Advent Week 1: Hope

by Eric Shenk

Hope.

Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps you going.

Of course, the only true hope is rooted in the promises of God. And God promises.  God promises that in the end all will be well. God promises justice, God promises peace, God promises joy, God promises salvation.  God’s promises are hope.

But there are times when hope becomes hard to grasp. Like when you look around and see a world dominated by power, by war, by might. When you see millions dying from pandemic. And even more millions of young children dying needlessly because we can’t figure out how to share our resources. When you see families destroyed. When you see poverty and homelessness and joblessness and...hopelessness.

Of course, the root of the biggest problem is the powers that be.  Either because your hero isn’t in charge or else because your hero is in charge, but everybody else is putting up roadblocks. You know. Them. The problems. We need somebody to take care of them.

What we need is a new Yeshua (that’s the name in Hebrew. In English you would say “Joshua.” Or if you prefer, the Greek translation is Iesous, pronounced “Jesus”). Whatever the language, the name means “God’s deliverance.”  And a new Joshua is exactly what God promises.  This is the hope of the world.

Someone who will overturn the powers. Someone who will up-end our systems and create a new kingdom, where justice and peace and joy are the rule. Someone who will overthrow the Romans.

Yes, what we need is a new kingdom. We have suffered long enough under the current kings. Caesar also promises justice and prosperity and peace. But somehow it is Caesar who prospers. His peace is a false peace that eats away at the soul. But the kingdom of God is at hand, with a new economy, a new justice, a new world order.

The world will never see it coming, this new power arising from a two bit cross-road in the desert.  But all you who trust in the emperor’s promises of health and wealth and strength and comfort are doomed. Instead, put your hope in the new Joshua. He will conquer evil, will lead us to a better way. He is the one who is going to take care of our enemies for us.

God has a plan. This is the promise of God. This is our deliverance. This is our hope.

(Somewhere in Bethlehem, a baby cries.)

Light of the World

by Ross Bentley

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://john.bible/john-8-12

I was recently driving through the Nez Perce canyon in Idaho, and the fog broke and a glorious light filled the canyon. It brought a brilliance and vividness to the everything in sight. The road glistened like diamonds from the dew. The golden leaves shimmered as the gentle danced in the breeze as the hung from the enormous birch trunks that stood at the river’s edge. Red fire bushes looked like torches marking the road ahead. The sun was at our backs, brilliantly illuminating the scene before us.

It occurred to me in that moment to turn and look at the sun, but before I turned my head, I was gently reminded that the purpose of the light was not itself, but to illuminate that upon which it shone.

That’s when the verse from John 8 came to my mind: ‘I am the Light of the World.’

And I realized - if I only stare into the light, I will not only go blind, but I will miss the intent of the light, giving brilliance and beauty to all it shines on. Of course Jesus wants us to look at Him intently, but I believe He also wants us to see what He is illuminating, and how in His light He makes things look different than they do in darkness.

If I were to describe that valley in its original obscured view, I would have failed to ascribe much beauty to it at all, because I didn’t really see it. But afterwards, there were not sufficient words to capture the beauty, the glory, the dignity of that scene. The light changed what I saw, and as a result, it changed me.

So I resolve to look for the light, and to notice what it illuminates. And I resolve to see that other that it shines on, that which Jesus desires me to see, as He sees it with me.

Knowledge vs. Surrender: A Kingdom Lens for Discerning Beyond Right and Wrong

by Johnny Kerr

As a high school photography teacher, I am tasked with teaching teenagers how to operate sophisticated modern digital SLR cameras and create artistic images. A decent student will, over the course of a year, learn how to intentionally apply ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed settings to achieve correct exposure. A good student will go beyond these basic techniques and begin to make reliable predictions, creatively executing these concepts to advance the artistry of their images. A great student will, at times, knowingly break the very rules I’ve taught them in service of intentional artistic expression. An exceptional student will do all of the above, and then invite me into their process of reflection and critique. Exceptional students, despite all their hard work and excellent achievements, maintain a teachable posture.

Rules and guidelines are useful constraints for a novice. They create a structured environment where some variables are eliminated so we can successfully navigate scenarios that would otherwise confound us. They provide a consistent framework in which we deepen our experience and develop instincts. It seems, however, that a time comes when a committed learner outgrows these constructs and needs something beyond knowledge to continue growing. Some of the rules that served us well in the past may need breaking, bending, or expanding. We may even receive backlash from our peers or critics for doing so. If knowledge can’t ultimately free us, then what?

Kingdom 101

We live in an age where facts, logic, and reason are held in high esteem. This is not a bad thing, but it has the potential to be. It seems to me that there are times when Truth transcends both fact and reason. After all, as the apostle, Paul asserts “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians).” If you have any doubts about this, a quick montage sequence of our scriptural narrative should provide plenty of case studies.

