Easter is (like Christmas) never really truly “over.” The reality that Christ has risen is just as real today as it was two weeks ago as we celebrated Easter Sunday.
As you ready your hearts for Christmas, let us not easily forget that Jesus Christ is central to our celebration.
Certainly, we know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Few people would ever make such an argument (and if they did, they'd be flat wrong!). But it is at this time every year that we remember His coming. We as Christians anticipate Him throughout the Christmas season via Advent and we long for His coming---both remembering His first coming on the 25th and ultimately looking to His future glorious second coming as well.
The Christmas holiday season is a great time of year (like Halloween as I mentioned before) to ask yourself a question....
As you ponder that question, I'll leave you with a humorous story. C.S. Lewis once pinpointed the marked difference between celebrating the birth of Christ and "all this ghastly [Christmas] racket at its lowest" with this story actually, so the credit for the laugh is his and not mine... Lewis wrote to a friend: "My brother heard a woman on a 'bus say, as the 'bus passed a church with a crib outside it, 'Oh Lor'! They bring religion into everything. Look--they're dragging it even into Christmas now!'"
Prayer: Lord, help us at this time of year to think of this season as we ought. Help us to enjoy the time of rest, the time with family, the time of reflection, and let this all lead us ultimately to savor this time of year as a time of worship. You are the cause of celebration for us this season and forever. Amen.
-RCW
P.S. For some of my Southern Baptist friends who live somewhat in a bubble and legitimately do not know what "Advent" is, click here and you can see what the majority of the universal church in western culture does around the holiday season. (That means what other Christians do who aren't Baptist....Yes, I do mean to tell you that there are a great many Christians who aren't Southern Baptist). :) I don't mean to poke fun....for I was certainly once very ignorant of these matters myself.
P.P.S. For my scholarly friends, the Lewis quote is from Letters to an American Lady (29 December 1958), p. 80. The letter itself is housed in the Wade Center at Wheaton...an amazing place should you ever manage a visit. I know how several of you (like myself) have a nasty distaste for quotes that lack a citation.
Certainly, we know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Few people would ever make such an argument (and if they did, they'd be flat wrong!). But it is at this time every year that we remember His coming. We as Christians anticipate Him throughout the Christmas season via Advent and we long for His coming---both remembering His first coming on the 25th and ultimately looking to His future glorious second coming as well.
The Christmas holiday season is a great time of year (like Halloween as I mentioned before) to ask yourself a question....
- Does the way I celebrate Christmas bear the markings of something distinctively "Christian"?
- Does the way that I celebrate Christmas (or even my Christianity) instead seem to have adopted all the trappings and accommodations of our contemporary culture leaving nary an inch for Christ?
As you ponder that question, I'll leave you with a humorous story. C.S. Lewis once pinpointed the marked difference between celebrating the birth of Christ and "all this ghastly [Christmas] racket at its lowest" with this story actually, so the credit for the laugh is his and not mine... Lewis wrote to a friend: "My brother heard a woman on a 'bus say, as the 'bus passed a church with a crib outside it, 'Oh Lor'! They bring religion into everything. Look--they're dragging it even into Christmas now!'"
Prayer: Lord, help us at this time of year to think of this season as we ought. Help us to enjoy the time of rest, the time with family, the time of reflection, and let this all lead us ultimately to savor this time of year as a time of worship. You are the cause of celebration for us this season and forever. Amen.
-RCW
P.S. For some of my Southern Baptist friends who live somewhat in a bubble and legitimately do not know what "Advent" is, click here and you can see what the majority of the universal church in western culture does around the holiday season. (That means what other Christians do who aren't Baptist....Yes, I do mean to tell you that there are a great many Christians who aren't Southern Baptist). :) I don't mean to poke fun....for I was certainly once very ignorant of these matters myself.
P.P.S. For my scholarly friends, the Lewis quote is from Letters to an American Lady (29 December 1958), p. 80. The letter itself is housed in the Wade Center at Wheaton...an amazing place should you ever manage a visit. I know how several of you (like myself) have a nasty distaste for quotes that lack a citation.
Hey there, everyone. There is a lovely new item that costs about $1.99 that my wife and I are enjoying. It is excerpts from Tyndale House's new Mosaic NLT Bible and it is called Devotions for Advent.
It has color artwork, scripture readings, meditations, writings from people throughout the history of the church, blank space to journal or respond, etc. You'd enjoy it to be sure, but this is the week to start it.
-RCW
It has color artwork, scripture readings, meditations, writings from people throughout the history of the church, blank space to journal or respond, etc. You'd enjoy it to be sure, but this is the week to start it.
