Prepare the Way of the Lord

Last Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, the season of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of the Christian year. According to the United Methodist Book of Worship, “Advent is a season of four weeks including four Sundays. Advent  derives from the Latin adventus,  which means "coming." The season proclaims the comings of the Christ—whose birth we prepare to celebrate once again, who comes continually in Word and Spirit, and whose return in final victory we anticipate. Each year Advent calls the community of faith to prepare for these comings; historically, the season was marked by fasts for preparation. Each Sunday of Advent has its distinctive theme: Christ's coming in final victory (First Sunday), John the Baptist (Second and Third Sundays), and the events immediately preceding the birth of Jesus Christ (Fourth Sunday).”[1]

The first “coming” we prepare for is fairly obvious, especially in a commercial world.  Christmas music starts playing as early as Halloween, as retailers entice us to find the perfect gifts for those we love.  This distracts us from recalling the birth narrative, including the angel's visit to Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, the birth of the savior of the world in a barn, and the visit of the shepherds. The humbling events that lead up to Jesus' birth show just what kind of a child he was. It is important that we remember the events leading up to Jesus' birth, as well as the birth, itself.

The second “coming” is a remembrance of the presence of the Messiah with us in “Word and Spirit”. This is a reminder that we do not look at Jesus as simply a fact from history, but that we see him present in the world around us.  We see Jesus present in the faces of those around us who are hurting, who need to be ministered to in the name of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus speaks of those who are served or not served as being the least of his brothers and sisters. So Advent is a reminder that we are called to serve those around us.

The third “coming of Jesus” we remember during Advent is the second coming, or the apocalypse, the end of the world as we know it. Throughout Scripture, including sayings of Jesus, we hear of the signs of the end of the world. These signs of the end of the world are not meant to cause us to live in fear! Rather, they are signs for us to live our lives as though every minute might be our last; that when we see wars, famine, and disasters, they should be a reminder for us to be constantly working to bring about the Kingdom of God. Being Christian does not mean being afraid; it means living in a way in which we offer hope and joy in a world that can sometimes be discouraging, fearful, and painful.  We should be a light for those who live in darkness.

This Advent, let us be a people of preparation. Let us open our hearts and minds to the coming of Jesus Christ. Let us offer hope to those who feel life is hopeless.  Let us offer peace to those whose lives are full of conflict. Let us offer love to those who feel they are unlovable. Let us offer Christ, as we prepare to receive him once again.

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[1] United Methodist Book of Worship, Nashville; The United Methodist Publishing house, 1992, pg. 238

The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

I've tended to stay away from preaching the Epistles, as I often feel I am not educated enough to really interpret them as well as I would like. However, at times I challenge myself to grow in my understanding of Scripture by researching, studying, praying over, and preaching on Scriptures I would otherwise avoid. This week is one of those times. My focus is on a fairly familiar passage from Ephesians, where the writer tells us to put on the whole armor of God. While many are familiar with the passage, I am not sure how much thought we give to the power of the passage. The war imagery gives us a stark picture of the dark reality of the times. On first reading the passage, my thought is that the church in Ephesus was preparing itself to wage war with the Romans, who were persecuting Christians at the time. However, the author clearly sates that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (vs. 12)." How was the church at Ephesus to fight dark spiritual forces? How are we to fight dark spiritual forces today?

We fight the forces by first recognizing how they are manifest, then by suiting up for battle. The manifestation of these forces is known to us in the form of those who act counter to the will of God. It is not the individual that we are fighting, as they are enslaved to the dark forces in the same manner that we are enslaved to God through Jesus Christ. This is very important to recognize. Our battle is not to conquer evil people, but to offer people hope and salvation. This is where the armor imagery comes to light. Consider the armor we wear:

·      The first piece of equipment we are told to put on is the belt, which stands for truth or righteousness. A Roman soldier in good standing was to wear his belt with the sword attached at all times. This was the sign that he was a soldier. The belt was not only meant to carry the sword, but also to show that the wearer was a soldier. If a soldier was insubordinate, he would be stripped of his status. Loss of the belt mean loss of status. For Christians, the belt represents truth. We live in the truth that Jesus is the Christ and we live according to that truth.

