Christmas

Coming Full Circle (and other random thoughts)…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

It’s almost 2025! Can you believe it? I can’t. As always, a new year’s dawning has caused me to be reflective. I thought I’d share a few of those reflections with you.

Coming Full Circle

I suppose this is not so much a reflection as it is a revelation. Christmas Eve was last Tuesday evening. I was preparing for the Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion Service by laying candles out on the seats in the sanctuary pre-service when it dawned on me that I have come full-circle in ministry. I was doing this Christmas Eve what I was doing the first many Christmas Eve’s of my ministry.

You know how it is in a small church, right? Pastor Fetch does it all to get ready for every service. This is not a complaint in any way, just a revelation that I’ll end ministry the way I began ministry over thirty years ago. And, I’m okay with that. Countless pastors serve their congregations faithfully doing all the little things that make “church” happen from week to week. Being back in the middle of weekly ministry has renewed my appreciation for all those pastors who ARE the church staff.

Yes, I was blessed to climb the ecclesiastical ladder through my years of ministry. I was blessed to grow to and go to congregations that had staff that assisted in the preparations for those “Super Bowl” services like Christmas Eve and Easter. It was real easy to get lazy (lazier?) when you had staff to do a lot of the work for you.

I was likewise blessed to serve as a denominational administrative officer for a period of ministry. Yeah, I got to spend a couple of years not even worrying about those “special” services. The toughest past of Christmas and Easter for me in those days was trying to figure out where I would attend those services. So challenging!

Then, of course, there was the time I spent away from vocational ministry altogether. Yes, it was a brief time, but it was a time that I didn’t know if I would ever lead one of those special services again. I did as “interim” pastor, but for some reason, it just wasn’t the same as those early years of ministry (no offense to those congregations I served as “interim” pastor).

This year was different for some reason. Thirty-three years after entering ministry and I’m the one preparing the sanctuary. That’s coming full circle for me. Kudos to all those pastors in the small churches who have been the ones every year for every service preparing the sanctuary. You are the true warriors of the Kingdom, and with this end of the year reflection, I salute you!

2025 Awaits

Enough of the reflection. The new year also affords us an opportunity to look ahead. I’m especially mindful of the Apostle Paul’s words to the Philippian church as we head into 2025:

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3: 12 – 14 NLT)

There are three words that capture my attention as I read Paul this morning.

Forget

Taking a cue from Paul, I could make a list of all the things about 2024 that I’d like to forget. My problem is I’d likely want to forget the wrong things. Some things are best forgotten, and I’m grateful that God has the capacity and the desire to forget my sins, and to forgive them through the blood of Jesus Christ. I’d want to list all the bad circumstances, the losses, the failures and sadness, but I don’t think that’s what Paul had in mind. 

No, Paul had in mind the things he once considered so important:

We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.  (Philippians 3: 3b-7 NLT)

Paul forgot the worldly successes in his life. He forgot the achievements that once mattered so much to him. Those are the same things I need to forget going forward.

My achievements don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. What matters most are the times when I’ve grown closer to Christ. I can say without a doubt that my greatest growth has occurred in my failures. Those are the times when God truly revealed His faithfulness and my own faith was strengthened. Those times–I want desperately to remember.

Being a “large” church pastor? Yes, it was nice. Yes, I was blessed. Yes, I am grateful for the opportunity, but I could also count it to my own human effort. Let me forget so that I might consider what the Lord has done, and so that I might gain Him and become one with Him.

Being a District Superintendent? Same thing as above. Nice. Blessed. Grateful. But, if I’m honest, I have to admit I spent a lot of years working the levers of the ecclesiastical machine…serving on the right boards, going to the right meetings, pressing the right flesh…that I could say I achieved those things. Let me count it all loss so that I might gain Him and become one with Him.

Lord, let me forget the right things.

Stretch

One of the images Paul uses in his words to the Philippians is that of a runner stretching toward the tape at the end of a race. Life is certainly a race, but it is a marathon and not a sprint. We’re in it for the long-haul, and we have to keep growing and keep going as we run the race. What ways can I stretch myself in 2025?

One of the ways I’m going to stretch myself in 2025 is to invite more accountability into my life. It’s so easy for each of us (but especially for pastors) to isolate ourselves, and pretend that we can make it on our own. The reality is we can’t. We need each other, and part of what we need each other for is accountability–at least that’s what I need. That’ll be my stretch. What’ll be yours?

Focus

Paul had a goal. He would call it “this one thing.” A good word of advice for this new year is to define the “one thing.”

If we know what the goal is, then we can develop strategies to help make THE goal become the reality. I think, too often, I’ve failed because I’ve tried to do too many things and to be too much to too many.

Certainly, for those of us who call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, the goal is to always be a better disciple, but simply stating that fact leaves the achieving a bit nebulous. Focus is specific. State the goal in the beginning. Write it down. Review it daily.

I can’t define your focus for you. Only you can do that. I can tell you my focus for the year. It’s to be a better spouse.

Sure, I need to be a better pastor. My children probably think I need to be a better parent. I know I need to be better engaged in the community, and I’m certain I could be a better follower of Jesus. I want to be all those things, but this year, I’m going to start by being a better spouse.

Does it mean all those other things I want to be are not important? Of course not! But I have to believe that being a better spouse will help me to be better in those places, too. That’s the focus I hear God calling me to in this new year. What about you?

Going for the Gold

Forget. Stretch. Focus. Sounds like my new year is planned. These are not resolutions. They’re just words to guide my new year. I’ll use them in the hope that I’ll come to the end of next year and will have run the race of life with intention and faithfulness. Maybe they’ll help you do the same.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Merry Christmas, Y’all…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

It is really hard for me to believe that another Christmas Day is only three days away. Where does the time go? I know what the “old folks” meant when I used to hear them say, “Time sure does go by fast!” I know what they meant because I’m the “old folks” now.

Of course, I went to the heart doctor (yes, I said “heart doctor”) this week and during the examination he called me young and healthy. It made me feel good, but I thought to myself, “If I’m so young and healthy, why am I in YOUR office?”

Old Folks

I know I’m the “old folks” now because I’m more of a curmudgeon than I’ve ever been. Oh, I’ve always had a bit of curmudgeon in me, but my desire to be more Christ-like has often kept a little bit of a damper on it. The “older” I get, the more I realize that Lord still has a lot of work to do on the curmudgeon aspect of my personality. No, I’m not proud of that fact, but one of the ways the Lord can sanctify it is for me to put it out there in confession, so…

I also know I’m the “old folks” now because this body of mine doesn’t act like it used to act. My metabolism is slower, my muscle mass is shifting, my hair is more gray than brown, and I’ve got wrinkles in places I’ve never had wrinkles before. On top of all that, now I’ve got to deal with high blood pressure. I’ve never had blood pressure problems in my life! Then, the Lord gently reminds me–“Lynn, you’ve never been this old before.”

