Prophet

Matthew 11:7-11

When John's disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That's right, a prophet!

Probably the best prophet you'll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, 'I'm sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.'

Let me tell you what's going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God's kingdom.

But if you read the books of the Prophets and God's Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the 'Elijah' you've all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.

"For a long time now, people have been trying to force themselves into God's kingdom..."

Have you ever been guilty of that attempt?

I know I have.

Sometimes, it seems, Christian folks can have the propensity for trying their best to impress God.

"Something for nothing" is a tough concept for us. If God loves us enough to send his son to live and die and rise again, then surely our hard work will be needed forever to pay off the debt, right?

That's exactly the kind of thinking that Jesus was trying to help us overcome.

Following Jesus isn't a buttoned-down sort of enterprise. It's not about having it all worked out, in order and presented in the most impressive way possible.

Instead, sometimes receiving the grace of Christ means we'll be pushed into the wilderness...into the places where we learn to depend on God the most. Like John, we may sometimes become a little wild-eyed for the experience...but also more full of love and the Holy Spirit's power.

Our celebration of Christ's birth is now only a few days away. May this Christmas season help us again remember that our King lay in a "lowly" manger, and that God always loves to work in the most unlikely of places...even our own lives.

Prayer: Like John the Baptist, may we each carry the character of a prophet into the lives of those around us. Show us the "wilderness" places where we can struggle and grow stronger in our faith.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: (No blog) Isaiah 35:6-10

No blog until 2008! The daily devotional blogs will return on Monday, January 7th. Many, many thanks to those of you who have made this site a daily stop on your spiritual walk. It's humbling to me, and I always appreciate having you here.

Christmas Worship at SOTH:

This Sunday, December 23: Regular worship schedule at 9 and 11 AM with Sunday School for all ages at 10:15.

Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion at both services: 5 and 7 PM. Childcare available for 2 and under.

We hope you'll make SOTH part of your Christmas celebration this year!

Expectation

Matthew 11:1-6 (Message)

When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.

John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" Jesus told them, "Go back and tell John what's going on:

The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

"Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!"

As the old phrase says..."If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck...it's probably a duck."

I love what Jesus has to say about himself, when asked about his identity by the disciples of John the Baptist.

"Do the blind see? Do the lame walk? Is this what you expected?"

Where is God at work today? Where is the presence of Christ working hard and producing the kingdom around us?

Are lives changed? Is sin overcome? Do the spiritually "dead" and "lame" begin to walk and live new lives of faith and transformation?

Most of all...do those considered "wretched" by the world learn that "God is on their side?"

Where these things happen...the messiah has been found.

Jesus question still hangs in the air for those of us who would follow him today. As we come to the close of this Advent season and begin to celebrate the birth of Christ....

Is this what we expected? God, give us these expectations...and bring them into reality through the work of your spirit in our hearts.

Prayer: The world today still wonders about Jesus..."are you the one we've been expecting?" May you give your disciples grace to live in such a way that the truth of Jesus may be known in all places.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Matthew 11:7-11

Stay

James 5:7-10 (The Message)

Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival.

You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

Friends, don't complain about each other.

A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know.

The Judge is standing just around the corner.

Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God.

What a gift life is to those who stay the course!

You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.

Imagine: A farmer plows the field ---- and plants the seeds.

The first good rains of spring begin to soak the ground in the days that follow.

Good sunshine comes next, just the kind you need to warm the ground and germinate the seeds.

One week goes by...then another.

More good rain, more good sun.

Still nothing.

What should that farmer do?

It's obvious, right? She should dig up all the seeds and see what the problem is, right?

After all, taking those seeds out of the ground to see what's going on is the only way they'll ever sprout.

Wrong...of course.

Anyone who has ever planted a seed knows that most of the time, sprouting seems to take longer than we'd like.

Growth into a strong, mature, fruit-yielding plant takes even longer still.

Gardening teaches patience. Because it's a requirement.

What about life...church...ministry...discipleship?

Rarely do the important relationships in our lives sprout and bloom as quickly as we might like. There is NO perfect church. There is NO perfect family, school, organization, program or peer group.

