I already know I’m leaving behind is the lives and witness of our two children, both of whom are wonderful people, responsible citizens, and people of rich, curious, and abiding faith. Again, I hope I had some hand in modeling this for them, but I’m darn sure their mother did! She is my other legacy! That she chose to live her life out walking beside me is maybe the greatest honor I could ever have. 

 

What about you? Have you thought much about the kind of legacy you will leave behind? Don’t wait until it’s too late to look into this, my friends. If there are some unresolved “rough spots” in key relationships, resolve them. If you have procrastinated in something you set as a goal for yourself, it’s never too late to do it, or at least give it a try. 

 

I believe I told you in an earlier sermon about the chair I have named after me in a university? No, I LITERALLY have a chair named after me, or in my honor, as they say. I served on the campus ministry board at Robert Morris University, while serving the United Methodist Church in Coraopolis. During that time, I led that board through a re-visioning process, and helped them define better what their mission was, at that time. Together, we also worked with the college leadership to build a new chapel on campus, a place where students of all religions could gather for meditation, worship, conversation, or counseling. I volunteered one morning per week to “staff” the office at the new chapel, in case students wanted to stop by or email questions or concerns. When we moved from Coraopolis to Sharon, PA, the campus ministry board purchased one of the “fancy” new chairs being procured for that chapel, and affixed a plate to it, saying it was in my honor as a leader in campus ministry from 1997-2003. So I DO have that going for me! 

 

Today’s message is about legacies, but most especially that of Jesus Christ, his life and ministry, and of the church which he hoped would be not just his “body” in the world, but also his continuing legacy. Peter is recounting what he understands to be this legacy, as part of his testimony here in the tenth chapter of Acts. It has several parts:

 

God shows no partiality: God will be God to all who wish to acknowledge Yahweh as their deity and redeemer. In Jesus Christ, there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, as Paul says in Galatians, the point being that God shows no partiality in either God’s work of redemption or in the body of Christ, the church. Where there are lines drawn separating those who are “acceptable” and those who are not, they are drawn by US, not God! In John 3:16, Jesus himself makes it very clear who his “target audience” is: “the world.” In Romans 8, Paul says that NOTHING shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I confess that I get so tired of those who judge, grade, or otherwise “sort out” who is worthy of God’s blessings or favor. Is it a “values” thing that causes them to do this? Does it make them feel in some way “special” by making sure that their worthiness of redemption is better than someone else’s? Is it a type of queuing, whereby the redeemed “get ahead” by believing that there are those lower “down the ladder” because they are “less obedient,” “less righteous,” or less deserving than they? This juvenile behavior keeps bringing me back to Rodney King, who said—just before he got his brains beat in by the cops—“Why can’t we just all get along?” Yes, why CAN’T we?

 

Peace through Jesus Christ: Is this not what we all seek, peace? Don’t we all want to find that “happy place” where threats, fears, and even nagging doubts don’t keep us up at night? And don’t we want to believe that, if there indeed is a God over all the universe, that we are within God’s creating, loving embrace? This was the central message Jesus Christ brought to the world—we CAN be at peace with God! AND this inner peace could lead to healed relationships, genuine friendships, loving families, and supportive communities of faith, not to mention PEACE between nations! Why is it so hard to see that peace is the key to all of this, and that Christ is the Prince of Peace? Many years ago, as a college student in my freshman year, I had a jarring, yet cathartic “reckoning” with God that shook me to my very core. As I began to unpack this experience, I began to read my Bible rather voraciously, AND felt compelled to visit my school’s library for further guidance. Being that it was a secular institution, the “religious books” section was about as long as my arm, but one book almost literally jumped off the shelf at me. It was “Peace with God,” written by Billy Graham. I devoured that, too, and it provided me with an excellent foundation for what was now growing in me as an “adult” manifestation of Christian faith. (I realize that Franklin Graham has so besmirched the name of “Graham” that this may seem like an unusual endorsement, but I DO have a much higher opinion of the father than the son, regarding authentic Christianity!) In this book, Billy Graham mapped out a few simple principles of forgiveness, redemption, and “living out” the love of God which we first RECEIVE as a gift, and then PASS ON as an “ambassador for Christ,” to borrow Paul’s words. In conclusion to this section, I would say that the best measure of the authenticity of someone’s faith witness is, does it seek peace? Or is it fostering division, modeling judgementalism, and declaring the unworthiness of some other group of people? If the latter, it is best to steer clear, or at least give that person or faction time to “come to themselves” and mature. It IS important, though, to also realize that even GOD’S peace cannot be fully apprehended without also working for justice, for the injustices that leave some in the cold while rewarding others will prevent any measure of corporate peace, and might even harden the individual to the saving peace of Christ Jesus. All true justice work is peace work, essentially. 

