The House You're Building

I had a blog post all ready for this month as we trek through Hebrews, but woke up this morning with another message on my heart.  Dear reader, I don’t know when you will read my blog post, most likely not today, as I’m actually typing this on Christmas morning.  As I post this, many people will be getting kids out of pajamas and heading off to something or another with friends and family and more food before we all start ourselves in January.  It’s a different Christmas for me, as my 21 year old is still asleep in bed and my daughter is hours away.  It’s the first year we can’t all be together, which may be making me a little maudlin but I’m a mom so I get to get to be a little sappy.  I’m here with tea, the dim glow of the tree and time to reflect.  This year my husband and I are not exchanging gifts.  I guess that we’ve reached that point in our life’s where we have everything we need and what we value has changed a bit.  Don’t worry-we’ve stil...

  During advent season, many pastors retell the Christmas story to their congregants.  It is a blessing to hear afresh the narrative of how our Lord came to earth, answering the long-awaited hopes of His people.  After 400 years of silence, the angels sang praise of His immanent arrival to shepherds.  One my favorite decorations I set up is the nativity.  I’ve collected pieces over the years that visually express how the story unfolds in the synoptic gospels.   This year, I’m reflecting on a more distant part of the Christmas story, the one that started in Genesis 3, where our ancestors ate of a tree in disobedience and sin entered the world.  The curse was upon the earth and humanity has suffered in sin ever since.  Genesis 3:15 predicts the enmity between humankind and its oppressor to end when the Offspring will come who will crush his head, rendering the snake, one symbol of Satan found in scripture, ineffective....

Come though long expected Jesus, come to set thy people free;                                      From our fears and sins release us,                                                                                               Let us find our rest in thee.                                                                                                              -Charles Wesley As I write i...

Recently, in preparation for some teaching I have coming up, I’ve been studying the book of Malachi.     Not a book people typically study this time of year, but why not?     It’s the last thing word for God to his people before angels announce a baby born in a humble stable.     This particular prophet was sent to a people who were weary of worship—why?  Because the presence of God wasn’t showing up as they expected.     They were the remnant who returned after the Babylonian captivity, a dark time where God allowed another nation to discipline them for their continual rejection of Him. Yet God is always faithful to His people and brought them back to rebuilt his temple, despite the presence of enemies who intended to put a stop to God’s people creating a place for God to be with them.     Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the othe...