Talk about frustrating! And to add to the frustration this aging thing has put me in direct conflict with “Big Pharma!” I used to hear everyone complain about the high cost of medications. Now, I have personal experience that casts it in a whole new light. I’m learning that at this age I really can’t afford to be sick. I’m also learning that I can’t afford to get healthy, either.

I’m telling you…this whole “health” thing is nothing but a scam between big Pharma, insurance companies and the government. Those three just keep passing bucks (my bucks!) between their hands until its all gone, and then they come back for more. (Yeah. I know–curmudgeon, right?)

Grateful for Getting Older

Anyway, I really don’t mean to go all curmudgeon on you this holiday season. I am eternally grateful as I reflect on the circumstances of the past couple of weeks. I’m grateful that I’m alive. As the old saying goes, “I’m up and taking nourishment. It’s a good day.” I’m having a really good day!

I’m also grateful for doctors and nurses and other health-care workers who are compassionate and patient with curmudgeons like me. I’m grateful for their knowledge and wisdom, and their willingness to use it to heal. It is a gift they possess, and I’ll receive that gift as best I can, well, because I want to get older!

Getting older. That really is my goal. Well, kinda’ sorta’, anyway. Yes, I want to get older. I want to outlive my dad. My dad died when he was 63. I’m 61 now. Unfortunately, men in my family (on either side) don’t have long histories. A grandfather and a couple of uncles lived to age 72 (and I had 8 uncles). The rest all died before age 70. I get a little more health conscious with every day that passes.

Of course, I tell my children that I intend to live to 100, if for no other reason than to be a burden to them. We’ll see if that really comes to pass.

My Goal in Getting Older

My real goal in getting older is to grow in Christ-likeness…to grow in holiness. Honestly, I thought the older I got, the easier it would be. I’m discovering, though, the older I get and the more I desire to surrender, the more the Devil gets in my business and does all he can to slow the growth.

Isn’t it supposed to get easier the older we get? I thought the longer we walked with the Lord, the closer we became. Oh, yeah. I hear His voice in ways I’ve never heard before. Yes, I feel His presence in ways that bring strength and comfort like I’ve never experienced, but meeting that standard of holiness–well, that’s just another thing altogether. As desperately as I want to attain it, I find myself falling so far short.

It’s frustrating! It is as frustrating spiritually as this “old” body giving way physically. I don’t have any choice at this point but to rely on grace–His grace. The older I get, the more I need His grace to get me through. If I haven’t learned anything else, I’ve learned that.

The older I get, the more my life becomes a cycle of confession and repentance. Of course, the wonderful part of that equation is the experience of His forgiveness. He gently reminds me that His judgment and His mercy met on the cross of Calvary, and that mercy won. So, He shows me His mercy, and the older I get the more He shows me how much mercy I need. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy!

Wow! Some Merry Christmas message this turned out to be! Let me try again…

My prayer for each of you is that you will experience the peace, love and mercy of Jesus Christ this Christmas season…that He will abide with each of you as you grow in His grace, and that you will experience the joy of His mercy everyday in the coming new year…that as you grow older, you might also grow in holiness and in His likeness. May He be born in each of us in new and living ways this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas, y’all!

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Lord’s “Mess”-enger…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

My desk was always a mess! Now, it seems to be the dressing area in my bedroom. Vanessa refuses to clean it up because it’s my mess. I’ll empty my pockets at the end of the day, and there’ll be receipts and such I’ve stuck in my pocket for one reason or another, and they’ll just pile up day after day. No, she never touches my mess! I made the mess, I can clean it up—that’s her motto.

 Here’s the thing, though. Sometimes I get tired of the mess. Sometimes, I realize the mess has got to go—that I really need to clean it up. So, I’ll take the time necessary to pick through, organize, throw away or file everything that’s a part of my mess. There’s a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when the project is completed. It just feels good to get all the mess cleared away. There’s this sense of order emerging out of the chaos that seems to be my life.

I like that feeling, even though I must not like it too much. Vanessa thinks I don’t clean the mess up often enough.

Life is a Mess

I’m not so certain my dresser doesn’t really reflect my life, though I have heard it said that a messy desk (dresser?) reflects an organized mind. Perhaps, in some way, it reflects all our lives…maybe even life itself.

Life just gets messy sometimes, doesn’t it? We have a mess that’s far worse than any clutter we might have around on our desk or on our dresser. Maybe for you, the mess is in the closet or under the bed, but you know there’s a mess somewhere.

For others of us, maybe it’s a mess of someone else’s doing…a mess that is worse than a massive sewer backup in our homes. We have the mess of sin that hangs on us. Sometimes, we need the mess to be cleaned up. And, that’s exactly what God does for us. He cleans and purifies. Not only does God clean and purify us, he prepares the way for that purification to ensure our hearts are ready.

An Old Testament Messenger

Malachi is the last of the Old Testament Prophets. He’s writing a prophecy at a messy time in the life of the nation of Israel. This prophet was writing to the nation after their return to the Promised Land after a 70 year exile into Babylon.

Since their return, Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the temple restored, but the people had not learned their lesson from the exile. They had grown skeptical of God’s love, careless in worship, indifferent to the truth, disobedient to the covenant, faithless in their marriages and stingy in their offerings. In other words, their lives were a mess and the nation was a mess.

It was into that mess that God would use Malachi to plea to His people. It was a plea for God’s people to clean their mess up. Yet he uttered the plea as a hopeful refrain. Yes, it was a mess, but God would send someone to clean up the mess. That’s the message of Advent! That the world needs a Savior indicates the world needs saving!

For Malachi, everything God was going to do was going to happen later—much later. It would be more than 400 years before God would bring these prophecies and promises to completion. And in some respect, you and I are still waiting for the full realization of all that God promises as well.

Malachi begins with a promise from God, “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1) We see this promise of one who prepares the way especially clear in the work of John the Baptist more than 400 years after Malachi wrote these words. John is Jesus’ cousin, roughly 6 months older than Jesus, whose work would be to get people ready for Jesus’ ministry. A lot of John’s work is not what we would call fun. He was called on to point out the people’s sins and to call them to repentance.

Confronting Life’s Mess

Not many people like to hear about their sin. In fact, we could safely say that no one likes to hear about their sins. We may recognize that it’s necessary, but it’s never a fun thing to be told that what you’re doing, saying, planning, or thinking is wrong. And yet we need to hear that.

I need to hear my dresser is a mess. You and I need to have the mirror of God’s Word held up to our faces to show us exactly as we are: people who are completely and hopelessly a mess. We’ve taken every opportunity we can to offend God, either consciously or unconsciously. Our hearts are filled with selfishness and envy.

