it's the end of march, yet up here in the mountains the snow lingers and the wind still stings like the touch of ice. the fields remain brown, and i have yet to see a single crocus. so where is my beloved spring, where are it's renewing sights?
yet on this morning, this very ordinary morning, something is decidedly different. the winter mornings in the the mountains are as silent as snowfall. but not this morning! the air is electric with the soothing songs of the returning birds. my soul rejoices as i sit in my armchair, eyes closed, just listening to spring's sweet symphony.
the sounds prompt me to look again for the sights of spring, and with renewed hope my eyes see the buds beginning to emerge on the trees and lilac bushes. looking more closely at the brown fields i notice tiny hints of green. and the lingering snow is slowly melting, and the icy winds are transforming too. taking the time to listen and look with patience, i am assured that indeed spring is here.
©2011 Halley Low
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
don't give up, live up
(a lenten reflection)
lent is the time of year that many christians devote to spiritual preparation for the world altering event of good friday and easter sunday. for many that preparation is found in the act of giving up something, typically a physical enjoyment of some kind, as a sign of sacrifice and connecting with the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did tell us to "denial yourself and pick up your cross". this directive is about moving away from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, just as Jesus laid down His life for others on the cross so that others might have the fullness of life. the tradition of "giving up" something for lent in rooted in this idea.
yet for many the "giving up" of something they like has become the exact opposite of the intention. how many of us have said, "i'm gonna give up sugar/ice cream/white flour/etc. for lent? we use lent as a reason to get our diet on track, to lose weight, or some other personal vanity. what happens to "sacrifice" when it is covertly used for selfish pursuits? remember the words of the prophet isaiah - " look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight...such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. is such the fast that I choose...a day acceptable to the Lord? is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your homes?"
God isn't calling us to "give up" but to "live up". live up to our call as disciples of Christ. live up to the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves". so instead of "sacrifices" that benefit our vanities, why not choose to use lent as a time for true preparation by living up to the call. maybe you will be drawn to visit a nursing home once a week, or to set time aside each day for bible study, or to put aside a dollar a day and on easter offer it to those in greatest need, or any number of actions that foster growth in the christian life. why not choose to put down the mask of "godliness" and pick up the crown of life, polishing it a bit with acts of kindness and love. this is the fast God desires - to be a blessing to others as a sign of the blessing you have received in Christ.
©2011 halley low
lent is the time of year that many christians devote to spiritual preparation for the world altering event of good friday and easter sunday. for many that preparation is found in the act of giving up something, typically a physical enjoyment of some kind, as a sign of sacrifice and connecting with the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did tell us to "denial yourself and pick up your cross". this directive is about moving away from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, just as Jesus laid down His life for others on the cross so that others might have the fullness of life. the tradition of "giving up" something for lent in rooted in this idea.
yet for many the "giving up" of something they like has become the exact opposite of the intention. how many of us have said, "i'm gonna give up sugar/ice cream/white flour/etc. for lent? we use lent as a reason to get our diet on track, to lose weight, or some other personal vanity. what happens to "sacrifice" when it is covertly used for selfish pursuits? remember the words of the prophet isaiah - " look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight...such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. is such the fast that I choose...a day acceptable to the Lord? is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your homes?"
God isn't calling us to "give up" but to "live up". live up to our call as disciples of Christ. live up to the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves". so instead of "sacrifices" that benefit our vanities, why not choose to use lent as a time for true preparation by living up to the call. maybe you will be drawn to visit a nursing home once a week, or to set time aside each day for bible study, or to put aside a dollar a day and on easter offer it to those in greatest need, or any number of actions that foster growth in the christian life. why not choose to put down the mask of "godliness" and pick up the crown of life, polishing it a bit with acts of kindness and love. this is the fast God desires - to be a blessing to others as a sign of the blessing you have received in Christ.
©2011 halley low
Monday, March 14, 2011
rainy days and mondays
a quiet morning, from my office window i can see the snow lightly falling, the flakes bouncing about in the gusty wind. the sky is gray and blanketed in clouds. a seemingly peaceful moment, coffee in hand, yet i can not stop wondering about japan, and how this tragedy has become a global crisis demanding global conversation and action.
throughout our conversations it is necessary to be mindful of the true nature of the global crisis unfolding in japan. the earthquake and its consequences are terrible, though japan has dealt with this before only to survive and thrive. what is different this time, what really threatens japan in the long run, what really threatens the globe in the long run, is what happens to those three reactors. the crisis is not from nature's hand or God's, but from the hand of humanity.
and if you are looking for God in all this, do not look for God in the fury of the wave, rather be elijah and discern God's movement in the reviving breeze. God is the God of the living, the God of life, who always chooses life and directs us to do the same (deuteronomy 30:19). God is always for us. let us be with God, Who is with us, and in wisdom serve God and love our neighbor by doing the right thing.
