What Will You Do With It?, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.
9:3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
9:4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
9:5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
9:6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
9:7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

          It started out so well, too.  A man and a women with nothing to do but love one another and love God, in a garden paradise made just for them.  There was plenty provided to sustain them, they had the joy of children, and they walked in the garden with their Creator. 

          Today men and women rush about with far too much crowding into their lives, creating their own problems, some very well off, some doing without, as society in general poisons the ethical and moral well for children, designing their own gods in their own image.

          How in the world did the human race get so far astray from the Heavenly Father's plans for them?

          Since the Living God is all-knowing as well as all-powerful, it would be hard to believe He did not know in advance the straying path people would take, and that at some point, we would need a course correction, a savior.  The prophet Job, in chapter 5, verse 7, shares with us, "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward."   And we've been doing our very best to prove Job right.

          But no matter how badly, or even how righteously, mankind behaved, God has His own plan and the Savior's appearance, the coming of the Messiah, would not be rushed.   Galatians 4:4 tells us "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law."  Only when the time of His choosing was correct, then would God act.  But even in that, God has His own plans.

          Mankind, caught up in winning and losing, conquering and being subjected, looked for the Messiah riding to the rescue on a white horse, if you will, arriving with a mighty army, laying waste to the enemies of God's people; they looked for a mighty king of a savior.  They were under the rule of the Roman Empire, trampled upon by those who worshipped multiple gods, demeaning, insulting them and blaspheming their God daily.  They desperately needed a Messiah to ride to their rescue.

          But God knew they needed much more than that.  They needed much more than a conquering king with temporary salvation.  They had experienced that all along.  And so it was that " a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   

          All the mechanics of human rule remained in place.  From tax collectors to the rulers of the synagogues, the regional kings, the Regimental Prefects, the Praetorian Corps commanders, Consuls and Centurions, those who commanded Roman Cohorts and entire Legions, all the way up to the Roman Emperor, August Caesar.  All intact.  Outwardly, nothing changed.  But as Caesar was feeling confident in his rule of the entire known world, the Creator of suns and worlds and entire galaxies lay helpless, wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in an animal manger in Bethlehem.  But He did not come unheralded by God the Father.  The world was alerted, those who sought Him, through a star, a bright light that served to bring men out of the darkness of ungodliness, into the light of a new world.  And it hasn't been the same since that remarkable day.

          To this day, no one is exactly sure what day the Son of God, Jesus Christ, took on the flesh of this world, lowered Himself into the human race, and allowed Himself to be born of woman as an infant in order to become one of us, becoming our bridge to the Father by offering us forgiveness for wrongs, shedding His own blood where our blood could not pay the price, wrapping us in His own holy righteousness. 

          Still, all over the world we agree to celebrate December 25th as the day the entire world changed.  It did not come in thunder claps or on horseback or rumbling with might and conquest, but it came in the tiny, pink form of an infant who loved and was loved in return.  Throughout the Bible, as we see him grow and mature, He is the very embodiment of the love of God.  Of His inception into flesh, of His birth, life, death, burial and resurrection, threaded through every moment is the great love of God, coming through the Son from the Father, to us; to each of us, individually. 

          God has not forgotten a one of us, not even the hairs of our head has he lost track of, knowing who we are, where we are, what we think of Him. 

          What do you think of Him?  What have you done about the gift of life, purchased for you with His very blood, His flesh?  What have you done about Jesus Christ?

          Such great love, more love than we can even understand, has come so very near to us, and instead of overwhelming us, demanding we love back, waits upon our decision to love Him or reject Him. 

          As a tiny infant in His mother Mary's arms, as a bruised and bleeding sacrifice on a cross at Golgotha, as a risen Son seated once again at the right hand of the Father in power and glory, He brings to us that very great love that comes so near to us.  What will you do with it as we celebrate His arrival into our life?

          Amen.

