What words come to mind for you at this moment, today, now, in this season?
…Christmas, Advent, snow, …maybe fireplace, family, …or is it more like family-drama, hustle, money, traffic…
How many of us thought of the focus words of Advent: Peace, Hope, Faith, Joy, Love? Or other words like: rest…or abide?
There’s a reason one of the Christmas songs transmitted on countless Christian radio stations proclaims, “I need a silent night, a holy night…through the chaos and the noise...I need...a little peace right here!” We all need a little more of the calm and holy in our lives. I know I do!
In this season, the greatest blessing we can pray over you is to abide. Abide with the One who loves you most of all! Abide with the One whose creative energies knit you together. Abide with the One who knows our faults and loves us still! Abide with the One who planned in advance good things to be and to do in this world – but remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light…What Christ calls us to can be a joy! And we can abide with our Heavenly Father in the midst of being and doing with others in community.
Some of our joys this year have involved our family of 4, extended family, Brethren in Christ (BIC) family, and our neighborhood involvement. Throughout the year we've had the joy and pain of fostering and respite, welcomed our son home to live with us again, walked with our daughter through all the intensity of college applications and scholarships, camping and hiking, and house projects. We flew in March to California for the BIC Regional Conference and in July, we flew to Ohio to visit with some of our extended family and to join with our BIC family at General Assembly. It has been a privilege to contribute to BIC projects like the Thriving Congregations Initiative, Church Planting Collaborative, Worship Initiative to equip congregations, and Pacific Conference Board.
As Christ-followers, we've tried to be present with neighbors, welcome neighbors in, and share the love of Jesus. As Peace City Church BIC, we've hosted various get togethers; participated in neighborhood and community meetings connecting needs with resources; consistent prayer walks in our neighborhood including Peace Walk Salem in our neighborhood as we find beauty in the midst of broken; shared monthly hot dinners with houseless neighbors near their encampment; discipled those seeking after Jesus; connected with gardeners at the community garden; gathered Sunday evenings in God's word and in worship; prayed for those who anonymously put requests in our prayer box and for those who stop at our home and vulnerably share; and fought against the spiritual forces against our neighbors and us.
Needs and to-dos constantly demand, but we practice abiding by saying yes to some things and no to others through the discernment of the Holy Spirit. On the whole, we seek to abide in daily and weekly rhythms.
Our friends and family, we pray over you the blessing to abide…to rest…with the lover of your soul. Do one less busy thing this season because of the One who truly knows the real you and smiles with delight! Instead of the one more thing, breathe deeply one more moment with the Creator King of the universe who knows all the hairs of your head. Sit down for a few minutes and read the Christmas story in Luke 2 or the first seven verses of Isaiah 9 by yourself or with friends or family and pray a prayer of thanks for the gift of life…forgiven, renewed, eternal abiding with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
Abide in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, who was, is, and ever shall be! No matter where you are, no matter who you are with, no matter what you are doing or not doing, abide with Immanuel. Amen!
Comentarios