Wednesday, November 26, 2025: Advent One

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3 The New Living Translation)

               The headline news, these days, seem intent on painting a worrisome picture for the incoming Christmas season. People are worried about the economy, inflation, the increasing costs of living and how expensive Christmas giving can be. To the horrors of Christmas commercialism, people are seriously considering to cut back on their Christmas spending.  But I also expect the gifts of charitable giving to much-wanting organizations may also fall under a more rigorous scrutiny. Our gifts may get smaller than normal and that would be a shame. Churches, foodbanks, shelters, children’s charities really need our support. But tough times call for tough decisions. The turkey may need to be a bit smaller this year.

                Perhaps, this is not the type of wasteland that the prophet was thinking about. But for many reasons beyond just economic ones, the Advent/Christmas season can feel like a wilderness, even for the most affluent. It can accentuate the barrenness of living: poor family relations, loneliness, separation from family, anxieties, worry, frustrations, stress, grief, health concerns, and, of course, counting pennies when one needs dollars. Thankfully, this is not everyone’s story of Christmas, but for many, it sometimes hard to hear the Christmas story against the backdrop of wilderness living.

                Yet it is this verse, quoted by Luke which often opens the Advent season.  It is helpful to hear how Isaiah and Luke both cut through the morass of bleakness and hopelessness to shine new light. Isaiah is speaking against the backdrop of the Jewish exile. Luke is pointing to the advent of Jesus’ ministry through John the Baptist. I like the fact the voice is SHOUTING. We need to hear what God is saying over and against all the noise and hubbub of a cacophonous world. God’s Word must rise above the din and speak to the fears and uncertainties of our times, be they Christmas related or not.

                Isaiah is part of clearing the path, creating a new way in the wilderness. He is directing us to focus on God who is clearing the way ahead. He is promising a better way, a safer way, a straight and narrow path for us to walk in faith, hope and love.  Later, in the book of Isaiah, some of the onus is on us to be part of that highway construction: “Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see.” (Isaiah 62:10) We are beacons of light for others along the way, for those who are lost, forsaken, hopeless or unloved.

                But it begins with God making a new highway in our life’s journey.  “You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.” (Psalm 18:36) No longer are we trying to go it alone. No longer are stumbling in the dark but God has shone a new Light for us to follow. Jesus in that Light: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John  14:6) I don’t interpret these words as exclusionary but being very inclusive for any and all who are looking for a better way, a better reason for living, a clearer focus in life.

                When we grasp Advent through the lens of being in the way of Jesus Christ, then hope returns, peace reigns, joy abounds and love overflow. It does not depend on the headlines, not on world leaders, not on others, not on our gift lists, not on our social calendars. In Advent, God is reaching out to us and beckoning us to follow. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Jesus understand the weariness of our steps, the plodding nature of our journey, the bumpy roads we encounter along the way.  His Light reveals new possibilities of a straighter pathway ahead. As we dare live by Jesus’ standards and follow his example of Love, service and compassion, we are led to New Life. “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3)

                Listen, indeed! Here is our straight road this Advent. “Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.”  (2 Corinthians 4:1) Can it get any louder than that?

 Dale      

 Wednesday, November 19, 2025

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” (Psalm 18:2, The New Living Translation)

               Yesterday marked our 47^th wedding anniversary. Wow! It has gone by in a flash in many ways, yet I am amazed and thankful for all that we have accomplished together, both in family and in ministry. Our four adult children, their partners and their children, our seven grandchildren, are a blessing and a joy each and every day. There have been so many people who have commented to us over the years how special our family is and how proud we must be. We are!

                Susan has been my rock in our journey together. As a father and a pastor, she has been the one who has kept me from faltering many a time. We have been through thick and thin; yet she is the one whom I trust in this life more than anyone else. It is funny how so many times we are thinking the exact same thing at the same time.  Susan has been my support, my advisor, my corrector, my love. When she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, it scared me to no end that I might lose her. I would be lost without her. There is an old Willie Nelson song with which I really identify: “Maybe I didn't love you Quite as often as I could have; Maybe I didn't treat you Quite as good as I should have; If I made you feel second-best; Girl, I'm sorry I was blind. (Chorus] You were always on my mind, You were always on my mind. … And I guess I never told you I'm so happy that you're mine. Little things I should have said and done I just never took the time. [Chorus]And you were always on my mind. You were always on my mind”

                So the words from Psalm 18, although they certainly apply to God, reach down and have application to my life with Susan. She, too, has been my shield many a time, the love that has saved me from myself, and my place of safety when I get in my own way or life gets rough.

                I am such an old, sentimental, romantic fool! How has she put up with me? (That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.)

                 What this Psalm celebrates is a relationship with God that is intimately close. God is not aloof, not a distant outsider. God is there for us each and every day. God desires our best welfare through his Love for us. He doesn’t abandon us to the consequences of our own actions and decisions. Maybe we don’t always love him quite as often as we should, but his Love for us never stops reaching out to us in both good and bad times.  

Jesus wanted us to understand the close intimacy we may enjoy with God when he called God, “Father.” I know that some  people have very negative, painful images of fatherhood but let Jesus repair that image by the Love that he incarnated, the Word became flesh. “Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.” (Galatians 4: 4 -7, The Message Bible)

God is Love and desires us to live that Love in our earthly relationships, husbands and wives, marital partners, parents and children, siblings, or even church as “family.”  Our closest and dearest relationships are filtered through the intimate Love of God.  “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” (1 John 3:9)

God is the Rock upon which we build all of our lives. “It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” (Luke 6:48)

                Forty-seven years have been a living witness to God’s good Grace.

