Celebrating Easter for 50 Days

Easter has come and gone.  The biggest party in the church has passed.  We celebrated Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter itself.  Since the services are done and the eggs collected and the family home, aren’t we supposed to just move on to the next holiday?  Isn’t Memorial Day the next big event for us?

The answer is, simply, no.  We aren’t done with Easter.  We haven’t barely begun with Easter.  In our western culture we tend to celebrate holidays in the time leading up to them and on the day itself.  We rarely celebrate a holiday for the days following it.  In the Christian calendar, we do the opposite.  While Advent and Lent are both times celebrated in the church, these are really times of preparation.  Advent is the story leading up to the birth of Christ.  Lent is the time spend in contemplation, fasting, and preparation for the death of Christ so that we might truly celebrate the Resurrection, having gone through our Lord’s death in those 40 days to properly see the Resurrection as miraculous.

After Christmas we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which is more than just a catchy song.  During these 12 days we celebrate the birth of Christ.  We still sing those Christmas songs.  We don’t start to celebrate Christ’s birth until Christmas Day.  This time is called Christmastide.

After Easter, this present time of the year, we are celebrating the 50 days of Eastertide.  This is the time between Easter and Pentecost.  This is the time that we truly celebrate our risen Savior.  He appeared to many people, sometimes in a small group, or personally, or to a large crowd.  Jesus appeared to them all and then ascended to heaven.  After the ascension, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Pentecost literally means the “50th Day” after the Resurrection.  The “Pente” part is similar to a 5 sided shape, like a pentegon.

As we celebrate this time, remember that when Jesus arose from the grave it was the start of the party.  Our Savior is risen!  Take heart that we do not worship a dead god.  Many other religions believe their saviors are dead.  The major figures of their faith are no more.  Their gods did not come in the form of a man.  We can now celebrate the mystery of our faith: Christ died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again!”

The Bitterness of Christianity

Luke 22:24-30 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.  ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

I’m not really the best person to write about humility.  Honestly, I am a proud man.  Its easy when you are secure in a lot of ways to be proud.  As well, whenever insecurities shine though, pride comes around and causes me to rely upon myself.  Weaknesses are not often something upon which someone is proud.  No matter if pride causes me to be secure in my own accomplishments, or to cover for my weaknesses, it has nothing to do with God.

Pride has made me miss so much in my life.  When I’ve been too proud to speak to that person, or too proud to take an opportunity I may see as beneath me, I’ve missed out on something.  Pride eats away at anything I rely upon until I’m left with only myself.  It is caustic to relationships, creates divisions, and is innately selfish.  It leaves me with nothing but my own ambitions, purposes, and well being.  I’m left alone, selfish, and without anything greater than myself.  By myself, my value is limited to who I am and what I can do.  The value is earned.  It is fragile and momentary.  My value can be lost if others think less of me, or if I cannot live up to my own claims of greatness.  Pride divides me from any shared value with others, and hurts me as I tear myself down to find whatever I think is worthwhile.

By contrast, all Christ can show is humility.  He demonstrates that greatness is not found in my own twisted values.  It is found in Him.  If I am to boast at all, as Paul says, may it be in Christ.  Christ shows me that there is another way.  I am not alone on this planet.  I’m not meant to be by myself.  I was created with a purpose.  I am meant for relationship with others, but especially for one relationship.  That relationship is Christ.  For all those accomplishments I’ve been proud of in the past, I look on them with thankfulness instead of scrutiny.  They are blessings for the opportunities that Christ has given me.  For my weaknesses, I now see them as opportunities to grow.  They are places for victory, to grow, to change for God, and to proclaim the Truth.

In contrast to pride, humility draws me to others.  When I realize I can’t do it alone, that I’m broken, and that I have nothing left to offer that is of worth, I am at that moment my weakest.  As well, in that moment, I am my strongest.  It is in those times that God draws close, that I must rely upon him, and I am left with no choice but to accept grace.  I cannot stand alone, so I lean on those around me.  I accept help instead of rejecting it.  Humility builds up relationships.  It puts me last and thinks of others.  Finally, my value is no longer my own.  Value is found as a sum of those who are with me.  It doesn’t mean that I’ve found really valuable people.  Instead, it is that I have found valuable relationships, people who care about me, and that together we are able to give God the glory and find our worth in Him, not ourselves.  That’s value.

