But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law Galatians 4:4

This Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the visible manifestation of God. He came to earth to fulfill the covenant that God had made with people. In ancient days, Hebrew men had been instructed to become circumcised as a symbol of their obedience to God- a mark that they were his people. That symbol, of course, was not visible to others. It was an act of obedience to indicate allegiance to God as his people.

The mark of God, in the fulfillment of his covenant in Jesus, is love of others. Not that the Hebrew people weren’t loving people- indeed they were. Yet in that distant and ancient culture, those who were “in the tribe” were the ones who were to be accepted. Those outside the tribe were viewed with suspicion- understandable when the Hebrews were a minority people often not accepted and persecuted by others in their culture.

Jesus was the visible manifestation of God’s love for mankind. It is now our mission to spread that mission to the world.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be the messengers of the presence of Jesus and his mission to love the world, Amen

Adulting: the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word aptly spoken.                                Proverbs 25:11

“You don’t get credit for just being an adult!” That’s what one of my clients said to me the other day. What she meant was, just performing the ordinary tasks of daily life- laundry, dishes, cleaning, cooking, her day job, etc.- was not a reason to give herself credit. On the one hand, I agreed with her. Yes, these are the expected tasks of adults to maintain a household. However, when you add that to other stresses, such as relational problems, health problems, lack of sleep, depression, or lack of social support, you find that just keeping up with “adulting” can be a significant achievement.

She was unable to see that. Given her current situation, just keeping up with her daily chores was indeed an accomplishment. I pointed out to her that it was not about being given “credit”, but accepting that she is performing well despite some very difficult current circumstances. Often, we cannot see what others see in us. Timely encouragement, from an objective point of view can be incredibly helpful.

Prayer: Lord, help us to give encouragement to others who cannot give it to themselves, Amen

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe                                  Hebrews 11:1-2

The writer of Hebrews tells his readers that in the past, prophets were the ones who interpreted God’s message to people. That changed when God sent his son, Jesus, to earth to be the messenger of the Father’s grace and forgiveness. Amazingly, or perhaps not so amazingly, that messenger of good news and forgiveness was killed. Seems like we just cannot handle new plans when we are so wedded to old concepts and ideas.  

Jesus knew that would be his fate, yet he decided to come to earth to redeem the people he and the Father loved so much. As we open up the official celebration of Christmas today, the First Sunday of Advent, let us also recall that the sweet helpless newborn we celebrate on Christmas Day, came for the express purpose of Good Friday, and later Easter.

That is the real good news!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wonder of Christmas, and the miracle of redemption, Amen

For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.                                                              Hebrews 9:15

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, we also are recognizing that his birth brought about a new covenant. The Old Testament was based upon a covenant of law. The laws of Moses set forth the ways in which people could relate to and understand God. Law was an important concept because it made people aware of the awe and wonder of an omnipotent God. It spelled out the need to honor and worship God and ways to behave that would mark “his people”. It was also practical in the sense of the hygienic laws which were protective in an age before the understanding of microbes and bacterial infections.

The Old Testament explained a legal relationship with God. The New Testament explained a different way to exist in the world as a people of God. Whereas Jews believed that adherence to the law made them the promised people, followers of Jesus were identified as his people by how well they loved others. Let us be clear that our Jewish brothers and sisters share an important spiritual heritage with Christians. No one is excluded from the love that God has shown through his son.

The Jewish followers were understandably culture shocked by Jesus. The new relationship of simply loving one another was such a shock that even today, many miss the point. The celebration of Christmas is an attempt to show love for others by our gift giving, our celebrations, our “Joy to the World”.

So, at Christmas we recallthe message of Jesus by how we treat one another. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a Christmas mindset all year?

Prayer: Lord, help us to share that “Joy to the World” year-round, Amen

…We write this to make our joy complete                   I John 1:4

I attended the Christmas party today for New Creation Counseling Center where I still contract to do counseling. What a blessing to see the growth and impact of this Center! We shared some of our favorite Christmas traditions. In doing so, the desire to recapture the days of our youth and the warmth of family gatherings was evident.

