Time Out!

I will be away from my blog until February 3rd.  I will be visiting my son who is at seminary in Richmond and then ending up in Charlotte to defend the dissertation for my doctorate. 
Post Script:  I passed the oral defense of my dissertation!

Hearing God Speak (Matthew 2:1-23)

Most of us practice a pretty mundane, lifeless Christianity. We go through our lives not experiencing miracles, not witnessing answered promises or even prayers.  We'd never expect God to reveal himself to us through a prophetic dream or do anything much at all out of the ordinary.

Our relationship with God is usually limited to reading about him in the scriptures.  And maybe a short prayer when we find ourselves in trouble.  Often our Christianity is more of a club that we join than anything else. But what if God wanted to reveal himself to us more deeply?  What if God were willing to use dreams and stars and a host of other things to speak to us?  Would we even notice?

One thing we see in the story below is that God speaks through stars and dreams and even evil Kings.  God speaks most loudly through the ancient prophets and then through the Messiah.  But God also wants to reveal himself to us today - to break through our mundane lives.  Listen to God speak as you go through your day... expect God wants to get in touch with you... be open to how he speaks.  Listen!

Matthew 2:1-23 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 

⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

⁷⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. ¹³ Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet,

"Out of Egypt I have called my son."

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸ "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰ "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." ²¹ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³ There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled,

"He will be called a Nazorean."

Was Jesus Inclusive? (Matthew 2:1-2)

Matthew 2:1-2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

Have you ever wondered who these wise men were and how they knew about the Messiah?  The text doesn't give us a lot of information to go on... it says they were from the East  - but that means they were almost certainly Gentiles.  So here comes a bunch of educated, mystic gentiles to worship a Jewish Messiah.  How and why?

Over the centuries, scholars have proposed that these gentile wise men were from Babylon and are the descendants of the wise men that Daniel (of "Daniel in the Lion's Den" fame) saved from execution (Daniel 2).  Daniel was a Jewish boy, who had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians.  While in captivity, he not only saved the wise men from execution, but went on to teach them and the entire gentile nation about the coming Messiah.  Apparently, the message Daniel taught was passed down century after century until one day these wise men see a sign in the heavens that the Messiah has come.

Daniel knew that the message of God's love for humanity and of the coming Messiah was not just for the Jews.   It was for all people.  Very inclusive.  Some how these wise men know it too - they know they are welcomed to come and worship him. 

Picture Jesus waving both hands shouting, "Over here - Follow me!"  We will see in the gospels that Jesus' plan was to get the Jewish people on board (thousands and thousands of Jews did follow Jesus in the first century) and then to expand his ministry through his followers to all people. 

Jesus and his message was for all people.  How does knowing this affect the followers of Jesus today?  Well... we get to share in the mission of God both by demonstrating the way Jesus taught us to live and also by inviting others to join us.

No Place to Belong (Luke 2:1-7)

Most of us know what being an outcast feels like. There has been some time in all of our lives when we didn't fit in some place where we should have been welcomed. Maybe it was in middle or high school? Or at work? Or in your family? Or - like Mary and Joseph - in a religous community?  Even in church?

Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Joseph's family was from Bethlehem.  He had family (even if distant relatives) who he should have been able to stay with in Bethlehem.  And yet, not one of them could arrange to house Mary who is nine months pregnant? 

Let me put it this way, when your family shows up for Christmas and there is someone in the bunch who is obviously going to give birth in a few days, don't you give them a warm comfortable place to sleep and rest? Don't you pamper them? Even if you and others are forced to sleep on the floor? Of course, you would.  And middle eastern culture was no different.

I also wonder why Mary even traveled with Joseph to Bethlehem.  Not everyone had to make the journey.  If you were old or sick or 9 months pregnant, certainly your family could register for you.  I believe she went with Joseph because she was an outcast back at home too.  And she didn't want to give birth if he wasn't there to care for her. So rather than stay at home, she went with him.

The normal generous middle eastern hospitality is not available for Joseph and Mary. Or for the Messiah. They don't belong in polite society.  They don't fit in.  Joseph and Mary were outcasts because Mary was pregnant before she was married.  Society doesn't understand.  The best religious people of the day think that treating them as outcasts is the proper thing to do in order to stay right with God themselves.

