Preparing For Christmas - Advent 2010

As a Christian, I am a follower of Jesus. Technically, the word for a follower is a "disciple". A disciple is a learner, one who is committed to allowing Jesus to be more than Savior, but also a teacher. What does he teach? Simply the scripture says that Jesus told his disciples to make disciples by "teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded you". What have we done in the name of Christ these days? We have raised up a generation of "church people"...people who have become members and affiliated with a denomination; but we have misplaced the real purpose of raising up followers of Jesus - disciples.

Perhaps Advent can call us back to his purpose for our lives, for the church as a whole. Perhaps we can prepare our hearts over the next four weeks to "receive our King".

Advent comes from the Latin, "Adventus", which in Greek was "parousia" and means "coming or arrival". The church has celebrated Advent for almost 1700 years, give or take a few years. Catholic?, I don't think so. It has an appeal that goes way beyond one denomination. It has appealed to my spirit and soul for over 25 years. I remember Christmas as a "season" not a day. I remember as a child that Christmas was a time of "anticipation", waiting, watching, looking for the surprise around each day. One day it would be cookies baking; the next a new decoration; the next memorization of a bible verse for the church's program; the next a festive gathering....every day something new and something that reminded me that I had entered a "magical" time (see C. S. Lewis) and I hoped it would never end.

On this first day of Advent I would only "plead": Please come along and journey alongside of me as we "prepare our hearts" and proclaim every day, "joy to the world, the Lord has come".

Today Read: Isaiah 11:1-3

What to do? Look for someone to share the miracle of Advent with and ask them to come along..."It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Come back tomorrow as we journey through Advent!

Read More

A Psalm of Life

It's just a few days left before we start Advent 2010. I look forward to this celebration every year. But, before that we come to Thanksgiving...and yes we need that as much as anything in life. I ran across this poem in an article and thought it worth passing along. It's not so much thanksgiving as it embraces the spirit of a man who wants to take life on and live it positively, and wholly!

A Psalm of Life, By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

What

Read More

A Simple Rural Pastor

I've had more than a few people ask how different life is living in a rural village, and pastoring a small church in a small town. Well, frankly it's not a lot of different than pastoring in general. Pastoring is not an art...it's simply acting in love to God and his people. What is different is the pace of life, and the ability to have time for more relational things and less administrative things. That I like enormously.
I just finished speaking at the International Conference for Retrouvaille in Madison this last weekend. I spoke on "Personal Soul Care" and it has become a passion personally that I want so much for us as God's children to become intentional about.
I've been re-reading "Practicing the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. It's a humbling book to read because of its simplicity coupled with its challenge. Yet, its the simplicity that I embrace.
Here's the beginning: "A Pilgrim's Prayer"

"Lord of all pots and pans and things...
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates!

That's it, simple...do all things, however small and insignificant they may seem with nothing more than God in mind.

Read More

To "Pastor"...Again

Ok, so it might seem strange, but I'm going back two-fold:
1. To Pastoring...or should I say, to being a Senior Pastor...better yet, a Teaching Elder at New Life Fellowship...Where you ask?
2. Going back to Randolph, Wi. where pastoral ministry began for me 34 years ago.

I'm genuinely excited...

Keep checking in

Read More

The Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit - Go to See It While You Can

I went with my friend Joel to Milwaukee's Public Museum to see the Dead Sea Scroll's exhibit. It is very much worth the while to see.

Filled with lots of interesting material, it takes one through ancient Israel's history by using material unearthed archeologically through the years, and leads towards the 1947 discovery in Qumran of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The most fascinating artifact is actually a more than real replica reproduction of the 24foot long scroll of the book of Isaiah - the most complete book discovered thus far in the Qumran discoveries.
We also went to the Planetarium to see the IMAX Dead sea scroll portrayal...and I would say spend the extra time in the exhibit and forget the planetarium show.
We spent 3 hours in the exhibit, and I wished we had another hour free - we could have used it. Great show, go see it while you can!

Read More

The danger of living

One of the lesser detailed aspects of the Christmas story is in Matthew's gospel - it is the flight of Joseph, Mary and their infant Jesus to Egypt because of the warning of the angel of the Lord that Herod was going to seek the "king of the Jews" that the Magi had come to seek.

The account is in Matthew 2:13-15 (NASB):

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."

So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

A contemporary of Martin Luther, a German artist/engraver by the name of Albrecht Durer, engraved with interesting detail the story of their flight into Egypt. The halo surrounding Mary and the baby Jesus are very typical for Renaissance art, but Joseph looks very common. Joseph walks, Mary rides on the donkey with Jesus in her arms...and a bit of wind is blowing her scarf back. It's an interesting piece to reflect on this journey that they undertake so soon after Jesus' birth.

The story in scripture seems to carry us immediately into the life of Jesus. His life is not going to be one of a "King" of royalty who will be served, who will have what he wants when he wants it - the kind of life I often dream "wouldn't it be nice if only...." His life begins with a flight and emphasizes the danger of living. It is not going to be easy, it is filled with spiritual warfare - visible and invisible. It is a reminder that we are to "watch", "be alert", be "awake" all around us for we have (as Luther so eloquently reminded) "one who seeks to do us harm."

Read More

The Journey of the Magi

The journey of the MAGI (it was "wise men" when I was a kid) is one of the most traditional parts of the Christmas story, even though it probably takes place months after Jesus' birth.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
Matthew 2:1-5 (NASB)

The word "magos" in the text indicates a group of people who were not Jewish - i.e., Gentiles - who came inquiring about the birth of a King.

Up until this point in the Jesus story, little public impact has been made. Some shepherds came in response to the angelic visit, but that would hardly cause the nation to pay much attention. But an entourage of Magi traveling by camels from the east made King Herod sit up and take notice.

It does not say, as our tradition has stated, that there were three, even though we sing "We Three Kings of Orient Are..." There were three gifts given, but that does not mean there were three Magi. The ancient church gave the Magi three names: Gaspar, Melchior and Bathasar. We simply don't know who they were, but at least we have a hint of "what" they were.

The Magi were probably from Persia, and followers of an ancient religion called Zorastrianism which believed in Astrology as a way of foretelling present and future events.

I'll look at the story some more tomorrow, or Monday, but for now, think about this...why? why did Matthew share this account when neither of the other gospel writers include it?

It's a highly symbolic and prophetic story. Jesus came into the world - a Jew, yes, but not just a Jew. He came to demonstrate that God's purposes were world-wide. Jesus came as a Jewish man to demonstrate to the Jewish nation God's purposes for their role among the nations. Jesus came to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God coming not only upon Israel, but also to the nations of the earth. Perhaps it wasn't "we three Kings", but it certainly was prophetic that they came searching for the "King of the Jews".

Read More