During the Christmas season we stop and cherish old family traditions of food, seasonal practices, movies we watch, places that we go, activities that we attend, friends that we visit. All of these things are rituals which give us a sense of stability and predictability. It helps us to feel grounded in so many ways, including honoring the object of our faith, Jesus.

So, my dear friends, I was reminded very recently of the brevity of life as we experienced the death of a brother-in-law. Remember to celebrate each day, and determine for yourself that this Christmas season will be one of joy, a celebration and remembrance of traditions, and the value of family.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the birth of your son, and the celebration that it brings, Amen

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.                                                                                             Deuteronomy 6:4-5

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”                                                                                                           Mark 12:30-31

 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.  This is my command: Love each other                                                     John 15:16-17

As a special treat to my readers this Christmas season, I have the pleasure of having my daughter join me in this blog today. Indeed, the topic was her idea….

In all the controversy these days about the Christian message to the world, and frankly the misuse and misunderstanding of what the Bible says about how God would have us to live, there remains this one thing.

Love one another.

In the Old Testament, the message from the famous Shema of Jewish tradition remains as a pillar of how we can understand God. His message has always been, “Love one another”. The passage in Deuteronomy indicates that we are commanded to love God. When it was reiterated by Jesus in the book of Mark, and again in John, Jesus made it clear that love was not an option, nor is it a feeling that we have. It is a sacrificial decision that we make. Jesus expanded the Shema to include the second part as equally important – “Love your neighbor as yourself”

So, if you want to know the Christian message (not the “thou shalt nots”, but the “thou shalls”), and how God would have us live in the world, be aware that the formula has been repeated many times.

When the world hands us a dose of political or religious vitriol, Jesus hands us love. When we are divided by race, ideology, economics, or gender, Jesus comes in and unites us with a simple message of love. In this world where social media entices us to debate, outwit, out smart, or out do one another, Jesus says “Where there is any uncertainty, just choose love.”

Even within the Christian church, there has been much division about how to welcome those who don’t look like us, worship like us, or love like us. Our natural human reaction is to build rules around love: you are welcome if you vote like me, look like me, marry like me, live in a home like mine. But there is no model from Jesus for these kinds of rules. We saw Jesus approach a woman at the well who carried shame, and he welcomed her. We saw Jesus love and heal the paralyzed man who was dropped through the roof to reach him; quite an unconventional approach, but it phased Jesus none at all. Indeed, we saw this loving Jesus flip the tables as a sign of his disapproval of the business of the church that was drawing attention away from love and towards bank accounts instead.

There is so much that is confusing in this world today, including the church that so many of us grew up in. While we may never fully understand it all on this side of heaven, Jesus provides us a way through. He offers us the holy way of love. Just love. Just listening and holding space for each other. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be a battle. Jesus says to us, “Where there is any doubt what way to choose, choose love.” There is no greater command.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the love you have shown to us through the ages, Amen

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”                             Matthew 2:1-2

I have been looking at the clear night sky lately, and the stars and planets have been especially brilliant. The one advantage of winter is the clarity of the sky due to the cold temperatures and relative lack of clouds and haze. I was really taken aback the other evening with the brightness of Jupiter. Venus, the morning star is similarly brilliant.

Then I happened to hear a podcast which discussed a possible explanation of the Christmas star. That same star the Magi were tracking when they sought the newborn ruler whom they believe the star portended.

The theory put forth by this scholar was that on the morning of April 17, in 6 B.C. an unusual alignment of the planet Jupiter, rising early in the morning, before sunrise in the eastern sky, caused the Magi to follow this omen. Since it arose in the astrological house of Aries, it caused them to believe that this omen meant that a significant king would be born in Judea. Judea evidently was associated with the astrological house of Aries.