Materialism is our idol. Doubt it? How much will you spend on Christmas this year? And, the people who lived in Malachi’s day weren’t different, and those to whom John the Baptist witnessed were no different. It’s called the human condition. 

Fire and Soap

Malachi uses two images to describe how God would clean up the mess. He describes Jesus as a metal refiner and launderer: “For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver” (Malachi 3:3).

So, what about the “soap and fire”? Malachi gives us an image of both God’s judgment and redemption. On the one hand, the prophet says: when God comes in judgment nobody can stand up against His power. Let’s face it, if God starts ticking-off the sinfulness of a man, who is good enough to say, “I’m better than that.”? To do so would make God a liar.

On the other hand, Malachi gives us a glimpse of redemption in the refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap. We may be sinful and undone before God, but God does something for us that we cannot do for ourselves… he cleans and purifies. This has been God’s intention in every contact with humanity—to make us whole, and to make us fit for relationship with him.

Fuller’s soap is not your average bar of Dove or Ivory; it is a harsh, earthy substance that scrubs away the whole top surface of skin.

The refiner’s fire calls for an interactive change. Refining precious metals is a wonderful picture of what God does for us.

All precious metals dug from the earth have a certain amount of impurities. When subjected to heat, gold will melt and run out of the crucible, leaving the impure stuff behind. The less impurities, the more the shine of your gold ring! It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about grit in the gold or sin in the soul….getting it out increases the value.

Go down to the local jewelry store and buy your honey a gold ring for Christmas and you’ll discover that jewelry is 99.9% pure. That’s fine for something you wear on the outside. But, did you know that there are other uses for gold that call for the gold to be even more pure?

Do you know what they use in your computer to make all the little connections that spread information all over the world? Gold!

Do you know what metal they use to connect the most important technology in the space shuttle? Gold! 

Do you know that gold, silver, platinum and more precious metals are used in the machines a doctor uses to do your MRI and CAT-scan? Do you know the gold that is used in all that technology is 99.9999% pure?

Jesus is the “Mess”-enger

All that gold is on the inside. You see, it’s great to clean up the mess on the outside, but what really changes the world and our relationships is when we clean up the mess on the inside. That’s why we need Jesus. That why we need his cross. 

It is Jesus who is the refiner and launderer. It is he who will purify the people of the covenant. And, despite our feelings or fears about the matter, this is actually good news! Sin separates us from God. Sin clouds and distorts the good creation God made us to be. And we are helpless to clean ourselves. Enter the refiner of gold and the washer of clothes, to do the cleaning for us.

It is not an easy process, of course. There is pain involved in refining and cleansing. There is pain involved in dying and rising. But it is a process that is designed for our good, for our well-being, to prepare us for the coming of the Lord. God comes into our midst as Emmanuel, comes to destroy the evil in us and in the world, comes to draw us out of death into life.

In the working of the Holy Spirit to create faith in our hearts, Jesus has taken each and every one of us and scrubbed us and burned off the mess that was on and inside of us. And his job isn’t like my job cleaning off my dresser which far too quickly descends into chaos again; Jesus’ work is permanent. When Jesus removes sins, they are gone. When he cleans us, we are clean forever. When we are refined by him, we are pure through eternity.

Jesus had work to do, elbow grease to put into that work. To make us pure, he had to become corrupted; to clean us he had to descend into the muck and mire of sin.

The apostle Paul clearly lays out for us what God did: “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus gave everything to purify us. In his death we are set free from sin; in his resurrection we are assured of our eternal life with him. We will live because he died and rose. We are pure because he purified us of sin.

Malachi notes that this cleansing will mean a change in people. Before Jesus, we were scared to even think about God. The imperfect cannot stand in the presence of perfection; the sinner cannot stand before the holy God. But now we are not imperfect, but perfect; now we are not impure, but pure. And so now we can approach God in confidence and thankful joy. 

Become the “Mess”-enger, Too

We are able to bring thanksgiving to God for what he’s done for us. The way we do that may vary depending on the day and our particular station in life. Maybe it’s helping an elderly parent in failing health; maybe it’s supporting a coworker who is stressed beyond belief at work; maybe it’s helping a friend who is going to through a difficult time in her life; maybe it’s simply commending the concerns and worries of this life in prayer to the God who can really, actually, bring about a change—the one who can purify the sinful and restore the brokenhearted.

Ultimately, we express our thanks in doing exactly what John the Baptist did: preparing the way for God’s purification. When we thankfully share our faith with others, when we share what Jesus has done, when we lead people into God’s Word to see his pure, perfect, and all-sufficient revelation for mankind, we are preparing the way for the Lord to create faith in their heart as well, that maybe, just maybe, their lives won’t continue to be such a mess because they’ve encountered the Lord’s “Mess”-enger themselves.

Happy Advent!

Until next time, keep looking up…

My Advent Prayer for You…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Welcome to another Advent season. As this season begins, I’m reflecting on the rich passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians—Philippians 1:3-11. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession that reveals the deep affection and partnership Paul shares with the Philippian church.

It is a beautiful expression of gratitude for the work God is doing in the lives of believers and a prayer for their continued growth in faith. I make it my prayer for you and me in this Advent season.

A Prayer for Joy

Paul opens his prayer by expressing his heartfelt gratitude to God for the Philippians:  

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” v. 3-5

Notice the first thing that Paul mentions is joy. Even though Paul is writing this letter from prison, surrounded by hardship and uncertainty, he speaks with joy. His joy does not come from his circumstances but from the deep sense of connection he feels with the Philippians in their shared mission—the gospel partnership.

The word “partnership” in verse 5 comes from the Greek word *koinonia*, which means fellowship or sharing. This word suggests a deep and mutual participation in something greater than themselves, something that binds the hearts of the Philippians and Paul together. It is not merely a partnership in temporal matters but in the eternal work of the gospel. Their shared commitment to the gospel—through supporting Paul’s ministry, sharing the message, and living out their faith—has brought them into a deep fellowship with one another and with God.

As we reflect on this, we should ask ourselves: What brings us joy in our Christian lives? Is it our circumstances, our achievements, or our comfort? Or is it the joy of partnering together in the gospel, sharing in the mission of Christ to proclaim salvation to the world? True joy in the Christian life is found in knowing we are participating in something eternal, something that transcends our struggles and challenges.

In the body of Christ, we are not lone wolves; we are partners in the gospel, united by the love of Christ and the call to advance His Kingdom. This partnership transcends time and space. We are not just united with those around us but with Christians throughout history and across the world.

My prayer is we will take joy in this shared mission.

A Prayer for Assurance

Paul goes on to express his confidence in the work God is doing in the lives of the Philippians:  

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” v. 6

Note Paul’s confidence, not in the Philippians’ ability to carry out the work, but in God’s faithfulness. He is convinced that the work God started in them, the work of salvation and sanctification, will continue until it is completed on the day of Christ Jesus. What a powerful statement of assurance that should comfort all of us who follow Jesus.

