Galatians 4:6-7

“And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” vs. 6

It’s possible to live without any sense of being in relationship with God. In fact, it’s likely that millions of folks could be put into that category. Some of these have deliberately chosen that way of life; they don’t even pretend to believe in God. Others never give the matter a second thought. They focus entirely on their own needs and desires and do what others do: they go to school, get jobs, mate, have children, travel, and set up retirement funds. They have a ton of things that can spark their interests, but God just isn’t a part of their world. But still others, many others, understand themselves to be children of God, not because they’re smarter than others or more religious, but because God’s Spirit lives in their hearts. This God-spark, actually present in all persons, infuses their consciousness and becomes known to them and seen by others. This isn’t because of their own will or desire, it’s just something that happens, and such persons live unabashedly as the off-spring of God, even crying out in their prayers to their “Abba” or “Papa,” a term used by Paul to describe our intimate familial connection to God. Within the context of our limited vocabulary it’s a way to describe the spontaneous bursts of prayer that fill the believer’s day. We are one with God, and our spirits know it!

Thought for the Day: What intimate term do I use for God?

Galatians 4:4-5

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” vss. 4-5

Early Christians had a lot of figuring out to do when it became apparent that the Jesus who had been crucified had been the long-anticipated messiah. Paul had had a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ that had convinced him but it still took some years to get things straight in his head. He uses the phrase “the fullness of time” to offer an explanation to the folks in Galatia. In essence he’s saying that Jesus had been born at a propitious moment in history, the very best time for the gospel of grace to be planted and flourish. We might say that it was the perfect storm. All the pieces were in place for the message of death and resurrection to spread like wildfire all through the world. The Mediterranean was like a Roman lake. Commercial shipping made traveling by sea relatively safe, a system of roads had been built from England to India, and there was a common Greek language that everyone understood. And Roman armies were keeping the peace. In that moment, Paul says, Jesus was born as a human to bring redemption and adoption to all believers. Jesus didn’t come as a god, he came as a human, a mother’s son, so that all people might become his brothers and sisters. And in him God acted for our salvation.

Thought for the Day: Who are my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Psalm 8:5-9

“Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vss. 5-6

As the psalmist meditated on the wonders of the universe and considered what place humans had in the whole scheme of things, he concluded that we are almost like gods on our planet. Crowned with glory and honor humans have been given dominion over all things; all things have been put under our feet. We can easily understand how the psalmist might have felt this way, and through history most people have agreed. For the last 70,000 years or so we’ve acted as though we are in charge and that the bounty of the earth is ours to use as we please. For some thousands of years that attitude seemed to work–at least we weren’t able to do much damage. But in recent centuries things haven’t been going very well. Advancements in science, medicine, and technology, coupled with the greed rooted at the core of our souls, have meant that the planet has suffered enormously from our exploitation of the environment. While animal extinctions have occurred for millennia, they have accelerated in recent years. Wildlife experts estimate that 70% of all mammals, birds, insects and fish have been wiped out since 1970. If we’ve been supposed to be taking care of things, we haven’t been doing very well. And sadly, many doubt that we even have the will to change our ways!

Thought for the Day: What can stem the tide of destruction?

Psalm 8;1-4

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” vvs. 3-4

Unlike us the psalmist lived in a time of dark skies; there was nothing of what we call light pollution to spoil his nighttime view of the heavens. And what he saw was astounding. Every clear night the skies would have been filled with stars and planets, some flickering and some moving about. Some sages of his time spent their lifetimes studying the constellations and trying to make sense of what was out there. Imagine what they would have thought of the images received from the Hubble or James Webb space telescopes. The universe is so vast and beautiful: it challenges our puny minds. And that’s what the psalmist was feeling. He knew that this was all the work of God, but it was hard for him to comprehend how humans fit into this picture. And we wonder too! The universe was many billions of years old before we even showed up. And we live on a totally insignificant planet far from anywhere. Was all this an accident or is there a purpose for our existence? Astronomers and physicists argue about these questions at length and to this point they aren’t even close to having satisfying answers or conclusions. The psalmist implies that the question must go unanswered and that’s okay. We’re here now–and the place where we have our existence is awesome!

Thought for the Day: Why does the universe need humans in it?

Numbers 6:22-27

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” vss. 24-26

In most of our congregations the pastor’s last words to the gathered people are some form of the Aaronic Benediction. And while for some this is a welcome signal that the end is in sight, most worshippers are touched by this familiar blessing. And pastors love to pronounce it! For some it’s the highlight of the week. There is power in blessings and most of us don’t give or receive enough of them. In this instance it’s not a personal blessing from the pastor but a reminder that the Lord wants nothing but good for us. No matter how the rest of the service has gone, no matter how challenging the sermon, no matter how messed up our lives have gotten, the last word from the Lord in worship is a word of grace and commendation. It is God’s desire that every one of us feel as though God is smiling upon us and keeping us safe in every circumstance of life. And what God wants for us more than anything else is that we would have peace. And that’s what we want too! We don’t want anxiety and worries dogging our steps along the way, we want serenity, a sense of calm and an assurance that we have not been abandoned. And if we’re paying attention that’s what we receive in the benediction.