Today, all Christians have been given the mantle that was given to the apostles.  We have been conferred a Kingdom.  This is serious business.  There is much at stake.  There is no room for pride.  Instead, we are to be found in humility, selfless, serving one another in love.  This looks different than the world.   We will be noticed.  We will bring glory to God.  This Kingdom has no end.  Come, sit at Christ’s table with me.  Leave the pride behind, pick up a towel, and serve.

Finding Rest

Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV) Truly my soul finds rest in God; my
salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he
is my fortress, I will never be shaken. If you have ever been on a
plane in the past 20 years, you will have been through the simple
procedure of seeing the safety demonstration. This thoroughly
captivating instruction on plane safety always includes a little
section on what to do if the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling.
The flight attendant always states something to the effect, “Please
put the mask on you before assisting the person next to you.” This
demonstrates an important point. You are no help to the person next
to you if you don’t take care of yourself first. This survival tip
also works outside of airplanes as well. In America, we often ask
one another, “How are you doing?” and “How is your day?” The polite
response is always “fine,” “good,” or “okay.” We rarely actually
share how we feel. If we did it might be something more like “I’d
rather be on vacation on a beach somewhere,” or “This day is really
hard and I’m feeling lousy.” Sometimes life is just hard, stressed,
difficult, and demanding. We all have those moments. A new year is
beginning. We are all making new resolutions that we must keep for
at least a few days so as to not feel guilty when we finally do
break them. I have a challenge for you in this new year. I’m
guessing that if you are like most people, you are probably
stressed much of the time, tired, and needing a break. Even though
you’ve just had the holidays, sometimes they don’t seem like much
of a break with all of the kids, traveling, gifts to buy, and
family to entertain. This is a new year, so something at least
should be different, right? Psalm 62 is a song of worship to God.
David writes, “my soul finds rest in God.” What about that? Resting
in God. How does that look in everyday life? How does it look
amidst the appointments, work hours, crazy schedules, and all the
things we think we need to do? That, right there, is the answer. We
think we need all these things, but if we don’t rest in God, if we
don’t leave our souls to be silent before our Rock and Fortress,
then we will never rest anywhere else. While I’m certain it is
important to show up at work, if you do show up without first
putting God into your day, that day will be evermore difficult
without God’s help or aid. God doesn’t make things easy for us.
David had some mighty struggles in his lifetime, many of them
military battles. But here he reminds us that God alone is in
charge, and God gives us rest in the midst of those challenges.
This year, I challenge you to find your rest, put God at the helm
of each day, and see how all those other things are worked out.
David writes near the end of Psalm 62, ““Power belongs to you, God,
and with you, Lord, is unfailing love.”

How To: Inherit a Kingdom

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.  Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^* you did it to me.” Matthew 25:34-36, 40

I’ve seen those “How To” books before.  They tend to be very tedious in their very particular directions.  I don’t normally use these books because, just like some other men, I don’t usually read the directions when I put something together.  I might if I have no clue, but I’d much rather just throw it together.  Needless to say, not much about a “how to” manual really helps me if I never follow the directions.

Jesus doesn’t often give us that same “how to” directions.  He often teaches in parables and was confusing enough that his disciples really didn’t get the point until after he died on the cross and rose again.  Here, in Matthew 25, Jesus does share with us a bit of what can be easily taken as a “how to” manual for inheriting the Kingdom.  In sharing about judgment of the world, Jesus shows us two groups.  One group inherits the kingdom.  The other gets “eternal fire” (Jesus’ words, not mine).  I’m fairly certain I know which group I’d like to join.

Interestingly, Jesus doesn’t have any trouble getting right to the heart of his listeners.  How we treat those who are the least among us is how Christ will treat us.  The very fabric of our character is the test that he shares.  He wants to know how we are deep inside.  He knew the value of that character. While it may seem glamorous to be Jesus (constantly being followed by crowds of people, well known, performing miracles, riding on donkeys, etc.) in reality Jesus was among the very least in his culture.  He grew up in Nazareth, a town that was known for creating nothing good.  He was a humble carpenter.  He had a great lineage, but so did many other Jews.  In reality, Jesus was hated, taunted, and persecuted throughout his whole ministry.  The God of this universe has been at the bottom, by choice and love, and through that has the perspective to ask us to treat those who are at the bottom with love as well.  He’s been there and knows the feeling.