For the people of Israel, the Messiah's arrival took longer than anyone imagined or wanted. For the kids among us who right now wait on the arrival of Christmas morning, patience may be a virtue, but it's no fun whatsoever.

James says that we are like farmers...with seeds in the ground...patiently waiting for the rain that will do its "slow but sure" work.

What could that mean in each of our lives?

It might mean that we ask God to forgive us for all the times that we've pulled perfectly good seeds out of the ground, just to check and see when they'd be ready.

It might mean that we have something to learn today...something about patience...and God's timing...and the things that matter most.

Prayer: As we wait and prepare during this Advent season, we ask for the gift of patience. May we see this Fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives, watered and sustained by God's presence.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Matthew 11:1-6

Joy

Isaiah 35:1-5 (NIV)
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

Conventional wisdom these days says that the current "postmodern" generation has a particular liking for metaphors.

Sometimes, the deepest things of faith and life can't be easily communicated in a straightforward way. What we need is the power of symbol.

How about this passage from Isaiah for a powerful symbol of joy?

When the messiah comes --- the desert will be glad --- it will rejoice and shout for joy.

Wouldn't it be great to hear that sound?

Joy, it seems, is often directly attached to the fulfillment of our deepest held longings and dreams. If that is the case, then Christmas (by way of Easter) is the ultimate source of our joy.

There was nothing Israel had longed for more than the King --- who would sit on David's throne and restore peace, justice and righteousness to the people. God's favor, and promise...fulfilled.

Joy.

What joy there must have been for the shepherd who witnessed angels and then gathered at a stable on that very first Christmas.

But even greater joy must have been felt by the women who gathered at the tomb on that first Easter Sunday morning. Where there was brokenness...healing. Where there was only death and pain...life and joy.

Joy that would make the desert shout out loud.

Prayer: Lord, we are thankful for last week's rain and the life that it sustains. The image of "parched land" blooming under your watchful care is a powerful one for us. We depend on your love to sustain us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: James 5:7-10

Forever

Psalm 146:5-10

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

So much power in such a few, simple lines of scripture.

Last night, as I gathered with the youth of our church, a game of "ask the preacher Bible questions," also known as "stump the chump" broke out.

Pretty quickly, the discussion took a familiar turn.

"What about the big bang?"

"What about dinosaurs?"

"Can God really know everybody and everything?"

"Where do we really go when we die?"

"Where does the Bible come from?"

Really, all of those questions come from the same basic place..."how do I accept things that I don't understand?"

All of us would love to know the "answers" to the big questions of life.

But the best answer we'll ever have is to be found in the few lines of scripture we read here today.

That's the only answer there really is...

Our hope is in the Lord: "the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. The Lord, who remains faithful forever."

How could a little baby born 2,000 years ago, surrounded by animals in a livestock shed and laid in a feed trough really be the savior of the world?

Because the maker of that world loves us so much...and thankfully works in mysterious ways.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your love that does not end. You are faithful forever, and in ways beyond our imaginations. Increase our faith, that we might accept the gift of your love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-5

Winnow

Matthew 3:4-12 (NRSV)

⁵⁶

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ⁸⁹¹⁰

11 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’¹²

Winnowing fork?

Threshing floor?

Granary? Chaff?

Unquenchable fire?

There are a lot of terms in this sermon from John the Baptist that we either don't understand in our modern non-agricultural world...or the ones that we do understand are just plain scary.

Well, a trip through the dictionary tells us that "winnow" just means to "separate or distinguish valuable from non-valuable parts."

That might seem a little scary, but it's absolutely necessary in our lives. Our deepest prayer should be that God would winnow-away at us our whole lives long.

There's so much that we can do with our time, talents and energies that aren't all that valuable. There are so many distractions and potential wastes of all that God has given us.

Sometimes, we just need a good "threshing"to give us focus and concentrate the "good stuff."

God does this kind of work in all kinds of ways. Sometimes, the process is painful. However, the more open we become to the work that God seeks to do within us, the more possible it becomes for us to embrace change...and to see that God is bringing us to a greater state of purity and preparation.

