Michael Sible is a potter. The method for firing his over-sized pottery is “saggar.” This involves putting the pottery along with colorants and sawdust in a brick box which, in turn, is placed in a kiln for firing. The pottery absorbs the colorants and carbon from the sawdust that burns up. Each piece is unique. No two pieces of pottery will ever duplicate the combination of carbon and colorants. And the designs are stunning. Even the artist is surprised by what emerges from that brick box.

I think the kingdom of God is like that. Instead of being a place or outcome, I’ve come to believe that Jesus understood the kingdom of God as a process – not unlike the saggar method Mr. Sible uses for his pottery. The kingdom of God is among us using the fire of life, the heat of anger and the carbon of anxiety, to create lives of beauty. God is the potter; our individual personalities are the clay; life is the kiln. And no two ever turn out exactly alike.

The promises of God are neither that our life kiln will never heat up nor that the sawdust of our experiences will not burst into flame. Over time they will. The promise of God is that the Holy Spirit will be at work coloring our lives with the spiritual blessings of eternity. Each of us has the possibility of being a unique and beautiful work of the Creator’s hand. We are God’s art in four dimensions.

I think I now understand how some of the most beautiful people are those who have come through great tragedy and still love. I have seen the fires of failure paint a life with a patience and grace for others that has been astonishing. And I have watched as the sawdust of difficulty has burst into flame, coloring a life with the golden glow of personal triumph.

What a great God we have in Jesus Christ… Amen.

“It hasn’t been a sweater winter.” I told my wife. Winters in the upper Midwest are usually cold enough that I set aside my suits and sport coats for sweaters. This is for the sake of warmth as well as fashion – at least that’s what I tell myself. But this winter has been so warm that I have only worn sweaters on occasion and, frankly, I missed them.

But this morning when I awoke, the wind was blowing and the snow had fallen. Not the dusting as predicted, but a snow fall measured in inches. And the temperature was in the single digits. I chose the sweater I most liked, bounded into the truck and made my way across the tundra of the Des Moines metropolitan area. And I was whistling.

“This is what winter is supposed to be like!” I thought to myself. The blowing snow and cold slowed the traffic and at that early hour even the long-haul truckers were looking for shelter.  But I was wearing my sweater, driving carefully and marveling at the beauty of the frozen landscape.

The psalmist declares that God is good – and there is no seasonal restriction on that statement of faith. The goodness of God in the cold of winter is not just sweaters and a feeling that this is what winter ought to be like. Most people don’t know that the freezing and thawing of winter to spring invisibly churn the soil making it rich and productive. The winter snow provides needed moisture for dormant fields making them ready for the spring planting. God is at work in every season creating and making new.

It’s the same in our lives. God is never absent. Instead God takes whatever season we find ourselves facing and works to create blessings, growth and life. Today, I pray that you’ll see the hand of God in your life and know his blessings.

“I am so glad to be a part of this congregation,” he said. On the other side of significant surgery, his recovery was coming along but the pain level had been intense. “I can feel the prayers of this church – and they make all the difference in the world.”

Bearing one another’s burdens is a simple thing. It means to be present and in prayer for one another. It doesn’t mean that we can fix the situation – rarely do we have that kind of power. Nor does it mean having the wisdom to say just the right thing at just the right time – if you’re like me, such wisdom usually comes after the person has left! It’s the simple act of kindness; the presence of truly listening; and the willingness to bring that person before the throne of God.

That’s what my friend was telling me. There’s no way I can speed up his recovery or remove his pain – as much as I’d love to. But that wasn’t what he was grateful for. He was thankful for a community of faith that cared enough to pray for him, check in on him and his recovery and support him and his family through cards, phone calls and brief visits.

St. Paul tells us that when we do these things we fulfill the law of Christ. Of course… the law of Christ is active love of God and others. And it begins in the church, St. Paul tells us. At the heart of the church isn’t doctrine or correct liturgy. The heart of the church is caring – first for those within the congregation and then those outside of it. As we live this, the Holy Spirit will lead us into God’s Word and reflection which, in turn, will lead us to a healthy understanding of our faith. That’s how our doctrine’s came to be and it still works.

I invite you to join me this week in simply reaching out to someone you know who may need support; may need to know that they are not facing their circumstances alone; may need to know that someone is praying for them. Together we can fulfill the law of Christ – and for at least two people the world will change.

I find it surprising that, in the most “Jewish” of the four Gospels, Matthew, we have the account of the Magi.  The Easter Christian church has long understood the significance of this: this is Christmas for the Gentile world.  In the western world, we have allowed this event to become just another part of the Christmas nativity.  But the language of Matthew makes it clear that this was separate from the events of Jesus’ birth.