©2011 halley low
throughout our conversations it is necessary to be mindful of the true nature of the global crisis unfolding in japan. the earthquake and its consequences are terrible, though japan has dealt with this before only to survive and thrive. what is different this time, what really threatens japan in the long run, what really threatens the globe in the long run, is what happens to those three reactors. the crisis is not from nature's hand or God's, but from the hand of humanity.
and if you are looking for God in all this, do not look for God in the fury of the wave, rather be elijah and discern God's movement in the reviving breeze. God is the God of the living, the God of life, who always chooses life and directs us to do the same (deuteronomy 30:19). God is always for us. let us be with God, Who is with us, and in wisdom serve God and love our neighbor by doing the right thing.
©2011 halley low
Thursday, February 17, 2011
suicide is not painless
for those who may be unaware, feb. 22nd is national suicide awareness day. there are many reasons people of all ages attempt, and sometimes tragically succeed at, taking their own lives. i am not writing about the statistics, or how we can be of help to someone struggling with overwhelming emotional pain (for reflections on that regard see - the wounds that bind us, a God for failures, moments to live by). today i am writing to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, and to clergy and lay pastors.
both those who have lost someone to suicide, and clergy, struggle with the pain and confusion of the act of suicide. we may wonder to ourselves - "is suicide a sin?" "does a person go automatically to hell if he/she commits suicide?" let us honestly look at these related but very different questions. though before we do i want to be clear on one point, i am addressing suicide not euthanasia, we are not exploring issues of end-of-life decisions in this reflection, but suicide as an action taken in response to overwhelming despair and depression.
first, "is suicide a sin?" life is a great gift, more precious than gold or diamonds, and far more fragile than either of them. human life has a value beyond human measurement. to needlessly take a life is indeed a sin against the individual whose life has been cut short, and against the community who share in that life, and against God who gives life. so in that sense suicide is a sin.
now to the more pressing and painful question - "does a person enter eternal damnation if he/she commits suicide?" to begin with, there is nothing in the scriptures which states that God's love or mercy or forgiveness ends at the time of death. God is not bound by time. time, like all things, is a creation of God and God is not subject to creation. therefore, no one can rightly dictate what God will do, and no one can rightly limit when God can do whatever God wills to do. what we do know is that God is merciful and compassionate, and that God's compassion is "from ever-lasting to ever-lasting". we do know that God sees into the human heart, which is why God is the judge and we are not. we know that God is with us every moment, in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and our failures, in all things God is present with us.
do you think that in our times of greatest despair that God forsakes us? some traditions hold the reason suicide is a sin is because it is an act of despair and that despair is a sin. even if despair were a sin, and not a temporary emotional state of being, does that mean God steps out of the picture at that point? if one answers "yes" to that question then everything i wrote above, no matter how biblical it all is, is wrong. it would mean that God's compassion is limited, and that God is not with us always, and that frankly is blasphemy. if God abandoned us everytime we sinned, (and face it we are always sinning in one way or another), then we would be utterly without hope and already living in an unending state of "hell".
consider the words of paul, which he wrote during a time of great suffering in his life - "for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself." paul was so overwhelmed with despair that he felt it a "sentence of death". he goes on to write - "He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on Him we have set our hope that He will rescue us again". if God had abandoned paul because of his great despair then he would have had no hope. but paul did have hope because he knew that God is with us always and in everything, offering to rescue us again and again.
now paul was a man of great faith and insight, but do you suppose God has less or more compassion for those whose faith is weak or sight is poor? do we not proclaim that God sent His Son while we were "still yet sinners"? did not Jesus say that He came for the sick and the poor? did john not write "my little children, i am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."? did not paul also tell us that no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ?
for a moment really try to imagine yourself in such a state of pain and at such a point of despair that suicide makes sense to you. imagine the intensity of the loneliness, the enclosing darkness, the dizzying sense of hopelessness and contradiction and confusion. imagine yourself so enveloped in such a state, that you become completely out of touch with yourself, with other people, and even with God, so that you can not see any light towards which you can crawl.
now i ask you, would the God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to save us, and not to condemn us, walk out on you at that moment? absolutely not. it is in those moments of great struggle and those times of greatest failure that God is holding us most tenderly, and crying, as only a mother who loves her children unconditionally would do, as only a God whose love is steadfast and whose mercy endures forever can do.