When we come to faith in Christ, we are not left to fend for ourselves. God is the one who begins the work, and He is the one who brings it to completion. This is the essence of what we Wesleyans call sanctification—that those who are saved will be kept by God’s power and will grow in holiness until we are fully conformed to the image of Christ at His return.

In our lives, this truth is especially comforting when we face doubts, setbacks, or periods of spiritual dryness. We may wonder if we will ever change or if we will ever see victory over sin. But Paul reminds us that God is at work in us, even when we cannot see it. The process of sanctification—the ongoing work of becoming more like Christ—is a long one, but it is God’s work, and He is faithful to complete it.

This should lead us to a place of both humility and hope. We cannot boast in our progress or accomplishments, for it is God who works in us. But neither should we despair, for God is faithful to finish what He started.

A Prayer for Maturity

Paul ends his prayer for the Philippians’ growth in spiritual maturity:  

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” v. 9-11

Paul prays not merely that they would endure, but that they would grow. His desire for them is not just for outward success or for temporary relief, but for a profound transformation of their hearts and lives. So, what is it that needs transforming?

A Transformation of Love

Paul prays for their love to “abound more and more.”

The foundation of Christian maturity is love—love for God and love for one another. This love is not naïve or sentimental. He prays that their love may abound “in knowledge and depth of insight.”

Our love is to be informed by truth, guided by wisdom, and rooted in an understanding of God’s Word and God’s will. It is not shallow, emotion-driven love but a love that seeks the highest good of others, motivated by the gospel.

A Transformation of Discernment

Paul prays that they may be able to “discern what is best.”

Discernment is crucial for living as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to simply know what is good or acceptable; Disciples are called to know what is best—to seek God’s will in all things and make choices that honor Him. This requires wisdom, prayer, and a deep knowledge of God’s Word.

A Transformation of Purity

Paul also prays that they would be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

It is a prayer for holiness in our lives. We are called to live lives that are set apart for God’s glory, reflecting His character to the world. Purity and blamelessness do not mean perfection in this life, but a continual striving toward righteousness and a heart that is surrendered to Christ.

It’s just another way of saying we must continue to grow in grace–that whole idea of sanctification, again. It really was important to Paul. It should be equally important to us!

A Transformation of Fruitfulness

Finally, Paul prays that they would be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”

The fruit of righteousness refers to the evidence of a transformed life–love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (otherwise known as the fruit of the Spirit–see Galatian 5:22-23).

These acts of righteousness are not the result of our own efforts but come through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, who works in us to produce good works that glorify God.

All of these elements—love, discernment, purity, and fruitfulness—are intertwined. A growing love for God and others leads to greater discernment, which in turn leads to a life marked by purity and good works. And the end result of all this is the glory and praise of God.

Happy Advent

As I reflect on Philippians 1:3-11, I am reminded of the deep joy and privilege I have in being partners with each of you in the gospel. This is a divine calling that unites us with one another and with God’s eternal purposes. We are confident that the work God has begun in us will be completed, and we can be assured that He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity.

I pray that your love may abound more and more, that you may have discernment to know what is best, that you may live pure and blameless lives, and that you may bear the fruit of righteousness for the glory of God–and that even more as we see the day of His return approaching (which is really what the Advent season is all about).

Will you also pray these same things for me?

Until next time, keep looking up…

God with Us…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

My wife, Vanessa, and I like to get away to L. A. as often as we can. No, I’m not talking about Los Angeles. I’m talking about lower Alabama. Driving across southern Mississippi we go through a lot of little towns on Highway 49. One in particular is Mt. Olive, Mississippi. Driving into town there is a prominent sign that says “Birthplace of Steve McNair.” Steve McNair was a professional football player who played quarterback, and spent most of his career with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.

A little further down Highway 49, you enter Collins, Mississippi, and again, at the entrance of town there’s a sign that says “Birthplace of Gerald McRaney.” Gerald McRaney is an actor who played in series such as Simon & Simon, House of Cards and more recently, This Is Us. I don’t know how many of you have driven through Mt. Olive or Collins, Mississippi, but there isn’t much happening in either of those places. They are simply little towns nestled between the bigger cities of Jackson and Hattiesburg. Their claim to fame is who was born there.

Now, picture in your mind, riding your camel across the Judean desert southward out of Jerusalem in the first century. About five miles out of Jerusalem, you start to enter a sleepy little town called Bethlehem, and as your camel glides into town you see a sign that says, “Birthplace of King David.”  

Bethlehem’s claim to fame was that it was the birthplace of the nation’s most famous and popular king. One scholar says, “’At the beginning of the first century AD, Bethlehem was a village with not more than a thousand inhabitants: a small set of houses scattered along the side of a ridge and protected by a wall that was in a bad state of repair.”

We sing the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem with the emphasis on “little.” It was not where anyone was expecting anything special to happen. It certainly wasn’t where anyone was expecting God to show up. Sure, there had been this prophecy from Micah that said,

 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.”

Micah 5:2 (NLT)

Micah’s prophecy was long since buried in the recesses of the nation’s mind. Even the nation’s king, Herod, had to call on the experts to be reminded of Micah’s prophecy when the wise men showed up looking for this “new” king that was born. 

Nobody really expected God to show up, or for God to do anything special in Bethlehem. If God was going to show up, God was going to show up in Jerusalem. That was the happening place for the nation of Israel. Of course, God might show up in Rome, or even Athens, Greece. Those places were the center of first century culture, politics and power. If something is going to happen, it would surely happen in one of those places, not sleepy little Bethlehem.

That’s what we expect, too, and we have the benefit of bible stories and an annual celebration to remind us that God shows up in unexpected places. What do I mean? God is a big God, and if God is going to make a difference, it’s because He’s going to do it in a big way. Right? Sure, like in New York City or Washington, D. C., or maybe Paris or London. Those are the seats of power. We certainly don’t expect God to show up in places like Minden. But, He does, and isn’t that Good News? Sure it is…sort of…

If God shows up in Minden (or wherever you live), that brings Him awfully close to home, and we’re just not sure we want God that close. We like having a little space between God and us. You know how we like our space. Don’t get too close. Don’t believe it? Notice what you do next time you’re waiting on the elevator and the doors open and it’s got more than four people on it. Most of us will wait on the next one. Let me tell you, Bethlehem is evidence that God doesn’t really respect our space, and we don’t quite know what to do with a God like that. 

What do we do with a God like that? What do we do with a God who shows up in the most unexpected places? I tell you what we do—we build places where we will COME and meet God. We’ll come, sit down, listen for an hour or so, get our God fix, talk a little bit about how it’s been going for the last week, be reminded of the things we need to work on, resolve to do better and ask God to help us out. Most of the time we’ll leave saying, “Hey, this has been a good session. We’ll do this again.” We leave and we expect that God stays, but…that’s not the evidence of Bethlehem. That’s not Emmanuel—God with us. That’s not the point of Christmas at all!

