Monthly Archives: November 2024

Biography

biography

Today is the very last day of the church year. It also happens to land on the last day of November this year, which seems appropriate. Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Advent and the first day of the new church year. It also works out well this year that the first day of the new church year is the first day of December.

So take some time today to contemplate the meaning of the church year. It is, in a nutshell, a year-long biography of sorts of the life of Christ, and who doesn’t like a good biography? We begin with the events surrounding the birth of Christ as the Son of God (the seasons of Advent and Christmas), we follow the ministry moments in the life of Christ as he spreads the Good News of the Kingdom of God (Epiphany and Lent seasons), we ponder the Passion, death and resurrection of our Lord for our salvation (Holy Week and the Easter season), and we consider how Christ is with us in our hearts now that he has ascended into heaven (Pentecost season). But the story isn’t finished. We wait for the final chapter: Christ’s return on the Last Day to take us to heaven to be with him. There we will live happily ever after. So keep telling and retelling Christ’s biography throughout the coming church year to yourself and to others. You’ll be glad you did.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving gathering

During this Thanksgiving week, my thoughts turn to a choral piece I had the privilege of singing at a pastor’s ordination recently. The song is “Ubi Caritas.” It is a Latin work sung a cappella in four parts. Translated, the words of the first half of the composition mean, “Where charity and love are, God is there. The love of Christ has gathered us together. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

To me, that is what the focus of our Thanksgiving gatherings should be: the love of Christ. While the food preparation is important, of course, the love we share with one another through Christ should be first on any menu for the day. Rejoice in the bonds of friends and family. Be glad in the experiences we have had in unity with each other. Celebrate that the love of Christ covers over a multitude of missteps along the way. There should great joy around the tables of all who meet in the Lord’s name. Yea, Lord, let it be so.

Greetings

greeting

I have a friend who says to me almost every morning, “Greetings!” And in response, I say, “And salutations!” We laugh over the regular exchange, but it got me thinking about greetings in general and how to approach them in a Christian manner.

Paul’s epistles include many greetings in them as an example to us for how to say hello as a follower of Christ to our fellow followers of Christ. For instance, read these:

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. Philippians 4:21

Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. Colossians 4:14-15

All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Titus 3:15

Greetings are a way to encourage one another in the faith, to remind each other of the community we are a part of as Christians, and to share love and grace.

I think about this when I take my walks in the morning and pass by fellow walkers or runners. Some of them are open and ready for a “Hello,” but others are deep in thought and/or concentrating on their exercising, so are not ready for a greeting. I get it. Use discernment when there is a moment to decide whether or not to greet someone. Read the room, as they say. But at the same time be ready to say “Hello” whenever someone greets you first. Being receptive to someone reaching out to you can go a long way to introducing them to your life in Christ at some point down the road. And being respectful of a person’s privacy can go a long way, too, to build an appreciation for your quiet and non-threatening approach. You can wait until another time to talk to them. Christ, too, was silent when he needed to be, and open when it was invited or most appropriate. Let Christ guide you in your greetings (or not greeting) throughout this day.

Itineraries

itinerary

I recently read through a brochure for a guided trip through Europe, and, as is customary, each day had an itinerary. Potential travelers on this trip were given a clear idea of where they would be when and what they would expect to see at each sight. Times for traveling from one place to another, time for rest and relaxation and time for exploring on your own were also allotted.

That got me to thinking about how the Book of Acts is very much a travelogue of the four missionary journeys of St. Paul. The book provides enough details about his itineraries that we have a very clear understanding of where he went and when and what happened at each location.

Here is an example:

Then [Paul and Barnabas] passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. —Acts 14:24-27

Why are such specific itineraries of Paul’s trips included in Scripture? I think it is because Luke, the writer, wants the reader to know that these are real places that are known to many. These are not made-up tales, but actual events that happened in the life of a follower of Christ. Paul’s purpose and goal was not to sightsee, of course, but to spread the Gospel message to as many people as he could.

What does your itinerary look like this week, this month, this year? Do you have some plans in mind of where you want to be and who you want to see when you get there? What “doors of faith” do you want to open to those you visit on your journey? Let the Holy Spirit be your tour guide.

Pace Keepers

pace keeper

When I ran a half marathon in 2009, I remember that there were pace runners who were stationed at different points in the mass of participants. Their job was to maintain a certain pace for a particular group of runners who knew in general how fast (or slow) they normally run. My pace runner I watched for was the 13-minute mile runner, for instance. I was not the quickest runner, needless to say. But there were many runners who were pacing along with me and following the 13-minute pace runner as well.

The idea of pace runners and the runners that follow them came to mind for me recently when I was thinking about how each of us moves forward in faith at different rates and no rate is better or worse than another. There is no need to judge where anyone is on their faith journey. Some people like to read large sections of Scripture daily, for example, while others find it more beneficial to their souls to sit with a single verse of Scripture for awhile. Both are good ways to stay in the Word.

So find your pace of faith, look for those who are at your same pace, embrace that pace and keep at it as you “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Foggy Mirror

foggy mirror

Every morning after I take a shower, my bathroom mirror is fogged up. I can see the general shape of my head, but no specific details. I often find myself combing my hair, brushing my teeth and shaving my face with my mirror still fogged up. It is not until the mirror clears up that I discover how my hair, teeth and face are actually looking that day.

The same is true for us on this side of heaven, as Scripture tells us:

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Now it is like we are seeing God through a fog. We know who he is to some degree, but we are not able to see or understand everything about him. Only in heaven will we be able to see and understand God completely.

I have come to accept the reality of not knowing everything now, and I have been quick to say when there is a question I don’t know the answer to, “That’s something we’ll have to ask God in heaven.” The comfort to me is that there will come a time when all is revealed and everything is known. We will not live in the fog forever. We just need to be patient.