So Jesus has a plan.  Feed them.  Share a drink.  Welcome them.  Clothe them.  Care for them.  Visit them.  This is the how to manual for inheriting the kingdom.  If we are to truly live a life practicing what we believe, this is the moment.  This is the time.  Here and now in this community is the answer.

One of the most rewarding parts of my time here in Garden City so far has been visiting those who are in the hospital, rest homes, and shut in their homes.  It may not be apparent in the weekly services or activities, but there are many in the fellowship of the church that aren’t able to make it on Sunday mornings, but they are just as much a part of our body as everyone else.  They listen on the radio and pray right alongside us.  The church is about relationships and here in visitation is where I have developed some great friendships.  These people are genuinely happy to have someone visit them.  It is the church being the church at its finest hour when we take care of the body.  We already have a great team of people visiting these individuals on a monthly basis and just ask that every volunteer visit one shut-in a month.  It is a simple and easy way to do something very important.  If you are interesting in joining this visitation team, we can sure use some more visitors.  Please let me know!

Another ministry that is vital to our church is the card ministry.  Many of you have received a card (or 10) when you were ill or needed encouragement.  This is a simple and profound way to reach across the congregation and care for others.  A note of encouragement can go a long way.  We are weekly adding and revising the list of people.  We provide the cards and the names and ask for two short cards to be sent a week.  I’d like to ask if there is anyone who is interested in this ministry to ask me about it.  I’d love to share how this ministry can be impactful!  We can even email the list to you!

God’s Kingdom grows a little bit every time we share His love with someone.  Let’s grow this Kingdom so when we inherit it someday that we will find the investment of our time really has paid off!

Who is my neighbor?

Last weekend I attended a retreat with the Church Council for planning and visioning who we are as a church and what is our purpose.  Beyond those two questions, we were asked the important question of “Who is my neighbor?”  We read about the Good Samaritan and his work to save the Jewish man who had been attacked on the side of the road.  The powerful verse for me, in this question, is Jesus’ last question to the lawyer.

“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.”  Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke 10:36-37

The calling of becoming a follower of Christ demands that we change our whole life, including our relationships with people we do not even know.  For most people, the question “Who is my neighbor?” seems simple and straightforward.  You might say that your neighbor is someone who is in need, or sick, or everyone you see.  No matter your answer, you undoubtedly get the obvious point that Christ is making here: we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Otherwise, we do no better at following Christ than the world.

What struck me as odd here is that Jesus is not focused on the hurt man.  We often focus on him in this story, at his wounds, his beating, and how he felt being rejected by both a priest and a Levite.  If we do focus on the Samaritan man, we focus on his good works and his actions.  We don’t ask the question of what makes him a neighbor.  Now this is a different question than the last.  Asking “Who is my neighbor?” makes me focus on those around me.  Asking “What makes me a neighbor?” makes me focus on myself and my reactions.  This is the same focus Christ had for the lawyer.  “Who was a neighbor to the man?”  The Samaritan was the neighbor, not the beaten man.

I recently read a letter from C. S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters. The plot is that an experienced demon, named Screwtape, is writing letters to his nephew, a younger demon, named Wormwood, giving instructions on how to treat his ‘patient’ who has become a Christian.  Lewis describes the situation where the ‘patient’ has found humility and where God (known as the Enemy) is seeking to make the ‘patient’ a neighbor.

The Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor’s talents–or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall … He wants to kill their animal self-love as soon as possible; but it is His long-term policy, I fear, to restore to them a new kind of self-love–a charity and gratitude for all selves including their own; when they have really learned to love their neighbors as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbors.  For we must never forget what is the most repellent and inexplicable trait in our Enemy; He really loves the hairless bipeds He has created, and always gives back to them with His right hand what He has taken away with His left. p. 64)

In order to be a good neighbor, we must first focus on ourselves and be sure that inside our humility we are excited and thankful for the gifts God has given to us.  We should not put ourselves down or put up a false modesty.  We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, thus we must love ourselves to love our neighbors.  Do you love yourself?  Do you give yourself the time to grow in God and take care  of your needs?  Are you happy with your actions, or do you get depressed when you consider who you are?  God loves you despite any problems you have, and if you accept God’s love, then love yourself with that same unconditional love.  It is not a pride, but instead a love grounded in a Kingdom view that realizes that anything that brings glory to God is something to be celebrated.  When you celebrate that, you’ve found yourself to be a neighbor to everyone else.

