Day 7: Using our gifts

Gifts are such an integral aspect of Christmas that sometimes we forget that it was God Himself who gave the ultimate gift in sending Jesus Christ to us. But beyond the physical exchange of gifts that is obviously a part of Christmas, we should also think about the ways in which we ourselves are gifted and furthermore, the manner in which we are using those gifts to serve others and the church. We are gifted so that we ourselves can reflect the light of God's glory to the world around us.
Today I had the privilege of spending a few hours with an amazingly gifted woman of God. Victoria is from the Philippines and has quite possible the purest heart for God of anyone I've ever met. She is an amazing servant and she consistently serves because she loves God. She gets embarrassed when I thank her, humbly claiming that it is a gift from God that she is able to serve. And she does it all with absolute joy and unending energy. Victoria always has a huge hug for me. She is often spotted giggling. She loves to be in on a joke or take part in a funny game. She is the embodiment of the light that is Christ.
And she does all this in spite of being married to someone who doesn't share her passion for ministry. All this in spite of the fact that her teenage son isn't quite as interested in going to church as she is. All this in spite of the fact that she works long and demanding hours at the residence of the American Ambassador. All this in spite of her longing to be nearer to the rest of her family in the Philippines as they face countless challenges and obstacles.
Victoria teaches Sunday School. Victoria helps serve at potlucks, weddings, newcomer lunches, and funerals. She is the sort of artist who can take a pineapple and turn it into a beautiful bouquet of flowers. And she can take a bouquet of flowers and transform them into an arrangement so beautiful you can hardly believe that it was done with human hands. That's what we did today...we walked to the outdoor flower market, choose white roses and lilies, returned to church and created the most beautiful arrangement to adorn the coffin at the funeral tomorrow. OK, she created it and I looked on in awe. And all the while she kept saying what a privilege it is to serve the Lord.
Victoria is a multi-gifted person and she willfully, even eagerly, looks for opportunities to give glory to God in the highest with all of the gifts that she embodies.
And so as you are out Christmas shopping or pondering what to get for all of the folks on your list, take a moment in the midst of all of the buying to consider what gifts lie within you. And be sure to use them this Christmas as well.

Day 6: Preparing

It's Friday and I have a full week-end ahead so I am up early trying to sort it all out. First, I am preparing the house because we have guests coming to stay with us. Three university students from North Park University, (our alma mater, where we went to seminary and college as well as where I was Campus Pastor for 5 years before we moved to Sweden) who are studying in Sweden this semester are coming to Stockholm. We know their parents because we went to college with them. I remember when I went to college and many of my classmates knew my mom, who also attended the same school. It's a weird and wonderful aspect of attending a small, liberal arts university with strong church ties. So, they are coming and I am looking forward to hearing about their experiences while they've been on this side of the pond. One of the girl's mother is one of my closest friends...in fact, she, along with the woman I went to Rome with are my two closest friends from college and the 3 of us have kept up pretty well. I love to have people into our home because I feel so blessed that we have such a lovely place. The photograph today shows the table in our entry. Hopefully it represents warmth and welcoming. Gud Jul, by the way, means Merry Christmas in Swedish.
The second thing I am preparing for is our Children's Christmas Pageant. We have a rehearsal tomorrow morning with the microphones and well, you can imagine how excited 8 year old kids get when they get their hands on a microphone. We have three wireless microphones as well, that you wear on your ear and you feel very much like a rock star and there is much jockeying regarding who gets to wear those. These are the big decisions I have to make. Additionally, the angel Gabriel is tiny in stature so I have to figure out how to best make him seen. Sometimes this program is stressful. I have to remind myself that it's not about the performance, it's about the magic and wonder of children pointing us to the Christ child. I am excited about it and think it will be adorable...our children are a very fine looking bunch.
The final thing I am preparing for is Ken's funeral on Sunday. It's weird to think that in the midst of Christmas we are going to bury someone we have dearly loved for 10 years. The kids will have to say good-bye to the physical evidence of their dad and Geri will have to publicly mourn her new found status as a single woman. I can prepare for the worship service but preparing for the new way of life that awaits our church and the family will definitely be a work in progress.
But again I reminded of what a mixture of emotions those involved in the first Christmas went through. Fear was a common thread. Zachariah was afraid, Mary was afraid, Joseph too. The shepherds were positively terrified and in each instance God sent an angel to comfort them, to utter these wonderful words: "Fear Not for I bring you good news of a great joy." It is indeed that good news that sustains us as we prepare for both the joy of little children leading us to Christ and the sorrow of losing a loved one who is now with Christ. May the good news of great joy follow you throughout your preparations in the days ahead.

