Monday, December 16

 

 

“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea … .”
(Matthew 2:1, NRSV)

 

These words read like an “oh, by-the-way” observation intended to convey general information about when Jesus was born — which, on one level, of course it is. But what lies beneath these words? What was that King Herod time like?

Many scholars think that Jesus was born in 4 BC. (I’ll let you figure out how Jesus could have been born “Before Christ”!) When you look back at the writings of the main Jewish historian that documented that time — Josephus — you discover it was a time marked by violent political rebellion and religious turmoil, caused in large part by the murderous rule of King Herod himself. As a result, in a number of quarters of Israel, Jewish freedom fighters and “wannabe” messiahs revolted, using guerilla warfare tactics to attack Roman troops in their country. Josephus records how the Roman general Varus was called to quell one of these rebellions: Varus sent a part of his army into the country, to seek out those that had been the authors of the revolt; … he punished some of them that were most guilty … now the number of those that were crucified on this account were two thousand.” And that was just one such incident among many. Josephus goes on to say that there were 10,000 other such disorders in Judea.

Into this time of confusion, anger and discontent Jesus was born. And as Jesus grew up, so also did this anger and discontent grow and spread throughout Israel. Violence, anger, discontent: they surrounded Jesus.

Yet Jesus chose not to be defined by what was around him. He knew the real kingdom he was a part of was not from this world. It was a kingdom defined by a value system that ran directly counter to the kingdoms of this world. Because this vision of that kingdom was so real and compelling, he was not enticed by his culture’s message and its ways. Instead of preaching against it, he lived a life of peace in the midst of a violent world and called people into a way of life that embodied peace and peace-making with their flesh-and-blood brothers and sisters they lived next to. And he calls us to follow this way of peace today. “Let us then pursue what makes for peace” (Romans 14:19).

 

Dr. Vic Copan
Professor of Ministry Leadership and Biblical Studies

 

Friday, December 13

 

 

 

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord — and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.”
(Isaiah 11:1-2, NIV)

My husband doesn’t garden very often, but when he does, his tool of choice is a hacksaw.

We had been married about five years when I first experienced his gardening panache. A long-established wisteria vine graced our Cambridge England back door with its lush and fragrant purple flowers. Much to my husband’s displeasure, the flowers gracefully dangled a bit too low for his 6-foot-4-inch frame, and they grazed his head each time he went into the back garden to play with our boys. In his view, something needed to be done.

So early one Saturday, he announced his plans to prune the wisteria and headed outside. Thirty minutes later, he came in triumphant. When I happily went outside to witness his handiwork, I could hardly believe my eyes. What was left can only be described as complete desolation. The vine that was once adorned with hundreds of flowers was now pruned down to a nub.

In Isaiah 10:34, the prophet paints a grim picture of a forest thicket that had itself been reduced to next to nothing. What was once a thriving forest now lay barren, left only with jagged stumps.

We all know that regular pruning helps plants to thrive. We rid our trees and vines of dead, weak or thin wood in order to encourage new growth. It’s not a pretty process, but it is necessary to ensure growth and to produce high yields for years to come.

And that is exactly where Isaiah 11 picks up. Out of this barren and lifeless forest, hope springs forth from the stump of Jesse. With great anticipation, Isaiah points forward to our Savior, Jesus the Branch, the son of David, the King who was to come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

This King will usher in a new ecology: one where justice, righteousness, faithfulness and peace reign supreme.

Now that’s the kind of “new growth” I desire in my life. So this Christmas season, what do you need to prune out of your life to ensure the life-giving hope of Jesus takes root?

Prayer of St Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, union.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

 

 

Jill Hardin
Director of Children and Families at North Stuart Baptist Church
Wife of Dr. Justin Hardin, Assistant Dean of School of Ministry

 

Thursday, December 12

 

 

The Christmas season is a time filled with joy, anticipation and giving. As families gather around tables to celebrate the coming of our Savior, they savor delightful meals and enjoy wonderful fellowship while creating new memories to treasure. However, Christmas can also be a time of insurmountable pain. Some will spend Christmas without their loved ones due to death or distance. Others will reminisce on a better Christmas past. Many will feel lonely and sad as they compare their tragic situations to what seems to be a season of happiness and joy.

