I think that when looking at college football award candidates, they need to meet two factors: consistent performance throughout the season and stepping up to a higher level in their big games.

This morning, ESPN’s Joe Schad announced his award picks via Twitter, which matched up with most of America. They were:

Heisman Trophy (Most Outstanding Player):

1) Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT

2) Mark Ingram, Alabama, RB

3) CJ Spiller, Clemson, RB

Davey O’Brien Award (Most outstanding QB):

1) Colt McCoy

2) Tim Tebow

3) Case Keenum

There are a couple local names that didn’t make these two lists, and to be quite honest, I’m appalled.

Colt McCoy is a class act and led Texas (along a very easy road) to the National Championship this year. Sure he had the aforementioned consistency, but let’s look at his two biggest games: Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout and Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship. Against the Sooners, McCoy had just one touchdown along with one interception. And in his win last night over the Cornhuskers, McCoy had three interceptions and didn’t throw a single touchdown. Sure he has 27 passing touchdowns on the year and a passer rating of 147, but who wouldn’t playing in this year’s Big 12. Oregon’s field general, Jeremiah Masoli, doesn’t have the same kind of season numbers that McCoy had, but in his 4 most important games (Cal, USC, @Arizona, and OSU), Masoli’s numbers were great. In those 4 games, he had a 65% completion rate, an average QB rating of 154, 12 total touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. In the Arizona game alone, Masoli had 6 total touchdowns. That’s a whole lot better than McCoy’s one touchdown and four interceptions in his two big games.

C.J. Spiller is a man; there’s no doubt about it. He will be drafted in an early round and most likely be successful. Last night, in the ACC Championship loss to Georgia Tech, Spiller went off with 233 rushing yards, 4 TDs, and a yards per carry average of 11.7. The kid is a player, but are his season stats really that meritable? Oregon’s own LaMichael James has Spiller beat in every single season rushing stat column, including 331 more rushing yards and 3 more touchdowns.

I am not saying that I believe that Masoli or James should be named this year’s Heisman, but they are just two guys from one team. People need to see that there are much more prolific, deserving players out there than the guys with a 99 in their overall on EA Sports’ NCAA Football 2010.

“O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How Lovley Are Your Branches”. Or are they?

“Do NOT learn the way of the Gentiles, for the customs of the people are futile, for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands f the workman with the ax” Jeremiah 10:2-3.

I’d like to decorate this tree with the ornament of truth. “Speaking the truth in love” Ephesians 4:15. The word of God admonishes us not to learn the way of the Gentiles for their customs are futile. What is meant by the word customs here? In Hebrew the word means something prescribed.

“They decorated it with silver and gold, They fasten it with nails and hammers, so that it will not topple” Jeremiah 10:4. Now Jeremiah is here talking about idols but the parallel to Christmas trees is remarkable. Haven’t some Christmas trees become idols to some of us?

Instead of chopping them down in the forest, you can purchase them at the malls. The sounds of Jingle Bells are heard at the cash registers as those trees are sold. And, like the idols, Christmas trees are decorated with silver and gold. With all those ornaments on them, no one wants them to topple so they have to be secured, just like idols.

I suppose it all depends on your prospective of Christmas trees? Now-a-days most Christmas trees aren’t even real so with all those artificial trees, aren’t they somewhat akin to an idol? I mean, they aren’t even real just like idos aren’t.

Jeremiah summerizes all this with- “A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine” Jeremiah 10:8. Of course, all those Christmas trees, be they real or artificial aren’t exactly worthless for they were paid for with cold cash. Cold, as in the season itself. But just how “cold” are you for the real reason of the season? And, was the true season of Christ’s birth even cold to begin with? Something to think about!

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord,

when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David;

and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.

And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Classrooms and music have been my life-long passions.  Classrooms were wonderful places, full of books, and promise.  Music is a huge joy, and in almost every moment of my life, a tune appropriate to each situation has been running through my brain.

Imagine then, the overload I deal with as I read the book of Jeremiah.  His writing is full of incredible and wonderful promise.  The promise in a classroom is beautiful to behold.  Each fresh face is a study of the future, and that is what keeps teachers going.  A letter or conversation with a former student reminds a teacher that each student has a promise that defies prediction.  But, Jeremiah’s description of the promise we’re offered is awesome–that which fills me with awe.  That promise of One who will do all that is Just and Right brings me to my knees!  It’s bigger than behavior in a classroom, and bigger than our tiny plans for the future we anticipate.  Forget the classroom, and look at our church:  we work in community with people who depend upon our promises.  Still, small stuff!  Our nation asks us to maintain promises of all sorts, and our government tries to hold up its promises to us.  That sometimes works, and often does not.  However, Jeremiah is reporting a promise that rings of authenticity for all of us—the entire globe is involved!  This promise is to be trusted, fully and completely, now and for all time!  Here comes the Lord, Our Righteousness, from the line of David!  What a superb promise!  It hedges nothing!  There’s no caution to it, and it doesn’t rest on consequence.  The world will be breathless!