no one can know the fate of another, but we do know that God is compassionate and merciful, and that our hope in Jesus Christ is true and real. We know also that God is not bound by time nor are God's acts of mercy and love.
those entrusted with the duty to proclaim the good news, most particularly clergy and lay pastors, be sure you are proclaiming the good news. for if you are proclaiming judgment then you are claiming for yourself the position of judge. and if you declare condemnation, take care that you are not condemning yourself. for the truth is God is the judge, the only one fit to be judge, for God alone looks into the heart with eyes of infinite wisdom and compassion. if you think that talk of condemnation will keep some one else from committing suicide you are wrong, for such talk denies hope, and to deny hope is to deny Christ.
therefore, ministers of God when you speak to the living about their dead take care not to mistake "your truth" for the truth. be sure to think and pray before you speak, "for truth without compassion is brutality". if ever people need to hear the good news it is at such a time as this - the good news of the real and living hope we have in Jesus, and the truth that no thing in heaven or on earth can ever separate us from the love of God.
©2011 halley low
both those who have lost someone to suicide, and clergy, struggle with the pain and confusion of the act of suicide. we may wonder to ourselves - "is suicide a sin?" "does a person go automatically to hell if he/she commits suicide?" let us honestly look at these related but very different questions. though before we do i want to be clear on one point, i am addressing suicide not euthanasia, we are not exploring issues of end-of-life decisions in this reflection, but suicide as an action taken in response to overwhelming despair and depression.
first, "is suicide a sin?" life is a great gift, more precious than gold or diamonds, and far more fragile than either of them. human life has a value beyond human measurement. to needlessly take a life is indeed a sin against the individual whose life has been cut short, and against the community who share in that life, and against God who gives life. so in that sense suicide is a sin.
now to the more pressing and painful question - "does a person enter eternal damnation if he/she commits suicide?" to begin with, there is nothing in the scriptures which states that God's love or mercy or forgiveness ends at the time of death. God is not bound by time. time, like all things, is a creation of God and God is not subject to creation. therefore, no one can rightly dictate what God will do, and no one can rightly limit when God can do whatever God wills to do. what we do know is that God is merciful and compassionate, and that God's compassion is "from ever-lasting to ever-lasting". we do know that God sees into the human heart, which is why God is the judge and we are not. we know that God is with us every moment, in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and our failures, in all things God is present with us.
do you think that in our times of greatest despair that God forsakes us? some traditions hold the reason suicide is a sin is because it is an act of despair and that despair is a sin. even if despair were a sin, and not a temporary emotional state of being, does that mean God steps out of the picture at that point? if one answers "yes" to that question then everything i wrote above, no matter how biblical it all is, is wrong. it would mean that God's compassion is limited, and that God is not with us always, and that frankly is blasphemy. if God abandoned us everytime we sinned, (and face it we are always sinning in one way or another), then we would be utterly without hope and already living in an unending state of "hell".
consider the words of paul, which he wrote during a time of great suffering in his life - "for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself." paul was so overwhelmed with despair that he felt it a "sentence of death". he goes on to write - "He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on Him we have set our hope that He will rescue us again". if God had abandoned paul because of his great despair then he would have had no hope. but paul did have hope because he knew that God is with us always and in everything, offering to rescue us again and again.
now paul was a man of great faith and insight, but do you suppose God has less or more compassion for those whose faith is weak or sight is poor? do we not proclaim that God sent His Son while we were "still yet sinners"? did not Jesus say that He came for the sick and the poor? did john not write "my little children, i am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."? did not paul also tell us that no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ?
for a moment really try to imagine yourself in such a state of pain and at such a point of despair that suicide makes sense to you. imagine the intensity of the loneliness, the enclosing darkness, the dizzying sense of hopelessness and contradiction and confusion. imagine yourself so enveloped in such a state, that you become completely out of touch with yourself, with other people, and even with God, so that you can not see any light towards which you can crawl.
now i ask you, would the God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to save us, and not to condemn us, walk out on you at that moment? absolutely not. it is in those moments of great struggle and those times of greatest failure that God is holding us most tenderly, and crying, as only a mother who loves her children unconditionally would do, as only a God whose love is steadfast and whose mercy endures forever can do.
no one can know the fate of another, but we do know that God is compassionate and merciful, and that our hope in Jesus Christ is true and real. We know also that God is not bound by time nor are God's acts of mercy and love.
those entrusted with the duty to proclaim the good news, most particularly clergy and lay pastors, be sure you are proclaiming the good news. for if you are proclaiming judgment then you are claiming for yourself the position of judge. and if you declare condemnation, take care that you are not condemning yourself. for the truth is God is the judge, the only one fit to be judge, for God alone looks into the heart with eyes of infinite wisdom and compassion. if you think that talk of condemnation will keep some one else from committing suicide you are wrong, for such talk denies hope, and to deny hope is to deny Christ.
therefore, ministers of God when you speak to the living about their dead take care not to mistake "your truth" for the truth. be sure to think and pray before you speak, "for truth without compassion is brutality". if ever people need to hear the good news it is at such a time as this - the good news of the real and living hope we have in Jesus, and the truth that no thing in heaven or on earth can ever separate us from the love of God.
