The Days of December

The month before Christmas is like a strobe light flashing on a dance floor; light, dark, light, dark, light, dark.... This may be the musings of a seasoned pastor or simply the ranting of a man whose beard suddenly turned white but there is something profoundly disorienting about the days of December -- like trying to find something or even someone under the flashing strobe.

• Christmas lights burn everywhere - both secular and religious
• We are approaching the darkest day of the year
• Conversations at Christmas parties lift the spirit
• Sunlight deprivation depresses
• The candles of Advent are lit; faith, hope, love and peace
• Putin, The Russian would-be Tsar is declared "Man of the Year" by Time.
• The Mitchell report declares that many of our "baseball heroes" are pharmaceutical cheaters, steroid mannequins, and we pray that God will protect the Little League from their influence
• The Porno Queen college student was raped and murdered but her assailant has been captured in Mexico
• Christmas family gatherings will be warm and wonderful
• The empty chairs will remind us of grief and loss
• Joy and Pain
• Hope and Despair
• Love and Loneliness
• Peace and War
• The best of times, the worst of times, the strobe light flashes in December

And in the midst of it all, we search for something or Someone who can bring love, joy, hope and joy.

It was actually worse in Bethlehem during the unknown month of Christmas birth. Even so, in the midst of Evil, Confusion, Tyranny, and Darkness, a child was born and those who choose may still see.

Political appeals to the Deity

Since the Democrats discovered that referring to God offers distinct political advantages, it seems that we hear more references to the Deity in the current political wars than we sometimes hear in church. Forgive me for being a little cautious. Actually, don't forgive me because caution is absolutely necessary in this matter.

I have some observations.

Being a sincere Christian does not qualify one to be President. I know lots and lots of sincere Christians who would make terrible Presidents. In fact, I know of one or two professing Christians who already have been not-so-wonderful Presidents.

As a professing Christian, I take the Bible seriously. As a Bible reader, I know that the most important political statement in the Old Testament is one that was voiced by the prophet Amos, "Let justice roll down like the waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream." So my question to politicians, Christian, near-Christian, used-to-be Christian, born again Christians and politicians who recently discovered the Christian vocabularly in this political season, is this: How do you intend to lead this country to implement the biblical mandate for justice? Or, what is your vision for justice?

Amos railed at a society that neglected the poor, the widow and orphan. My biblical/political question, how would you lead this nation to respond to the prophet Amos' concern for the less able?

My heart is glad to hear that political leaders believe in God. According to the book of James, that raises their spiritual status to that of the devil who also believes in God. I would really like to hear a little converstion about justice.

Joe

Weekend Snows

It's snowing! Saturday morning, less than 24 hours before church and it is snowing. My question is this, why does God want to slow down church attendance on the third Sunday in Advent? Last week's ice storm dropped church attendance like a stone and now it looks as if God, by way of a snow storm, is going to do a similar thing again. Why? What does God have against Advent worship?

And to make matters worse, when people do not come to Sunday worship, they tend to forget to send their offerings! So why would God curtail church finances at this critical time of the year?

A thought! Could it be that God so hates Christmas shopping that God is willing to risk Advent worship attendance in order to launch a frontal snow-attack on pagan Christmas shoppers? To slow down the commercial abuse of the celebration of Jesus' birth, God is willing to slow down Sunday morning worship attendance -- could it be?

Or maybe, just maybe, this assumption about God is wrong from the very beginning. Perhaps God is less the micro-manager than we think. There may be some things in this world that God chooses not-to-control -- like the weather today.

Oh the ways of God, who can know?

However, if Christmas is really about Jesus, and if Jesus is the way of God, then perhaps we know enough.

Joe

Musings

More to come. I'll be musing and maybe amusing here soon.
Joe