I well remember the day that my wife told me that she was pregnant with our first child. A sense of expectation filled the air and lifted me up. The coming of a child is an experience like no other. Advent is a season of expectation. It is a candle of hope in a world of darkness. Isaiah in the dark days of the exile spoke words of hope to Israel. “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and he shall be called “Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The future expectation of a Messiah, of one who would deliver Israel, became a present reality in Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew, confirming this in his Gospel, even quotes Isaiah 7:14. Ever since Rudolph Bultmann, in his essay “New Testament and Mythology” began talking about demythologizing the Bible there has been an on going discussion about the perceived absurdity of the virgin birth. The problem with the debate has been that it centered itself around biological claims (that purportedly dispute the possibility of parthenogenesis or virgin birth) not theological ones. Incidentally, even the biological claims are suspect since it is well established that male honeybees comes from unfertilized eggs. Conversely however, Christians center the debate over the virgin birth around theological claims. In the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke it is clearly established that the virgin birth of Jesus was at the divine initiative of a God who chose to reveal himself in such a way. Why should we be surprised? Well before Matthew and Luke wrote of a virgin birth this unpredictable, but continually intrusive, God revealed himself in a bush that burned but was not consumed, as a wrestling Angel trying to straighten out a roughish Patriarch want-to-be and in a consuming vision in the Temple. Why should we be surprised that this same God chose to fully reveal himself in the extraordinary drama of a virgin birth noticed by only a few people? The virgin birth is not about biology it is about revelation, the revelation of God. This is serious enough theology that Angels proclaimed his birth, shepherds worshipped him, and foreign kings traveled great distances to bow down before him and honor him. It is a birth that has divided history into two ages and that has constantly provided an atmosphere of miracles since that first miracle of his birth. Dr. Charles Briggs in 1906 argued that without the virgin birth we would have no true concept of the incarnation, of Jesus as the divine paradox of God and man. If we look at the nativity from this perspective it is certainly not a biological absurdity or a sweet little children’s play. Advent is serious theology because it is about a God who took the sins of the world seriously and came to deliver that world from condemnation. When Mary sang, “My soul magnifies the Lord” it was doxology sung in response to God’s divine activity. Mary knew that she was not about to just give birth to a baby, she was about to reveal God to the world. The Angels told the Shepherds to go look in the manger and see for themselves. Let’s take our lead from the shepherd’s and take another look in that manager – we too will see the Son of God.

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November

November 12 marks my 50^th birthday. I have reached the half-century mark. It hardly seems possible that 50 years have already passed. It seems like only yesterday that I walked into Aberdeen Elementary School to begin first grade. The Psalmist warns us about how fast time is, “As for mortals their days are like grass; they flourish like grass in a field; for the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” (Psalm 103:15) No one knows how much time they have; but we do know that from the moment of our birth, life is relentlessly pushing us towards death. However, in the face of that fact comes the promise of God, “Death will be no more for the former things have passed away.” We do not need to worry about death because death has been defeated. The real question for us is what will we do with our lives? Considered if you will that we all have 168 hours in a week. On the average we will sleep 56 hours and work 50 hours leaving us 62 hours. If we give two hours a week to church we still have 60 hours. How much of that time are you willing to give to God? If you only prayed 10 minutes a day you still have 58 hours and 50 minutes left. Once a day is passed it is gone forever it cannot be regained. God knows that we are dust (Psalm 103) and he has taken that into consideration. You see while we in our narrow mindedness choose to settle for that paucity of life that we can hustle, cram, or manipulate into our increasingly busier lives, God offers us life in abundance. You see God does not want to fill your time with things or activities; on the contrary God wants to fill your time with the experience of being with him. There is no better use of time than that. Time is fleeting friends; and since God gives us every minute of our lives shouldn’t we treat every moment as the precious gift from God that it really is and give some of it back to God?