©2011 halley low
Friday, December 24, 2010
santa is not the enemy (a Christmas eve reflection)
all throughout the Christmas season we hear some people grumble “remember the reason for the season, remember the reason for the season”, because they are concerned that all the lights and glitter, the trees and gifts, and especially santa claus, will distract us from the reason for the season. now their concern is not without merit, we do become distracted, yet the truth is that the root of that distraction is not to be found in the lights or trees or even santa claus. the truth is all these things that seem to distract us from the reason for the season are simply reminders of the true reason for the season.
so if they are reminders then how is it they distract us? the truth is that they, in and of themselves, don’t distract us. all of these holiday traditions (regardless of their origin) serve us as reminders of the great event of God coming to be with us as one of us. look at the Christmas tree, its an evergreen - yes? why do we use an evergreen and not an oak or maple? because the pine tree is a reminder of Christ, who is evergreen, and a reminder of the eternal life He gives us; the evergreen is always present to us in its living greenness just as Christ is always present to us. so look at the tree and see it as it really is, and then you will see Christ! and what of the lights that decorate the tree, are they simply meant to be pretty distractions from the truth, or do they remind us that He is the Light of the world, and all the little lights speak to us of our little lights that shine in unity with Him.
and the gifts we give to one another are reminders of the Great Gift God have given us in Jesus Christ. we can lose sight of that fact easily if we allow selfishness and greed to rule our hearts. But whose fault is that, the gifts or our hearts? What are we teaching our children about the act of giving when all the importance is placed on the pleasure of receiving things they want, above the joy found in sharing of ourselves that is the reciprocity of giving and receiving? this joy is a reflection of the joy God has in giving Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, through whom we are received back into the fullness of God’s life. perceive the truth – that to give is to receive, and to receive is to give.
and what of santa, who of all the things that we grumble over we grumble most about him. we blame him for distracting us from the reason for the season. but my friends, who does santa represent? does he not speak to us of the kindly Father, who loves the world so much, that despite snow or storm comes to us and gives us the gift we are most in need of? that is the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
in truth none of these things blind us to the reason for the season, what blinds us is ourselves, and our poverty of spirit that causes us not to see the reminders that are before us. all the things around us are reminders of God with us: the tree, the gifts, the special foods, the lights, and yes even santa, none of these takes us away from Christ, all of these serve to point us towards Christ.
yet we become distracted, become obsessed so to speak, with the reminders and fail to see what they are pointing us too. the fault lies not in the tree or gifts or even santa, the fault lies within ourselves, and this is even more the reason why we so desperately need Christ, through whom we are enabled to engage life as it really is, not just as it is meant to be, but as it really is right now. Christ is the lens, the eyeglasses so to speak, that we need to see what is really before us. all things speak to us of God, all things point us to God, each one of us is a living representation of God – what do you think the book of genesis is saying when it refers to us as “the image of God”, what do you think Jesus was talking about when he said “whatever you do to the least of these you do to me” – he is saying to us “OPEN YOUR EYES and SEE ME as I REALLY AM, see Me in all that I have created, see Me in each other, and yes even see Me within yourself".
for within us lay the seed of the kingdom of God, when Christ is born in our hearts then the living reality of the saving work of God is born within us. the inner transformation we all crave, we all need, so that love and liberty, that is the grace and truth of God, may reign within us and through us the kingdom of God unfolds - becoming a living reality in our world; not through us in our selfish blindness, but through us as we live IN Christ. to the degree we allow Christ to be the lens by which we see the world – we will be able to perceive the true reality of all things.
Jesus tells us in john’s gospel “I will draw all things to Me”, all things are drawn to Christ because all things came from Christ – “for all things came into being through Him and not one thing came into being apart from Him”. do you see here what is meant by the reciprocity of giving and receiving? He who created our hearts has come to re-create us into the fullness of the image of God.
so let us not blame things for distracting us from the truth of Christ, but let us honestly recognize that we are the cause of our distractions, for only then can we be like mary and say to God “let it be with me as according to your Word”. for it is by and through the Word, which is the Light of all people, we are born again, and able to joyfully proclaim with Isaiah “arise, shine, for thy Light has come, and the glory of the Lord is upon us.” Amen.
