Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 7

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 16-17

I'm going backwards today, maybe its appropriate since it is the last day of 2013 and everyone tends to look back. I have one more title given to Jesus by someone else and this was before He started His ministry. When Jesus was baptized the Spirit of God, our first look at the Holy Spirit, descended like a dove. At the same time a voice said that Jesus is His beloved Son. Matthew tells us the voice came from heaven so the presumption is that it is God speaking. What better authority than God? Do we need more?

What does it mean to be God's beloved son? According to Merriam-Webster "beloved" means "dearly loved" or "dear to the heart." Precious, favored and special are all synonyms. If something is precious to us we hold it close, protect it and put it above other things. So this means that Jesus is held close to God's heart above all others. Not only that but God claims Jesus as His son. In first century Jerusalem a son inherited everything the father owned; land, possessions, money, animals and people. To be a son was to be a representative of the father.

It's clear that God is telling those present at Jesus' baptism that Jesus is His precious representative.  In effect God is telling us the Jesus owns everything since God is the creator of the universe. If Jesus owns everything we are just using the gifts He has given us. We should be using those gifts according to His wishes. There is no question of what His wishes are in this matter; again and again Jesus told us to love God and love one another so we should use our gifts for that purpose.

I think that God chose to add the word "beloved" before son to let us know how important Jesus is to God. Not only is He important to God, but Jesus is to be important for us too. We are to treat Him as the precious Son. We are to hold Jesus dear to our hearts too. I think this is what God meant in Jeremiah when he said, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts." (Jeremiah 31:33) If we hold Jesus close to our hearts we will know God's way.  

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 6

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."  John 10:14-15

We are half way through Christmas so I'm leaving the Nativity narratives and the beginning of John's Gospel. Thus far I have looked at what others have said about Jesus, now I am turning to what He proclaims about Himself. Who did Jesus say He was?

Jesus talked in parable and metaphor more than just proclaiming the truth. I think it was because we cannot truly understand His nature and to make us struggle and think about what He was teaching. If everything was simple would we really devote the time to get to know Jesus? Jesus proclaims that He is The Good Shepherd, those around Him must have realized that meant He cares for those who are not able to care for themselves. Let's face it sheep are not the brightest of animals and they wonder off quickly. I believe that some of the hearers of this might have been insulted or thought they didn't need Jesus because they could take care of themselves. How often do we think that way? I know I have told someone who was trying to help me, "I don't need your help" often. Of course when we finally give in and let the other person help we realize we did need the help and the burden was much lighter because of their presence.

Above the altar at St. Mark’s is a beautiful stained-glass window with Jesus holding a sheep, “The Good Shepherd”. As I was looking at it on Christmas Eve, I was struck by the fact that Jesus is holding the sheep, it is not next to Him, but cradled in His arms. Jesus says that He knows His sheep and that He lays down His life for the sheep. That means that He knows me, knows what makes me different from all the others and He cradles me in is arms. He cradles ME, despite my faults, despite my failure to love Him and others! Not only that, He lays down His life for ME. There is nothing to do but allow Him to love and cradle me in His arms, nothing is expected of me. He will carry me and ease the burden, whatever it is. All I need to do is accept His help!

*The above picture is the reflection of the stained glass window in the chalice of wine. Diane San Giacomo is the photographer of this wonderful picture.

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 5

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, proclaims that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” For the hearers of John’s words this must have been an astounding claim. The Jews gathered at the temple each year to sacrifice a perfect lamb as penance for their sins and John was saying the Jesus fills that role - that He is the perfect lamb. But note that John did not say the He takes away the sin of Israel or the Jews, but the world. 

John is clear from the beginning of his Gospel that Jesus didn’t come just for the Israelites, but for the world. That means every person that walks this earth. Jesus came for each and every one of us; the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the beautiful and the ugly, regardless of color. This is part of the hope of Jesus that He came for you, me and the stranger, to put us in right relationship with God. No sacrifice necessary, Jesus already paid the price.

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Gospel of John doesn't spend any time with the birth of Jesus, he introduces Jesus as the Word. John is clear that Jesus is God and that he was at creation. The beginning of John's Gospel sounds a lot like the beginning of The Book of Genesis. The Book of Genesis starts by telling us that God created the universe by speaking. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. John says that Jesus is the Word and the Word created the world. So, the Word is how God brings things into being - light, earth, sea, animals. Why did the Word come in flesh to earth at the time that He came? He didn't create a new planet, animal, plant or body of water? The Word creates but what did He create?

Perhaps He came to create a new world order. Jesus said over and over again that the poor would be rich and that the last shall be first. He consistently told anyone who would listen to love God and your neighbor; and He told them your neighbor is everyone. Jesus did not lead with a sword, He led with a message of "turn the other cheek." Jesus spoke and touched the outcast, the lonely and the unclean. He forgave sins while others wanted to stone the sinner. Jesus healed those who suffered in mind, body or spirit; He laid hands on the leper that no one would touch. Jesus went to the cross without a fight even though He had committed no crime. Not only did Jesus suffer the beating and humiliation of His persecutors, He asked God to forgive them.