Week of Worship

December 25, 2011 - January 1, 2012

Invocation:  Ever-loving God, Who came into the world clothed in our garment of flesh and Who willingly gave Yourself to the cross, clothe us in Your own Spirit, that persons will recognize You in us and receive Your great gift of love.  In the name of Jesus, Your greatest gift.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 96

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Exodus 20:18-26

Tuesday               Galatians 3:23-4:7

Wednesday         2nd Corinthians 5:16-21
Thursday              John 3:1-8
Friday                   Ephesians 1:3-14 
Saturday              Colossians 1:15-23

Sunday                 Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Galatians 4:47; Psalm 111; Luke 2:22-40

Reflection: (silent and written)


Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "In the Bleak Midwinter"

Benediction:  Now clothe yourself with my flesh, Lord Jesus, and do Your good work in me and through me today.  Amen.

What Did Mary Really Know?

by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Romans 16:25-27 
16:25  Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
16:26  but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith --
16:27  to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!  Amen.

          Have you noticed that right after Thanksgiving it seems like Christmas is never going to get here.  There are Christmas parties to go to, social gatherings, gift lists to be made up, Christmas card lists, all sorts of Christmas sales, and it just seems like Christmas will never arrive.  Then, suddenly, it sneaks up on you.  Here we are just a week away.  This time next week we'll be going to Christmas services, opening presents, wondering if we gave that special person was at least equal to what they gave us and, oh no, some friend or neighbor or distant relative gave us a gift and we didn't send them one.

          Christmas has gotten a lot more complicated than when I was a kid.  Now everyone is concerned about the number of Christmas trees in the White House.  One story I read said there were 32, another story said there were 27 and they were all from North Carolina.

          Then there's the battle over whether to say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas."  Do you think Christ really cares?  If you read the book of James, looks to me like He cares more about what we do about our neighbor than how we greet our neighbor.

          You can't help but notice that Christmas seems to bring out the best and worst in people, too.  There's this big controversy about a Denver Bronco football player named Tim Tebow who goes down on one knee to pray before every game.  Some say he's doing it for publicity, others say it's an ego trip.  The air waves and Internet are alive with judgments about this young man.  One radio commentator, Bill Press, also a former CNN network host, was so worked up about Tebow's praying in public he sprayed his listeners with foul language while relieving his worked up anger.  A group of high school athletes, seniors, were sent home for kneeling on one knee, Tebow-style, to pray.

          For what it's worth, not everyone knows that quarterback Tim Tebow gave away his entire $2.5 million signing bonus to charities and the needy overseas.

          And while all these folks are arguing about who is really praying and who isn't, a group of atheists in California from the Freedom From Religion Foundation managed to block the presentation of a series of nativity scenes in Santa Monica that has been a tradition there for nearly 60 years, drawing crowds of appreciative viewers.  In fairness, I think it may have been a toss-up whether residents were more upset about being ambushed just before Christmas, or the loss of business from visiting tourists who came to see the 13 lots of Christmas displays.

          Newspaper headlines are calling it a "war on Christianity."  Is there such a war?  TV commentators and newspaper reporters seem to think so, because they're spending a lot of time discussing it.  Sneak attacks, frontal assaults, whispering campaigns, or a war, call it what you will, it's been going on since before the death of Christ.  Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 22:9, in part, "you will be hated by all nations on account of My name."

          Yet in spite of the rancor that accompanies the celebration of the Christ Child, Christmas continues.  It is more than customary this time of year to turn to Luke, chapter 1, verses 26-38, where the angel Gabriel announced to the betrothed virgin Mary, "Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you."  He went on to tell her not to be afraid, that the Son of the Most High would be conceived in her womb, be born, and was to be named Jesus.  Mary, for her part, ended their conversation with, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."  And it was.

          Should we have foreseen the anger and the controversy concerning Jesus in these days?  After all, Jesus said it would happen. In today's gospel we read about the "proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith -- to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!  Amen. "

          What He said would happen did happen.  He spoke it into action just as He created the stars, and moon, and planets of the universe, and in coming as the Christ Child He changed the world forever.