-RCW
Have you ever thought about how much irony (or perhaps a better word is mystery) there is in Christian beliefs?
The pinnacle of ironies is truly this last one -- That God Himself, Almighty Sovereign of the universe with all power, all knowledge, and all wisdom would stoop down to live among us and reveal Himself to us. He could have simply appeared in all His glory and conquered the entire world. Indeed, this is the type of earthly king that some of His closest contemporaries expected Him to be. He could have "Lorded His authority over us" as most human leaders and rulers do. Why, if God had seen fit, He could have been a wealthy 21st century executive living in a swanky New York condo!
This of course was not the plan. Instead, God Himself took on human flesh (the concept theologians call the Incarnation). He came to earth in one of the most destitute lands at one of the more primitive times in history. Nobody had room for His parents to even bring Him into the world, so the birth that was announced to mere shepherds and foretold by the prophets instead took place in a stable for livestock. His mother laid Him in a feeding trough. Then the family fled to Egypt so that He wouldn't be killed.
A beautiful irony, it is Jesus' birth we celebrate - most precious of gifts, most holy of Kings.
-RCW
- We worship the One and Only Triune God. He is One and still being one, He is three.
- We believe that Jesus was 100% God and simultaneously 100% man. To sacrifice either one (His divinity or humanity) amounts to something non-Christian.
- We believe that mankind are created in the image of God, but somehow that image was "defaced but not erased" when mankind first sinned. Thus, humans--while being precious to God--are also deeply corrupt and innately capable of the most heinous evils.
- God in His sovereignty is distant, remote, unreachable, unfathomable, otherly, sitting high upon His throne. (Theologians call this His transcendence.) Yet He is also close, near, reachable, revealed, intimately acquainted with us, involved in our every day affairs. (Theologians call this His imminence.)
And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The pinnacle of ironies is truly this last one -- That God Himself, Almighty Sovereign of the universe with all power, all knowledge, and all wisdom would stoop down to live among us and reveal Himself to us. He could have simply appeared in all His glory and conquered the entire world. Indeed, this is the type of earthly king that some of His closest contemporaries expected Him to be. He could have "Lorded His authority over us" as most human leaders and rulers do. Why, if God had seen fit, He could have been a wealthy 21st century executive living in a swanky New York condo!
This of course was not the plan. Instead, God Himself took on human flesh (the concept theologians call the Incarnation). He came to earth in one of the most destitute lands at one of the more primitive times in history. Nobody had room for His parents to even bring Him into the world, so the birth that was announced to mere shepherds and foretold by the prophets instead took place in a stable for livestock. His mother laid Him in a feeding trough. Then the family fled to Egypt so that He wouldn't be killed.
A beautiful irony, it is Jesus' birth we celebrate - most precious of gifts, most holy of Kings.
-RCW
I came across a link the other day that took me to gospel.com (A site worth checking out if you are a new believer or have never heard of it). I began reading some articles and saw a link to an Advent Scripture Reading List put out by Mars Hill Bible Church. Here is a link to it.
As for Advent, if you are unfamiliar with the term, I can let Mars Hill give you their description below as well (though don't be mistaken and believe that I am entirely on board the Mars Hill Bible Church bandwagon altogether).
-----
ADVENT
The word means arrival.
In the traditional Church calendar, "Advent" is a time for celebrating the coming of Jesus: both remembering his birth and anticipating his future arrival, the restoration of all things.
From the beginning, this has been a story of unexpected contrast. Supreme Peace born under the rule of Roman brutality. Ultimate Love wrapped up in the crude, human cage of an infant’s ribs. Joy enough to carry all of life, small enough to be carried in the crook of an arm. Hope born into a struggling, battling world—into a barn. For all of us.
This year we're celebrating Advent in a number of ways: through weekly Advent services at Mars Hill, daily Bible readings, and an artists' blog.
-----
For the curious, what I mean by my above "bandwagon" comments is that while their pastor and leader Rob Bell may be a fellow Wheaton Alumni and he is definitely doing some very cool and effective things for God's Kingdom, it seems I have an element of caution. I really enjoy what they do, I am thrilled at their creativity, etc. The word of caution is due to the fact that it seems some have forgotten what we must always remember...that we worship Jesus Christ and not simply a ministry, a church, or a philosophy of ministry. Do we love the Jesus Christ that a particular teacher or ministry paints or do we love more the Jesus Christ of the Scriptures? The two may be identical, but as believers we must rid ourselves of the dependency upon JUST one source of inspiration, JUST one preacher we can listen to, JUST one ministry we get excited about, etc. Instead, we should find ultimate sufficiency in the One and Only Jesus Christ...the Reason for this season.