Starstruck

I recently took half a week and went to Table Rock Lake for my annual family vacation.  I have never missed spending some time there every summer of my life.  It’s much fun with so many of my family and close friends around me.  It was a relaxing time and a time to reflect on where I am and how far I have come in the last few months.  It was quite surprising to me how much change has come and how welcome and prepared I am in this position and new place in Garden City.  It fits me well and I’m excited and ready to get into the work and ministry and see how God will use me.

In my time at the lake I traveled down the dock to see if any of my friends were hanging out and happened to catch them going out on the lake at about 10 p.m. for a little fun.  We rode out to the middle of the lake, turned off the engine and lights, put the top back, and watched the stars for about 45 minutes.  I know it may seem cliché, but you can definitely see more stars in the wilderness than you can ever see in the city.  It had been so long since I’d sat back and looked for constellations, noticed the north star and big dipper, and gazed at the milky way as it showed itself in the middle of the sky.  If you haven’t taken some time to do this recently, find a cool summer evening (if you can find anything cool at western Kansas in the summer) and take a few minutes to just look at the sky.

A few thoughts came through my mind in those minutes.  First, I remembered how constant those stars are in the sky.  No matter where I went or moved, those stars were still going to shine and rarely would change or move.  Secondly, I thought about the fact that I’ve heard that some of the light we see has traveled thousands of years to get to us so we could see it now.  It is amazing to think that the preparation God has had for this universe as each star was placed individually.  Third, I thought how insignificant and small I am compared to this great mass of stars and galaxies.  Yet, in the midst of those stars, I am reminded of Matthew 10:30 which states that all the hairs on my head are numbered.  This reference by Jesus is a promise made by God in the Old Testament that God would protect someone and that not even a hair on their head would perish.  This is not just a comment about how detailed God is in his record keeping (no matter how many or few hairs you have on your head).  God is reminding us that he will protect us in the midst of our trials and tribulations, in the midst of change and new places, or even an extremely gargantuan universe that includes galaxies and more stars than we can count.  God continues to love us, and, “love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.” 1 Cor. 13:7-8

Many of you in this church have shown me much grace and love in the midst of this change in my life.  I appreciate all of the kind words, actions, and the one pie (which was awesome) and I thank God for you.  I know that David is a great leader and I’m excited to get on board and work with everyone to see the vision and mission of this church be fulfilled.  This church is headed in some exciting directions.  I look forward to this new work for me and seeing how God will use me, remembering that God called me here, he will provide, and he knows me quite well.

“Get What Got You Here”

My first semester here at Asbury Seminary included going to a chapel that our new president, Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, preached.  He spoke about the importance of doing more than just academics or trying to get through.  He stated, in very bold terms, a statement that has never left me.  I remember it because I recount it often and remind myself of its importance.  He stated, “Get what got you here.”  In those simple five words he conveyed a truth.  God brought us all here for different reasons, but whatever calling God had for us to answer, whatever lessons to learn, whatever relationships to grow, God had brought us to this place to get something.  He called us there.  Dr. Kalas had a reminder: don’t lose focus on the prize.  The prize isn’t the degree, but getting whatever got us here.

Those words were encouraging to me at first.  They have helped me focus through the years on my time here.  But in recent months they have become haunted for me.  I can’t stop thinking, “Am I leaving here without getting it?  Have I achieved everything I hoped to get?  Am I the man that I though I’d be when I came here?”  These are honest questions that are important for me to know, but ultimately they are not answers I can give.  It takes someone outside of my head to give me these answers.  God must answer them for me.

I remember what it was like 4 years ago when I moved here.  I was scared about moving 800 miles away from my family and friends and the only place I’d ever lived in Wichita, Kansas to a city I had only visited twice.  I was worried, but I knew one thing then that I know now: God had brought me that far and he wasn’t going to leave me there.  Life transitions are hard, stressful, and worrisome.  There are too many unknowns not to worry a little.

Now 4 years later and 22 trips (including 35,000 miles on my car) later I have come to love Wilmore.  This school and city are my second home and I am sad to leave them.  But I remember that God brought me this far and God will take me on to the next step.  These next steps I take by faith.

