Sermon - Christmas 1 - Dec 27, 2009

1st Sunday after Christmas - Year C
December 27, 2009
Luke 2:41-52

It is Time to Decide
It is difficult not to feel somewhat cheated this time of year. Some call it the post-Christmas blues. It is that feel¬ing that we spent so many weeks preparing and then there is so little time to savor the moment. Packages from out-of-town fami¬ly members began arriving months ago. We stacked them in the corner and wondered what was in them. Christmas morning rolls around and within a couple of hours everything is opened and put away. By New Year's Day you can hardly remember what is new and what has been in the closet for years.

I got a little of that same sort of feeling as I picked up the bulletin and read the lessons appointed for today. There were four weeks devoted to Advent, four Sundays on which we hear lessons preparing us for the arrival of Jesus. On Christmas Eve we finally get to read the story and sing the carols. We come to worship two days later and it all seems to be over. Here it is, the First Sunday after Christmas, and in our lessons Jesus is already twelve years old. What happened to that cute little baby, lying in a manger? Can't we have a few more stories associated with Jesus' birth before we have to deal with him as an emerging adult? It is difficult not to feel somewhat cheated.

The story of Jesus in the temple is a wonderful story. It is one of those stories with something for everyone. Children love imagining Jesus sitting with the wise teachers, receiving their full attention. Adolescents are encouraged by indications of Jesus' rebellion against his parents and identify with the universal struggle to be one's own self. And what parent among us has never felt the anxiousness associated with losing a child?

This is a wonderful story, with something for everyone. But I for one would have appreciated a few minutes to enjoy the baby Jesus before being jolted into acknowledging that Luke isn't writing cute stories. Luke is telling a story with a pur-pose. Luke is reminding us that attraction to a few cute stories won't cut it. Unless we move beyond the stories and consider what these things mean for our lives then his story telling has been in vain.

Luke drives home his point in two ways: First, by telling a story which occurs at a time in Jesus' live when he is faced with making an important decision. And second, through his descrip¬tion of Mary and Joseph, fumbling around in the darkness while the Light of the world was living in their home.

The stage is set by Luke's notation that every year (Jesus') parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. The Hebraic law required the observance of three events: The Festi¬val of Weeks, which marked the end of the grain harvest; Booths, commemorating the wandering in the wilderness; and Passover, the observance of their deliverance from Egypt. It was hotly debated whether women and young children were to observe the festivals, yet Luke makes sure to tell us that Joseph and Mary are involved. You could observe these festivals in your own home; there was nothing requiring a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. For the rest of the story to unfold it was necessary that Jesus' family travel. This may be Luke's way of underscoring the strength of Joseph and Mary's piety. They went the extra mile; they made the necessary sacrifices in order to offer their prayers of thanksgiving to God.

This year was no different from all the rest, with one ex¬ception. Jesus is now twelve years old. Any Hebrew reading this story would have realized the importance of one's twelfth year. It is the last year of childhood. At age thirteen, the young boy was to become a man, was to begin observing the Hebraic laws governing manhood. If we were reading this lesson in Greek, the impending shift would have been apparent. In verse 43 the ref¬erence is made to the boy Jesus. In verse 40, Jesus is referred to as a child. The Greek root for this word, "boy" is the same as that used for "servant", especially as Luke refers to one who is "the servant of the Lord."

The child has grown into the boy Jesus. He is no longer the cute little child of Mary and Joseph. He is the servant of God, come to accomplish God's purposes.

At twelve years of age, Jesus is free to play and enjoy life. There are no religious obligations placed upon him and he is not expected to act like an adult. But Jesus, even from time of his childhood, does not act in accordance with societal or reli-gious expectations. He acts in response to the directives of God.

It is quite possible that the original readers of Luke's gospel were anxiously awaiting the return of Christ. Christ had promised they would not taste death before his return. They were looking forward to the age which was about to dawn upon them. However, it is possible that they had become complacent in their wait. Many doubted that the Day of the Lord would come any time soon so they began to allow their minds to wander. Luke reminds them they are to be active in their waiting. The followers of Jesus live, not in response to societal or religious expectations but in accor¬dance with the directives of God.

How would you describe the age in which we live? What gives rise to our actions? Is it the societal and religious expecta¬tions placed upon us or the Word of God? Regardless of the year in which we live, Luke reminds us that we do not to passively wait. Luke instructs us that it is time for us act.