-RCW
As for Advent, if you are unfamiliar with the term, I can let Mars Hill give you their description below as well (though don't be mistaken and believe that I am entirely on board the Mars Hill Bible Church bandwagon altogether).
-----
ADVENT
The word means arrival.
In the traditional Church calendar, "Advent" is a time for celebrating the coming of Jesus: both remembering his birth and anticipating his future arrival, the restoration of all things.
From the beginning, this has been a story of unexpected contrast. Supreme Peace born under the rule of Roman brutality. Ultimate Love wrapped up in the crude, human cage of an infant’s ribs. Joy enough to carry all of life, small enough to be carried in the crook of an arm. Hope born into a struggling, battling world—into a barn. For all of us.
This year we're celebrating Advent in a number of ways: through weekly Advent services at Mars Hill, daily Bible readings, and an artists' blog.
-----
For the curious, what I mean by my above "bandwagon" comments is that while their pastor and leader Rob Bell may be a fellow Wheaton Alumni and he is definitely doing some very cool and effective things for God's Kingdom, it seems I have an element of caution. I really enjoy what they do, I am thrilled at their creativity, etc. The word of caution is due to the fact that it seems some have forgotten what we must always remember...that we worship Jesus Christ and not simply a ministry, a church, or a philosophy of ministry. Do we love the Jesus Christ that a particular teacher or ministry paints or do we love more the Jesus Christ of the Scriptures? The two may be identical, but as believers we must rid ourselves of the dependency upon JUST one source of inspiration, JUST one preacher we can listen to, JUST one ministry we get excited about, etc. Instead, we should find ultimate sufficiency in the One and Only Jesus Christ...the Reason for this season.
-RCW
It's hard to describe all the different things that changed about me while I was away at college. As a high school student, I had enjoyed math and excelled at it, but loathed literature and reading. After sensing a call to ministry during my junior year of high school, I went to my youth minister at the time and he said that one of the first things that I should need to do if I was indeed experiencing God's call to ministry was that I should become a reader. I took his advice and have been one since. Yet the transition was one that would continue.
Evidently someone in higher education knew the sensibility and soundness of my youth minister's advice. For I went off to Dallas Baptist University and wanting to study for ministry, I chose to major in Biblical Studies. It wasn't until I began to map out which courses I would take when that I began to realize that studying for ministry must have included a healthy dose of reading for sure...I was required to take 4 English / Literature courses and 4 philosophy courses.
After beginning such courses, I found that I enjoyed them so immensely that I would use my electives to take 3 more of each and thereby earn minors in each as well! Part of the blame surely falls on some great teachers. A philosophy professor named Dr. Naugle kindled within me a love for learning and desire to love the Lord my God with all my mind...to think critically and prayerfully about things which most people take for granted. A semester or two later, I had a remarkable English professor, Dr. Mitchell who showed me that Christ was the holder and giver of all wisdom and that I could see Him and find Him in the world of literature, poetry, and books! He further kindled my love for learning and reinforced that I should love the Lord my God with all my mind as well.
The point of this blog, however, is not biographical in nature. Instead, it is spiritual. The season of Christmas reminds me that our God is so very different than others. He is True and Real surely, but what I am speaking of is that He chose to draw near to us and dwell among us.
John 1 speaks of Jesus, the "word" and "wisdom" of God, in this way:
"the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Other religions focus on how men might ascend to God. Christianity tells how God came and made His way to us.
Philippians 2:6-8 is known by theologians as "the kenosis passage" (kin-'oh-sis). Kenosis simply means "emptying". Jesus Christ, being equal to God, "emptied" Himself, made Himself nothing, took on human flesh, and came to earth to suffer and die as a man.
It is this "Kenosis" passage that my English professor whom I just spoke of wrote about when He composed the following:
KENOSIS
Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Philippians 2:6-8:
Who, being in very nature God
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death --
even death on a cross!
What happens when our words cannot express the complete truth? What do we do when our attempts to formulate an answer end in contradictions? What do we say when our every attempt to put the experience on paper fails? What are we then left with?
How can we understand the kenosis of Christ, the self-emptying of God, for our sakes? What nouns and verbs can do justice to this most profound of mysteries, that God made himself nothing?
Is there any way to sum up the deep wisdom of God in suffering? Why does his creativity seem to overflow through us when we are at our weakest and most wordless? Where may we go to better know that Christ suffered on our behalf? How can we adequately express our thanks for such a complete outpouring of himself?