©2010 halley low
so if they are reminders then how is it they distract us? the truth is that they, in and of themselves, don’t distract us. all of these holiday traditions (regardless of their origin) serve us as reminders of the great event of God coming to be with us as one of us. look at the Christmas tree, its an evergreen - yes? why do we use an evergreen and not an oak or maple? because the pine tree is a reminder of Christ, who is evergreen, and a reminder of the eternal life He gives us; the evergreen is always present to us in its living greenness just as Christ is always present to us. so look at the tree and see it as it really is, and then you will see Christ! and what of the lights that decorate the tree, are they simply meant to be pretty distractions from the truth, or do they remind us that He is the Light of the world, and all the little lights speak to us of our little lights that shine in unity with Him.
and the gifts we give to one another are reminders of the Great Gift God have given us in Jesus Christ. we can lose sight of that fact easily if we allow selfishness and greed to rule our hearts. But whose fault is that, the gifts or our hearts? What are we teaching our children about the act of giving when all the importance is placed on the pleasure of receiving things they want, above the joy found in sharing of ourselves that is the reciprocity of giving and receiving? this joy is a reflection of the joy God has in giving Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, through whom we are received back into the fullness of God’s life. perceive the truth – that to give is to receive, and to receive is to give.
and what of santa, who of all the things that we grumble over we grumble most about him. we blame him for distracting us from the reason for the season. but my friends, who does santa represent? does he not speak to us of the kindly Father, who loves the world so much, that despite snow or storm comes to us and gives us the gift we are most in need of? that is the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
in truth none of these things blind us to the reason for the season, what blinds us is ourselves, and our poverty of spirit that causes us not to see the reminders that are before us. all the things around us are reminders of God with us: the tree, the gifts, the special foods, the lights, and yes even santa, none of these takes us away from Christ, all of these serve to point us towards Christ.
yet we become distracted, become obsessed so to speak, with the reminders and fail to see what they are pointing us too. the fault lies not in the tree or gifts or even santa, the fault lies within ourselves, and this is even more the reason why we so desperately need Christ, through whom we are enabled to engage life as it really is, not just as it is meant to be, but as it really is right now. Christ is the lens, the eyeglasses so to speak, that we need to see what is really before us. all things speak to us of God, all things point us to God, each one of us is a living representation of God – what do you think the book of genesis is saying when it refers to us as “the image of God”, what do you think Jesus was talking about when he said “whatever you do to the least of these you do to me” – he is saying to us “OPEN YOUR EYES and SEE ME as I REALLY AM, see Me in all that I have created, see Me in each other, and yes even see Me within yourself".
for within us lay the seed of the kingdom of God, when Christ is born in our hearts then the living reality of the saving work of God is born within us. the inner transformation we all crave, we all need, so that love and liberty, that is the grace and truth of God, may reign within us and through us the kingdom of God unfolds - becoming a living reality in our world; not through us in our selfish blindness, but through us as we live IN Christ. to the degree we allow Christ to be the lens by which we see the world – we will be able to perceive the true reality of all things.
Jesus tells us in john’s gospel “I will draw all things to Me”, all things are drawn to Christ because all things came from Christ – “for all things came into being through Him and not one thing came into being apart from Him”. do you see here what is meant by the reciprocity of giving and receiving? He who created our hearts has come to re-create us into the fullness of the image of God.
so let us not blame things for distracting us from the truth of Christ, but let us honestly recognize that we are the cause of our distractions, for only then can we be like mary and say to God “let it be with me as according to your Word”. for it is by and through the Word, which is the Light of all people, we are born again, and able to joyfully proclaim with Isaiah “arise, shine, for thy Light has come, and the glory of the Lord is upon us.” Amen.
©2010 halley low
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Jesus Christ the one and only Living Word of God
traditionally advent is seen as the season of preparation for the birth of Christ (or to use more theological language the Incarnation – that is God who incarnates, becomes flesh in order to live in the world and dwell with us as one of us). in days gone by the preparation was marked by prayer and self-examination; today we prepare by shopping and eating and parties. the reason for the old way is because of the connection between the season of advent and the season of lent, and the understanding that the Cradle and the Cross are one.
