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Stop Straining

Among some of the most challenging adventures and races I have ever competed in would have to be the Mammoth Trailfest 50K. Right in the middle of this race is the grueling Dragon’s Back Ascent up Mammoth Mountain, where you spend about two horizontal miles climbing over 2000 feet vertically. The climb required equal amounts of physical push with mental fortitude to keep moving forward. This adventure is a metaphor for many things in life because the journey up the mountain requires hard work and perseverance. At some point in life, dedication and an industrious attitude become necessary to find ourselves in the dream job or complete the degree. However, there are also times when our lives are plagued with the loss of a loved one, or we are plagued by illness and disease, and the work takes on a different nature but remains something we strive to push through.

Far too often, however, we set aside following the example of Christ during these moments to push through, to say I will come back after I have achieved the goal. Paul sets out in the passage below from Romans 9, the understanding that God alone has the ability to bless. Although we may find success in other avenues, without following God in our hearts and deeds, those successes ring hollow. Sometimes, we will work hard and strain after fortune, and it simply will not work out for us, and we want to throw our hands in the air and claim it isn’t fair. Many times, it may not be fair, but God strives to walk with us on the journey, whether good or bad, and we cannot simply cast aside that relationship to pursue something of our selfish and carnal desires. God’s justice and blessing are ultimately of divine providence, and God calls us to listen closely and follow even closer.

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 9:14–18.

Despite our struggles, the Gospel and the Bible are meant to draw us nearer to God in relationship and never to be used as a weapon to attack our opponents. The Word of God serves as the trekking poles to help propel us over our obstacles instead of the dynamite to knock the mountain down. For the same God that made us and sent Jesus to die for us also created those opposing us and desires for their lives to be transformed by the Gospel. If we were to presume that God was on our side just because things went our way, we may surmise that the Bible was full of magic spells and we could force God to our will, but Paul urgently reminds us that God’s will override any human effort. Therefore, we must humbly devote ourselves to God no matter what and cannot use scripture to prop ourselves up. The scriptures are a tool for life; the Gospel leads to hope and not despair.

From an early age, we are taught that success results from pushing and straining to get yourself to the top of the heap. From the perspective of competition, there can only be one winner, and you must vanquish your opponents. These people are mere obstacles in our path that we must overcome. However, this type of success is the most fleeting since it is often short-lived without constant straining to stay on top. However, God implores us to unclench our fists and look to the life of Jesus, as He did not reach the mountaintop by putting others down, but rather, He turned this pattern upside down because we have all been lifted up, through Jesus allowing himself to get knocked down. God did this to help us value our relationship with God over victories, and by aligning ourselves with God, we also value sharing the Gospel over dominating others.

Apologetics often ends with an intellectual defense of the Gospel against the world’s philosophies. Followers of Christ take up the mantle of apologetics to defend God against the world. Still, as we hear Paul in Romans, God doesn’t need us to come to the aid of the Creator in this manner when God would rather we show off the transformed life within our hearts so that the world may know God through the behavior and actions of Christians. The Sword of the Spirit penetrates the hardness of hearts, bringing life out of darkness. The Holy Spirit ultimately accomplishes the work of transformation, and we are merely invited to share God’s hope and love with our community. Rather than spending the bulk of our time convincing people they are wrong, God calls us to devote our lives to living Gospel lives and loving one another.

Mountains teach God’s people to make themselves vulnerable to the movement of God. While climbing the mountain will undoubtedly exhaust us, the mountain will guide us into beautiful scenery and places where God wants to lead us to experience God’s joy from a fresh and new perspective. To achieve these experiences, we will encounter difficulties, and amid those difficulties, we will not have guaranteed success, so we have to strive after God and not strain to succeed. In our actions, we seek to bring God’s glory. As we remember that God made the mountain and the person climbing, we learn to thank God for the mountain and lean into God’s understanding to strive after the Lord’s purpose for our lives.

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The Conquering Spirit

The word conquer evokes images of heroes made from the history book, characters larger than life that we could barely estimate whether they were real or pieces of pure fiction. Many of our world’s greatest legends have been turned into images fit for the stage or big screen. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonapart have all had stories told about the worlds they subdued to their will. These are the typical characters that our imaginations conjure up when we consider the word conquer. We imagine great empires seen throughout history. Whether it be the British Empire that spanned the globe, or the Roman Empire that sought to bring peace to the world through subduing it with the overwhelming size of its military might.

