How Many?

(While I was writing this the song came on the radio... very cool)

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

How Many

The Canadian band Downhere asks a series of intriguing questions in their hit “How Many Kings?”

-        How many kings step down from their thrones?

-        How many lords have abandoned their homes?

-        How many greats have become the least for me?

-        How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

The answer, from an earthly perspective, is no one.  Men don’t give up power, privilege and stature in sacrifice to others.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; 
and the government will be upon His shoulder. 
And His name will be called
 Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace 
there will be no end, 
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to order it and establish it with judgment and justice
. From that time forward, even forever.
 The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

The answer from God’s perspective is one. God sent his son in the person of Jesus to create the possibility of redemption. We don’t pursue God in an endless series of sacrifices or attempts to curry His favor. Our best efforts at earning salvation fall woefully short. Christ did the work…we need only believe. 

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Volume 7, Number 31

Feels like...

(I'm not complaining... I like it warm)

Feels like

 I’ve been listening to Christmas music during the workday pretty much since I returned after Thanksgiving, much more than usual this year. This is our third winter in the Southeast and let’s be frank… it doesn’t feel like Christmas. At least not the stereotypical vision of Christmas we’ve come to expect. The weather is warm, proliferate pine trees keep the landscape green and the chance of a white Christmas is infinitesimal.  So I’m pretty sure I’m compensating with music.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12

The first Christmas was nothing like our Hollywood stereotype either.  There were shepherds, angels, animals, a tired young couple and a baby.  No snow, no candles, no trees with lights, no cookies. It wasn’t the external factors that drove their joy. It was the simple fact that the Savior had been born.  If that was good enough for them perhaps it should be sufficient for us as well.

Joy to the world indeed!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Volume 7, Number 30

peaceful anticipation

(there is this time between Thanksgiving and Easter... Advent)

Peaceful anticipation

One of the things I miss from “back in the day” is the intentional observance of the season of Advent.  Each Sunday we would talk and sing hymns about a different part of the Christmas story and have a chance to dig deeper into the unique aspects of each.  It was a time of peaceful anticipation of the coming miracle of Christ’s birth. 

“A voice of one calling: 
“In the wilderness prepare
 the way for the Lord; 
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, 
every mountain and hill made low; 
the rough ground shall become level, 
the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, 
and all people will see it together. 
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1-5

Too often we’re bombarded now with the messages of Black Friday, Cyber Monday etc., as if Christmas exists merely to keep the retail sector of the economy afloat.  It’s a hectic season, filled with things to do and places to go.  The peaceful anticipation has given way to exhausted relief when December 26 arrives. The giving of gifts, sending of cards, and trimming of trees are all recent additions to the observance of Christmas…and none of them are bad in and of themselves.  But when they become our focus, rather than the simple and profound truth of the manger we can miss the best part of Christmas.

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Volume 7, Number 29