So our prayer becomes...winnow Lord, winnow-away in our lives...

Prayer: We pray for clean hands and pure hearts. Cleanse the chaff within us by the power of your winnowing fork and gather us as wheat into your barn.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture (No Blog): Isaiah 11:6-10

Thunder

Matthew 3:1-3 (Message)

While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea.

His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings:

"Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy:

Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!

John the Baptist absolutely looked and acted like a crazy man.

While the world kept spinning and everyone moved about their daily lives, he had opted out.

He spent his time immersed in this act of worship called baptism. He preached --- yelled, probably --- this message of preparation.

"Prepare for God's arrival!"

This is the season of Advent. There's nothing magical or particularly special about these days, unless we decide to assign them special focus in our walk with Christ.

That's a great thing to do. Because there are seasons when we need to reflect, and focus. Otherwise, we might lose sight of what Christmas really is all about.

A few weeks ago, my son returned from a field trip to the local fire station. He told me about the blue "blazes" that adorn all of our streets and highways.

I'll have to admit that I never noticed them.

You see, wherever fire hydrants are located, you'll see a bright blue reflector, off center, parallel to the hydrant, in the roadway.

They're there to point firefighters to the source of their ability to fight...water.

What if John the Baptist if Jesus' "blue blaze," standing at attention, waiting for us to look and listen?

He points the way to the source.

As we move through this day together, let's get our hearts ready...to look and find.

Prayer: We remember the calling and vision of John the Baptist. May we hear his words, repent, and make a straight path for the messiah in our hearts.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Matthew 3:4-12

Root

Isaiah 11:1-5 (NIV)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Sometimes, life may look lost...only to return when we least expect it.

Have you ever seen an old stump, the remains of a once tall tree...send up a new shoot?

I can think of a sweetgum tree that I once cut down. I didn't like where it was and the prickly balls it produced each fall were an annoyance in our yard.

The tree didn't care. It grew back. It's what they do.

Often, a tree that grows back from an old stump will be even stronger and more vigorous than the original.

In the south, each spring we see crape myrtles pruned back severely. The new growth comes rapidly, with wonderful blooms in the summer.

"Jesse" was the father of King David. He was the ancestor of the royal line of Judah. By the time Isaiah wrote these words, that proud tree had been brought low.

God's people lived in exile, but still held hope that one day the old, seemingly dead stump might yet spring to life.

Christmas, then, as well as Easter, is a celebration of life in the face of death.

Before Jesus rose from the tomb on Easter morning, he was born...like the first green shoot that rises from its ancient roots.

He is the anointed one, the messiah, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, a King in the line of David...from the "stump" of Jesse.

"From his roots, a branch will bear fruit." As that branch bears fruit, may we learn to also be "branches," connected to Christ the vine.

Prayer: May the roots of Jesse give life this Advent season, and bear fruit in the life of Christ all around us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 15:4-13

Blessed

Psalm 72:1-7, 17-18 (NIV)

Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness...

...He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.

In his days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more...

...May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds...

Long, long ago the Psalmist expressed a deeply held longing. One day, he hoped, God would send the King of Justice and Righteousness.

There was hope...of a messiah...who would set all things right. His reign and rule would endure forever.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prayer.

This prayer, and its answer...are the centerpiece of our joy and peace in living.

God's purposes will be fulfilled. We can live in the strength of that assurance. God, and God alone, does marvelous deeds. We have the privilege and joy of living in those deeds each day, and learning to take part in them as we grow deeper in Christian faith and Holy Spirit connection.

Sometimes, we just need to be still and realize the magnitude of what we believe.

Psalm 72...fulfilled.

All praises to God...in Christ...rain on a newly mown field...like showers watering the earth.

Prayer: We join the words of the prayer, many thousands of years old: "Give the King your justice O God...may his name endure forever."

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-5

Control

"The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo

Matthew 24:40-44 (NIV)

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding with a hand mill;

one will be taken and the other left.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Most of us human beings manage to make our way through life by assuming that we pretty much are in control of things, and know about what's going to happen in a given day.