Within the Empire of Rome we find the people of Jerusalem clamoring for a savior to bring upon a conquering spirit, and lead the people against the might of Rome. As they laid their cloaks and palm branches on the ground they ushered Jesus into the city as a conquering hero. Jesus did come to conquer, but it was something much bigger than Rome, but the people were not ready for it. They expected their version of Alexander and Julius, but they got the Son of God instead. Thus as we look at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit enables us to conquer sin and death because of Jesus’ humility and strength to overcome.

37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39 (ESV)

In this text, Paul leads toward an understanding that because of God’s great love for us, we are imbued with the Holy Spirit that conquered sin and death, and continues to conquer evil all around us. It was in accord with the Holy Spirit that Jesus entered Jerusalem to provide a perfect example for us to conquer in a manner that brings glory to God. Jesus leads by example, by the fact that even though the people ushered Him into the city with chants and cheers, Jesus remains humble at His core. We too are called toward humility, and instead of relying on our understanding, we must listen to what God wants from us and block out the cheers from the mobs and crowds leading in a myriad of directions. The Spirit works to inspire us toward working for the glory of God and setting aside any personal gain or glory. When we connect to the Holy Spirit, we can conquer hardship, find salvation, and have an unbreakable connection to God. 

With this connection, the Holy Spirit protects us from harm while empowering us to overcome and conquer the forces of death and destruction. Through the Spirit, we are protected from the seemingly unbearable attacks of the enemy. Through our connection with the Spirit, we are given the Word of God for protection and encouragement. Even when we cannot come up with the words to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. As Jesus knows, we cannot avoid trials of many sorts in the world, but the Spirit fills us and guides us to overcome these trials. Just like standing in the ocean, we cannot avoid the waves crashing down on us; we cannot avoid trials, but the Spirit sustains us in our needs. Further, the Spirit then takes the strength built in our character during these trials. It allows us to conquer and rededicate ourselves to a brand new understanding of what it means to be victorious and embrace the blessings that arrive despite our circumstances. The Spirit ultimately conquers our hearts.

Through transforming our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we understand that God truly conquers the world through the love of the Almighty God. Once God’s love penetrates our hearts, nothing can pull us beyond the grasp of God’s embrace. It doesn’t mean we won’t get pulled from time to time to distance ourselves because we will constantly be tempted with power and riches, and calamities will rise, attempting to break our will. Still, the Holy Spirit is present to help us respond to it all by conquering them through the love of God found inside us. Even Jesus relied on the Spirit as He approached the crucifixion and asked for the cup to pass; therefore, when negative thoughts and actions tempt us, we can call on the Holy Spirit to help us out of the darkness and guide us toward the light.

The world is hungry for a conquering savior, which is nothing new, as shown in the Palm Sunday narrative. People always seek a strong voice to guide and lead them out of any perceived trouble or inconvenience. The people offer themselves to chant and adorn themselves just as the first-century Jerusalemites waved their palm branches and hailed Jesus as their conquering hero. Similarly, people have welcomed famous despots into power because they spoke the right words. However, people are finicky; whenever the actions or words stray from the original intent, the devotion can turn into darkness in the blink of an eye. On Sunday, they hailed Jesus as their leader, and on Friday, they called for His crucifixion. However, even when darkness seeks to squelch the hope we have in Jesus, the Spirit rises and conquers the darkness and brings light through the love of our neighbor. The Spirit reminds us that loud and bombastic speech might be popular, but we must set it aside and show humility in demonstrating God’s perfect love. The Spirit leads us to follow Jesus’ example by leading with humility and showing compassion to everyone; we show that our hearts have been transformed from dark into light. Through the conquering Spirit found in us, as we ask God into our hearts, we can truly change the world to reflect more of God’s perfect kingdom.