in the gospel of John, (which more than any of the other gospels gives us the deeper theological understanding of this great event called the Incarnation), we are told in 3:17 “indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” there can be no cross of salvation (or healing, as salvation comes from the latin “salvo” to heal) or resurrection to new and everlasting life for humanity, or the whole of creation, without the first great event – the Incarnation of the Living Word of God in form and likeness of humankind. the miracle of Christmas is the miracle of the Word become flesh as expressed in the first chapter of john’s gospel. it’s a good idea to meditate on John 1:1-34 during the season of advent. certain key facts about the importance and centrality of the Incarnation are revealed in john that are missing or not fully expressed in the other gospel narratives of the birth of Christ (note that in the gospel of mark there is no mention of Jesus’ birth, and in matthew and luke's narratives the focus is more centered on the fulfillment of hebrew prophecy, or the universality of God’s saving action in Christ, without the fuller deeper exploration of this revelation as found in John}.
in a nutshell the hallmarks of John’s narrative are: 1, the Word (that is Christ or God the Son) is one with God from all eternity; 2, the Word in being one with God is also the source of all life; 3, through the historical event of the Word becoming flesh the full out pouring of God’s grace (gifts) is made manifest for us, and is the means of our reconciliation with God and one another. it is here that the great revelation of Christianity to the world is begun to be made known – that God is Trinity, One God in community of being, and through the Word made flesh humanity is invited back into the life of the One Living Triune God, as was and is God’s intention for humanity.
when we focus on Christmas as being Jesus’s birthday (as in “happy birthday Jesus” let’s blow out the candles and open the gifts), instead of as the moment, in the course of the year, that we as the community of Christ remember and reflect on the great mystery of God’s coming to be with us by being one of us, we lose the true meaning of Christmas and the real sense of joy and hope that this most holy revelation gives to us in the here and now, and in the time to come.
you may wonder, and wish to ponder on, why john refers to God the Son (the second person in the Holy Trinity) as “the Word”? our modern English understanding of the term “word” does not fully express the meaning of the Greek word “logos” which we translate as “word”. likewise our normal usage of the term “word” lacks the deep theological significances of the term as understood in the early church. though some of our adages hint at the deeper meaning, for instance, we may say “she is known by her word”. when we say that we don’t mean people are known by what they actually say with their mouths but by how much their lives reflect what they say, and so we come to know the truth of someone’s word by their actions. “Logos” – “Word” means just that – the action or power behind and manifested through the “Word”. so in a real way to speak is to do(at least in terms of God), which brings us to the very opening lines of the bible as found the first chapter of Genesis – God speaks and creation thus unfolds. the power to create is found in God’s Word, we come to know God as creator because God’s Word (Jesus Christ) is active and true. and not just true but Truth itself, so john writes (1:17) “the law indeed was given through moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” so it is that through the Word we receive God’s grace/gift and in the Word we enter the Truth - which is the very life of the Triune God.
©2010 halley low
in the gospel of John, (which more than any of the other gospels gives us the deeper theological understanding of this great event called the Incarnation), we are told in 3:17 “indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” there can be no cross of salvation (or healing, as salvation comes from the latin “salvo” to heal) or resurrection to new and everlasting life for humanity, or the whole of creation, without the first great event – the Incarnation of the Living Word of God in form and likeness of humankind. the miracle of Christmas is the miracle of the Word become flesh as expressed in the first chapter of john’s gospel. it’s a good idea to meditate on John 1:1-34 during the season of advent. certain key facts about the importance and centrality of the Incarnation are revealed in john that are missing or not fully expressed in the other gospel narratives of the birth of Christ (note that in the gospel of mark there is no mention of Jesus’ birth, and in matthew and luke's narratives the focus is more centered on the fulfillment of hebrew prophecy, or the universality of God’s saving action in Christ, without the fuller deeper exploration of this revelation as found in John}.
in a nutshell the hallmarks of John’s narrative are: 1, the Word (that is Christ or God the Son) is one with God from all eternity; 2, the Word in being one with God is also the source of all life; 3, through the historical event of the Word becoming flesh the full out pouring of God’s grace (gifts) is made manifest for us, and is the means of our reconciliation with God and one another. it is here that the great revelation of Christianity to the world is begun to be made known – that God is Trinity, One God in community of being, and through the Word made flesh humanity is invited back into the life of the One Living Triune God, as was and is God’s intention for humanity.
when we focus on Christmas as being Jesus’s birthday (as in “happy birthday Jesus” let’s blow out the candles and open the gifts), instead of as the moment, in the course of the year, that we as the community of Christ remember and reflect on the great mystery of God’s coming to be with us by being one of us, we lose the true meaning of Christmas and the real sense of joy and hope that this most holy revelation gives to us in the here and now, and in the time to come.
