Presby-Musings

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.” — John 1:14 It's Christmas Eve, once again.  The moment before the moment, the last day of Advent.   Experience tells me that Christmas Eve is also a time when many of us scramble a bit.  We may be waiting for packages to arrive, rushing to wrap presents, or making last-minute preparations to gather with family and friends.   Which is why tonight is so important.  It's why tonight we ought to find the space to push back against the tyranny of the urgent, and remember the story, our story.   On this holy night, the story reaches its luminous center: God does not remain distant. God draws near—tangible, vulnerable, breathing, crying, resting in the arms of humanity. Christmas is not sentiment or spectacle—it is Incarnation. Love made visible. The manger is not merely a symbol of humility but of accessibility. The King of kings could have arrived in palaces or among ...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 I've had my two youngest boys back in Austin for the past week, and it's been wonderful.  There is life in my house, where there had been mostly silence before.   It all makes me smile and reminds me of what it was like for me when I was younger, home for the holidays.   Before they arrived, I did my best to do all the things my mom would do when she knew I was coming home for Christmas, even when I had kids of my own.   I bought their favorite snacks, stocked up on sparkling water, and a host of other goodies.  I've been washing clothes, making dinner, ordering the fast food they crave, and generally doing everything I can to bring them joy, which brings me joy.   But the most blessed time I've had is when each of them spent separate evenings watching football with me on the couch. In turn, they both fell asleep.  I thought...

“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” — Isaiah 40:31 Last night we held a Longest Night worship service at my church for those struggling with grief, worry, and related emotions during the holidays.  It was a heavy, but hopeful service where everyone was given permission to express their feelings, no matter what they were.   I found myself unexpectedly emotional during the service as I took in the darkness many of us were carrying, even as we clung to the hope that the light could overcome it.   A simple prayer came to mind in that moment.  I silently prayed to God, "This is all to heavy, you take it."   One of the many things I have been learning lately is that when hopelessness threatens to rule the day, even a small shred of hope can turn it away.  Hope does not merely accompany us—it carries us. When our strength falters, hope bears the weight we can no longer lift....

  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? We hold on to the hope that even though the world is not as it should be, God's kingdom is here, breaking through into our reality all the time, and we can not only bear witness to it but also help bring it.   During Advent, we are reminded that God became one of us to rescue all of us.  God is not far away.  God is with us. Even during the darkest moments, we can have confidence that the story isn't over; it's just beginning again.   Today, we are going to spend some time hearing about the announcement of Jesus’ birth from Joseph's perspective.  Joseph, who has no lines to speak of in the narrative of Jesus' birth, played a vital role in his life.   Imagine what it must have been like for Joseph.  He's engaged to be mar...

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105 I got most of the Christmas presents I'm giving wrapped last night, which is not easy for me because I am absolutely the worst present wrapper.   The only thing that mitigated my struggle with measuring how much wrapping paper to use, and the battle with a decrepit tape dispenser that caused the tape to mostly get wrapped around my finger before I had a chance to affix it to the packages, was this:  I knew that I would experience great joy watching my family unwrap them all.   In addition to being the worst present wrapper, I'm also terrible at waiting for the day when the Christmas gifts I'm giving are actually given.  I have to resist telling people what I got them beforehand, and wish that I could find a way to give them earlier than the appointed day.   I'm like Scrooge after he is visited by the three spirits in A Christmas Carol. I want to keep Christmas every day of...

“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 When I was a kid, my dad would always insist on reading the story of the birth of Christ from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, when the whole family was gathered together for Christmas.   At the time, I couldn't stand it because it inevitably delayed the opening of presents or something else that was more fun than reading the Bible (anything else).  As I got older, it made me uncomfortable because my dad's family wasn't particularly religious, and I sensed they were merely indulging us.  It's funny how time and age can help you look back fondly on something that you were disconcerted with when you were younger.    That story from Luke's Gospel of Jesus' birth, the shepherds, the angels, the baby lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes... It's the story of the greatest love that any of us might ever imagine.   It's the story of how God became one of us to rescue all of us.   I di...

“He himself is our peace.” — Ephesians 2:14 I've been writing Devos centered on the four themes of the Advent season: Joy, Peace, Hope, and Love, as we continue moving ever closer to Christmas.  Today, we've come back around to Peace, what it means, and how we can find it within us.   God knows, we could use some peace right now in our troubled world.  The news is filled with tragic stories, political unrest, and so much more.  It sometimes feels impossible to feel any kind of peace at all.   But I'm learning some things in these troubled times.   Peace is rarely found by accident. It is cultivated, given, and received. We look for peace in quieter schedules, solved conflicts, or less pressure—but Advent reveals that peace is not circumstantial. Peace is a Person. He Himself is our peace. That means peace does not begin with what is happening around us but with Who is present within us. Jesus enters fractured places—our relationships, our...

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” — Isaiah 40:31 We all know what it's like to have our hopes dashed when the thing we have been hoping and praying for doesn't come to pass, leaving us feeling hollow and hopeless.   I know that feeling all too well.  I've been there more than a few times in my life when dreams I had died, loved ones passed, and when I've been in financial straits, when I ran out of hope and gave in to despair.  But I have learned over the years that living in hope despite whatever circumstances I find myself in is absolutely vital, even when things seem devoid of hope.   As it turns out, hope can become an integral part of who we are if we are willing to let it.   Hope is often imagined as something fragile—like thin ice or a fading flame. But in Scripture, hope is an active, renewing force. It is rooted not in our endurance but in God’s inexhaustible faithfulness. Hope is not timid—it restores, rebuilds,...

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10 I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life.   I didn't fully understand what I was feeling at first when the symptoms became too acute to ignore.  I would describe it as "feeling blue," or just say I needed a "basement day," to sleep or binge-watch television.   After my mom passed away several years ago, my struggle intensified, so I hired a therapist.   During one of our sessions, she asked me how I was feeling, and I told her I didn't feel like getting out of bed in the morning. I summoned just enough energy to do the things I had to do, but had little left afterward.  I felt numb, walking around like a zombie.  And then I remember saying to her, "It's like the complete absence of joy."   Thanks be to God, I've been able to do enough therapy and was also prescribed the proper medication to help me cope with the chronic symptoms of depression.   I...

“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...

“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...

  “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...

“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...

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...

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...