In Hope of a Holiday Filled with Holy History

In Hope of a Holiday Filled with Holy History

Good Morning Friends,

I am thinking this morning about how God works and not just in the act of sending His son to save us but even now in the guiding of the spirit of love and thanksgiving of the seasons of nature and the seasons of our lives…in a way that can permeate everything forever. Here I am reminded that the word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig “holy” + dæg “day”). The word originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work. But frankly this morning I am In Hope of a Holiday Filled with Holy History.

Scripture: ¹⁵but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you;

1 Peter 3:15 (NRSV)

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. ² O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. ³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁴who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁵who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁶who spread out the earth on the waters,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁷ who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁸ the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁹ the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁰ who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹² with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹³ who divided the Red Sea^* in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁴ and made Israel pass through the midst of it,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁵ but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,^*  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁶ who led his people through the wilderness,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁷who struck down great kings,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁸ and killed famous kings,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁹ Sihon, king of the Amorites,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁰ and Og, king of Bashan,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ²¹ and gave their land as a heritage,  for his steadfast love endures forever; ²² a heritage to his servant Israel,  for his steadfast love endures forever. ²³ It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁴ and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁵ who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. ²⁶ O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136 (NRSV)

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

Message: I hope you are focusing on the coming of the Word made flesh in the form of a tiny infant in Bethlehem but also that you know that there is so much more packed into that moment in history that has created and continues to create momentum throughout history. Here we rejoice that His steadfast love endures forever beyond time. But also we rejoice knowing that God will work out things according to His schedule not ours. Yes we need patience in the waiting and to have patience we need hope in the holiness of the days for which we wait. Yes we live in the moment but also the momentum of the stream of Holy History. It is here that God asks us to keep the fullness of all that is happening in our lives the focus of our experiences intertwined with the blessings of hope in the Lord’s presence with us…carrying us along. So we await the Lord’s Kairos but hope that God will bless His people with peace, productivity, and provision even as we wait in the Cronos of the days of the week and the months of the year. So we have this cultural hope of the holidays that place in us a pause in the rhythm of life. Here we discover that the things God does in nature He can do within the human heart. Here we marvel at the gift that we believe that God’s act of creating Light that cast out darkness, is Jesus the Christ….the light of the world. Friends, it is a gift of faith to realize that Jesus is the Sabbath… is the Light…is the Breath in us that voices the very name of God. Friends, Jesus bears the divine title by His preexisting and sanctified nature that continues on though Holy History as His Story within our story breath by breath. So rejoice because we too are commissioned by the Father with our little lights to join in the narrative sharing in the divine title by grace. We are commissioned by the Father to breathe the name of God. All we have to do is choose the glory of God that gives us light to see and a breath to live. Here in the stream of Holy History the devil is in the details. Here the Holy Spirit battles. Here we battle. Here we realize that Jesus was not born in a peaceful world that we perpetuate with Christmas cards and snow globes. Here we realize that our time of waiting can be a time for God to prepare us.

Pray we realize that Jesus is the source in Holy History. Pray that the streams of Holy History converge into one, of Christ transforming every area of human experience washing over and transforming culture in the power, revelation, and revival of His presence with us across time. Pray we give thanks for God’s Character, thanks for God’s Creation, thanks for God’s Redemption, thanks for God’s blessings, and thanks in the hope of our holy response. Pray we realize that the ground on which we walk is holy…the day…this day and every day is part of holy history.

Blessings,

John Lawson