Category: celebration

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Third Sunday of Advent

Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
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
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders and wonders of His love


Rejoice! The King has come and he will come again to make all things right. Rejoice!

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To Jennie On the Eve of Your Wedding

When you came into our lives we knew that the day would come when you would fly from the nest and begin a new chapter in your life. That day is upon us and we could not be any more proud of you or any happier for you. You have brought so much joy into our lives and it is wonderful to see how God has blessed you.

We are so proud of the woman you have become, and we are so pleased that God has brought you and Charlie together. We think he will be a good husband, who will love you as Christ loved the Church.

Jennie, we pray for God’s richest blessings on your marriage, as you travel through life together. May your lives be filled with joy and love. May the Father draw you close to him and fill you with his grace and love. We love you so much!

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Thirty Four Years and Counting

On this date, thirty four years ago, I married a wonderful young lady by the name of Jan. When we said, “I do”, neither of us realized what the years would bring. Like all couples, we brought our own selves into the marriage, and there were adjustments. One of the decisions we made before the wedding was to never consider divorce as an option. I believe that commitment has been a strength of our marriage.

Through the years, we have learned what it means to live out that commitment. We have had to learn how to communicate openly, how to figure out which things were important and which were not, and how to extend grace. As we learned those things, we grew to understand each other more and more. That has served us well in the twists and turns of our journey together.

We’ve been through a lot together in these thirty four years of marriage. Getting jobs, losing jobs, having enough, and wondering if we’ll have enough. We’ve lost loved ones together, and gained and lost friends. We’ve had our ups and downs as we’ve learned to live with one another. Through it all, we have seen God`s grace time and time again.

As I look back on the years, I know that if I had the chance to do it all again, I would. I am so supremely blessed to have the privilege of being married to the most beautiful, wonderful woman on earth. Jan, I love you, and I thank God for you. Here’s to another thirty four years!

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The Hospitality of the Shepherd

In our Sunday evening gathering a couple of weeks ago, we were in Psalm 23. This is a familiar Psalm to many folks, and is a great source of comfort and encouragement. It is full of the imagery of a shepherd who takes good care of his sheep. As our shepherd, the Lord takes good care of us. We looked at the particular idea of God’s hospitality to us, and how we can be hospitable in the same way.

An hospitable host makes sure her guests have everything they need, whether that be food or a place to stay. Because God is our shepherd there is nothing that we lack. There is no want. As our host, the shepherd provides a restful, safe place for us. Our time with him is restorative and builds us up spiritually. In the same way, we are called to be people who provide for the needs of others so that, as far as possible, there is no lack. Others should feel safe and at peace with us, and our time together is to be a time of restoration and strengthening.

When the Lord is our host and guide, we can go anywhere without fear, through the worst of circumstances, even death itself. We know that he is with us. He doesn’t take us into those things and then leave us to fend for ourselves. Even though it may be hard for us to see at the time, out Father is there with us and is leading us. He comforts us, because there is nothing that we face that he hasn’t been through in some way. As people of hospitality, we are to comfort others. Sometimes that comfort may take the form of simple presence, as we let them know they are not alone. Sometimes we can offer a word because we have been through something similar.

The last two verses of the psalm speak to me the most. Our shepherd does more than just give us what we need and lead us. He provides a lavish banquet for us right in the face of our enemies. He fills our cup to overflowing. He anoints us with oil so that it runs down all over us. His grace and mercy isn’t just there for us. It follows us. I think you could say that it relentlessly pursues us. And then, our shepherd promises us that his lavish care for us will continue in his house forever! We have
an eternal home where we will continually feast with our Father and our Elder Brother.

As folks who have received a taste of this, we should be the ones who are generous in our giving to others. I have heard it said that Christians should throw the best parties and bring the finest wine. While there will be times of fasting and mourning, our times together should be times of feasting. We are people of the resurrection! If that’s not a reason to celebrate, then we are sad people indeed. We should be people who invite our neighbors to join us in our feasting. Our caring and giving for others should be lavish, as the Father’s is to us. We who have been given much should also give much.

Think of what it would be if the flock of the great Shepherd took the hospitality poured out on us and extended it to those around us.

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Lessons From The Man Who Ate New Orleans Part 4

In the first three posts, we looked at the cardinal virtues of community, generosity, resiliency, openness to outsiders, and diversity. In this post I want to look at tradition and celebration.

Webster defines tradition as a time honored practice or set of such practices. Tradition is complicated. There are many who see tradition as a bad thing, and it certainly can be. Tradition can be something that binds, that excludes, that stifles. Many of the conflicts between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day were about tradition. Tradition can be lifted up to something more important than it is, even to the point of something close to worship. Church programs, styles of music, or any number of things are sometimes elevated to almost the level of Scripture. A common phrase in some circles is, “We’ve always done it this way,” when an opportunity for change comes along. Tradition can take precedence over the good of others, and can keep us from loving them. Jesus was very clear about the wrongness of putting tradition ahead of loving others and doing good to them.

On the other hand, tradition can be a good, life affirming thing. It can draw folks close and build them up. A family gathering around a table can be a good tradition. Certain practices in the church can be good traditions and can connect us with others and with those who have gone before us in the faith. Traditions can keep us in touch with our heritage, give us a sense of oneness with others, and make us feel a part of something beyond ourselves. There are many today who are rediscovering some of the traditions of centuries past, and who are experiencing a deeper faith because of it.

One of the traditions that can be a good thing is the tradition of celebration. The people of God have a long history of celebration. Israel was given days of feasting as well as days of fasting. In Deuteronomy 14:22-26, the people were even told they could sell their tithe for silver and buy enough food, wine, and strong drink to have a feast with their families. The Israelites were a celebratory people. Jesus came and spent so much time celebrating that his critics accused him of being a glutton and a drunk. When asked why his disciples didn’t fast, he replied that there was no reason to fast at that time, that it was time to celebrate! Of course, those of us who follow the resurrected Christ have the best reason of all to celebrate. We are accepted by God because Jesus gave his life and then rose from the dead! Death has been defeated! If that’s not a reason to celebrate than I don’t know what is! N.T. Wright states that our Easter celebrations should be blow out affairs, with champagne! He says that we should party so boisterously that others look at us and wonder why. I think I agree with him. Think of all the things we celebrate. Is there really anything worth celebrating as much as the resurrection of our King, guaranteeing our resurrection? Even if we don’t want to throw a huge party to celebrate what the Father has given us, we should at least be people who celebrate and not folks who go around looking down all the time. Even in the midst of the mess and suffering of life, we know we are loved by the One who is going to renew all things, and that we are being renewed as well.

Let us be people who hold to those traditions that bring us closer to Christ and who are free to celebrate with abandon the grace and mercy we have been given. 

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3