As we get ready to gather for the service of the longest night, it is an important time to pause and reflect on this simple yet world-changing story that announces the coming of Jesus (click on the title to read the passage). I could probably spend a lot of time here trying to unravel all the bits and pieces of Luke's story. It is a story filled with mystery, unusual characters, and odd incidents. It is a story that tries to give a careful history of Jesus and wants to start out with an important announcement...really a proclamation for all time.
Two centuries separate Luke's careful account of Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she will be the mother of all mothers. Human history has had various ways to understand the story from more mystic and ancient magically descriptions, to a host of well-reasoned scientific explanations, to a lot of back pedaling and waffling over what "really" happened and how it impacts whether you should follow this Jesus.
The reality of all these various arguments, philosophies, and thoughts boils down to Luke's simple laying out of events. I wonder if he would have elaborated so much if he thought we would have stumbled with incredulity at parts of his tale? But truly we are called to focus on these pieces of bizarreness with jaws dropped. An angel appeared? Mary was a "virgin" and yet is going to have a baby? God's interested in us?
It is the foundation of the message here where that last question is intended to break through. God has taken a hard look at us and realized there is something missing. It means that whatever we thought was normal, whatever thought was a sure thing, is going to get turned upside down...sometimes for good. And do in the midst of this unusual love story, for that is what this is, God's love story for us all, that Gabriel's words, "be not afraid" feel odd and yet are such a welcome to our ears, and to Mary's.
Gabriel's pronouncement opens the door for what should surely have overwhelmed a woman of age let alone a teenager awaiting to be married. In the message Gabriel shares, it is perhaps no mistake that Mary is directed to go to another older woman who can give her perspective and help her through what will be a rough time in the coming weeks. It is this sense that God's hope for us and all that it might mean comes with a promise, but also with the blessings and resources to see us through.
As you come to worship with us in the coming week, take a moment to remember who those loved ones were that might have said "don't be afraid" and take a moment to pause and give thanks for all those who were with you when that voice might have been suddenly and unexpectedly silenced. Even Gabriel did not return to comfort Mary. That job was left to a great cloud of witnesses, her family, and a community that needed to discover what it meant together to be thrust onto the center stage of God's new hope for the world.
May this week be a reminder of hope for you filled with memories of those you loved and those who helped to love you through the loss of someone dear. Amen.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Steve-o's Devos: Who Are You?
Last week, I mentioned how John was out in the desert doing a little dunking in the Jordan River and calling people to wash themselves anew and to prepare for something really important. It turns out that as he did this, some people still wanted to know what he was really up to and who he was, really (see the passage by clicking the title of the devo today).
Isn't it good to know that skepticism has always been around. It must just be a bit of human nature to always want to suspect the reasons behind why something is happening. It can be a good thing too as we learn to ask questions and figure out how our world is put together and how we are connected to one another in some way. Inquiring minds always want to know, right?
Without figuring out what someone is up to on our own, we often need to ask questions. It is a bit odd that people might have come to find out what John was up to out there in the desert, even be baptized, and then to pause afterwards and say, "Wait a minute, now who did you say you were?"
John has a pretty simple answer, he is the "voice in the wilderness." John states simply that he is the one who calls people into the new day that is dawning. He does not expect more or less of how the message is received and he will take you to the river and guide you to be ready, but that is about as far as his ministry can take you.
It perhaps is no wonder then that sometimes we here at BTW find ourselves in a similar situation. "Who Are You?" is a common question of us when we first meet with someone new, or someone in the community asks about what we hope to do here in Nashua. In a lot of ways, we are truly preparing the "way" for something that God is calling us to do together, form a safe community where all are welcome, where we can ask questions openly and without fear, where we can heal from past hurts of all kinds, where we can hear some truly good news in the midst of our daily lives.
In many exchanges of conversation there are often two questions that will arise. The first often is "Who Are You." It is a get-to-know-you sort of question as we figure out how or why we came together to talk in the first place. But then a deeper question comes next, "What are you looking for?". This is the question that John knows the people are wanting an answer to as they wish to figure out who he is and what he is doing.
"Who are you?" the people ask. They want to live differently. They know things must change. they know that the old traditions spoke of a new way of living but they have not seen it. And now they are out in the middle of nowhere, wandering in search of a savior. If not John, then who?
Therein lies the very cornerstone of what the preparations for Christmas are all about. "Who are we really celebrating?" is a question worth reflecting on in these few weeks before December 25th. The television ads want us to think the question is an answer to what we want, but God calls us to reflect on a deeper question, what are we really desiring, hoping, and dreaming for in our lives. God's answer leaves all material things in the dust as a hope for a new dawning day bursts into the world in the form of a little child.
What an interesting place for new hope to start, in the birth of something new. As we consider what our hopes are in these weeks, I encourage you to reflect on who you are and in what new ways you are growing into the person God hoped and knows you can be. If you discover that peace which passes your own understanding and expectations, perhaps you will see that grace-filled break that opens the door into what your heart has longed for all along. Amen
Isn't it good to know that skepticism has always been around. It must just be a bit of human nature to always want to suspect the reasons behind why something is happening. It can be a good thing too as we learn to ask questions and figure out how our world is put together and how we are connected to one another in some way. Inquiring minds always want to know, right?
