January 2, 2022 – Christmas 2C

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world…yet the world did not know him.  But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” John 1:1 – 18

Most god’s claim to be all powerful, like the Greek god Zeus, the King of Mount Olympus who, according to mythology controls lightning and thunder. When I think of ancient gods, or god’s like Zeus, I am reminded of an episode of the cartoon SpongeBob Square Pants – where SpongeBob pulls a golden spatula out of a bucket of grease, and because he can pull the golden spatula out of the bucket, he is chosen to become the fry cook for King Neptune – Neptune being, of course, the mythological Roman god of the sea. King Neptune is all powerful. He has special powers. He zaps people, makes things materialize out of thin air, and generally breaks most of the laws of physics. We have a different G-d. Our G-d became vulnerable – became one of us.  Born in a manger. Raised as a child with Joseph and Mary. He walked this earth, breathed our air, ministered to the poor and the disabled, and was crucified by us. He was incarnate, became a child, became powerless……..to give us power, the power to become children of G-d, or, we must admit, children of a material world. 

The Christ child was born into an ordinary world through a most extraordinary set of circumstances. The child grew to maturity, grew in enlightenment, fought against religious decay, was crucified resurrected and ascended. He did not leave behind a solid body of certainties — so it didn’t take long for the religious “idols” to surface — bits of the original cross — bones of the saints — toenail clippings of the disciples — and today, plastic light-up Jesus dolls.  

When I was a child, I used to like to sit at the beach at night peering across the ocean looking for and at single points of light that emanated from the inky darkness across the ocean. Where did the light come from? How far did that light travel? What was behind the genesis of that light? It amazed me that a single, bit of pointy light could come from so much darkness. Then imagine sitting out in a field at the beginning of the 1^st century, watching your sheep in the middle of a dark, cold night — and somewhere out there, from the inky darkness, came the small, pathetic cry of a newborn infant. Where did the cry come from? How far away was that cry? What was behind the genesis of that lonely, pathetic cry? That cry comes from our G-d, the vulnerable baby.

 “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overcome it.” 

The hope I carry with me beyond what the world has done to what we now call “Christmas” comes to me from the Gospel of John – that the light of Christ will persist, will continue to shine at me and you, and to the world as well. Oh most will think that they see something winking at them, but for them the light will not persist for long – because they aren’t training themselves to look for or to even see the light.   But for those of us who know the power of that light, the light of Christ, we will continue to see the light as if it was looking just for us, letting us know that He is there – is everywhere – never ending, never leaving. Oh it may dim, it may even seem to go out for a second. But, we know too that it will reappear, to shine again, sometimes brighter than before. 

My prayer for you today, and throughout the year, is that the light of Christ continues to burn within you, and continues to enlighten your lives, in 2022, and give you power throughout your life.

Pastor Dave

January 1, 2022 — Genesis  1:1 – 3:24 

“God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning—Day One. God spoke: “Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!”  God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning—Day Two.” Genesis 1:2-8 (The Message)

The bible begins with a testimony to the universal activity of G-d. G-d’s actions in the world are what remain most important and yet often most difficult for us to understand—because no matter how much we search and search, our human knowledge of what G-d has done will always pale in comparison. Human beings in all times and places have experienced G-d’s creative acts prior to and alongside of G-d’s redemptive acts. G-d is G-d and freely brings into being that which is not G-d, yet G-d is a part of everything—that is the mystery. All creatures depend on the Creator for their existence and continuing life. With the introduction of sin, we must ask the age-old questions: “What is Sin? Why is there so much Sin in the world?”  The primary sin may be best defined as mistrust of G-d and the word of G-d.

From the very beginning there was nothing desirable to be seen, for the world was without form and void; it was confusion, and emptiness. And then, by the Grace of G-d all things come into being. What was true for all of creation is true for you and me—for in like manner the work of G-d’s Grace in our lives makes us new creations. The Word was with G-d and the Word was G-d in the beginning – at creation. The Word, Jesus Christ, and his life saving work is our greatest gift of Grace. Without grace in our lives, we are more susceptible to disorder, confusion, sin and evil winning out in our lives.  

Let us begin the new year with re-affirming our faith and trust in G-d who can and will raise us above sin and death and give us new life.

Let us pray,

Lord, give me your Grace, your love, and the communion of your Holy Spirit this New Year, and throughout my life. Amen.

Pastor Dave