Inaction or indecision may result from any number of causes. Luke moves on in his story to address what he considers to be the most common. At the point of realization, Mary and Joseph have no clue where to turn. They become aware, but they have no idea where to begin to look.

Again the 43rd verse is the clue. In the Greek there is no object for the verb. Luke simply states, his parents did not know. Their ignorance is further reinforced by the amount of time it takes them to return to the temple. They look for three days before they even go to the temple. Those who already know the story will recall another three days in which Jesus was mis¬placed. His three day stay in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Aramatheia ends with the same sort of question. The angel, wait¬ing in that tomb asks the two Mary’s who come to anoint the body of Jesus, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

In both instances, those who should have known have no clue as to where to begin looking. They go to all the wrong places and consider all the wrong options.

Luke's story, sandwiched between the boy lost in the temple and the man misplaced among the dead, contains numerous other references to those who would not understand. The disciples, Peter, Saul; these among others would look in the wrong places in order to find answers to their questions. All who heard (Je¬sus) were AMAZED at his understanding and his answers, but that did not mean they understood or accepted.

Luke is telling his readers not to be confused, not to be mislead, not to look in the wrong places. The answer is obvious, the solution is freely given.

We feel cheated this time of year because we look over all that we have been given and only recall that which we want. We miss the obvious. We ignore the grace. We look in the wrong places. The baby, born in Bethlehem, grows into the Servant of the Lord. Ours is not a sentimental story - it is a story with a purpose. It is intended to help us know where to look and to encourage us to do our looking now.


Amen.

Sermon - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve
December 24, 2009
Luke 2:1-20

A Gift from Above

Sit back, relax, and ease your mind. Even if there are gifts yet to be wrapped; even if the turkey is yet to be pre¬pared for tomorrow's baking; even if there are a few more cards that you fully intend to get into the mail; for now, there is nothing that you can do about it. Depending upon how many things are left undone and your attitude toward them, at this point you are either trapped, or freed. You can't get to them and they can't get to you.

I think we undersell Christmas Eve services by continually speaking of them as a time to BE WITH family and friends. It may be that this services’ greatest draw is the opportunity to be AWAY; away from the hectic schedules we have been living; away from the endless preparations.

It was my in-laws who reminded me of this seldom acknowledged reason for Christmas Eve worship services. While they are usually in bed long before 11:00 pm, they pointed out how much they look forward to the late-night service. “It is just so peaceful,” Granna shared. A time for them to sit quietly and enjoy.

I had somewhat forgotten. I am grateful to them for helping me to remember.

Oh, I realize that the busyness isn't all bad. The activi¬ties occur because there are loved ones, families, friends who we want to be with, to remember. As hectic as the busyness may be, it is far better than the emptiness of a Christmas spent alone. Such experiences have their own toil; bring their own form of anxious¬ness.

From whichever you have departed this evening; this remains a wonderful time to relax, to enjoy, to receive. You might even want to close your eyes. I will have someone nudge you when it is time to return to the liturgy.

This season is a time to receive. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our giving that we forget the essential element of receiving. We take such pride in giving "just the right gift," that we fail to marvel at what is being handed to us. We need to remember that reason for this season is to receive. To receive God’s gift.

Maybe it is guilt. We have been so carefully taught that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," that we feel guilty for enjoying and so we cease to be good receivers.

Maybe it is embarrassment. We hastily pick-up and wrap the gifts we give only to embarrassed by the thought and thoughtfulness of that which is offered to us.

Perhaps it is in defense of our own self-sufficiency. We take such pride in being able to provide for ourselves that any acknowledgement of need leads to feelings of humiliation.

I don't know what it is, but something has made it difficult for us to be good receivers. We prefer to always be on the giving end; and not on the end that gets. And yet, receiv¬ing is the essential act of this season. Christians do not celebrate Christmas as a "time to give". We mark this day on our calen¬dars because it is a time to receive. We receive the gift of God’s Messiah. We receive the gift of God’s decision to make God’s home among us. We receive the babe in Bethlehem.

Maybe God knew that we had rather give than get, and that is why God choose to come as a little child. Then, at least for a little while, we could pretend that God needed us. We could believe, for a while, that without our giving care to that cute little bundle of joy all of this would have been impossible. But God didn't really need us to do anything. God just needed us, wanted us, and therefore offered to love us. God wanted us to have, and if the only way we could receive was for God to allow us to think that we were giving in return then so be it. God would stop at nothing.

