Filled with Love

Luke 1: 47 “With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.”

God loved the world so much, God came to be with us through Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. God chose to dwell in the midst of his people, to show a new way of being in relationship with each other and with God. Jesus was born into a world like ours, where poverty and hunger, injustice and violence still cause suffering today. The infant Jesus is the sign of the eternal love that God has had for all of us from the very beginning. God’s love stirs us to action, to care for the broken-hearted, to feed the hungry, to work for justice, and to be examples of peace. Jesus is the living promise that the world can be changed for the better when we are filled with the love of God.

The Possibility of Joy

Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Classic Nativity sets contain all the main characters of the first Christmas: kneeling shepherds, bowing Wiseman, a barn animal or two, singing angels, attentive Joseph, the baby Jesus, and of course Mary. Mary was the young woman chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. We assume she was fairly young, and we hear in the Bible that an angel visited her with what seemed to be impossible news. Mary would have a special baby through the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re told she was surprised and confused by the news, but she was reassured by the angel that nothing is impossible with God. With all the uncertainty surrounding her circumstances though, it’s hard to imagine that she was happy or joyful at first about how her life would change. However, Mary accepted her role as the mother of Jesus and lived out one of the most well-known stories in history that we celebrate today. God made the impossible happen, and in the birth of Jesus, Mary knew the possibility of joy.

I’m sure we have all experienced times when unexpected news causes us anxiety and confusion, and we don’t feel happy or joyful about it. In this holiday season, with its unexpected stresses and worries, I pray that we will all know at least the possibility of joy. Perhaps we’ll find joy in the beauty of the lights, a delicious meal, a surprising gift, or a long-awaited visit from a friend. Or maybe we will find it in the good news from an angel to a young woman, that her child would be cause for celebration and joy for years and years to come.

Advent 2 – A Place for Peace

Luke 1: 78-79 “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The holiday season is not generally thought of as a peaceful time. We are often stressed about getting everything done: the shopping, the baking, the wrapping, the visiting, etc… Our world is not a peaceful place either. Groups and peoples always in conflict, over power, money, control, land, and religion. It can feel like we are always at odds with someone or something.

At Christmas, we celebrate the first coming of Jesus, the one called the Prince of Peace. The Prince of Peace showed us new ways to be in relationship with God and each other. Through Jesus and his love for the world, God gave us a plan where there can be peace in our souls, peace in our relationships, peace within our community, peace between nations, and peace among those with differing opinions and interests. As we celebrate this season, may we all be a little more patient, a little more understanding, and a little more compassionate as we make a place for peace.

Advent 1: Making Room for Hope

Psalm 25: 5 “I put my hope in you all day long.”

The season of Advent, which leads to Christmas, begins this week. For Christians, Advent is a time of preparation, reflection, and celebration of the birth of Jesus. This Sunday, as we start a worship series called The Inn: Housing the Holy, we will strive to make room for hope in our lives.

Hope is what gets us out of bed each day. Hope is what leads us to make plans and is what inspires us to make this world a better place. Advent is all about hope. Advent hope is anticipating that something is on the horizon, something greater than we can imagine on our own. Advent hope is believing that God was breaking into our world through a child born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. And Advent hope is knowing that God is still with us today. Even when the challenges of life seem too difficult to manage, there is always room for hope.

Sharing our Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

The colder weather and snow this past week means there is no denying that winter has begun and with it, the holiday season. Retailers are advertising their best sales, stores are decorated in red and green, and our favourite holiday foods are finding their way to grocery store shelves. But, with ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ comes requests for help for those in our community who are not able to buy special holiday treats and gifts for themselves and their families. My Sister’s Place, SHIFT: Alliston Out of the Cold, the Rotary Club, and the Good Shepherd Food Bank are just a few local organizations who need our help. Individuals, community groups, and churches have the ability and opportunity to share their gifts this year, so please reach out and help as you are able.

Our Sunday worship service will be focusing on the work of The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s service branch called Presbyterians Sharing. Gifts from congregations across Canada support the work and mission of the church in local communities, national initiatives, and partnerships throughout the world. Together, we build strong congregations, serve vulnerable people, walk with Indigenous people, seek justice, and share God’s love around the world.

The Path of Life

Psalm 16: 11 “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

There are times when the problems of the world seem overwhelming, unsolvable, and depressing. The affects of climate change are alarming and there doesn’t seem to be an end to age-old conflicts. The divide between the cost of living and a living wage is widening and the mental health, along with the physical and economic, damage done by the pandemic is still not fully known. It seems hopeless, at times.

The Bible has its fair share of descriptions of hard times, conflict, and people feeling hopeless. But, it has been God’s enduring promise that life will always overcome death that kept them and keeps us going. Despite all the challenges, we are on a path of life. Together, we work towards a better world for all.

Give It All You’ve Got!

Mark 12: 44 “For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

In the Bible, Jesus commended a woman for giving all she had, when others barely made a sacrifice. These days, the word sacrifice usually means giving up some comfort that we grown used to. Sacrifice, by definition, is the act of giving up something that you want to keep, in order to do something to help someone else.

This week, as we mark Remembrance Day, the word sacrifice has a much greater meaning. We honour those who gave their lives for freedom and those who continue to serve and protect. Their sacrifices, made for the greater good, should always be honoured and never be forgotten. Let us remember those who gave it all they had.

Steadfast Love

Ruth 1:16 “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Some of us know couples who have been married for over 60 or even over 70 years. They are an amazing example of commitment and love. When couples were asked what the secret to their long-lasting relationship was, they said things like communication, respect, patience, forgiveness, and living a long time! We call that kind of love, steadfast.

The Hebrew word ‘hesed describes steadfast love that is kind, faithful, reliable, and long-lasting. It is the kind of love God has for us and we have for God. In the Bible, we learn about ‘hesed’ love from the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. When life became challenging for them, they chose to continue to support, and care for each other. Ruth, in particular, committed to being there for Naomi in a powerful example of loyalty, kindness, and steadfast love.