by Lynn Domina
This morning I heard the prologue of the Gospel of John. We can all probably recite those opening verses—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A few lines later, John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” This morning, though, I heard a different translation, which said the “darkness could not overtake it.” The change is small, but it caught my attention. Listening closely to the sermon, which was as eloquent as the gospel itself, I mulled over language and how it can bring us to God—through the voice of a preacher, the choice of a translator, the words of scripture, and all the other voices and words we hear each day.
“Darkness could not overtake it,” I heard. I began to think about all of our ancestors who were asked to make great changes in their lives, and who in doing so walked toward light. When the Israelites left Egypt, rejecting their status as slaves, we are told that God “went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light.” Although these Israelites occasionally expressed regret that they had left the security of slavery, they nevertheless risked that security, risked the comfort of the known, in order to become the free people they had been created to be. God led them into the light.
Centuries later, sages from the East followed another star until it settled in the sky above a stable in Bethlehem. As the star traveled across the sky, the darkness could not overtake it. These wise men were not Jews, nor were they desirous of becoming Jews. Yet they followed the light God had put before them, journeying toward a truth they could not then have fully understood. What they did know, following the light, was that God was doing a new thing.
In our time, I ask myself what new thing God is doing. As people of faith have always struggled, Christians today are struggling to interpret the signs of the times. We read the same Bible, but we sometimes interpret it very differently. We study the same history, but we sometimes cheer for different heroes. John has assured us that we live in the light. I hold to that tradition. I trust that tradition to lead us to right changes. We might not have a literal light to follow, but the Holy Spirit continues to speak. As I listen, here are the questions I ask: will this change assist or impede me in living according to my faith? Will it assist or impede my faith community in living up to its tradition?
I am a great believer in both change and tradition, just as I am a great believer in the communion of saints, the mighty cloud of witnesses, and in the Holy Spirit’s continuous care for creation. Long after Jesus walked through Cana, Bethany, and Jerusalem, long after the apostles appeared with tongues of flame above their heads on that first Pentecost, long after John wrote his gospel, the Holy Spirit guides us through our own lives. The practices and even the doctrines of Christianity have changed dramatically over twenty centuries, and my own individual practices and beliefs have changed over my five going on six decades. Many of the changes I’ve experienced have proved very fruitful, others, perhaps, mistakes.
This coming year, I want to focus on one characteristic of my Christian tradition, the characteristic I think is most sacred—Jesus’ open invitation to “come, follow me.” It’s not a command, but an appeal, and it’s offered to everyone. That’s the change I’m hoping for, that we become a people welcoming everyone, excluding no one, regardless of how different they might seem. Accepting difference can feel risky, but surely it is no more risky than the journeys of our ancestors. Surely we, too, can take courage from our knowledge that the darkness of fear will never overtake divine light.
At the beginning of each year I ask God for a word, a theme that I hope will give me focus for the coming days. This year my word is “celebration”. You can imagine my relief when I felt God impress this word on my heart. Last year my word was reconciliation and as I am sure many of you remember, we were faced with some challenging situations that forced us to grapple with questions like: What would a gospel reconciler do?
Celebration sounds so light and joyous. Lots of fun, food and fellowship I thought. Then as I pondered my word I was reminded that for the Israelites celebration was not just about the good things of life. Evidently they celebrated everything good and everything bad that marked their journey. Celebration was about remembering the past, rejoicing in the present and anticipating the future.
I mark the anniversary of my mother’s death, with celebration. I look back through the memory book I put together for her 90th birthday, remind myself of the joyful occasions we shared together and enter into the joy of my remembrances.
When we only celebrate the good, and only able to find joy in happy experiences often live superficial lives. It is learning to celebrating the challenging and sometimes painful events that strengthens our characters and draws us closer to God.
What is your response?
Sit for a moment and contemplate the joys and sorrows of your own life. What kinds of events do you celebrate? In what ways do you embrace both the good and the challenging and find the joy of life hidden in the most unlikely places? Allow these memories to surface and ask God to help you plan some new celebrations.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message
It seems to me that for Jesus and the early disciples, joy and celebration was an attitude rather than an event. We celebrate not because life is necessarily providing all the good things we want but because God is good, and the joy of walking the journey towards the new world of God should fill us with joy at every step. Light and dark, night and day are all part of God’s creation, to be celebrated with joy. Every breath that we take, every sight that we see, every activity we participate in tells us so.
What is your response?
Watch the video below, one of my favourite celebrative hymns. No matter how I feel it lifts my spirit into a place of joyous celebration. As you listen to it, what emotions does it provoke in you? In what ways does it invite you into a joyous celebration of God’s eternal presence? Is there a response that God is asking of you?
photo from morguefile.com
New Year is a difficult time for those of us who are stuck in difficult or wearing circumstances. The idea of change is everywhere, as though a gym membership or a makeover were going to revitalise a stale marriage, or make caring for a cantankerous elderly relative any easier. A new lipstick is not going to heal me of my chronic illness, for example, nor a diet help my husband suffer its restrictions any better.