How do we endure the silence of our literature when it falters in its attempts to name what is there, when it loses its moorings and contradicts itself, when it seems so full of holes and spaces? How can we explain what needs to be said once the words end? Is there any clear way to suggest that God was broken because we in word and deed are broken?
Why has God chosen to leave some things silent and unsaid?
* * * * *
Central Insight: Christ's kenosis reminds us that God was willing to be with us in our doubts and limits, including the limits of language and literature.
Suggestions for Application: Examine a particular passage that shows the limits, contradictions, or unanswered questions of a text. Draw an analogy between this and Christ's kenosis.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This "kenosis" entry from Dr. Mitchell was copied over from his own website: www.dbu.edu/mitchell. Browse it freely if you like!
-RCW
Evidently someone in higher education knew the sensibility and soundness of my youth minister's advice. For I went off to Dallas Baptist University and wanting to study for ministry, I chose to major in Biblical Studies. It wasn't until I began to map out which courses I would take when that I began to realize that studying for ministry must have included a healthy dose of reading for sure...I was required to take 4 English / Literature courses and 4 philosophy courses.
After beginning such courses, I found that I enjoyed them so immensely that I would use my electives to take 3 more of each and thereby earn minors in each as well! Part of the blame surely falls on some great teachers. A philosophy professor named Dr. Naugle kindled within me a love for learning and desire to love the Lord my God with all my mind...to think critically and prayerfully about things which most people take for granted. A semester or two later, I had a remarkable English professor, Dr. Mitchell who showed me that Christ was the holder and giver of all wisdom and that I could see Him and find Him in the world of literature, poetry, and books! He further kindled my love for learning and reinforced that I should love the Lord my God with all my mind as well.
The point of this blog, however, is not biographical in nature. Instead, it is spiritual. The season of Christmas reminds me that our God is so very different than others. He is True and Real surely, but what I am speaking of is that He chose to draw near to us and dwell among us.
John 1 speaks of Jesus, the "word" and "wisdom" of God, in this way:
"the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Other religions focus on how men might ascend to God. Christianity tells how God came and made His way to us.
Philippians 2:6-8 is known by theologians as "the kenosis passage" (kin-'oh-sis). Kenosis simply means "emptying". Jesus Christ, being equal to God, "emptied" Himself, made Himself nothing, took on human flesh, and came to earth to suffer and die as a man.
It is this "Kenosis" passage that my English professor whom I just spoke of wrote about when He composed the following:
KENOSIS
Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Philippians 2:6-8:
Who, being in very nature God
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death --
even death on a cross!
What happens when our words cannot express the complete truth? What do we do when our attempts to formulate an answer end in contradictions? What do we say when our every attempt to put the experience on paper fails? What are we then left with?
How can we understand the kenosis of Christ, the self-emptying of God, for our sakes? What nouns and verbs can do justice to this most profound of mysteries, that God made himself nothing?
Is there any way to sum up the deep wisdom of God in suffering? Why does his creativity seem to overflow through us when we are at our weakest and most wordless? Where may we go to better know that Christ suffered on our behalf? How can we adequately express our thanks for such a complete outpouring of himself?
How do we endure the silence of our literature when it falters in its attempts to name what is there, when it loses its moorings and contradicts itself, when it seems so full of holes and spaces? How can we explain what needs to be said once the words end? Is there any clear way to suggest that God was broken because we in word and deed are broken?
Why has God chosen to leave some things silent and unsaid?
* * * * *
Central Insight: Christ's kenosis reminds us that God was willing to be with us in our doubts and limits, including the limits of language and literature.
Suggestions for Application: Examine a particular passage that shows the limits, contradictions, or unanswered questions of a text. Draw an analogy between this and Christ's kenosis.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This "kenosis" entry from Dr. Mitchell was copied over from his own website: www.dbu.edu/mitchell. Browse it freely if you like!
-RCW
Alright, you people, it's December... or as the RHHS's (Ridiculously Hostile Holiday Shoppers) would say - the month of "Dismember."
I'm sure you'd love to see a meaningful post about Christmas. That may yet come. For now (since I have but little time to write), here's a cool Christmas poem from one of my favorite poets John Donne:
"Nativity"
by John Donne
(1572-1631)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov'd imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod's jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith's eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-RCW
I'm sure you'd love to see a meaningful post about Christmas. That may yet come. For now (since I have but little time to write), here's a cool Christmas poem from one of my favorite poets John Donne:
"Nativity"
by John Donne
(1572-1631)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov'd imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod's jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith's eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-RCW
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