The point of Christmas is that God is with us in all the unexpected ways and all the unexpected places of our lives. That’s what we sing in the words to the third verse of the song Phillips Brooks wrote in O Little Town of Bethlehem: 

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given;

so God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.

God imparts to human hearts. God is born in us. Christmas is God being born in us—you and me! And, that is an even more unexpected place than Bethlehem. Christmas means that God goes with us to work. When we’re standing on Monday morning at that blasted copy machine that never works the way it was designed to work.

God is with us at home with our families, around the dinner table, and God is with us when we’re living at the homeless shelter. God is with us when we’re going through the divorce and when we’re battling the addiction. God is with us when we’re shopping at Wal-Mart and when we’re driving our cars. God goes with us on vacation.

God is right there with us when we’re confronted with choices that challenge our values, and God is right there when our co-workers, or friends, or children make lifestyle choices that challenge our sensibilities, and who don’t understand who Christ is because we’re the only definition of him they see. 

Yes, God is with us in the great, high and holy moments of our lives, but God is also with us when we’re struggling with the difficulties of life. Christmas is God giving Himself to us, to be with us, to invade our time and space for one purpose and one purpose only—to have a relationship with us, to save us from our sin, and to give us life through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s the evidence of Bethlehem. That’s the point of Christmas!

That only leaves one question: Will we allow Him to be born in us today? The last verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem becomes our prayer this Christmas and every Christmas. Listen to Brooks’ prayer again:

O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!     

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Merry Christmas, y’all!

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Different Kind of Christmas…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

This Christmas promises to be different than any other in our memories. We can thank COVID-19 for that. For many people, there were no office Christmas parties (although some probably celebrated that!), and for others there will be no family gatherings for the first time…well, in forever. For so many churches, there will be no in-person Christmas Eve service, no Christmas Eve candlelight, no Silent Night, no lighting of the Christ candle. Sure, there will be on-line attempts, but those on-line attempts won’t capture the beauty or the atmosphere of God’s people gathered to worship on a high, holy occasion. It will just be a different kind of Christmas this year. I suppose that’s the very reason we need Christmas now more than ever!

We need Christmas now more than ever because this has just been such a year…such a few years, I should say. Let’s see…in 2020…there’s been a pandemic, and because of it, lots of death–physical death, to be sure, but also the death of businesses, jobs, livelihoods and families. Oh, and don’t forget the 2020 hurricane season was a record breaker, too. Here in Louisiana, we took the brunt of five named storms (a record), and damage from two of those storms were felt in parts of the state rarely impacted by hurricanes (yep, my house took a tree). We also can’t forget the 2020 election cycle, can we? Whether you like the outcome or not, you do have to like the fact that it’s finally behind us. As I reflect on both the pandemic and the election season, I’m reminded of the joke that Santa said he was no longer making a naughty and nice list because he can no longer tell the difference. Yeah, we need Christmas now more than ever!

An Old Testament Christmas

We need Christmas now more than ever because we need hope now more than ever. What is Christmas but hope? It was the hope of Christmas that the prophet Isaiah captured some 700 years before the birth of Jesus in a manger. The passage from his prophecy has become a classic Christmas passage:

2 The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
    and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
    They will be fuel for the fire.

6 For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! (Isaiah 9: 2 – 7 NLT)

Writing most likely from Jerusalem, Isaiah looked around at the nation and saw a world in darkness. He saw government and religious corruption. Sound familiar? He saw the poor and widows and orphans mistreated. Hmm? Sound familiar? He saw a general lack of respect of the people for one another. Sound really familiar? In short, Isaiah saw people who had turned their backs on God and were without hope, and that caused darkness. It was not a literal darkness, but a spiritual one. His promise (and hope) was that a light would shine, and all who lived in darkness would see it. The light would bring hope…the hope of God’s salvation.

I am reminded by the prophet’s words, and by Christmas itself, that my hope is not in the movers and shakers of this world, but in the promised Savior that is announced at Christmas…our Lord, Jesus Christ. We need Christmas because we need the light of Christ shining among us. Yes, it will be a different kind of Christmas, but a different kind of Christmas can’t diminish the light that comes because it is still Christmas.

The Light of the World

The Light will always be here. The Light will never go away. But people who are in sin or despair sit in darkness, and cannot see the Light. That’s why we need Christmas now more than ever, and that’s why we must be people of hope now more than ever.

John, in his gospel, tells us Jesus is the Light, and even Jesus said He was the light of the world (John 8:12). But, I remind us that in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Jesus is the true Light from heaven, but John reminds us that we are witnesses of the Light. And, we are, aren’t we? Even if we can’t gather as the body of Christ, we are still the light of the world, unless of course, we simply gathered because we wanted to feel good about ourselves. No, we gathered because we’re witnesses to the Light. The worst thing in the world (and for the world) that can happen is for us to not live in the hope of Christmas even though it will be a different kind of Christmas this year. This year of all years, we must carry the testimony of Christmas into a dark, hurting world.

The world is longing for light, like we long for that candle on a dark, stormy night. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:

19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. (Romans 8: 19-24 NLT)

Paul’s words remind us that we, too, are longing for the light. Yes, we’ve caught the glimpse…we’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel…but, our bones ache in different ways the older we get, and they remind us that all is not right just yet. We are reminded that we, too, struggle with sin and that darkness threatens us on a daily basis. Especially, this time of year, when we think everything should be perfect, and we strive for perfection, that something is bound to go wrong, and we are tempted to lose hope ourselves. But, the world needs us to live in hope because it’s still Christmas.

There was a youth group at a church that was performing a living nativity. Joseph and Mary and all the other characters were ready and in their places. They did their parts with seriousness and commitment, looking as pious as they possibly could. It came time for the shepherds to enter. Dressed in flannel bathrobes with towels for turbans, the shepherds proceeded to the altar steps where Mary and Joseph looked earnestly at the straw, which contained a single naked light bulb that played the part of the glowing newborn Jesus.

With his back to the congregation, one of the shepherds said to the little boy playing Joseph (in a very loud whisper for all the cast to hear), “Well, Joe, when are you gonna’ pass out cigars?”

The solemn moment was not simply broken by his remark, it exploded. Mary and Joseph’s cover was completely destroyed as it became impossible to hold back the bursts of laughter. The chief angel, standing on a chair behind them shook so hard in laughter that she fell off her chair and took the curtain back drop and all the rest of the props down with her. She just kept rolling around on the floor holding her stomach because she was laughing so hard. The whole set was in shambles.

