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Love That Comes Near

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“The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.” — John 1:14 I've been in a long-distance relationship for the past year, and I've learned something about what it means to be constrained by distance when all you want is nearness.   Whoever came up with that old aphorism, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," was obviously a masochist.   Nothing can compare with the feeling that comes over you when you have been apart from your beloved and then have them right in front of you. When you can hold them, see their face, and spend time in their presence.  If this season of life has taught me anything, it's that being in close proximity to your beloved is the best of all possible worlds, and there is nothing quite like it.   Love is often imagined as sentiment or affection, but Advent reminds us it is movement. It is God descending into human vulnerability, choosing proximity rather than distance. Love is not merely declared—it is e...
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Peace That Stills Us

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” — John 14:27 The other night, I was so exhausted after a very long day, and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. I slid under my covers with a sigh, anticipating that I'd drift off soon.  But then my mind started racing, and I couldn't shut it off.  I was fretting over circumstances I couldn't control, worried about finances, and selling my house, and I also had a lot of thoughts swirling about work that needed to be done.   I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, and then decided to get a snack and turn on the TV to watch some mindless television.   At one point, I remember thinking, "I just want some peace."  That thought kept repeating in my head, over and over.   Peace is not the absence of conflict or noise. Biblical peace—shalom—is wholeness, alignment, the settling of the soul into the reality of God’s presence. It is what steadies us whe...
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Hope That Holds Us

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  “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” — Hebrews 6:19 I'm a big fan of the TV show Ted Lasso.  It's a sweet, funny, irreverent, and compelling story about an American football coach who is hired to manage an English  football  coach (soccer).    In one scene, Ted speaks to the team before a match they believe they are going to lose, and says this:  So I've been hearing this phrase y'all got over here that I ain't too crazy about. "It's the hope that kills you." Y'all know that? I disagree, you know? I think it's the lack of hope that comes and gets you. See, I believe in hope. I believe in belief. Now, where I'm from, we got a saying too, yeah? A question, actually. "Do you believe in miracles?" Now, I don't need y'all to answer that question for me... but I do want you to answer that question for yourselves. Right now. Do you believe in miracles? And if you do... then I want y'all to circl...
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Joy That Finds Us

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“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” — Isaiah 9:2 Years ago, I was on a family trip to Ireland, and we'd spent a very long day exploring Dublin.  We were tired, and my boys were starting to wear on each other's nerves, which meant they were both wearing on mine.  As we walked through the Temple Bar district, we came upon a crowded pub and could hear music inside.  On impulse, I headed inside, and the rest followed me.  I heard one of my boys complain as we went, "Dad, what are we doing?"  Just as we walked in, the band announced they were going to play a favorite song, and they broke into "Country Roads" by John Denver.   When I tell you that the entire pub began to sing along, it's not an exaggeration.  After the first verse and chorus, I looked over at the family, and we all grinned at one another before lustily joining in.   It was a moment...
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Theology of Emotional Regulation

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Scripture: “Be angry, but do not sin.” — Ephesians 4:26 I can't tell you how many times I've counseled people in my role as a pastor, and the conversation turned to something like this:  Me: "I'm so sorry that you are having to go through such a tough time." Them: "I  just don't understand why all of this is happening to me. It's overwhelming sometimes.  But I know that God has a plan, and who am I to question God?  I feel guilty for even complaining."  Many Christians grow up believing emotions are dangerous, unspiritual, or signs of weak faith. We’re told to be strong, stay positive, “don’t cry,” or “just trust God.”  Yet Scripture paints an entirely different picture. The Bible is emotionally vibrant: the psalms cry out with anguish and joy; the prophets lament; Jesus weeps, groans, celebrates, grows angry, and feels distress. Emotions are part of the image of God in us—they are not flaws to overcome but signals to interpret. Emotional re...
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Second Sunday of Advent - "Baptism By Fire"

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It’s the season of Advent - a time of expectation!  Advent helps us prepare our hearts for the coming Christ and a new world.   Jesus’ arrival is both a now and a not yet—how do we live in this tension?  This is what it means to be followers of Jesus. We live in continuous hope and expectation that the world will be made right, that wrong will fail, and right prevail, as the Christmas carol tells us.   We determine that we will embody the truth of God's purposes and desires that there be peace on earth, and goodwill to all.   And Advent allows us to hear the voices and stories of those who call us to preparedness, who invite us to look within and ensure that we are ready to become the change that we so desperately seek in the world.  Today, we are going to encounter the wildness of John the Baptizer and hear a short sermon that is meant to light a fire under us.   Fire and Brimstone Sermons—What purpose do they serve? Some glimpses into how t...
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God In The Ordinary

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Scripture: “Whatever you do… do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Colossians 3:17 Years ago, I was doing some Christmas shopping after a long work day. I fought traffic to and from the stores I wanted to shop at and was disappointed not to find what I was looking for.   Then I had to pick up items from the grocery store, which was maddeningly busy and had few parking spots to choose from.  I finally found one on the fringes of the parking lot and got out of my car in a hurry.   That was when I saw it.  A small bouquet of brilliantly colored fake plastic flowers that someone had stuck in the ground right next to where I parked my car.   For a moment, I forgot all about my busyness and the frustrations of the day.  I smiled.  I thought of all the reasons a person would do something like that, and wondered if they thought it might bring cheer to others.   Mostly, I found myself re-centering my soul.  I thought abou...
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