Friday, January 6 - Epiphany

Matthew 2:1-12   http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=192859311

A link to UMC.org for more information on Epiphany http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5689577&ct=7796209

It has been an amazing Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Season here at Union Grove UMC! Thank you for your presence, participation and your giving during this holy season. In the midst of all we do during this time of year, your focus on mission and reaching out to others has been phenominal.

Today is Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas on our calendars. Also known as Old Christmas, the Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate today as Christmas Day. We'll be leaving our decorations up a couple of days longer than usual and celebrating Epiphany Sunday this week.

It is also a wonderful time to look back over the past six weeks and reflect on all that has been a part of your life during these days of anticipation, preparation and receiving the gift of the Christ Child. Are there opportunities you had hoped to enjoy that you were not able to work into your schedule? Were you able to find time to rest and reflect on what it means that God loves us so much that we were given the gift of Jesus? What do we do now? How do we continue to follow the light, the "star" that leads us into the debts of God's will?

May the light of Christmas burn bright in our lives everyday, all year long!

Happy Epiphany!

Rich

Sunday, December 25 - Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas!

Saturday, December 24 - Impossible Possibilities

Luke 1:34-38

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

I remember being a kid on Christmas Eve.  It seemed like the day dragged on forever, that the sun would never set.  And when all was said done, after we ate our supper and went to the Christmas Eve service, my parents would tuck me into bed where I would lay awake for what felt like hours, waiting for Santa.  I would peek out my bedroom window, hoping to catch a glimpse of flying reindeer and Santa’s magic sleigh.  I would fight sleep so that I could be awake to hear Santa when he arrived.  And as tried to keep my sleepiness at bay I would stare at the stars and wonder, Can reindeer really fly?  Can one man really get to all of the houses in the world in one night?  Could all of this be possible? 

Some of us might be asking the same question today, as we remember the birth of Jesus, God incarnate.  Today we celebrate that Mary conceived and bore the Son of God.  Today we confess that in Jesus God actually became a human, that God actually walked the earth.  The God who created the universe became one of us.  Today we celebrate that God did all of this out of love for us.  Could this story really be possible?  Mary wondered the same thing when the angel announced that Mary would conceive and bear a son.  “How can this be?”  And the angel told her in no uncertain terms: “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

What a wonderful message for us on this Christmas Eve.  With God, nothing is impossible.  Today we remember that God accomplished the impossible by becoming flesh and dwelling among us.  Today we celebrate the miracle of Christmas: Jesus came to accomplish the impossible in our lives.  Through Jesus, God melts our hearts of stone and gives us abundant life.  Through Jesus, God frees us from the sins and fears that hold us in captivity to a life we despise.  Through Jesus, God takes our brokenness and makes us whole, filling us with overwhelming joy and a peace that passes all understanding.

            Wonder is all around us today.  It is in the eyes of children as they listen for Santa, and it is in the hearts of Christians as we rediscover the meaning of Christ’s birth. Today we celebrate that God did the “impossible” by becoming flesh and living among us so that we might have abundant life.  May your Christmas Eve be filled with wonder as you celebrate the coming of our Lord, who accomplishes the impossible for your sake.

          Advent Blessings,

          Laura

Friday, December 23 - Let it Be

Luke 1:30-38

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’  Then the angel departed from her.” –Luke 1:38

Mary has long been celebrated by Christians as a model of faithfulness.  She was delivered astounding news by the angel of the Lord that would forever change her life and possibly put her in danger.  The angel told her that she, an unmarried woman, would conceive and bear God’s Son, the Messiah, who would rule over an everlasting kingdom.  As an unmarried woman, this must have been frightening news because the penalty for pregnancy outside of marriage was death.  And yet, despite the shock of the news about her son’s identity, despite the fear that her life might be in danger, Mary consented to God’s will with reckless abandon, trusting wholeheartedly that God’s way is best.  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with according to your word.”  In the midst of confusion and fear, Mary faithfully responded, God, let it be as you wish.  In the midst of her questions and worries, Mary trusted God so much that she would follow wherever God would lead.  Let it be.  Mary is our model of faithfulness for she said “yes” to God’s call.