 

Christ’s true legacy: Peter says it quite plainly in this narrative, as did John Wesley, when he told his preachers, “Offer them Christ.” All of us ARE “ambassadors for Christ,” and as such, we are called to herald the grace of God available to ALL without limits. As the old hymn says, “we’ve a story to tell to the nations,” and it begins with our person to person witness, or as one of my mentors told me, “one beggar telling another beggar how to find bread.” We DO have a story, and now have an opportunity to LIVE it and TELL it, or at the very least, invite others to join us on this journey of faith. As a pastor, I used to regularly remind folk that 85 to 90% of people who said they visited a church the first time, it was because they were personally invited by someone. So, if you are a bit sheepish about sharing your own faith story (at least at first), invite them to your church! 

 

The story we have is one of acceptance, love, forgiveness, grace, and the life-changing Spirit of God, a God who shows NO partiality, and desires that “none should perish.” Let me unpack that, for a moment. People are “perishing” all around us, and I don’t mean “going to hell,” as I believe Christ has already closed that door. They are perishing by living lives of “quiet desperation,” as one author has said, or by spending so MUCH of their waking hours LOOKING for something to give their lives meaning, or at least MORE meaning. Some are just bored, hoping for a spiritual lift to light a better pathway for them. Some are feeling rejected, unloved, or even totally disenfranchised by the society around them. (If you don’t believe this, just seek out a conversation with a transgendered individual, or a person of color who sees their possibilities being increasingly limited by leadership labeling them “DEI” and cancelling them, outright!) Believe me, a story or message about a God who “shows no partiality” will preach, my friends! Unfortunately, because this is NOT the God that is making headlines right now.

 

I started by asking you about YOUR legacy. Let us end by trying to imagine CHRIST’S legacy, which he had hoped would be the church. The church is in a sad state, Dear ones. In the case of my United Methodist Church, we have been riddled by disaffiliation, and may be in danger of collapsing under the weight of our own rules and bureaucracy. We are not alone. Not only are other denominations struggling, but I read recently where even the “independent” mega-churches are beginning to see that their message is falling on deaf ears, mostly because of the bad impressions Christianity is getting from “Christians” backing some of the hateful, harmful, and dividing actions of our national leadership. This is not the kind of peace people are needing or seeking, friends. If we don’t get this turned around and help others rediscover the TRUE love and grace of in impartial, all-embracing God, as evidenced by the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then we are guilty of destroying the very legacy Jesus wanted to leave!

 

With this in mind, my final appeal is that THE CHURCH OF JESUS needs you! Get more involved with your local congregation and its ministries. Help germinate new outreach efforts. And make part of YOUR legacy your generous giving to support these ministries and mission! YOU may be the one to make all the difference to turning the church around and becoming something Christ would be proud to see as his legacy. So, there’s our choice, at least according to Peter in this text: LEGACY or LIABILITY. You choose, Dear Ones. Amen.

Switch

 

Switch

 

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

God with us 

 

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

 

1:3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being

 

1:4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

 

1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

 

1:6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

 

1:7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

 

1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

 

1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

 

1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.

 

1:11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

 

1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,

 

1:13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

 

1:14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

 

1:15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")

 

1:16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

 

1:17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

 

1:18 No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

 

Back in the 1970s, there was a Glenn Larson TV series called “Switch,” that ran for about three years. Eddie Albert (of “Green Acres” fame) and Robert Wagner (later of “Austin Powers” fame) played a former bunco cop and an ex-con, respectively, who form a detective agency together. With Charlie Callas as a restauranteur and master of disguise, the show was a hoot. Shows like this, and movies like “Trading Places” have always caught my attention, as they activate that part of our brain that likes to contemplate what such extreme “shifts” or “switches” would look like. Isn’t part of our fantasy world to occasionally “imagine” what life would look like in another form or field of work? When we hear of someone winning $gazillions in the lottery, don’t we take a little mental detour to think about what WE would do, were that us? I read this week where the Powerball lottery is up to over $1 billion, and here is my plan, were I to win something like that: take the lump sum (about $500 million); pay the necessary federal taxes (about $250 million); find the easiest way to gift each of my adult children with $10 million, each; give my church $10 million to pay for its capital campaign; give my seminary $10 million; use $150 million to begin a benevolent foundation that offers annual grants to non-profit, justice-oriented causes; and invest $60 million for later, and to provide some serious “walking around” money for me and the Mrs. By the way, the time it took to share this “plan” with you took 500 million times longer than my chances of winning the Powerball, odds reduced only infinitesimally by the fact that I don’t buy a ticket.