In a manger, in Bethlehem, God gave us a gift. A gift beyond any other that could ever be given; a gift that is but the first installment of all that God has for us. Christmas is a time to celebrate and to remember ourselves as those who receive. We are the recipients of God's love.


(Pause)

Listen to that ... it is so quiet. Look around you ... there is contentment in every face. Glory to God in the highest, (for) on earth there is peace among those whom (God) favors. It is a peace given to us by God; it is the peace of being on the receiving end of God's grace.

Each time we gather a little more of this gift comes our way. It is such a wonderful gift that it softens our resolve to always be a giver. God's desire to give is so great that eventu¬ally we are all worn down - reeducated on the importance of receiving; strengthened so as to say "So what," if we aren't the best gift giver around; opened so that we can admit how needy we really are. This is what comes to us, in the silence, in the peace of this gathering.

Okay, time for those of you who took a nap to wake back up; we are about to resume the liturgy and you need to find you place in the bulletin; the gifts are still in the attic; the turkey needs to be washed; and that stack of cards is staring you down.

But as you return, glorify and praise God for all that you have heard and seen. For to you, this day, a Savior has been born. God has come into our world; God has come into your life and given you a wonderful gift. How swell it is to be on the receiving end of God's outpouring of love.

Amen.

Devotion - Thursday, December 10

This morning's appointed Gospel reading continues Jesus critique of the Pharisees. He repeats words in Matthew 23:13-26 which are familiar to us. At least the first half of the verse is familiar. I realized, in my prayers, how easy it was for me to recall the well rehearsed, often repeated half. Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin.”

I can still remember my Sunday Church School teacher speaking of how ridiculous it was for those silly persons to carry a tenth of their spices to God, “As if God cared about their spices.” I loved Ms. Wooley and she taught me a deep love for my Bible, but she was mistaken in teaching us a literal understanding of this verse.

I don’t remember her instructing us on the remaining clause in this verse. Had she, we might have all avoided a simplistic understanding and a prideful slap at those silly Pharisees.

Jesus goes on to say, “(you) have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith.”

Justice and mercy and faith.

These are the three characteristics Jesus desires of his followers. These are the weightier matters, sought by the law.

The faith part we do discuss. Even if we tend to speak of faith as a mental exercise (i.e. to have faith is to believe unbelievable things; as opposed to understanding faith as a trusting relationship, malleable to the circumstances in which this day places me.) But what of justice and mercy? Where do we see these being practiced; when are they discussed in our Sunday Church School classes or preached from our pulpits?

I have been paying attention to the current debate in congress on health care reform. I hear in the discussions lots of references to affordability and oversight and intervention. There are not enough comments about how our policies seek justice and mercy.

If we are going to memorize passages of our Bibles, let us remember the whole verse. Let us recall the totality of God’s message to us. Remembering the parts which make us look good or the parts which make others look silly isn’t the way Jesus wanted us to remember his words.

Ms. Wooley was correct; God is not concerned with a portion of the spices I use to flavor my food. God is concerned with justice and mercy and faith. God is concerned with all three of these, and we should be too.

Devotion - Wednesday, December 9

Of all Jesus’ critiques, none should be avoided as forcefully as the words spoken in Matthew 23. Having had the disputes with the Sadducees and Pharisees (of which I wrote the two previous mornings) he says to the crowds and his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.”

How much easier it is to proclaim something than to live it.

Proclaiming is good. When we make assertions as to what we believe, we are inclined to move in the direction of those public affirmations. But the proclamation isn’t enough. It is only the start.

I share Jesus’ words from Matthew 23 with you, not to critique you but to encourage you. Consider carefully this day how fully you are living out what it is that you profess. Is your love of neighbor shown in the acts you perform; is your devotion to Christ revealed in the way you spend your day?

Devotion - Tuesday, December 8

The irony of reading Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees during this week (finals week at Clemson and TCTC) could not be ignored. After Jesus silences the Sadducees with his words regarding resurrection, the Pharisees make an attempt at embarrassing him.

They come, and one of them asks him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” You know his reply, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus goes on to ask them as question, about David and David’s statements about the Christ. Matthew 22:46 concludes the selection, “Nor from that day did any one dare to ask him any more questions.”

