Pastor's Letter for December

"Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:4-5)

These familiar words from Isaiah speak about the power and presence of God to transform you and me, to transform all life as we know it. EVERYTHING is gathered into this new relationship. No part of creation is left out. And the Advent/Christmas message is simple:

God’s action in this world through Jesus Christ changes everything.

However, as our calendar cultural begins luring us into blurring patterns of motion and emotion, we can be ruthlessly drawn to other messages. You might hear, “Shop til you drop.” You may feel sad about the draw of obligatory gifting or other empty rituals. At the same time, we are careful to hold a certain sense of responsibility of support for the economy of our marketplaces. In addition, the seasonal traditions in our homes, neighborhoods, city, nation, and world can be invaluable connecting points for deeper relationships. So we are wise to guard against harmful “bah humbug” isolationism. And the simple gifts of traditional experiences with loved ones can bring immeasurable strength and peace to our lives.

And there is even more. Amidst the roaring waves of our powerful culture, God’s gracious message is homing for the openings of our hearts and lives. The irony is that we tend to expect God to do all of the opening. Even our prayers are suspect if we only perceive our petitions as One Way, where God is expected to do all the listening to us: “Lord, Hear our prayer.” And we will miss something if our faith patterns are primarily marked by waiting upon the Lord for the answers, waiting for the goods. The invitation for you and me at this Christmastime includes this: openness to the surprises of faith. And perhaps one of the most challenging dimensions of our faith is to ponder that the Lord is waiting upon you.

Yes, it is faithful to nurture our longings for God, our waiting upon God to speak to our plans. Even more, let us be shaped by the Holy One who says, “Tell me what you plan to do with this precious new day I have given you. With eagerness, I await your next move.”

God’s Peace to You,
Pastor Tim