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Following the holidays, it doesn’t take long for exercise, diet, and nutrition ads to come out in full force, encouraging us to consider new habits for the new year. “Its a new year! It’s time for a new ‘you’!” ads seem to suggest. Which, isn’t all bad. Sometimes we need a fresh start in order to critically think about what we’ve been doing (or not doing) and how that impacts who we are and our relationships with others. 

But even as you consider possible resolutions or habits that might need to be tweaked, consider this: Jesus doesn’t desire a “new you.” You don’t need to be new and improved like the greatest Tide pod that just came out on the market. Instead, Jesus simply desires you to be the best “you” that you can be. And in Jesus’ eyes, that’s enough. In fact, it’s more than enough: it’s considered beautiful and honored and precious. Because as baptized children of God, we have already been made new by the grace of our Lord Jesus who came to live among us. 

So as we enter into 2024, don’t feel as though you need to be someone you’re not. Rather, consider habits that would help you be even more who God already created YOU to be. But don’t think you have to do all that on your own. Instead, dedicate yourself to join with others in community as we remind each other of our identity in Christ, and push each other to grow more and more as disciples of Jesus. 

“Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
~ Psalm 96: 2-3

On Christmas Eve night, we gathered to adore the birth of Christ our King. But now that we have come, now that we have seen, and now that we have heard the news, now what? 

Well, now we have the opportunity, like the shepherds, to “make known what had been told them about this child” (Luke 2:17). How? Using our psalm from Christmas Eve night, we do so by telling of God’s salvation, declaring God’s glory, and witnessing to God’s marvelous works. 

But again, how? What does this look like? Well, think of the shepherds: after the shepherds saw the Christ child, they continued to be shepherds. Their identity didn’t change. But now, they had a different purpose. They had a different reason to travel to new grassy areas, and a different impetus to keep on moving, and growing, and believing. 

As we move into the (short!) Christmas season, we – like the shepherds – are summoned forth to tell of what we have seen and experienced in our Lord Jesus Christ. To do so, we don’t need to pursue a career change. Instead, just as the news of Christ’s birth permeated the shepherd’s being, informing their purpose in what they were already doing, we are summoned to allow the news of Christ’s birth infuse our being, informing our purpose in what we are already doing. 

Blessings to you all as you bask in the glow of Christ’s light this season, and blessings as you allow the news of our Savior’s birth fill you – to the brim – sending you forth and giving you reason to keep on moving, and growing, and believing. 

Christmas is almost here! In five days we’ll gather to hear the story of Christ’s birth, sing carols, light our candles while singing Silent Night, and receive the holy sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. 

But that’s in five days. And not until the evening of December 24. 

At Shepherd, we’re intentionally marking the last Sunday of Advent during our typical Sunday morning (9:00 am) worship service. Together, we’ll keep vigil for the coming of Emmanuel – waiting, watching, praying, and singing songs of hope for the coming of God’s Kingdom among us. To embody that waiting, we will not celebrate communion at our morning service. Rest assured: to refrain from the sacrament in the morning was not simply a decision for convenience and simplicity. Instead, it’s a discipline as we wait to receive Christ’s presence in his birth, and in the sacrament of communion during our Christmas service. 

Then, after keeping watch in the morning, we’ll return for Christmas Eve worship. It may seem strange to be in two different seasons of the church year on the same day. But the truth is that “technically” the season of Christmas does not begin until Christmas Day. But following the tradition of Shepherd, together we’ll fully enter into the Christmas season on Christmas Eve as we hear the angels herald the shepherds in the fields. 

So though it might seem strange to consider coming to worship twice this coming Sunday, I encourage you to do so. Come in the morning to prepare yourself for the coming of God’s light into our weariness and into our darkness. And then, come back in the evening as we celebrate Jesus Christ – the Light of the world – who takes on flesh for you.