Thought for the Day: What effect do blessings have on us?

John 1:1-14

“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.” vs. 14

Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and the name was chosen quite deliberately. It would not have been adequate to call it Jesusmas. Not only would that name have been clumsy to say, it wouldn’t have come close to expressing the full meaning of the celebration. But as it is, Christmas connects Jesus to the Word present at creation in a most exquisite way. The word “Christmas” in itself is a bold theological statement and affirms the conviction of early believers that Jesus was not only the Messiah promised in scripture, but the Word through whom all things have come into existence. And more than that, at Christmas we’re not only recalling an historical event but we’re celebrating the active presence of the Christ in the world today. In the moment of Christ’s birth and life the eternal presence of the Word connected with the person of Jesus as a demonstration and proclamation of God’s sacrificial love. From that point on we haven’t had to wonder what God is like or whether we have salvation or not. The whole gospel of grace exploded into the world through Jesus the Christ, and as we continue to celebrate Christmas, we get a fresh reminder every single year. Joy to the world, the Christ has come!

Thought for the Day: What has been my best Christmas gift?

Luke 2:8-14

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” vss. 10-11

Many people, even those whose faith is sketchy, try to make time for going to church on Christmas Eve. It’s a family ritual and, along with a traditional meal and opening gifts, is a “must do” for the holiday. And while they might not see their action as worship, there is for some a deeper meaning. They may not believe in angels or virgin births, but they can’t help but hear good news in the gospel. The message is as clear as the Christmas bells: what happened in Jesus is for all the people! In him the Messiah, the Word of God, became incarnate and divine love is poured out upon all flesh. It’s sad that regular worship is not habitual for such Christman/Easter types, but it’s wonderful that on this night they do hear that angelic proclamation of God’s unconditional love. And when stray tears are seen in their eyes as they sing “Silent Night” we know that the Spirit of God has been present and that love has touched their hearts. What a blessing Luke has given in his birth story of Jesus! Through its images of sleeping shepherds and singing angels the message of God’s love is made crystal clear and will persist for all generations.

Thought for the Day: What feelings do I have when I hear Luke’s birth story?

Luke 2:1-7

“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.”  vs. 7

We don’t know if Luke embellished his story of Jesus’ birth, it’s certainly different from Matthew’s, but we love the picture he painted, and nativity set depictions of the scene can be found in nearly every home at Christmas. St. Francis began the practice when he got permission to set up a manger in a grotto, complete with an infant and sheep, about 1223, and the practice has become universal. Creches now abound–children love to play with them and move the figures around–but they’re more than decorative, and certainly more than playthings. They are a testimony to Jesus’ humble origins and a reminder that there was nothing remotely royal about his background or his ministry. He was as totally human as anyone could possibly be, and he did not come from a family of privilege or power. Throughout his life he mixed freely with ordinary people, a man well acquainted with poverty and exclusion. Luke could have written a treatise about Jesus’ origins, but he did something better, he told a story, one that has captured our hearts and cemented itself in our imaginations. Now nearly everyone everywhere knows about the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay–it’s a marvelous origin story for the One who would be the Savior of the world!

Thought for the Day: What part should Santa Claus play in our Christmases?

Titus 2:11-14

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly…” vss, 11-12

The book of Titus reflects the conviction of early believers that God’s saving grace had been showered upon all humanity in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That’s a truth worth holding close to our hearts, especially in these times of religious division and controversy. Too many folks like to divide humanity into two groups, the saved and the unsaved, when in reality there is no separation in Christ. All are saved! Now that doesn’t mean that all people are believers. In fact there are many who want nothing to do with any kind of religion–some of us have such folks in our families. But it should give us comfort to know that in Christ salvation has come to all. That’s why Christmas has such appeal even to irreligious people. All kinds of folks have been spending these last weeks being pumped up by the holiday spirit–people love the decorations and cookies and celebratory parties–most also get into the gift-giving rituals. For them it’s the happiest time of the year. And a lot of them are going to show up for worship this weekend. They’ll sing the familiar songs with gusto and maybe even shed a tear or two during Silent Night. They know in their hearts that the Christmas story is for them and that God’s grace and love knows no boundaries!

Thought for the Day: If all are saved, why do some behave so poorly?

Psalm 96

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” vss. 4-5

Human beings seem to have a god gene as part of their DNA that drives them to set aside time and energy for worship as a regular activity. Sometimes the object of that worship was found in nature, perhaps a particular mountain or rock feature. Later worship included the erection of pillars or altars in sacred spaces, and ultimately the building of temples and the crafting of stone or metal images. The psalmist makes the claim that all of these efforts had been in vain and that only the Lord God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, was worthy of praise and worship. It’s a bold and audacious statement, one that continues to be affirmed by billions of people. Of course there are some who believe that the evolution of knowledge has rendered all notions of God obsolete, but most people persist in believing and are persistent in worship. And for many, even though the one God is cloaked in mystery, there is a conviction that this unknowable Mighty One has actually become known in Jesus Christ, and that’s what we’ll be celebrating this weekend. We might even sing together, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,” as a musical confession of faith. The Lord of the Universe is real, and is present in our world.

 Thought for the Day: What happens if the “god gene” is absent?