Advent Devotional, November 30

Micah 4:1-5

"they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more..."

(Micah 4:3b)

Micah's dream seems unreachable.  Human arrogance and pride make learning war a lesson that is studied and applied again and again.  He envisions something different, however, that transforms weapons of war into garden implements.

Advent calls us to ponder the "what ifs" of God's presence among us.  What if people like you and me took seriously Micah's vision and spent more time studying peace, deciding that we would not learn war anymore?  What if we took seriously the words of Jesus to love our enemies and pray for them?   What if our interests were focused less on power and control and more on feeding the hungry and cultivating relationship with those who are different than ourselves?  Perhaps then we could follow Micah's admonition to "walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever."  That is an Advent dream worth pursuing.

Prayer: Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, help us set aside the lessons of war and learn the value of peace. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

  

Advent Devotional, November 29

I Thessalonians 5:1-7

 

"...you, beloved, are not in darkness... for you are all children of light and children of the day."

        (I Thessalonians 5:4a, 5a)

 

Christmas has been called the season of light.  That is truly the case if you visit our house during Advent and Christmas.  Candles, multiple trees, outside lights, even Christmas-themed night lights brightly illuminate our house.  They are reminders that light brings change that chases away the darkness.

 

Of the eternal light, John wrote, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."   That is the good news of this season for the Light has come.  The apostle Paul reminds us in today's text that this Light, the living Christ, will also come again, so our anticipation is not just for what we celebrate now, but also for what is to come.  Brothers and sisters, let us live as "children of light and children of the day."

 

Prayer: Grant us courage, Lord, to live in anticipation as children of light. Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy

Celebrating Christmas

And so it begins...or should I say, it continues.  In truth, the Christmas season began some time ago.  Decorations in retail stores have been on display for more than a month, the Hallmark Channel has been showing Christmas movies since Halloween, and I got my first Christmas card two weeks ago!  We know how to market Christmas...but do we really know how to celebrate Christmas?

 

Thanksgiving leftovers remain fresh in our refrigerators while toys and gadgets of all kinds are flying off the shelves this Black Friday. The leap from gratitude to full-blown commercialism seems a short span for most of us.  Perhaps that is why Advent is so important.  Advent calls us to wait, to anticipate what is to come. It requires that we tune out, as best we can, the noise and rush of a season that seems ever expanding and ever pervasive.  Yes, I love the lights, sounds, sights and smells of the season and I understand how easy it can be to get caught up in all of it.  I also understand, however, that the blessing of Christmas comes not in the way it is marketed, but in the way it is celebrated.

 

Beginning on Sunday, you will receive a daily Advent devotional from me as a reminder of the focus of our celebration, God's great Son, Jesus, the Christ.  Pause each day as you read these brief words and reflect on your own preparations to receive and celebrate anew the coming of the Christ child. Listen, ponder, wait...no, these aren't terms that are often used to market a holiday, but they are appropriate for a faithful celebration of the season.

 

I hope you will join us this Sunday for worship as Cindy and Olga will be sharing their special holiday duets.  Remember also that we will observe our Fifth Sunday Mission Emphasis by making sandwiches and preparing lunches for the Bailey's Crossroads Community Center immediately following worship in Whitten Hall.  This event is an opportunity for all ages to share in making a difference for others in the name of Christ.  if you have company visiting for the holidays, bring them along.  We will have a great time together.

 

Jim Abernathy

Go And Do Likewise

Who is my neighbor?  When asked this question, Jesus responded by telling a story about a beaten man whose savior was an unlikely character.  Those who seemed most qualified, most nearly associated with a godly response in such a context walked around the hurting man...indifferent, perhaps afraid.  The one who finally stopped to bind the man's wounds and take personal responsibility for his continuing care was from a people despised by those who listened to Jesus' story.  It was a most unlikely scenario of grace and mercy.

 

Hearing the question again in this twenty-first century brings us, it seems, to a similar place.  Faced with the overwhelming need of broken and displaced people, the temptation is to step around, to bypass the need.  Indifference and fear mark the response that considers personal safety above human need.  Who will step up...who will risk him or her self to extend grace and mercy to the broken and displaced?

 

This is not just a question for governments  who consider the plight of refugees in the aftermath of terrorist's activity, but it is a question for all of us for we are confronted every day with hurting displaced people who will not be helped unless we act with compassion, grace, and mercy.  I understand the fear that too often drives our indifference. The standard Jesus sets, however, in defining one's neighbor, calls those who follow Him to risk themselves when confronted with human need.  Again, I understand that this ideal is easier said than done, but if we choose safety over compassion, expediency over generosity, or ideology over kindness, are we any different than those in the story of the Good Samaritan who avoided the broken and beaten man by stepping around him?

 

Pray for the leaders of our nation and those of other nations around the world.  These are challenging days where fear is the weapon best used, it seems, to threaten the qualities of compassion and mercy so necessary in helping broken and displaced people.  But let us understand that these are not only issues for governments and leaders to wrestle with.  You and I must consider as well the question of identity in considering the neighbor in our midst.  How will you and I respond to those in our path whose wounds call us to action?   