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The Empowering Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the primary empowering force in our lives, enabling us to achieve remarkable feats and guide our paths. Despite its significance, churches often overlook or misinterpret its role. However, theologian John Calvin, despite his reservations regarding musical instruments in Presbyterian traditions, underscored the importance of the Holy Spirit within the Trinity. He recognized its pivotal role in empowering and guiding believers to accomplish extraordinary deeds. Yet, our inherent weakness frequently distorts our understanding of divine laws, leading to their misuse. While the law is a divine gift intended to draw us nearer to God, our frailties often hinder its righteous application. Through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and the guidance of divine law, we are called to navigate our journey toward spiritual fulfillment and growth.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 

Romans 8:1-11 (ESV)

In our churches today, there’s a tendency to rely heavily on programs and books as guiding lights, often overshadowing our faith in the Holy Spirit. Instead of relying solely on written resources, we must focus on devoting ourselves to the Holy Spirit. We should seek guidance directly from God as we immerse ourselves in scripture study. By doing so, we align ourselves with the freedom from the law of sin and death that comes through Christ. Following the Spirit brings forth life and peace, a truth underscored by Jesus’ sacrificial death and Resurrection, which shattered the chains of death. While the law initially was a guiding principle, our human nature often led us astray. However, God invites us to embrace a new path where His Spirit leads us toward genuine fulfillment and purpose.

Jesus, in taking on the fleshly body, undertook the monumental task of destroying sin’s grip on humanity. Through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, we are granted the ability to live in alignment with the Spirit, thereby breaking the chains of sin that once bound us. We must introspectively examine our actions, discerning whether they foster unity and peace or sow seeds of division and chaos. By consciously striving to empower others and walking in the paths of peace and unity, we amplify the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Embracing this divine power enables us to extend peace and hope to a world torn by division as we humbly relinquish our pride and yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming beacons of unity and agents of positive change.

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate source of empowerment, enabling us to transcend barriers and cultivate unity, love, hope, and peace in a world fractured by division. This transformative power was exemplified in the life of St. Patrick, who was imbued with the strength of the Holy Spirit, extended forgiveness, and shared the gospel with his captors, birthing a profound faith tradition. Similarly, the Holy Spirit empowers us to become instruments of peace, love, and hope within our communities. By aligning ourselves with its guidance, we are equipped to spread the gospel’s message, fostering unity and healing amidst societal discord. As vessels of the Holy Spirit’s divine grace, we are called to participate actively in restoring harmony and disseminating God’s love, thereby fulfilling our purpose of bringing peace and hope to a world in need.

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It All Leads To Peace  

The moment you give your life to God doesn’t change the fact that the world is full of problems. While surrendering to the Almighty may yield peace and purpose, it’s not protection from life’s inevitable hardship. The artist turns problems and struggles into a product that engages the viewer or consumer and brings light out of darkness; our challenges further refine our faith and character. Mountains may still rise in our paths, but following God as our guide, we navigate the trails with strength, resilience, and a deeper understanding of our capacity for growth. The friction doesn’t disappear but becomes an opportunity for transformation, reminding us that we are not alone even amid struggles, and the journey of faith brings us tremendous value and, ultimately, peace. Paul pontificates on the result of suffering on our faith and the peace available through the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 

Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Peace begins as we start walking in faith. Stepping out in faith isn’t a promise of an effortless journey but a passageway leading to a profound peace, as Paul explains in Romans 5. It delves deeper, echoing the Hebrew concept of “shalom,” a wholeness encompassing every aspect of being. Faith works to root out the sin that creates fissures in our relationship with God as peace heals and brings us back to whole. With each step, we find ourselves inching closer to the transformative peace that transcends circumstance and settles deep within the core of our being. This peace, however, transcends the mere absence of conflict as conflict becomes an agent, leading us to grow deeper in faith and more fully into peace.

Faith’s path may appear riddled with impediments; these hazards are not necessarily reasons to give up but roots of growth. At the beginning of any task, if we attempt to brute force our way to completion, we will get frustrated when encountering a speed bump. However, when we hit those crises, they teach us and grow within us a patience that acts as a superpower divinely endowed. Each tribulation endured grows our patience, forging a character of faithfulness and perseverance. This power transforms into hope, a confident expectation for the future with a foundation on God’s unwavering love. Planted firmly in faith, even though troubles may strain our determination, they open doors to stronger faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preparing the saints of God for the journey ahead.

Patience empowers our journey with God, not just as a passive virtue but as a powerful preparation. Each moment we endure each challenge we navigate with grace prepares us for the Holy Spirit’s magnificent work. Patience opens us to the superpowers of faith, hope, and love, not as fleeting wishes but as concrete tools to navigate God’s purpose for our lives. Patience allows us to discern the whispers of His guidance amidst the world’s noise, preparing us to step confidently into His action when the time comes. It’s not just the waiting that matters, but the transformation that occurs within the waiting, making us vessels ready to receive the blessings and fulfill the purpose He has designed for us. Therefore, we patiently embrace the landmines and allow the struggle to become a propellant, leading us into God’s extraordinary work.