The idea that we need to improve in our own power is a misleading one, and this is probably why so many resolutions are left unresolved, as fragrant as what’s left of the turkey. What is the point of a new year then? Does it have any spiritual significance for us in Christmastide? Or is it just another false promise, like the commercialism that threatens to overwhelm everything?
The key, for me anyway, is found tucked away in the book of Lamentations, where Jeremiah, like the Psalmist, is totally honest about the miseries we all have to suffer, but whose bright hope shines out all the stronger for it:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)
God’s mercies are new or fresh, every day. How do we allow fresh mercies each day to be extended to those who gnaw away at our peace of mind or our precious health? To the depressed spouse, the frustrated carer, the old person who rarely recognises us and sometimes bites – each of whom we love dearly and want to give God’s mercies to, but without holding a cumulative sheet of wrongs in our heart, particularly for those things that hurt us daily and happen over and over again, with no acknowledgment, no request for forgiveness. How do we forgive those with no cognisance of their transgression, and no desire to say sorry?
We have the right to protect our own worn out hearts and bodies of course, but in these long periods of unceasing care or of loving the difficult, how do we forgive ourselves for wanting to give up, leave or throw up our hands in despair? For those dark thoughts that come unbidden – maybe he’ll leave, I wish she’d die – for these, mercy is the answer, and mercies, it turns out, can be new moment by moment and they must come from God and be constantly and consistently renewed.
We need to recognise our own blaming mechanisms and our need for forgiveness before the Lord, and let his resulting mercy and grace flow out to us and then on to those we are blaming, to those we must continue to love even when often all we want to do is run away and sob in a cupboard (as we might well need to allow ourselves space to do now and again!).
Mercy comes in waves and it can roll on through and over us to be extended to others. We cannot do it ourselves, we can only begin it by acknowledging our own need for forgiveness and asking God to be the source and the process of new mercies.
The slates need to be washed clean each day, maybe every hour, and the eyes to be freshened also. We don’t make excuses for others (and this is especially the case with abuse, which I am not talking about here, that requires a different response), we don’t pretend the reality is different than it is, we do everything we can to make things as calm and easy for all parties as they can be. But we also recognise how hard it all is without self-pity, asking for all the help we can, and in particular asking God to help us see with his eyes, love with his heart and forgive with his mercy.
A Prayer
Lord, let us never say in our hearts to anyone, “You took the best years of my life!” But let us give our time, love and energy as a living sacrifice, offered not just to those around us, but to you, our loving Father. Let us never try to fool ourselves either, and say to anyone, “You were the best years of my life!” whilst inside carrying grudges. But let us rather ask for your help daily and say, “I give and gave you my time willingly, and with love.” Let us expect nothing in return, except the hope of one day hearing those precious words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Not so much to our earthly ears, but the highest honour heaven can bestow. Amen.
©Keren Dibbens-Wyatt 2016
Genesis 22:2: “God said, ‘Take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up as an entirely burned offering there on one of the mountains that I will show you’,” Common English Bible (CEB.)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, LORD God,
You know who’s dearest to me
and whether or not that’s You.
What hovers nearest my heart, O LORD?
What space has been filled
with no room left for You?
For Abraham, the filling, the indwelling
came with Isaac – or was it the promise
encompassed
beneath the breath and laughter?
What joy his birth gave to his father!
Do our lives fill You with joy?
Heavenly Father, help us to receive
and believe Your rejoicing
as You take joy in us.
Let nothing be joyless between us!
Let nothing blemish my worship and praise.
Let nothing in me mar Your pure Father’s love.
Set me high
in the stream of Your Ruah,
and let the chaff in me blow away.
Help me to know –
as Abraham did –
that no matter what You ask of me,
Your love will bring back
only goodness –
even from the grave.
Thoughts:
Generations later, the site where Abraham offered up his son is said to have become an ideal threshing floor, set on a spot high and windy where grains of wheat would immediately separate from the useless chaff. Reportedly, King David bought that site, which became the location of the Temple, built by his son Solomon. On that holy ground, animal sacrifices were made to God, Who clearly prohibited – and, in Abraham’s case, clearly prevented – a human sacrifice. What joy Abraham must have felt as he received back his dearly beloved son, given to him again from God!
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This is the first of a series of posts byMary Harwell Sayler excerpted from Praying with The Word on Love, a book in progress.