you may wonder, and wish to ponder on, why john refers to God the Son (the second person in the Holy Trinity) as “the Word”? our modern English understanding of the term “word” does not fully express the meaning of the Greek word “logos” which we translate as “word”. likewise our normal usage of the term “word” lacks the deep theological significances of the term as understood in the early church. though some of our adages hint at the deeper meaning, for instance, we may say “she is known by her word”. when we say that we don’t mean people are known by what they actually say with their mouths but by how much their lives reflect what they say, and so we come to know the truth of someone’s word by their actions. “Logos” – “Word” means just that – the action or power behind and manifested through the “Word”. so in a real way to speak is to do(at least in terms of God), which brings us to the very opening lines of the bible as found the first chapter of Genesis – God speaks and creation thus unfolds. the power to create is found in God’s Word, we come to know God as creator because God’s Word (Jesus Christ) is active and true. and not just true but Truth itself, so john writes (1:17) “the law indeed was given through moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” so it is that through the Word we receive God’s grace/gift and in the Word we enter the Truth - which is the very life of the Triune God.
©2010 halley low
Sunday, December 5, 2010
our hope is in the love God has for us (an advent message)
it is often said that the Christmas season is the season of love, and a time to have hope for a better tomorrow. but we may feel that there is little to have hope in, and even less to love. these days we all feel the effects of a stressed economy, and living as we do in a global economy that stress is felt world wide. so where is the hope?
looking at the world stage things seem very frightening indeed. particularly at this moment with the uncertainty in korea. the relationship of the two koreas has been strained from the beginning of the armistice some 60 years ago. who knows what will happen next between these two nations, which are in fact one people, a situation that pits brother against sister, and one wonders - where is the love?
if we place our hope in circumstances there is little to hope in, because circumstances are constantly in flux, the world situation, and our own personal life situations - are always caught up between the ebb and flow, between tension and ease, between hardship and comfort. one day we feel on top of the world, and the next day the world feels on top of us. if our hope is simply that tomorrow will be a better day, if our hope is in changing circumstances, then that hope indeed is weak, and without foundation, and thus is no hope at all.
in the letter to the romans paul writes (15:4) “for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” he is referring to the hebrew scriptures, but why is he telling us to look for instruction in the writings of days gone by? the old testatment is a collection of stories about struggle, times of shifting circumstances, not unlike our own time. in that case why study these writings? What is the encouragement we will find in them that “we might have hope”?
perhaps the reason to study them is exactly in the similarity, these ancient people lived in a world of uncertainty much as we do. what was the hope that enabled the ancient hebrews to endure in the face of exile, and in the face of return to their broken homeland, in the face of the ever shifting circumstances that is all of human history? in studying their stories we find that their hope was not in fate or circumstance or even in themselves, but in a God greater then themselves or the circumstances they found themselves in; a faithful God whose love was steadfast, which means a love that is fixed and focused and firmly planted. though the circumstances of the hebrews varied greatly, as our circumstances today vary, their hope, like their God, remained steadfast, enabling them to live through crisis and endure as a people.
in the next two verses paul offers a prayer which I find very interesting, (15:5, 6) “may the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, through Jesus Christ, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” now advent is a time we remember Emmanuel - the God who is with us, who came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to experience with us the shifting circumstances of human life, both the joys of relationship and the heartache of broken trust; and to witness to us in the flesh the ever present reality of God. and even more, Christ came into the world, a world filled with all our individual and collective brokenness and sin, to welcome humanity into His life. through living in Him harmony is possible, even though our feelings and opinions may differ, because He is our harmony.
in musical terminology harmony refers to the combination of notes sounded simultaneously, different notes with different sounds that are played at the same time and yet work together to produce something beautiful - because they are combined within a structure which enables them to be different while at the same time sharing in a purpose – that is to make a beautiful noise. Christ is the harmony who takes our differences and constructs them together to make something beautiful. therein is our hope, and therein is the love which makes that hope a living hope rooted in the living God. through Jesus, our many and different notes blend into one voice giving glory to God.
but how does the harmony of our voice in Christ become real in this world of shifting circumstances? paul gives us the answer when he writes in the next verse, (15:7) “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you”. according to random house, to welcome means “to receive or accept with pleasure; to regard another person as pleasant or good”. now Christ has come to welcome us into His life, and when we welcome Christ into our life we are freed from the bondage of selfishness that disables us from truly receiving another person. if Christ, who lives in us, has done this for us, then through Him we can do this for one another. thus the miracle of welcoming, which began in Christ continues to unfold in our world through Christ.
in welcoming us Jesus takes our uniqueness into the harmony of a diverse yet unified voice that gives glory to God. by welcoming us He frees our hearts, and in so doing we become open to welcome others into the life of Christ, into a living community of lovers. yes lovers, not lovers in a worldly sense, but true lovers of Christ, and through him lovers of one another, who welcome and accept one another in joy. we are able to welcome, and to love, because He first welcomed and loved us. it is in this welcoming love, and not in ever shifting circumstance, that we find the real hope - for our hope is in the love God has for us. real hope, real love, from the real God of all - who searches our hearts and calls us to be a people, and not just any people but the people of God in Christ.
so let us pray during this advent season and throughout our lives – (15:13) “may the God of hope fill each of us with all joy and peace in believing, so that each of us may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” and so we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and the Savior of the world, amen.