Through God’s work to build our lives with peace through patient endurance, we acquire a greater understanding of God’s desire that we continue the work of peace in the world.  The Cross and the Holy Spirit empower the Church to be a beacon of hope. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, God’s love poured onto the world, offering forgiveness, redemption, and peace. God then gifted the Holy Spirit within you, giving you a superpower to share God’s love with others. This love speaks loudest through quiet acts of kindness, the gentle words that radiate God’s presence, smiles offered, and helping hands extended. Compassion becomes a testament to the hope found in Christ. The Holy Spirit guides and strengthens you, reminding you that God’s love is the ultimate source of your strength and purpose. As we shine our light on the world, we must ensure that the peace given is shared, and through that, the Holy Spirit will manifest hope for the world through our actions and words. 

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FROM FAITH + FOR FAITH

Throughout our lives, we always seek ways to find belonging. As we strive for something that brings a change to our lives, many things and groups promise to give us that sense of belonging and purpose. With belonging, we strive for something that empowers us to become more than what we are or better versions of ourselves. Companies, organizations, hobbies, or even political affiliations tap into our desires to prompt us to leave behind our former selves and unite with them to be a part of something. However, faith empowers us not only to be a part of something or become a better human but also to connect with the Almighty and strive to better ourselves and our community. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul underscores the transformative power of faith and emphasizes the significance of community.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

Paul opens his thesis statement with a proclamation of confidence found in the Gospel. With the power of God, the Gospel provides a transforming power that leads to a birthing of faith in one’s soul. When encountered with sincerity, faith creates a striving for righteous living, where the intrapersonal wrestling with becoming a person who strives to be the best person they can be creates a desire for sanctification. Through a community of faith, this begins to create a fertile ground for faith to be nourished and grown. With growth, opportunities arise to spread that faith through stories and sharing.

A key to faith is a constant source of nourishment and growth potential. We allow faith to stagnate and fade outside of regular practice and an environment that provides sustenance. Therefore, the community of faith must strive to expand by sharing with others the hope and peace within the Gospel framework. While it may be compelling to state that all we need to do is share our stories, we must also help people overcome the darkness in our world by actively giving hope through meeting needs and working for justice that gives peace to the people in our community. Without hope and peace, we cannot affect change in the world because righteous living is not birthed in a vacuum but rather is encouraged to thrive when the community of faith fights against the darkness of sin that ravages our communities.

When offering hope and peace through faith, we offer a power that sustains our community with the understanding that we have a new identity as a follower of Christ. Looking at Paul’s life, this new identity sent him in a new direction that sparked a new movement within the church. Previous identifying principles would follow him but not haunt him. As he used his background to connect and identify with people, Paul did not lose sight of the fact that those identifications all move to the background once we follow Christ. Similarly, our faith should not erase all other identifications, but those identifications should not be anything that divides once our faith unites us. This new identity builds our faith as we share and prompts us to grow closer to God collectively and, in turn, produce more faith in our community and ourselves. Therefore, faith lived out prompts a gift of more faith intended to be shared.

Faith sparks each person’s transformation and acts as the fan that spreads the faith to the world. Through faith, our lives change, and our hearts, minds, and souls lead us to become people who live righteously and share with our community the hope and peace that bring lasting change to our world. We know our world has been affected by sin that has led to darkness and division, but faith strives to remind each of us that we have been created by a God who loves us and wants to build in us a faith that leads to sanctification and holiness, which in turn births more faith.

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The End Is Near?

The key prop of the stereotypical street preacher is a sign that reads, “REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!” While this type of thinking sits in the back of our minds, as we, as sinful people, need repentance, however, do we know how we feel about the second part of that sign? These thoughts cause each of us to confront our eschatological thoughts and the reality in front of us. Far too many within Christian circles look around at “clues” around us pointing to the imminent return of Christ. This, however, is not a new phenomenon, as since the time of Christ, people have been looking for a sign. We need to heed the words of Jesus that we don’t know, and a generation should not need a sign to do what is right. Paul writes to the church in Corinth; while he does state that time is short, he instructs the church that there is no time to place our faith in structures but only on the power of Christ in them.