Amazingly, the only thing that did not go to pieces was the light bulb in the manger. It never stopped shining. Friends, that baby in the manger is the light of our world, even when our world is in shambles, for in that light the divine and the human cross paths. Jesus is our living, breathing sign of hope, and the immeasurable love that God has had for all of us from the very beginning. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5: 16 KJV).

Yes, it will be a different kind of Christmas…but, it’s still Christmas!

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Little Irony at Christmas…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

Thomas Edison is credited with changing the way Christmas was lighted, not because he invented the incandescent bulb, but because he chose Christmas as the time to market the incandescent bulb. Edison’s marketing trick during the holiday season of 1880 was to display his invention as a means of heightening Yuletide excitement; he strung up incandescent bulbs all around his Menlo Park laboratory compound so that passing commuters on the nearby railway could see the Christmas miracle. But, Edison being Edison decided to make the challenge a little trickier by powering the lights from a remote generator eight miles away in an effort to gain a contract to provide electricity to Manhattan.

Did you catch the irony? Electric Christmas lights were a marketing ploy in the middle of the most marketed holiday ever. Two years later, in 1882 Edison’s partner Edward Johnson strung lights on his family’s Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree and the world saw the first electrically lighted tree. The practice didn’t catch on too quickly because it was too expensive for the average American to string lights on trees. Not until 1917 did electric lights become affordable for the average American, and they’ve been marketed successfully ever since. It’s okay, though. Lights are pretty, and they add so much to the season, and when we remember why we have lights we recapture the essence of the season, and we can handle the irony.

Irony at the Manger

There’s more than a little irony associated with the nativity, too. How ironic is it that the Prince of Peace should be born during a time known as the Pax Romana—a time known as the Peace of Rome? Yet, the Jews were an oppressed people living in an occupied land. Though there was no outright conflict in the world, there was unrest in the hearts of the people. They were, even in those days, restless for God.

And, how ironic that this One born the Prince of Peace would, himself, bring so much conflict among people? Consider that because of this peaceful manger scene every child under the age of two would be slaughtered due to Herod’s insecurity. Consider the scene in Luke’s Gospel when Jesus’ hometown folks sought to shove him off a cliff, and consider the attacks Jesus endured from the very Roman occupiers who demanded that Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem—attacks that took him to the cross. And, consider the conflict the early disciples endured because they followed this One we call the Prince of Peace. Oh! There is more than a little irony when we consider that Christ is the Prince of Peace.

Light brightens the darkness. Light, as the prophet Isaiah says, “will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow.” And, the prophet says this light will shine in a day of peace. We hear a lot about peace in the nativity story. It starts with the prophet Isaiah who speaks of a resounding peace that comes amid the vivid imagery of the boots of tramping warriors and battle garments rolled in blood all of which will be burned as fuel for the fire to usher in the One who will be known as the Prince of Peace. 

According to Luke, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, the ones who appeared to the shepherds that night of Jesus’ birth, sang of “Peace on earth good will to all whom God favors.” And our favorite carols pick up the theme as well.

Silent night, holy night. All is calm all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

Somehow the image of a newborn child and our longing for peace go hand in hand. The baby Jesus, lying in a manger, offers a symbol of peacefulness and calm that speaks to our soul, especially when we consider the chaotic time in which we live. Jesus as the Prince of Peace in a chaotic world seems like a marketing ploy, like someone’s trying to sell us a bill of goods. When we consider 2020 and the pandemic, rioting and looting, cities ablaze, and of course, the election (and its aftermath), peace seems so unattainable. How do we look at a baby in a manger and see peace? How can we see light shining in the midst of dark, chaotic world?

Searching for Shalom

Too often, the term peace has been connected with the absence of war, or even the absence of conflict. If there is no war – there is peace. However, the word that is used in the Old Testament for peace is “Shalom,” and it means so much more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is used to describe the end of hostilities, but the word itself also denotes health and wholeness. It denotes harmony and completeness. To have shalom is to have a quiet life and a fulfilled life in every way. When you have shalom there is no feeling of harm or hurt. When you have shalom you are in a state of ease and safety. In a state of shalom there is no fear whatsoever, nor is there any worry. There is a sense of harmony and oneness. Everything is exactly the way it should be. Nothing is out of order. Your inner world as well as the outer world is in harmony. This is shalom – this is the peace that Jesus brings for He is – Our Prince of Peace.

Down deep inside, don’t we all long to have this sense of peace? Deep inside every one of us is a God-given longing that there would be a greater sense of shalom within ourselves, within our families, within our nation, and between nations. 

Isaiah felt the same way. Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet and he had the same longings. The year was 700 B.C. The Jews had been fighting for forty years. First, they fought with the Assyrians, then the Egyptians, then the Assyrians again, then the Egyptians again. An entire generation had grown up knowing war, with a spear in one hand and a sword in the other. From the time a kid was three years old, all they were doing was playing war games.

Can you imagine forty years of that kind of life? Isaiah was tired of it. He was tired of four decades of killing. He was tired of kids being trained to kill. He was tired of mothers and fathers and sons and daughters fighting with each other. Isaiah longed for peace; he longed for peace as much as a parched, dry, thirsty man longs for water, or a starving man longs for bread. Isaiah longed for peace because he had experienced so much war.

Isaiah longed for peace perhaps because he had read the book of Genesis, and he knew that God created us to be peaceful with each other. Isaiah knew that we were made in the image of God, and therefore we are made to be peaceful with each other.

Made for Peace

When God created Adam and Eve and humankind, it was not God’s intention for us to hurt each other. It was not God’s intentions for mothers and fathers, and husbands and wives, and blacks and whites, and Arabs and Israelis, and Russians and Americans, Muslims and Christians, to be at war with each other.

We are made in the image of God. We are made for peace.  That’s why, down in our hearts, every time we fight with our spouse, or our children, or even ourselves, we don’t like it. You and I have been made by God to be peaceful people. We always feel so much better about life when we are at peace with ourselves, family, and each other.

Peace with ourselves and with one another starts with peace with God. Here is where a little light begins to shine in the darkness. Though we are made in the image of God, sin has stained that image. Each of us, because of sin, has a problem with God. Our sin has separated us from God. The Bible says that we deserve punishment for our sin. Before we can have peace with God, something must be done about sin.

Guess what? Something has been done! God sent the Prince of Peace to deal with the situation. He sent the Prince of Peace to fix the problem. He sent the Prince of Peace to give us peace with God. 

The good news of the child who is born a savior is that he comes to a world we know and bears upon him the sins that we bear. God has entered into this life of ours and taken it upon himself, and in so doing, sets us right with Himself, makes peace. There is a caveat, though. The angels in the Christmas story were singing high above the shepherds and they sang, “Peace on earth to all whom God favors.” The angels did not sing, “Peace on earth for all people…Peace on earth, carte blanche. Anyone with a credit card can charge it.” Rather, the song of peace adds a crucial ingredient, “to all whom God favors”—that is, people who trust in Jesus Christ will find shalom.