Of course, we know all this happened to fulfil the ancient prophesy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  But how must it have felt to be treated this way?  No doubt it was confusing.  Had they done the right thing?  Made the right choices?  No doubt they were hurting.  And yet, God has given them each other.

Jesus and his parents know first hand what it is like to have no place where you are wanted or accepted.  If we embrace Jesus in our lives, there will almost certainly come a time when we don't fit in either.  In times like this, stand firm and do God's work anyway!

Someone once said, "God doesn't call us to be popular, God calls us to be faithful."  I think it applies.

Willing to be a fool? (Matthew 1:18-25)

Matthew 1:18-25 ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰ But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." ²⁴ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵ but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Joseph is engaged to Mary, but she has become pregnant. And the baby is not his.  Disturbing news to say the least!  News that destroys his hopes for the future:  an idyllic married life.  Imagine the trauma and hurt this caused him.  And now he has to decide what to do.  Marrying a pregnant woman is not an option.  And according to the law, he does have a few choices: he can have Mary stoned or he can publicly divorce her.  Breaking an engagement required a divorce back then.  Choosing either of these options would clear his name publicly.  No one would blame him and he'd end up coming out of this mess squeaky clean.  Mary, of course, wouldn't fare so well.

But the law also allowed for a third option: a private divorce with just two witnesses.  This choice would leave the community to wonder the circumstances of the divorce.  The community would be left free to gossip and wonder what really went on.  It wasn't the best option for clearing his name, but it would be kindest to Mary.  So he chose to divorce her privately and quietly.  Joseph is a man who thinks beyond himself.  He is kind. He wants the best outcome for Mary even if it means it will cost him the respect of the community.

So Joseph's world is in turmoil.  But God is going to stir up the situation even more.  God wants Joseph to marry the girl anyway. This bucks everything a good Jewish man should do! The law doesn't allow for marrying a pregnant woman who is carrying someone else's baby.  And what does it say about God that he would not only put Mary in such a humiliating situation, but now he is asking Joseph to support her too!  Well... it tells us that serving God - being part of God's mission - following Jesus can make the follower look foolish.  It tells us that if we follow Jesus, we may look foolish too not only to those who are not religious, but often to those who are most religious.  God allows both Joseph and Mary to look like fools to the religious folk of the day.  Can't you hear the community talking?  "Mary and Joseph are such liars - making up a story about an immaculate conception." Or "What a fool hearty person Joseph is to marry the little tramp - he can get someone better than her."  It also tells us that God didn't want Mary to face these  hardships alone, that he provided her with a good man to love and protect her.

We should be prepared for looking foolish before we sign up to follow Jesus.  Profession of faith in Jesus is a costly decision.  The Apostle Paul, in a letter to the church in Corinth, described in detail this phenomenon of looking like fools when we follow Jesus. 

Our culture, in particular, has a hard time accepting that embracing Jesus means we are often going to look like fools!  Being a Christian is supposed to make us look good - like righteous, disciplined, trustworthy, hardworking citizens.  We've been taught that if we are good Christians we will be successful in whatever we try to accomplish.  Our marriages and families will be perfect.  Our careers will take off. Our businesses will thrive.  God won't ask us to do something that would embarrass us - something that goes against our church, society and culture.  Right?

Well, here God asks this young girl to face ridicule, embarrassment, even the possibility of death by becoming pregnant.  And he asks her fiance to go ahead and marry her anyway - to take care of her.  They look like fools.  And yet, they are the parents of the Messiah.

Have you ever felt twinges of embarrassment because you were serving God?  Did you ever not get the support of the community that you depended on - the community that was supposed to be God's people?   It is a costly decision to follow Jesus - one that will often make the follower look like a fool.  Follow Jesus anyway!  And just as he sent Joseph to walk along side Mary, almost certainly he will send someone to walk along side you too.

God's mission prevails (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:24-38)

There are two geneologies of Jesus in the New Testament.  I have printed the start of both of them - snipping 40 some generations to spare us the details:
 
Matthew 1:1-17 An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David: the son of Abraham...

Luke 3:24-38 Jesus was the son (as was supposed) of Joseph son of Heli... 

It had been prophesied that the Messiah would come through the lineage of King David so it was important to show that Jesus could be traced back to King David.  But Jesus' lineage was never disputed during his ministry.  And since records were kept in the temple, it would have been an easy thing for the Pharisees and others who hated Jesus to dispute if there had been any question.  So we can assume this was a pretty clear fact.

