Category: Christmas

Arrive: To Reach a Destination

Little town of Bethlehem, we have arrived at last to witness the wonder of a babe born in a stable within your vicinity. A child king born into the poverty of our world. The hope of humble Mary and faithful Joseph.

We listened in awe as the angels proclaimed the glad tidings of good news for all. We followed the shepherds to discover the babe wrapped against the cold of the night. They left rejoicing, full of abounding love.

Did they remember the words of the prophet, Micah? Did they know that their Messiah was to be a shepherd like them, a Good Shepherd, like the shepherd of the psalm? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.


But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.

Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace.
(Micah 5:2-5 NKJV)

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Let the Advent{ures} Begin

Sometimes the Advent season starts the Sunday after Thanksgiving. After checking the liturgical calendar, I discovered that Advent will not officially start until December 2nd this year.

So I have an extra week to prepare for Advent and so do you.


 
 

In the meantime, I am setting my heart on pilgrimage. 

Our destination is Bethlehem . . . the birth place of Jesus. How will we get there? What will we experience on the way? Who will we become as we journey once again through this sacred narrative?

Come, let’s visit this familiar story with open hearts.

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Grouse: Complain; Grumble

“An inward grouse is a devastating thing.” Amy Carmichael
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5 KJV

Thanksgiving comes but once a year, yet I desire to cultivate a thankful heart the whole year through. It’s not easy. I came down with a whopper of a cold over Thanksgiving break. My tendency is to whine and moan between the fits of coughing. I’ve heard somewhere that it helps to thank God for the bad, as well as the good. But I heard even better advice today. Thank God for his goodness and grace.

This evening I watched The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The transformation of the Grinch’s heart speaks to me of the transforming grace of Christ. The episode opens with the townspeople singing: “Welcome Christmas”

To welcome Christmas. . . that is what I’d like to do over the next few weeks. Will you join me?

It takes conscious effort to move from grousing to rejoicing. I know this from personal experience. Even this morning, I almost gave in to wallowing in self-pity. “Woe is me, I have a cold.” My plight is not unusual; probably the majority of us will have a cold this winter, as it is called the “common” cold.

Part of my complaint was common; I don’t have time to be sick. I got things to do: cleaning, studying, buying, decorating and apparently now—resting. I chafe against rest. If had pushed myself today, I wouldn’t have had time to reflect on the devastating effects of grumbling. I would have missed out on practicing the art of giving thanks on all occasions. So maybe I didn’t thank God for my cold, but I did thank Him for his goodness in reminding me that rest is an important part of life.

Usually I pick a devotional book that has daily readings for the Advent season. This year I picked up a book, I read earlier this year. It’s called God’s Love Letters to You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience written by Dr. Larry Crabb. Each day focuses on a different book in the Bible. Today was Genesis—a very good place to start—the beginning. Written from the first person perspective of God, the subtitle for today’s reading warms my heart: I Have a Plan: Trust Me. The devotion raises the question of why doesn’t God immediately relieve our pain. It didn’t answer the question, but gave me space to contemplate it. The last sentence offers food for thought: “You must live now in the tension between anguish and hope.” Again, I found no direct answer, but something to mull over. How can I live in this tension? Will I trust God’s plan?

My expectation after Thanksgiving was to gear up for the end of the semester at the highest speed possible, but my health has slowed me down. After a day of resting in God’s presence, reading books and ruminating on God’s words— I give thanks for His grace for this day.

I am ready to welcome Christmas at a pace that embraces the goodness of God.

Posted on by kelrohlf 0

The Importance of Watching

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

William Cowper

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
(Luke 21:34-36 NIV)

In Luke 21, Jesus gives a discourse on the end of the age, a prophetic word about his second coming. The verses above are his exhortation to us to be ready for his return. The Message’s translation of the warnings of what our hearts can get weighed down with seemed appropriate, especially in light of the conversation about presents yesterday.

It says, “Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.”

I am not saying to skip any of these holiday traditions, but let’s be aware of how too much of a good thing can dull our senses. I for one want to be fully present when Jesus returns, and I desire to worship Him in wholeness until He does return.

May His blessings spill upon your heads, and fill you very being with His warm embrace.

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Give Presence

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
(Psalm 89:15 NLT)

“…worship without an awareness of Christ is impossible…For to behold Him is to love Him, and to love Him is to worship Him.”   -Judson Cornwall

At this time of year I love to think about presents. Not my wish list, but what presents I want to give. To me a tangible gift is an expression of love. Nowadays as the kids in my family are growing up I could make one stop at Walgreen’s and buy a bunch of gift cards. But that is so dissatisfying to me. I enjoy thinking about and finding that one thing that will give the receiver a lift, or say she thought about me.

Another gift that people often overlook is the gift of presence. Since I have been fairly occupied with school this semester, I have missed spending time with my family and friends, so my gifts this year may not come from a store, so much as just some time to be together. Taking a walk, grabbing a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch together watching a Christmas movie…these are the things I long to give this year.

Jesus modeled this gift the best. After all, He is Immanuel! I found a different translation, other than the familiar “God with Us”; it also means “With us is God”. Somehow that phrasing warms my heart.

I wanted to leave you with a website to check out, a pastor friend of ours recommended it, and I think you will enjoy its message and the ideas that lead us to a deeper advent experience. Check out http://www.adventconspiracy.com/

I hope you have many opportunities to give presence this Christmas!

Posted on by kelrohlf 0