In the beginning, God emphasized relationship with humanity over and above legalism. Adam and Eve, we read in Genesis, were given great freedom and access to God, but only one rule: “...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...” Instead of giving humankind a laundry list of do’s and don’ts, God merely asked for our trust and dependence. Fast-forward back to the apostle’s day, and we see that Israel not only had volumes upon volumes of law code but also felt separated, even abandoned by God. What was responsible for this grotesque reversal of the relationship-to-legalism ratio? The culprit was the alternative “wisdom” offered by the serpent and our subsequent shift from trusting God to trusting worldly reason. Sure, it sounded logical and conceivable, but look where it got us.

Nevertheless, God kept pursuing us. Through Moses God delivered Israel from the bondage their rebellion had gotten them into. God miraculously sustained their bodies with manna and appeased their skepticism by appearing before them as pillars of cloud and fire throughout their Exodus journey. God gave the ten commandments, along with a system of rituals and rites that provided a framework for a healthy community under God’s rule. But before Moses could even make it off the mountain, the people had already forgotten these wonders and rebelled, turning again to the wisdom of the world and fashioning a god for themselves out of gold.

Fast-forward to the book of 1 Samuel, and we see Israel demanding that God give them a king so that they can be like the other nations of the world. God tasked the prophet with trying to reason with Israel, reminding them that God’s desire was for humanity to look to God as King and that anything less would be disastrous. Israel was stubborn and, once again, humankind rebelled, choosing worldly wisdom and breaking away from God’s desire for relationship, trust, and dependence. Israel’s knowledge of the ways of the world may have been accurate, but that knowledge still proved to be foolish.

Something Old and Something New

Fast-forward to Jesus. God entered into God’s own creation to do what no human could do; redeem humanity and establish a Kindom of God-rule on earth. God wanted us back in Eden with God in charge. Jesus did this in the most unexpected, unimaginable, and outright foolish manner; he let us humiliate and murder him. But we know that, while factual, that is not the Truth. There’s a different, truer narrative there if we put our trust in God. I love the way The Message translates it: “He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets (Colossians 2).” When the spiritual tyrants and rulers of this world thought they had Jesus exactly where they wanted him—naked and humiliated as he marched to his death in defeat—God’s Truth revealed that it was indeed the other way around.

Time and again, humanity has proven that when we rely solely on our own understanding, on the wisdom, logic, and reason of the world, we end up in hell. Even our reliance on the laws given to Israel by God seemed to, on their own, fall short. Over and again, God has asked for our trust and dependence. Over and again, God finds a way to repair the bridge to relationship with us. It seems Jesus was doing a new thing, and he was, but he was also calling us back to the beginning, inviting us into the same old trust and dependence upon God that was desired for Adam and Eve in the garden. Anything less is folly and futile. Humankind has proven that many times over.

In Defense of Knowledge

Lest we throw out the baby with the bathwater, it is worth noting that wisdom and knowledge are gifts from God. As we saw in the garden, though, leaning on our own (or the world’s) knowledge doesn’t go well for us. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to use the gift of knowledge. We are invited to use our heart, our soul, and our mind in worship of God (Deut. 6, Deut. 10, Mat. 22, Mark 12, etc.). When we surrender our knowing to God, our gift of knowledge is put to good use. When we allow knowledge to go rogue, out of service to God, it tends to cause all sorts of problems.

As previously stated, rules can be of great service to a learner. The wisdom that comes from experiencing life within the constraints of the law is a wonderful gift, so long as we remember to worship the Giver of the law and all knowledge rather than worshiping the law (or knowledge) itself. That is no different than fashioning idols from wood, stone, or precious metal to worship (i.e., worshiping creation instead of the Creator, as Jeremiah admonishes).

In complex situations, rules can potentially become a hindrance if we aren’t submitting them to Jesus. Blind adherence to the law for the sake of the law may end up causing the very harm the law was intended to avoid. Similarly, worrying about whether or not others are adhering to the law rather than checking our own hearts (see Mat. 7) is also a perversion of the loving, protective nature behind the law. We see this played out in Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees when they criticize him for healing on the sabbath.

John 5 tells the story of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath who had suffered 38 years of affliction. Rather than rejoicing over this miracle, the Jewish law-keepers despised Jesus with murderous intensity. They worshipped the law with such fervor that their hearts had hardened to the point they were unable to recognize God’s healing love expressed through Jesus. When called out for his law-breaking, Jesus establishes his authority as God’s son while also demonstrating that the law serves God, not the other way around. Jesus models for us that looking to the Father is more important than merely following rules. Our God is love, and if we “...understand all mysteries and knowledge… but have not love, [we are] nothing (1 Corinthians 13).” I deduce from scripture that, when it comes to knowledge, there are right ways of being wrong, and wrong ways of being right.

