"We Three Kings of Orient are bearing gifts we traverse afar..." Though this is a Christmas carol, we will be singing it on Sunday, January 2. The magi, or wise men, as they are sometimes called, followed a bright light which led them to the child Jesus.

At Grace Church we celebrate God's gift of Jesus, the Light of the World, not only on Christmas or for the 12 days afterward, but all year round. As we sail into a new year, we pray that the Light will shine upon you and lead you to joy and peace.

Looking for a place to bask in the Light? Find your place at Grace!

Christmas Traditions

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Today after worship we celebrated an "Old Fashioned Christmas" with traditional activities like caroling and decorating cookies.  Most people have traditions at Christmas, perhaps a special meal or a favorite activity. Traditions give structure and predictability to our lives. They can even give meaning if they draw us back to core relationships and values.

Psalm 80 is a prayer of people desperate for the hand of God in their lives.  It has a verse that repeats over and over:
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Repetition in the words of the psalm give moments of pause that let us absorb the message of a people crying out to their God. 

Our very best traditions bring us back time and again to the place where we can feel God's face shining upon us.  We come back to a place where we love and are loved, back to a place where we give generously and receive graciously.

The most important tradition of Christmas time is not a food or an activity, it is that once-a-year moment when we open ourselves to the gift of the Christ child in a manger. It is the time when this heartfelt prayer is answered:  
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Now is the season of Christmas carols.  One of my favorites is Do You Hear What I Hear? (listen). The lyrics and theme of the carol carry a message of waiting, listening and searching.

courtesy of flickr/tycha

      Do you hear what I hear?

      A song, a song, high above the trees.

      With a voice as big as the sea.

Advent (the four weeks before Christmas) is a time of preparation and anticipation.  In the super-saturation of commercial Christmas messages it is refreshing to be quiet. take time and dwell for a moment in silence and waiting.

We have lit two Advent candles so far. They were the candles of Hope and Love. This Sunday we will light the third candle, the one traditionally associated with Joy.  Amidst the serious spiritual preparation of Advent we need to keep joy in our hearts.  

Keep heart and hope in this Advent season. Search the skies for the star that glows brightest of all. Listen intently for the voice that brings the perfect message. Remember, we are all anticipating the promise of the last verse of the carol.

      Listen to what I say!

      The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night.

      He will bring us goodness and light.

Growing in Mission

We talked at a meeting today about the strengths of Grace Church and the need to apply those strengths in a mission that serves the community.  Healthy churches (big and small) actively find needs in the community and reach out in service.

Jesus is our model for service. Teaching and healing marked his time in Galilee.  In Jerusalem he washed the feet of his disciples as a lesson in humble service.

Our choir has led by example by going on after-practice serenades to the home bound.  Their service has grown out of the strength of their voices and a love of singing.

Early this year we grieved together at the loss of several long time members of our church family.  Out of this apparent weakness grew a grief support group where strength is found in sharing.

We need to constantly seek to match strengths to needs.  Just as with our bodies, exercising our church strengths helps us to grow and be stronger still.

Dancing Lessons

After a long summer's drought, the catalogs are filling my mailbox once again. Browsing through them is fun and then they go into the recycle bin. Once in a while, though, something catches my eye, stops me in my tracks, and makes me think about my approach to life. Here's a quote from one of the latest offerings:

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass....its about learning to dance in the rain."

The Bible is full of dancing lessons and we don't have to dance alone. With God as our partner and help from family and friends, we can dance our way through any storm. We may not be able to control or avoid the storms of life, we may have to slow dance for a while, or even stop to catch our breath. And then God is inviting us to resume dancing, even though it may still be raining.  (photo courtesy of flickr/HDC Photography)

No Thunks Allowed

Today after worship many of us gathered and packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Over the last few years we have packed and sent hundreds and hundreds of gift boxes to children around the world.

We walked past a long set of tables filled with school supplies, toys, candy and hygiene items. Each of us started with an empty shoe box at one end of the tables and had a full box by the end.  Then we would get an empty box and start again.

