Times Are Changing

We all face changes in our lives.  Every day.  Every year.  Some of us handle aging gracefully.  Others . . . not so much.  I recently came across the following interview for Christianity Today magazine with a man who was once voted "The Greatest Living American", 92-year young Reverend Billy Graham.  I thought it did an excellent job of offering each of us sage advice on growing old gracefully and growing old in the grace of Jesus Christ.

http://ht.ly/3HYF9

What Do I Say?

I recently saw a Facebook post from a friend of mine that read as follows:

“My best friend died this week, my heart is broken, I feel alone . . . I miss my friend with all my heart.” 

Wow.  How does someone respond accordingly to such raw emotion on a social networking site?  Does it even need a response or is the poster simply venting?  Ultimately, the posting received 139 return comments.  I started to read through these comments, and while they conveyed the appropriate condolences and sympathy that you’d expect, none of them really hit on a solution to the grief and sorrow and confusion that was raining down on that young man’s life at that very moment.  After thinking about it long and hard, I decided that sometimes just a few words are best to get to the heart of the situation.  I posted three short words that I hope to remember again anytime a tragedy arises where the spoken word fails to capture anything worth verbalizing.

“God is near.”

Remember that uncomfortable feeling that often accompanies reading a familiar obituary, or waiting in line at a funeral home or church to empathize with the grieving family?   We want to find the right words that will erase the terrible feelings and emotions that are dominating the moment.  We want to be a hero who can put death and suffering into the proper perspective so the burdens of the world can be that much lighter.  But the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gave us all the hope and truth we need to face these troubled times.  We don’t have to play the hero.  Jesus has already filled that role as our Savior and Redeemer and he proved that God loves us so much that he lived among us, suffered with us, and defeated death and sin for you and I and all His children.  His promise and His proximity is all the comfort we need whether the days are exceptionally bright or increasingly dark.  You and I can’t change that and we can’t improve on it.  But we can remind each other because these are three words that will never grow stale, will never fail to open doors for healing, and will mean that we are never alone or friendless.

Artist? Yes. But My Favorite Ninja Turtle was Donatello.

As the holidays fall ever further away in the rear-view mirror, the winter months increase their icy grip on us.  And what better way to warm yourself than to curl up with a good book and lose yourself in the imagination of a gifted writer’s prose and plots and characters? Over the last few years I’ve become a voracious reader with an appetite for more and more books.  Just before Christmas, I found myself empty of new books with which to satisfy my craving.  I resigned myself to the hope that some new books would find their way to me on Christmas morning, which they did.  But, in the meantime, I grabbed an old book off the shelf to grant some temporary relief.  Now here we are a month later and I’m still engrossed with this old book while the new ones patiently wait their turn.  Strangely enough I never would’ve guessed that the book to unexpectedly hold my attention for so many weeks would be a book about the works of the Renaissance artist, Michelangelo.

The works produced by this man are indescribably amazing.  Whether as a sculptor or a painter, the trail of artistry he left as a legacy continues to inspire people centuries after his death.  To see the detail in his sculpture of David and in the Pieta (the grieving Mary holding the lifeless body of Jesus following the crucifixion) brings the Bible vividly to life for even the most casual observer.  And the intricacy and the painstaking dedication of the Sistine Chapel’s portrayal of the Last Judgement, the Creation, the Great Flood, the Prophets, the Ancestors of Christ and the Fall of Adam and Eve are humbling and a lasting tribute to the gifts that God gives each of us to share with the world.

One of Michelangelo’s most-admired qualities among fellow artists is something known as “terribilita.” It has been translated in many ways, but my favorite likens it to a sense of awe-inspiring grandeur.  Sounds like something all artists (writers, painters, musicians, sculptors, poets, actors, craftsmen) should aspire to epitomize. And while it’s difficult to imagine an artist on a far grander scale than Michelangelo, an artist who embodies “terribilita” in every piece of art he or she creates, that is exactly what we have in God.  What we have in Jesus.  And what we have inside each of us in the Holy Spirit.  Creation itself as told to us in Genesis is as grandiose and awesome as it gets.  Living a perfect life according to God’s will as Jesus did is beauty.  Enduring His Passion for all of us was “terribilita.”  When a new life enters the world we celebrate one more piece of God’s craftsmanship.  And when a life leaves this existence and enters into Paradise, we celebrate the soulful artistry of God’s handiwork.  As this winter slowly plods along, use those snowy days and cold nights to practice your appreciation for God’s artistry.  After all, every snowfall is His Pieta.  Every child’s laugh is His Sistine Chapel.  Every smile is His Mona Lisa.  Every act of kindness and compassion is His Romeo and Juliet.  And every moment of your life is but another verse in His unending epic poem of Creation.    Amen.