29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (ESV)

Paul instructs us to hold the perspective of the world’s impermanence, and we as individuals should live as if everything around us is passing away. The insignificance of worldly pursuits is highlighted, prompting a shift in focus away from our worldly pursuits and claims and towards the eternal and the spiritual. In contrast to the tumultuous events in the external world, the scriptures provide solace, reminding believers that such external occurrences are temporary and not as significant as they may seem.

Living a life centered on God and nurturing a deep relationship with Him is emphasized by Paul as the cornerstone of a meaningful existence. Too many things with our world demand that we give them attention and will fool us into believing they are worthy of our time, money, and attention. In a world filled with transient experiences and fleeting moments, the enduring connection with God stands out as the most crucial aspect of our journey. The guidance for such a life is sought through the scriptures, where the teachings reveal profound insights into the nature of our relationship with God. Probing the Word becomes a source of wisdom and a roadmap for navigating the complexities of life.

Within the nature of a life devoted to God and studying the mysteries through the Word and prayer, we find ourselves changing the priorities within our lives, and we change what our minds’ focus. However, even when we don’t consume ourselves with the things of the temporary world, it does not give the Christ follower a license to ignore the plight of the people of this world. Rather, as a Christian, we must understand that through the scriptures the instruction is to find the worries and hurts of the world and work to help the world to be reconciled to God, and bring healing to the world.

This pursuit must extend to all our relationships, cautioning against relying solely on earthly connections. Instead of putting faith in human institutions or leaders, our emphasis must prioritize God as the head of the church and recognizing His ever-evolving work in the world. The warning against misinterpreting biblical passages without acknowledging God’s centrality reinforces the idea that genuine faith is anchored in a direct relationship with God. Ultimately, the call is to bring peace and hope to a world filled with chaos, choosing God’s love as the guiding force in our lives and turning to Him in times of despair rather than surrendering to hopelessness.

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There Is No Equal

6  Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7  Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8  Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 44:6–8.

Many will rise and attempt to claim through direct or indirect ways that the power that has been granted to them is unequaled. Throughout history, empires have risen with the understanding that because they have no rival, the Earth is theirs for conquering. Politicians and corporations take the same tactic; however, it is important for us as followers of Christ not to get swept up in the waves of popular sentiment and take the words of the powerful class as equal to the Gospel. Our Lord, the Creator of the Universe, has no equal, and no power structure on our planet can stand against God.

The nations around the Hebrew people came and surrounded them and ultimately conquered them. This taught the people of Israel that the land promised to them could be defeated on their own and that they needed to put their trust only in God, not their own might or past. Even when the land has been vacated, God remains. When nations rise and fall, God remains. Nothing will outlast God, and thus nothing can oppose God. Even God’s people needed obedience as God asked them to represent the Almighty through their living. However, even Israel got haughty and thought they knew better, and they paid the price.

It is important for us in the 21st Century to remember that we cannot think of ourselves or anyone else as equal to God. Our lives must show that we trust God to guide us and lead us out of any circumstance. This circumstance requires each one of us to approach our relationship with God and others with humility. None of us are God’s equals; only God can guide our lives in purity and holiness. Thus, when we cast aside our allegiances to anything other than God, we purely understand that God alone stands when the world around us fades.

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A Centered Life

Right now. God is calling us to change our focus from a hectic season full of stress, chaos, and preparation for gatherings and get-togethers, to center our minds on the HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE that come with the Christ Child. Jesus didn’t have an easy entry into the world, as there were stresses about when and where the birth would occur and having to take care of obligations, but God cared for them.

The Angels prepared others for the coming Christ and invited the world to receive the gift God had given. We hear the story in Luke’s Gospel about the circumstances that led to Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born in a less-than-ideal situation. Still, because of that, the shepherds came to celebrate the coming of the King, and the Kingdom of Heaven arrived here on Earth.

Luke 2:1-20 (ESV)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

As we wrap up the Advent season, we look back at the last four weeks and our successes and failures in carrying out the Advent mission. Even as we worship tonight, things are probably swirling around our minds as we think about the last-minute preparations that need to be made for a “successful” Christmas. However, tonight as we look at the candles here, we are reminded that Jesus’ birth is evidence of a successful Christmas. 

Even if you haven’t stopped and reflected this season, you can now use this moment to listen to the Holy Spirit. You are being told to stop worrying. At this moment, allow God to center your heart and mind on the purpose of Advent. Prepare our hearts and minds for Christ to enter our world. 

Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

When Jesus comes into the world, we are gifted salvation because Jesus brings greater gifts than we could imagine. However, we keep thinking and working toward finding the perfect gifts to get everyone when we only need to look around the wreath to proclaim the greatest gifts.

Hope

We await the coming of the King, our Hope brings our focus to God’s promises for us and alters our vision from the past and present toward a focus on future glory. All our actions right now reflect a vision focused on what Jesus has done for us and is doing for us heading into the future. Hope is something we have and something that we share with the world. Instead of crossing our fingers, we look at how the story unfolded in Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and throughout the Roman Empire. Then we reflect on how that mission continues into each of us right where we live, work, and play.

Hope guides us to Christ, for there is no hope if not for Christ carrying out God’s mission here on Earth and in each of us. Humanity shows us that we give ourselves over to many worldly passions, and sin pulls us away from God into lawlessness and chaos. We tried to save ourselves, but Jesus reminds us that only through the power of our Savior were we able to be saved.

Peace

The world at the time of Christ’s Birth was a world in a chaotic state. By the world’s standards, there was great peace under the rule of Rome. However, there was turmoil within the different groups in the world, as people were disenfranchised, rulers took advantage of the people, and there was a growing disparity between the rich and the poor. What the world called peace resembled chaos and turmoil. 

An ordering and counting would regulate and help facilitate this peace even further. We hear of a census being taken, and Joseph and Mary, in an attempt to comply with this “ordering,” find themselves in a situation where Mary is giving birth in a place where they are not home but are in a situation where they are without peace and no place in the inn. 

However, God chose to bring His Son into our world in this chaotic situation. The chaos continues today, but God sends out His church to come into the world and bring God’s peace and order. 

Joy

The birth of a child naturally brings joy, but the circumstances around Mary’s pregnancy brought uncertainty that would have squashed the joy of some. Still, the joy that comes from the Lord cannot be squelched by circumstance or situation, but rather the joy that comes from the Lord strikes out against deep sorrow and shines light into the dark recesses of our souls.

Joy is not simply happiness but unbridled light that fills us at our core. It reminds us that we don’t exist simply to experience pleasure but that the Glory of God gives us a gift that we cannot simply look at and discard. The emotional state the shepherds felt when they encountered Jesus was more than a temporary euphoria but a joy they knew in their bones.

Through Joy, we are given a gift that lifts the people in our world. We enable people to look beyond their current circumstances and into a future defined by hope, peace, and love.

Love

Through God’s love, humanity is embraced, and sin is forgiven. Love covers up and demolishes sin at its core. Where love exists, divisions fail, and love shows us how to draw closer to God. We are taught how to flee from the immorality that plagues the world, and embrace HOPE, PEACE, and JOY through LOVE. Love is a gift from the Almighty God.

The greatest of the gifts is love. Love defines God’s action that sent His Son to us, bringing salvation from sin. This gift transcended what we commonly think about love. There is more than simple emotion or feeling; love comes from the core of existence and creation. God created Hope, Peace, and Joy to connect with His creation, but sin broke that bond and relationship. Out of Love, God sought the ultimate sacrifice to make things right again with humanity.

At the Core of All the Gifts

At the core of all these gifts is the gift of Jesus Christ. Christmas celebrates the free and perfect gift through the Christ Child. The gifts of Advent call to us to stop and reflect on the presence of Christ and that Christ is also a present to each of us that gives HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE. Once we receive these gifts, we are then charged to go out and share them with our neighbors.

It doesn’t require some grand showcase; it can simply be the telling of the story as found in Luke’s Gospel, the same one Linus told us in Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special. That is what Christmas is all about, after all.

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Celebrating the Life of our Dear Brother Kay Greer

Col. James McKay “Kay” Greer

MAY 16, 1932 – APRIL 27, 2022

Many of you may be aware that our dear brother Kay passed away in April. He was a dear friend to many in the Horizon Community and the spirit of Christ flowed through him to many that knew and loved him. He served Horizon through ups and downs, providing his voice to our worship in word and song, serving the church through leadership, and providing wisdom at many key points. One of the good things to come out of the pandemic, was that many of us were able to see Kay worship with us when we were on Zoom. We will certainly miss our dear brother, but rejoice that the Lord has called him home.

Below is the obituary that his family has shared. Pulled from Dignity Memorial.