Better Than Knowing

Over the last few weeks, a student of mine has been unknowingly teaching me about the Kingdom of God. As I transitioned from teaching remotely from home during the pandemic to returning to the classroom for the first time in a year, I got to meet my students for the first time face-to-face. One particular student, Mike, was quick to notice my daily routine of following the students to the door at the end of the period and closing it behind them. I have to sanitize all surfaces between each class period, so I close and lock the door to make sure nobody enters the room before it has been sanitized.

Around the third day after returning to campus, and upon noticing my daily routine, Mike took his time walking to the door so that he would be the last student out. When he reached the door, he turned to ask, “would you like me to close the door for you, Mr. Kerr?” “Sure,” I said, “and thank you!” The next day it was the same, “Would you like me to close the door for you, Mr. Kerr?” “Yes, thanks.” We repeated this dance the following day, and the day after that...

A week passed, and Mike continued asking me every day at the end of the period if I would like him to close the door. At first, I found it odd that he wouldn’t just assume my “yes” after a week of our consistent routine, and just close the door behind him automatically. The Lord seemed to be bringing my attention to this, so I listened. I recognized the Kingdom model of humility and service Mike had been demonstrating towards me. Instead of assuming from experience that I would like the door closed, he kept checking with me each day to make sure he was still doing my will. Instead of leaning on his own knowledge, he asked for my “yes.”

Ecclesiastes tells us that, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So, how do we discern whether we are in a “time to plant” or “a time to pluck?” Jesus told the Pharisees in John 5 that he can do nothing unless he sees the Father doing it. My student, Mike reminded me that, though my mind is capable of recognizing patterns and making logical connections, it is better to look to God rather than leaning on my own understanding, lest my knowledge be found lacking or “out of season.” I recognize in looking at God’s history with humanity that God desires surrender above all else, that righteousness is the result of surrender to God, not possessing the “right” knowledge.

Heavenly Father, I confess my sin of intellectual pride and humbly ask for your forgiveness. I thank you for this reminder from my student, Mike of Jesus’ example to “seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” May we become increasingly aware of your Presence in our daily lives, and look to you rather than worshipping worldly knowledge. May your gift of knowledge be applied by us in obedience as an act of worship, and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

Here There Be Monsters

by Johnny Kerr

On the first Sunday of 2021, Pastor Erik welcomed us into the New Year with an exploration of the First Epistle of John. As he unpacked the writer’s use of light as a metaphor, I couldn’t help but think about how our historical and cultural context might be over-informing our understanding of light and darkness as symbols of good and evil rather than as symbols of revelation and hiddenness. 

I asked myself: “Although light and darkness may be helpful visualization tools for good and evil, are darkness and evil really synonymous? And if not, as I suspect, is distinguishing them from each other helpful?” 

While pondering these questions, I thought about some of the ways that humanity has historically dealt with the hidden mysteries of the unknown. For example, it became common practice for medieval cartographers to illustrate unknown (terra incognita) or dangerous (terra pericolosa) territories on the map with graphic depictions of dragons, sea monsters, and other mythical beasts. Sometimes those maps would bear phrases such as “here there be dragons” or “tygers” or “monsters.”

Today we know that, though these territories indeed presented explorers with unique challenges and dangers to overcome, none of them actually contained mythical beasts such as dragons or sea monsters. These illustrated creatures were imaginative expressions of potential dangers rather than factual representations. They were placeholders for the mysteries of the unknown.

Darkness! What Is It Good For?

Mythology and literature throughout human history are replete with themes of good vs. evil, often infused with the dramatic imagery of light and darkness. In modern expressions, namely motion pictures, we frequently encounter the same mythological archetypes and metaphors. For example, George Lucas’ cultural phenomenon, Star Wars, overtly identifies the antagonists as practitioners of the “dark side.” These oversimplifications of good vs. evil and light vs. darkness are fine as storytelling devices. But, like all good metaphors, they eventually fall apart and cease being useful if we take them too far and allow them to define reality. Life is infinitely more complex than any one metaphor can contain, as is the Kingdom of God.

In contemplating these themes, I’ve come to the hypothesis that darkness, in and of itself, is not evil. Darkness merely provides an ideal environment of obscurity, a playground for that which desires to stay hidden. In the cover of night, destructive forces whisper from dark corners, attempting to draw us away from the light they wouldn’t dare approach lest they be seen for what they are. In the absence of light, corruption and malice run rampant. Although evil has no rightful claim over darkness, darkness is the only realm in which wickedness can take root and reign. For these reasons, I find that darkness as a metaphor, at least as it is used in the Bible, is better understood as hiddenness (lack of revelation) than as an evil entity unto itself.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The reason I’ve gone to the trouble of teasing out these subtle distinctions has much to do with the way we confront the darkness within ourselves. Our understanding here might even impact our motivation to confront our inner darkness at all. If we have the notion that in confronting the darkness within ourselves we are somehow flirting with evil, we may end up avoiding those places altogether, allowing what is hidden to stay hidden. Similarly, if we imagine these dark places as too mysterious and dangerous, full of mythical beasts and bogeymen, we may become too afraid to shine light into them. By avoiding our own darkness we allow what is hidden to wield its weapons of shame and fear against us, to continue the subtle deceptions that give it power to reign in the unexplored territories of our souls.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on lives across the world. Putting aside the obvious health and financial struggles plaguing most, it has also impacted many of us in more uniquely personal ways. For some, it has confronted us like an inescapable mirror, forcing us to reckon with parts of ourselves that were previously hidden in the mundane routine of pre-COVID daily life; in the illusion that we have everything under control. Personally, this last year has revealed much to me about the depths of my struggles with anger.