·      The next piece of the uniform is the breastplate. This defensive piece of equipment protects the vital organs of the Roman soldier.  For the Christian, the breastplate is righteousness. Being righteous protects us from the temptations of the dark spiritual forces.

·      Next comes the footware. The military sandals gave the warrior protection on the soles of his feet to keep him upright and able to fight. For the Christian, the sandal is the gospel; we stand firm on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and are strengthened through that gospel.

·      The next piece of equipment was the shield, a large, lightweight piece of metal that could easily protect the body during combat. For the Christian, the shield is faith. When we are uncertain and afraid, our faith gives us courage and hope.

·      Next comes the helmet, protecting our brains and our heads. For the Christian, the helmet is salvation. We cannot be killed spiritually; we have new life (salvation) in Jesus Christ.

Finally, the soldier is equipped with a sword, the only offensive weapon in the soldier's uniform. For Christians, the sword represents the Holy Spirit, or the word of God. Think about this--all the defensive pieces of armor God gives to us, and only one weapon for offence. God equips us with armor to identify and protect ourselves from head to toe. Yet, God only gives us one simple weapon for spreading the gospel. There is no mention of a dagger, of bow and arrow, of spears or javelins. We are not divided into infantry or cavalry. We have one simple role in the war on the spiritual forces of darkness--proclaim the gospel through our words and deeds. Live after the example of Christ, and we will overcome the forces of evil. God will take care of the rest.

Top Ten Reasons God Created Eve

If you missed church on Sunday, or just wanted to remember the opening joke, here it is:

Top Ten Reasons Eve Was Created

10. God was worried that Adam would frequently become lost in the
    garden because he would not ask for directions.

 9. God knew that one day Adam would require someone to locate
    and hand him the remote.

 8. God knew Adam would never go out and buy himself a new fig leaf
    when his wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.

 7. God knew Adam would never be able to make a doctor's, dentist, or
    haircut appointment for himself.

 6. God knew Adam would never remember which night to put the garbage
    on the curb.

 5. God knew if the world was to be populated, men would never be 
    able to handle the pain and discomfort of childbearing.

 4. As the Keeper of the Garden, Adam would never remember where he
    left his tools.

 3. Apparently, Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when 
    God caught him hiding in the garden.

 2. As the Bible says, It is not good for man to be alone!

 1.  When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, 
     scratched his head, and said, "I can do better than that!"

From http://www.yuksrus.com/religion_adam_and_eve.html

Snake in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-7New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The First Sin and Its Punishment

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,[a] knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

The grace of God is central to my theology.  Without grace, we have no hope for a right relationship with God.  Some Christians tend to equate God's grace as a New Testament concept, with the God of the Old Testament being the God of wrath.  For these, it is as if God was angry and jealous until he became a parent, at which point God became loving and merciful.  Yet, the first act of grace in Scripture appears to come from the first book of the Bible, and involved the first 2 humans.

The story tells us that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, where they did not have to worry about what they would eat or how they would live.  Food grew in abundance in the Garden, and while they were naked, they were not aware of their nakedness, and were, therefore, not ashamed.  In the garden was a tree, whose fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve.  They had been informed by God that if they ate of the fruit, or if they simply touch it, or they would die.

One day, the serpent, which walked upright and talked at the time of Adam and Eve, spoke to Eve and asked her, "Did God really say you cannot eat of the fruit in the garden?"  Eve replied that they could eat of all the fruit except for the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, telling the serpent that it would kill the humans.  The serpent informed Eve that she would not die, but that her eyes would be open, and she would know right from wrong and become like God.  The fruit looked desirable, and the the serpent's arguments made sense.  Who wouldn't want to be like God, after all.  She took a bite of the fruit, and it was good!  Meanwhile, Adam appeared and questioned his wife about what she was doing.  Eve shared the serpent's information with her husband, and being the dutiful spouse, Adam also ate of the fruit.  Immediately they knew they were naked, and they were afraid.  The Scripture tells us that they sewed fig leaves together to make loin clothes, which is humorous, as fig leaves are poisonous to people, causing a rash which can last for weeks!