Having the answer which brings an end to all other questions allows Jesus to go on with the work that he came to do.

We sometimes forget that this is the reason for exams. They aren’t intended to torture; they are not an attempt to trip you up. They are testing you, to see if you have the knowledge necessary to go out from here and do the work that you need to do. Granted, there may not be a direct link between this physics problem and managing manatees in the Florida rivers. But there is a link. It is making sure that you know what you need to know in order to go about the work you seek to do.

Those of you in graduate school can support this thought: It is easier to put in the hours when we see the direct connection between what we are studying and what we hope to do for the rest of our lives. That is why grad school professors can demand so much more of their students. If we could see the connections, we would more gladly engage in the studying.

You have probably heard me utter the prayer, printed in LSM-USA’s Oremus which thanks God for studies and for useful knowledge. Knowledge is useful; and all that stuff you are learning now will be helpful to you as you seek to do what it is that God has called you to do.

I hope you will have the answers which will silence those who ask the questions. Impress your professors with your insight. Above all, I pray that you will be thankful for the opportunity to learn and that you will understand that this is an opportunity to prepare yourself for the work that God is calling you to do.

Devotion - Monday, December 7

Misunderstandings abound, with regard to the resurrection. In Matthew 22, Jesus encounters a group of Sadducees. They pose to him the scenario in which a man dies without having produced any children. As required by Jewish law, his brother marries the widow in order in hopes of a child for his brother. The second brother dies, as does the third, and a fourth. There were seven brothers in all; none are blessed with a child. “Whose wife will she be in the resurrection?” they ask Jesus.

“You are wrong,” Jesus tells them. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage.”

Misunderstandings abound.

My thoughts and prayers this morning returned to a popular theme – we tend to answer these questions in a way which holds forth what we most want to hear. We think of the resurrection as a reward for living rightly rather than seeing it as an opportunity to praise God 24/7. Such thinking puts heaven of – it becomes a future event.

Responding to a video clip on Facebook, I found myself speaking of a differing understanding of resurrection. Such an understanding is reinforced by Jesus’ repeated acknowledgement that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” Resurrection, heaven – these are not future rewards for a life lived a certain way here and now. These are present realities for those who know themselves to be participants in “The Way.” In becoming a disciple of Jesus, we are already transformed into residents of heaven. Our resurrection has begun.

Sure, I look forward to that day on which what I see now dimly will be fully revealed. Yes, I anticipate a joy which bursts open the sense of joy I find in my life today. But that fuller expression has already begun in what God is doing in my life right now.

Sermon - December 6, 2009

Advent 2 - Year C
December 6, 2009
Philippians 1:3-11 & Luke 3:1-6

Anticipating God’s Joy

This wooden sign (a carving which bears the simple words "Pastor Christ") has moved from location to location in my office. For the past several months, it has been leaning against the bookshelf behind the door. It has suffered a bit of damage, during the remolding. But it has been in my office ever since I got to Clemson. It was also in my office in Houghton for the last three years I was there. As you can image - and as you are about to find out - this sign has sentimental value to me. It meant a lot to me at the time and (on those days when I might feel otherwise) it reminds me why I am a pastor.

This sign was a gift to me from Randy. Randy’s name won’t show up on the roster of any of the churches where I served as pastor - I don’t think he ever came, even once to a worship service or a bible study. And yet, he made this sign for me and ever since, I have kept it very close by.

Randy was in the Houghton County Jail. I honestly cannot remember the charges which resulted in his being arrested. I do know that he had been there for a while and that he wasn’t getting many visitors. He decided that he would like to have a pastor come talk to him. I wasn’t the first to be asked to visit with him. In fact, our little church was so small that few even knew we were there. A guard at the jail had started making calls, trying to find a pastor who would come to visit with Randy. He went, first of all, to the larger congregations in town. With no commitment to visit, he decided to call the preacher at that little church - the one that used to be a house. And so, I started visiting Randy.


Randy had started reading the bible, but he didn’t understand what it meant. He wanted someone to help him understand what he was reading. I would sit with him in the snack room and respond to his questions about this verse or that chapter. I tried to help him understand God’s love for him and to encourage him to be strong in his hope for a return to a “normal” life. Finally, after months in the county jail, he was released. Not completely set free, he went to the home of a friend where he was under house arrest. He had one of those ankle brace things, connected to the telephone. The phone was connected to a machine which could dial up the house and tell whether or not Randy was there.

