A Better Christmas

As I reflect on Christmas Day, I see that the mood of the holiday is different this year.  From the news reports, it sounds like people are looking for simplicity rather than the latest toys and fads.

Momentum has been building for restoring Christmas to a celebration of Christian faith.  The trappings of Christmas have drifted farther and farther from any connection to Jesus, and finally people have had enough.  The pendulum had swung so far to commercialism that many are rebelling against excessive spending and partying. 

For years I had suggested to friends that we should give gifts at Thanksgiving, so that Christmas could be uncluttered and directed to the worship of Jesus.  But something better has happened.  Through the work of groups like Advent Conspiracy, Christians are working together to turn Christmas into a time when believers work together to bless the world in the name of Jesus.

Last night at our Christmas eve candlelight service, we received an offering for local and international missions.  We are trying to worship more and spend less.  Then we can give more and really make a difference in the world.  I pray that the world might come to recognize Christmas as a time when the followers of Christ work together to share the love of Jesus.  In practical ways we can provide for the needs of the helpless and hurting.

Christmas becomes an exciting time when we make a focused effort to give Jesus to the world.

Darkness

I love the darkness – not metaphorically, but literally.  I like to sleep in a dark room.  I like walking outside in the dark.

 I really love to see the nighttime sky.  Recently we had the biggest full moon in a long time.  The moon was (for some reason) closer to the earth.  Venus and Jupiter have also been in conjunction.  Venus, the brighter of the planets, has been moving higher in the sky, while Jupiter has been moving lower.  I try to imagine what it would have been like hundreds of years ago, looking at the night sky, not really knowing a planet from a star.  Why would some of these lights seem to be still, while others are in different positions every day?

 By the way, the word “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wanderer.”  These heavenly bodies appear to wander across the night sky.  It amazes me that any one could look at the movement of these orbs and determine that they orbit the sun.  I just enjoy watching them.

 As we approach the shortest day of the year, there is plenty of darkness.  But even in this darkness, there is light.  And it is beautiful.

Giving Jesus

The Christmas season is fully upon us now.  I want the season to be full of Jesus, not busyness and stress.  

To maintain my focus, I’m working to keep in touch with Jesus.  I really like spending time in prayer and Bible reading, but somehow that gets tough in December.  I want to spend my early morning time with him, so that I have something to give during the rest of the day.

I’m also looking for ways to give Jesus when I’m out in public.  It is easy for me to become absorbed in my “mission,” whether it is filling the car with gas, or finding some item on sale.  I’m training myself to look around and notice the people around me.  Then Jesus can use me to bring a smile, a word of encouragement or a helping hand.

With gift giving, our family is looking for opportunities to give gifts that change the world.  World Vision has a “gift catalog” with various gifts that can be given in honor of a friend or family member.  My family had a great time flipping through the catalog and imagining which gifts we would most like to give on behalf of which people.  You can give a cow, a goat, a chicken or a deep well.  You can also give a fish pond, a fishing kit or a duck.  People in developing countries need these gifts so that they can take care of their own families, without depending on outside help.

We are also planning to give generously to our church’s Christmas offering.  The offering will support local and international efforts to share the love of Jesus.  I’m excited about the ministries and the impact they have on the world.

Jesus gave himself to us.  He wants us freely to share his love with the world.  That makes life more fun for us, and it gives real life to those around us.

Soul Exploration

Friends can help us figure out our emotions.  I read a story recently about a man who felt discouraged, and he couldn’t understand why.  He invited his friends to help him sort through his situation.  They asked him questions about his circumstances, thoughts, and feelings.  It turned out that he had recently buried a friend, and he was simply coping with that.  He suspected that his loss had left him drained and possibly confused.  But his friends helped him clear up the confusion, and they supported him as he worked through it.

 

The friends knew what questions to ask.  They cared enough to dig deeply.  As true friends, they wanted to discover the source of the anxiety.  The writer said that his friends helped him explore his soul.

 

What if we all had a few friends who would help us explore our souls?  They could help us dig down to our deepest thoughts, desires and feelings.  The more I get in touch with the deep things in my soul, the more fulfilled my life is. 

 

But for some reason, it is difficult to invite someone to take such a penetrating look into my soul.  It has to be someone I trust.  It has to be someone who cares about me.  It has to be someone with whom I can share my deepest longings. 

 

There are a few people in my life like that.  I just need the courage to invite them to go exploring with me.  I would gladly do so for someone else.  I think they would gladly do it for me.  I wonder what I’m afraid of…

Prayers for the President

             Now that Barak Obama has been elected president, he needs our prayers more than ever.  Certainly every president needs prayer support, but our nation is facing unusual challenges today.  With wars abroad and economic crises at home, we need solid leadership.

             The president-elect will certainly discover that it is hard to deliver on every campaign promise.  He made, it seems to me, sweeping promises to fix every ill in the country, with the power of the government.  It won’t be so easy.

             I hope that he will find that Christ followers are praying for him with energy and expectation.  Many Americans have such high expectations, it may be nearly impossible to fulfill them.

             Here is my prayer:  that Americans praying for Obama will renew or discover their relationship with Jesus, and that our new president will be overwhelmed by the power of God. 

             If Obama will follow Christ and let the Lord change his heart – and some of his policies – he could be one of our greatest presidents.  Such is the power of God released through his people humbly seeking his face.

Being Christ

Sometimes God reveals the obvious to me, and I wonder why I never understood it before. As I was walking with my dog this morning, I ran into one of my neighbors. After a brief conversation, we both continued our walks. I have prayed for this neighbor on several occasions. I wondered how I could really minister with such encounters.

Then it dawned on me. God is not calling me to quote Bible verses to everyone I meet. He is not asking me to give money to everyone I meet, nor to pray with, talk to, or invite to church everyone I meet.

He is calling me to be Christ to everyone I meet. I need to be so filled with Jesus that his love overflows from me. As Jesus met people on the street, he ministered to them in different ways. Some he healed, some he comforted, some he challenged, so he taught, some he rebuked. To all of them, he showed love.

As I encounter people, I need to let Jesus work through me. I need to be so in tune with the Spirit that he uses me to show his love. Because of the life of Christ in me, I can be Christ to those around me. Because he gave his life for me, and placed his life in me, the life of Jesus can flow from me to everyone around me.

So I am free to serve Christ by surrendering to his Spirit. Through me, then, Jesus can share his love – through words, actions, gifts, prayers, and presence.

My job is to be Jesus to those I meet every day. He can then pursue them with his Spirit’s power and bring them into his kingdom.

It’s so obvious.

Homecoming

It’s always interesting going back to places of one’s past. Last Sunday my family and I went to a homecoming worship service at the church where I was pastor, 1991-1999. In 1999, at our request, they sent me and my family as missionaries to Stokesdale. They invited me to speak at this year’s homecoming worship service.

I was delighted with many of the changes I saw in the congregation and the facilities. There were a lot of people there I didn’t recognize, at least some of whom are new members of the church. They recently baptized several people.

The spirit of the people was very warm and welcoming. They were sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and eager to follow God’s leadership. I got to use their wireless mic as I spoke – a much better mic than I normally use. The whole sound system is wireless. They also have a video projector, which they know how to use. I felt like such a snob, because I had expected things to be like they used to be. Things do change, even without me.

This shows me that God is working, whether or not I realize it. He can change the culture in a church, even a hundred-year-old church. He can mobilize faithful people, any time, anywhere. The gospel changes people, even in traditional churches. May the Lord change me, and keep on changing me, so that he can make a difference through me.