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October

The leaves were ablaze with colors made bright by the paintbrush of God. The sky a brilliant crystal blue provided a magnificent backdrop for the trees. Lying on the ground Barbara was able to take a picture of the trees against the blue sky. Someone in our group said that they thought October was the most beautiful month of the year. Others argued that April with all the flowers in bloom was the prettiest. Everyone has his or her own idea about which month is prettiest or which day is most spectacular. However I believe that the most beautiful time of our life is now. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) I believe that every day is a beautiful day when you see God in it. Yes we can see God in the fall leaves and the spring flowers. However we can also see God in the snowflakes of winter and in the summer rains. We can see God in the face of a child or in the wave of a neighbor. We can see God in the embrace of a friend or the smile of a stranger. Some scientists claim to see God in the intelligent design of life while others have claim to see him in the scope of the universe. It does not matter where you see God’s hand at work or the footprints of his activity. If the eyes of your heart are open God will reveal himself to you. You will experience the power of love, the transformation of grace, and the presence of peace. As I lay with my back on the ground seeing the multicolored leaves against the blue sky I was struck by the very awesomeness of God. The Psalmist was absolutely right when he said, “A day in your presence is better than a thousand anywhere else.” (Psalm 84:12) Spend a day with God this October and it will be the most beautiful day of your life.

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September

Did you know that a new year begins in September? Originally the New Year began with the harvest. That is why today the Jewish Festival of “Rosh Hashanah,” or “First of The Year” is celebrated in September. While we are celebrating a new season of school, football, and band our sisters and brothers of the Jewish Faith celebrate a new year as a gift from God. It is not a night partying and revelry as December 31 is, on the contrary it is a time of prayer and reflection. The Jews also celebrate “Yom Kippur” or Day of Atonement in September. They start the new year with a time of confession and atonement for their sins. They pray from Psalm 51, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” A rather melancholy way to start out a New Year, wouldn’t you say. Thankfully that is not the end of the story. The Psalmist goes on to explain, “You desire truth in the inward being, therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.”(Psalm 51:6) Atonement is not just a time of remorse it is also a time for our hearts to hear and to come to know the truth of God. It is that truth, Jesus says, that sets our hearts free. (John 8:32) God will set us free from the sin that would hinder us from seeing the full truth of God’s love for us. God will “create a new heart and right spirit within us.” (Psalm 51:10) This September let’s start a new season of openness to the revelation of God’s love by our participation in the ministry of the church. Then we can join with the Psalmist in saying, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:15)

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August

Psalm 107 is a psalm that paints a dramatic picture of several people who were in the middle of a tremendous struggle when they cried out to God. In every case the Psalmist says they found deliverance because of the faithfulness of God. The psalmist is careful to demonstrate that these individuals (representatives of all humanity) could do nothing to help themselves. All they could do was cry out to God. Why is it that so many people claim to believe in God but do not understand how faithful God’s love really is? The Hebrew word for love is “Hesed” which means: merciful, loving kindness. You can count on the love of God. So often in the middle of our struggles of health problems, job loss, failed marriages, life’s many disappointments, and moments of depression we get that mistaken notion that God does not love us. If we can just get past our need for pity we can experience the life changing love of a faithful God. Christians are people who believe and hold on the certainty that when all else fails God is still God. Despite the fact that none of us deserve it God wants to love us anyway. It is God’s nature to love and God always loves extravagantly. Psalm 107 ends with an interesting exhortation, “Let those who are wise give heed to these things and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.” That means if we have any sense we will rejoice in the extravagant love of a faithful God and we will not squander any of it.

