I will be the first one to tell you that I am impatient, especially when it comes to divine action. It is as if I believe God is a barista at your local coffee shop who you order from and then a few minutes later, there it is a frothy divine beauty sitting right in front of you.
In all seriousness, waiting on God has been my largest struggle in my faith journey. In fact, while I was in seminary it was, “the struggle” of my life. I was dating a wonderful woman, I felt called to be a pastor working with youth, and I believed I had the right skills, but I could not find the right job. There were many times where I thought, God is calling me here, yet he was not. In the midst of everything I really struggled with my calling and how God interacted with the world.
Before I got hired at my first church out of seminary, I spent some time unemployed and not doing much of anything. During this time of hardship I decided to dive into my discomfort and ask God what I could learn from this situation.
Through a lot of talking with friends and family, prayer, and time in scripture, I felt God tell me, I am teaching you to trust in me.
In the Christmas story found in the gospel of Matthew 2, a group of people known as the Magi go in search of God’s divine action found with the birth of a baby named, Jesus.
One night while the Magi were studying the stars, they saw a star that caught their eyes, a star that is different, almost new. Some Biblical scholars believe that these Magi were people who were star lookers, or people who studied the stars to determine events in the world, similar to modern day astrologists.
Once these first century astrologists saw this new star, they realized that something special was happening, so they set out on a journey to discern what God was doing. They noted the location of the star and took heed toward where God was guiding them.
What amazes me about these Magi is that they were disciplined at looking for signs and looking to see what might be happening in the world. The magi were so disciplined that on the night of Jesus’s birth they looked up into the sky and noticed something different, a divine sign.
This makes me wonder how many divine signs I might be missing in my busy life…
What many people fail to realize about the Christmas story found in Matthew is that the Magi did not show up to the manger at the time of the birth, they came to Mary’s “house” (Matthew 2:11).
The Magi were not present at the manger, despite what nativity sets say. In fact, scholars believe that the Magi traveled over a year to arrive at the doorstep of the King of the Jews. A YEAR!
I don’t know about you, but that is some trust and faith in God’s divine action!
I have to wonder how many times during that year, plus long journey the Magi asked themselves, did we really see that star? I mean, it could have just been a fluke or something. I wonder how many times they doubted on their journey toward God’s divine action in the world.
One of the beautiful things about Matthew’s Christmas story is the Magi. The Magi believed in a God who interacts with his creation, who called them in divine signs, and who trusted that after their long journey they would arrive to where they were called.
Prayer:
LORD, I thank you for the sign of your Son.
For the gift that he is to our world
LORD, I thank you for the gift of faith that I might see your Son for who he truly is.
In the times of trouble and ease, may you help me to trust in you as the Magi did.
This Christmas and throughout my life, may you help me look for your divine signs of action in the world.
Clear my mind and give me a heart focused on your work in the world.
May you give me eyes to see your work in the world.
May you give me eyes to see how you want me to partner with your work in the world.
Empower your Church to be a sign of your divine action in the world.
May your Kingdom be made manifest as you work through your Spirit and people in the world.
Amen.
December 23, 2011
December 20, 2011
Christmas Found in a Manger. Christmas Blog #1.
The other day I was with a group of youth pastors reading over the Christmas story found in Luke 2: 1-21. As we sat and did a shorter version of Lectio-Divina, I could not divert my attention from words found in Luke 2:12, “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
I was confronted by the three specific words: “sign,” “baby,” and “manger.”
As I meditated on these words, I sensed the power of and reality of the Son of God coming in the way he did. That God chose the “sign” of the coming of the living God to earth to be as meek as a “baby” in a “manger.”
Everyone in the first century Jewish world expected the Messiah to come as a king or a powerful warrior who would kick the Roman Empire out in order to bring in some picture of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Yet, the Messiah comes in one of the most unexpected ways one can imagine, as a baby born in a manger.
A manger was not the most beautiful place in the world. In fact, it was probably one of the smelliest and dirtiest places in the world. I don’t even think our little nativity sets do (do=verb, due=not verb) the reality of the manger much justice, because even our nativity sets look clean sitting on our freshly dusted tables.
A manger was somewhat of a glorified hole in the rocks where animals slept and went to the bathroom in. It might be considered the cleaner side of the city dump.
That was where the Son of God was not only born, but where the Son of God becomes and a “sign” to the world that the Messiah has come.
I think if I were completely honest with myself, I would admit that part of me wants to still believe that the Son of God is found in the clean, put together, and happy places in life. What hit me was the story of the Messiah coming as a sign to humanity flies right in the face of my desire to place God in the pretty places in my life. Instead, the Christmas story begs me to find the sign of God in the dirtiest places in my life, community, and world.