BUT what is remarkable to me about Jesus' lineage is exactly what I snipped out of the verses above.  If you read the whole thing you can see that women are mentioned in it.  And they aren't the goodie-two-shoes grandmas one might brag about.  They are Tamar, who committed incest; Rahab, a gentile who was a prostitute; Ruth, also a gentile; And Bathsheba, who committed adultery with King David.  Jesus was not entirely Jewish?  And if you think the men mentioned in the geneologies might be any better, then think again.  There are names of some unjust wicked kings, adulterers, and murderers! 

Jesus had a terrible family tree.  But this tree shows us how God works.  People can choose to play a positive role in God's mission or a negative one.  Either way, in the end, God's mission always gets accomplished.  This is what our hope is based on: that we can trust God to work out his mission - keep his promises - despite the worse kinds of obstacles!  Even the obstacles we create in our own lives.  God can work through the obstacles in our lives to enable us to serve him despite ourselves.  It is exactly why Jesus came... to make right our broken lives, to make our paths straight.  God is powerful enough to enable any of us to follow Jesus.  There is hope for us.

God's Gift of Wilderness (Luke 1:80)

Luke 1:80 ⁸⁰ The child (John the Baptist) grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

A few blogs ago, because John the Baptist's dad, Zechariah, had doubted the angel's message, God provided Zechariah, with a "time out" by taking away his ability to speak.  Nine months later, after John the Baptist's birth, God not only restores Zechariah's ability to speak, but gives him a new gift: prophetic words to speak to the people of God.  God has used this silent time in Zechariah's life to both let him consider the consequences of his doubt (does the world really need a doubting priest?), but also to prepare him to prophesy a very important message to the world.  God uses this "time out" to reshape Zechariah's faith and to enlarge Zechariah's ministry.

Through out scripture, these "time outs" that God gives happen because God wants the person's attention for a variety of different reasons.  In Zechariah's case, it was because he had doubted and God wanted to change that behavior, but many times it has nothing to do with a failure of some sort. It has to do with God wanting to provide a space for growth. In the scripture today, God provides "wilderness time" to John the Baptist where he could not only grow up, but also grow spiritually. Wilderness time was a time for John to prepare. 

I thought it would be interesting to think about other ways that God has used wilderness time in scripture...

• Wilderness Testing:  The Holy Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness (Luke 4:1-2) where he would be tested.  Jesus needed the experience of overcoming temptation. If you are going through a time of wilderness testing, look for ways to get temptation under control!
• Wilderness Maturing:  An idealistic, but immature Moses felt compelled to protect his fellow Hebrews, but ended up running for his life into the wilderness after killing an Egyptian who was hurting one of them (Acts 7:29-30).  God kept Moses in the wilderness for forty years while he matured and learned how to survive in the wilderness.  This was a good lesson, because Moses would spend another forty years guiding the spiritually immature Hebrews through the desert.  If you are going through a time of wilderness maturing, look for lessons to absorb!
• Wilderness Injustice:  Joseph spent a lifetime in slavery and at least two years in prison having done nothing to deserve it (Genesis 39:20-23).  He could have developed a terrible faithless attitude toward God, but instead he did a quality job every time a job was required of (mostly force on) him.  If you are going through a time of wilderness injustice, pay attention to your attitude and look for creative ways that God might use you.  Joseph eventually became a ruler of Egypt.
• Wilderness Nourishment:  King Saul forced David into the wilderness to protect his throne for himself and his son, Jonathan (1 Samuel 23:13-17).  Even though Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne, Jonathan protected David from his father and showed him mercy, love, and kindness. Lessons David put to use as King.  If you are receiving wilderness nourishment from another person, pay attention to how you might mimic their behavior on down the line.
• Wilderness Outcast:  Jephthah was rejected by the really awful people in his life (Judges 11:3-6).  And was eventually forced to live as an outcast in the wilderness.  He experienced wilderness rejection!  If you feel unwanted and unloved in the wilderness, it may be that God is using this time to teach you the kind of self-confidence that seeks only God's acceptance.  Eventually, God not only sent other outcasts to join Jephthah, but Jephthah learned to lead these outcasts. If you feel unwanted and unloved in the wilderness, it may be that God is using this time to teach you compassion for other outcasts.  Eventually Jephthah became the commander of the Hebrew army.
• Wilderness Isolation:  Before Paul committed his life to following Jesus, he murdered Christians(Galatians 1:15-18).  Then one day Jesus met up with him.  Afterwards, instead of sending Paul into the world immediately to bare witness to his new faith, God sent Paul into the wilderness of Arabia for three years.  There is no record of anyone with Paul in the wilderness. During this time the Holy Spirit must have taught him the theology that comprises most of the New Testament, because Paul says that God taught him directly.  God isolated Paul so he could be in a tight relationship with God learning new things and unlearning old things. Before we can effectively minister to others, we must be ministered to by God. If you are experiencing wilderness isolation, allow God to minister to you.

