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.

If The Ark Is A-Rockin' . . .

When Jesus speaks to us in the 24th chapter of Matthew’s gospel, He urges each of us to be watchful and to stay awake, for the day the Son of Man comes again will be unexpected and we shouldn’t be caught unawares.  As the Season of Advent begins, tension builds and the world is turned upside-down and inside-out.  Christians around the world commemorate the first coming of Christ and prepare for the annual celebration of His birth.  And every year, regardless of how busy the season is and how busy our lives become, we always manage to find room for the baby Jesus.  But we sometimes forget that His return is also yet to come.  That's what Advent is a time for.  He came into this world once as a child and as a Savior.  When He comes again it will be not only as our Messiah but also as our judge.  We need to make sure there is room in our lives for THAT Jesus as well.

I love how Jesus uses a reference to Noah, to describe the coming days of uncertainty.  He reminds us how, before the flood, for years everyone but Noah and his family were going about their business oblivious to the events unfolding before them.  Until the rain began to fall, there was no recognition of the sinfulness pervading their world and their lives.  And imagine how unsettling and traumatic it must’ve been for Noah and his children to hear the cries and screams of those lost souls, their friends and neighbors, as they understood the consequences of their failure and the value in Noah’s walk with God.  The prophet Isaiah similarly guides us in the right direction as he wisely counsels “come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

True believers will use these next few weeks preceding Christmas as a time to reflect on the scriptures and the prophecies and make sure preparations aren’t limited to gift lists, layaway plans and holiday feasts.  Make sure you’re also prepared for an unexpected guest when you least expect it.  He will come again to judge us all in truth and love, and His grace will surely be enough to save us all.  Praise Him all you peoples for there’s no God like Jehovah!  Happy Thanksgiving to all for there is surely much to be thankful for, thanks to Him!

The Jesus Juke

Sometimes, the blog muse fails to inspire.  That's my excuse this week anyway.  I'm now a day past my posting deadline and, while searching for inspiration, I found the following blog post from Jon Acuff.  It immediately spoke to me and I knew it was more meaningful than any words I would develop in the next few hours.  Therefore, I'l play editor this week with the first of my "best of others' blogs".  If you'd like to learn more about Jon, please check him out at http://stuffchristianslike.net/. - Tim

Weird things happen to me when I fly. If you followed me on Twitter you would know this because I tend to have “tweet explosions,” when I’m at airports.

Last Sunday morning, as our plane lifted off the ground, the person behind me started to play what sounded like a pan flute. Just as we began to soar above the clouds, we were greeted with a Zamfir melody from what I can only assume was some sort of satyr. In his defense, the flight attendant did not say, “Please return your seats to their upright position, carefully stow your carry on luggage and put your pan flute back in its elk skin satchel.” He had every right to play that beautiful wooden instrument and play he did.

At another airport I went to, a humongous bodybuilder spent his time in the terminal doing ferocious push ups right beside me. I tweeted about it and folks told me to prove it with a photo. Not likely. One of my rules for twitter is never snap photos of people who can snap you. And this guy could have broken me in half like a thin blogger branch.

But in all the responses from people asking me questions about the terminal B2 bodybuilder, one stuck out. It was different than the rest, but is something I am growing familiar with.

I call it the “Jesus Juke.”

Like a football player juking you at the last second and going a different direction, the Jesus Juke is when someone takes what is clearly a joke filled conversation and completely reverses direction into something serious and holy.

In this particular case, when I tweeted a joke about the guy doing pushups, someone tweeted me back, “Imagine If we were that dedicated in our faith, family, and finances?”

I was fine with that idea, I was, but it was a Jesus Juke. We went from, “Whoa, there’s a mountain of a man doing pushups next to the Starbucks at the airport,” to a serious statement about the lack of discipline we have in our faith and our family and our finances.

I don’t know how to spell it, but in my head I heard that sad trumpet sound of “whaaaa, waaaa.”

And that wasn’t even a bad Jesus Juke. I didn’t mind that statement at all. That guy seemed fine. I’ve heard much worse. I once tweeted about going to see Conan O’Brien live and how big the crowd was. Someone wrote back, “If we held a concert for Jesus and gave away free tickets, no one would come.” Whaaa, waaaa.