For one thing, we know that these sages from the east did not see Jesus and Mary in a stable.  The language suggests that, by this time, Joseph had been able to secure much better lodging for his wife and her newborn child.  Secondly, the leading of the star presumes the birth had already happened.  So, the Christian church, in its liturgical form, has set aside a day in January to celebrate the event mentioned above: Epiphany – Christ revealed to the nations.

No matter how it actually happened, we know that in both the Old Testament prophecies as well as in the final proclamation of the Risen Messiah, God’s gift of his Son was not given only for one people.  Jesus was sent for the whole world.  And whether we hold the Magi back from our nativity scenes until after Epiphany or add them as most do today, the point is still clear.  God loves all people and has come in Jesus Christ to make that love known.

There is an undeniably universalist cast to our faith.  Christians do not have the luxury of keeping the Savior to ourselves.  This is so compelling that even today Christians are willing to put their lives on the line around the world to tell others about Jesus Christ.  Christianity is now the largest religion in the world with over 2.2 billion adherents.  The liberation of our faith continues to engage people of many lands and languages even today.  When our faith is “fair game” in our society, it is tempting to become quiet and withdrawn.  Epiphany reminds us that our message is simple: God seeks all people in love.

Help me share the hope I have in you, Lord Jesus. Amen

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Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest in your souls.  Matthew 11:28

As this busy time of year winds down, you can finally relax on the couch in your new, fancy slippers and sip some egg nog.  It is time to rest.  More than likely, your December calendar has been overscheduled, stressful, and has you completely worn out.  We live our lives striving to meet expectations at home, work, and unfortunately even at church.  As Christians, we are constantly thinking that we need to do more to be pleasing to God and others.  As Americans, we have worked very hard and taken little time to enjoy the fruit of our labor.  It’s time.  You need to give yourself permission to rest.

God led us in the example of taking time to rest.  After creating the world and its contents, “he rested on the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3).  A little later, God felt it was so important, he told the people of Israel it was one of the commandments he wanted them to live by: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work…” (Deuteronomy 5:13-14).  Jesus set the example for slowing down and getting away from the crowds when he was tired (Matthew 14:22-23).  God doesn’t want us to be overworked, stressed out, worried and anxious about our to-dos.  God wants us to experience joy and peace in our daily lives.

One way we can find rest is to remember how to play.  Play and fun energize us and provide opportunities for gratification and gratefulness for the passions of life.  Head to the movies, visit the slopes of Sleepy Hollow, stop for ice cream, or have lunch with a friend.  Pamper yourself with a hot bath, good book, or candle-lit dinner (for one or for the whole family)!  Relax in the presence of God – open up your Bible and read a short book like James or First John.  Write a letter to God as your prayer for today or journal your thoughts of what you think God is saying to you.  The list could go on!  Remember that you are a human being, NOT a human doing.  So do not be afraid to obey God in taking a day of rest, not only this week, but in the ones to follow.

My granddaughter, Beatrix, called me the other day. We are going to visit them after Christmas and stay over New Year’s Day. She called to tell me that we were going to have a challenge, a contest, of building marshmallow bridges. Now, I am not a huge fan of marshmallows – let alone building bridges constructed with them and toothpicks. And I am not sure what it means when a nearly four-year-old granddaughter feels confident in challenging her grandfather.

On the other hand, if that’s what I need to do to spend time with her – I’m certainly up for it. In fact, I’m willing to travel half-way across the United States, suffer the indignity of current airport security measures, and face humiliation when I demonstrate my marshmallow bridge building inadequacies, if it means I can spend time with Beatrix. (I can’t help but remember the joyous laughter of my other three grandchildren when I attempted to compete with them on their Wii.) But, after all, love will go to any lengths to touch and be near the loved one.

I think that’s what Christmas is all about. God was willing to do all that it took to be with humankind – with you and me. The King of Heaven was willing to suffer the humiliation of birth in a stable and, eventually, the road to the Cross, just to love us.

I fully recognize that in the grandeur of Christian Theology and the doctrine of the Incarnation, this is a bit simplistic. But isn’t the birth of a baby boy, wrapped in bands of swaddling cloth and lying in straw unsophisticated? Maybe cattle and sheep and a donkey or two isn’t too much a stretch of the imagination from marshmallow bridges and Wii gyrations. I don’t think so.

Merry Christmas!

I remember reading a quote from Helen Keller, that remarkable woman who was born deaf and blind and became a great teacher and leader. She wrote: “I know there is life after death because I have immortal longings within me.” Her point was simple. As a human being she had no hope for eternal life that hadn’t been preceded by an inner longing for life in all its richness.

In the same manner the words of God through the prophet Isaiah speak to the deepest longing within the human soul for peace. This is the inner dream for a time when God’s presence will be so tangible that the human proclivity to make war will be suspended. The very basic tools for warfare will be burnt up because there will be no need for them.