Most of us have a hard time going through the wilderness.  We are often consumed with finding our way out instead of enjoying it as a time to embrace Jesus - as a time to be nourished and to prepare.  But the way we spend our wilderness time is essential for our future.

The Way of Peace (Luke 1:67-79)

We are fortunate to have a house on a hill with a big picture window that overlooks a valley full of the twinkling lights from our neighbor's homes. My great dane and I watch the sunrise together from this picture window almost every morning. We see its rays hit the other side of valley before it begins to warm our house. Its rays are gold, while the rest of the valley is covered in cool tones of blue and green. When my great dane sees this, she knows that in a few minutes the sun will hit our front door and it will be time to go sit on the rug and warm herself in the sunlight. She will "talk" to me in scooby-doo like sounds until I open the kitchen gate to let her go to her place on the rug to soak up the sun.

Zechariah describes the approaching Messiah as the sunrise breaking upon them. In short order, the Messiah is going to shine into the darkness and guide them to the way of peace. Zechariah describes the characteristics of this peace: a redeemed relationship with God, rescue from enemies - from the hand of those who hate, serving God without fear, living holy and righteous lives in God's community. This peace is more than serenity - more than the absence of chaos. It is a complete wholeness of both the individual and society.

Luke 1:67-79 ⁶⁷ Then John's father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰ as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, ⁷¹ that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. ⁷² Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us ⁷⁴ that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, child (Zachariah's newborn son, John), will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. ⁷⁸ By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, ⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Both Zechariah and my great dane are anticipating the first rays... they are both anxious to get out of the darkness and into the warmth. Zechariah says these rays of sun will guide us into the way of peace - complete wholeness. Embrace this light that is Jesus! Together let us soak up the light seeking the complete wholeness that he offers!

God's Gift of Silence (Luke 1:62-64, 67)

In yesterday's blog, we watched on as Zechariah  - the priest - has a nine month "time out" because of his faithlessness.  At first, it sounds harsh to me to call Zechariah faithless.  I usually think of faithless people as people who live wrongly just to spite God.  In my mind, they are the kind of people who live for their own good and no one else - including God - matters much to them.  But Zechariah was faithless simply because he  lacked faith.  He shows all the signs of someone who hasn't been tending their soul.  He wasn't choosing to walk close enough to God to be prepared to accept that what was happening was a miracle of God. 

I had a friend who was a expert on the Middle East. He had a PhD and taught at an important university. He knew all about the people of the Middle East - their government, their religion, their politics. So when the US was considering going to war after 9/11, the state department asked for his help in evaluating the situation there. He was so excited about this opportunity!  This is what his hard work in becoming an expert had been all about. He was going to take part in helping the government make solid decisions about what to do next. This was huge!

But to take this job, he was going to have to get a top secret clearance. He filled out all the paper work and waited. Surely it would just be a matter of days. It was essential that he get started right away. But his background didn't check out. He had a drug arrest on his record - possession of a small amount of pot. He's also had a DUI. There had been too much partying a few years back. Because of this, the government said no to the clearance until he went through a year long evaluation. A year long time out to think it over. Bummer.

I got a call from him saying, "How can this be happening? How can God make me sit this one out?" It seemed devastating - like God had given up on him completely. A year went by... the evaluation took place. He learned a lot about himself during that year... like the fact that he still drank way too much and was irresponsible in the relationships that God had given him. The year long evaluation gave him a time and space to get his life straightened out.

By the end of the year, he saw clearly that God wasn't punishing him. God was giving him a huge gift!  He had been living recklessly up until then.  He hadn't had faith that God had a higher purpose for his life than partying.  He had - by default - chosen to doubt God's claim on his life and his faithlessness was confirmed by his actions.  He had been faithless.