          We can argue about the propriety of putting worshipful displays on property that belongs to all the people, we can question who prays sincerely and who doesn't, we can continue to allow the precious golden patina of that first gift of love to wear away under the rubbing away of faith, but none of that will change what happened.  None of that will change who God is, nor the Son of the Most High.  Not all the legal actions in the world, nor all the self-righteousness of being offended, nor even fear of legal action and giving offense, not whether we say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas," not even all the demands to undo faith in the Living God.  And none of it should change our relationship with the God who loved us first, either.  It remains a reality that when Caesar believed he ruled the known world, the creator of the galaxies of the universe lay helpless in a crib, known to most of us by the French "creche" or "manger" in Bethlehem, surrounded by animals, and straw, and strangers.

          Looking at what we know about Christmas, and the celebration thereof, let us look quickly at what Mary knew.  I dearly love that precious song written by Mark Lowery and Buddy Greene, "Mary, Did You Know?"  What did Mary know?

          She undoubtedly knew what every young Jewish girl knew at that time of her life, that God was good, that He could be trusted, that He knew best.  Mary was a child of her upbringing.  Knowing, loving, reverencing God was second nature to her.

          It was when the angel Gabriel came to her that she learned she had been chosen of God to bear His Son into the human race, Emmanuel, God with us.  Mary must also have known that she had just been given the answer to "the mystery that was kept secret for long ages."  She also knew that she had been and would be blessed, and that her son's name would be Jesus.    What more do we really need to know, than what Mary knew?

          His name is Jesus, He is good, He can be trusted, He is our Savior.

          Jesus loves me.  What more do I need to know?  Amen.

Week of Worship

December 18-25, 2011

Invocation:  My God, what joy it is when You come to us in daily visitation; what peace is ours when by your coming we find life anew.  Come, O come to live with us and reign within, now and forever.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 65

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                James 5:7-18

Tuesday               Matthew 1:18-25

Wednesday         Isaiah 40:1-11
Thursday              Ezekiel 34: 17-31

Friday                   Isaiah 9:1-7 

Saturday              Philippians 4:4-9

Sunday                 2nd Samuel 7:8-16; Romans 16:25-27; Psalm 89:1-4, 19-24; Luke 1:26-38

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Tell Out, My Soul"

Benediction:  My Lord, let me go to my appointed place -- there to live and work in the unity of Your Holy Spirit, now and forever.  Amen.

A Love That's Understandable, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: John 1:1-14

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

2.  He was with God in the beginning. 

3.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. 

4.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

5.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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

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

8.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9.  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 

10.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 

11.  He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 

12.  Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God — 

13.  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

                               

          An excerpt from a story by Dr. Suess goes like this: "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

          The famous Danish philosopher from the mid-1800s, a Christian theologian named Soren Kierkegaard, once related this story about how God made Himself understandable to us.  As the story goes, a prince in a far country wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father, he passed through a poor section of town and as he glanced out the windows of the carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden.  In the days that followed he found reason to often pass by the young lady and he soon fell in love with her.
          But he had a problem.  How would he go about seeking her hand in marriage?  He could order her to marry him, but even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion.  He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses.  But if he did that he could never be certain whether the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of his royal splendor.
          The prince finally came up with a suitable solution. He would temporarily give up his royal robes and position at the palace.  He moved into the village, entering not with a crown but in the clothing of a peasant.  He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language.  In time the maiden grew to love him, because of who he was and because he loved her first.
          This very simple story is what John is describing in today's scripture -- God came and lived among us, for the sake of love.  He had to reveal Himself and His great love for us in an understandable way, and this is precisely what Jesus did.  He became flesh just like you and me.  He made Himself understandable.