 

If you weren’t who YOU were, or didn’t do what YOU do with your life, who would you be, or what would you do? Have you ever thought about that? There’s nothing wrong with you, if you have, believe me. I’m sure it’s quite a natural thing, given the immense capacity for dreaming and fantasy our God-engineered brains have. As a kid, I wanted to be a space scientist, of some sort, a dream cut short by my junior high discovery that I wasn’t good at mathematics, and that I basically hated it. In senior high, as it turned out, my theoretical physics aptitude was off the charts, as was my interest, but again, that math thing got in the way. We didn’t have computers yet, and slide rules and I never developed much of a “working” relationship. I did manage straight A’s in an advanced physics class I was selected for, but mostly because we were to pair up with another student in the class (there were only eight of us selected) for all of our work, and I chose a friend who was a whiz at math. We made a great team, although our teacher had fits with our quarterly report papers, as I could be a bit “creative” in my verbiage, turning one of the papers on an electrical project into “The Sterile Farad.” Because our work was exemplary, though, he couldn’t give us anything but an “A,” but he always cautioned me that such literary license would never wash in the field of science at the college level. Later, in graduate school, I was admonished by a professor who said that I “wrote with too much passion,” which I thought a bit odd, given it was theological seminary, and “passion” seemed to be central to our studies, but whatever. Now that we are back to theology, here is where the “switch” comes in.

 

Today’s text is the famous “prologue” to the Gospel of John. And its author tells of the most magnificent “switch” ever! In verse 13, John tells us that as “children of God,” we are “born of God,” “not by blood or flesh.” We are “given the power to become the children of God” by God, not by “the will of man.” We are God’s children in that our “flesh and blood” are superseded by the grace and will of God. The author tells us this to set up the “great switch” coming in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory…full of grace and truth.” There it is! WE are empowered to become CHILDREN of GOD, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, because Jesus Christ, the Son of God and “full member” of the Godhead, BECAME flesh and blood and “tented” among us! Our claim on being children of God would be on dubius ground, if not outright wishful thinking, if it were not for Jesus’ foray into the “far country.” Jesus staged a raid on sin, and defeated it. He snatched life from the evil clutch of death. He broke all of the ”human” rules for deity and touched, and ate, and laughed, and cried with the earthbound “creatures” he had a hand in creating. He suffered at the hands of authoritarian leaders, religious and political; he bled; he died, like any condemned person could. He imagined a “kindom” where all people truly mattered, and lived at their best when ALL could do so, equally. He promised a life no longer earthbound, and no longer handcuffed to the ticking of a clock or the setting of the sun. He opened the “gate” between the realm of humanity and that of deity, first crossing into our world, not just to bless, but to BE, and to BE with us! Because of HIS “switch,” we have been forever “switched” as well, from persecuted, tempted, and sin-ravaged “bloody people” to eternal lifers in the heavenlies, with only the blood of Christ shared among us. 

 

A new year is upon us, but as this “Great Switch” that is redeeming us is yet unfolding, every day is a “new year” to the Christian believer. And working for full inclusion and acceptance for all of God’s children is the “blood oath” passed on to us by Jesus, himself. Paul said “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” It was Jesus’ “switch” that started this process, and we are left to continue carrying it out. Discovering the common ground between ALL of us, regardless of anything that “in the flesh” might separate us, or give one group credence or privilege over another, is the “Jesus command.” The work that continues to “reconcile the world” to Godself is Jesus’ work, not ours. We are its messengers, and its heralds, not its lawmakers or its arbiters.

 

As we begin this new year, each of us is compelled to ask ourselves, “Do I BELIEVE that God wants to embrace ALL of humanity?” If we still harbor divisive or judgmental thoughts (or even boundaries?) against those of other creeds, nations, ethnic origins, sexual orientation, or level of economic fortune, we have our own “switch” cut out for us. Until we conquer this “queuing” attitude, we are not living into our call to BE children of God. As long as we yield to the Holy Spirit of God, we have an open spigot to the GRACE of God that first crossed the threshold into “blood time” in Jesus Christ. Our way over that threshold into GOD’S time is paved with this grace, a grace that IS available to all, even before they know about it. Mr. Wesley called this “prevenient grace,” the offer and understanding of which is Methodism’s great contribution to the Christian faith.

 

A line from an old cigarette commercial from my childhood became quite famous: “I’d rather FIGHT than SWITCH.” In our time, it’s sadly too easy to believe this became the slogan for our time, and not just a TV ad. Now it’s time to turn it around, Dear Ones. In Jesus Christ, who pulled off the greatest “switch” of them all, we are called to make the transformational “switch” that can end the fighting, end the division, and put a serious dent in all of the world’s hatred. May 2026 see us yielding to the Spirit and grace of God, and moving in the right direction—“homeward.” Remember, Grace is the grease of greatness! Amen.

Bonus Sermon: RECOUNT

 

Recount

 

Isaiah 63:7-9

Israel saved by God's own presence 

 

63:7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

 

63:8 For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not act deceitfully," and he became their savior

 

63:9 in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

 

You know, I wasn’t going to write a “year end” sermon, planning instead that my Christmas Eve message would be my last for 2025. But then, I wandered through the December 28 lectionary passages, and Isaiah grabbed me again, so here we go…

 

Trito-Isaiah starts with, “I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord…” isn’t the end of the year a time when we “recount” the things that have happened to us throughout the year? And while we usually “recount” the good things, not all of us have such good memories, especially if the year brought an unexpected challenge, of some sort. Whatever you “recount,” I pray it is with praise, and maybe a prayer or two, for God’s goodness, or at least God’s abiding presence that steers us through the muck and mire that can be “real life.” 