On TV and in the movies, we are shown images of Christmas being about happiness, joy, happy people, and/or beautiful things. We are told that in order to celebrate Christmas, we must have enough presents under the tree to make everyone glad. People are asked to put way the messiness of life, and to put smiles on their faces. To buy into the idea in order to celebrate Christmas, we must fill our houses with joy coming from stuff, music, family, food, and friends. Everything has to be prefect.
If you ask me, that seems like a far cry from the image of Christmas detailed in Luke. I doubt that Mary or Joseph planned to have their baby in the cut out of a rock amongst animals. I doubt that they planned to have the first people to worship their son to be insignificant shepherds. I doubt they expected to have their first child all alone in a manger.
As I was reading Luke 2:1-21 a questions came to my mind: What if the true meaning of Christmas is not found in the joy manufactured by presents, family, or friends, but when we dive into the mangers of our lives and discover a sign from the Most High? A sign that is found in the most unlikely places of our lives, communities, and world?
These lyrics from Sleeping At Last's song "snow" hit home this point too. Here are some of the lyrics from the song:
Christmas lights tangle in knots annually
All families huddle closely
Betting warmth against the cold
All the bruises seem to surface
Like mud beneath the snow
So we sing carols softly
As sweet as we know
A prayer that our burdens will lift as we go
Like young love still waiting under mistletoe
We'll welcome December with tireless hope
Let our bells keep on ringing
Making angels in the snow
And may the melody disarm us
When the cracks begin to show
Like the petals in our pockets
May we remember who we are
Unconditionally cared for
By those who share our broken hearts
Here is the song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD-e3y2MaTU
On Thursday I will be blogging on Matthew's version of the Christmas Story, make sure you check it out!
Merry Christmas!
I was confronted by the three specific words: “sign,” “baby,” and “manger.”
As I meditated on these words, I sensed the power of and reality of the Son of God coming in the way he did. That God chose the “sign” of the coming of the living God to earth to be as meek as a “baby” in a “manger.”
Everyone in the first century Jewish world expected the Messiah to come as a king or a powerful warrior who would kick the Roman Empire out in order to bring in some picture of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Yet, the Messiah comes in one of the most unexpected ways one can imagine, as a baby born in a manger.
A manger was not the most beautiful place in the world. In fact, it was probably one of the smelliest and dirtiest places in the world. I don’t even think our little nativity sets do (do=verb, due=not verb) the reality of the manger much justice, because even our nativity sets look clean sitting on our freshly dusted tables.
A manger was somewhat of a glorified hole in the rocks where animals slept and went to the bathroom in. It might be considered the cleaner side of the city dump.
That was where the Son of God was not only born, but where the Son of God becomes and a “sign” to the world that the Messiah has come.
I think if I were completely honest with myself, I would admit that part of me wants to still believe that the Son of God is found in the clean, put together, and happy places in life. What hit me was the story of the Messiah coming as a sign to humanity flies right in the face of my desire to place God in the pretty places in my life. Instead, the Christmas story begs me to find the sign of God in the dirtiest places in my life, community, and world.
On TV and in the movies, we are shown images of Christmas being about happiness, joy, happy people, and/or beautiful things. We are told that in order to celebrate Christmas, we must have enough presents under the tree to make everyone glad. People are asked to put way the messiness of life, and to put smiles on their faces. To buy into the idea in order to celebrate Christmas, we must fill our houses with joy coming from stuff, music, family, food, and friends. Everything has to be prefect.
If you ask me, that seems like a far cry from the image of Christmas detailed in Luke. I doubt that Mary or Joseph planned to have their baby in the cut out of a rock amongst animals. I doubt that they planned to have the first people to worship their son to be insignificant shepherds. I doubt they expected to have their first child all alone in a manger.
As I was reading Luke 2:1-21 a questions came to my mind: What if the true meaning of Christmas is not found in the joy manufactured by presents, family, or friends, but when we dive into the mangers of our lives and discover a sign from the Most High? A sign that is found in the most unlikely places of our lives, communities, and world?
These lyrics from Sleeping At Last's song "snow" hit home this point too. Here are some of the lyrics from the song:
Christmas lights tangle in knots annually
All families huddle closely
Betting warmth against the cold
All the bruises seem to surface
Like mud beneath the snow
So we sing carols softly
As sweet as we know
A prayer that our burdens will lift as we go
Like young love still waiting under mistletoe
We'll welcome December with tireless hope
Let our bells keep on ringing
Making angels in the snow
And may the melody disarm us
When the cracks begin to show
Like the petals in our pockets
May we remember who we are
Unconditionally cared for
By those who share our broken hearts
Here is the song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD-e3y2MaTU
On Thursday I will be blogging on Matthew's version of the Christmas Story, make sure you check it out!
Merry Christmas!
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