Mary’s words are so celebrated and revered because they are so hard to say in the midst of difficulty and uncertainty.  Most of us want to be in control of our lives, especially in the midst of a crisis.  Most of us want to plan our lives the way we want them to be, we want to know all the details and make all the decisions.  It is often hard to say “yes” to God’s call because we like to be in control.  In her wisdom Mary resisted this temptation and chose to put her life in God’s hands.  Mary realized that God’s will is better than her will, and she was able to trust God’s plan and proclaim with full assurance, let it be with me according to your word.

One of my favorite Beatles’ songs, Let It Be, echoes Mary’s faithful words.  This song speaks Mary’s “words of wisdom” to those who are experiencing the unexpected twists and turns of life:

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me

            Speaking words of wisdom, let it be…

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me

Shine until tomorrow, let it be...

In the midst of our times of trouble and cloudy nights, may we have Mary’s wisdom to trust God and proclaim, “let it be as you wish, God.”  May we have the faithfulness to trust that God is at work in our lives, shining light in our darkness even when things look bleak and questions are unanswered.

Whether this Christmas brings you trouble or joy, God is calling you to something just as God called Mary on that first Christmas.  God might be calling you to a particular mission, or to be reconciled with an old friend.  God might be calling you to give up a certain habit or to take on a new one.  God might be calling you to let go of something you’ve been holding on to.  God might be calling you to take a leap of faith.  My prayer is that this Christmas we might spend some time in prayer asking how God is calling us, and that we might have the wisdom and courage to say “yes” to God’s will, trusting that God’s way is better than our own.

Advent Blessings,

Laura

Thursday, December 22 - Divine Interruptions

Luke 1:31-35

“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

–Luke 1:31

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just days away.  If you are anything like me, you might be wondering where December went.  I think it might be an understatement to say that this is one of the busiest times of the year.  Many of us are trying to catch our breath because we feel like we have been running a hundred miles an hour since Thanksgiving.

Today, in this moment, I invite you to stop.  Stop thinking about what you need to do.  Stop thinking about the gifts you need to wrap or the phone calls you need to make.  In this moment, allow yourself to pause and catch your breath.  Allow yourself to simply just be in the presence of God your Maker.

In the story of the Annunciation, Mary was delivered news that undoubtedly made her stop everything she was doing and sit still before the Lord.  Can you imagine what it must have been like for Mary?  There she was, going about her business of drawing water from the well, cooking, and cleaning when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and greeted her with words of assurance and peace.  “Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you.”  Whatever seemed important to her before this visitation surely paled in comparison to what the angel would share with her.  “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”  The angel then told her that her son will be great, he will be God’s own son, and that he will rule over an eternal kingdom on the throne of David.  Moreover, the angel told Mary that her son would be different from every other human that would ever walk the face of the earth.  Her son would be holy by nature – he wouldn’t have to try to do the right things, he wouldn’t be influenced by the sinful patterns of this world.  Instead, her son would naturally be in a right relationship with God and with others. Whew, what a birth announcement! 

This birth announcement changed more than Mary’s life – it changed the entire course of history.  The baby that was born to Mary accomplished more than anyone could ever have dreamed.  Mary’s holy baby did what no other human could do – because he was God in the flesh coming to dwell with people, Jesus made it possible for us to be in relationship with God.  He made it possible for everyone else to be holy, free from the influence of this world’s sinful patterns and free to live in a right relationship with God and others.

The baby that was born to Mary on that first Christmas Eve interrupted the patterns of this world and forever changed human life.  In this season of busyness, let this divine birth announcement interrupt your routines and change your life.  Be still before the Lord and soak in this good news: God loves you for who you are.  God longs to be in relationship with you.  God longs for you to know and love God.  God loves you so much, in fact, that God came to this earth as a human so that you can know God and receive God’s abundant and eternal life.

Advent Blessings,

Laura

Wednesday, December 21 - A Call To Mission

Luke 1:46b-55

^“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” –Luke 1:51-53

As we studied Adam Hamilton’s The Journey over the past few weeks I was struck by God’s consistent choice of poor, humble people to accomplish God’s purposes. God chose a humble carpenter and a young girl from a poor, obscure family to parent the Son of God. The first people to whom God revealed the good news about the Messiah were lowly, night-shift shepherds. God’s choice of the lowly and humble shouldn’t be so surprising, however, for it happens over and over again in Scripture. God chose Abraham the wanderer to become the father of God’s chosen nation. God chose Jacob the rascal to become Israel. God chose David, a young shepherd boy, to be the great King of Israel. Throughout the stories of our faith we see God lifting the lowly to accomplish great things.