On April 27, 2022 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, James McKay “Kay” Greer peacefully left this world just shy of his 90th birthday. Born on May 16, 1932 in Hazard, Kentucky, Kay led an extraordinary life, including a career of service to his country in the Air Force. To say Kay was a man of many talents is understatement in the extreme: his basso profundo voice wowed listeners whether he was singing Handel or Gilbert & Sullivan, church hymns or Broadway show tunes. He could bring folks to tears reading scripture or knock them out of their chairs with hilarious stories. When he was barely more than a kid he drove trucks on the narrow and treacherous mountain roads of his Appalachian home (and later terrified his children on visits to the grandparents by driving the family car like a wild man on those roads, which were now “easy” because hey, now there are two lanes!) He was a High School Kentucky All-Star in basketball and played college ball with such fearlessness that — though he was the shortest guy on the team at 6’5″ — he dominated his opponents and even christened the brand-new floor of the Western Kentucky University gym with blood from his battle injuries (much to the ire of his coach, the famous E.A. Diddle: “Get offa my floor, Greer! Ya gettin’ blood on it!”). Even Kay’s “failures” turned out to be successes: the vintage 1957 MG Sports Sedan in the carport he worked so hard to rehabilitate wound up a fantastic fort for the neighborhood kids, complete with tie-dyed curtains in the car windows. Upon graduating Western in 1955, Kay enlisted in the Air Force and married his true love, Mary “Way” Drew Greer. “Way & Kay”, as they were known to all their friends, spent a loving and adventurous 64 years together until her passing in 2019, raising their children, traveling from one military assignment to the next, and eventually welcoming grandchildren and great-grandchildren into the family. Kay loved to fly. He started his Air Force career in Texas training to fly the Piper cub, the T-6 Texan, and the B-25. After a Jet Qualification course in 1959 (which he nearly didn’t pass when the tower announced to him over the radio that his new baby boy had just been born), he went on to fly the B-52, the plane that would be central to the remainder of his Air Force career. He then became B-52 Aircraft Commander at Westover AFB in Massachusetts and was in the air during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He became B-52 Aircraft Commander, B-52 Instructor Pilot, FB-111 and T-39 Aircraft

Commander, and Air Operations Officer at Carswell AFB, Texas. In the early 1970’s he became a B-52 Squadron Commander at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, from which he and his squadron were briefly deployed to Andersen AFB in Guam.

After that was Kay’s first Pentagon assignment, as a Division Chief for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. His team worked on “special projects” in a nondescript vault in the basement, the directions to which included “… just past the purple water fountain.” (He would always grin when he mentioned that storied landmark in the bowels of the giant building.) He returned to the Pentagon in 1979 as an Officer, Joint Staff after an assignment as Wing Commander of the 509th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB, New Hampshire, which housed KC-135s and FB-111s. On June 30, 1985 Colonel Kay Greer retired as Chief of Staff, Headquarters 8th Air Force at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana after 30 years, 1 month and 22 days of service. He went on to a second career in the aerospace industry until his final retirement, as a Test Conductor for the B-1 Lancer at Rockwell International and a Manager for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Northrop Grumman.

Despite his storied career, intellectual brilliance, and staggering talents, Kay was the warmest and humblest of men. He lived a life of service not only to his country but as a decades-long Presbyterian Elder in the church, always alongside his beloved Way who served as office manager/secretary of their church for twenty years. His humor, caring and sincerity charmed everyone he met, and humble Kay was the only one surprised that everyone seemed to love him. He walked through life in a constant state of wonderment for all the blessings he received from God, whom to the very end Kay faithfully loved with all his heart and all his soul and all his strength and all his mind.

Kay was predeceased by his parents Harry E. Greer and Mary Lee Harned Greer and his siblings Margaret E. Greer, Harry E. Greer, William H. Greer and Perry L. Greer. He is survived by his children Lori Greer Rossett (Rickey), James McKay Greer, Jr. (Denise), Julia Drew Greer, John Lincoln Greer (Jenny); his niece Cindy Drew; and his 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at The Fairfax, a Sunrise Senior Living Community where he and Way were surrounded by dear friends, 9140 Belvoir Woods Parkway, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 on June 4, 2022 at 11:00 am, with another to follow next year at Arlington National Cemetery, date and time TBA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Red Cross or Compassion International.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/alexandria-va/james-mckay-greer-10733055?utm_source=obit_alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=obit_detail&utm_content=decedent_name.
The obituary was pulled from the above link.