A Special Gift

I saw a living nativity scene a few weeks ago while Ann and I attended a local Christmas event. It prompted me to think of a living nativity scene that our church youth group did many years ago.  The youth fellowship in my home church had gotten the idea that we would create a living nativity scene as Christmas came near.   We thought that it would be a great gift to give the community that passed by going to and fro on busy Graham-Hopedale Road in Burlington.     As many of you know, sometimes good ideas do not translate into great problem-free events.    Such was the case with our youth planned living nativity scene.  Carl Parks was kind enough to let us use some of his livestock for our make shift stable.  While they certainly looked the part,  they were not too eager to be still in our stable and we were not too skilled  in looking after the livestock. One of the sheep ran into busy Graham Hopedale Road and one of the cows was more eager to eat the grass  on the church lawn than to stay in our stable.  And the characters in the nativity scene.  I recall that some of the wise men and shepherds were more  interested in spending time drinking hot chocolate with their girlfriends than being on duty in the stable.  A perfectly good idea was certainly filled with all sorts of imperfections.

I think of that living nativity scene in these days even though it has been almost 45 years ago.   It is certainly obvious as we hear the story about the birth of Jesus that it  was not a perfectly good time for Mary to have a baby as she was far from home and the stable was not the kind of nursery any woman would desire.   Yet, into that imperfect world to imperfect people came the holy, most perfect God.  They named him Jesus for he would save His people from their sins.

I know there are people reading this who pine for a perfect Christmas but it is elusive to them.   Their family circumstance is not perfect or their gatherings  are not a perfect resemblance to a Norman Rockwell painting.  Yet, to us in 2015 as to those at Grace Church in 1970 and to those in Bethlehem long ago comes the fullness and glory of our perfect God in Christ Jesus, the newborn Savior.

A Merry Christmas to one and all. -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord,  thank you for the gift of yourself and your love.  Help me to offer the gift of your love to others with joy and gladness;  through Jesus Christ, the babe of Bethlehem, I pray.  Amen.  

Mary, Towels, and Mom

I always fine myself thinking of my late Mom this time of year.  It is not just that Christmas is coming but also that her birthday is in December (December 12 to be exact).    I remember a time when I was a teenager when Christmas was near and Mom was cleaning the house for company coming for a visit.  As was often the case,  I had to use our one bathroom while Mom was mopping.  Once she was finished mopping the bathroom floor, I waited for the bathroom floor to dry.  As I went into the bathroom, Mom told me:  “Don’t use the hand towel by the sink.”  I was puzzled by the request as Mom always taught us to wash our hands after visiting the bathroom, so I asked,  “Why don’t  you want me to use the towels?   You always tell me to wash my hands.”    Mom replied,  “Randy, don’t use the towels because they are show towels for our guests who are coming.”   I thought about that admonition of my Mom the other day.   Hand towels have a purpose.  Why, they are to be used to dry our hands.   Just as cars are to be driven and rode in and beds are made to be slept in, towels have a purpose to dry our hands.    I thought about those “show towels” as I recently read Luke’s story about Mary.   In Luke 1, we hear the story of an angel telling a young virgin named Mary that she is going to have a baby.  An unwed pregnant woman was scandalous news in the days of Mary.  Hear from Luke 1 the response of Mary: 

²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,  ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary  ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.  ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  ³⁶ And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.   ³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible.  ³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary did not want to be  a “show towel”.   Despite the fact that it was scandalous to the community and not the best circumstances to be pregnant, she wanted to fulfull a purpose  to be used by God.     Do we want to be used by God?    Have a blessed day and week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord,  who has come and is coming:   use us for your purposes as you used Mary long ago.  Hear our prayer;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Remembering December 7, 1941

It happened on this day.  December 7, 1941 to be exact.   On this date, the naval installation at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese.  I am not old enough to remember the event.  I recall my Dad talking about that day with great vividness as he shared with me that he heard  the news of the attack on the radio on that Sunday.    There are many forms of media that have explored in detail what happened that day at Pearl Harbor  and why it happened.  What can be said with no argument is that one of the reasons that the attack was successful  at Pearl Harbor is that the United States was not in a state of readiness.  

Being ready is an important attribute in many jobs.  It is certainly important for our military and it is critical for medical personnel and firefighters.    It is also important to be in a state of spiritual readiness.  Followers of Christ Jesus must be ready for the chance to share Christ with others….and to help those in need.   We must also be in a state of readiness for the time when Christ shall come again.   This season of Advent is not just about celebrating that Christ has come and preparing for the Christmas celebration.  It is also a poignant reminder that Christ will come again.    In Matthew 24: 36-44, Jesus speaks to his folllowers about the importance of readiness for the coming of the Lord: 

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f]but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Have a good week and a holy Advent season.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord, you are alpha and omega, beginning and end.  We thank you for coming into the world in Christ Jesus and for the blessed hope that you come again.  Give us hearts eager and ready to share your love with others.  Make our  hearts ready for that time when you come to take your people home with you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.