You came from Heaven to earth . . .

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

Not a startling revelation; but one that has grasped me in a profound way. As a child, I was counting the days, hours, and minutes until the arrival of Christmas. The usual "first snow" in the Novembers of my Pennsylvania youth brought the realization that Christmas would soon be here.

Those days were literally a lifetime ago. Now twice as old as I was then, living at the opposite end of both the country and the climate scale, I can't depend on weather conditions to signal Christmas' impending arrival. Other events are vying for my attention. The "big countdown" now seems to focus on "how long until payday?" or "when is our next big church function?"

Here's what a friend of mine wrote as his Christmas prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

It's that time of year again, isn't it?
The time of year when we sometimes struggle to say "Oh wow! It's THAT TIME OF YEAR!!!!" with any excitement.

By now, the musicals are done, the cards are mailed, the parties are planned, the worship preparations have been set, and the planning for the new year is underway. So now, we actually have time to reflect on our own lives at this time of year.

And then it hits us.
It hits us about the family member who is struggling.
It hits us about the loved one whose seat will be empty this Christmas.
It hits us about our financial struggles.
It hits us about bad memories we associate with what should be a joyous occasion.
It hits us about employment (or lack thereof) situations.
It hits us about how this season drains us so quickly.
It hits us about recent work issues.

Lord, we answered Your call.
We strive so hard every day for you. In all this madness and surrounded by all these hurts in our lives, help us to dig.

And find the joys.
And to constantly be thankful for them.

Let there be peace where there is strife.
Let there be consolation where there is grief.
Let there be healing where there is pain.
Let there be light where there is darkness.
Let there be hope where there is despair.
Let there be joy where there is sadness.
Let there be You.

And thank You for letting us be Yours.

Thank You, Father.
Thank You for all that we have.
Thank You for all that we are.
Thank You for all that we are going to be.

And thank You for the Son.

See, it's not about the bank account, the number of presents under the tree, the presence or lack thereof of decorations, the number of dishes weighing down the banquet table, the family members (or lack thereof) around the room.

It’s all about smelly shepherds surrounding a musty manger in a tiny town. It’s about two tired travelers witnessing the birth of a baby boy. It’s about the miracle of seeing the tiny fingers of a newborn and realizing that those hands formed mountains and valleys and described the course of rivers with those very same miniature fingers. It’s realizing the voice that would summon the power of heaven and command the dead to raise back to life was the same voice gurgling and cooing at the sight, sound and smells of a feeding trough. It’s becoming fully aware that the eyes that watch over Israel, that “neither slumber nor sleep” are now closed in the fitful rest of an infant. It’s about God having kept His promise!

And this weekend has been set aside to commemorate that birth.

Forget running to the malls, the shops, the outlets, the airports and bus stations. Those wishing to be fully prepared for this holiday season should run right to the manger and find there reminders of what has been provided.

So, I’m off to prepare for Christmas. I’ll meet you at the manger.

Moving

"Man, you've got to hate moving right around the holidays." was the response I heard from the man servicing my van recently. After telling him about my upcoming move to Hayward, he started listing all the troubles a person could encounter while moving - especially during the holiday season.

It wasn't long before I began agreeing with him. Really, who wants to put aside all the celebration preparations, miss out on some gatherings or parties, just to be inconvenienced with the packing, sorting, loading, unloading, transferring, etc. of a move?

But wait! That's exactly what took place this season. Jesus left heaven - the site of phenomenal praise, celebration and gatherings - to endure the inconveniences of relocating to earth.

Isn't that also what took place with Mary and Joseph? They set aside their plans for an upcoming wedding and an impending birth to travel to a city on the other side of the nation - and became part of the history of the holiday we now celebrate.

Moving during the holidays? I can't think of a better way to celebrate and commemorate the season!

A healthy diet

Yes, I realize I am writing about diets two days prior to Thanksgiving. But you will be pleased to note that I am not talking about the food you eat or don't eat during this week.

I came across this quote recently: "It is the responsibility of every pastor to ensure that his flock is being fed the proper diet consisting of one ingredient - God's Word." While I have long known this and readily agree, I was struck by something I had never bothered to consider before. A diet with only one ingredient in it depends crucially on that ingredient. That means that as a pastor, it is imperative that I prepare a diet for my flock carefully.

The impact and application of this thought is staggering! I need to carefully select my ingredient to fit the dietary needs of my flock. Notice that the choice is based on need and not preference or taste. While the collective needs differ from the individual needs, I must prepare my ingredient so that the maximum nutrition is gained for the entire flock.