 Dale

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

“Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?  Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?  I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” (Psalm 73: 13 -14, New Living Translation)

                I am a bit cranky this morning. Out of sorts. Grumpy. Why? Thanks for asking. I am in pain.  The doctor says that I have some sort of inflammation in my right hip. All I know is that it hurts like crazy. I feel like I have the mother of all Charlie-horses going on in my right thigh. Tylenol and Celebrex barely touch it. The mornings, when I get up, are the worse.  Yikes! on the pain-o-meter. Sitting here is uncomfortable.  I have to go for an X-ray. Just anther morning in paradise!

                Maybe this is why I appreciate the Psalms so much.  If you really think about it, many of the writers of the Psalms do a lot of complaining, bemoaning, lamenting and protesting. They let their spiritual feelings all hang out for others to see, especially for God to see. They don’t hold back. They don’t suffer in silence. They don’t get all pious and holier-than-thou in stoic misery.  Their human honesty and frankness barks through the reality they are experiencing. “I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief.” (Psalm 38:6) Preach it, brother! “I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain.” (Psalm 38: 17) You’re preaching to the choir, man! Be it physical suffering or undergoing persecution from enemies or simply in the depths of despair, the Psalmists bare their souls to God and even challenge God about the condition their condition is in. “I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” (Psalm 6: 3)

                But – and you know there is a but. But most of these complaints also exhibit another kind of honesty. Sometimes, the Psalmists recognize that they have no one to blame but themselves or that their sin and wrongdoing is adversely affecting their lives. Or their attitudes. Or their misunderstanding. Or their mistakes. Or their lack of faith and trust.  Then, they realize that confession is good for the soul and  will put them back on the right track with others and with God. But even more so, their laments often and usually (not always) turn into hope, faith, trust, fresh understanding, as they reach out to God in their situations.  

Keep reading Psalm 73, for example. After all his complaining about the world he is in, he ends up saying: “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73: 21 --24)

                That’s a tough faith for tough times.  They refuse to let whatever bad and painful situations they are in to define God and therefore themselves. They strive to reach a better conclusion. They insist on resisting their very own complaints and protests and seeking God, no matter what it takes or how long it takes, to find reassurances, consolations and salvation. For rescue. For new answers. “But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.” (Psalm 73:28)

                So let us, neither, just get stuck in our complaining and allowing our gripes to be our last word on life. Let us work through the worst moments in our lives, even if it just seems pointless or hapless or unending, and find our strength renewed by God’s Grace and Love.

                “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40: 31)

                Pass the Tylenol, please. And with God’s help, I’ll get through this, too.

 Dale

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

“You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.” (2 Corinthians 4: 8 -10, The Message Bible)

                It is very tempting to use these verses to describe the feelings of we, Blue Jays fan, after the crushing defeat in the World Series. But to do so would be to trivialize these words and do them a great disservice. (Although, I guess I just did anyway. Shame on me!)

                No, these words better resonate with those people who are enduring terrible, exhausting, life-threatening circumstances. Maybe it’s the wars in Ukraine, Sudan or Palestine. Maybe it’s in the palliative care wards of hospitals. Perhaps, it’s the endless addictions of drugs and alcohol that some face. Or it could be the daily confrontations of abusive spouses, parents or bosses. It might be the interminable state of depression, fear, anxiety or worry. Need I go on?  You get the picture. These words reach out to those who constantly experience troubles, feel demoralized, seem to be at a loss and spiritually terrorized.  Or in the more familiar translations: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed… (New Revised Standard Version)

                Paul is not being some Pollyannish, stoic martyr here, trying to put on a Christian, happy face. Earlier, in this same letter, he wrote, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.” (2 Corinthians 1: 8) Paul, too, experienced the deep waters of troubled times. Listen to him describe some of the details of what it was like for him. “Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.” (1 Corinthians 4:11) There is more but you get the idea. Paul was challenged by some very harsh, life circumstances and yet as our text states, he worked his way through it all; he comes close, perhaps,  to despair but he is not defeated. His faith and trust in Jesus Christ sustain him in the most challenging of circumstances. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9 -10)

                Some may see Paul as larger-than-life, a Christian superhero. But I think that we need to appreciate his very normal, human qualities. It is indeed remarkable how he can endure so much, and yet remain so hopeful, remain resolute, remain confident, remain assured about Jesus and God’s Love through Jesus Christ.  Some might think it took herculean effort but more likely, it is the solid, human connection he had with Jesus Christ that made the difference for him. He gave us some insight and inspiration when he wrote to the Roman church: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5: 3-5)

                Everyone is different and unique as to how they handle their troubled times. The last thing that I would ever say is that we should put on a phoney, happy face because of some ideology that preaches that Christians should always be happy and never be sad or depressed.  Life can be nasty sometimes. What we need, though, is a working faith which gives us something to hold onto when the storms come. We do not know what the future holds for us but we can deepen our trust that Jesus walks with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are not abandoned.

                “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8: 35 – 39)

                To that, I say, Alleluia!

 

Dale