Let me tell you about Robert Reid. Not the actor, but the missionary. Robert graduated from high school and then from Abilene Christian University with a degree in Latin. He taught at a junior college in St. Louis and ventured overseas on five mission trips before moving to Lisbon as a missionary in 1972. He rented a hotel room and began studying Portuguese. He found a restaurant owner who would feed him because he was unable to feed himself. That’s because Robert’s hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. He can’t brush his own teeth. He can’t put on his own underwear. His shirts are held together by strips of Velcro. His speech drags like a worn out audio cassette. He can’t drive a car. He can’t ride a bike. He can’t even go for walk. Robert has cerebral palsy. But that did not keep him from becoming a missionary to Portugal.

Robert would go daily to the park. He would station himself there and with his twisted hands he would pass out brochures about Jesus. Within six years he helped seventy people come to know the love of God in Jesus Christ, one who became his wife, Rosa.

Robert could have been bitter because of his disease, but he wasn’t. Robert could have asked for pity, but he didn’t. Robert holds his bent and twisted hands in the air and yells, “I have everything I need for joy! Amazing!” Robert can do that because he has peace. Robert can do that because he has met the Prince of Peace – Jesus.

Peace can and does happen, even in a chaotic world. Peace can happen, even in us. Peace can happen in our marriages. Peace can happen in our children.  Peace can happen because we are made in the image of God.  We are made for peace and we long for peace and we then work for peace because the Prince of Peace is working inside of us. How ironic that we who seem to have such dark, chaotic lives have been called to be light in a dark world. How ironic that we who seem to so often lack peace are called work for peace in this world. Yeah, there’s more than a little irony in the Christmas story.

Until next time, keep looking up…

“Joy” to the World…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

You can’t have Christmas without lights AND you can’t have Christmas without music. The two go together, as Forrest Gump would say, “Like peas and carrots.” Some homeowners these days are even investing in the electronics necessary to make the lights on their homes dance to the music of the season (Clark Griswold would be so jealous).

Songs of the Season

The songs of the season (at least the religious ones) share a common theme. We sing “Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King.” The words of Psalm 96 and its companion Psalm 98 are reflected in Isaac Watts masterful creation that remains the most published Christian hymn in North America. Joy to the World is not the only song that carries the same theme. Listen to Charles Wesley’s great hymn:

  • Hark the herald angels sing
    “Glory to the newborn King!
    Peace on earth and mercy mild
    God and sinners reconciled”
    Joyful, all ye nations rise
    Join the triumph of the skies
    With the angelic host proclaim:
    “Christ is born in Bethlehem”
    Hark! The herald angels sing
    “Glory to the newborn King!”
  • And, the refrain from O Come, O Come Emmanuel proclaims: “Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
  • Can we forget O Come All Ye Faithful? Doesn’t it say how we’re supposed to come? “Joyful and triumphant.”
  • And, of course, there is the magnificent Angels from the Realms of Glory:

Angels we have on heard high, Sweetly singing ore the plains, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains

Each of the songs of the season echo exactly what the Psalmist sang in Psalm 96:11 – 13…

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming!

This is the “joyous” season, but there is a bit of a hollow ring each year at Christmas when we speak of joy. Christmas is, for many, the saddest time of the year. Many people find the stress of the holiday season overwhelming. Others battle depression, social isolation and loneliness. Still others are grieving the loss of a loved one. And, in this year of Covid-19, songs of joy, and smiling faces, and parties and gifts and such don’t really mean that much when no one really knows what Christmas gatherings will look like, or you’re living on the street in a cardboard box, or in a shelter with just the clothes on your back.

Chippie

There are, in fact, many people having a “Chippie” moment right now. You know who “Chippie” is, right? Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm tells Chippie’s story. It all began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean out his cage with a vacuum. She stuck the nozzle into the cage to clean up the bottom of the cage. Suddenly the phone rang. She reached for the phone with her free hand and not realizing it, her hand holding the nozzle rose slowly upward and sucked Chippie into the vacuum cleaner. Realizing what she had done, she dropped the phone and turned off the vacuum. 

With her heart in her mouth, she opened the vacuum bag to rescue poor Chippie. Chippie was stunned and covered head to foot with gray dust, but thankfully he was still alive. She grabbed him and rushed him to the bathtub, turned on the cold water full blast and held him under the water giving him a power washing. Then it dawned on her that Chippie was soaking wet and shivering, so she did what any compassionate pet-owner would do. She snatched up the blow dryer and blasted him with hot air.

You may be wondering if Chippie survived all this. Yes, he did, but Lucado says, Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He mostly just sits there in his cage eyeing the closet where the vacuum cleaner is kept. Being sucked up, washed out, and blown over has stolen the joy from his heart.

There are a lot of people in the world living their “Chippie” moment this Christmas—maybe even a few reading this today. My prayer for you is that you will find joy this season.

Joy vs. Happiness

Don’t confuse joy with happiness, though. The two are not the same. Yes, joy can bring happiness, but happiness is too dependent upon what happens to us, and what happens to us is not always bright and wonderful. Sometimes, life happens to us, and life can be unkind. Joy abides in spite of what happens because joy is a gift, and the gift is Jesus Christ. He is our joy!

See, it works like this. While the happenings of life may not be “good news,” word of a Savior is “good news.” As a matter of fact, it’s the Gospel. There is One who came to deliver us from the brokenness of this world. There is One who came to give us strength. There is One who came to offer hope, to bring peace, and to show us love. That One is Jesus Christ, and to a person living the chippie moments of life, the realization that life will not always be like this brings its own joy. 

When we encounter Jesus, either in a manger, or on the cross, or risen in victory over death, joy captures us, and it causes us to worship. We get a glimpse of the glory and greatness of God, and joy captures us. Joy captures us when we see God’s promises fulfilled. Joy captures us when we experience God’s presence in new and life-changing ways. Oh, no, my friends! We can’t find joy! Joy finds us in the gift that is Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul knew that joy finds us because it found him. Paul was a “chippie.” He had been stripped of everything, locked in a cold, dark, and wet prison cell, and had even been sentenced to die. And he sits down to write his friends in Philippi. “Yep, I’m in prison, again. This time sentenced to die, and oh, by the way, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again rejoice!” From a cold, dark prison cell Paul writes a brief letter and mentions joy ten times! TEN TIMES!

How can Paul do that? He doesn’t have anything to be joyful about. His life is on the line, he is cold, wet, and tired, he has no freedom, has no shiny car with a bright red ribbon waiting for him in the driveway, no limited time diamond earring and necklace sale to take advantage of, no latest computer game or smartphone to occupy his time. He is parted from family and friends, and can’t take a single bit of joy from a job well done because well, being in prison has put his flourishing church-planting career on hold.