Christmas is over. The Christmas tree and lights are down. The Advent wreath and decorations are packed away. My Advent/Christmas garden with all its light has disappeared and I am still working on how to put together a new garden for this season. I always struggle with this. I am not sure what will emerge and at this point, I seem to have replaced the promise and joy of Christmas with a drab and uninviting plainness.
There is no plainness to the season of Epiphany however. This is a season about mission. We are encouraged to come and see, come and follow, go and tell others. As followers of Christ we are invited to reveal him to others so that they too might recognize him as Son of God and experience the hope and freedom that his message brings.
Broaden your vision during Epiphany
This is also a season to broaden our vision to remind ourselves of the many ways in which Christ is at work in our world – we need to look and listen for God’s voice and come and see the things that God is doing not just in our own churches and communities but also amongst the poor, amongst the oppressed, amongst the marginalized and ignored.
The season of Epiphany is when we celebrate the revelation of Christ’s divinity and the ways that he both was and is revealed in our world:
- First, in the revelation to the Magi, gentile wise men, who, guided by the mysterious Star of Bethlehem, came to visit, and bowed down to acknowledge him as lord and king. Christ is revealed to all persons not just to the Jews.
- Second, in his baptism by John. When the spirit of God descended on Jesus as a dove a voice from heaven proclaimed “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. This is one of the few occasions in the scriptures in which all three persons of the Holy Trinity are manifest together.
- Third, through his first public miracle – the wedding of Cana when Jesus turned water into wine. The transformative power manifested in Jesus extends to all creation.
See Where God is at Work
This is when I start to think about the need to get going with the spring garden. Heaps of catalogues arrive in the mail and my fingers itch to get down into the dirt and make something happen. This garden activity is a very appropriate one for the season of Epiphany. It reminds me that for my endeavours to produce fruit that others can enjoy, there is a lot of ground breaking work that needs to be done first.
Make Something Happen to Bring New Life
Making something happen to bring new life into our world is the spirit of Epiphany. We are called out into the world not just to talk about Christ but to reveal him to others through our deeds and actions. The garden is one place in which I both connect to God and work to help others connect to God, but it is not the only place. One of the challenges I have been thinking about over the Christmas season is How do I reveal Christ to others through my life? I want this season to be a true epiphany for myself and those around me. Perhaps you too would like to take time this weekend to think about this.
Here are some other suggestions to ponder:
There are many different ways that you could reveal the message of hope to others during this season. Consider doing one of the following during the weeks of Epiphany
- Do you have new neighbours? Are there newcomers to your church? Invite them over for an evening to get better acquainted
- Is this an opportunity to reach out to people in your office or workplace? Consider providing breakfast for those you work with. If you are feeling particularly adventurous you might like to make this a weekly or monthly event.
- Is there a university close by with international students? Invite a small group of students home for lunch or dinner. This is a great way to get know about another culture and the students will be very eager to learn more about your culture and religious traditions.
- Is there a senior care facility near where you live? Take your children over for a visit. Get them to read a story or sing a song for the residents. Consider taking some of the elderly people out for a trip.
- Is there a special way in which your children could reach out to others at their school or play group? Talk to them about the Biblical story and ask them to come up with one way that they could reveal the hope of God the their playmates.
- Is there a special celebration you could plan? If you live in the Northern hemisphere start planning your spring garden with friends or kids. If you are in the Southern hemisphere start planning a harvest celebration.
What are your expectations for the season of Epiphany?
by Joy Lenton
A new year slowly unfurls like a road stretching before us, and we may hesitate about which route to take as traffic snakes forward.
It will help bring greater clarity if we decide on our faith focus for the journey ahead.
What if we saw life more from God’s perspective?
Because perspective and motivation determine our deeds and drive our behaviour.
Actions arise out of our thoughts and feelings, habits and desires.
It can be hard to change unless we allow Holy Spirit to alter the way we think and shape who we are in the process of becoming.
The root of all renewal is a matter of a changed heart and mind.
Much inner angst and anxiety stems from faulty thinking about God, ourselves and others.
In learning to live freely and being captive only to Christ, we need to turn away from flawed patterns of thinking and turn instead toward a biblical perspective.