Without figuring out what someone is up to on our own, we often need to ask questions. It is a bit odd that people might have come to find out what John was up to out there in the desert, even be baptized, and then to pause afterwards and say, "Wait a minute, now who did you say you were?"
John has a pretty simple answer, he is the "voice in the wilderness." John states simply that he is the one who calls people into the new day that is dawning. He does not expect more or less of how the message is received and he will take you to the river and guide you to be ready, but that is about as far as his ministry can take you.
It perhaps is no wonder then that sometimes we here at BTW find ourselves in a similar situation. "Who Are You?" is a common question of us when we first meet with someone new, or someone in the community asks about what we hope to do here in Nashua. In a lot of ways, we are truly preparing the "way" for something that God is calling us to do together, form a safe community where all are welcome, where we can ask questions openly and without fear, where we can heal from past hurts of all kinds, where we can hear some truly good news in the midst of our daily lives.
In many exchanges of conversation there are often two questions that will arise. The first often is "Who Are You." It is a get-to-know-you sort of question as we figure out how or why we came together to talk in the first place. But then a deeper question comes next, "What are you looking for?". This is the question that John knows the people are wanting an answer to as they wish to figure out who he is and what he is doing.
"Who are you?" the people ask. They want to live differently. They know things must change. they know that the old traditions spoke of a new way of living but they have not seen it. And now they are out in the middle of nowhere, wandering in search of a savior. If not John, then who?
Therein lies the very cornerstone of what the preparations for Christmas are all about. "Who are we really celebrating?" is a question worth reflecting on in these few weeks before December 25th. The television ads want us to think the question is an answer to what we want, but God calls us to reflect on a deeper question, what are we really desiring, hoping, and dreaming for in our lives. God's answer leaves all material things in the dust as a hope for a new dawning day bursts into the world in the form of a little child.
What an interesting place for new hope to start, in the birth of something new. As we consider what our hopes are in these weeks, I encourage you to reflect on who you are and in what new ways you are growing into the person God hoped and knows you can be. If you discover that peace which passes your own understanding and expectations, perhaps you will see that grace-filled break that opens the door into what your heart has longed for all along. Amen
Friday, December 5, 2008
Steve-o's Devos: Getting A Little Wet
If you are paying even a little attention to the news these days it seems like there is very little "good" about it. For many the spectre of homelessness, joblessness, and any other number of "-lessnesses" are poised to overwhelm them. How fascinating it is then that we find ourselves in the season of "Advent" in the time of the Church. Advent is that season that helps us refocus our lives. It is a time to prepare for something wonderful that is about to happen. It is a period of pregnant expectation and longing for change. You might say that we have many signs that are pointing to the way things need to be in our world, and yet we still need a nudge to remind ourselves about this very thing.
In Jesus' day, there was a guy called John who headed off into the desert and began preaching. You would think that this makes little or no sense. Why would someone with a message for everyone to hear go outside of the city to proclaim it? If John's message was so vital, why not head to the very centers of his faith to allow others like him to hear it?
As it is with John's proclamation, so it is with our ministry at By the Way. So often it seems odd that we would go away from a church group to be in the midst of people who would never set foot in the church door. We talk with people who find it hard to believe that anyone really cares about them and prays for them on a regular basis. It is a reality that we discover whenever we walk the streets of Nashua with a flyer or some other advertisement that can be posted in a work location or in a school. It is the thought that somewhere a calm, soothing voice reminds people that they are loved and cared for and that God is calling them into community for a new purpose.
This is the case with John's proclamation (which you can read by clicking the title of our blog today). John's message seems harsh but he takes a simple element, water, and turns it into a symbol that serves as a reminder of a person's need to change. John baptizes people in the Jordan River. His is a symbol of washing away the outer detritus of life, the dirt and dust of living, that cakes the outsides of the people's bodies. He calls them, and us, to "repent", to give up our old ways of thinking and to expand our worldview so that we can be ready for someone who has a message even more earth shattering than John's. That person is Jesus, and John says that his baptism is one only of water, but that "the one" to come will drench us in God's spirit.
What an image that is! Imagine being soaked to the bone in God's grace. Imagine being so completely overwhelmed by God's love that your own hope can never dry out or up.
This is what this preparatory season is all about. It's about cleaning out our lives so that we can be overwhelmingly grateful for the gift of a small baby born of a teen mother in a run down barn. Out of scarcity will come a gift of abundance.
Are you ready to get wet? Amen.
In Jesus' day, there was a guy called John who headed off into the desert and began preaching. You would think that this makes little or no sense. Why would someone with a message for everyone to hear go outside of the city to proclaim it? If John's message was so vital, why not head to the very centers of his faith to allow others like him to hear it?