          What was that from the Grinch?  "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

          The Biblical author John had a great love for his Lord, and it fairly glowed in his writings.  To him, Jesus definitely meant "a little bit more."  More than 90 percent of what  John writes is unique to his Gospel; not containing a genealogy, any record of Jesus' birth, childhood, temptation, transfiguration, appointment of the disciples, nor any account of Jesus' parables, ascension, or even the great commission. And yet of the eight miracles he records in his closeness to Jesus, six are found only in his writings, as is the "Upper Room Discourse" (chapters 14-17).

          John's whole purpose throughout his writings is to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.  For in believing, we have eternal life.  Knowing Jesus as he does, John is anxious that we understand who Jesus really is.  In fact, the key verse of his entire book of John is found in chapter 20, verses 30-31: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." 

          This comes from the son of Zebedee, brother of James; together they were called the "Sons of Thunder."  John had an appreciation for life, and therefore who and what Jesus represented.

          Again and again we see John documenting Jesus' use of "I am," as He affirms His preexistence and eternal deity; "I am the bread of life" (6:35); "I am the good shepherd" (10:11, 14); "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (14:6); and "I am the true vine" (15:1). 
          John makes it perfectly clear that Jesus is the eternal son of God, not just a man.  And because He is God's son, we can perfectly trust what He says.  By trusting Him, we gain an open mind to the great love that came to us as a baby in a lowly manger for animals in the nowhere town of Bethlehem.  He came in the flesh, beginning among us as a helpless child, growing, playing, walking among us to help us understand the Father's message and fulfill His purpose in our lives.
          And yet even as He grew among us, walking where we walked, eating what we ate, Satan continued over Jesus' life span to take a run at Him, to attempt to undercut His influence with us, to remove Him as the bridge to God He came to be.  And yet such great love stood the test of power then, the power of love over evil, grew and spread and became part of the human race as God created it to be. 

          But why come into our lives as a child?  Why wait 30-some years for Jesus to grow to manhood in order to teach and heal and perform miracles?

          In growing to manhood among us Jesus left his fingerprints upon history, upon the hearts and minds of those with whom He came into contact.  He was known to those around him.  His earthly father was known, his mother was known, those with whom He grew up and played, studied, worked, were known.  Jesus did not simply drop out of the sky one day and announce, "Hi y'all, I'm the son of God."  His entire life had context.

          The God-man who willingly gave up His life amidst the cruelty of crucifixion was known.  He was somebody within the larger community.  The reality of Jesus who is the Christ has stood against unholy temptation, against assassins,  blasphemy, lies, against imposters, against mockery, against every realm of evil.

          It's also worth mentioning that Jesus did not come merely to "teach and heal and perform miracles."  True, he did all those things.  But He was very specific about why He came; such purposes as to seek the lost (Luke 19:10); to save the lost (Matt. 18:11); to fulfill prophecy (Matt. 5:17-18); to do the will of the Father (Heb. 10:9); to destroy the works of the devil (1st John 3:8); to bear our sins (Heb. 9:28); and many more.  In fact, Pastor Roger Congdon has compiled a list of 21 reasons why Jesus came to be among us, found at http://www.teachinghome.com/EM-Elements/Christmas/21reasons.cfm.

          Many times over Jesus can be found saying, "I came not to ...", citing why He did come.  And at the base of why He was here is a love at which we can only marvel, and offer ourselves as a vessel for this great love that comes near.

          I will never forget a defining moment in my life when one night when I felt led to offer a few dollars to a thoroughly dejected, rejected, disheveled homeless person who looked at the money in my hand, looked at me and asked, "Are you Jesus?"

          Then there was Julio Diaz, on his way home from work in the Bronx, getting off the subway at a different station than usual so he could go to a restaurant, mugged at knife-point for a few dollars.  But before the incident was over, Julio was sitting in that restaurant with his attacker across the table from him eating dinner, the knife in Julio's pocket.  What would Jesus do in a mugging?  Now you know.  The love of Christ really does have a power that conquers all; a love we don't fully understand in its power, but what we do understand of it comes from a Jesus we know.  We know Him because the God-man came to us as a babe born not into royalty, but into a stable, threatened and stalked, and yet survived to fulfill His Father's purpose.  For us.  It was, is, all for us.  It is all through the personal commitment of a down-to-earth Jesus in spiritual majesty; a far-reaching affection that is both beyond us and yet understandable, because from newborn babe to crucified Christ, He was here in the flesh, in love.  Amen.