This prophecy leads to the promise of the birth of Jesus. Though our heart’s longing for peace in the world has not been fulfilled, the inner peace of God that comes at Christmas is very real. The Christ-child is, after all, the Prince of Peace.

Christmas is, therefore, the season for making peace: peace with God, with ourselves and one another. We make peace when we see others – their hopes and dreams and needs; their humanity. When we see others through the lens of Christmas we see ourselves differently. We become part of humankind and no longer see ourselves as isolated by either failure or success.  Making peace creates both grateful and generous hearts.

I have an annual tradition of watching two movies during this holy season: A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life.  Both embody these truths.  Both remind me that I am a person who shares with others the longing for immortality and the hope for real peace – in myself and in the world.  Both created a spirit of prayer – of gratitude and generosity.

Merry Christmas.

We had followed the directions that the park ranger had given us. In search of fallen timber that we would take chain saws to and make firewood for our wood stoves, we had taken the right at the river and followed the old logging road. But instead of finding the fallen trees all we see was a landscape blackened by a forest fire: as far as the eye could see there were only burned stumps and charred earth. My friend took the truck further down the road to look for the timber we had been told was there while I walked that bleak landscape to look over the hill and see if I could find it that way. That’s when I saw it.

A blackened stump had a single bright green shoot extending outward and upward: the green in sharp contrast to the charred earth and wood. For a moment I stood transfixed. And the prophecy of Isaiah about the coming of our Lord came to mind.

Isaiah looked north and saw the burnt up relic of the northern kingdom of Israel – the wildfire of Assyrian aggression had utterly destroyed it. Then, looking closer to home, the prophet saw the bleak landscape of the kingdom of Judah besieged by that same juggernaut. In that moment, God directed his inner sight to the bright green hope of the Messiah. God’s people would not be annihilated. Instead, from the lineage of King David, God would raise a great leader who would bring peace and joy.

Centuries later, the Christ-child was born. And to this day he brings the green hope and bright promise of heaven to all who believe – no matter how burnt out or bleak the world may seem. Christmas means that God has not given up on us or his creation.

Merry Christmas!

The Christian season of Advent begins with this plea from the prophet Isaiah. Sitting in exile in a strange country and feeling estranged from his God, the prophet prays: tear open the skies and make your presence felt, O God. Break the chains of your people and bring us peace and healing and freedom.

This prayer prepares us for the coming of the Christ-child. The heavens would be torn apart but not as the prophet had imagined. Instead of an eruption of heavenly wrath, complete with shaking mountains and nations trembling before the presence of God, there was an angel choir on Bethlehem’s hillside. Heaven had opened and a child had been born – just a child whose birth cries were lost amid the lowing cattle and the braying ass.

This Advent text reminds us of two wonderful promises of God. The first is that God does answer prayer. The deepest hopes and needs and dreams of our hearts move God.  At the heart of Christmas is the message that God’s heart is moved for us – not that our hearts are first moved for God. This is a wonderful mystery so remarkably demonstrated in the celebration of our Lord’s birth. That this should be true; how this can be true is inexplicable – but true.

The second promise is that when God comes, it is always in a way that is redemptive; God brings shalom – the healing peace for which the prophet prayed and for which our world yearns. This is the great surprise of God: God tears the heavens not just in judgment but in love… and a child is born who will rend the veil of death.

So, like the prophet, we pray and wait. Come Lord Jesus, come. Amen

The word “thanks” and its various forms are found nearly 170 times in the Bible. The call of faith is to a life of gratitude to God. But have you ever wondered why such thankfulness is so important? As we approach our national holiday of Thanksgiving I’ve begun to reflect on this essential element of our faith.

First, I have come to believe that a thankful heart is a humble heart. We cannot give thanks to God – or anyone else – without a humble heart. It is the humble heart that acknowledges what has been done for us… not what we have done for ourselves. Faith, an active trusting in God, creates humility – and that opens the door to thanksgiving.

Second, gratitude turns our attention outward. When we are thankful, we naturally look beyond ourselves to the one to whom we give thanks. Of all the human emotions, thankfulness shuts the door on sin. You simply cannot be thankful and still think “it’s all about me.”

Third, when we give thanks we see others. One of the best coping mechanisms we have, as human beings, is the power to see the little we have in comparison to the smaller portion of others. When we compare our “meager morsel” with that of the homeless or unemployed or the desperately poor, our portion seems so much more.

That leads to the greatest positive aspect of thanksgiving: when we are truly thankful, we cannot help but become generous. No wonder this time of the year more people will give more to charities and the needs of others than at any other time of the year – black Friday not withstanding. And when we are generous, we come close to reflecting the very nature or our Heavenly Father.

So, I pray for you a time of true Thanksgiving this week… and may your gratitude grow your faith and increase your generosity.