When Randy got out of the jail - others began to come and visit with him. Some of them weren’t too keen on this new-found church friend (me) and if I happened to be there when they dropped by, it was very uncomfortable. And so, after a while, Randy and I stopped getting together.

It had been a while since I had seen Randy when he stopped by the office one day. He was carrying this. He handed it to me and he thanked me. And then he told me that things weren’t going so well for him. He knew it was a lot of different things - some things of his own making, others which he was powerless to control. But he had made the sign for me and he wanted me to have it. He told me how he missed those months when he was in the Houghton County Jail and we were visiting and talking and he was so close to capturing a sense of hope for his life.

I never saw him again. I heard later - a year, maybe six months - that he was back in jail. This time it was the State Penitentiary in Jackson. He wrote me one letter from there. He never replied to my reply.

I keep this sign in my office, as a reminder. It reminds me that sometimes the most meaningful events in our lives are marginal events. Sometimes, the significance of an event cannot be measured by its outward appearance.

John, son of Zachariah, could not be evaluated based on his outward appearances, either. He comes to be known as John the Baptist, and he has the distinction of being labeled as the Messiah’s messenger. He is the one who gets to tell everyone that their savior is coming. But his proclamation of that message isn’t in the comforts of his own little village or its temple grounds. No-o-o-o, he has to go out into the wilderness, out in the barren countryside where he eats a diet of locust and wild honey. He gets to tell everyone that they are about to see the salvation of God, but he has to speak these words while standing knee-deep in the muddy waters of some back-wash little stream.

Sometimes, the significance of an event cannot be measured by traditional indicators of a good time.

This insight is revealed in the book of Philippians. The letter is known for its continual reminders of the “joy” which had infected Paul’s life. He says, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.” Later, he encourages the Philippians to make my joy complete by having the same mind and being in full accord. Paul speaks of this joy, even though he writes the letter from prison. He is in jail, and yet he is filled with joy and must find some way to let this joy be known to those in Philippi.

Sometimes, the significance of an event cannot be measured by its outward appearance.

Paul was in prison, and yet he encouraged others to join him. John looked like a raving maniac, and yet the crowds flocked out to hear what he had to say. These were not attractive men living exemplary lives. And yet, there was something which drew others to them. What was it?


In a very short writing, addressing the same reality of which I now speak, Joseph Sittler said what was so attractive about these men was precisely the joy of which Paul writes. Sittler says that joy is a highly desirable gift. It attracts us and draws us close. Those who possess joy are a marvel and we want to get enough in hopes it will rub off onto us.

Sittler is very careful to point out that joy is different from happiness. Happiness is contingent upon the circumstances of our lives. We are happy when good things happen to us; we become sad then things don’t go too well. Joy, Sittler writes, is something different; something lasting; something not dependent upon the waxing and waning of lives’ circumstances. Joy, he says, is the awareness that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Joy is the gift which comes to those who know they are valued and that this value can never be questioned. Joy, is a trait which belongs to those who have experienced the depth of God’s love.

St. Paul was filled with joy. He wasn’t very happy about his imprisonment - but he was filled with joy. He knew that in all things, God would be with him and would care for him. John didn’t go out to the wilderness because he thought it would be a great place to establish an amusement park. He went out there in order to remove the detractions of a life consumed with the agendas of our own making. It is with joy that he proclaims the arrival of God’s salvation. My friend Randy wasn’t happy in that Houghton County Jail cell, but for a little while he was allowed to believe that his life could be meaningful. He glimpsed the joy, seeing enough to at least know what he was missing.


We can work really hard, and through our efforts a great deal of happiness can come into the lives of those we love. By our attention to detail, we can craft celebrations which will bring a smile to the faces of those around us. We can bring a great deal of happiness by purchasing and placing under the tree just the right gift. We should do such things - it is appropriate for us to bring as much happiness as we can into the lives of those around us.

But Joy is a gift which comes from knowing that we are part of something larger than our own lives, more encompassing than our own well-planned social events, longer lasting than the glitter which adorns our homes and shopping malls. Joy is knowing that God has taken notice of us and in response to our needs, God is coming to make his home among us. We sign of this reality every time we intone: “Joy to the World! The Lord has come!”