Day 5: A Day of Grace

So it's 10.07 p.m. I never did my readings for today. I never burned the day 5 portion of my candle and now I am tired. So rather than do these things out of obligation, I will allow the grace of Jesus to pour over me tonight and double up tomorrow. Maybe it's a cop out, but Christ's coming into the world is indeed an act of grace. God anticipated our needs before we even knew them and then provided a way of escape from our sins before we even we asked for it. I realize this tonight when I've had a busy day and a crazy meeting at church and have guests coming for the week-end and the beds aren't made and the bathroom isn't yet clean. Yes, tonight I'm glad for grace.

Day 4: God's own Son, the Incarnate One

This photo is of my hand carved nativity made from Swedish glass. I love it.






So, to build on my notion of yesterday...Today I was out walking my dog listening to Michael Card's The Promise, which is really one of my all time favorite Christmas collections. Card tells the story of Christ's birth in wonderful and surprising ways. I know most of the songs by heart and sing them heartily. I listen to this CD to a sickeningly repetitive extent at Christmas and of course it's on my iPod as well. So naturally, today as I was walking Tanner, I had Michael Card in my ears. And because our God is a God of wonder and surprise, a song that I've heard a million times before took on a new and significant meaning to me today because of where I am in my own journey. That's one thing I love about God...He meets us where we are in surprising and wonderful ways. And the intentional advent journey opens us up to all of the unique and interesting ways that God wants to meet us. Today, the song that touched me is called 'Immanuel'. So I'm in the park and I'm singing away in my head because outloud doesn't sound all that great and when you have your iPod on you sound really loud and off key anyway, and I get to the second verse of this beautiful song: "For those who live in the shadow of death, a glorious light has dawned. For all those who stumble in the darkness, behold your light has come! Immanuel, Our God is with us. And if God is with us, who could stand against us? Our God is with us, Immanuel. So what will be your answer? Oh will you hear the call? Of Him who did not spare His son but gave Him for us all. On earth there is no power, there is no depth or height that could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ. IMMANUEL, OUR GOD IS WITH US! And if God is with us who could stand against us? Our God is with us, Immanuel.
Of course I was so moved by these words as I thought about our friend Geri and her three kids who are facing Ken's funeral on Sunday and beyond that, Christmas without their beloved husband and father. And the words of the 23rd Psalm...for those who live in the shadow of death, just moved me to tears all over again. To think, that Jesus' coming into this world can comfort the great sorrow that they feel and provide them with hope that lasts beyond their immediate loss just revealed to me in such clear ways why Christmas without the incarnation at the center truly misses everything that God intends for us. In joy and in sorrow, Our God is with us, our Immanuel.

Day 3: The Secular and the Spiritual

Sweden is a beautiful place and a Swedish Christmas is lovely. Lights and wreaths and ribbons and candles adorn the city and throughout the city are various Christmas markets where you can buy everything from traditional Swedish Christmas ornaments to reindeer meat. The markets are dotted with little red stalls, often with a candle burning brightly in the open window. It's all very lovely and charming. The photo for today is of the Old Town (Gamla Stan) Christmas market. But after being here for 10 years, the newness of the Swedish style of Christmas has worn off a bit and I've noticed an important flaw in the way in which Stockholm illuminates Christmas. I can't think of one public place that I've seen a nativity. You can hardly even purchase a Christmas card with a religious theme. And while I love Christmas decorations, both secular and spiritual, when the situation is totally void of the spiritual, the secular loses its luster rather quickly. Yes, the candles are beautiful and the white lights on the trees dazzle, and I love the wreaths and the Lucias (more on this on December 13th!) and the market stalls with all of their adorable tomtar (Swedish Santas) and fine woolen goods, and odd tasting meats and beautiful table cloths. And yet, in the midst of that beauty, I long for the Christ child. Keep the Christ in Christmas is a bit too cliche for my taste, but in the end, if there is no Christ, then really, there is no Christmas. And so for me, all of the traditions, and all of the beauty and all of the dazzling splendor dims a bit when the light of Christ isn't shining brightly through it all.