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July 2004

Time flies when you are having fun or doing ministry. It is hard to believe that we have been here for four years already. In those short four years many good things have happened in the life of this church. It has been a joy to watch the move of the Holy Spirit in the lives of so many people. We have new ministries flourishing, people responding to the call of God upon their lives, and a new spirit of joy permeating this place. While I take no credit for of these things I do rejoice at the privilege of seeing them unfold in the tenure of my ministry here. I look ahead to all of the new things that the Holy Spirit will do in this church. The slow days of summer are a good time to look ahead and a dream a big dream. What dreams do you have for this church? How much time will you give to making those dreams become reality? The real truth is that dreams will only be dreams until you and I have the faith to trust God and to begin working to make our dream reality. The Prophet Joel dreamed of a day when “God would pour out his Spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28) You are never too old to dream a dream and never too young to have a vision. When we celebrate July 4, Independence Day, we are celebrating the realization of the dream that a group of colonists had for a country free from the tyranny of a monarch’s rule. Countries, Corporations, and Ministries all begin with a dream. While we are all enjoying the slow days of summer let’s all have a “Mid Summer Night’s Dream” for God. Remember, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)

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JUNE

There was a time when the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which meets every fours years, received little attention from the Media. Unfortunately we live in time in which every decision of the church seems to be news. At the 2004 General Conference this May the press created more controversy than really existed. There was little fire and virtually no smoke generated. About the most controversial thing was a non-binding resolution to consider separating the denomination into two new entities. The authors argued that we are separate in theological doctrine and polity anyway so why not consider making it official. I read all the articles, sighed a long sigh and remembered that it is all well and good but our attention really needs to be on the mission of the church. There are people within a stone’s throw of this church, and every other church for that matter that are longing for the hope of the Good News of Jesus Christ. We need to be about ministry. When I come to Vacation Bible School this month I see the faces of children who want to learn about Jesus. I believe that Jesus would want us to focus our energies on the nurture of these children rather than debating issues that our debates will never resolve. I am proud to be a United Methodist, the church that nurtured my faith. The mission of the church must not allow itself to suffer from distractions, even those generated by the general church. The faces of the children, youth, and adults that I see are not interested in the distractions of the church – they are hungry for the love of God. Jesus used the word children to refer not only to infants but to his disciples as well. All people are children of God and the children are waiting for us to focus on them – and so is the Lord God. “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

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MAY

One day as I sit thinking in my study it occurred to me that we either have an agenda or a vision. So much of our life is run by agendas. The doctor has an agenda when you go to his/her office. The bank has an agenda when you go to set up an account or cash a check. The government has an agenda of how things need to operate. Agendas are not all bad; in fact they are helpful in the flow of process and function. However when it comes to the church we are called to have a vision not an agenda. Agendas are really a closed box, a limited view of the future. Agenda led churches operate according to a particular dictate or policy that leaves no room for visioning. Jesus calls us to a vision of God’s Kingdom. On one occasion he said this. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in a field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of the shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32) Jesus is describing the kind of vision that is not shaped by the size of the seed but by the size of the vision. Seed is only a beginning not an end. It is focused on the future expectation. From the moment you plant the seed you should be building birdhouses in expectation of the day when the birds will nest there. What vision guides your life? The size of your vision limits the size of your results. Instead of having an agenda of what we can or cannot do with a small number of small seeds we should planting the seed we have with a vision and expectation of the day that they will reach fruition. With every seed we plant we need to say out loud, “With God all things are possible!”

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APRIL

The olive garden was dark and shadowy. Jesus knelt to pray as his companions slept nearby completely oblivious to what was about to happen. Satan, looking sinister and evil, was lurking close by whispering temptations. Jesus prayed in his agony until he began to sweat drops of blood on the ground. The quiet of the night was shattered by the approach of the Temple guards coming to arrest Jesus. The first scenes of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” set the stage for the powerfully overwhelming drama of the last hours of Christ’s life. The extreme violence of the scourging of Jesus serves to dramatically illustrate the depth of his suffering for the world. It is important to note that from the beginning of his arrest until his death upon the cross Jesus was in charge. Perhaps one of the most telling scenes was when Jesus fell while carrying the cross and Mary came to bring him water. He looked at her and proclaimed, “See how I make all things new!” Jesus was not asking a question; he was in fact making a proclamation that he was turning around all of his suffering, redeeming its purpose. While the suffering laid on Jesus was meant to punish and ultimately kill him he would use it instead to redeem the world. The passion of Christ was that he was passionate about his creation. He loved us so much that he willingly accepted the suffering, he willingly accepted the cross, and he willing accepted death. However, the cross and death were not the last word. On the third day Christ rose from the dead and thus defeated sin and death forever. There is quite a dramatic difference from the agony of the garden, the scourging, and the cross to the joyful celebration of Easter. Thanks be to God that through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have received grace upon grace. This April give thanks to God that He was so passionate about you and me and rejoice in his victory over sin and death. “Jesus said, “I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