Chances are you’ve experienced this. Someone pulled the Christian version of the Debbie Downer, they threw out a bit of Jesus Juke on you. If you have, or even if you haven’t, there are three things we all need to know about this particular move.

1. It generates shame.

The Jesus Juke is a great way to tell a friend, “I wish you possessed the uber holiness I do and were instead talking about sweet baby Jesus in this conversation.” It’s like a tiny little “shame grenade,” you throw it into an otherwise harmless conversation and then watch it splatter everyone in guilt and condemnation.

2. It never leads to good conversation.

I’ve been Jesus Juked dozens of times in my life and I’ve never once seen it lead to a productive, healthy conversation. You might think it will before you juke, but what usually happens is just raw amounts of awkwardness, similar to how I felt sitting in a theater watching the Last Airbender.

3. I’ve never met someone who was “juked to Jesus.”

I once tweeted, “No one’s ever said: ‘The way you bitterly mock other Christians helped me begin a life-changing love of Jesus’ (Be kind).” I wrote that because I wanted to remind us that our jerkiness never led folks to Christ. I don’t think our jukes do either. I don’t really see it as a conversion technique. It’s more of a conversation killer technique.

I hope we all keep talking about Jesus. I hope we talk about him lots and lots. I hope he defines our life and conversations. But if I tell you that when it comes to My Little Pony, I tend to prefer Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie and that Toola Roola has been riding their coattails for years, please don’t respond, “You know who created ponies? Our Lord God did, that’s who.”

Has anyone ever pulled a “Jesus Juke” on you?

You're Better Than You Think . . .

God promised us many years ago through the prophet Isaiah (65:18) that He was “about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.”  I can’t tell you how often I’ve struggled with the notion that I could in any way possible be seen as God’s delight.  One of our most common insecurities as human beings is thinking less of ourselves than we should.  Are we sinful?  Yes.  Are we prone to failure?  Sure.  Are we imperfect and sad and disappointing and lazy and selfish?  Of course.  After all we’re only human.  But does this make us any less of a delight in the eyes of our Heavenly Creator?  The answer is a resounding no!  Great news, eh?  And yet, we constantly are conflicted over accepting this very simple premise of faith.  But when acceptance finally does come, what an amazing feeling of relief washes over us.  We feel mercy and grace and forgiveness and love like no other and like never before.

One of the dilemmas we face as Christians is keeping our pride and egos in check when life is coasting along with great ease and success.  Our bodies are programmed to remember the suffering and the less fortunate in the world, and never more so than at times when we feel especially blessed.  Christ himself was focused on the poor and the sick and the lost and the persecuted during his earthly ministry.  But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care every bit as deeply for each of God’s children regardless of their circumstances or their station in life.  We want to love the Lord and our neighbor, but there's something healthy in loving oneself, too.  Let’s not forget, the person who has nothing at all is often at a level of peace we can only dream of. And sometimes the person who appears to have everything is suffering greatly.  This can be well-disguised and a very personal and private trait that might never be revealed to even those we consider our closest companions.  But God knows us better than we know ourselves and is always near.  I mean seriously . . . would you want to be far from someone you considered your delight?

Earlier this year I wrote a song titled “You Are My Delight.”  It’s written as a way to celebrate the greatest gift of all: life.  It’s also written as a love letter from God to us.  It’s a reminder that we can never stray so far that we are out of the reach of His love.  The chorus is full of joyful encouragement as He gently explains just how miraculous each of us is in His eyes, regardless of how we see ourselves.

You are my delight, you’re marvelous and wonderful

In my image you are made, you’re beautiful and powerful

My creation and my child, a masterpiece within my sight

Awe-inspiring and breathtaking, you, you are my delight

For some of us, we are extremely fortunate to have families and friends who regularly offer us loving praise and positive encouragement.  For others, any semblance of encouragement is unfortunately rare or even absent in life.  And yet, all our souls are constantly tugged at by the same unseen force that tells us there is something more to this life and something absolutely mind-staggering that not only created us, but that loves us and blesses us and calls us into loving communion each and every day.  God’s holy word has verse after verse of promises for each of us.  And, for this life, these promises begin and end with the sacrifice of God’s own son.  If we have a God who would sacrifice so much for such an undeserving lot, just imagine how much of a delight we must truly be.  And just imagine how truly amazing life in God’s great glory will be!