And then, just as I gasp at the magnitude of that promise, my music brain takes over.  Carols, and special music, and band concerts, and symphonies crowd each other on my play list.  ”What Child is This?” was a childhood favorite of mine, as I loved the response, “This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.”  Oh!  Come!  All ye faithful….always made me imagine us, peeking over the shoulders of wise men and shepherds, humming all the way.  It’s the very best musical season that lies ahead.

A great book, with a commanding promise, and all the best music the world has ever known.  I’m enthralled.

Prayer

God, thank you for your reckless and far-flung promises. Help me be a part of fulfilling your promise here on earth.  Amen.

–may the Spirit move in the words of Cindy Swartzloff

Jeremiah 33: 14 says—”‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.”

This reminds me of the story about the aunt talking to her nephew just after Christmas. Being very apologetic she says, “I’m sorry you didn’t like my Christmas gift. But I asked if you preferred a small check or a large check. Remember?”

With his head hung in disappointment, the nephew replies, “I know. But I didn’t think you were talking about ties.” Yes –the gift which that young man received wasn’t what he expected. It caught him off guard. It took him totally by surprise because it was so completely unexpected.

Well–isn’t that what Advent is all about? How God catches us by surprise? How God’s Word intrudes upon us and our lives just when we least expect it? And in incredibly unforeseen ways? Yes—that’s part of the joy of this season, part of the joy of our faith, and part of the joy of our relationship with God. You see—God plays by God’s rules, not ours. Thanks be to God!

Jeremiah says—“The days are coming.” Yes–in Advent, the church boldly proclaims the approaching righteousness of God. Proclaiming–The Lord Jesus Christ! I believe this is crucial because it is a real source of hope. You see–the world, our lives, our days cannot live without hope. Anticipating what God is going to do—strengthens us for faithful and fruitful living.

Each year the season of Advent calls the community of faith to prepare for the visit of God’s salvation. Our work is to anticipate that which God will do to bring fulfillment to all people. We are preparing for the event in the stable at Bethlehem which brings together “the hopes and fears of all the years.” Yes–“The days are coming,” and we must make ready. So, lift your heads and let your hearts be strengthened. God is doing a new thing, and to us has come the joyous and holy task of helping the world get ready for the most blessed event of history! Amen.

~ Rev. Kathy

Hmmmm, I don’t know about this one! At first glance it could very well be a stip club promo, but nope it’s Jeremiah’s new video “Rain Drops” Maybe he made this for internet use only, there is no way this is going to make it on to BET! LMAO, you be the judge…Jeremiah “Rain Drops”

The car was filthy yet again, every Friday I try to clean it, but you know sometimes you just can’t be bothered or you just didn’t get time, I usually fall under the 1st. My husband complained,As usual as we all piled in that saturday morning about my lack of care for my car and the fact I throw bags of snacks to the kids. As he says “creating more work for yourself” I disagreed I was happy the kids were quiet for five freaking minutes I didn’t care it took 30 minutes to clean up. It WAS worth it.

He then said “I don’t want my kids eating that crap anymore” I proclaimed it wasn’t crap, and it was in fact OK” after much studying of backs of said snack packets. He said “I’d like you to stop giving the kids the snacks” I found this HIGHLY annoying as he is at work and I am the one at home looking after them, I am the one who has to put up with them in the car telling me they are hungry and all that jazz.

I had to comply we’re a team I expect him to adhere to my ideas and I have to let him in on one or two a year we have to be fair here :p

I fed my children from the Organix range of “healthy snacks” in case you were wondering.

Two months on

My children who have always been good eaters have changed. They now demand fruit instead of anything else for a snack, if I have no fruit they want nut & dried fruits. Their behaviour has become SO much easier to deal with. I can’t quite get over that little fact. Now TWO months on I have had to tell my husband what a massive improvement it has made on his spawn. And I had to mutter it under my breath and in a mumbled way.

In fact it has improved their diet in many other ways. Their appetite went up. There taste buds wanted to seek tasty food, their little food brains opened up to spices and flavours. It’s now becoming a real treat to cook meals and have everyone enjoy it ALL of it.

Now in the car they eat Popcorn made at home just plain olde popcorn. that Eliza is in charge of and hands it to Jerry, They eat some fruit before a journey and if we’re on a long trip we have sandwiches, usually cheese and sometimes Salmon.

Velly intellisting  try it you might be surprised!

Text: Jeremiah 33:14–16

There’s just something about the month of December. It’s a study in contrasts. For here in my neck of the woods (the suburban jungle), we move toward the frigid reality of winter. Though it’s been rather unseasonably warm here, it’s also been an incredibly rainy autumn, and with daylight continuing to decrease by a few more minutes each day, it feels rather dreary and cold (even WITH the warmer than average temperatures).