As it is with John's proclamation, so it is with our ministry at By the Way. So often it seems odd that we would go away from a church group to be in the midst of people who would never set foot in the church door. We talk with people who find it hard to believe that anyone really cares about them and prays for them on a regular basis. It is a reality that we discover whenever we walk the streets of Nashua with a flyer or some other advertisement that can be posted in a work location or in a school. It is the thought that somewhere a calm, soothing voice reminds people that they are loved and cared for and that God is calling them into community for a new purpose.
This is the case with John's proclamation (which you can read by clicking the title of our blog today). John's message seems harsh but he takes a simple element, water, and turns it into a symbol that serves as a reminder of a person's need to change. John baptizes people in the Jordan River. His is a symbol of washing away the outer detritus of life, the dirt and dust of living, that cakes the outsides of the people's bodies. He calls them, and us, to "repent", to give up our old ways of thinking and to expand our worldview so that we can be ready for someone who has a message even more earth shattering than John's. That person is Jesus, and John says that his baptism is one only of water, but that "the one" to come will drench us in God's spirit.
What an image that is! Imagine being soaked to the bone in God's grace. Imagine being so completely overwhelmed by God's love that your own hope can never dry out or up.
This is what this preparatory season is all about. It's about cleaning out our lives so that we can be overwhelmingly grateful for the gift of a small baby born of a teen mother in a run down barn. Out of scarcity will come a gift of abundance.
Are you ready to get wet? Amen.
Monday, December 1, 2008
All Are Welcome
Service of the Longest Night
a time of prayer and reflection, candlelight and connection
to remember... to grieve... to find hope
There are times when we are hurting during these pre-Christmas days, and we need to know we are not alone. Some are grieving for loved ones who have died. Some are suffering from broken relationships, unemployment, and other kinds of loss. During this time of increasing darkness, we need each other. And we need the light God shines in the midst of our blues.
Whether you are feeling sad or you just want to support others going through tough times… you are welcome to join in this time of remembrance, companionship, and hope. We’ve got two dates and two locations for you to choose from.
Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7:30pm
Rivier College, Dion Center (Clement Street)
Nashua, New Hampshire
Sunday, Dec. 21 at 8:00pm
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, St. James Hall
Pennacook St. and Pine St.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Feel free to bring… pictures of those you are missing, a poem to read or a story to share, a friend or two, or just bring yourself. If you'd like to have pictures of those you are remembering put into a slide show, please send them to Crystal Mohrmann at crystal24@gmail.com.
This event is sponsored by… By the Way; Birch Tree Counseling, Londonderry, NH; and Rivier College Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers. If you have any questions, call Kari at 603-889-7537.
Directions to Rivier's Dion Center:
From the Everett Turnpike/Route 3, take Exit 4. If coming from the north, turn left at lights onto East Dunstable Rd. If coming from the south, turn right onto East Dunstable Rd.. Take right at third light (about 1 mile) onto Main Street. At the roundabout (rotary), take the second right onto the campus. Turn left on Clement Street and follow the signs to the Dion Center, on the left.
Directions to Gethsemane's St. James Hall:
Take exit 6 off of 293/Everett Turnpike and turn right on Amoskeag St. which becomes Salmon St. after you cross the bridge. Turn right on Elm St. and left on Pennacook. The parking lot and entrance to St. James Hall will be on your left before you reach Pine St.
a time of prayer and reflection, candlelight and connection
to remember... to grieve... to find hope
There are times when we are hurting during these pre-Christmas days, and we need to know we are not alone. Some are grieving for loved ones who have died. Some are suffering from broken relationships, unemployment, and other kinds of loss. During this time of increasing darkness, we need each other. And we need the light God shines in the midst of our blues.
Whether you are feeling sad or you just want to support others going through tough times… you are welcome to join in this time of remembrance, companionship, and hope. We’ve got two dates and two locations for you to choose from.
Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7:30pm
Rivier College, Dion Center (Clement Street)
Nashua, New Hampshire
Sunday, Dec. 21 at 8:00pm
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, St. James Hall
Pennacook St. and Pine St.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Feel free to bring… pictures of those you are missing, a poem to read or a story to share, a friend or two, or just bring yourself. If you'd like to have pictures of those you are remembering put into a slide show, please send them to Crystal Mohrmann at crystal24@gmail.com.
This event is sponsored by… By the Way; Birch Tree Counseling, Londonderry, NH; and Rivier College Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers. If you have any questions, call Kari at 603-889-7537.
Directions to Rivier's Dion Center:
From the Everett Turnpike/Route 3, take Exit 4. If coming from the north, turn left at lights onto East Dunstable Rd. If coming from the south, turn right onto East Dunstable Rd.. Take right at third light (about 1 mile) onto Main Street. At the roundabout (rotary), take the second right onto the campus. Turn left on Clement Street and follow the signs to the Dion Center, on the left.
Directions to Gethsemane's St. James Hall:
Take exit 6 off of 293/Everett Turnpike and turn right on Amoskeag St. which becomes Salmon St. after you cross the bridge. Turn right on Elm St. and left on Pennacook. The parking lot and entrance to St. James Hall will be on your left before you reach Pine St.
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