Week of Worship

December 11-18, 2011

Invocation:  Thank You, my God, for the Good News which awaits my coming to You today, and always.  Thank You for the grace and mercy which promise to set me free of all the sins and disappointments of life which yet hinder me on my journey toward Your kingdom.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 80

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Mark 13:1-13

Tuesday               Luke 21:25-36

Wednesday         Revelations 1:1-8
Thursday              John 1:14-18

Friday                   Ezekiel 34:11-16

Saturday               Acts 1:1-11

Sunday                 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:46b-55; 1st Thessalonians 5:16-24; 

                              John 1:6-8, 19-28

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Blessed Be the God of Israel"

Benediction:  And now, my Lord, send me from this quiet place to be a living oracle of Good News for all persons i will meet who are yet lost in darkness and who cry in despair.  Amen.

Is It About Sin?, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  2nd Peter 3:8-15a

3:8  But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
3:9  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
3:11  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,
3:12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?
3:13  But, in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
3:14  Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish;
3:15a  and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him. 

          Recently, Pope Benedict, in his address to U.S. Catholic Bishops, reflected on the concerns they voiced to him in private discussions about the "growth of intolerant secularism in the USA."  Pope Benedict said he sees the attempts to the silence the voice of the Church as one sign, among others, of the breakdown of western society.

          "Many of you have shared with me," he said, "your concern about the grave challenges to a consistent Christian witness presented by an increasingly secularized society. I consider it significant, however, that there is also an increased sense of concern on the part of many men and women, whatever their religious or political views, for the future of our democratic societies. They see a troubling breakdown in the intellectual, cultural and moral foundations of social life, and a growing sense of dislocation and insecurity, especially among the young, in the face of wide-ranging societal changes.

          "Despite attempts to still the Church’s voice in the public square, many people of good will continue to look to her for wisdom, insight and sound guidance in meeting this far-reaching crisis. The present moment can thus be seen, in positive terms, as a summons to exercise the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry by speaking out, humbly yet insistently, in defense of moral truth, and offering a word of hope, capable of opening hearts and minds to the truth that sets us free."

          Is the head of the Catholic church correct?  You know that he is.

           If  as Peter writes, "all these things are to be dissolved in this way," then does it make any difference "what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness"?  I'll bet you know it does, even amidst the societal disarray around us.

          Is our society really facing a breakdown?  There should be no doubt in anyone's mind.  Mental, physical, economic, ethical, moral, on all fronts, the barriers to the barbarians are coming down.  Sexual promiscuity, crime, and even the efforts to excuse sexual promiscuity and crime, are at an all-time high.  This nation has become an open hunting ground for those who deal in drugs, violence, and human slavery.  People who never gave a thought to owning a weapon to protect themselves are now taking classes to qualify for not just the purchase of a weapon, but for a concealed carry permit.  Among those opting for personal protection, the popular saying is "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away."

          What can be at the base of such widespread societal disarray that decent people feel they must take steps to be responsible for their own safety?

          We are living now in very desperate economic times, and in such times burglary, theft, and violence run rampant.  Those who consider themselves among the "have nots" take it upon themselves to force the sharing of scarce resources.

          All of those, of course, are well-known to all, but we have not mentioned  -- and the Pope did not mention in his speech -- what it is that is at the genus of all this "forced sharing", this lust, desire, this abuse.  It's called "sin."  Simple as that.

          Oh, there are many philosophical arguments and terms that might be applied here to assuage the guilt and excuse the perpetrators, but at the base of it all, is sin, and the natural sin nature of mankind.

          It's very much like the great cathedral of a church that had invited a popular old preacher to speak to the congregation that morning.  Little was known of him to the selection committee except that wherever he spoke, he drew thousands to Christ.