As the same time, the landscape of my neighborhood is dotted with the flickering lights of the holidays – everything from giant blow-up snowmen to homes outlined with rows of white lights. Though I am tempted into cynicism for all the insanity that goes on as neighbor tries to outdo neighbor in sheer kilowatts used, I admit that I kind of like it. There is a strange and wonderful joy at seeing all this light piercing through the darkness. It may sound silly, but it makes me smile and remember that even with the increased shadows of winter, there is luminous hope.  Hope for a new day. And even silly holiday displays can shine light on that hope.

True hope, of course, has nothing to do with holiday extravagance, but with the simple and beautiful miracle of a child born in the darkness to be the light of the world.

Though we lose perspective at times – not only trying to outshine, but also outspend one another – the One who creates, saves, and blesses us never loses perspective about us. Even though we are bound by our frailties, the bond between us and God can never and will never be broken. And because of the birth of that child, there is always the birth of a new day. There is always the promise of New Life. There is always the promise that even at our darkest, Divine light will always shine.

Prayer: Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel and illumine our hearts with your love, so that we may be a light for others.

Robert W. McChesney, the socialist professor whose Free Press organization is leading the charge for the $50 billion transformation of the media, hosts a one-sided, tax-supported radio program sponsored by the University of Illinois that could serve as a model for the “New Public Media” the group has envisioned for America.

As Accuracy in Media was the first to disclose, McChesney recently introduced Obama’s anti-American pastor Jeremiah Wright at a celebration of the socialist publication Monthly Review. Wright praised Marxism and called America “land of the greed and home of the slave.”

i’m trying this new thing. it is called, “seeing God everyday”. a few weeks ago i realized that at times i can go whole days without ever seeing/hearing/feeling/touching/noticing God. isn’t that sad and pathetic? i can go through my whole day, go to work, school, eat lunch, hang out with my fiance, talk to my parents, chastize my brother, eat dinner, do homework, hang out with people, watch tv, sleep and do some more homework, sometimes without even talking or noticing God’s presence.

and i know He is out there. and i know He is waiting for me to notice Him. to draw closer to Him.

so i am going to change this. and a blog is how i am going to do it. i refuse to live the rest of my life without dwelling in God’s presence everyday. its going to be hard, like breaking a bad habit and trying to make a new one. i’m going to have to work on it.

so everyday, i am going to find God. sometimes it will be more of a stretch than others. some days i will really have to search.  my prayer is “God, help me find you. seek you. see you. everyday of my life.” i know He will answer it. i know that he will draw me to him.

so here i go. making new habits. forging new rivers. clinging to the promise that God hears and will answer me.

jeremiah 29:13 “when you come looking for Me, you’ll find Me. ‘Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.’”

A Modern Strategist is a product of his time. All strategy begins with reality. Strategy is applying the mind to influence the real world; it is not something that exists solely in the human mind, nor something that can be described only in abstract terms. Strategy thus cannot take place in ignorance of reality in the time that he lives (and I use “he” as a neutral pronoun, for the record).

A Modern Strategist views the world as it truly is, not as he wishes the world to be. Nor does the strategist become consumed by rejection of the world; he accepts the world as it is, with both the good and the bad, and only then contrives to alter it to his preferences. Only by understanding the truth can plans to alter objective reality be made.

A Modern Strategist is a complete human being, and need not hide this fact. Where the ancients learned from professions beyond their own, such as Miyamoto Musashi learning more about the way of the samurai and the way of the strategist from studying the way of the carpenter, the modern man learns from not only his profession, but his hobbies and interests as well, combining everything in a complete package.

A Modern Strategist learns from others, seeking to learn not only from his own mistakes, but from those of others as well.

With this in mind, I seek not only to pursue my thoughts and theories on strategic thinking and helping others learn from the lessons of strategists past and present, but to present my own self as a complete human being with my many interests in life.

I hope to make this blog very interesting for a wide variety of people.

Our President has said that there will be 30,000 more troops sent into battle.  He says it is in the best interest of our country.  This is not a political blog.  Our country is in a battle…..   But we are too.  Me and you.   The scriptures tell us this.

Ephesians 6:12 says that we do not wrestle (battle) against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  We have a fight on our hands.   A big one.  And we need more troops to fight this battle.  We need me and you,  just every single one of us, every single day. 

President Obama talked tonight about how it is all of our responsibility.  It starts with one.  Don’t be afraid.  This guy Jeremiah was pitted against the biggest armies of the world, biggest rulers of the time.  God told him this….and I believe that He is telling us…just like He told Jeremiah,  “They shall fight against you but they will not prevail against you;  for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”  Jeremiah 1:19. 

Our battle, your battle today is not against troops we can see, but make no mistake, they are formidable.  I will bet you are in a struggle with something.  It is staring  you in the face, or head, or heart or lung…or liver.  It will not prevail.  Just take that word today for you.  I am with you…..to deliver you says the Lord.  You rest in that today. 

louie

Sermon from past Sunday based on Luke 21.25-36, Jeremiah 33,14-16, 1 Thessalonians  3.9-13. “Looking to the Future.”