Then it happened.  They heard the voice of God in the garden, and they were afraid, so they hid in the bushes.  The Lord called out and asked where they were, and Adam responded that they heard God coming, they knew they were naked, and they hid.  God asked Adam how they knew they were naked, questioning whether they had eaten of the tree with the forbidden fruit.  Adam's response to God is that of many men today who find themselves in trouble--"The woman YOU put at my side, she gave me the fruit!"  The interrogation now turns to Eve, while Adam breathed a sigh of relief, believing he was off the hook.  The woman quickly pointed out that the serpent had tricked her.  At this, God begins to explain the consequences of their actions, starting with the serpent.  The serpent would no longer walk upright, but would slither on its belly, instead.  The woman and her offspring would hate snakes, and snakes would hate people.  Humans would strike at the heads of the snakes, and snakes would strike at the heels of the humans.

Next, God turned attention to the humans.  Eve was told that her desire would be for her husband, and that she would bare children as a response.  She was also told that having children would be painful.  Finally, God tells Adam that the ground will now be filled with weeds and thistles, and that Adam would have to work the land in order to eat.  Life would no longer be a picnic for the humans.

This is where the punishment ends, and I believe many loose sight of the act of grace present here.  God makes clothes out of animal skins for the man and the woman, presenting them something less irritable and more lasting than fig leaves.  God then sends them out of the garden to keep them from eating from another tree, the Tree of Life.  This tree offered immortality, something that may seem appealing in a perfect world with no suffering and no work, but something that would be dreaded by people who suffer.  By sending the two away from the Garden, he gave them an end to their suffering.  This is truly Good News!

You see, we are like God, in that we know the difference between good and evil.  We are like God in that we have free will.  We are not like God in that we do not always to do the good.  There is suffering in the world.  We have to work to succeed.  Yet there is an end to our earthly suffering through death.  This is a gift from God, and the first act of grace in Scripture.

Genesis 32:22-31

32:22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.  32:24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.  32:25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.  32:26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me."  32:27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."  32:28 Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."  32:29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.  32:30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved."  32:31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.



Jacob was a trickster.  The youngest of 2 twins, we are told he came out grasping the heel of his brother, Essau.  He was a momma's boy, favored by his mother for his good looks and his skill in domestic affairs.  He also was very much like his mother's brother, Laban, another deceitful man who would trade whatever he had to make a quick buck.  Jacob had stolen his brother's birthright and blessing, and was forced to move away in order to escape Essau's wrath.  He went to spend time with Laban, where he became wealthy and where he also found himself crosswise with family, this time with Laban.


The passage above comes from Jacob's escape from Laban and return to his home.  He and Laban had sworn an oath not to pursue each other any longer, as long as each stayed on their designated side of the desert.  Now the question was how to work things out with Essau.  How do you approach a brother you've never gotten along with, whom you have stolen from, and whose favor you now need for your survival?  This thought must have been heavy on Jacob's mind as he moved across the wilderness toward his home.  All Jacob knew was wrestling with people.


So it should come as no surprise that when Jacob stopped for the night he found himself in a wrestling match.  This time he was wrestling with an apparent stranger, a man who seemed to attack for no apparent reason.  Some have referred to the man as an angel of God, but Jacob believed he was wrestling with God himself.  The wrestling was fierce and went on through the night to daylight.  In the midst of the chaos the stranger pokes Jacob's hip, causing it to be dislocated.  Yet Jacob did not stop wrestling with the man, and kept a tight hold on his opponent.  The man demanded that Jacob release him, yet Jacob refused unless he first received a blessing, perhaps because he was still worried about seeing his brother, whose blessing he had stolen from their father.  The man asked Jacob his name, and Jacob responded.  The man then said, "You are no longer Jacob, but Israel, for you have now wrestled with God and with men and have prevailed."  The man already knew Jacob's name, but he wanted to hear Jacob say it; he wanted Jacob to acknowledge that he was one who wrestled with everyone around him, as his name suggested.  The man then gave his blessing to Jacob and went on his way.


What happened there on that evening?  Why did Jacob have to wrestle with God?  Why was his name changed?  This is a coming of age story.  We might say that Jacob grew up in this event.  The name change was a gift from God, allowing him to return home to his brother in peace.  The limp from the dislocated hip was a sign of maturity or old age; people seem to have more difficulty getting around as they age.  Yet with that age there is often wisdom, which Jacob seems to have received with the blessing.