 

Personally, here are a few of my “recountings.” The first half of the year, I was serving as a part-time pastor at Faith Community UMC in Rochester, PA. Having stated that when I retired I was going to STAY retired, I did yield to a respected colleague (who was also a District Superintendent), and took this assignment for one year, commencing in the Summer of 2024. It was truly a blessed experience. At Faith Community I met some of the nicest, most deeply Christian people I have ever encountered, and it was a pleasure to be their pastor. I kept telling myself that this was a temporary appointment, and that I had to be careful to not “launch” things that might be a problem for my inevitable successor. I did my best to offer inspiration, knowledge, and a moral boost to a church deeply affected by the disaffiliation. And these people loved Dara and me in return. I think we received the better end of the deal, frankly. Still, I hope we made a difference, in some way. 

 

Another thought just raced through my easily-distracted brain: as United Methodist clergy, ALL of our assignments are “temporary,” as we serve in an itinerant ministry, knowing full well that we WILL be moving on, and often sooner than we expect. We truly serve a “sojourning” style of ministry, which means we are at our best when we arrive, quickly ascertain how our gifts and grace “fits in” to the needs of the congregation, and then get at the work of offering the unique “vision” these may bring to that congregation. Since my average length of appointment was six years throughout my 37 years of ministry, at about the Fall of year five, I would begin my exit strategy, writing in the church newsletter about how this may be my “swan song,” and that we should begin to finish up our work together, and prepare for the one the Bishop and/or God (not to confuse the two) may send next. 

 

One funny story: I wrote that newsletter article in the September 2008 edition of the church scandal sheet of First UMC, Sharon, PA, and a couple of weeks after it appeared, I attended the board of an ecumenical ministry in the Shenango Valley. It’s president—a female colleague from the AME church—grabbed me after the meeting and asked, “Hey, I read your newsletter article. Do you know something we DON’T?” (As a member of an itinerant ministry herself, she had quickly picked up the “moving on” vibe.) I assured her that it was just “planning ahead,” and that I had no official knowledge that I would be moving in 2009. As I was offering this assurance, my cell phone was vibrating. As you can guess, when I got to the parking lot and looked at the phone, it had been my D.S. calling, and I WAS going to be moving, but in January, not in July! Who said God has no sense of humor?

 

Back to recounting…After finishing up my work at Faith Community UMC in June, I “re-retired,” and honestly, this gave me a fresh appreciation for the freedom of this status, all over again! I wasn’t expecting this sudden sense of liberation. When I retired the first time from St. Paul’s, we were just emerging from COVID, and I was anxious about how strongly that great congregation would continue to recover from the pandemic. Our leadership team and church staff had truly been “all in” on guiding it through the crisis, and I felt good about where the church was, as I was stepping down, partly because of the wonderful team that would continue, and partly because God and/or the Bishop (not to confuse the two) had appointed as the new Lead Pastor. Believe me, there could have been no one better chosen, and I was thrilled. But I retired “on line” and I admit that with Annual Conference being via Zoom, the nice letter from the Bishop, a retirement pin in the mail, and an online photo of yours truly was a poor substitute for the usual “retirement service,” which I always enjoyed watching from the cheap seats. Now, “Retirement II: The Sequel” was a sweet experience, and I returned to my busy “curriculum” of activities I had written for myself early on. 

 

In 2025, Dara and I took a couple of cruises, including a nine-day one to Hawaii in October, after which we spent two weeks with our daughter’s family in Kailua. I am writing this “bonus” sermon from my son’s sofa in Fairbanks, Alaska, where we have been spending two weeks with him over the holidays. Please don’t ask what we did wrong that our two adult children moved about as far from us as they could get, as we’re not the catalyst of their geography…at least I don’t THINK we are? We took a cruise to the Bahamas in the Spring of this year, and while in Port Canaveral, I did get to see a rocket launch, which has long been on my bucket list. And since it was a Falcon Nine launch, we also got to see the booster return and hear the sonic boom as it raced back through the atmosphere. 