How has the world changed in the past two thousand years? I'm not sure that we have honored His life, ministry and death. We are still at war, sometimes invoking His name to justify our actions. We still fail to love others, by lying to them, cheating them or gossiping about them. We seek revenge against those who have hurt them. We fail to feed and provide medical help to ALL people. We still consider certain groups of people as untouchable and we leave them to suffer alone. We look out for ourselves before others.

This leads me to wonder what I can do to live a life that honors Jesus' life, ministry and death. God's grace says that I don't have to pay the debt, because I never can. But this doesn't mean that I should just sit here and accept the grace without being changed by it. As Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 

I have found over the last year I have been challenged to do new things, way out of my comfort zone. Maybe this is the start of the "new" me. Of course soon it will just be part of me and I'll have to grow in a different way. I think that is part of the reason the Word came in flesh, to remind us that we are constantly being created. 

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 3

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; 

he is the Messiah, the Lord.     Luke 2:11

Today I am returning to Luke's birth narrative. There is no question of who Jesus is; from the beginning God's angels announce who Jesus is and His purpose. An angel is a messenger of God so it should be no surprise that God uses an angel to announce Jesus' birth. The surprise is that the angel doesn't go to kings or priests but to shepherds in a field. Again God is coming to the poor, everyday person not the privileged, educated or rich. And to be clear the angel announces that the baby born in Bethlehem, lying in a manger is the Messiah. Messiah means "anointed one". Being anointed by God means being chosen for a special purpose. Jesus' purpose is crystal clear, He is to bring the Kingdom of God to people on earth. His purpose, His mission has never changed in over two thousand years. During His time on earth, Jesus invited many poor, uneducated and insignificant people to walk with Him and to partner with Him in His mission. They received on-the-job training from Jesus to help spread the Good News, bring healing, forgiveness and grace to the lives of all who would accept it. He is still inviting us to be partners in His mission. The apostles are examples that Jesus can and will use anyone, regardless of station in life or education. I believe that He still provides on-the-job training as well. When I look back on my life, so many past experiences help me in my ministry today. My call to partner with Jesus is to bring the Kingdom of God to children and teens. My hope is that I am a good partner for Jesus and that the children and teens I work with encounter His healing, forgiveness and grace. How do you partner with Jesus to bring the Kingdom of God to others?

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 2

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” 

(which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

Today I am still in the birth narrative as I look at the name Immanuel. As Matthew tells us Immanuel means "God is with us." As I think of God being with me I feel His presence through His people. Recently so many people have stepped up to help me even when I didn't realize I needed it. Just a few examples: the friend who took over Children's Chapel a few Sundays ago so I could do other things I needed to do and take a deep breath; the Parish Intern who worked so diligently to put together the program she helped lead even while she worked full time and took exams at seminary; the Parish Life team who helped me serve lunch and hot chocolate to Kids’ Club despite the fact that I had previously assured them that I would do all the work and the friends who helped with the kids in the Christmas Eve program. (You all know who you are, thank you!!) There they were reminding me that I am not alone, that God is with me and God is with you often in was you don't realize.

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 1

This year during the 12 days of Christmas I am reflecting on some of the names or titles given to Jesus in the Bible. Each name reveals something about who Jesus is, thus revealing something about God. Jesus tells us that if we know Him we know the Father. So who is the Jesus of the Bible? I hope that during these 12 days as I look at the names and titles used for Jesus I will encounter Him. Join me on my journey, share your reflections and thoughts so that we may find the true Christ this Christmas season.

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 

Luke 1:31 

It seems fitting to start at the beginning, with His given name - Jesus. The angel Gabriel gave Mary the name for her son, before she was even pregnant. The Hebrew version is Yeshua, which means “to rescue” or “to deliver”. For Jews in Jesus’ time names were very important, they revealed something about the person. So, Mary must have realized instantly that her baby would be different. Her baby would rescue her people, deliver them from bondage. I imagine the sound of a gasp escaping from her lips at this news. She was just a poor girl from Nazareth engaged to a carpenter! Who was she to be the mother of the Divine Deliverer? I sometimes wonder who am I that I should step forward and lead others in ministry. I have no special training, no formal Biblical or Theological degree yet there I am standing in front of a group of people looking to me to lead them. How did I get here? There must be some kind of mistake. Well, if God can choose a poor, young girl from Nazareth to be His mother, I guess He can choose me to lead people, to help people encounter Him. If Mary can be His mother, Jesus can use anyone to deliver His love and His grace to the world. I think that is one of the important messages of Jesus’ birth, not only did he join us in humble surroundings he chose a poor, insignificant girl to bring him into this world. Just as she delivered Him, He delivers her and all who come to Him.