Advent Calendar, Day 1, but day 2 of Advent

This is a picture of my daily advent "calendar." It is a candle with the numbers 1-24 on them. The numbers are seen on the gold stars. Each morning I will light this candle and let is burn through the gold star that reminds me where we are on our advent journey. Today is a bonus as Day 1 also includes the very top part of the candle. As the candle burns I will read from my favorite Advent Devotional, "Preparing for Jesus" by Walter Wangerin Jr. It is my all time favorite daily reader and I am never surprised when something new bursts onto the pages for me. I've been reading it through advent now for many years. My new daily reading is by Henri Nouwen, also a favorite author. His reader has a tip for each day. Today's was to look for a sign that God is present in our daily lives. Our daily lives. For me, it is the daily walk that makes advent such a special time. Lent too, but lent is so heavy. Advent is full of joy and preparation...anticipation of the one for whom we wait. Jesus.
My little red advent calendar candle serves as a reminder of the season as well as a prompter for taking my moments to pause and consider His coming. Truth be told, I am not so good at the "daily disciplines" so during the seasons of the year that make it a bit easier to maintain, I treasure the moments that enrich my life through a daily practice.
The daily candle, the Sunday candles, the readings...they all help to remind me that the birth of Christ is coming and that everything else in the season, the events, the food, the decorations, are mere sideshows to the main event. And that main event my friends, has changed everything for me. It's worth pondering throughout these next 24 days.

First of Advent

Today is the first of Advent, a very special Sunday in Sweden. Some religious traditions observe Advent in an intentional way, others do not even acknowledge it. I have always been a part of churches that do observe Advent and I can honestly say that I am very happy about that. Advent is the season of preparation that precedes the birth of Christ. It begins with the 4th Sunday before Christmas and culminates in Christmas Eve. Churches that observe Advent light one candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas Eve as a symbol of drawing closer and closer to time when Jesus Christ, the light of the world, illuminates the world with peace and grace. The photo in this blog shows our very own Advent candles that we have in our house. The first candle of advent is now lit. On the following three Sundays we will light the subsequent candles as we journey towards the birth event.
I love Advent. I believe in the intentional time of preparation that Advent allows us. We need to think clearly about what the birth of Christ means for us and if we are not intentional, the hullabaloo of the season will swallow us up and we'll only view the birth event as one more thing in a series of things rather than as the main thing.
Another tradition of Advent is to open a window or a box for each day in Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. Often the "windows" are filled with candy or a small toy, something to entice the participants, often children, to stay with the practice throughout the month. While often secular in nature, it is still a strong reminder of how each passing day draws us closer to Christ's birth.
I have set as a goal for myself to have an "Advent Blog". I hope to post something every day in Advent, along with a photo of something in our house that reminds us of the Christmas season. I hope my readers will enjoy my daily reminders of our journey towards Christ and even more so, I hope it will help me to really focus on the season, giving myself an opportunity to truly enjoy the anticipation and hope that Christ's birth represents for me.
I preached today on Mary and Joseph and how surprising the news of being Jesus' earthly parents must've been for them. My main points were these: Joseph, who as a carpenter is used to being a builder, in the instance of being called to be Jesus' earthly father, will not be the builder, but rather the tool...a tool in God's hand as God fulfills his will through him. Mary on the other hand has been called to create space in her life to be the dwelling place for the baby Jesus so that he can be born and eventually dwell among us on the earth. My conclusion was that we are called to be tools in God's hands, dwelling places of the Holy Spirit, available to God to accomplish his will.
I hope that your advent preparations will help you create the space in your life that allows God to use you in the way He longs to.
I wish you all a Glad Advent!