This past Sunday we sang the beloved Advent carol, “Comfort, Comfort, Now My People.” It’s a hymn based on our Old Testament reading from Sunday, Isaiah 40:1-11. As the prophet Isaiah heralds the Israelite people, he brings them good news that their exile away from their homeland is finally over. God, in God’s faithfulness, is going to deliver them! God is going to save them! God is going to rescue them, just as God had done before for their ancestors in their exodus from Egypt. 

But first, the people are given a job by Isaiah: they are to be the road construction crew, working to ensure that the pathway for God to come to them would be a smooth one. 

It’s a joke in WI that there are two seasons of the year: winter and road construction season. Having lived in IA as long as I have now, I’d say the same is true here as well. We all know what a mess road construction makes. But the point of it is to create safer pathways, to repair holes, and to fill in spots where holes have developed. 

In the same way, Isaiah urges the Israelite people to take up this work. Since the beginning of the book, the prophet has made it abundantly clear that they had been putting up roadblock after roadblock, disconnecting themselves from God, from themselves, from those around them, and from creation. And all those roadblocks, all those obstacles, would need to be torn down for the Israelites to find joy in connection with God once again. 

So as we move into this week, focused on our second sub-theme of finding joy in connection, I urge you to consider the roadblocks that you’ve put up, keeping you from being connected from God, from yourself, from those around you, and from God’s beloved creation. Consider these questions: 

1. What barriers have you erected keeping you from God? Busy-ness? Fear? Independence? Your own agenda/desires?
2. What walls have you built between yourself and others? Apathy? Judgment? Anger? Jealousy? 
3. How have you disconnected yourself from God’s beloved creation? Have you treated it as something disposable? Have you not honored the life-blood from which you came? 

This week, bring your reflections to God in confession. And as an Advent practice, repent of these obstacles: picking up the sledgehammer to make room for God to come to us, once again, or adding a little extra asphalt to fill a hole so that not only you, but all the world might experience joy.

Thankfully, even if our road construction is not complete (let’s face it, road construction is never done, is it?!), our God promises to come to us. That promise has been given. But how smoothly we, and the world, may connect in joy with Christ and with one another? That takes some work from us, too. 

Already, communities are a-buzz with Christmas festivities. Lights are up, trees are decorated, and carols are resounding at concerts. In some ways, it’s as if society has fast-forwarded through the month of December and we’re already at Christmas Eve. 

But in the church, first, we observe Advent – a season that’s easily skipped as we rush toward Christmas. And, a season that is actually more uncomfortable than might meet the eye. Why? Because Advent is a season that forces us to pause. 

Now, “pausing” might sound like a pretty sweet thing in the midst of so many obligations. But think about what happens when we finally stop after having been racing around at a rat’s-race pace, after we finally get that last project done, after all the funeral details are attended to, after we get home from family gatherings, or after we recognize that we’ve been filling our calendars with this-that-and-the-other-thing just to keep busy. What happens when all that stops? Often, everything else that we’ve been pushing to the side creeps to the surface: the restlessness, the uncertainty, the doubt, the questions, the weariness. Basically, everything that we try to keep suppressed with a “happy face.” 

Which, I get it, none of that is “fun” to face head-on. So when we think about a season that forces us to pause, and to wait, this season of Advent can actually be very, very uncomfortable because it pushes us to acknowledge things that we’ve been pushing aside for far too long. 

But at the same time that Advent pushes us to recognize these harsh realities, the space and silence of waiting also prompts us to pay attention to something else as well: to watch, and to wait, for what God is doing (even in our weariness) to transform us, preparing us to receive God’s promises with joy. In our Gospel lesson this past Sunday, we heard that Zechariah was forced into this period of silence after he was deemed mute by the angel Gabriel. Which, in many respects, might seem like a punishment. But in light of what silence has the capacity to do: 1) to acknowledge what is going on within us and around us, and 2) to watch, and to wait, for what God is already doing, I wonder if the time of silence that Zechariah experienced was actually given as a gift. 

So in the coming weeks of Advent, my encouragement to you is to carve out space. And, to make time for silence. That silence will likely be uncomfortable at first. But, that silence has the potential to be a gift for you as it challenges you to acknowledge where you’re at, and as it transforms you to receive with joy a promise that, though it might seem too good to be true, is God’s very promise for you. 