Have you ever wrestled with God?  I think we all need to do this to grow in our faith.  Too many times we are afraid to challenge God, to spiritually wrestle with God.  We have a feeling that it is wrong and will make God upset.  Yet we never really grow in a relationship until we challenge it.  We need to push the boundaries and see the response.  Wrestling with God is a necessary part of our faith journey.  In fact, we would not even be here to talk about our faith if Jacob had let go of his opponent.  We owe it to ourselves and to God to wrestle spiritually.  If we don't, we will never really get to know God.  But if we do, we will receive God's blessing!


So go, and wrestle with God!

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, continued

As I prepared to preach on this passage of scripture last Sunday, I began thinking about Bill.  Bill started coming to church shortly after I started my second stint at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, the church I now serve.  I knew his name and knew he was on the rolls, but had never met him until he showed up one Sunday.  He was a friendly man, very pleasurable to visit with, and seemed to have a good faith.  He owned a car dealership right across from the Boys & Girls Club I worked at, so one morning I walked over to visit and have a cup of coffee. Bill informed me that he had stopped going to church because he and a former minister did not get along.  But he was back, now, not because there was a new minister, but because he decided that he needed his church home more then he needed to be in a disagreement with the minister.  Part of me, honestly, was nervous about someone who had left the church over a conflict with a minister, though Bill came across as very sincere and genuine, and his like-ability far outweighed my concerns.

Within the past year, I believe, Bill has been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs and throat.  I've visited with him at church and after church several times since his diagnosis, and have always been amazed at how positive he is about life.  After a few visits, I asked him what his prognosis was, and Bill told me that his doctor told him he could have as much as 2 years to live.  He did not cry, shake or show much emotion about the news, though it was obvious that he was aware of what he was saying.  He immediately started talking about what had been good in his life.  He talked about his children and his grandchildren.  He spoke of friends, including one he had invited to the church and who had become quite active.  He would speak of his illness when I asked him questions about it, but his illness was not what was most important in his life.  And in all the conversations, Bill would talk about God and the church.

I look forward to my visits with Bill.  With each time I see him, he helps me to grow in my faith.  He is more of a spiritual leader for his minister then his minister is for him, and for that I give thanks to God.

In 22 years of ministry, I've been around many people who have received news that they were dying.  I say dying instead of terminally ill, because as Christian people, I feel we need to claim death--that is the only way we can enter into the next life.  In that time, I've noticed that there are 3 typical responses to news that one is dying.  The first is to give up.  This is typically the response from people who are at best weak in their faith, and at worst have no faith at all.  Their feeling seems to be that God has inflicted them and is punishing them, and they chose to simply quit living.  Their deaths are often quick, and also often painful, both physically and spiritually.

The second response tends to be from those who know about faith, even pronounce their faith, but really do not know how to live their faith.  The response of this group tends to be a belief that they can beat the illness and cheat death.  They live like they are not sick, and often their positive attitude even extends their lives beyond that doctors' prognosis.  However, in the vast majority of cases they still succumb to death in the end, and even question why God did not take their suffering away.  Their deaths can cause them to be spiritually alone and isolated, wondering why God did not save them from death.

Then there are people like Bill, who know that death is a part of life, and that it is a necessary part if we want to participate in the resurrection and entrance into God's kingdom.  He does not ignore his death, nor does he linger on it.  Instead, he remembers the life he has lived, continues to live life to the fullest he is able, and he inspires others to grow in their faith.

When the people of Judah were taken into exile, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, telling the people they would be captives for a long time.  In fact, they would be in exile for at least 2 generations, according to God.  In other words, many would not live to see a return to Judah.  But Got spoke in a positive way, not focusing on how they would die in Babylon, but instead focusing on how they should live in this foreign land.  He talked about them growing gardens and eating their produce.  He spoke of finding wives and husbands.  He challenged them to have children and grandchildren.  And God told them to seek the welfare of these foreigners, and to pray for them to God, that in their welfare would be Judah's welfare.

So live your lives, even when you have cause to suffer.  Follow Bill's example.  Know that yes, the suffering will pass, but how you live determines whether this suffering makes you spiritually live or die.  Be people of faith, not just saying you have it, but living it.  And in all things, seek the joy of God.  After all, when death finally does set in, it leads us to new and everlasting life through Jesus Christ.  Live your faith, and show others how we can overcome suffering by seeing the good, that is, the presence of God all around us.