 

Another highlight for me was venturing more passionately into one of my many hobbies—astronomy. Using two “smart” telescopes, I spent many evenings at home and “on the road” chasing celestial objects and sharing the photos with friends and family via Facebook. I spend most of the night outdoors with my biggest smart telescope the night of the “blood moon” total lunar eclipse, and got some amazing photos. (One of my clergy friends told a visiting grandchild that they didn’t need to stay up for the eclipse as “my friend Jeff” will certainly have some good photos in the morning. Thankfully, I didn’t disappoint.) Toward the end of 2025, I was able to purchase a HUGE, vintage Schmidt Cassegrain optical telescope, which I have restored, and look forward to debuting in the warmer Spring weather. Currently, it is just impressive looking as it takes up much floor space in my cozy study. Stay tuned for some great solar system photos…

 

What about you? What things do you have to “recount” as you look back on 2025? And as you riminess, take care to link your memories to how you see God in all of it, as this is precisely what Third Isaiah is calling Israel to do. Having just passed through the time in the church year when we remember and celebrate God’s inbreaking into our world in Jesus Christ—“God WITH us”—may your recounting draw you closer to the goodness, guidance, and grace of God, Dear Ones! The prophet hopes that Israel will not move forward with much conniving or deceitfulness, but with faith and trust, instead. May our own “recounting” lead us to do likewise, trusting that the salvific element of Jesus Christ is about FAR more than a propitiation for sin, but a true “saving” of our days, our attitudes, our objectives, and our priorities. Frankly, we are all part of an “itinerant” ministry, and we are all sojourners in the basilea of God, so each year is another time, place, and opportunity to be ambassadors for Christ, AND to live lives worth recounting at year’s end.

 

As we get ready to inaugurate a new year, may it be true of us and the church we know and love, as Isaiah prays:

 

It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

 

Amen!

Christmas: Decree

Christmas: Decreed

 

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

God with us 

 

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

 

2:2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

 

2:3 All went to their own towns to be registered.

 

2:4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.

 

2:5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

 

2:6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.

 

2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

 

2:8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 

2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

 

2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:

 

2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

 

2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

 

2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

 

2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

 

2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."

 

2:16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.

 

2:17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child,

 

2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them,

 

2:19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

 

2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

 

[Note: This Christmas message will be my final one for 2025. My next retirement sermon will be for the weekend of January 4, 2026.]

 

What does it mean when something is “decreed”? Since this famous “Christmas” narrative from the second chapter of Luke begins with a “decree” from Caesar Augustus, I suppose we should know. A “decree” is some official order issued by a “legal” authority. We live in a day when all kinds of decrees are being made by people who believe they are “legal authorities,” with whether they are or not being the question of the day. Of course, we often use the word “decree” in a slightly less than formal way: “My wife decreed that we are going to spend our vacation with some of her family,” or “My son just decreed that we must knock before entering his room.” We may not use the word, “decree,” but none of us is immune from “laying down the law” about something in our own little fiefdoms or spheres of influence, are we? Most of us have those moments when we like to test the theory that “words have power.” We may too quickly find out that how MUCH power is more determined by whom is speaking them (or writing them) than by what may be inherent in the words, themselves. In this Christmas passage, the decree by Caesar Augustus gets people on the move to “be taxed” in their home areas, but a much larger “decree” is afoot.

 

It is true that we have turned Christmas into something huge, as human beings wielding our own “decreeing” power. All of it—the shopping epidemics, the brilliantly wrapped presents, the music, the candy and cookies, Santa and the elves, “Chris Kringle,” Der Belsnickel, office parties, decorated trees and houses, obnoxious sweaters—is manmade. Even the idea of Christ being born on “Christmas Day,” or December 25, is. “So what?”, I have always said. One can certainly argue that none of what we revel in during the “Christmas Season” is real, or “glorifying to God” in any way, but it IS a joyous phenomenon that people from the tiniest tots to the oldest of us geezers enjoy and look forward to. I honestly don’t think that God is in God’s heaven shouting down, “STOP THAT! This should be about my SON’S BIRTH, not your merriment and gift-giving!” I believe God gets a kick out of our Christmas celebrations, as long as they are not harmful, and as long as they aim us toward “peace on earth and goodwill towards our fellow human beings.” Ceasefires, gifts given in love, respecting one another’s religious traditions and spending a few moments being happy just because we get to witness someone ELSE being happy—like the children—are not bad things, at all. I’ve never been impressed by people who attempted to rain on our Christmas parade by “decreeing” what they believe the sole (or soul?) purpose of Christmas to be, or by others who have attempted to “Grinch” it away because they don’t believe in it. There is something very “Gospel,” after all, with the old libertarian expression, “Live and let live.” When it comes to decrees about Christmas, here are a few of my own, and may you feel free to make a list of a few of yours.

 

My negative Christmas decrees (let’s get them out of the way, first):

 

I decree that that song about “Last Christmas I gave you my heart, and the very next day you gave it away” should never again be played. It’s the most depressing song since “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” 

 

I decree that the paper and ribbon leavings from open gifts should be thrown away. If they are to be recycled at all, let it be in the blue bins, not folded to be reused. 

 

I decree that Christmas in the church should be celebrated as the birth of the Christ Child into the world; leave the crucifixion out of it. With this in mind, deep six that song about how “Mary’s child” will “soon be saving her.” Why is it that we so want to compress both our history and our theology into one, compact, neatly wrapped “gift”? Let the story unfold, people. Savor its depth and its “mythical” qualities, even if it’s not all “good Bible.”