It is interesting to note that these Magi were astrologers from perhaps Mesopotamia or Babylonia. They were skilled in the arts of astrology, and when they determined that this new king would be born in Judea, they headed to Jerusalem to inquire of the current king about this amazing birth.

Jews were prohibited from practicing the astrological arts, so Herod, and the other Jewish inhabitants were unaware of the significance that the pagan world associated with this sign. Of course, Herod wanted to hear about a king who might supplant him. Herod wanted names and addresses so that he could destroy this usurper king!

The mind-blower for me was that on December 19 of that year, Jupiter seemed to stand still in the sky. It shone brightly because of a confluence with the moon, and it seemed to just stand still. There is a technological reason for this phenomenon- Jupiter did not stand still. However, it appeared to stand still relative to the position of the earth in its course around the sun relative to Jupiter at that point.

Now this theory is just that- a theory. However, it does have some scientific backing and it could have been an explanation of the Christmas star followed by those wise men from the east.

Whether this theory flies or not, there are some interesting aspects to it. The Judeans would have been clueless about the astrological significance of this momentous event, but the rest of the world may have seen something that the Jews of the time did not.

A new King was being born.

Prayer: Lord, you give us wonderful gifts that we sometimes fail to see, Amen

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!                                          Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus came into this world as a helpless vulnerable baby to experience this world as a thoroughly human person. He also wanted to give us the message as a model of a sojourner in an alien place. He was denied and persecuted from birth. He was rejected by his own people, and finally put to death by a crushing civil government.

He gave the message to comfort the afflicted, to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed, and to welcome the stranger in our midst. As Christmas approaches, we need to evaluate- how well are we doing obeying his commands, and not just celebrating his coming?

Prayer: Lord, help us to fully appreciate your message as Savior and Redeemer, Amen

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

I love the traditional old carols, don’t you? The Christmas season brings back these beautiful little songs to be sung each year to get us in the mood of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Of course, many of the lyrics, sweet and lovely as they are, just simply aren’t true.

There wasn’t deep snow in Bethlehem when Jesus was born (The First Noel), and when Jesus was a baby, I am sure he cried when he was wet, hungry or upset.  The three wise men didn’t arrive at the manger hours after Jesus was born. Poetic license allows for these pictures to remain in our collective psyche to form a sweet narrative about the birth of Jesus.

I will keep singing these carols not because they contain actual true statements, but because they are traditional reminders- culture carriers if you will- that Jesus came to earth as a baby to start his redemptive mission.

Let’s remember that Jesus humbled himself to become a human being, and to have a life filled with all the physical and emotional anguish that life can bring. He can relate to us in every way. He cried when he was hurt, he had to grow in wisdom of relationships, and he had to be taught and encouraged by those who loved him.

Yet his mission was special and God-ordained. Only he could do it. And he chose to do it because of his great love for us.

Prayer: Lord, how can we thank you for the gift we celebrate at Christmas! Amen

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

I love the traditional old carols, don’t you? The Christmas season brings back these beautiful little songs to be sung each year to get us in the mood of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Of course, many of the lyrics, sweet and lovely as they are, just simply aren’t true.

There wasn’t deep snow in Bethlehem when Jesus was born (The First Noel), and when Jesus was a baby, I am sure he cried when he was wet, hungry or upset.  The three wise men didn’t arrive at the manger hours after Jesus was born. Poetic license allows for these pictures to remain in our collective psyche to form a sweet narrative about the birth of Jesus.

I will keep singing these carols not because they contain actual true statements, but because they are traditional reminders- culture carriers if you will- that Jesus came to earth as a baby to start his redemptive mission.

Let’s remember that Jesus humbled himself to become a human being, and to have a life filled with all the physical and emotional anguish that life can bring. He can relate to us in every way. He cried when he was hurt, he had to grow in wisdom of relationships, and he had to be taught and encouraged by those who loved him.

Yet his mission was special and God-ordained. Only he could do it. And he chose to do it because of his great love for us.

Prayer: Lord, how can we thank you for the gift we celebrate at Christmas! Amen