CLICK HERE>>>SERMON 112909

Jer 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? The LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings Who can understand our heart? Indeed, the one who knows what to search for. On this verse, I like the KJV: “I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” It suggests to me that the Lord is checking to see if we will yield to his direction…..and by that He will see what is really in the heart. And then weighs not just what we do, but whether what we do bears fruit.
Jer 23:24: “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.” I get a kick out of the verse before this one: “Am I only a God nearby? ….and not a God far away?” It’s like I can imagine one of the false prophets who thought he was getting away with what he was doing suddenly hit between the eyes “d’oh.”….. The rest of the chapter has God laying out some pretty heavy judgments on false prophets. So, brother, if you are going to preach, preach it right…cuz there is no hiding place and God fills “the heaven AND earth!!” And that pretty much rules out ALL the hiding places:-)

Text: Jeremiah 33:14–16

I’ve already professed my love for the season of Advent, but I must admit that I also find it a bit tricky. For, regardless of our understanding that what we do in Advent is prepare for Christ’s past, present, AND future coming, we tend to mostly focus on the PAST. That is, we focus on the days leading up to the celebration of Christ’s birth. Advent can all too easily become a countdown to Christmas.

With our wonderful and useful Advent calendars and traditions, we can inadvertently start counting the days that are “surely coming” as the ones that will lead us to Christmas. And, yes, that is ONE aspect of Advent, and it shouldn’t be dismissed . However, what we do as people of faith isn’t merely about remembering the past, but of ongoing Holy presence today, tomorrow, and always.

For from the beginning of time, God has desired for us to be in right relationship with the Divine and with one another. God has desired that we should know and trust the Lord, not just with our head, but also with our heart. And God has been in covenant with us to complete just this – God has promised that mercy, and justice, and righteousness will ultimately prevail. That Sin will be vanquished. That brokenness will be healed. And that, though we are less-than-perfect, God’s love for us is without blemish.

God’s covenant with us surpasses all our desire to quantify it. It surpasses even our most faithful of attempts at reflecting on it. It surpasses all human understanding. For how can we comprehend that a baby born in the cool of night, given a manger for a bed, would contain the promise of a New Day? How can we possibly comprehend that this child would change the world? Change our lives forever?

And yet it is so. It is surely so. You can count on it.

Prayer: God of the night and of the day, guide us to know that you are our past, our present, our future.

As we light the first candle on the Advent wreath and open the first window on the Advent calendar, we turn our focus to watching and waiting, expectancy and hope. As we await the coming of the Messiah, we remember that the season of Advent is not simply about readying ourselves for the observances of Christmas but about setting aside time to prepare our hearts and lives to receive the gift that comes to us in the stable. We open ourselves to see the light of the infant lying in the manger and embrace what it means to travel through life guided by the light that darkness cannot overcome. On this Advent journey, we invite you to join with us in using these devotions, written by members of our church family reflecting on the lectionary texts for Sundays, for a daily time of reflection and prayer, and we wish you all the blessings of this season, as together we sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord,

when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David;

and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.

And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Promises, promises…we all make them, keep them, and break them.  During Sunday worship in Advent we will be reflecting on God’s promises—promises that are always fulfilled, never broken.  Advent is a time of waiting, a time of preparation, a time of reflection…and also a time of run-up to a major holiday event, with feasts and family and all the drama those entail…and also a time of constant bombardment to buy more, spend more, be more.

Into that tension comes the word of the Lord—a word that promises, a word that promises something new will come, a word that promises something new will come and bring justice and right relationship.   This promise of newness in the midst of the old, of life springing up where death reigned, of relationships made whole even as we have come to depend on the brokenness—this is the promise of Advent waiting.  If only we can see, God will continue to do a new thing, even a shocking thing!  That branch from the line of David was meant to be a warrior king, but God is always re-forming God’s people and so sent us a baby instead.  Righteousness is supposed to be something to work toward, a badge of honor one can earn, but God is always doing surprising things and so has brought right-relationship into our midst, given it freely, and told us we can’t earn it, only live into it…relationship with a person, with The One who not only shows the way but IS the way.

This promise is true, and God’s word can be trusted.  In this season of Advent, let us wait and watch and work together to see what God is doing in our midst even now.

Prayer

God of promise, your word comes in places I least expect it.  Help me to be open to your movement in my life this Advent season.  Amen.

–may the Spirit move through the words of Rev. Teri Peterson

Daily Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-22
14 ” ‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 ” ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;he will do what is just and right in the land.16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called:The LORD Our Righteous Savior.’ 17 For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’ ” 19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’ ”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
This week we’ll read how the Old Testament prophets promised a Godly kingdom that would upend human ways. Jeremiah wrote when God’s promises seemed futile, and the vast Babylonian armies threatened Israel with total ruin. God, he said, promised a better future. An heir of David, Israel’s greatest king, would rule in justice forever.

