A shining light for bleak times

I had a chance to watch some...but not all of "The Nativity Story" and as bit's of it were explored in a Sunday morning class. Some talked about the cultural aspects, the turmoil of the times as they were being oppressed and even killed by the romans for just speaking against the government. They were taxed merciliessly, and scrounged for a living while trying to live by the law handed down by God and ministered by the teachers of the day.

I watched...and as the movie went on and as the class kept talking my eyes started to grow moist. I'm hardly one to get emotional, so in the midst of this I'm really fighting back tears. However...there began welling up in my chest to my throat a feeling of sorrow and thankfulness, a sense of awe and wonderment. The movie and it's characterizations of the culture at the present time (and the background music did good portrayal as well) spoke of how God came to us and used a regular man and woman. He came to us lowly, and through the lowly he came to save us all.

The sheer deep impact to our souls of how vast this importance is - that the Creator Almighty who rules the stars and galaxies would come appear as an illegitimate child in the womb of a young virgin who's forced to trust in the Lord and the mercy of her new husband. That her husband would protect her from the shame foisted on them from their neighbors. When the child was born that the shepherds were first allowed to pay homage is a sweet savor for anyone who thinks their job is meaningless.

In this day at the end of the year where jobs are getting scarce, the nations are in financial tumult and people are fearing for what the future will have for us - there's a light that still shines in bleak times. It beams down through the halls of time from that star that guided the wise men who sought Him and comes down to us now in these hours of need. If we look for Him in it we will see the shadow of a cross that gives life to those who choose Him and his promise of a better life to come.

May the light that shines from that day invade the dark cages of bleakness and despair that so easily entangles us... let it give us hope and cheer this season because of the mercy and boundless love in a faithful God shown through His sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior and dear friend, Christ Jesus.

God bless us all, every one.

In these times of grace..

When were facing an economy of these darkened times, with a dubious future ahead - its good to know there's something more to this life.

Someone who has always been waiting for our attention, and wants to welcome us into his arms..

" So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. " 1 Thess. 5:6-9 NIV

God's nature: Does He ever change?

A good reflection on the nature of God and his attributes may also consider what we've seen in scripture to help decide if He never changes. Some say he never changes, but we've seen Him stay his hand of judgement on the interceding of a few (Noah, Moses, etc.). Other issues that seemingly appear to resound of the surface of absolute vs. subjective issues are not just between Calvinists and Arminians, but Monergism and Synergism, semi-Pelagianism and Augustinianism, Covenant theology vs Dispensalists (and the list goes on and on, et al and ad infinitum).

Beyond such structures there are core things we can derive from history and how God has revealed himself to us in scriptural history and his appearances to us: God is one, He is a triune God, and he is Love. He is holy, just, everlasting. I could go for ages, but the point I'm getting at is that while I'm looking for metanaratives to describe him subjectively through attributes I can apprehend, there's plenty of Him that I cannot comprehend.

Yet, the mystery of what we are in a journey to discover does not disqualify what I apprehend of him that makes sense in the structure of understanding that He has handed down for me to understand; the beauty of understanding that he has given the babes of this earth to confound the wise. It compounds the effect of his order we have seen as established in the universe from the physical, chemical, and social laws that in of themselves speak of a Master but also yet the fallen nature of each other and the yearning of all that is for a redemption of creation itself. We need Him. We need Him more than just what He has done for us.....but also because who HE IS.

Oh what manner of love the Father has given unto us.......that we should be called the sons of God...

Cathedrals have tried in vain
To show the image of your face.
But we are, by your design,
The signature of divine.

We'll always sing your name.
Forever and today.

Yahweh, Yahweh...
Great is your glory when you go before me
Oh, we sing...
Holy, Holy...
Your ways are lovely. So high above me.

Halloween, a day where candy collectors let loose
The holiday where folks fear the end of a noose,
With gleeful macabre tonight’s horror movies will sing,
While a blood-covered Christian under a cross asks “Death, where is thy sting?”