I’ve always felt emotions with a great, driving intensity. It serves me well as an artist. It serves my family and community well when it comes to feelings like love and compassion. But I struggle when it comes to emotions like anger. Anger is a large territory that I’ve always known existed in me. Although I’ve certainly grown and matured over the years, in full transparency, I’ve been afraid to become too acquainted with anger in particular lest it overcome me. At times I’ve fooled myself into thinking I’ve tamed this particular beast, only to have extreme circumstances bring it to the surface and knock me down. Among the many challenges COVID brought to light, anger reared its ugly head over and again to the point that I found myself feeling helpless and lamenting:

Anger’s hooks sink deep

Tendrils pierce marrow

A devilish transfusion underway 

A moment of peace

Filled with holy light

No, but a taste and my demon is loosed

Principles trampled

I hate that I am

become visceral rage that will not still

I wrote this short poem in a particularly difficult moment. I was angry about how angry I was about circumstances that were beyond my control. Seriously! I was angry about being angry! The only thing I could think to do was to call it out by name and curse it. Just as mythical beasts on medieval maps were not literal representations of reality, neither is this poem. It is a temporary placeholder that merely acknowledges my fear of the hidden and scary places within myself. It is a small step towards giving some form of identity to this unknown territory. The next step is to surrender, to lay down my fears and invite Jesus to walk further into it with me. Little by little, we will push onward into these territories, demystify the unknown, address conflicts as they arise, and surrender them to the Light of Jesus. This is a lesson I must relearn over and again.

A New Hope

Changing our calendars to 2021 does not guarantee that we are free from the struggles we faced in 2020. Neither will any elected politician fix everything that is wrong with our lives and our country. It also seems that COVID will be hanging around for awhile. As exhausted as we all feel presently, we have no choice but to press into the unknown future. The good news is that, as followers of Jesus, our true hope lies in none of these worldly things. We have an Eternal Spirit, a Prince of Peace, a Heavenly Father to look to. We have God With Us.

My hypothesis claims that darkness itself is not evil; evil just hangs out there. There may indeed be monsters lurking in the unknown darkness. But, more likely than not, we will often find that our fear is actually bigger and more debilitating than any hypothetical monsters lurking in the dark. Darkness is not substantial. It is merely the absence of light, and there is no amount of darkness that can resist the smallest glimmer of light. So, in the words of the Lord’s many messengers throughout the Bible, fear not! You need not dread pressing into your own dark places because the Light of Christ is in you. His light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1 (Devotional by Erik Lundin)

An invitation to read:

Luke 2:8-12; 15

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

When the angels had left the shepherds and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

John 1:14 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The nighttime can be scary.

Because it’s difficult to see what’s hidden in it…

Imagine being a shepherd in the night…

No lights around for miles…

Have you ever been in that kind of darkness?

In the middle of this deep darkness, an angel comes…

And “the glory of the Lord” shines…

Then, the angel speaks…

“Do not be afraid”…

On Christmas,we consider this invitation… 

“Do not be afraid”.

Do not be afraid…

Jesus has been born today.

So we can step out of the darkness of our fears…

And travel, with the shepherds, towards this child... 

Who is "full of grace and truth".

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2 (Reflection & Prayer by Bethann Meza)

Let’s Us Be Like Mary

There are so many ways to celebrate Christmas. Let us come together and celebrate Jesus‘s arrival, and furthermore enjoy the family, the parties, the presents, and the joy that the holiday season brings. As I prepare for Christmas this year I choose to celebrate differently, I choose scripture. I choose to look at Mary, and to pray about Mary. I choose to view Mary in a light that I had yet to relate with her in since becoming a mother.

I can’t help but think about all of the emotions Mary must have felt leading into giving birth to Jesus. Knowing that it was her body that was going to bring the light of the world, the Savior to our earth; The pressure that must’ve put on her (no pun intended). As I navigate through the Magnificat prayer I feel a sense of peace within my spirit. Mary is an incredible example of what it looks like to wear real, true faith. Mary literally births hope for us. She carries the weight of the world and does it with such grace and peace.

