The Winter Malaise

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting for almost three weeks. Winter came, and by winter I mean the time you get in Wisconsin when it's cold day and night with snow permanently on the ground.

The photo here is from the morning that we had church cancelled because of a snow storm. Doesn't the sepia filter give that great old-timely look? Thanks Katie.

My typical pattern has been getting out of whack lately with the extra driving time because of snow and ice on the roads, shoveling the driveway, bundling up, warming up the car, etc. then the fun but time consuming Christmas present buying (sometimes fun...), special Advent services, Christmas services and invites, travel plans, etc.

What's surprising is that beyond the obvious benefits of my Bible reading plan (Immersio), it's given much needed structure and consistency to my days. It's something to look forward to and challenge me every day.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas on the Eve of Christmas Eve, as Katie reminded me this morning. At Resurrection, the church I'm serving at this school year, we've had a well-received Advent series I had the opportunity to think up and design on the "Songs of Advent." We had 3 special services on 3 of the 4 songs Luke gives us in the beginning of his Gospel (a book about the good news of Jesus) concerning the events surrounding Jesus' birth. They are the the following:

The Song of Zechariah (Benedictus), where Zechariah, a Levite priest, who had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform the temple ritual for the Day of Atonement (יום כפור), was told his son would be the promised Elijah, the forerunner who'd prepare God's people for the Messiah's birth.

The song of Mary (Magnificat), where Mary was told she'd give birth to the promised Messiah, who would be Yahweh himself in the flesh, given the name Jesus, which means Savior.

The song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis), which a pious man named Simeon sang when he held the infant Jesus in his arms at the Jerusalem temple during the time when Jesus was being circumcised and redeemed (see Leviticus 12 and Exodus 13:2 for the background on the ritual. The Redeemer himself was redeemed! Neat idea...). Simeon was told he'd see the Savior, the redemption of Israel, before he died. Thought-provoking moments in history and solemn events to be sure which have inspired many hymns and artwork.

You might be thinking, what about the 4th? Well, that's the angels' song to the Bethlehem shepherds who were told to go and see this child born in Bethlehem who was the Savior, the Messiah, Yahweh (the Lord) in the flesh!

Christmas Day I'll have the chance to talk about John 1:14a "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." No more than 10 words, but more than enough substance for an eternity of meditation! We just got our microphone's working again for recording better, so you should be able to read and/or see and/or listen to the sermons on the Resurrection's website, http://www.rlcverona.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180020015&sec_id=180007160

So have this encouragement during the cold, dark days that lie ahead of many of us (those in the southern hemisphere or better climates, instead just imagine how it is for us in the upper Midwest):

God fulfilled his promise to send a rescuer from the problem of evil and death which have infected his good creation when the Word, Jesus, became flesh and lived among us. Through trusting and following Jesus (in order words, through faith in him) we join the winning team in the struggle between life and death, light and darkness, truth and deceit, so that his victory becomes your victory since he lived as your Savior, died as your substitute, and rose as your conquering Lord!

It's appropriate to use the verse that inspired the name of Resurrection Lutheran here:

John 11:25 "Jesus told her, 'It is I who am the resurrection and the life. Whoever trusts me, even though he dies, will live.'" (my translation). Jesus says, "I, not others, are this," thus evoking as well the name "I am" that Yahweh gave to Moses (Exodus 3:14) for the sons of Israel when he was told to redeem them from physical slavery (which Paul uses as an image for the slavery of sin).

Trusting, by its very nature and definition, leads to following. There are many paths to follow in this life, but they all lead to death in the end, except one! Following Jesus leads us on the path to eternal life because he's promised to come again, this time in glory, to renew creation and form the "new heaven and new earth," and give those who follow him glorified bodies in which to inhabit this new world.

Enough said for now. Is it obvious I'm about to practice delivering my sermons?