          On that Sunday morning, as the elderly preacher arrived, one senior Elder greeted him and, somewhat nervously, asked what the guest speaker would preach on.

          "Sin," replied the preacher.

          "And what, sir, will you say about it?" asked the Elder.

          "I'm ag'in it!" said the preacher and marched to the pulpit.

          It really is that simple.  And yet we would complicate the matter of sin with justifications, excuses, and sentimental feelings, none of which, according to holy scripture, a holy God recognizes.

          What is sin?  Really, have we considered what sin actually is, can we identify what is sin?

          Sin is no more than going against the will of God; the will of God for us, for our lives, for who and what He intends us to be.  The will of God for us is obedience.

          A friend of mine, Pastor Bernard Lutchman, recently noted to me that "In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia, until ultimately we become enslaved by it." 

          We do that, don't we?  We have a good idea what God wants from us, but rather than obey Him, we lose ourselves and our time in the details of life.  There is nothing wrong in the daily rituals of living, eating, drinking, meeting our obligations.  Jesus went about the earth living, eating, drinking and meeting the Father's obligations as much as His own.  The main difference is that in doing so, Jesus was glorifying God.  We are usually glorifying ourselves, making sure other see how hard we are working, bringing honor and definition to our own lives.  That isn't the Father's will for us.  Yet we go against His will.

          This approaching Christmas season is such a mixed blessing for so many of us.  Yes, it is a time of giving and getting, a time when the birth of the Christ child is celebrated, when the love of Christ is seen and amplified among those who need His love so.  Yet it is also a time of unbridled greed, desire and debauchery.  Old pagan customs and rituals have been dragged into Christianity and dressed up to look presentable.  But they are still in pagan worship of nature, of the creation, and not the Creator.

          We lose ourselves in the merriment of it all, and give scant attention to the tiny figure in the manger, or held in the arms of a statue to Mary.  What we don't want to think about is the fact that the God who comes into our life in a cradle, also walks a path that leads to a cruel death nailed to a cross of shame.  And why does He do that?  To release us from ... what?  Oh yes, from sin.

          Sin is natural with us, but not with God.  Holiness is His nature, and Jesus Christ comes to reunite us with the Father, clothing us in His righteousness, taking away the sin.  It is THE gift of this and every other Christmas, but the world is too busy with the giving and the getting to see that.

          Is our society coming apart? 

          Look at the abuse of innocent children, the abortion and murder of infants, the removal of God and His influence from schools, from Government, from everyday life, then look at the rape, the murder, the lying.....the sin, and answer that for yourself.

          What is sin?  Simply that which goes against the will of God.

          Can we say that this life we see about us reflects the will of Almighty God? 

          What we see about us reflects an ignorance of the tragedy on the cross, a tragedy that involved the Father, the Son, and you and I.  A tragedy that purchased, through the blood of our Savior, a future for all who will believe.  It all begins with the virgin birth of a child born without original sin, a child born of God's love for us, born into our world; it all begins with God's will for us.  Our part begins with obedience.

          Amen.

Week of Worship

December 4-10, 2011

Invocation:  Gracious God, Who sent Your own Son to prepare the way for our salvation, give us the grace to heed His word and accept His forgiveness of our many sins.  In the name of Jesus Christ who lives with You and with us, now and forever.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 62

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Luke 1:5-25

Tuesday               Luke 1:57-80

Wednesday         Matthew 3:1-12
Thursday              Isaiah 62:1-12

Friday                   Luke 12:35-48

Saturday              Isaiah 51:1-8

Sunday                 Isaiah 40:1-11; 2nd Peter 3:8-15a; Psalm 85:8-13;

                              Mark 1:1-8

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Reflection: (silent and written)

Hymn: "My Soul Gives Glory to My God"

Benediction:  And now, my God, send me to prepare the way for others, that they, too, may gladly accept the coming of Jesus Christ into their life situations.  Amen.