©2010 halley low
looking at the world stage things seem very frightening indeed. particularly at this moment with the uncertainty in korea. the relationship of the two koreas has been strained from the beginning of the armistice some 60 years ago. who knows what will happen next between these two nations, which are in fact one people, a situation that pits brother against sister, and one wonders - where is the love?
if we place our hope in circumstances there is little to hope in, because circumstances are constantly in flux, the world situation, and our own personal life situations - are always caught up between the ebb and flow, between tension and ease, between hardship and comfort. one day we feel on top of the world, and the next day the world feels on top of us. if our hope is simply that tomorrow will be a better day, if our hope is in changing circumstances, then that hope indeed is weak, and without foundation, and thus is no hope at all.
in the letter to the romans paul writes (15:4) “for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” he is referring to the hebrew scriptures, but why is he telling us to look for instruction in the writings of days gone by? the old testatment is a collection of stories about struggle, times of shifting circumstances, not unlike our own time. in that case why study these writings? What is the encouragement we will find in them that “we might have hope”?
perhaps the reason to study them is exactly in the similarity, these ancient people lived in a world of uncertainty much as we do. what was the hope that enabled the ancient hebrews to endure in the face of exile, and in the face of return to their broken homeland, in the face of the ever shifting circumstances that is all of human history? in studying their stories we find that their hope was not in fate or circumstance or even in themselves, but in a God greater then themselves or the circumstances they found themselves in; a faithful God whose love was steadfast, which means a love that is fixed and focused and firmly planted. though the circumstances of the hebrews varied greatly, as our circumstances today vary, their hope, like their God, remained steadfast, enabling them to live through crisis and endure as a people.
in the next two verses paul offers a prayer which I find very interesting, (15:5, 6) “may the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, through Jesus Christ, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” now advent is a time we remember Emmanuel - the God who is with us, who came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to experience with us the shifting circumstances of human life, both the joys of relationship and the heartache of broken trust; and to witness to us in the flesh the ever present reality of God. and even more, Christ came into the world, a world filled with all our individual and collective brokenness and sin, to welcome humanity into His life. through living in Him harmony is possible, even though our feelings and opinions may differ, because He is our harmony.
in musical terminology harmony refers to the combination of notes sounded simultaneously, different notes with different sounds that are played at the same time and yet work together to produce something beautiful - because they are combined within a structure which enables them to be different while at the same time sharing in a purpose – that is to make a beautiful noise. Christ is the harmony who takes our differences and constructs them together to make something beautiful. therein is our hope, and therein is the love which makes that hope a living hope rooted in the living God. through Jesus, our many and different notes blend into one voice giving glory to God.
but how does the harmony of our voice in Christ become real in this world of shifting circumstances? paul gives us the answer when he writes in the next verse, (15:7) “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you”. according to random house, to welcome means “to receive or accept with pleasure; to regard another person as pleasant or good”. now Christ has come to welcome us into His life, and when we welcome Christ into our life we are freed from the bondage of selfishness that disables us from truly receiving another person. if Christ, who lives in us, has done this for us, then through Him we can do this for one another. thus the miracle of welcoming, which began in Christ continues to unfold in our world through Christ.
in welcoming us Jesus takes our uniqueness into the harmony of a diverse yet unified voice that gives glory to God. by welcoming us He frees our hearts, and in so doing we become open to welcome others into the life of Christ, into a living community of lovers. yes lovers, not lovers in a worldly sense, but true lovers of Christ, and through him lovers of one another, who welcome and accept one another in joy. we are able to welcome, and to love, because He first welcomed and loved us. it is in this welcoming love, and not in ever shifting circumstance, that we find the real hope - for our hope is in the love God has for us. real hope, real love, from the real God of all - who searches our hearts and calls us to be a people, and not just any people but the people of God in Christ.
so let us pray during this advent season and throughout our lives – (15:13) “may the God of hope fill each of us with all joy and peace in believing, so that each of us may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” and so we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and the Savior of the world, amen.
©2010 halley low
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