And, most of the time, we manage to live with the illusion that we're right.

But as long as we're really "in control," God can't be.

We have to give up, and admit that we need to be dependent on the one who has made us and loves us. Wisdom admits how much it doesn't know.

The owner of the house in Jesus' parable didn't know at what hour of the night the thief would come. If he had, then he would have been ready. Of course. Then, he could have controlled the outcome.

But there's a lot we don't know. And that's ok. In fact, it 's the only way that God's grace has a chance to work in our lives.

What's the difference between those two who were plowing their field side-by-side or working at the hand mill?

One was taken while the other was left...and I think that one had learned to trust God and be open to his power, while the other had clung to the illusion of control and self-suffiency.

Today is a good day to learn to turn loose, like a child taking its first steps toward a parent. Keep watch and be ready for the turns that the divine drive may make on this path of life.

Prayer: Father, we pray that you would make us watchful for the times and places today when the presence of Christ may show up in our lives.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: (No blog) Psalm 122:5-9

Worship this week at SOTH: Let's keep our Advent momentum going this week with some great worship services and Sunday School for kids, youth and adults.

This week's scripture for Sunday is from the first chapter of Luke. God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Mary about the impending birth of Jesus. Her response tells us so much about how we can find joy in life and especially at Christmas.

"Finding the Joy of Christmas" this Sunday at SOTH: Worship at 9 and 11 AM.

Sunday School at 10:15 "Heartshapers" for kids (age Pre K through 5th grade): this curriculum has gotten off to a wonderful start, with great teachers and fun, Bible-based lessons each week!

Youth Sunday School: Ages 6th-12th grade with Jeff Murfree, from the Student Life Bible Study

Final Sunday installment of "The Frazzled Female" women's study @ the Ranch. A new women's study is forming and will begin in January.

"Seekers" class open to everyone, each Sunday at the Ranch, 10:15

Pastor's Advent Study, "Finding the Joy of Christmas" in the Sanctuary, 10:15

We'll see you there! Adam

Ready

Matthew 24:36-39 (The Message)

"But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

"The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's.

Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark.

They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

Last night, while cruising channels before falling asleep, I came across a TV Preacher.

He was seated behind a desk, and his well-shined silver hair was so stiffly sprayed that it wouldn't have budged in a hurricane-force wind.

This man is not new to the TV Preacher-market. In fact, he's made a living there for decades.

His show is all about "prophecy," and his content is usually just downright frightening. He uses pieces and snippets of scripture to "prove" things like why Iran harbors the antichrist, and that, "The End is Near."

He's fixated on Armageddon and the apocalypse. He has skillfully created an alternate reality in which he and his followers live. It just so happens that he is the center of that universe because he has all the knowledge.

I've never heard him point to the verse of scripture we read today.

I've never heard him remind us that Jesus said that even he himself did not know the day and the hour of his return.

Con men like this TV preacher have been around for centuries.

They make us cynical, and their biggest negative impact on Christianity is that they make taking Jesus' return seriously look like a joke.

But followers of Jesus are to have the character of people who wait with expectation.

Noah looked like a crazy man when he prepared for the flood that God had said would surely come. Recently, the movie "Evan Almighty" reminded us just how silly Noah must have looked to those around him, and even how silly he must have felt at times, himself.

I think the lesson that we should take from Noah...and Jesus...is that time is short for us all, no matter exactly what happens when.

The days of our lives are just a blink of history's eye, and the time to prepare, and expect...is now.

Jesus' followers should have the strength of knowing that anyone who claims prophetic knowledge of times and dates, or fixation on the exact events of the "apocalypse" stands in opposition to the words of Jesus himself.

But we should also know that Jesus himself tells us to "be ready."

What we have for sure is today. Let's watch and see what God may do.

Prayer: Remind us that no one knows the exact day and time, but to be prepared as disciples for whatever may come. Hold us in your heart and lead us by the Holy Spirit, we pray.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Matthew 26:40-44

Dawn

Romans 13:11-14 (Message)

But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.

The night is about over, dawn is about to break.

Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.

We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight.

Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

The "snooze" button is an interesting device of modern life.  