Such thoughts shaped the poem below…
Perspective
The world defines beauty by virtue of lines of perfection in looks, dress,
face and form, and every part coming together as grace and art,
whereas I see beyond outward appearance to the depths of your being, where I am living and dwelling, where spiritual fruit is growing, developing in a receptive heart
The world assesses knowledge by education, learning, dedication, college attendance,
whereas I look for thirst, desire to learn, coupled with meekness, surrender and obedience
You don’t need certificate, diploma or degree, but you do need perseverance,
application to My word and turning attention continually to Me
The world looks for wisdom in accumulating facts, possessing
sage advice and being seen as all-knowing in other’s eyes
I see wisdom as gift for those with eager, seeking hearts who ask, believe
and receive it from me, and make it a priority to be diligent in
this task, humbling themselves to be wise only in My eyes
The world assumes that satisfaction is found in every want being met,
desires and goals achieved, plans fulfilled, and life going swimmingly
Look beyond the temporary and temporal and see how true, deep, lasting
satisfaction is found only in personal relationship with Me
The world uses love as currency, bartering, giving and withholding, conditional,
dependent on feelings sustained, a measure of acceptability, validity
I bring you Love in all its amazing diversity as pure, unconditional, undeserved
offering, unmerited yet freely given treasure beyond anything you know or see
There is a world that’s constrained or open, a gift to reject or receive
for your soul’s sake – depending on which perspective you take
©JoyLenton2016
Loving heavenly Father,
We give You thanks for this new year and the opportunities it presents.
Grant us wisdom to live each day mindfully, carefully and prayerfully in the light of eternity.
Help us to focus on faith rather than fear, to seek freedom from old destructive ways and embrace positive change.
Equip us to be bearers and sharers of Your compassion, mercy and love.
May we receive daily grace as fuel for the journey and ingest Your word as manna to give out to others.
Let us live life like a prayer, listening attentively to holy whispers, being open, receptive and aware.
Primarily, over all these things, we offer our hearts and minds to You as we seek to see life from Your perspective, knowing that in doing so we will discover we are well equipped for all that lies ahead.
Amen
We are poised for an interesting New Year. Many important issues are being discussed in a wide variety of places. One of the hubs for discussion, for many, is Facebook.
What do Jesus, John Gottman and Explosives Have to do With Facebook?
Facebook has great potential to bring a wide variety of viewpoints to the same place. However, I think we may be shooting ourselves in the foot with our approach to online conversation.
On Facebook, many of us are waging a war of ideas that are pushing relationships farther and farther apart. We do this by looking for targets online in the form of ideas we disagree with; then, we throw our biggest argument bomb from a safe distance, wait for the dust to clear and shoot anything that still moves. Ah, the sweet smell of factual superiority.
Can anyone relate?
To be sure, the issues in question are real and important. The presidential race, racial conflict, systemic oppression, immigration, individual rights, religious tension, etc. They all matter. The problem is, we may not have anyone left around us after we have all made our points. I am guilty of this, and I want to seek an alternative approach, an approach that allows us to remain in relationship amidst the conflict. I believe the accounts of Jesus’ life from the Bible and research from John Gottman offer a healing alternative to the online arms race.
A Different Way to Engage: Jesus’ Life
The societal, political and religious climate during the time of Jesus’ life was violent and polemic – clearly paralleled in our time. The “Peace of Rome” came with a loss of local identity and plenty of violence in its imposition. Religious leadership battled over ideas. Marginalized people groups were forgotten. Society was built around stratified, patriarchal leaders with significant disparity between the haves and have-nots.
Sound familiar?
Into this world, a new leader was born. Jesus’ life offered an alternative to the “might makes right” approach. The circumstances of his birth alone reflect the disparity between Jesus and political leaders in his day. While they were birthed in nobility, he was birthed in humility. While the “right people” showed up for leaders’ heralded births, foreigners and the lower class welcomed Jesus, surrounding him in a trough where animals ate. At the end of his life, he would be executed for his claim to religious and political leadership – a claim he backed not with a sword, but with service, love and affection. With humble beginnings, Jesus lead a life often characterized by disarming weaponized relationships. In the end, he preferred to maintain relational availability rather than enforce his ideology through violence.
Current Research: Gottman’s 5:1 Ratio
John Gottman, renowned relational researcher, studies what keeps us in relationships. He has found in his research that there is a “magic” ratioof positive interactions to negative interactions of 5:1 in healthy, stable relationships. With it, he can predict divorce with surprising accuracy. It is noteworthy that he does not exclude the need for conflict in his ratio; in fact, conflict is important for growth.
What Gottman points out is that there is an amount of positive investment necessary for a relationship to weather the storms of conflict. When there is enough positive investment to handle the conflict, he calls this “Positive Sentiment Override.” My unscientific assessment of the Facebook world is that we need to, collectively and individually, move our ratio towards the positive if we want to stay in relationship.
A Tool for the New Year
So, in light of polarizing Facebook conversations, I am going to try to post with Gottman’s research in mind. Five posts that invest in care, love, humor, generosity, forgiveness, etc. for every one critique. Honestly, I do not know exactly how that looks yet. I will start by taping this to the edge of my computer screen…
Taking my cue from Jesus’ life, I want to prioritize maintaining connection over winning arguments. I think the 5:1 concept may help me.
What Ideas for Improving Online Relationships Do You Have?
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