 

I decree that it is OK to accept a gift without developing some kind of a anaphylactic reaction causing a “reciprocation” anxiety. Sometimes people just want to give a gift out of genuine love, or the joy of doing it. When they see it has evoked a false fear in us—“But I didn’t get YOU anything!”—it sucks the joy out of their experience. 

 

I decree that it is not against some kind of universal Christmas law to NOT make your children to have to “believe in Santa Claus.” We taught our children that the gifts they receive are from “people who love you very much.” The corollary to this is also true—don’t SPOIL it for children and their parents who DO perpetuate the Santa Claus legend. Remember the earlier “Gospel” of “Live and let live”?

 

Now, here are a few of my POSITIVE Christmas decrees:

 

I decree that Christmas is a wonderful time to patch up relationships that have sort of taken it on the chin during the year. Do with with apologies, words of affirmation, and with honest confession about your desire to “restart” the relationship. If you truly want to glorify God, here you go.

 

I decree that people should “plan for joy” in the Christmas Season. It’s a time to “stop shoulding all over yourself,” as someone has said, let loose, and have some fun! While having a few Christmas traditions may be meaningful for you, don’t let them become “decrees” of their own that MUST be carried out or “Christmas will be incomplete.” Traditions have a half-life, or at least should. Since the season’s central character is Jesus Christ, take a page out of his life. We have no record that Jesus sat down and prepared a daily agenda of what he “needed” to do. Instead, he encountered people, love them, accepted them, healed them when necessary, and just generally enjoyed being among them. Do thou likewise. And stop worrying about what “God’s plan” is. What Jesus did IS God’s plan. We best “incarnate” Jesus by taking people as they come and seeking to make their lives better via our encounter.

 

I decree that a Christmas Tree is a necessity, and not just because supposedly Martin Luther stuck candles on an evergreen to celebrate the “Light of the World,” which is a bad idea, anyway, according to the fire department. Put up a Christmas tree, of some sort, and celebrate the memories it invokes. If you have cherished ornaments, get them out, dust them off, and adorn your tree with them. If you have “aged out” of putting up a more formal tree, get one of those little ones, or have some friend who is into ceramics make you one of those little “Lite Brite” trees. If you like to trudge through the forest to cut your own sad-looking tree and drag it into your low-ceilinged living room, by all means, DO so! But have a tree. Since the Christmas Tree has become such a symbol of the season, don’t miss that all we do at Christmas IS symbolic, if not of God’s inbreaking, then of our beloved memories, or of the emerging wonder of our children or grandchildren. A Christmas Tree is central to any of this. 

 

I decree that attending a Christmas Eve worship service is essential, as well. Part of our Christmas transformation occurs when we gather with others in our faith community and are reminded as a “body” that we ARE the Body of Christ, thanks to what God did, has done, and is yet doing in our midst. Listen to the story of the shepherds, the young maid Mary, Joseph, the long-suffering “earthly” father of Jesus, and the “babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Sing the hymns of Christmas. If you’re a Methodist, don’t DARE eschew singing Charles Wesley’s masterpiece, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” And do all within your power to keep Christmas Eve church attendance from being a “should.” Go because it is the catalyst of your joy. Go because you can’t NOT sing the great hymns and light a candle to that “Silent Night.” Go, because Christ CAME, and is with us, still.

 

There is one decree that has brought us to this hour—“For God so loved the world that God gave the only Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Makes Caesar Augustus’s decree look like a piker, doesn’t it? Because of this one, great, eternal decree, the angels could do a little “Paul Revere” about what was about to happen, and found the humble shepherds. Because of THIS decree, a great, Godly promise of “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward all people” was spoken into existence, and is headed toward ultimate fulfilment, some of which is left in our hands, by the way. Because God so LOVED the world, we can do everything within our power to joyously celebrate the season, be creative about spreading Christmas cheer across the globe, and do our best to help the universe hear this universal message. Oh, and keep an eye out for those around you who may struggle with the season because of the proximity of a difficult event to it, won’t you? It’s so hard to lose a loved one near December 25, but people do, and their “merrymaking” must be of a different variety, at least until the grief morphs into memory. They most need your understanding, your presence, and maybe an invite for a quiet night with a few close friends. Joy doesn’t have to be loud to touch hearts, after all.

 

I have one more decree for you: Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS, you, your loved ones, your friends, and your church family! And may this be the year when God’s promise of “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward all people” takes a quantum leap forward! Amen. 