After celebrating Thanksgiving last week, in short order our attention will turn to the Advent season beginning Sunday, December 3. 

At Shepherd this year, our Advent focus will zero in on the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. We’ll hear the stories of the angel appearing to Zechariah in the temple, Mary visiting Elizabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist before hearing again the timeless story of Christ’s advent (aka: Christ’s coming) into the world in a stable outside Bethlehem. 

In each of these stories, we’ll witness the full scope of human emotion: isolation, fear, disbelief, as well as connection, trust, and joy. All of these emotions are emotions that we, too, have experienced. And, as we experience the holiday season once again, it very well may be that we experience several of these emotions – all at once. 

So honoring the complexity of the stories that we will hear, and honoring our own stories of faith and life, this Advent season we’re going to intentionally hold joy and weariness together. The two might seem to be polar opposites. And yet, we’ll find that the two belong together as we acknowledge our weariness, and the weariness of the world, and as we practice rejoicing. 

So this season, join us: as we seek a “thrill of hope” in our hurting world; as we welcome joy – even and especially if, like the prophet Isaiah, we cry out for comfort (Isaiah 40:1); and as we discover the multitude of ways to rejoice, even amid our weary world. 

As we look to the coming Thanksgiving holiday, some families might bring out special dishes for the occasion. For years, I’ve had fine china from my Grandma Kenitzer stored in a hutch. Occasionally, a few pieces of silverware will come out when I need a few extra place settings. But on the whole, that fine china is just sitting there, collecting dust. 

In contrast to my use of china, my Grandma Gilray would routinely use her china. Just about every Sunday, as a family, we’d have dinner together after church. And during those meals, even when it wasn’t a holiday, it would be my brother’s and my job to get the table set with her fine china. 

Grandma chose to use her china, even though it was valuable. She chose to share it, and she chose to entrust it into the hands of young grandchildren (even at 4-years-old!). 

Much in the same way, God has also entrusted us with something quite valuable. Yes, our time, our treasures, and our talents. But even more so, God has given us the valuable gift of God’s grace, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, and the mission of Christ in the world today. 

It’s ridiculous for God to trust us with such gifts. Just as much as my brother and I were bound to chip one of Grandma’s dishes, we’re bound to abuse God’s grace. And, we’re bound to fall short of doing – and being – what God intends us to be as we carry on the mission of Christ in the world. And yet, God lavishly entrusts us with these gifts. 

So this Thanksgiving, whether you use your everyday dishes, fancy china, or even paper plates, give thanks for the incredible, enormous gift of Christ’s love, mercy, and grace that’s been graciously given to you – something that unites you with all the family of Jesus in joy. And having received that gift, receive the incredible, enormous call to be an ambassador of Christ and Christ’s mission in the world. For the china that we’ve received from God isn’t meant to sit on a shelf. It’s meant to be used, and shared…with joy. 

This past Sunday, as we began our worship, I referenced a phrase from St. Bernard of Clairvaux who spoke of “three Advents.” It might seem strange to think of three Advents; Advent only comes once a year! But, in the words of St. Bernard, these three advents refer to very distinctive “advents” (or, “comings”) of Christ:

1. First, we anticipate the incarnation of Christ (aka: the coming of God through Emmanuel, God with us) at Christmas. 
2. And last, we look in hope for the coming (aka: the “advent”) of Christ at the end of the age. 
3. And in between these “advents,” St. Bernard asserts that we are to keep alert for the everyday arrival of Jesus: the knock at the door, or the still small voice, or the weary refugee, or the encounter with Christ through one another, through the Word, or through the sacrament. 

Truth is, even as we look back to the time when Christ came, and even as we look ahead to the time when Christ will come, we also profess that Christ is coming to us now. Logically, in the span of time, it doesn’t make sense. And yet, this is the mystery of faith: the very mystery that we profess as we join in our communion liturgy as we give thanks for Christ’s death and resurrection, as we plead for Christ’s coming again, and as we partake of Christ’s body and blood within the sacrament. 