Faithlessness, whether it is a simple lack of faith or taken further and acted out, it can affect our lives in profound ways.  It doesn't gel with the plans God has made for us.  God wants to be known - he wants to be in relationship with us.  And we can't be in the type of deep and meaningful relationship that God desires from us if we cling to our doubts.  Zechariah, the priest, the one who ought to have his act together so he can lead the people of God, is faithless.  So God gives Zechariah a time out - a time of silence to think it over. 
What a blessing this nine month time out was for Zechariah!  For as soon as Zechariah's son, John, is named, the Holy Spirit comes upon Zechariah empowering him to serve God.  And Zechariah resumes - not just his place as priest - but he is now given the privilege of prophesying.  I love this!  God gives him a new and even stronger ministry than before.   God doesn't give up on him.  God didn't give up on my friend either although it sure felt that way.

Luke 1:62-64, 67 ⁶² Then they began motioning to Zechariah to find out what name he wanted to give the baby. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God...  Then Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke prophecy...    

Together let's take the "silent" places in our lives and use them for joyous growth and preparation for being used by God in a fresh way! Praise God that he loves us enough to sometimes give us a "time out!"

Play or Fold? In or Out? (Luke 1:57-66)

One day, an old priest, Zechariah was minding his own business - doing the same old temple job he had done for many years. He'd go inside the sanctuary and light incense while the congregation prayed outside. Just another day- just another dollar. But wait! Suddenly, he is aware that he is not alone in the sanctuary - something is with him. It is an angel and it scares the bejimidies out of him. Then to top it off, the angel says his old wife, Elizabeth, is going to have a very important baby.

You and I might assume that a priest would have the kind of faith that when an angel shows up in the holy sanctuary, they'd expect it. But not Zechariah. You and I might also assume that a priest would expect miracles too. But not Zechariah. In fact, Zechariah doubts the angel's message openly. So the angel takes away his ability to speak. (Note to Self: When an angel shows up - believe what it tells you.)

Luke 1:57 - 66 ⁵⁷ Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." ⁶¹ They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." ⁶² Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

God has a plan. And we have a choice. We can choose to play a positive role or a negative role in God's plan. God doesn't need us to make things happen, but he'd like for us to have the joy of participating in a positive way. But if not, he works around us. God is just that powerful. God is just that sovereign.

But Zechariah hasn't been tending to his faith. He has gotten comfortable with the ordinary. The supernatural scares him. And instead of running out of the temple and telling everyone that his wife will give birth to the one who will prepare the way for the Messiah, he chooses to doubt. God's plan isn't thwarted. God's plan will still happen, but Zechariah doesn't get to play the role he might have played. He doesn't get to share in the joy that he might have shared in. For the next nine months, he can't even speak. He has to sit this one out. Bummer.

So what are you and I going to choose to do? Will we choose to believe - to embrace Jesus? Or will we choose to doubt? God's plan will happen either way.  But with faith, we experience the happenings in our lives in a whole new way - we interpret them with new understandings. Without faith, we miss out.  Together, let's choose faith!! And watch for the angel and the miracles!!

Mary's Baby wants a Revolution (Luke 1:46-56)

So what do two women (one old and one young) both miraculously pregnant (one with John the Baptist and one with Jesus) have to talk about?

Luke 1:46-56 ⁴⁶ And Mary said:

I'm bursting with God-news;
      I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
      God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
      I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
   What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
      the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
   His mercy flows in wave after wave
      on those who are in awe before him.
   He bared his arm and showed his strength,
      scattered the bluffing braggarts.
   He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
      pulled victims out of the mud.
   The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
      the callous rich were left out in the cold.
   He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
      he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
   It's exactly what he promised,
      beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

⁵⁶ And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

Well... Luke records that Mary begins this three month conversation with Elizabeth with what appears to be a song.  (At first, I smile as I picture scenes from the musical "Momma Mia" and wonder if Luke is intending to write his own musical!)  But the song flows out of another ancient song - Hannah's Song - a song that another miracle mother sings at her son's dedication.  A song that Mary would have memorized as a child.  Now I wonder if Mary hasn't added a final verse to Hannah's Song?  Maybe she composed the words as she traveled to Elizabeth's house?  I wonder if Mary played an instrument as she taught Elizabeth the verses?