I am grateful for the people of our church who have filled the supply tables so well that I can adopt a "no thunk rule" of box packing.  By the time I reach the last table, my shoe box is packed so full that even the hardest shake will not yield a single thunk.

Most of us live in  a world where God has followed a "no thunk rule" on our behalf.  We have shelter, clothing and food to spare.  Our homes overflow with possessions and comforts. Operation Christmas Child boxes remind us that there are children in this world who are delighted and grateful to receive even the smallest of gifts.

Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the coming season.  We can look beyond our day to day wants and see with the eyes of simple child.

Something on My Mind

Overheard at church: "There's something on my mind, but I don't know what it is."

We've all felt that way sometimes. In the noise of every day life it is easy to lose track of some critical detail. There is a whole school of time management called Getting Things Done that sets out to solve this problem through a set of carefully organized lists. The act of getting details out on paper helps essential ideas rise to the creative surface.

Our spiritual life is even more prone to dilution by busy-ness. That gentle voice within can tug at our heart and mind for days. If only we could find a way to let go the distractions and finally hear.

We could make a spiritual list, or we could just look to Genesis 2:2. "And on the seventh day He rested". Sundays are a very good day to reduce the mental clutter and let a persistent light shine through. It is hard to imagine a better place to bring a full mind than to Sunday worship. At last we can take a deep breath among friends and make room for small voices.

Please drop in next Sunday and join in the search for what's been on your mind. We'll be there searching as well. (photo courtesy of flickr/dolmansaxlil)

Saints Among Us

Today is All Saints Day, the day we remember the people who have shared life with us and taught by example the real possibility of a Christ-led life. Each of us can, with a little effort, think of a handful of people we have seen as saints.

Vernon was a saint in my life. He was joyful and generous. His heart and hands were always ready to help a neighbor in need. Like all saints among us, Vernon would be puzzled that anyone might consider him saintly in any way. Humility and simplicity are common traits of everyday saints.

Naming the saints in our lives is a powerful way to consider how we can day by day shape our lives to walk in a similar path. Mary and Marvel, Jeff and Jim. These are names that come to my mind. Some are gone. Some are still with us. Today is a day remember, be grateful and follow their examples.

Flossing No Longer Required

A friend loaned me a book by Anne Lamott (Plan B Further Thoughts on Faith) and it's a good read. Anne says that it's easy to stay on God's good side.

"It's not hard, " she writes, "God has extremely low standards. Pray, take care of people, be actively grateful for your blessings, give away your money." If you do these things, she continues, "You're cool. You're in. Nice room in heaven, flossing no longer required." (Apparently she does NOT like to floss!)

These extremely low standards are not that easy to meet. Often we are too busy to pray, would rather be cared for than to care for others, and are sometimes fearful of letting go our financial resources. We even forget to say "Thank you" for the many blessings we receive.

Anne's words are a friendly reminder to all of us. Want to be cool and on God's good side?
Live by His standards.

First Impressions Matter to Church Guests

Here is a thought provoking piece from Rev. Sheila Fiorella, United Methodist News Service

The people who come through the doors of our church have expectations. They're making decisions as consumers at first. Whether they return rests on their entire experience with our community. Those people leave asking the same questions they ask of businesses throughout the week: "Was this worth my time? Do the people care about me? Am I valued here?"

How will our guests answer these questions? How do you answer those questions? We're up against a competitor that is fierce, and I'm not talking about Satan or other churches. The other churches in town are on our team. They're leading and loving for the same reason we are.

Our competition, the rival that will keep people away from our church, is any business, service or experience our guests have encountered recently. That includes restaurants, malls, golf courses and amusement parks. First Bank (not First Church), United Parcel (not United Methodist) and Grace Medical (not Grace Community) set the bar for service.

One Hundred Years of Praying

National Geographic put out a video about the history of the Native American's relationship with the American Bison, or buffalo. Approximately 100 years ago, the vast herds of buffalo were slaughtered as a way of conquering the plains Indians. Now the Native peoples are bring back the buffalo by raising them on their reservations.