You know, it's that big button on top of your alarm clock.  The one that you slap at to stop the squawking when your alarm goes off each morning.  

It buys sleep, in 7 minute increments.  I actually know folks who set their alarm 30 minutes early, just so they can slap the snooze button 3 or 4 times.  

Everybody has different rituals for waking up, but the time comes for us all when sleep must end.  

I remember one of my favorite college professors, late in one spring term, who said, "where do you think all those students are who started out this semester skipping class and drinking too much?"  

"Where do you think they are now that they've realized that they can't pass their classes, that they'll soon be facing their parents, that their scholarships will be lost?"  

"Do you think they're out at a club, or at a party having a great time?"  

"It's Wednesday morning, 9 AM...where do you think they are?"  

"They're asleep."  

"I've seen it year after year," he said.  "Once reality sinks in and the parties stop...they just sleep more and more.  It's the closest they can come to just disappearing."  

The Apostle Paul...Jesus Christ...and this season of Advent invites us to wake up.  We're invited to be prepared.   These moments spent in prayer are a good time to ask God to wake us to the world he has created all around us.    

We watch, and wait...awake and looking for the presence of God among us, in our midst.  

Prayer:  May we realize that now is the time for following Jesus with all our hearts.  Help us to be up and awake, ready for what this day may bring us.  

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.  World without end.  Amen.  

Tomorrow's Scripture:  Matthew 24;36-39

Worship

Psalm 122:1-4 (Message)

When they said, "Let's go to the house of God,"
my heart leaped for joy.

And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
inside Jerusalem's walls!

Jerusalem, well-built city,
built as a place for worship!

The city to which the tribes ascend,
all God's tribes go up to worship,
To give thanks to the name of God—
this is what it means to be Israel.

In a sense, we Christian worshipers symbolically re-enact this passage of Psalm 122 every Sunday.

With great joy, we gather back together, from all our different locations...back to "Jerusalem," to worship God together.

A great friend of mine in ministry began a church a few years ago that was based first on the involvement of all members in small discipleship groups, or "cells" in the old, organic, Wesleyan language.

He told me, "most churches think backwards...that the primary existence of the church is Sunday worship, but really that time should just be a weekly gathering of the disciples who've been out studying, worshiping and serving all week long."

I think he was right on...Jerusalem is not where we live and breathe...but it's a place of great joy that we need to enter regularly...so that we can continue to be the "body" of Christ, first and most importantly, in our homes, jobs, schools...all week long.

Worship is fun because we are united with our friends and extended families. We see people we love, care about and are connected with...and we share that odd church-word, "fellowship," together.

But even more importantly, it's sacred because we focus our hearts and minds, and offer all that we are to something greater than ourselves. We open ourselves, with thankful hearts, to God.

This Sunday morning...."gathering day," may our hearts "leap for joy" just like the heart of the Psalmist.

"All the tribes go up for worship...this is what it means to be Israel..."

And what it means to be the Church.

Prayer: May we rejoice at every opportunity for worship and to "go into the house of the Lord." We pray for hearts that are prepared to worship during this season of Advent.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 13:11-14

Peace

Isaiah 2:1-5 (NIV)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days
the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Every person's prayer really should be that this prophecy from Isaiah would come quickly to pass.

Christian people should long for the day when, "he will settle disputes for many peoples."

Isaiah's image of swords and spears melted down and hammered into agricultural implements is a beautiful one.

If only we could spend as much time producing as destroying.

War must be one of the greatest signs of our broken, sinful humanity. We have used our God-given gifts of intellect and curiosity to devise ever more lethal weapons of mass destruction.

There are times when even followers of Jesus must realize that living in this broken world may mean fighting for justice and defense of the innocent.

But first, and always, there should be prayers for peace. There should be a real commitment to non-violence. Living that commitment certainly is not easy.

But it is the vision for the Kingdom that God gave Isaiah. May he give that vision to us all.

Prayer: We long for the day when the Prince of Peace will rule and we will not train for war anymore. May we beat our own personal swords into plowshares, and sew peace, not violence, in our world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 122:1-4