Luke 3:1-6: The Path Clear, All the Way to Jesus

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’” - Luke 3:1-6

In many ways, we are called to do the same as John: do our best to make the path straight. John called the people to recognize their place before God and recognize their need to be ready to change. That way, when the Messiah actually shows up, they are already in the prime position to respond to his message. We are not the message. We are the hospitable house, the helping hand, the wise word, the guest at the meal--all of which makes the path straight. Really we are enlisting in the task God has already begun.

When we say "makes the path straight" what we're really saying is removing unnecessary obstacles--unnecessary difficulties--to Jesus' good news. Sometimes it is clarifying, sure. But sometimes it is just getting out of the way and making sure that the important topic remains the important topic (and a rabbit trail doesn't become the big topic).  It is easy to get sidetracked onto trivial topics--one for which we have a particular fondness perhaps, but one which is not the important one. When that happens, our topic becomes the idol--truth that nonetheless takes the place of the gospel.

I need to pray to get out of the way and make the path clear all the way to Jesus.

Haiku: November 11 - December 23

 Wind pushes the leaves

Framed by my kitchen window

Gray sky forecasts rain

Mind unsettled

But the new day has begun

Must get on with it

The early birds trill

Otherwise the world is still

Wait! A mouse scampers!

Biting morning chill

When I stick my head outside

Return to the warmth

One leaf to my head

One flower - cups of delight

What will she see next?

Night gathers troubles

A deep breath before the start

Tackled one by one

If they don't see it

They walk past the road blindly

Did they really look?

Excited dancing

They want to leave right away

"Where are we going?"

Wake at the same time

The hills outlined with a glow

Mornings are dark now.

Winter's breath is cold

Bites my nose outside the door

So go back inside!

Make morning coffee.

Half table spoon vanilla

Then milk to the rim

Going the right way

Or just going on orders?

Could be spirals?

Red leaves on the ground

Yellow leaves wind blown in tress

Grey clouds loop above

Yellow orange red

Leaves on trees splayed like hands

Welcoming the chill.

Parking lot entrance

A wave. Sign asking for help.

What is my real thought? 

Geese fly overhead.

Unenviable commute

To the north office.

Birds chatter outside

First sun after the rain stopped.

Catching up with friends.

Christmas tree sculptures.

Illuminate our selfies.

Then the light turned off.

In the fain leaves fell

Littering the whole yard.

With red and gold stars.

Rain puddles out front.

No dry path that I can walk.

The wind kept awake.

Want to walk today

The rain biting my face.

Going back inside.

Rain-caught while walking.

Hiding under the fir tree.

Sun-caught drys me out

Smell of bread rises

Greets me coming down the stairs.

Invites me to dine. 

Bright car head lights shine

Damp streets from yesterday's rain.

Leaves stain the pavement.

Slow but steady rain.

From here to city and back.

Now, outside is dark.

Yellow bandana

Yellow squares in a  basket.

Cornucopia. 

Long rides through the air.

Sleeping through clouds and the sky

Arriving at night.

Crows circle my head.

Looking for a place to land.

In my crumpled hair.

Wintered plants line paths.

Streams dotted with dawdling ducks

White egret soars by

Did you sense I'm gone?

Half-awake in the morning.

Rolling to the warmth.

Too cold for a walk. 

Hands and ears and lungs burning.

House door inviting.

Shuffling, awake

Fuzzy early morning thoughts. 

Stumble out of bed.

Leaves of the bouquet.

Littler the kitchen table.

Need some renewal.

Sunrise to sunset.

Shadows inch close to be free.

Hide, lengthen, then fade.

Song of rain patter.

Makes we want to keep sleeping. 

But shoes left outside.

Finch perched on a branch.

Waiting for the rain to pause.

Or food to appear. 

Red in my windows.

Sunshine catches morning clouds.

Don't open the door!

Bird silhouette strolls

Across my morning walk's path

Walking unaware.

Hummingbird again.

Tries to sip winter flowers.

Leaves to try elsewhere.

Little Christmas tree.

Looks through the window and dreams

Longing for forest

Philippians 1:3-11: He Does Not Stop And He Does Not Lose

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.  - Philippians 1:3-11

 "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." One of the great confidences in life is that God does not stop and God does not lose. Sometimes we are greatly disappointed in ourselves, finding that we do what we ought not even when we should know better. Sometimes God is greatly disappointed in us, finding that we do what we ought not even when we know better. But he does not stop and he does not lose.

I'm not sure how this works out.  I remember the stories in the Old Testament where God tells Moses to stand aside after the whole country disappointed Him and he was thinking of restarting the whole saving-the-world-through-Israel idea over with just Moses. God told Moses: "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”  (Num. 14:11b) But Moses didn't think that was a good idea. So God didn't stop and didn't lose, because Jesus came and Jesus won, even over our collusion with disobedience. 

God can make it work with me. Which is pretty incredible. But it makes sense, because who am I that I could get in the way of God Almighty? And God has plans for me, which is also pretty incredible. He has places he wants me to go and things he wants to see and my small-time, stupid stubbornness is not sufficient to thwart him. Anyone tells me differently is a liar and that is good news. I don't always known how that can be true, but I'm glad it is.    

Malachi 3:1-4: A Chance to Choose God

 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. - Malachi 3:1-4

We sing about "create in me a clean heart" and "refiner's fire" in worship songs as if it is such a warm, fuzzy and desirable thing. Desirable unless you are the thing being burnt or scrubbed. "But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?" 

God wants pure people, people whose loyalty is undivided. I think he teaches us who we really are--whether we are his people--by offering us choices time and time again and letting us see what we do with that choice. God is not surprised by the choices, nor is he necessarily surprised by our answers but I think that sometimes we are surprised that we are or are not the type of people that we thought we were. 

Those choices that he offers can be hard choices between what we really really want and God. God asks which is important and I think that we are sometimes shamed into admitting that the other thing that I am choosing is actually more important than God. That is very humbling to admit, but I think that it is the foundation for the people who want to live lives acceptable to God--lives that are significant. 

So the fire is painful not just because it hurts. And not because the other thing was even bad. But because we choose something that is not God. We are faced with what is really important and the choice signals for us a chance to choose God. 

Mark 13:1-8: Don't Look Into The Continual Church of Crises For A Messiah

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. - Mark 13:1-8

"Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming 'I am he' and will deceive many." When we perceive that the world is unstable, we instinctively look for someone that can offer us stability.  Jesus' disciples pointed at the temple as a sign of stability. "What massive stones! What magnificent buildings" they exclaimed. But Jesus told them that it was all going away. It wasn't going to last. 

Then he told them to watch who they trust. Wars. Rumors. Conflict. Earthquakes. Starvation. These things continue to happen. When they do happen, we look for the new "Messiah!"--someone who will save us. A continual churn of crises leads to a continual cycle of people promising to protect us from the pain.  This is how it is, so we shouldn't look to the problems to reveal the solution. The problems just shows how broken we are and how broken the world is. There is no solution within the system. We have to look beyond the world system. We should look to God. Anyone who promises different is selling something.