I love that scripture describes moms singing over their children!  How appropriate and holy! But unlike modern nursery rhymes and lullabies, these songs are not frivolous nor particularly soothing.  They contain important and significant prophesies.  Hannah, hundreds of years earlier, sings to her son of a Messiah who is to come.  And now Mary sings to the Messiah she is carrying who will fulfill the prophesies in Hannah's song.

Both women recognize that Mary's child is going to be a revolutionary - turning the world on its ear.  Their words indicate that his kingdom will bring about radical social change in a first century world that is all about religion (knowing the right rules and keeping them).  But into this rule oriented world, Jesus brings a new covenant.  He will teach us a new way to live. A way that is just as applicable for us as it was for them.  And just as hard.

I wonder if I can possibly follow this radical way of Jesus?  Then I hear Mary singing, "His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him" and I remember that we will have some supernatural help.  So let us live today as the follower of a revolutionary looking for ways to help him turn the world upside down!

*****

Team Players (Luke 1:39-45)

My last two blog posts have been about both the theology of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Jesus' followers have the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to enable them to carry out God's mission) and examples (Elijah, John the Baptist, and Mary) of people who lived in this power.  Today, we catch a glimpse of how the Holy Spirit almost always puts us in teams to do God's work ..

Luke 1:39-45 ³⁹ In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰ where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴² and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴ For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Elizabeth and Mary had both made huge committments.  Elizabeth, an old woman, was miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist.  She was tasked with giving birth to and raising the man who would prepare the way for Jesus - who would eventually be beheaded for following Jesus.  Mary, a young girl, was pregnant with Jesus himself.  The very fact that either of these women were pregnant was impossible.  And their journeys would be hard. 

But they aren't meant to take on these journeys by themselves.  Not only would the Holy Spirit walk with them, but the Holy Spirit brings the two of them together.  They can share like no one else can in what God is doing through them.  They are immediately joyful and praising God together.  They can encourage each other to be faithful.

We aren't really meant to follow Jesus by ourselves - we really need others to help us.  In fact, many of Jesus' teaching require that we be part of his community.  They are impossible to follow as lone rangers.  We need each other to carry out God's mission.

Sometimes when our Christian journeys seem stuck, it is because we aren't joining up with others who can help us.  We are trying to go it alone. Or we are trying to lean on people who haven't really made a commitment to follow Jesus.  Be open to the Holy Spirit bringing other followers of Jesus into your life whom you can trust to help you carry out God's mission.  Who would have thought this old woman and this young girl would be teamed up together to do God's work?

***

Do you need anybody?

I need somebody to love.

Could it be anybody?

I want somebody to love.

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,

Mmm,I get high with a little help from my friends,

Mmm, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

***

Facing the Impossible? (Luke 1:26-38)

Luke 1:26-38 ²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." ²⁹ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" ³⁵ The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶ And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God." ³⁸ Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. 

Similar to yesterday's blog, we see the Holy Spirit empowering Mary to take part in the impossible mission of God.  Seriously, a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit?  Pretty impossible.  And yet, this same Holy Spirit empowers us to do the good works God has planned for us to do!

Interestingly, it appears that Mary has a choice here.  She can trust what the angel says knowing full well how impossible it is.  Or she can decide she is just not that committed, not really into the mystical things of God, or not willing to be an unwed mother in a society that will ridicule her.  Allowing herself to become pregnant is rejecting society's plans for her - it will make her an outcast - she will no longer have good standing in her community or with her fiance.  He will have the right to divorce her - even stone her.  When we embrace Jesus - when we take part in God's mission, this is often the case.  Our priorities will no longer match with what people want and expect of us. Think again if you think following Jesus is easy...  if so, you might not have studied his teachings authentically. 

But Mary says, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."And she opens herself to embracing Jesus... to giving birth to him, to feeding him, to nurturing and caring for him, to raising him in her home, to sharing her life with him.  Her heart will be ripped apart as she stands at his feet when they hang him on the cross.  The Holy Spirit empowered her for all she would face because of her choice to embrace Jesus.

Facing something impossible?  Embrace Jesus: "Here I am, your servant.  Let it be with me according to the plans you have made for me!"  Amen. Amen. And Amen!

