Being Tamed

The Reading:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions………  Titus 2: 11

"The Scream"   Alwy Fadhel    (coffee on paper)

Every Christmas Eve, we hear a passage from a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus.  It’s a strange story to be paired with the lovely Gospel of Luke because it had nothing to do with Bethlehem or the Holy Land, or Jesus’ birth. Titus had been left on the Mediterranean island of Crete to establish a Church there and Crete was a place of wild and rebellious people.  Titus was facing a nearly impossible job, and Paul's short letter was simply one of instruction and encouragement to a lonely missionary.

How is this passage relevant on Christmas Eve? Why include it here? Perhaps it's to remind us that the world is full of wild and rebellious people and life will be full of nearly impossible tasks. Or maybe it's to remind us that with the Grace of God, we can and will accomplish amazing things. Or that, whenever we face the impossible or find ourselves on the brink of failure, God will be right there with us. In other words, this passage is a gentle reminder that God became man; that God is an Incarnate God.

So, as you attend Christmas Eve services this weekend, listen not only to Luke’s lovely story about the birth of the baby Jesus, listen, too, for the still small voice of Paul, encouraging Titus, and reminding him that God is right there with him, as he is with each one of us.

Merry Christmas.  

Dismissed

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child within her is from the Holy Spirit."    Matthew 1: 20

"Dream Under a Desert Sky"    Stella de Genova

Joseph resolved to dismiss her quietly. That proves he was a nice guy; not out to bring disgrace upon Mary or her family. But she did show up pregnant -- and he KNEW he wasn't a part of that. .

And then the dream. And that angel. Surely a figment of his imagination. But Joseph took the risk; believed what the angel said.  He felt in his bones that something extraordinary had occurred.  "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, Joseph." . 

Wondering this week if God speaks a to us in our dreams anymore. Do we have the faith of Joseph? And how would the story be different if he had dismissed her quietly? 

Fear

Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear!  Here is your God. He will come and save you."   Isaiah 35: 4

                                           "Fear"                                     Ty Agha              

There is an annual list published of things Americans fear most.*  This year, 61.6% of those polled responded that “corruption of government officials” was their top fear. Number 2 (at 41%) was “fear of terrorist attacks." Other items on the “Top 10” list include: governmental restrictions on firearms and ammunition, Obamacare, and identity theft. (It would be interesting to see a list that people living in Syria or South Sudan might compile.)

By contrast, Scripture often beseeches us not to be afraid.  In a society rife with fear, Christians are called to confront their fears with faith. We are called to accept that God is bigger than our fears; to believe God’s promises. That is our faith made manifest.
"Be strong, do not fear!  Here is your God. He will come and save you."

 C.S. Lewis wrote, "Gratitude looks to the past. Love looks at the present. Fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.”

Let us live Advent in the present.
Let us be people of Love.    

·       USAToday.com