This holiday season I encourage you to view Mary like I have. View her as a woman, a mother, a true servant of God. May her peace and faith be a reminder to celebrate not only during the holiday season, but always, that God is alive and like her, we too can carry His hope, love, peace and joy.

Pray with me: A Mother’s Prayer

Father, you are so good. We thank you for the reminder of your good and loyal servant, Mary. We pray that you use us so that we too can be servants of you. Remind us Lord that we can carry your peace, hope, love, and joy as we walk out our lives. We give you great and bountiful praise for your steadfast love. As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we think of Mary. We thank you for her maternal heart, and for her willingness to bear all things with carrying and tending to Jesus in her womb. Father we thank you that she can be an example of humility and hope. Father, I pray for our children. I pray that as mother’s, we always glorify you. Give us the wisdom, as you have Mary, to be able to properly teach and raise ours children to have hearts like Jesus, to be true Kingdom workers, and to always trust your plan. Allow us to be examples to them, and gives us grace where we fall short.

In your powerful name we pray,

Amen

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3 (Visual Art Experience by Johnny Kerr)

LOGOS X KERR

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4 (Reflection by George Triffanoff)

The Magi

by George Trifanoff

The Disturbers 

Herod and Jerusalem were disturbed. By starry eyed magi who became increasingly savvy to the evil that threatened and surrounded them and the child king they sought.

Jesus, born into a world in which children are killed, and continue to be killed, just to protect the power of tyrants. 

Jesus — the appearance of light in the darkness.

If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar cannot be lord.

The Gifts

Gold symbolizing virtue, announcing the kingship of Jesus. 

Incense signifying prayer and divinity. 

Myrrh reminding the faithful of the cross and suffering endemic to the way of Jesus.

The Warning

The story of the Magi and the Epiphany is a warning message to those who intend to stop the flow of God’s grace and liberation — try as you might, do whatever you wish, pull any strings you want, commit any atrocity you can, but you will not win. 

This advent does not take place at the center of orthodoxy or via the church pulpit. Its arrival is first discerned by pagan fire worshippers and outlaw shepherds. 

These mystical magi are knocking on the door. They speak of stars and destiny, and shepherd kings who can lead us to God. Will we allow them to disturb us enough that we might join their caravan of change?

What gold are we willing to let in? What frankincense are we willing to breathe? What myrrh are we willing to absorb?

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 (Reflection by Ashley Bentley)

Sweet Baby Jesus! by Ashley Bentley

As I sit in the backseat squished between my two brothers, my seven year old soul jumps for joy at the sight of every glistening light and holly jolly tunes. Our parents point and we all '“oooo’d and awe’d” at every corner. We see Santa, we see Rudolf, we see Frosty. But there is still one thing that remains that was always the most beautiful, meaningful and true of sights! Sweet baby Jesus!  I would request over and over if we could stop so I could hold him tight “because he must be cold”.

I can still envision my parents side smirk as they kept driving. My seven year old heart was full, constantly reminded of how precious His gift was to us.

God of the universe, You came to be with us in the innocence and vulnerability of a little baby. Help us to be willing to humble ourselves and become innocent, childlike and vulnerable as You did, relying on you as our parent and provider. Amen

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6 (Instrumental Song by George White)

Go Tell It On The Mountain (War Is Over) by George White

"War is over now" struck me as a beautiful vision of the present Kingdom brought by the coming of Christ. So go tell it on the mountain! - George

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7 (Creation Ex Nihilo by Jason Gillespie)

The Seventh Day of Christmas:

Genesis 2

1 THUS the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done.  AMEN

Romans 1

19 Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities --- his eternal power and divine nature --- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. AMEN

Creatio Ex Nihilo

Offerings from the Seeker, the Lyricist, and the Prophet

by Jason Gillespie

Prologue

It’s All Too Much …

Origins. Beginnings. What does it matter? Ask your neighbor, who was adopted as an infant. Ask the parent who explains the “birds and the bees” to their inquisitive child. Ask why the ancients looked up, as much as they looked down. We cry out: “I want to know from where I began.” It’s all too much and never enough.

The Seeker observes and sees. The Lyricist writes and feels. The Prophet speaks and foretells. Each with the gift of revealing Truth. Not facts or evidence, as much as, revelation; and forever manifesting in the body, heart, mind, soul, and spirit of the finite creature God calls his own.

An “eternal” cosmos or was there a beginning? Expansion changes everything. That which expands must have a beginning. A balloon, a lung, a mind, each and all, expands from its source. Man concedes. God by any other name: The ‘Singularity’.

‘Nothing’. A word in search of relevance in a world and a cosmos of ‘somethings’. The dialectic goes like this: Nothing minus nothing will always = Nothing. And nothing minus something will always = Something. No matter how hard we search … Nothing cannot be found. If it’s hiding, it is still ‘Something’ … hiding.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep … Ge 1:1-2

Even the ‘void’ offers an ‘empty space’. It is something waiting to be filled with something else. 