• Through Jeremiah, God says the Branch from David’s line “will do what is just and right in the land.” Since all human leaders and systems eventually fall short of doing what is just and right, what do you believe God was promising? In what parts of your life do you most wish for a King who would do what is just and right?
• If you had lived in Jerusalem with Jeremiah, what might this promise have led you to expect? (E.g. ongoing Temple sacrifices, unbroken Israelite political power.) What does the phrase “the days are coming” convey to us as Christ’s followers today? How can the core of this promise be true, even if some details change?

Read Rev. Penny Ellwood’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as I remember your birth, let my sharing and giving arise out of the loving place you fill in my life. Remind me that we are celebrating your birthday, not mine.
Touch my eyes and ears with your sense of justice—so that I may see and hear the cries of the needy in my world, my town, my neighborhood, my church, my family. Help me to honor you and your Kingdom this Advent. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

For each of the four Sundays of Advent, I’ll write a brief reflection on the lectionary text, that I’m calling “A People in Waiting.”  My hope is that these meditations will help us navigate our journey as a people who wait expectantly for our Lord’s coming.

The Prophet Jeremiah, Saint-Pierre, Moissac, 1120-35.

Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.  In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.

In the age of the divided monarchy—after the northern kingdoms of Israel had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and lost forever in the pages of history—Judah, made of the two remaining Hebrew tribes, found herself caught in the crossfire of the power struggle between Imperial Egypt and Babylon.  In 605 BC, during the reign of Jehoiakim, the last real king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, defeated the Egyptian pharaoh Neco in the battle at Charchemish, effectively placing Judah under Nebuchadnezzar’s control.

The battle at Charchemish was a turning point in Jewish history.  Before that battle, the Judeans lived in relative peace in the land promised to their father Abraham.  They were ruled through the line of David, Israel’s favorite son, and they worshiped the God of Israel in a temple made of gold built by the wise king Solomon.  After the battle, the Jews know what it means to be an oppressed people:  Nebuchadnezzar lays siege on the temple in Jerusalem, and destroys the Jewish house of worship.   King Jehoiakim, and many of the other Jewish nobles are taken into captivity in Babylon, and a puppet-king named of Zedekiah is employed by Babylon to keep the peace in Jerusalem.

Zedekiah, however, was not seduced by the offer of rule —he wanted justice for Judah.  After winning the trust of his people, Zedekiah planned to build a grassroots militia and overthrow the Babylonian empire.  Meanwhile, in Babylonian captivity, a beatnik prophet named Jeremiah—no doubt wearing black eyeliner and his emotions on his sleeves—wrote letters pleading with the king not to try to overthrow the Babylonian empire.  Jeremiah’s prophetic message is about how to worship without the temple, how to remain faithful to the God of Israel in the empire of Babylon, how to sing the songs of Zion in a strange and foreign land.  Far more difficult that staging a coup on the oppressive government, Jeremiah’s message is about living faithfully under the rule of the empire. 

The foundation of Jeremiah’s message is this week’s text: “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.  In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”  At the heart of Jeremiah’s prophecy is a message of hope.  God has promised to care for Israel, and God will deliver on that promise.  The days are surely coming.  There is no need for the king to build his army, because The King will cause his Branch to spring up out of David.  The days are surely coming.  God will be the one to execute justice and righteousness in the land.  The days are surely coming.

Like the people of Judah, you and I find ourselves this advent season, taken captive by a foreign regime.  Our temple has been usurped by the mini-mall.  Our spiritual disciple: shopping.  The message of Christ’s coming has been drowned out by billions of dollars in advertising.  Yes, Christmas is long dead in American culture—we only attend its funeral.  Our first reaction, not unlike the over-eager king Zedekiah, is to power over the kingdoms of this world—signing petitions for the use of “Merry Christmas”  rather than “Happy Holidays” as the liturgy of our retail churches, and fighting for the display of nativity scenes in on public lots—as though we will have won some battle for the faith.  And in this hour Jeremiah, the beatnik prophet, comes to us pleading that we only remain faithful within the empire of this world.  The days are surely coming.  You see our struggle for cultural power reveals a deeper problem: we do not believe that God will keep his promises.  We want to overcome the empires of this world with petitions and voting power, because do not believe the day of the Lord’s righteousness will come without our help, not really.  We cannot live in peace with secular society, because we have no alternative vision.  And the prophet comes to us saying, “Thus sayeth the Lord, In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he—that branch that is our Lord, Jesus Christ who comes to us at Christmas—shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ”  Relax! The days are surely coming.

Prayer.  God of justice and peace, from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness, that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before your marvelous deeds. Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Read Part 2: A Baptism of Repentence

I wasn’t really sure what to expect in worship today. It was the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a church season I dearly love, from the Advent wreath and candles to the blue of the paraments. But it was also the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so I thought a lot of families might still be out of town or traveling back in time for work and school tomorrow. Even our organist was out of town, having sequenced all her music on the organ for our traditional service.