I am looking forward to this evening’s congregational Christmas party. It is a fun event, and one that brings much happiness. Particularly happy are the students, as they gobble up the food and watch their stockings fill with good things. But, it isn’t the happiness which comes as a result of our efforts which matters. Happiness isn’t enough. We gather in order to celebrate the joy which has entered our world and now seeks to enter our individual lives.

The same is to be said with regard to all our gatherings. We should strive for happiness in the lives of God’s children. But it is our connection with God which will brings Joy. Joy is God’s gift to us; it is the confidence of knowing that our lives have greater significance than might be revealed in outward appearances.

Let’s not worry so much about making everybody happy. Focus instead on bringing joy into their lives. Focus on bringing joy into your own life. When we focus on the joy, it becomes much easier for us to bring happiness into the lives of those around us.

Amen.

Devotion - Thursday, December 3

One of the difficult things about being a pastor is making sure that your own view of Christian theology does not prevent you from giving voice to the whole of Christian theology. While we each have our personal interpretations, in order to be a respectable teacher we must also speak of differing interpretations.

I thought of this as I reflected on last night’s discussion of the Advent 1 lessons. A student raised the feeling that the lessons had some very scary images associated with the coming of Messiah.

Was it my influence, or would the conversation have moved on its own to a more hopeful interpretation of those images? For this is what it did. Moved toward the thought that these scary images are but reminders that nothing can possibly stand in the way of God. Moved away from any suggestion that these images ought to instill fear in us.

There is a part of Christian theology which speaks very openly about being fearful. It is the fear associated with God’s demand for righteousness. It is a fear of being made aware of how distant we are from that righteousness.

Advent is a time to anticipate God’s arrival in our lives. This does not mean that is to be completely void of any examination of our sinfulness. As we celebrate the abundance of God’s gifts in the giving and receiving of presents we must avoid the temptation to ignore the needs of others.

There is a scary side of Messiah’s coming. It is the realization that Messiah will reveal all things – including our abandonment of God’s call to share our bread and offer care to our neighbor.

Devotion - Wednesday, December 2

If, as suggested in yesterday’s offering, there is impatience among Christ’s followers, a notion of “What have you done for us lately,” perhaps it arises from the years which have passed between now and the promise from Jesus that he would come again. 2 Peter 3 speaks of this very problem.

It seems that the Church in the first century had persons asking why it was taking so long. Peter warns that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” We have no way of knowing when the visit with occur; there is even the suggestion that the arrival will come at the very time we least expect it.

The coming of Christ anticipated by the early Church and written about by Peter is the final coming; the event referred to as the “end of time.” They were looking for that great cataclysmic event at which all things will be handed over to God.

It is often suggested, that in looking for that one great, final event we miss many epiphanies along the way; that in our desire to see the one great arrival, we might be missing the visits of Christ which are perhaps less dramatic, but no less meaningful.

Pastor Hartsell’s sermon on Sunday spoke of Jeremiah’s response to the impending doom of Israel. He goes out and purchases of piece of land. The big picture is re-interpreted through the small, simple act. We might wait for the final arrival of Christ. We might better understand what that arrival looks like were we to notice the expressions of grace set before us each day.

Devotion - December 1

“But what have you done for us lately?”

Typically, we hear this comment in jest. But sometimes, there is a bite to its utterance. When present, even if not expressed, it gives birth to the horrible feeling that one could never do enough.

My heart ached this morning with the thought of God, peering into our hearts and lives only to discover an attitude of “What have you done for us lately?”

It started with the prophet Amos, who in the 3rd chapter chides his readers with “The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy?” How can those who have heard God speak keep silent? How can those who have beheld God’s grace turn inward upon themselves and say not a word?

I wonder if a terrible misunderstanding of 2 Peter 1:21 explains our silence? We read, “no prophesy ever came by human impulse, but those persons moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Do we make the outlandish claim, “If the Spirit were more active, then I would speak.”?

What more must God do? God, who set aside the comforts of heaven, comes to us at Bethlehem. God, who created all that is took on the form of those who are so that we might never doubt our worth. What more must God do? What more could God do?

My heart ached this morning when I wondered if we have allowed the events of Christmas to become a long-ago historical event. One which wowed those who were its first observers but a historical event we associate with the past. “Sure, that was wonderful. But what have you done for us lately?”

What has God done?!?! God has done it all! Who can but prophesy?