Conception bears witness. There is always something that begets something else. Gametes meet and produce a zygote. Something grows. Then that something grows into me, into you. Reality is something, becoming something else, ad infinitum.

Everything in a process of becoming.

And so, it is and always has been.  AMEN

Act 1

Creation Dream

Serenity by the Sea by Kathleen Gillespie

The earthen substance beneath my feet has no memory. And yet, it testifies to the journey of over 7.5 billion human creatures that now call it home. Tera Firma. The only home we have ever had. We see it. Experience it. Touch it, sniff it and hear its rumblings. It provides. It protects. It is truly all in all.

Is it no wonder then, our indigenous ‘brothers and sisters’ revered it as Mother Earth? A mothering power emanating, pulsating … granting life from its depths:

The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew in the air came to rest upon the earth, and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing. 

This is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.

(Chief Luther Standing Bear - Teton Sioux, Born 1868)

A swirling, leaning, ball of rock and metal. Water layered on top like a cat’s eye marble.

Pan back further. A smaller ball of rock. White with shadows; its relief fuels the machinations of an inquisitive mind … of course … ‘a man in the moon.’ He provides the counterweight to keep everything exactly right. Seas held at bay as they swing up and down. Waves stray from their collective moorings as they lick the land. Retreat. Repeat.

A camera lens pans back from 3.7 billion miles; it took 17 years to get this photo op. In 1994, a human invention from 1977 is directed to turn its ‘head’ … to look and see … what has never been seen except from God’s high perch. Revealed in the vast void is ‘Us’ … a “pale blue dot”. A gazing view seen only by the Creator … until now. Even as I write, it journeys on into the mystery that is God’s creation:

Click Here

From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

Easy to dismiss the power and beauty of Carl Sagan’s renderings as a Seeker. Religious culture, as usual, paints its own portrait of a man apart. Atheist. Crucify him! … Wait … What? … No! 

Click Here

Act 2

Soul of a Man

River’

Back on earth. Distractions from the Truth win the day. But even Lost Dogs (1996) understand what they see, why can’t we? Listen and hear … inhale … and … breath:

Politicians, morticians, philistines, homophobes

Skinheads, dead heads, tax evaders, street kids

Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dimwits

Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peaceniks

Breathe deep

Breathe deep the breath of God

Suicidals, rock idols, shut-ins, dropouts

Friendless, homeless, penniless and depressed

Presidents, residents, foreigners and aliens

Dissidents, feminists, xenophobes and chauvinists

Breathe deep

Breathe deep the breath of God

Evolutionists, creationists, perverts, slum lords

Dead-beats, athletes, Protestants and Catholics

Housewives, neophytes, pro-choice, pro-life

Misogynists, monogamists, philanthropists, blacks and whites

Breathe deep

Breathe deep the breath of God

Police, obese, lawyers, and government

Sex offenders, tax collectors, war vets, rejects

Atheists, scientists, racists, sadists

Biographers, photographers, artists, pornographers

Breathe deep

Breathe deep the breath of God

Gays and lesbians, demagogues and thespians

The disabled, preachers, doctors and teachers

Meat eaters, wife beaters, judges and juries

Long hairs, no hairs, everybody everywhere

Breathe deep

Breathe deep the breath of God

Earthen substance beneath my feet. Footprints reveal my sojourn. A step in any direction by faith. ‘Act’ in devotion … to who … and … to what? Minds never at rest. Thoughts invade and fight to be kept at bay. Can you just stop? Be. Look and see: 

While voices whisper what we need

There’s nothing else I could receive

No other treasure I could seek

Than what’s been placed under my feet.

(Micah Bentley, 2020)

Eyes scan the human landscape, adrift in the sea. Guarded hearts of stone. Spirits yearning to be free. Bodies confirming what is real … Touch takes two … or one each that feels.

(John Klemmer, 1975).

Endlessly searching for origins. None to be found. So … “Let go and let God” (of unknown origin), oh so profound? But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. 

(U2, 1987).

Act 3

It’s Alright Ma …

Sunset Overlooking Golgotha by Kathleen Gillespie

Who cares!

The sound of the world. The Media informs? The poisonous elixir. Transfixed. Give me more that I might worship the ‘neon light’:

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

Fools, said I, you do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you

But my words, like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence.

(Simon and Garfunkel, 1964)

Loneliness … evicted for refusing to pay homage to the spoken word. When in the beginning was only the Word:

Half the people you see these days are talking on cell phones.

Driving off the road and bumping into doors.

People use to spend quite a bit of time alone.

But I guess nobody’s lonely anymore. 

(Greg Brown, 2000)

Alone together. That’s reality without a fee. We face our life with the Life we cannot see; it is after all uncertainty:

While them that defines

what they cannot see,

with a killer’s pride, security.