Need Power? You got it! (Luke 1:5-17)

Luke 1:5-17 ⁵ In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah... His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth... ⁸ Once when he was serving as priest before God ... there appeared to him an angel of the Lord... who said to him, "... your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John... he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

This is the story of John the Baptist.  Before the beginning of time, God had planned good works for John the Baptist to do.  Likewise, God has planned good works for all of us to do too.  But John was very unique.  Summed up, his job was to go immediately ahead of Jesus and prepare the first century world for Jesus' coming.  

What this demonstrates is that we, humans, can play a part in God's mission.  Here the Holy Spirit fills John the Baptist so that he is empowered to do God's work.  The filling of the Holy Spirit is what enables John.

I am getting way ahead of the gospel story, but prior to Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit is given to all of Jesus' followers shortly after Jesus' resurrection), the Holy Spirit seemed to only come upon people with an important job to do for God.  Elijah, mentioned in the text above, was one of the people whom the Holy Spirit empowered in the Old Testament.  But from Pentecost on, all followers of Jesus are filled with the Spirit and, hence, empowered to do God's mission.  So if you are a follower of Jesus, you are filled with the same Holy Spirit as John the Baptist and Elijah.  This empowers you to take part in God's mission too.  By definition, all of Jesus' followers take part in God's mission. 

Let go of trying to do things by your own power and (by embracing Jesus) let the Holy Spirit work through you!  You have everything you need to do even the most impossible work of Jesus!

The manisfestation of God's grace and truth (John 1:14, 6-18)

John 1:14, 16-18 ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth... ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

The life of Jesus was more than an announcement of "God is with us."  Jesus' life and teachings are also a manifestation of God's grace and truth. 

To explain what this means, we need some background:  God had given the law to Moses.  Six hundred and thirteen rules that at times seem random and arbitrary at best. But humanity was to follow them.  Sadly, not only could we not follow these 613 rules, these laws couldn't address every situation - couldn't make exceptions when they were needed - couldn't love us and want the best for us.  God knew this all along.  But God gave the law to make clear that we couldn't cut it.  However, God doesn't leave us without hope... the ancient prophets told us that a new covenant was coming where God's Spirit would live within us - where we would know God personally - where the law would be fulfilled not by what we do, but by God's grace and truth manifest in what Jesus would do in his life, death, and resurrection. 

So Jesus has come to make this new way of being possible.  Jesus comes teaching us about God, offering us forgiveness, cleansing our hearts, all so that the Spirit of God might live within us.  When the Spirit lives within us - we know God.  This is God's grace and truth made possible through Jesus.

What a difference knowing this makes in our lives!  We don't have to wake up in the morning worried about keeping the law in order to stay in God's good graces.  We can wake up instead and say, "Where will the Spirit of God lead us today? How will God's Spirit send me to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How will I show God's love to others?" 

Because I know God's grace and truth are joyful and outward focused things, I like to wake up in the morning and say, "Spirit of God, what love mischief will you send me to do today?"  :-) 

Jesus Gives Birth to a New Race of People (John 1:9-13)

Recently I was talking about my life with a friend. There was a time when although I identified as a Christian, honestly it meant little more than "believing in Jesus" like one believes that planes fly or water runs down hill. I believed that Jesus loved me, that he died for me, that I was a sinner, and that his forgiveness was free. And oh I kept a list of rules that Christians were supposed to keep: don't gamble, don't smoke, don't drink.

Well, I kept the rules that were easy for me to keep. I didn't worry so much about putting others before myself or taking care of those in need. Jesus was more like a lucky charm that I prayed to when I needed something than someone whose mission I had embraced and who I had committed my life to following. And if I really wanted to do something - if it made me feel good - I never paused to think much about how it affected Jesus or others. Except for maybe my kids. It was easy to put them before myself. But mostly, I just did what I wanted, clawed my way up the corporate ladder, and felt the appropriate guilt on Sundays... thinking all was good. I'd prayed the sinner's prayer and knew I was going to heaven.. and I felt secure in my spirituality. But this is not the life of a child of God. A child of God is one who has been born of God... has become part of a new race of people... has been (and is being) transformed to follow Jesus and his teachings.

John 1:9-13 ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

John teaches that those who embrace (accept, receive, and believe in) Jesus, who is the true light of humanity, become God's children. These people are a new race of re-born people.  Born of God.  When we make the decision to follow Jesus we are giving him permission to transform us.  This transformation is not just a skin deep tattoo of Jesus, our entire spiritual DNA is transformed.  We aren't who we used to be any more.  I believed in Jesus, but I hadn't embraced him and let him transform me.