 

One final thought...it is interesting in the dialogue between Jesus and the religious leader that led to the story of the Good Samaritan that the initial question had to do with eternal life.  In responding, Jesus asked the man what scripture had to say on the matter.  He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus told him that he had responded correctly. "Do this and you shall live."  This prompted the man's question about his neighbor.  After telling the story, Jesus then asked the man who the neighbor was in the story, to which the man replied,"the one who showed mercy." "Go and do likewise," Jesus said.

 

Go and do likewise.

 

Jim Abernathy

Honor Indeed!

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause."  Honor indeed! The United States of America has a rich tradition, borne by men and women whose sacrificial military service has strengthened a nation and preserved its citizen's freedom.  Gratitude is an appropriate response to such service, yet it seems at times we forget the burdens of freedom so many have been willing to bear.  Veterans Day calls us to pause in the busyness of our often self-absorbed lives and remember the debt we owe to those whose faithful service has ensured the liberty we too often take for granted. 

 

This Sunday morning we will pause in our morning worship service to give thanks for and recognize those who have served our nation so faithfully.  I will be continuing the series of messages from Deuteronomy 6 on the great commandment, focusing this week on the theme of legacy.  Moses challenged his people to pass along the truths of what they had learned and how they had been blessed.  That is indeed a theme worth pursuing as we reflect on God's faithfulness and that of others.  We will also have a very special guest at Church Family Night this Wednesday.  Since Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, we have invited Chaplain "LTC" Jim King, whose Army career has spanned more than twenty-seven years, to be our special CFN guest.  Colonel King will share about his work and calling as an Army chaplain, as well as his connection to our ministry partner, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  This is a fitting way for us to honor Veterans Day and give thanks for those whose service makes such a difference.  This is the second of our Chef's Choice Mission Nights and Sandy Milam will be preparing a military themed meal, so if you don't have a standing reservation, make one for this special evening.  Dinner will be served from 5:30-6:15 and Chaplain King will speak around 6:30.

 

Be part of these special celebrations as we honor those who bravely bear our country's cause.

 

Jim Abernathy

The Wonder of God

On autumn afternoons, I enjoy turning into our neighborhood  and driving past the tot lot where the vibrant colors of the season glow in the late afternoon sun. The tot lot is the community plot in our subdivision where the children play and seasonal picnics are held.  It borders the Lake Braddock football stadium and is often walked through by neighbors on their way to Friday night games.  But on late October afternoons, it is transformed into a glowing palette of yellow, orange, red, and gold as the colors of the season come to life with the setting sun.  This narrow corridor of trees holds little attraction for me most days.  It probably has more to do with the rush and hurry of my own distraction than anything else, but the wonder of this natural phenomenon draws me out of my routine to pause and appreciate it's wonder.  Simple things are indeed powerful!

 

What get's your attention these days?  If you said threats of war, presidential politics, uncertain economic times, I understand, for those and other issues like them are hard to ignore.  I have learned, however, that wonder and appreciation are treasures of the human experience that must not be overlooked in the midst of the noise and threats of daily life.  I am also learning that one must intentionally seek wonder, otherwise the heaviness of the world can become overwhelming. 

 

Amidst the worry and fear of his day, Jesus encouraged his followers with these words from the Sermon on the Mount. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry..."  Look around you and witness the wonder of God. Such beauty is good for the soul.

 

Trunk or Treat will be held at Westwood tomorrow from 4-5 p.m.  It will be a fun time of costumes and candy, providing another opportunity to welcome our community.  I look forward to seeing you for worship this Sunday as I begin a special series of messages taken from Deuteronomy 6 focusing on the great commandment.  The preschool choir will be singing and that is always a blessing, so invite a friend and join us as we gather to worship the living God.

 

Jim Abernathy 

God at Work

Cindy and I are on the road again. Like several parents in our church this fall, we are heading to parent's weekend to see how our student is doing.  Clayton is in his senior year at the University of Kentucky, so this is the last time we will participate in this special weekend. The last time we participated in this event was his freshman year, and we were talking along the road today about how quickly these years have gone.  Wednesday evening, I sat with a few young parents at CFN and heard their stories of laughter and wonder as their young children are growing up before their eyes. I encouraged them, as others have done for me over the years, to enjoy these moments for they pass so quickly. 

 

Somewhere along the line this weekend, I'm sure I will look at Clayton as he interacts with his friends or as I am sitting across the dinner table from him, and will suddenly be lost in some past experience that will be remembered as if it happened just yesterday. These glimpses of days gone by serve not only to remind me of how Clayton has changed over the years, but also how I have changed.  And yes, God has been at work through it all.  Amidst all the changes, that has made all the difference.

 

Remember the Westwood women's retreat this weekend and the Reverend Beth Willetts as she leads the retreat.  Keep all these folks in your prayers. Also, check on friends and neighbors this weekend in the midst of the storms.  Being a good neighbor brings blessing to you both.

 

Jim Abernathy