Ponderings on a Faith Journey

Philippians 1:3-11

We entered Advent last Sunday with the choir leading us through the Christmas story in narrative and song. They did us a favor by connecting the biblical story with our contemporary story. They reminded us that the Holy Family ended up as refugees, guided by angels to safety. With that broader story in mind, both ancient and modern, we hear the Advent invitation to prepare ourselves for the Advent that took place some two thousand years in the past and the Advent that is yet to come. 
The path we are taking will lead to that moment on Christmas Eve when we will hear the message that  Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory, and the one who sustains all things by his word (Heb. 1:1-4). Hearing that message we can join the angels in singing “Gloria in excelsis Deo”; “Glory to God in the highest.” 
Christmas Eve will come soon enough, but there is still more to do before we get there. Last Sunday, we lit the candle of hope, and today we lit the Peace candle. We lit it in t…

Yesterday a state funeral for George H. W. Bush was held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Due to other duties I couldn't watch it in full.  I caught a portion of Jon Meacham's testimony and heard a portion of George W. Bush's statement honoring  his father. I later watched the son's message in full, as I had caught a word in his statement about being a loyal friend and wanted to check it out because it might fit something I wanted to do in my sermon on Sunday.

Funerals are interesting experiences. I know, I've officiated at quite a few over my years of ministry. None have been as large or grand as the one that took place yesterday. Funerals are not the time to lay out dirty laundry. They're not the time to point out faults, unless they are the kind that make for a memorable moment. George W. shared a few of those yesterday about his father, but they were designed to humanize not demonize.

Every President of the United States will produce a mixed b…

Daniel 11:2-12:4
I have been walking through Daniel with my Bible Study group. I’ve not done this before, that is, I’ve not worked my way through Daniel with this much attention to detail, and certainly not in the company of others. It is an intriguing journey. We start with stories of faithfulness to God in the midst of exile. Then, we encounter strange visions that purport to describe the future. One constant theme is that no matter how powerful an empire grows, it will certainly fall. Only the realm of God, on earth as in heaven, will be sustained. This is a word to the people of Judah, living under oppressive rulers, offering a vision of hope that despite what their eyes see and what their bodies and spirits experience, God will emerge victorious.
Daniel’s visions are set in the sixth century during and after the exile. This vision, found in Daniel 11 and the first four verses of chapter 12, is the final vision. It is quite long and quite detailed. It lays out the progress of histo…

Malachi 3:1-4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
3 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?  For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. ***************

The message of Advent is clear. Get ready. Get cleaned up. Prepare yourself for the coming of the Lord. But, are we ready to bear the burden of purification? Are we ready to be refined by the refiner’s fire? A little water from baptism maybe, but fire? Sometimes we ask fo…

MORAL LEADERSHIP FORA DIVIDED AGE: 14 People Who Dared to Change Our World. By David P. Gushee and Colin Holtz. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2018. Xiii + 367 pages.
There likely never has been a time when the world, or even the nations which we inhabit have been truly united. War sometimes brings people together. Disasters can as well. However, such unity is quickly tested by the realities of current experiences. That being said, there is something about the current moment that gives us pause. We watch the news and learn that nations and communities are pulling inward, focusing on their own contexts, often at the detriment of others. Nowhere is this truer than the nation I inhabit. The leaders and people of the United States of America may have always looked at the world through the lens of self-interest, but this nation of which I am a citizen has, at least since the time of the Second World War, projected itself as a moral leader in the world. That leadership has been flawed, and…

Today we begin the season of Advent. As the choir is leading the service, and I am not preaching, I am sharing this version of the hymn that initiates Advent for me. Perhaps the same will be true for you.