So this week, as we inch closer and closer to the season of Advent in the church year, I invite you to consider: Where have you already encountered Christ’s coming to you? How have you experienced Christ’s presence in your everyday life? Give thanks for Christ’s advent in your life, and within the world. And then, pray for Christ to come again into your life, into our congregation, into the greater church, and into the world. Consider imagining a specific situation, place, or group of people and imagine Christ coming to that space. Ask God to come and fill that space with Christ’s presence, and ask Christ to come and fill you. 

As many of you likely learned early on, we do believe that God is always with us. But an invitation for Christ to come, and to take up residence within us, and within our world, never hurts anything. So ask, and keep alert, this week. For Christ is coming. 

A few weeks ago, I attended a conference in the Twin Cities: Evolving Faith. It was a gathering of people who were seeking refreshment and renewal while also recognizing that their faith, and even their perception of the church, had shifted. There were other church leaders and ministry professionals there as well as people of other professions. There were people who identified on a spectrum of sexual identities,  people of color and indigenous descent, and people like me: white, middle-class. 

I paint this picture for you because it truly a beautiful gathering. And for about 36 hours or so, rather than being identified as one thing or another, together we became fellow pilgrims with one another, accompanying each other on our journeys. 

At the close of the conference, we worshipped. And before being sent forth, the leader of the whole endeavor stood on the stage and offered a 5-minute long blessing. I’m not kidding you! Perhaps that seems abnormally long, but in that time, I felt a renewed sense that I was one who was seen by God. And even amidst my foibles, doubts, wanderings, and wonderings, I was still one who was uplifted as chosen…and blessed. 

I left that space with a renewed outlook on myself, my life, and the calling which God has entrusted to me. But the thing was, it wasn’t just about me. It was also about all those others in the room with me. Each and every one of them were also blessed. So as I – as we! – left that conference ballroom, we couldn’t help but see one another as fellow blessed-ones in God’s sight. 

The moment (obviously) hasn’t left me. And it makes me wonder: what would it be like to leave for our spaces of worship – and even our work offices, our schools, and our community gathering spaces – trusting and remembering that it’s not just ourselves who’ve been blessed by God. Indeed, it’s been each and every person around us? 

I wonder, if remembering our own blessing, and remembering that those around us are also blessed in God’s sight would make a difference. 

So try it out this week: receive God’s blessing on you: you who are a beloved, blessed, chosen, honored child of God. And as you look up from receiving that blessing, look around at all those whom God has also deemed worthy and loved in the sight of God’s Kingdom. 

Or, shall we say, Happy Halloween!

Across the Christian church, different church bodies have different approaches to the celebration of Halloween. Much like many other traditions, various denominations have different interpretations of what Halloween is…and is not. 

But, did you know that Halloween and the celebration of All Saints Day (on November 1) actually are connected? 

Halloween is actually a mashed-up version of “All Hallows Eve” (Hallowe’en). Especially in the middle ages, Hallowe’en would be a night that church goers would attend worship and light a candle on the graves of those who had died in the past year. We observe this practice as we celebrate All Saints Day. In addition to that practice, other traditions developed, some of which are similar to Halloween practices today (wearing costumes, making jack-o-lanterns, etc.)

So as you celebrate Halloween today (have some fun with it!), I also encourage you to think ahead to our celebration of All Saints Day. Consider for yourself:

1. If you were to describe what a “saint” is, what would you say? 
2. What saints have impacted you and your life of faith? How have they made an imprint on your life?
3. As you approach All Saints Day this year – remembering those who have died and those who have been baptized in the past year – do you feel a sense of loss? of joy? of hope? something else? 

As we’ll hear this coming Sunday in 1 John 3, we have all been called children of God. And as such, YOU have been named and claimed as a saint in God’s Kingdom. May you claim your title as saint this week, and may you embrace what it means to live as a saint in God’s Kingdom today!