Living Alive

It amazes me how fast New Year’s Day arrives! What happened to good ol’ 2009? But for all the time I’ve spent marking time (checking the date, checking my watch, changing calendars, consulting my “planner” and so on)… I took a moment to ponder the concept of time itself.

Time is not simply a calendar concern, not merely a chronological consideration.

Time is truly a gift of God. Every moment’s a gift “that’s why it’s called *the present*,” someone has wisely said. But what does the Bible say about time?

God’s “timing” is more important than the world’s concept of time. In the Bible there are two Greek words used to mark time; chronos and kairos. Chronos, as in “chronology” is what we most often understand as time, i.e., “chronological time.”

There is also, and more importantly, kairos, which is “opportune time.” Think of this as God’s “timing” according to His plan. When Jesus began his public ministry he was probably 33 years old. But it was not about his chronological age or any particular “time” as a qualification. It happened at an “opportune time” when God’s plan was ripe for fulfillment. This is also God’s time-table for answering your prayers!

While we measure our days & years by the clock & calendar,
God’s Word indicates that God is more focused on “timing” than “time”. Jesus is born! Jesus is risen! According to God’s timing. In fact the calendar takes its cue from Christ (not the other way around). 2010 is truly “A.D.” (anno domini – the year of our Lord).

Perhaps you & I will do well in this new year, to allow God’s timing to occur rather than pressing ourselves for time for worldly things.

So make the most of your time in 2010. Give it to God. ~ Pastor Jason

Spiritual Reading /Companion Book for January Worship Series: Facing Your Giants, Max Lucado

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. I hope that you & yours are blessed, safe & happy. My prayer is that – even though Christmas is never perfect, never goes quite as planned – you will experience God’s love in a powerful and personal way.

Also, I want to lift up the witness of a young girl who believes while others pressure her not to. Galen (as the Washington Post reports) is an 11-year old 6th grader who believes in Santa despite the teasing she receives from classmates who claim he’s just a “big fat fraud”!

Galen chooses to believe. She’s ok with the “persecution” as she lets others freely choose not to believe. “Sure, if you think that you can think that,” she responds with patience.

I believe Galen’s attitude of standing firm in her belief is a great example of how all Christians should act –at Christmas or any time. Choose to believe. Stand firm in your faith about Jesus Christ.

Remember Christmas is connected with Easter!  Jesus’ birth, His purpose in life & the meaning of His death & resurrection are all wrapped up in that swaddling cloth in the manger.

He is born! He is Risen!

Christians are those who believe in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

I’ve talked to numbers of people who have suffered the loss of loved ones this time of year. One woman has not put up a tree or a single decoration in the seven years since her mother died. This saddens me to hear.

Grief is part of life. But Christians need not go on grieving as if we have no hope. Those whom we “love but see no more” – they are with the Lord & we will see them again one day. Right now, Christmas is a time to rejoice that our Savior is born! This means He lived to die – for our forgiveness!

AND, He is Risen! This means He lives to give us New Life – starting now and forever! We may have sadness and sorrow for a time, but we may have JOY for eternity – if we’d but choose to receive this Christmas gift from God.

May God’s peace guide & guard your hearts this holy season! ~ Pastor Jason

“Let It Snow…Let It Snow…Let It Snow!”
It’s been almost 7 years since I cancelled Worship Services on a Sunday at Macedonia Church! Yes, we are closed for the weekend (worship, all activities) – cancelled for Sat & Sunday 12/20.
Macedonia Youth Group’s “Living Nativity” is re-scheduled for Tues & Wed 6-8pm.
Christmas Eve is on for 4, 7 & 11pm worship services. May God bless you & yours & keep you safe.

In the storm God says, You Keep your family together – a snow day offers a God-given opportunity for quality time.
(Ok, ok, maybe some of you are protesting, some having to still get out to work. But, I hope no one is at the airport or stranded… traveling mercies, please, O Lord.)
Just a verse or 2 for the snow-event of the year: “though your sins were like scarlet, God washes you whiter than snow…”(Isaiah 1:18)

Also think about Jesus in His glory:  (Revel. 1:14) “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like
blazing fire. … His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. …”

I just had this memory come back to me….

I remember driving – maybe I was bout 18, just out of high school. I was pulled over by a state trooper & ticketed for 2 violations: wearing headphones (my car stereo was broken & I was addicted to REM, but that’s no excuse; and for not wearing shoes). Hey, it was summer in Va Beach.

Moral of the story? Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.

I’ve never forgotten how I felt when I didn’t realize I was in the wrong – then paying for it. I educated myself quickly, after that, and have tried to pay more attention to the choices I made.

I needed guidance. So, today I’m using a “GPS” (but not in my car). Do you have a GPS? I guess that may sound hokie, but here’s what I mean.

“GPS” = God’s Personal Steering > What steers your life, the choices that you make?

Your conscience. I hope, at least in part.

But Is that all you need to determine right from wrong these days? Moral Guidance should come from a variety of support systems in your life: your family; your church; the Bible (God, Jesus, the written law, etc); the nation & various levels of government; your own sense of reasoning; your experiences (life-lessons).

Most of all, I hope you are learning daily – as I am – by reading the Bible as an antedote to my ignorance.

I think we all need this. I know I need more moral guidance!

Worship Resources for December: C. Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”; A. Hamilton, “Not a Silent Night” series; Jean-Pierre de Caussade, “Abandonment to the Divine.”

The financial meltdown was the result of a subprime mortgage crisis. But what the world is reeling from today even more is a crisis of “subprime morals”.

We are too at ease with the loss of morality in our lives, our churches, our schools, our nation. God help us.

So, let me return again to the difficult more issues in this series; the first of which is: war & violence.

More on war….

I realize that the Pres just made a big speech, and a big decision: more troops to Afghanistan. I will not give my personal opinion here, except to say that I support our troops. I pray for the thousands of families who will be affected by this decision.

Now, more on war from a Christian perspective. I like what Pastor Rick Warren says, “I’m a Christian; I’m a pastor. I don’t have the option to hate anyone. I am commanded to love everyone. Jesus said love even your enemies.”

I feel the same way. Part of me wants to punish the bad guys. But God’s call is non-negotiable. I can’t argue with God, rationalizing: “But God, this person (nation, ethnic group, etc) doesn’t deserve forgiveness… doesn’t deserve to live.”

I have learned that when I decide who’s worthy of love or not, who’s worthy of forgiveness or not… who’s worthy… to live !?… then I am acting as God. (That’s just wrong of me).

So, there is a more humble way. I will pray for my “enemies”. I will wrestle with the issues within my own soul. I will dialogue and discuss rather than lash out & fight.

And let me close with one final point: These Christian practices of praying, loving, forgiving may not work on the level of global politics, or as foreign policy in a nation-state. But Jesus spoke to people. As a person, I am called to practice this Way. People – transformed, forgiven, loved people – change the world by being changed at heart first.

God have mercy on us all.