It blows the mind most bitterly.

For them that think death’s honesty;

won’t fall upon them naturally.

Life sometimes must get lonely …

And if my thought-dreams could be seen,

they’d probably put my head in a guillotine.

But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life and life only.

(Bob Dylan, 1965)

Standing alone, eyes glazed over by bleached out land and those throwing stones. Location unknown. Desperately seeking direction and destination home. Lost in the glare of a steel sun ball glowing; and the dark valleys. Lead me to my pastureland. 

A star to guide the wise. Remember? You ask me to trust. I look and blink and like a Ghost, You are gone! I Am … am I alone? Immanuel whispers: “No … to the end of the age. I bequeath you all, forever, and a day… My life for you, your violence is paid; no longer but a player, on all the world’s stage … “ 

I never knew what you all wanted

So I gave you everything.

All that I could pillage

All the spells I could sing.

It’s as if the thing were written

In the constitution of the age.

Sooner or later you’ll wind up

Pacing the cage.

(Bruce Cockburn, 1995)

Sunset Over the Sea of Galilee by Kathleen Gillespie

Colossians 1:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

AMEN

Epilogue

Rumors of Glory

The outbound stage comes for each of us. It sweeps the landscape like the headlight of a train. The void beckons us all. No help required. It does not seek. It is ‘nothing’ at all.

LOVE never dies when all is said and done; it is the Love of the One and Only Son.

But beware what you build that is hidden from view, a seat at the front, the very best pew:

Fascist architecture of my own design. 

Too long been keeping my love confined … 

I’ve been in trouble but I’m OK. 

Been through the wringer but I’m OK … 

Walls are falling and I’m OK. 

Under the Mercy and I’m OK … 

There isn’t anything in the world 

that can lock up my love again …”

 (Bruce Cockburn, 1980)

So, love the Creator, Him above all; so too, your neighbors, angry and all. Then, settle yourself and be mindful of this … A friend is He, blowing you a kiss:

The world is full of seasons; of anguish, of laughter,

And it comes to mind to write you this:

Nothing is sure

Nothing is pure

And no matter who we think we are

Everybody gets a chance to be

Nothing.

Love's supposed to heal, but it breaks my heart

to feel the pain in your voice -

But you know, it's all going somewhere

And I would crush my heart and

throw it in the street

If I could pay for your choice.

Isn't that what friends are for?

We're the insect life of paradise:

Crawl across leaf or among

towering blades of grass -

Glimpse only sometimes the

amazing breadth of heaven

You're as loved as you were before the strangeness

swept through our bodies, our houses, our streets -

When we could speak without codes

And light swirled around, like wind-blown petals,

Our feet

I've been scraping little shavings off my

ration of light and I've formed it into a ball,

and each time I pack a bit more onto it

I make a bowl of my hands and I scoop it from its secret cache

under a loose board in the floor and I blow across it

and I send it to you against those moments when

the darkness blows under your door.

Isn't that what friends are for?

(Bruce Cockburn, 1999)

And on the seventh day of Christmas, His True Love said to me:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The End

Happy Holidays Axiom

From Kathie and Jason

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8 (Reflection by Jarrett Cesmat)

Walking with God

by Jarrett Cesmat

Something that the Lord has been inviting me into is to take daily walks with him, it’s a reminder of me to stop rushing to and from things, sit in worship, and take in life as fast as He is placing the ground beneath my feet. It’s been healthy for me and has brought me peace. Ultimately it’s allowed me observe a simple yet deeper view of his creation.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9 (Music Video & Reflection by Micah Bentley)

This song came to me as I was sitting one day, overwhelmed by the abundance and generosity of love and life I’ve been handed. Even though in a lot of my life I’ve been a clumsy fool, still I’m invited into the party and adorned as a beloved guest. Our host saves his best drink for us and pours it abundantly. As I think about the gift represented in Christmas, this exact overwhelming sense of abundance and gratitude overflows from my heart and my prayer is that you would experience this too. Take heart in the abundance you’ve been given and allow yourself to be at the wonderful party Christ has invited you to.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10 (Reflection by Marcia Linderman)

When thinking about Christmas of past, two things come to mind. naturally it’s always meant family. However, that is not what I remember most. Family time meant a new Barrett or mom may have made a-pair of pajamas. Dad always made homemade peanut brittle which I loved.

What made Christmas for me whas the waiting and participating in the celebrations at our small Country church. All the children came together and gave of themselves by memorizing scripture, playing out skits, memorizing poems and songs that all meant to the birth of Christ. It was always quite the pageant.You see it was all about Jesus and who he was or I should say is! It was about who he wants for me and you. What was given to me during those times was compassion, loveand unity I told of that story and how he was interested in me some of the things I took away was hope, love, compassion, community and unity.