But I return to that now haunting phrase from Kr. Kalas.  “Get what got you here.”  Have I got it?  My spiritual life isn’t everything I’d love it to be.  I haven’t read all the books I could have.  I’m not amazingly brilliant (though there is a good chance that will never happen).  Through this past week I have come to realize the answer isn’t as much a quota of books, a GPA, a set list of friends, or a sum of my experiences.  Before I came to seminary I was told by some friends, some of them pastors too, that I shouldn’t let seminary ruin me.  “Don’t let them turn you away from God.  Don’t burn out.  Keep your relationship with Christ front and center,” they would say.  Seminary hasn’t ruined me, at least not yet. I still have a relationship with Christ, and amazingly I still struggle with the same issues that I did 4 years ago, just in different ways.  Education doesn’t solve problems.  It just means I can better articulate what’s wrong.

Ultimately, I’ve realized that I’ve got what brought me here.  I know it is the ‘Sunday school answer’ but God brought me here, and I leave here with God.  I don’t know if I was ever able to “get” God.  But I now know what Dr. Kalas meant.  I’ve found God in deeper, more amazing, and special ways in these past 4 years than I ever thought possible.  This community, these friends, and this place have changed me because they have worshiped beside me, cared for me, and loved me.  God’s abiding presence has grown in me.  I still have problems and issues.  I’m still human.

But God got me here.  In the end, God got me.

An Unexpected Moment

This evening I was surprised to go and eat dinner over at the Wilmore Subway and enjoy the company of another student.  Dinner was nearly over and we were just chatting when an older man started to walk towards our table.  I had seen him when I had come in.  He had eaten dinner with his wife and they had just finished eating.  He asked if the other student was someone he knew, and after realizing that he knew neither one of us, he asked us who we were and he introduced himself.  He shared that he was a retired Southern Baptist preacher who had been preaching for 59 years.  After talking for a few minutes, he started to share about his time that he spent in the navy during World War II.  He was serving on one ship in the Pacific and then was transferred to another ship in the Atlantic.  Months later when the war was winding down in the Atlantic, his ship went around to the Pacific through the locks and docked at San Diego.  When he got off the ship, this man saw a soldier from his former ship and saw that he was missing a leg.  The man commented that a few weeks after this man had been transferred to the Atlantic, his old ship and its marines were sent to Iwo Jima as part of the first wave off the ship during the invasion.

As this man told the story to us, he said it was a moment of testimony.  He shared that later his ship docked at Iwo Jima, he stepped off the ship and saw the black sand and thought, “My buddies bled in this sand.” A man in a jeep came along and asked him if he would like to see the island.  He got to see the beaches, the place where the flag was raised, and then came to a section where 7,000 small white crosses had been placed for the fallen soldiers.  He told the jeep driver to leave him there.  He would find his way back to the ship.  He said he stood there for quite a time, asking God why his life had been spared by his transfer.  It was that moment that he told God that if he had spared his life, then God should take his life and use it to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Next Wednesday, November 11, is Veterans Day.  This man reminded me today of many things, but especially the fact that many men have died for freedom.  This is not merely a patriotic freedom that we are just thankful for.  These are men and women who have served faithfully to die for something they believed in.  Just as this man witnessed to us that God had spared his life and in turn he must give it back to God, we also have an opportunity to thank God.  This Veteran’s day we should be thankful for those men who have served, but also be thankful to God that it was his blood that stained the ground around Calvary instead of our blood.  It is in his resurrection that we are able to say, “You spared my life.  Take it and use it to stop others from the same fate.”  May we be thankful this Thanksgiving and Veterans Day for the service and honor of our military, and especially thankful for the service and love of God to us that we may have something far more important that political freedom: we are free to choose Him.

The Existentialist Question

So its been a long time since I have posted anything at all.  I might say that part of this is due to a desire to see if I post so little that when I actually do, then you will know it is worth reading.  But, if I’m going to tell the truth: its mainly because I haven’t been thinking about it.  I am now.

So, I’m back at seminary in Wilmore, KY and I have to ask myself one single question that most likely is the asked question in the history of humanity.  “Why am I here?”  While this may seem to be the same question as other people, I’m not questioning my place on earth or my existence.  I’m really just wondering why? As I sit here, I see my Master of Divinity degree.  It is all nice with Dr. Kalas’ signature on it.  I have my name written all fancy.  It’s real nice.  So, if I have the degree, I walked across the stage, I preached in the chapel, I took the last test, wrote the last paper, said goodbye to my friends, and packed up the car am I back here now taking classes again?  What in the world possessed me to come back?