At the conclusion of the video, this documentary shows one tribe donating 5 buffalo to another tribe to help the latter increase their herd. This calls for a celebration as the two groups come together for the exchange.

During this joyous event, one of the tribal Elders, who is closely involved with raising and herding the buffalo, is heard to say, " The prayers we made 100 years ago are being answered today. Do you have enough patience to wait 100 years for your prayers to be answered?" He smiles broadly and then says, "We do!"

As Christians, as a praying people, do we have that kind of patience? Are we willing to wait that long for our prayers to be answered? Are we able to pray without ceasing for as long as it takes to hear an answer? Is this part of what is meant when we urge each other to "keep the faith"?

There are no easy answers, especially if our world is falling apart around us. The good news is that God always hears our prayers and always answers, no matter how long it takes. (photo courtesy of flickr/SigmaEye)

The Promise

The Grief Recovery group met this week and the beginning topic of conversation was riding the emotional ups and downs following a death. Day by day one's emotions are unpredictable and often uncontrollable. The same is true of any major loss, including the loss of one's job, divorce, catastrophic illness or accident, even the loss of a long standing friendship. The pain of such loss is devastating and seems never ending.

Where is God in all of this?

Right here in the midst of all the uncertainty, pain, and anguish, suffering with us. The good news is that we are never left alone to walk through life's darkest hours. He rides the emotional roller coaster with us. He carries us when our own legs are too weary to hold us up. Even before we cry out in prayer, reaching for Him, He is reaching for us.

He reaches out to touch us heart and soul. He holds a lamp for us during our darkest hours. He reaches out to comfort us through family and friends, especially those who have suffered a similar loss.

He promised; I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Archaic Words

"Abide in me." That is a phrase you don't here very often in casual conversation. Some might even call the words archaic. Yet these words from John 15:7 represent one of Jesus' most powerful invitations. In the parable of the true vine Jesus invites us to abide in him, and he will abide in us. More modern phrasing might say "live in me, and I will live in you".

Beyond the unusual words, this is an invitation to connection that stretches our understanding. What does it mean to open our lives so completely that we coexist with our redeemer? When the question is this big, sometimes it is easier to use old words. The unfamiliar phrase invites us to explore every possible way we can share our life. When we abide in Jesus we can "live in", "share with", "dwell" or "seek comfort". When Jesus abides in us he can "guide", "teach" and "nourish".

Whatever the modern words we use, there is no easy understanding. We are simply invited to a new way and a new path. With a little grace, the understanding comes from the day by day journey.

WWJB?

Driving across the state for a three hour meeting and returning the same day can be exhausting. Ten hours in a vehicle is not everyone's idea of a good time. However, good company and good conversation helped pass the time. We shared many ideas, not always agreeing.

However, an unusual bumper sticker, noticed at a traffic stop in Seattle brought instant unity. This one was based on the popular WWJD, What Would Jesus Do?

It read, WWJB. Who Would Jesus Bomb?

We three travelers, all from different churches, agreed: NO ONE!!

Morning and Evening

You make the morning and the evening resound with joy. Psalm 65:8

We've just passed the autumnal equinox and the days are decidedly shorter. Our household isn't resounding with joy. My wife enjoys early morning light for her pre-work dog walk. We both enjoy an after dinner walk. The darkest days of winter curtail both activities.

Morning and evening are also traditional times for contemplative prayer. Early morning quiet can produce some of our deepest insights. Dawn solitude and freedom from the rush of the day provide clarity of thought. Better than any other time we are able to carefully listen for that still, small voice that will inform spiritual growth.

By the same measure evening prayers have special value as a time to examine our thoughts, words and deeds for the day. Now clarity comes as we evaluate our actions against the the truth-full standards of our Christian faith. Often this examination isn't easy. We fail so frequently in living the Christian life that this healthy daily echo of self-criticism can feel more like constant evening thunder storms of self doubt.

No matter what time of day, we need to remember that our Creator loves us in both our strength and our brokenness. In the days of the Lord, joy resounds in both the morning and the evening. (photo courtesy of flickr/James Jordan)