As we look forward to the Advent of Christ, we are comforted by the very incarnation of Jesus, who emptied himself of all splendor and glory to take on our human predicament (Phil. 2:2-6).

John writes in his gospel, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth … . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:14, 16, ESV).

Since we worship a Savior who was born in our flesh and lived what we live, He eagerly sits around our table of laughter and joy and partakes with us in the wonderful moments of our lives. At the same time, we are comforted by a Savior who became flesh in order to suffer on our behalf and thus, is all the more present at the strike of every tear and the beating agony of every heart. As the Body of Christ, then, let us this Advent season be present at every table. Let us live incarnational lives that exemplify a Savior who came down and walked among us so that we might one day rise and walk with Him.

Jose Marrero
Admissions Counselor, M.Div. Student

 

Wednesday, December 11

 

 

Reading: John 1:1–14

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
(John 1:5, NLT)

 

I don’t know about you, but I hate being in the dark. There is nothing interesting about the darkness. Actually, there is only opposition, such as fear, distrust, doubt and maybe even feelings of hopelessness. Come to think of it, only creepy, crawly, “fungus-y,” stinky things grow and are born in darkness. Being in the dark can cause more harm than good. For example, relationally speaking, let’s say you have a business partner who is keeping you “in the dark” (not sharing ideas with you), and he or she has plans to overtake your business. That can bring about mistrust and ultimately you may part ways with that person. The same holds true for any relationship or situation that involves any aspect of being in darkness; eventually, someone or something will have to change. Let’s face it: being left out and kept in the dark about anything, implies rejection and exclusion; and that, my friends, is never fun. At times the darkness can be downright overwhelming.

 

 

Here is the good news! Jesus is referred to as the LIGHT of the world. In the Gospel of John, chapter one, John talks about Jesus being the Word and existing since the dawn of time as the light that the darkness cannot extinguish. The Wonder of the Christ is that He is the illumination, the clear sight for those who want to leave the darkness of sin. This little child that Mary holds will be the one to extend His hands and lead us all into His marvelous light. He will reveal and illuminate all the creepy, crawly, stinky things that have been growing and festering in the dark places of our hearts and world and He will cleanse us with His blood. Thereby, constructing us to become carriers of that very same light; His light.

 

Prayer: Father, as we marvel at the beauty of your love, would you encourage us to embrace the wonder and the awe of the inextinguishable light of your Son, Jesus. Give us the courage to walk in the light, so that we may truly flourish as we commune with you on this earthly journey.

Jeanny Alexandre
Chapel Worship Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that time of year again: Time to plan the decorations (perhaps this year we will find an extra cute ornament from Anthropologie), time to get the tree, time to write the cards (losing sleep over who gets one and who doesn’t). Then there is the Christmas menu, catering for all the needs of the family (the gluten-free, the dairy-free and the new college girlfriend who is an overly zealous vegan). Then comes the seating that requires as much political maneuvering and diplomatic tact as a UN General Council meeting. All accommodated for and sought out with festive cheer and hospitality. All of this planning, effort, stress and financial expenditure come and go in a flash and the 26th comes around and we are left feeling exhausted, heavy hearted about that awkward conversation with a triggering relative, left drawing a blank on something new to do with all that turkey or ham and ultimately asking what was that all about? What did we just celebrate?

There is only so much that tinsel and show-stopping desserts can cover up. That meticulously planned seating arrangement can only create a cease fire when all we long for is peace. The money and the pressure we put on ourselves to create a perfect Christmas experience just misses the point completely and misdirects us. It creates a pressure to perform, and the whole narrative around Christmas we have as a nation is a perfect fantasy that no family can live up to. All this just distracts us from what the incarnation teaches us: Jesus, the perfect man, fully God, came into an imperfect world to redeem it and redeem us. Broken people being made new, fractured families being healed, old hurts being brought to light and outcasts having a place at the table. This year let’s try and fail to live out the perfect fantasy. Let us remember that Advent and Christmas day are opportunities to be present with the ones we love, opportunities to be present with ourselves and an opportunity to wrestle with what it means to be imperfect but being made new, in an imperfect world that is being restored.