I’m not the only one asking this question.  There are others.  Well, most people wonder.  I’m not sure if it is out of a great love to see me again, or if it is just a personal question that has been plaguing them?  I’m going to hope its the former.  Either way, I have had a hard time concisely telling people anything coherent as to why I am staying.  I could say something like, “Well, I took a cue from the federal government and decided that more debt would be a good thing.”  OR I could say, “I really get the shakes bad when I don’t drink enough Ale-8-1, and this seemed to be the easiest way to keep a steady supply and hide the addiction.”  My favorite rely is, “I want another shiny piece of paper on my wall.”  None of these answers seems to be the truth though, so I keep searching.

Ultimately, the best answer I can give anyone, myself included, is that this is exactly where God has me.  I am convinced of this.  I am not quite certain of all the details (which is scary for me) but I know that this is where God has me.  One of the few things I live my life by is the belief that there is no better place to be then exactly where God wants you.  If you don’t believe me, then ask Jonah.  I have one more year.  In my graduation, I looked back at three years and wondered where in the world it went.  I know a few more things now then when I began, but all the things I wanted to do while I was here seemed to be unaccomplished.  I am uncertain of reaching some goals.

Since I have all these goals unfinished and a calling to return for a year, I have decided to make the most of this time.  I’m going to become stringent on spending regular time with God. I’m going to go and see all those things I haven’t seen yet in this area.  I’m going to take this year as a gift and enjoy it.  Even though I am missing a year of “ministry” in the church, I know that the ministry God has prepared for me here this year must be more important.  The Kansas West Conference can wait one year.

I’m unsure of all the reasons.  The logic just doesn’t totally make sense.  All I know is that I’m where God wants me.  For now, that’s just where I’ll need to stay.

Confusion, Weariness, and a Reminder

So, it’s 1:30 am and I should be asleep.  I’m tired.  I’ve got a headache.  But I’m also comtemplative, so I’m going to write this, then go to bed.

I have been struggling these past few weeks with a major decision.  It is one that will determine the next year of my life, and will be a huge impact on my career and education.  I’ve struggled, prayed, and sought the advice of many wise people (and some not wise people) and had a lot of time to think.  So now, soon, I must make this decision.  I must take this weight, this burden, and choose so that I do not carry it any further.

I realized, just a moment ago, that I have made one huge mistake.  I’ve carried this burden myself.  Why would I carry a burden that I am not meant to bear?  Why do I consider this problem, which I my decision to make, a problem that I must worry about?  I have realized that I have done two great sins.  First, I have worried.  Worrying is nothing that I am meant to do, and it can only hurt me and the calling that I have recieved.  The second sin is that I haven’t given it truly to God.  I should have committed this to his hands.  Instead, I have wrestled with it, sought an answer that I can come up with, and ultimately have worried to the point that I am now more confused, weary, and just ready to be done.

But then I was reminded this evening.  I saw pictures my sister put up of my nephew and the Christmas tree.  He’s almost 3 years old, and he has served several times as a reminder of the truths of life for me.  In these pictures, I was amazed to see the wonderment, the excitement, and the sheer love of this season in his expressions.  For him, Christmas is not an old memory that is changed and amended year to year.  He does not see this season as busy and cumbersome.  He does not struggle with decisions about his future.  He simply is excited about Christmas.

I know, that at 3, he does not fully understand the significance of Christ coming in the incarnation that is the gift of Christmas.  But for that matter, I also know that I don’t fully understand it either.  He has, simply, a childlike faith that is excited to experience the fullness of the season.  The decorations, gifts, services, stories, and all the other trappings of Christmas are exciting.  He will gradually come to understand it in time.  He does know that Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth.  He’s a smart kid.

I’m reminded that I must put my own worries, problems, and concerns apart.  I’m reminded that this season, as I know it, is about God’s first step towards the New Covenant.  It put into motion the cross.  Here, as we celebrate this season, I know that this decision I make is big.  It’s huge.  It’s important.  It’s not mine to make.  I give it to God.  I let go, I give it up, and I carry it no more.  I look forward, with anticipation and wonderment, at the season before me.  I will experience it one day at a time, without worry, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own.  God has taken care of me this far, and he will continue to do so as well.

May we all walk forward into Christmas with a childlike faith.  Consider the great Spirit of the season, the majesty of God’s work, and the love he has shown to us all.  Experience the traditions, the services, the gifts, the family and friends anew.  This is a fresh year.  This is a fresh season.  Be as a child.  Give the problems of your heart to God, and he will listen.

Finally, if you are confused or weary, be reminded that it took a child to change the world.  I guess another child helped change mine tonight.