Though quiet, it turned out to be a moving morning for me. I focused on the Righteous branch of Jeremiah 33, who we know as Jesus. Our hope is found in the promise of his coming, just as it was for Jeremiah’s audience for whom invasion, destruction and exile were inevitable. Don’t let anyone fool you with the nice words, “Everything will be OK.” Both Jeremiah and Jesus tell us it won’t. Things are bad and getting worse, but we have a Savior who is coming. And that is why we have hope.

Rather than getting swept away in the hurried culture of Christmas preparation, the quiet assurance of Advent has already made an impression on me. I “get it” in a way that I don’t think I did before. I’m getting off the ride and spending some time focusing on the Son of God who came and is coming. Who was here and will be back. Who somehow gives me hope.

The Russian literary giant, Leo Tolstoy, once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot.  He wanted more of everything.  Here is how Tolstoy tells the story:

“One day a farmer received a novel offer.  For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day.  The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown.  Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace.  By midday, he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground.

Well into the afternoon, he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point.  He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run; knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost.  As the sun began to sink below the horizon, he came within sight of the finish line.

Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared.  He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth.  In a few minutes, he was dead.  Afterwards, his servants dug a grave.  It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.”

The title of Tolstoy’s story was: “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” (Adapted from Bits & Pieces, November, 1991.)  In the end, Tolstoy suggests, all a man really owns is a 6-foot by 3-foot piece of earth, so we are better off putting our confidence elsewhere.

Jesus, like Tolstoy, warns us (Matthew 6:19 – 24, 33) that we had better not put our trust in the promise of materialism.  If we do, we will be sadly disappointed.  Instead, there is something of eternal value that we can give our lives to pursue.  Anything we forfeit here on earth to gain what is in heaven will be returned to us there 100 times over (Matthew 19:29) along with eternal life!

Unfortunately, the western church in particular has drifted away from this teaching of Jesus.  Like first century Judaism, we associate material blessings with God’s favor.  Yet, very few people as well as nations have ever passed the prosperity test (Deuteronomy 8:8 – 10; 31:20; Jeremiah 5:7; Hosea 13:6).  The antidote to the poison of material envy and greed is “seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

However, this is not a prescription for poverty either.  We are not more spiritual if we are poor – or act poor because we do not want people to think we have anything, which is hypocrisy.  Instead, in abundance or in want, the Lord wants us to trust him for all our needs.  He wants to use us to pour out his riches and grace upon “all nations” so that through us all people will know that He is God.  Like Abraham, he was to bless us so that we can be a blessing!

Nowhere is this more evident than in the churches of nations of the two-thirds world that are marked by material poverty but spiritual abundance in revival, signs and wonders, and miracles.  These saints do more with less for the Kingdom of God, while the American church does less with more.  While we are rich in available materials and resources, we are growing more and more Biblically illiterate and spiritually impoverished.  Thinking that we are rich and blessed, we are truly “blind, naked, and poor.”

Waitsburg Tombstone ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

While in Albania, I saw a church that was struggling with the simple resources that we take for granted everyday and every Sunday.  Can you imagine attempting to teach Sunday school or disciple without materials in your own language?  Can you imagine a church without any resources to pay for a staff of pastors and office help to keep ministry going?  Can you imagine doing Children’s ministry without any props or tools?

This is what I witnessed in Albania.  Yet, I saw a vibrant church in prayer, reaching lost souls, fellowship, and growing future leaders.  I witnessed creative people and pastors inspired by God who gathered dozens of children to teach them about Christ.  I saw the church gather for prayer and then “hit the streets” to find people to pray for and possibly be a witness to them about the love of Jesus.

My family has paid a price for my trips abroad to Albania and India.  Seeing such poverty among the world’s poorest of the poor ruins a person.  It gives one a jaundiced eye toward our western materialism and consumerism.  As such, for the past several Christmases we have not exchanged gifts.  We have not given gifts.  Plus, we have asked our friends and relatives to help us express Christmas in a new way.

Every year we pick a world poverty problem to target and give towards efforts that attempt to meet it.  We have supported homes for girls rescued from forced prostitution; bought and put together medical kits for AIDS patients; bought chickens for a impoverished family.  This year we are buying a goat to be given to a family in need.

This is a great time of year to ask ourselves:  How much stuff do we need to be successful?  How many material things do we need to feel God’s care and love?  How long do we wait until we have the earthly things we need so that we can answer God’s call to bless others?  How much of this world’s stuff are we dependent upon for our personal happiness?  How much “earth” does one need?

