Will You Discover More Than A Day Of Hope This Christmas?
Good Morning Friends,
Today, as well as last night, we traditionally listen for the sounds of angels that announce the birth of Christ and bring us a message of hope. And I have sung in choirs and heard the singing of congregations but have never heard those angels we picture with wings and halos. Regardless we are to listen for the sound of truth beyond the surface of these creatures we read about in the Bible. We are to carry on their work. We are to look out into the dark and dangerous world for the images of Christ and desire to know more and fear less. Friends, today is Christmas and despite the cultural images of the celebration having been tarnished we nevertheless are to find joy, hope, peace and love. So, listen for the sounds of Christmas and look out for the images of
Christmas in new places and new ways and think of something you have not thought of before…. something to help you answer today’s question in the affirmative. Will You Discover More Than A Day Of Hope This Christmas?
Scripture: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21 (NRSV)
Message: We had a wonderful candle light carol sing and message last night at church in our sanctuary at Moorings. We had strings and organ and adult voices and handbells and our family was involved in the music as we have done for many years. But it was the passing of an era in many ways with the retirement of our music director and the reality that our children are now adults and no longer crawl around on the floor on their hands and knees looking for other’s lost candles. Now they share the light and that is a joy. So, the future of our Christmas’ may well be very different from the past, as it should be. And one would think that our memories of it would be related to our praise and worship through music, and they are to a point, for like the angels we have a message shared, but no, instead what we remember through all the Christmas hype is the kind acts we were able to share. For those are the ones that last as a message. So, with that in mind be kind today and have a wonderful day Christmas day and the next day as well and realize that God is noticeably bigger than our box of hope or manger scene that we have carved and molded to contain God. Indeed friends, God is bigger than our problems and is extra ordinary in a response to solving them. Now it is morning and the stillness is palpable. So on this day in a rapidly changing world we like the shepherds that watched their flocks that night are called by a whisper and still small voice to lean into the future with both joy and a bit of sadness but always a love that castes our fear…. “Merry Christmas.”
Pray for the peace found in the harmony of truth. Pray for the sound of the good news to rise above all the other noise. Pray we realize that God will not be defined and limited to our boundaries, or parameters or vocal range. Pray for peace, understanding that once Jesus was rejected He came to bring the sword of truth which may not seem peaceful at all.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 