I Love A Good Nativity Set

My wife began collecting nativity scenes and sets several years ago and ever since our home has become a veritable museum of creches during the holidays.  Each year it becomes a quest of mine to find new and unusual sets to add to her collection.  The Holy Family, the shepherds, the Magi, the animals, the angels - all of them coming together to create their own individual and magical tableau.  The annual reappearance of the Nativity image and its accompanying wonder and joy help to keep Christmas a very real and meaningful part of our lives.  And what a comfort it is to know that God would send his only Son as an innocent babe to live among us and to experience all of life's highs and lows just as we would.  It's only in this way that we can truly appreciate His understanding of the human condition because He is part of it.  And when we see those tiny hands and arms reaching out of the manger, it's simply one more unexpected example of God's amazing love for us, because Mary's baby didn't come to Earth to be cradled in our arms; instead He came to hold each of us.


I thought Anne Rice (yes, that Anne Rice, fellow vampire fans) captured the meaning of the creche in today's world for all people, religious or not, spiritual or otherwise, in this Christmas Eve blog courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.  Enjoy.


http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/12/24/anne-rice-on-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/

A Christmas "Two-Fer"

With little more than a week to go until Christmas, there’s still plenty of time to shop and plenty of time to learn a new lesson.  One lesson that can be particularly hard to learn is saying “Yes” to God even when it means giving all we have to those who have the least.  Along with that usually comes the lesson of loving those we never planned on loving.  It’s known as a two-for-one or simply a “two-fer.” 

In Matthew’s gospel we hear the story of Joseph’s dream as he comes to grips with the unbelievable responsibility that is set before him: serving as the earthly father to the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God.  The angel tells him “And you shall call him Jesus.” Joseph surely had other plans for his life, but he listened to God and he obeyed.  He is remembered as a talented carpenter and a hard-working provider.  Yet he still found time to set the standard for all future fathers with his unconditional love for Mary and his promise to raise and love her child.  He also took it upon himself to spiritually prepare the boy for His miraculous adult ministry and unparalleled divine destiny.  There is even a branch of study devoted to him called Josephology.  But all we need to know about Joseph is this:  He listened to God.  He loved and took care of his family.  He put his desires and dreams on hold for the good of the universe.  He did all of this to the best of his ability and he was most definitely blessed.

Mary.  Joseph.  An Innkeeper.  Shepherds.  The Magi.  Countless others unmentioned and unnamed who no doubt assisted the young family in ways small and large as it faced challenging odds for survival.  So many sacrifices and such willing players in the drama about to unfold before all the Earth and all of history.  May we also find it in our hearts to learn what our role is in this beautiful and powerful story that has no end.  We will be called to give much when we think we have nothing.  We will be called to love when our instincts tell us otherwise.  And through it all, we will help to keep the name of Jesus on the lips and in the hearts of the next generation.  May all the faithful come together in this season of love and adore Him in unison; for He is indeed Christ, the Lord!

Magnifying and Leaping at God's Grace

This week we celebrate Magnificat Sunday.  In Luke’s gospel, Mary’s response to the news of her pending motherhood to the Messiah is one of the most beautiful and soulful glorifications of God ever written down.  The words she spoke are so amazingly profound for a young woman in her early teens and in such dire straits.  “My soul magnifies the Lord!”  When the way is full of so many unknowns and so much uncertainty, how many of us can honestly say the same today?  In the verses prior to this passage, John the Baptist leapt within his mother’s womb when he came in close contact within the still unborn Jesus.  Even a life just beginning and still forming inside Elizabeth was able to grasp the significance of God’s proximity.  Another example of a childlike and honest reaction to the presence of God’s grace.  When was the last time we leapt at anything, yet alone the recognition of God in our midst?  Today, may we urge one another to follow Mary’s and John’s examples as she recognizes that God is indeed at work in her life and as He senses that God is right here, right now.  God has done great things for both of them and He will do great things through them.  A simple, ordinary girl from humble circumstances entrusted by the Creator of the Universe to care for His only child.  A life yet to make its grand entrance into a broken world that will mature into the prophetic forerunner of the Savior of all humanity.  God has great and unbelievable plans for each of us as well.  So allow all your senses to listen to His still, small voice; then allow your soul to leap and to magnify Him in all you do.  Shine His light and share His good news of great joy to everyone, during this Advent season and all year long.

My Savior's Manger is King-Size

This week marks the second week of Advent and Christians across the globe are diligently preparing the way for Jesus.  In honor of the ever-hastening season, the manger moves front and center. The words of Isaiah prophesy:

“On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.”

The question we must ask ourselves today is “What can we do, right here, right now, to make His dwelling more glorious?”  For starters, we can prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus: yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We can also turn our preparations away from the busyness of the season to the reason for the season.  We can welcome Jesus into our lives and make a place for him.  A warm, soft place filled with love and joy that we can only secure through a genuine relationship with our Creator and our Savior.  The manger was Jesus’ first dwelling place here on Earth.  Today, as we approach the time of the coming King, let us line it not only with straw and swaddling cloths but also with the glory of promises and dreams for a better tomorrow for all His children, until the day He comes again to reclaim His kingdom which has no end.  Remember when you next see a nativity scene, that manger isn’t only home to the Christ child.  It’s also home to our hopes and dreams and our salvation. So whatever you do, don't scrimp on the manger this year.  Make sure it's sized accordingly for a King.  Come into our hearts today, Light of the World,  Emmanuel.  Amen.