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

Verse of the Day:
“ ‘O Israel,’ says the Lord,
‘if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
and stray away no more.
Then when you swear by my name, saying,
“As surely as the Lord lives,”
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise my name.’ ”
~Jer 4:1-2

Photo of the Day:

Manhattan Skyscraper with Lines by h.wilson

Quote of the Day:
“Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?”
~ Rose Kennedy

currently listening to “The Glass Passenger” by Jack’s Mannequin

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Luke 21:25-36

There’s Light In The Darkness

Advent 1

November 29, 2009

You know — late November and December can truly be dark times.

It’s dark by 5:00. For many of us it’s dark by the time we get home from work — too dark and for that matter too cold to do anything outside — and the trouble is we know it won’t get much better until March.

Not only can it be dark – it can also be depressing. At times darkness may seem to hover around us like a shroud. For many of us, our spirits are just a dark as the darkest night.

Maybe the problem is that we get so rushed – and so pushed.

Christmas is coming — there is so much to prepare for.

So many packages to wrap.

So many presents to buy.

So many places to be.

So much to do.

Too much to do.

It can be depressing — can’t it?

Then — for many — December can be a very sad month.

More people suffer from depression in December than in any other month of the year.

The joys of the Holiday season may turn to depression as family gatherings don’t turn out to be as “happy” as they had been planned to be. Even the thought of family gatherings can be depressing for some as they remember loved ones who have died or for some other reason may not be able to gather with them — or are not willing to gather with them.

The “happiest” time of the year can also be the saddest.

Then there is the concern many have for their jobs – how they are going to pay for food to eat and a place to shelter themselves and their families – much less have Christmas gifts to give.

And, of course, there is the concern that many have for peace in the midst of violence – whether they live in war zones or communities where violence affects them directly or whether they just read about it in the paper or hear it on the evening news.

It can be a depressing time.

Maybe it’s a depressing time for you.

Maybe you feel overwhelmed and are wondering what you are going to do – how you can make a living and provide for your family – or how you are going to cope with the darkness you might feel in your life.

Maybe you came to Church today to get a dose of “good cheer” in the midst of the dark times. We are moving towards Christmas so maybe you came today expecting to hear about the sweet baby Jesus and the peace He can bring.

Well – I’m sorry – because if that’s what you expected then you might be surprised – or maybe disappointed – to come face to face with Advent and scripture passages from Jeremiah and a Gospel passage that does not promise peace, but conflict.

Maybe you’re thinking: “What’s going on here?”

Maybe you’re thinking: “Wait a minute! Christmas is coming. What about:

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright?”

Instead of Silent Night we get:

“…nations will be in anguish…the roaring and tossing of the sea…People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world…the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Ho, ho, ho indeed! Where is Santa when we need him?

Why read from a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child?

Well, I believe that there is a good reason for it.

The sad truth that all of us who are old enough know is that we do not live in a “Santa Claus world” – and not many of us live “Santa Claus lives”.

We need to know how to live in our world – cope with the problems that we experience – and see what God has to say to our world and our lives – instead of trying to “sugar coat” the reality of our world and our lives.

We do live in an uncertain world – or maybe it would better to say that we live in a certain world – a world where we can be certain that there will be violence  and danger and economic hardship.

Nine years ago there were headlines out of the Holy Land:

“Violence forces Bethlehem to cancel Christmas plans.”

Bethlehem’s city fathers called off ambitious plans to celebrate Christmas 2000 – the 2000^th anniversary of the birth of Christ in that town. They said that a time of Palestinian-Israeli conflict was no time for merrymaking. The town of Jesus’ birth was dark and deserted that Christmas – without festive street lights, craft fairs and choirs in Manger Square that had been planned. In the months before Christmas seven Palestinians from the Bethlehem area were killed in rock-throwing clashes and gun battles with Israeli soldiers.

Indeed, we live in a world where there seems to be little “peace on earth and mercy mild…”

The fear and foreboding Jesus speaks of in our Luke 21 passage for today greet us at every turn.

So – what’s the answer?

That’s the question we wrestle with – but we are not the first to have wrestled with this question.

The prophet Jeremiah in our Old Testament lesson for today certainly knew what dark and depressing days were. Jeremiah lived in Judah in some very dark days for the country. For almost 100 years the Babylonians threatened Judah. The people, however, were sure that God would save them — then, in 587 BC , the Babylonians conquered Judah and ten years later Jerusalem lay in ruins.

These were dark times for the people who trusted God.

Why had this happened?

Where was God?

Dark and depressing days indeed.

Then – at the time our Gospel passage was written the people in Israel knew what dark and depressing days could be like, too. They, too were under the authority of a foreign government — this time it was the Romans. They prayed for God to come and change things. They prayed for God to send the Messiah to free them — but — they had prayed for so long — and with no answer.

Had God finally given up on His people?

So – what was the answer for Jeremiah – and for the folks in Jesus’ day?

Where was the hope for them?

Indeed – where is the hope for us today in today’s world?

More specifically – where is the hope for you and the things you deal with in your life?

The hope for Jeremiah was in God.