How often have I settled for the spiritual equivalent of cheese doodles and neglected the One Ingredient that was really necessary for my spiritual health and development? How often have I presented a meal of cheese doodles to my flock? May God help me to never do so!

Honoring veterans

This weekend has been deemed "Veteran's Weekend" (or Remembrance Weekend in Canada) to honor those who have laid their lives on the line for their country.

Our family is privileged to number several of our members in the ranks of national service. An uncle in the Marine Corps (ret.), a cousin formerly in the Air Force, and another uncle in the Navy (served in WWII) give us cause to stand proudly with those who defend our nation's honor.

I spent a major portion of the day Thursday touring the USS Hornet (CVA-12). What an amazing vessel filled with history. I left in awe of the men who served aboard her, the women who helped build her, and the nation that this grand ship defended.

But what of our other veterans? What of those who rose, not in defense of a country, but in defense of their faith? This Veterans' Remembrance Weekend, I propose we reflect on those listed on The Memorial Wall in Hebrews. Those of whom "the world was not worthy" but who lived their lives as examples of faith.

Names like Samson, Abraham, Jephthah, Moses, Gideon should echo alongside Luther, Calvin, Wycliffe, Wesley, Ketcham, Jones, Sunday and ahead of MacArthur, Washington, Pershing, Patton, and Nimitz.

To any veterans reading, Thank you! To those of you reading who have defended the faith, Thank you! May we all be veterans in the "good fight".

But they are . . .

How many times have I heard from either my children or the children of others "But they are / were ..."? It is easy to validate one's actions by comparing them to anyone OBVIOUSLY 'worse' than one's self. But when the measuring standard is God's holiness, who really measures up?

What does it say about God when He takes someone 'doing worse things than I' and uses them to correct me? Is this a demonstration of some divine masochistic delight? Hardly. When God chooses to use anyone - be they 'good', 'bad', or 'ugly' - it is His sovereign choice to do so. None of us merit anything of worth from Him.

The next time I need to be corrected, may I have the right attitude: one that praises God for loving me enough to correct me; and not the attitude that criticizes and argues about the agent He uses to correct me.

Come ye Thankful People, Come!

Fall brings its unique charm to the Bay Area. Gone are the leaf-burning, smoke-filled autumns of my Pennsylvania youth. Banished are the fantastic flaming displays of foliage of the Northeast. In their place comes the crisp brisk mornings around the San Francisco Bay and the luxuriously warm afternoons. Rain is hinted at from time to time, but usually showers are the only resulting precipitation. Snow is unheard of at this elevation!

What better month to have set aside as one of thanksgiving! And truly there is much for which to be thankful. God's direction and provision continue to amaze and impress me. He has glorified His name above all others in recent months; and by Thanksgiving Day, a new ministry will have begun - thanks to His provision. Health and safety have been provided in abundant measure over the past 12 months. Loved ones were protected while in harm's way; activities were "routine" instead of "casualty laden." Even in the Homegoing of loved ones (2 in our family since last November), God graciously provided grace, strength, peace, comfort, and above all HOPE that there is more to living than just this lifetime.

But, as we pause to reflect on the agrarian harvest holiday, what of our own harvesting efforts? Have we been faithful in our own corner of the field, laboring for the Master and being about His work? What sheaves have been borne out of our bearing the precious seed with tears to our own community? Yes, God gives the increase; but we are to be planting and watering.

God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied!
Come ye thankful people, come! Raise the song of Harvest Home!

Righteousness or Round Table?

"The risks facing contemporary teenagers bear solemn testimony to the church's ineffectiveness at addressing adolescence. Youth look to the church to show them something -- Someone -- capable of turning their lives inside out and the world upside down. Most of the time we have offered them pizza." - Kenda Creasy Dean, in The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry

I have not read Dean's book, so I cannot speak to the totality of its teaching. However, this quote hits the nail on the head. We as "the church" have spent too much time making folks comfortable with their faith instead of shaking their lives apart and showing how Jesus can rearrange the broken pieces and make a life of significance out of it. Have we created a hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or have we only created a place of comfort, entertainment and complacency?

"In the beginning"

This is my online journal as pastor of Fairway Park Baptist Church in Hayward, California. I plan to use this site to "think through" material I find while researching for sermons, articles, discussions, etc. Feel free to watch my brain at work. Better yet, contribute your own thoughts on the subject at hand.
Readers of my Xanga website are more than welcome to join in the conversations.