So when I was telling this person about my life, I told them about one sin in particular that had come easy to me while I was living this way.  It made me feel loved and accepted by the wealthy, powerful, smart people I was hanging out with.  And being liked was so important to me.  My friend said, "What made you stop doing it?  Did you get caught?"  I said, "No.  Nothing bad happened at all.  God simply changed me."  When I committed my life to letting Jesus live out his life through me, God gave me a supernatural love for those who could benefit me in no way - a love even for those who could and would harm me.  People who I would have normally used for my own gain, I begin to care about them and want the best for them.  Jesus begin to transform me! Perfect, I am not.  But I am being reborn.

Let us embrace the person and mission of Jesus.  Be reborn!  Become a child of God!  Let Jesus transform us!

Jesus is God speaking (John 1:1-5)

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Jesus' story doesn't start with his conception.  John tells us that Jesus existed from the beginning.  Of course, Jesus wasn't wrapped in flesh back then.  So John calls him logos - the "Word".  What a strange and amazing way to refer to to Jesus.  Jesus, the Word, is the self-expression of God.  And as God speaks - Jesus creates!  Remember back in Genesis, God speaks creation into being?  God speaks the logos or Word and there is earth, sky, animals, us! Wow!  Jesus without flesh is what God was speaking as the world materializes! 

But Jesus is not only our creator.  Jesus also embodies "life" that is the "light of all of humanity." In other words, in Jesus is the source of all of humanity's eternal life. Eternal life that is light that darkness can not overcome.  But darkness is sure going to try!

John may have been Jesus' closest friend ... and this is how he chooses to describe him.  On John's testimony, I have to take notice of Jesus.  Jesus' life was not just a life lived well.  His teachings weren't just well thought out philosophies.  Jesus is the expression of God and the source of unquenchable light - eternal life - to all people. 

If John, one of Jesus' closest friends, is right and Jesus is the self-expression of God, the source of unquenchable light to all people, then shouldn't getting to know him be the top priority in life?

Who is this Jesus? (Matthew 1:1, Mark 1:1, John 1:1)

 The gospel writers each identify Jesus in their opening paragraphs in a different way...

• Matthew calls him "the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1) and later on in his book, "Son of God" (Matt 14:33)
• Mark calls him "Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1) and again in Mark 3:1.
• John calls him "the Word who was with God and who was God" (John 1:1) and "the Son of God" (John 1:34).

except for Luke. Luke doesn't identify Jesus in the opening paragraph, he just begins to tell the story of Jesus.  He waits until we overhear the angel speaking to Jesus' mother-to-be before cluing us in to Jesus' identity.  The angel introduces this baby Mary is going to birth as "holy, the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).

These four men were eye witnesses of Jesus' life.  They knew him personally.  And although they identify him by slightly different titles in their introductions with slightly different emphasises, not one of them thought that he was just a good guy or just a human prophet.   In fact, they all identified him as "the Son of God."  And in their books, they are in agreement with all the same terms that the others used to describe Jesus in their introductions.

Jesus was the anointed son of God - not just half human with a Jewish lineage and half God fathered by the Spirit, but all human and all God.  In fact, he was God.  This is what Jesus' closest friends taught about him... they taught this with no benefit to themselves... they were hated for it and persecuted for it.  In other words, they believed it so much that they put their own lives on the line.

Who can fully understand what it means to be the Messiah, the Son of God, or God in flesh?  We don't have a lot of physical evidence around to measure and study.  But we can just take it on faith believing in these testimonies and enjoy the mystery!  We can embrace it... celebrate it... trust it.  What we believe about who Jesus was will affect everything else we believe about his life.  It affects whether we are his followers or his observers - whether we follow just his ways or both him and his ways.

Embrace Jesus by celebrating and cherishing the mystery of both his humanity and his divinity.  And because of who Jesus is, when we follow him, our lives take on far more significance - far more cosmic importance - than just following a good teacher! 

Welcome to Embracing Jesus!

The first post will take place on January 4, 2011.  Please feel comfortable leaving comments or emailing me.

The eucharist pottery featured in the background was pottery that I threw in 2008 for The Living Room, an emergent church in Atlanta.  I don't know who took the photographs, but was thrilled to see my pottery being used!

Hope you enjoy this blog as much as I am going to enjoy writing it!

April