Advent IV: Belong

Advent Four: Belong

 

Romans 1:1-7

Paul's greeting to the church at Rome 

 

1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

 

1:2 which was promised beforehand through the prophets in the holy scriptures,

 

1:3 the gospel concerning God’s Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh

 

1:4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

 

1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the gentiles for the sake of his name,

 

1:6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

 

1:7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Years ago, I learned at one of those “how to grow your church” seminars, I heard the assessment that “people no longer belong to things.” Service clubs such as Rotary and the Lions, lodges such as the Masons and Eastern Star, and even some country clubs were hurting, as younger generations weren’t “joiners” like their parents or grandparents were. Churches, of course, had long been “membership” oriented organizations, wherein members—thanks to their commitment to a given local congregation—could be prevailed upon to financially support the church they “belonged to,” and could be counted on to volunteer for various leadership roles and mission programs. But now, folk just weren’t joining, even though they might attend regularly. “Independent” churches were flourishing, at least partly because they didn’t push “membership” as a requirement to be active in their church. The bottom line was that, due to this “new” development, stewardship efforts and financial campaigns had to become a serious “sales job” to be successful. No membership meant no commitment, beyond being convinced that a particular church was “worthy of my money and my time.” Public relations, slick annual stewardship campaign mailings, and personal stories about “why I give to my church” became the order of the day, if a church wanted to raise the financial support it needed to stay afloat. Those that didn’t market, started the long slide into oblivion. 

 

Even today, hardly a month goes by that I don’t hear of some time-honored organization “going out of business” because they just don’t attract “members” anymore. Recently, I heard of a Rotary Club chapter that held its last meeting, and this in a community were I had served a church, years ago. At that time, that Rotary chapter was a thriving club, with almost any community leader in town as dedicated members and attendees at its monthly dinner meeting. They supported the work of Rotary, offered a couple annual, local scholarships to outstanding high school students, and were highly visible in that community. Even when I was asked to speak to them, as a local religious leader (usually around Christmas or Easter), I could see the “seeds” of their undoing, as their membership was slowly “aging out.” Unfortunately, the whole community was pretty much of this same profile, with younger folk, upon graduating from high school or university, opting to take their life and careers elsewhere, mostly due to wanting a better school system for their future children, and/or desiring a younger pot of folk as clientele for their services. “Rustbelt” towns, as they are known, certainly proliferated throughout Western Pennsylvania, and service clubs, volunteer fire departments, lodges, and most certainly churches in these communities suffered. Many are now gone, totally. 

 

Why did we move away from “belonging” to things? Was it just not “sold” well by the organizations in question? Was it that, in our increasingly “libertarian” views, we chose to keep arms-length from organizations so they couldn’t “buttonhole” us for support? Were we uncomfortable with a level of commitment that would mean we should pony up financial and volunteer support? One phenomenon to this seeming lack of commitment was that, even when folk said they WOULD attend something or show up to help with a project, they wanted to keep their options open “in case something better came along.” Humans have probably always had these “self” motivated kinds of thoughts, but a sense of responsibility and commitment kept them coming, and kept the necessary dollars flowing. This newfound independence meant that they just might opt for something else, even at the last minute, and less and less were they even afraid to say, “Something better came along, and we decided to do that, instead.” The shame of reneging on a “commitment” faded into history, at least for many.

 

 

I remember hearing one church leadership speaker first telling a group of clergy: “People are beginning to church-shop, looking for the best ‘deal,’ the best youth programs for their children, and the best music in worship that whets their appetite.” And while this observation made sense, I can still remember the first time—less than a year after hearing this—that a visiting young couple came through the line after one of our services, and actually TOLD me, “Pastor, we’re new in the area, and we’re CHURCH SHOPPING.” I was dumbfounded. I remember thinking, “May I show you something with a nice Gospel message, highlighted by kick-ass praise music, and a side of low expectations?” 

 

I must say that, throughout my 37 years in ministry, I was able to find “success” in selling the idea of the importance of “belonging” to enough folk to grow a few churches. It took a serious effort, though, and a focus on “quality” of what these churches DID offer folk. Like it or not, the diehard message of “shoulds” and “oughts” has long ceased to motivate folk to attend or support any of our churches, and this even holds true for those “high-commitment,” evangelical and independent congregations we hear so much about. If people today don’t like the rap, they will just vote with their feet, and likewise, if they don’t feel like they. Are getting “fed,” whatever that means. I’m trying not to be too cynical here, and stay focused on the reality of what the church is facing, but I DO wonder if that “I’m not getting fed” line is more of an excuse for lots of other stuff that sends folk packing? OR, does “not being fed” have to do more with “not hearing what I want to hear,” or “hearing something contrary to what I WANT to believe”? 

 

In each church I served, I would often touch on the human need to “belong” in my sermons, and each church offered some kind of “new member class” or orientation program as a prerequisite to joining that congregation. I found that helping people see that “belonging” could be a highly affirming, “anchoring” thing in a time when more and more people are feeling “rootless,” and that making commitments and sticking with them was part of the natural maturing process, as well as a confidence-builder for the individual who was willing to say, emphatically, “YES, I want to belong!” And while we celebrated and honored our new members in worship, we did require them to make their membership vows in front of the congregation, and the congregations were required to reciprocate by reaffirming their vows, as well. By helping new attendees move from “church shopping” to joining the congregation, and then helping them “find their niche” in the church, I was privileged to welcome several hundred new members into the United Methodist Church during my ministry. But the key was always helping them find a sense of “belonging” in a world that was moving rapidly away from the “need” to do so. 