Jeremiah instructed the captives in Babylon to look past the destruction and the problems they saw and experienced in life – and look to the fact that God was with them – even in their struggle and their despair.

In the midst of their struggle and despair Jeremiah had the audacity to believe that God was with them – and that the light of God shone – no matter how dark their lives became.

Did you get that?

In the midst of their struggle and despair Jeremiah had the audacity to believe that God was with them – and that the light of God shone – no matter how dark their lives became.

In the midst of our struggle and despair – in the midst of a world where we can be certain that there will be violence and dangers and economic hardships – in the midst of our darkness and fear – God is with us – and the light of God shines – regardless of how dark our lives become.

In the midst of your struggle and despair – in the midst of a world where you can be certain that there will be violence and dangers and economic hardships – in the midst of your darkness and fear – God is with you – and the light of God shines – regardless of how dark your life becomes.

There is light in the darkness.

It’s the light of God.

It’s the light of Christ.

So – why choose this text from Luke where we read that:

“…nations will be in anguish…the roaring and tossing of the sea…People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world…the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Because it reminds us that even in our darkness – there is the light of God.

Right smack in the middles of what seems to be a very depressing Gospel text where Jesus is saying that terrible things are in store – there are a few words that jump out as if they were printed in flashing neon:

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus is telling His disciples that disappointment, despair, disease, even death do not have the final word. Jesus is telling them that when they face these things that they need to not focus on them – but to focus on God.  Jesus is telling them to look up and see the light of God in the midst of the darkness of the world.

There is light in the darkness.

That’s Jesus’ message to us, also.

In a world where we can be certain that there will be violence and dangers and economic hardships –we need to look up and see the light of God.

There is light in the darkness.

In your life where you may be experiencing dark and depressing things you   need to look up and see the light of God.

There is light in the darkness.

Some years ago, the comedians Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks  did a series of comedy sketches called the “2000-Year-Old Man” . The premise was that Reiner interviewed Brooks – who was playing a man 2,000 years old.

At one point, Reiner asks Brooks: “Did you always worship God?”

Brooks replies: “No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshiped him.”
Reiner asks: “You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why?” and Brooks replied:      ”Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands!”
Reiner then asks: “Did you have prayers?”
Brooks answers: “Yes, would you like to hear one? O Phil, please don’t be mean, and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands.”
Reiner then asks: “So when did you start worshiping God?”
And then Brooks gave this wonderful answer: “Well, one day a big thunderstorm came up, and a lightning bolt hit Phil. We gathered around and saw that he was dead. Then we said to one another, “There’s somthin’ bigger than Phil!”                                                                                                                                                                                                    Did you catch that?  “There’s somthin’ bigger than Phil!”  Great comedy – and a great truth.

We live in a world where we can be certain that there will be violence and dangers and economic hardships – but we can also be sure that there is “somthin’ bigger”. You can be sure that your life will be filled dark and depressing times – but you can also be sure that “there is “somthin’ bugger”.  There is “somthin’ bigger” than the violence – the dangers – the economic hardships – and the dark and depressing things of our world and our lives. That “somthin’ bigger” is the light God shines in our lives and our world – the light of Christ – the light of hope – and the light of love.

Some years ago the community of Spencer, South Dakota was devastated by a tornado. Among the many losses, including six victims, was St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. The day after the tornado the pastor of St. Matthew’s walked through the devastation. She writes that it was an unbelievable sight – a grain elevator twisted and fallen, a water tower toppled, vehicles and other heavy items strewn around like toys, whole buildings gone from their foundations.

When she got near the site of the Church someone called out:  “Look! There He is! There’s Jesus!”

Sure enough, there was the statue of Jesus that had stood at the altar of the Church. There it – or He was — a beacon to what had been the site of a 100-year-old congregation’s place of worship. The pastor later wrote that it was so fitting to look up from the chaos around her and see Jesus — arms outstretched, welcoming, and loving His people. She wondered how the statue had survived the devastation – and later learned that two young girls, helping clean up for a family member in a nearby home had taken time to come over to where the Church had been and found the statue in the rubble. They decided that everyone in Spencer needed to see that Jesus was still there, so they stood him up for all to see.

Yes, we live in a world where we can be certain that there will be violence  and dangers and economic hardships — you can be sure that your life will be filled dark and depressing times – but you can also be sure that Jesus is with you – and that there is the light God that shines in our lives and our world – the light of Christ – the light of hope – and the light of love – in spite of the darkness.

There is light in the darkness.

The message for today may not be sugar coated – but then again neither are our lives.

The message for today is that – no matter how dark or desperate things become – there is light — God’s light that shines in the world through Christ.

The message is that in the midst of the December darkness – and the darkness of our lives – there is the light of Christ.

The message is that “there is somthin’ bigger” than our world filled with violence and our lives filled with darkness – and that is the light of Christ.

Because of what God has done for us, there is light in the darkness.

However dark your life may be or may become – know that God’s light shines.

There is indeed light in the darkness.

Amen.