In Mary’s song of praise she celebrates this characteristic of God’s activity in the world. She praises God for humbling the proud and lifting up the lowly, for providing for the poor and hungry while sending the rich away empty. Mary’s song invites us to celebrate with her that God looks out for people who are overlooked by the powerful, who are struggling to get by, who are weary and hungry. Moreover, Mary’s song invites us to celebrate that God uses such people, the lowly and ordinary, to accomplish God’s wondrous acts.

Mary’s song of praise can be a little bit frightening, however, for us who are powerful and rich in comparison to the rest of the world. As Americans, we are blessed with a plethora of resources and an abundance of food. What does this passage say to us?

Adam Hamilton rightly described this passage as a call to mission. Our God cares for the poor and lifts up the lowly. Jesus’ ministry was filled with these activities: he healed the sick, befriended the outcasts, and chided the powerful rulers and religious leaders. As Christian disciples, we are called to be imitators of Jesus Christ. We are called to care for the sick and the hungry, befriend the people on the margins of our society, and make sure that we humble ourselves before God so that do not use our power for injustice.

Today, people of Union Grove will break bread with homeless individuals of Durham and Orange Counties. Today, we will fellowship with people who are often overlooked and judged. Today, we will sing praises with Mary that God cares for all people. And I imagine that as we fellowship with the people of Open Table Ministry, our souls will be filled along with our bellies and we will experience the love of God that knows no boundaries.

There are countless other ways you can imitate Jesus by humbling yourself as you lift the lowly and feed the hungry. You can stock shelves at OCIM. You can offer words of hope to a discouraged neighbor. You can donate your nicest clothes to people who have none. You can listen to someone who needs a friend. As Christmas approaches and we celebrate the coming of our Lord, the One who calls ordinary people to be extraordinary in love, Mary invites us to consider: how is God calling you to humble yourself and lift up the lowly?

 Advent Blessings,

 Laura

Tuesday, December 20 - The Promise

                                                                     2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

“Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

–2 Samuel 7:11, 16

After years of being a successful King, after years of accruing wealth and achieving victories over Israel’s enemies, King David decided that it was time to do something special to honor God. He decided to build God a house greater than the King’s palace, a lavish and permanent home where the ark of the covenant would stay and where God’s presence could reside.

God, however, would not and could be confined by Temple walls and a fancy structure. God turned David’s offer down, saying, When did I ever asked for a house? The Lord, it seems, had other plans for residing among the people of God. God would not accept David’s plans to build a Temple because God longed to dwell with people in a more personal and life-giving way. God would come to dwell among people, not in a Temple, but in flesh and blood, as a human. God would come to dwell with people in the person of Jesus. God would walk this earth among people and invite them to be in a relationship with God. But David didn’t know this.

So God made David a promise. This promise is an important prophecy for the Jewish hope of the Messiah, and this promise is foundational for our Christian hope. You don’t need to make me a house, the Lord told David, for I will make you a house. “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever” (v. 16). God promised that David’s kingdom would reign forever, and that through this kingdom eternal peace would conquer the evil and strife of the world.

Years and years later, after scribes and scholars pondered how David’s kingdom will be established forever, after Jewish families longed for the Messiah to come and rule on David’s throne and establish an enduring Kingdom of peace and prosperity, an angel of the Lord appeared to a young, faithful girl and brought tidings of a baby. The angel told young Mary: Your son will be great. He will be the Son of the Most High, and God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. Years and years later, the promise of God reached a fulfillment – a baby would be born, and this baby would reign as King over an enduring Kingdom of peace.

Yet, the baby born to Mary and Joseph was a different kind of King then the world had ever seen. He was born in a stable and was laid in a manger. He wasn’t raised in a palace and he never fought a victorious battle with an enemy nation. Jesus the King ushered in a different kind of Kingdom than the world has ever seen – the Kingdom of heaven, where love and peace conquer all.

As Christmas approaches and we remember the fulfillment of the prophecy made long ago, Jesus our King invites each of us to be a part of his eternal kingdom. Jesus our King invites us to make him Lord of our hearts and lives, following the ways of his Kingdom – the ways of peace and love. In the days before Christmas, let us prepare our hearts to receive our King. As it says in the Christmas hymn, Joy to the World:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

Advent Blessings,

Laura