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MARCH

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. It was a time of solitude and reflection to be sure, yet it was also a time of preparation for the ministry he would soon begin. Forty days may seem like a long time, especially if we are all alone. However it must have been an extraordinary experience for Jesus and one so spiritual that Satan sought to derail it with temptations as soon as it was coming to an end. My friends we have forty days of Lent before us. What a tremendous opportunity we have during these forty days. We can go see “The Passion of Christ” at the theatre. We can come to our Spiritual Renewal Services in March and our Holy Week Services in April. We have before us the forty days of Lent to spend with God and to experience God in new and wonderful ways. We have the opportunity to reflect on our lives and to repent of our sins. We have the opportunity to receive and experience the grace of God’s forgiveness. We have the opportunity to be transformed from people who know about God to people who have a living dynamic relationship with God. I pray you will choose to go into the wilderness during this season of Lent and abide with God. It will be a life changing experience. “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

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FEBRUARY

February 2004 is a “Leap Year”. Each year we gain one fourth of day. You cannot have a fourth of a day on the calendar so we just save them up and every four years add a day to the month of February. It is called “Leap Year” because the calendar leaps ahead by one day after that. We can add a day to the calendar but we cannot add one day to our lives. The Psalmist asked God to “teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). We have all been given a certain time to live on this earth. (Psalm 90:10) Jesus reminds us that we cannot add even one hour to our lives (Matthew 6:27). We can have plastic surgery to look young, take all the herbs and vitamins known to humanity, or marry a younger spouse, but we are still going to come to the end of our days. What can we learn from this? First, we must not squander our lives away. Yesterday is past and tomorrow is not promised we have only here and now; therefore we must use it wisely. One of the most often heard laments is, “If I only had more time.” Second we need to live in a relationship with God. Every day we live without God is wasted. God wants to give us the abundance of his Kingdom. But we cannot receive his gifts (See Galatians 5:22-23) unless we are in relationship with him. Finally we need to see every day as a gift from God. Perhaps if we really saw each day as a gift then we would not do most of the foolish things that we do every day. There are 366 days in this year of 2004 (331 when you get this Newsletter), and no one knows how many he or she may have. Use them wisely friends, you only get them once.

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JANUARY

The air of January is redolent with newness. The stimulating sensation of a new day, a New Year, and a new moment fills us with a sense of wonder. It was in such a moment that Isaiah spoke for God to the Israelites in exile saying, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19) God is a God of newness. He created life fresh and new out of the chaos of the cosmos. God created a new nation and recreated it after invading armies had destroyed it. He created a new community called the Church based a new covenant. What new thing does God want to do in this church? What new thing does God want to do in your life? Amazingly God takes our lives, in whatever shape they are in, and makes them brand new and then does new things in us and through us. You see God recreates us anew because you cannot put the new wine of the life generating power of the Holy Spirit into the old wine skins that our lives become. Remember that age is not a factor in God’s recreating work. God did a new thing with Abraham after he was already an old man. He did a new thing with Samuel and he was only a boy. This is January, a new beginning, a new day, a new moment, and God wants to do a new thing in all of us. Are you ready, willing, and able to let God recreate your life? “Behold I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

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