These are the the that I remember as I went through abuse, loneliness, being made fun of and other hardships both as a child and as an adult. Matthew 9:36 tells us “that when He saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them.” Psalm 71:5 “ for you are my hope, all Lord God. ” Hebrews 6:19 “this hope we have as an anchor of the soul…“ and lastly Psalms 133:1 “ how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together.”

Just like the shepherds after the angel came to tell them of Jesus birth, they went with great anticipation to see. I too, look to the Lord with great anticipation for what he has in store for me still today. The lyrics of THER WAS JESUS, captures what the meaning of Christmas has taught me as a child and now as an adult.

Every time I try to make it on my own, every time I tried to stand and start to fall and all those lonely roads that I have traveled on; there was Jesus

When the life I built came crashing to the ground, when the friends I had were nowhere to be found I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now. There was Jesus.

For this man who needs amazing kind of grace, for forgiveness at a price I couldn’t pay. I’m not perfect so I thank God every day, there was Jesus.

In the mountain, in the valleys, in the shadows of the alleys, in the fire, in the flood; always is and always was, no I never walk alone you are always there.

In the waiting, in the searching, in the healing in the hurting. Like a blessing buried in the broken places, every minute, every moment, where I’ve been and where I’m going, even when I know yet or couldn’t see it, there was Jesus. There was Jesus.

For me, Christmas is life and gratitude to my Savior. Trusting in who he is and the promises he has for me and my family.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11 (Reflection by Ross Bentley)

Favor

by Ross Bentley

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

And on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” 

Luke 2:14

The Gospel message, as it is told, even in the Christmas story, is a story of favor.  It was a primary message of the angelic messengers to the people who would receive it.  We see it here when Gabriel brought the wonderfully disruptive message to Mary, that God had chosen her to form, deliver, raise, nurture and love His Son. He was bestowing favor on her.  Again, as the angel delivered the message to the shepherds outside the city, he was joined by a resounding choir of angels proclaiming the message of God’s favor to those recipients of his grace. These shepherds were not used to the favor of anyone, let alone God Almighty!

What is favor?  Websters defines it as:

-friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior; a gracious kindness

The Greek word has as its root the same word that is used for ‘grace’ as well as ‘charisma’ - a heavenly gift of grace.

One of my pastor friends would often say to his congregation - “You are one of God’s favorite children.  He has your picture in His wallet!”  These days, a modern translation of this might be -"He's got your picture saved on His phone!”

After Jesus' baptism and 40 days alone in the wilderness, He returned home and showed up in the local synagogue to announce the start of His ministry. To do this, He used a quote from the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, 

because he has anointed me 

to proclaim good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners 

and recovery of sight for the blind, 

to set the oppressed free, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus declared that with the coming of the Kingdom of God, all of humanity can enter into 'the year of the Lord’s favor.’  Paul goes into a little more detail about this favor from God:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  

2 Cor 5:17-19

God is no longer counting our sins against us. Now that is favor! And that is good news! It doesn't always come across that way, does it?  But this truly is the message God has for all of us.

This reminds me of a story from 2 Kings 7.  

During the time Elisha served as a prophet of God, the nation of Israel was at war with the Arameans, and they had laid siege to the city of Samaria.  It was an horrific situation for the entrapped people.  There was great famine, and the people were desperate.  Then Elisha boldly prophesied to the king that the siege would be lifted by the next day.  

At this time, there were 4 men who suffered from leprosy and lived outside the walls of the city.  They were waiting by the city gates for food to live on, but there was none.  They finally said in desperation, “Why wait here and die?  Why not go over to our enemy’s camp?  If we die, no difference, but if they spare us we will live.”  So they went over to the place where the Aramean army camped at dusk.  As they entered the camp, they found it had been abandoned - there was no sign of the enemy anywhere in the camp.  They had fled in fear of the Lord.  The tents were left empty, fully stocked with food and wine and plunder.  The 4 lepers feasted and drank in that first tent, and took the plunder and hid it, then came back to do it all again on the next tent.  All this for them, and why not!  Didn’t they deserve it?  Hadn’t they suffered enough?  Why not take this all for themselves?  After all, they had been rejected by God, and had been outcast by their own people - banished outside the city because of their affliction.  They had finally found favor!

But in a moment of gracious revelation, they said to one another - “This isn’t right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves… Let us go at once and report this...” And so they did, and the result was that the whole city became beneficiaries of this gracious provision.  

How wonderfully true that God has bestowed His favor and grace on us.  We absolutely are some of His Favorite Children!  And this message is meant for the whole world - our family, friends, neighbors, strangers and foreigners alike!  God has declared the time of His favor through Jesus.  And this is our message for others - God is no longer counting our sins against us!  Your sentence has been commuted, you’ve been pardoned, you are free!  This is the year of the Lord’s favor!