Yet over and over again, Paul brings up joy. Somehow he got it into his head, that you don’t need all that stuff to have joy. Even his earthly life being in jeopardy could not part him from joy. For Paul, joy doesn’t come from the world. It comes from God. God is the giver of true joy. God is the giver of a peace that passes all understanding. And, it doesn’t come from something we buy. It comes from something freely given—a person, Jesus Christ. Paul’s great joy was his assurance from God. He knew that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is through Christ Jesus our Lord. We, too, have this great joy.

This truth is, of course, summed up in a song. My favorite, and I believe the song that captures the heart of Christmas as well as any other is O Holy Night. Take a listen:

Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name

The light of joy is Jesus Christ. Lights and music. They are peas and carrots, indeed!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Sometimes, I Just Need Reminding…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

The holidays are upon us yet again, and for that I am grateful. Not only is it the best time of the year, but this year, it indicates that 2020 is almost over! If there’s ever been a time when I couldn’t wait for a year to be over it’s this year. Of course, there is no way I’m going to say 2021 has to be a better year. That will jinx it for sure, so I’ll just stick with “I can’t wait for 2020 to be over!”

The holidays usually have their own unique stressors, but 2020 (as with everything else) will be unique in that the usual stress will be compounded by the added stress of Covid-19. Rather than the stress of parties and plans, it will be the stress (depression?) of canceled plans. If we follow the “guidelines,” we’ll all have a Zoom Christmas this year. I must confess that I’m grateful to not have the stress of making decisions about Christmas Eve services. I pray for my colleagues who are!

Photo by Oleg Zaicev on Pexels.com

So, I’m taking a little time this morning to remind myself of advice I’ve offered believers almost every year for the past twenty years. I find the advice in Paul’s love letter to the Church at Philippi. The encouragement he offers the Church there is encouragement to me as we head into the holiday season, and it actually works pretty well the rest of the year, too.

THINK TO THANK

Paul begins his letter to Philippi with gratitude: “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Phil. 1:3). Gratitude seems like an appropriate place to begin the holiday season. If you’ve been in the local stores, you would think that Thanksgiving has been skipped this year. Hey? We’re doing it at home, too. People put up their Christmas trees and lights in October in an effort to hasten the year’s end. Trust me! It didn’t get here any quicker.

Let’s not forget to be thankful…even for the year 2020. Gratitude can set the tone (change the tone?) for all that is happening in our lives. Even in the midst of a pandemic there is much for which to be grateful. What can we be grateful fo? I’m glad you asked. We can look to Paul for an answer.

First, we can be grateful that we are not alone (even though “officials” are encouraging limited gatherings). Paul called the Philippians “partners in spreading the Good News” (v. 5). We need to acknowledge and express our gratitude for those who share the life of Christian faith with us. We, indeed, are not alone.

One of the buzz phrases of the pandemic (although we don’t hear it as much lately) has been “We’re all in this together” (though an argument could be made that we’re not “together” [see here]). We all do share the same stress of the pandemic, that much is true, so in that regard we are not alone. But, as believers in Jesus Christ, our faith journey is shared with other believers, and there is hope in that for us, and we should be grateful.

Ironically, the holidays are the loneliest time of the year for many people. Whether the death of a loved one, a divorce or the empty nest syndrome, a first holiday season with changed circumstances can create its own type of loneliness (and it will be made worse by the pandemic). We are the body of Christ, and we have the body of Christ (even in a pandemic) to share life with. We are not alone!

Of course, that means we shouldn’t let others be alone either. We should look for ways to reach out to those who may be experiencing loneliness this holiday season. Perhaps it’s the neighbor who lost a spouse this year. Perhaps it’s a friend who has gone through a divorce, or a parent who lost a child. Whoever it may be, discover ways (yes, even in a pandemic) to reach out to share hope and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Another thing for which I can be grateful is that God is still working on me. Paul writes to the Philippians, “And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again” (v. 6). That’s Good News! I can’t read this verse and not consider a Wesleyan understanding of “sanctifying” grace. It simply means “God is still working on me!” (Some would say He’s got a lot of work to do, but that’s another blog!)

Here’s something I consider, too. If God is not done with me yet, then there’s a better than even chance that He’s not done with whomever I encounter this holiday season. When I’m impatient with a cashier, I need remember that they are in need of grace, too. Why shouldn’t it be me who will extend them that grace, and in the process the Lord may teach us both something?

Yes, I need to think to thank…

LIVE TO LOVE

Paul’s love for the Philippian Church was evident in his letter. He writes:  God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding (v. 8-9).

I am reminded of the Christmas hymn Love Came Down at Christmas. It was love that came down so that Jesus could give his disciples a new commandment–love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12). The point is made vividly in a prayer I came across some time ago:

Heavenly  Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut  us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the  laundry and spend a few precious moments with  her children.

Help  us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change  correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging  for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addiction that we can only imagine in our worst  nightmares.

Help  us to remember that the old couple walking  annoyingly slow through the store aisles and  blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last  year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly  Father, remind us each day that, of all the  gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

May I live to love this holiday season.

COMMIT TO CHRIST-LIKENESS

For the believer in Jesus Christ, character matters. Paul reminds the Philippians (and us) “what really matters, so that we may live pure and blameless lives” (v. 10). Lord knows, we are not perfect, but that should not preclude our continuing pursuit of perfection as we grow in Christ-likeness. I remind us that Paul was writing to a young church that had few examples. We have over 2,000 years of church history and faithful saints. We are without excuse in pursuing holiness–not always attaining, yet always pursuing.

Paul says we should “filled with the fruit” (v. 10) of our salvation. We know that fruit, right? Love, joy, peach, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). We should bear the characteristics of a Christ-like life. Otherwise, the world will never know the grace of salvation that comes in Jesus Christ.

Our commitment to live the Christ-like life comes before we enter the fray. Commitment comes before engagement. We begin every day with the end of the day in sight. Jesus came, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Long before that first Christmas, the commitment to the cross had been made. Long before the cross, God the Father made the commitment to forgive the sins of the world through His Son, Jesus Christ.

If we are not committed to Christ-likeness before the holidays begin, it is not likely we will live in Christ-likeness through the holidays. If we were not committed to the Christ-like life before the pandemic, it is not likely that we’ve exhibited much Christ-like behavior during the pandemic. I must commit to live like Christ this morning if I expect to model Christ this afternoon.

One way I can do that is to focus on the person who is behind any behavior I encounter throughout each and every day. Focus on people over behavior–not that behavior doesn’t matter, but it is the person Christ died to save, and by grace behaviors can change. I must know what’s important and I must value love, mercy and grace over impatience and inconvenience.

We are called to gratitude, love and grace. I need that reminder heading into the holiday season. Perhaps you do, too.

Until next time, keep looking up…