 

I confess that things are much harder for churches now, especially the ones in the major denominations, most of which have been divided or suffered schisms along the same “liberal” and “conservative” fault lines as we see in the society at large. These divisions have made the already timid “seekers” shy away from the mainline churches, as many do not want to land in one or the other “camp.” This may be one big reason the church is failing. In the schism (or “disaffiliation” as it is known) in United Methodism, the conservative Global Methodist Church may be the potential “biggest loser,” as it has cast its die on the conservative crowd, and believes its views of “biblical authority” and “scriptural interpretation” will continue to attract enough people to prosper their organization and accomplish the mission. There are already some serious holes being poked in this theory, as the Global Methodists still have a youth problem AND a great number of the members who joined them in exiting the United Methodist Church are also senior citizens, meaning they are far from immune to the “aging out” process. Those of us in the remnant United Methodist Church are hoping that our emphasis on a broad welcome and an affirmation that God’s love and grace are available to ALL, might be a more attractive message to younger folk for the future, but right now, we are just reeling from the vacuum created by the schism. I also honestly believe the remnant United Methodist leadership is trying to do more to PRESERVE what we are and have than to see the tremendous opportunity we have to REFORM the church. “Territorial” disputes between judicatories and agencies may topple us, if we are not careful. Bishops need to “bish” and not gloat in their power, and agencies must be willing to think WAY outside the box, because the “box” is going to be much, much smaller. Can we build a church again that highlights the joys and benefits of belonging? Only if we stop the pissing contests and hear what the Apostle Paul is trying to tell us in this Romans 1 passage!

 

When my wife and I attend some function and I field the question, “Are you married?”, my answer is to point to Dara across the room and say, “I belong to her.” I don’t say it as a nod to “possession,” but as a statement that I AM married, and for me, this means being fully invested in this most precious relationship. I am also extremely proud to be committed to such an incredible person, Christian, and stimulating personality as Dara is. That she was willing to make this same commitment to me is almost beyond my understanding, but she DID, and I am forever using my best “resell” techniques on her to keep her convinced she didn’t make a big mistake! Am I worthy of the life-long commitment she made to me? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Am I grateful for it? Beyond reason. And am I willing to do all in my power to keep our relationship mutually fulfilling, successful, exciting, and growing? YES! I offer this as my “formula” for what Paul is suggesting when he states in verse 6 that we are “called to BELONG to Christ.” It’s not about possession, it’s about passion. It’s not about “doctrinal purity,” it’s about receiving grace and SPREADING grace. It’s not about “love” as some element of biblical interpretation, but about actually LOVING and BEING loved. We and Jesus want to do both. And while we aren’t “worthy” of Christ’s love, WE HAVE IT, and he sealed this relationship with his life, death, and resurrection. I learned years ago that to “belong” to something you truly believe in means that you have to commit your life to it, at least in some serious measure, “die” to those “better things that might come along,” and help put life back into the vision of the organization or relationship, especially when it is being endangered by apathy or change. So it is with our faith in Christ Jesus, so it is with our other significant relationships, and so it is with Christ’s body, the church. Now is not the time to bail out, it is the time to start bailing! Belonging to Christ means selling out whatever parts of ourselves that get in the way of being willing to commit, show up, and DO. 

 

There are so many parallels between my “belonging” to Jesus and my “belonging” to my spouse. Both of these commitments have overwhelmed the greatest majority of my 71 years on earth. When it comes to Dara, I love her, respect her, adore her, long to spend time with her doing about anything, and want to do all of the things that make her life meaningful and joyous. These are exactly the same things that energize my faith in God through Christ my Lord. “Lord” for me means “one who is worthy of my full attention.” It is NOT a mark of neither possession on God’s part, nor duty, on mine. That “Jesus is my Lord” means the same thing to me as “Dara is my wife.” Love, respect, adoration, mutuality of presence, and service are the operating words for both of these precious relationships. I have often said that a great metaphor for how God loves us is to look at how those of us who have been privileged to be parents love our children. And yet, the Bible tells us we are the “bride” of Christ and the “body” of Christ, which is far more of a “commitment” than is indicated by parentage. After all, good parents WANT their kids to “move on” and find their own life. God never wants that for us, and God forbid that WE ever believe we have “outgrown” what it means to belong to Christ! It is with this kind of passion and commitment that Paul says that we are CALLED to belong to Christ. Even in this, God is not an autocrat demanding our allegiance, but a lover, wooing us with grace. Friends, may we CELEBRATE what it means to BELONG in this Advent season! Shalom!