“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

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December 24, Christmas Eve, 2011
Luke 2:1-20, Light in the Darkness
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:05 — 21.8MB)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

Going to Israel and Jordan in May, I will never hear the familiar words about the birth of Jesus from Luke 2 in the same way. It’s easier to picture what Mary and Joseph’s journey would have been like, leaving the hills of Nazareth and moving south from the lovely region by the Sea of Galilee toward Jerusalem and the town of Bethlehem just a few miles outside the capital city. Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to walk or ride a donkey or camel the whole way – we were on a bus. I’m sure Mary would have preferred that mode of transportation.

During our visit we were told that in the seventh century after Jesus’ birth the Persians attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the churches in the area with one exception, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Interestingly, that church was left intact largely because of a mural on the outside over the entrance that portrayed men dressed in clothes similar to those of the invaders – the painting showed the magi from the east who came to give gifts and worship the Christ child. Omar (Umar) ibn al-Khattab (c. 581–644), the second Rashidun Muslim Caliph, traveled to Bethlehem in 637 CE to issue a law that would guarantee respect for the shrine and safety for Christians and clergy. Hundreds of years later, after the Crusaders had gained possession of Bethlehem, it was re-taken by the Muslims. Their leader at the time was puzzled that Crusaders had been riding their horses into a holy site, so he ordered that the entrance be made much smaller so no horse could enter and even people needed to bow to enter the church because a holy site should be entered humbly and reverently. That is the way it has remained ever since. The following few pictures give you a look inside the Church of the Nativity including the main part of the sanctuary, the front of the altar, some of the candles that pilgrims like ourselves light, and art portraying Jesus and Mary. We sang Adestes Fidelis, O Come, All Ye Faithful, in the place where Jesus was born which is marked by this spot.That was unforgettable.

 

In Mary and Joseph’s time, they traveled through a land occupied by the Romans and there were soldiers everywhere. Currently, Bethlehem is Palestinian territory, but there are Israeli soldiers guarding checkpoints to get in and out and a large wall to prevent the Palestinians from moving about freely. The number of Christians in the West Bank is on the decline. While some leave for economic reasons, others talk of discrimination and harassment by the Israeli government or the Muslim majority. Christians have even lost their majority in Bethlehem, where more than two-thirds of the 50,000 Palestinian residents are now Muslim. As you can see, there is a lot of graffiti on the wall and these two were among the more poignant for me.

Many of us who went through the checkpoint and saw the wall and the graffiti said we’d never hear the song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in the same way. We also visited with some local Christians at a church by Shepherd’s Field that commemorates the angels announcing the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds and there are still some shepherds in those same fields. Visiting a refugee camp in Bethlehem one had a better picture of what the circumstances of Jesus’ birth might have felt like to Mary and Joseph than going to the Church of the Nativity.

One Christian observed, “What is Christmas? It is the celebration of the Incarnation, God’s becoming flesh — human — and entering into history in the form of a vulnerable baby born to a poor, teenage mother in a dirty animal stall. Simply amazing. Mary was homeless at the time, a member of a people oppressed by the imperial power of an occupied country whose local political leader, Herod, was so threatened by the baby’s birth that he killed countless children in a vain attempt to destroy the Christ child. The theological claim that sets Christianity apart from any other faith tradition is the Incarnation. God has come into the world to save us. God became like us to bring us back to God and show us what it means to be truly human. That is the meaning of the Incarnation. That is the reason for the season. In Jesus Christ, God hits the streets.

“It is theologically and spiritually significant that the Incarnation came to our poorest streets. That Jesus was born poor, later announces his mission at Nazareth as “bringing good news to the poor,” and finally tells us that how we treat “the least of these” is his measure of how we treat him and how he will judge us as the Son of God…reveals the real meaning of Christmas.” Author Helen Grace Lescheid (Celebrate the Light) shared an example of God bringing good news to the poor and light in the darkness in the following experience from her childhood.

“The Second World War raged in Europe during Christmas Eve in 1944. Mother, with four small children, had fled our native Ukraine with the retreating German army. Father had been reported missing in action. Now we were refugees living in a two-room shack in Dieterwald, Poland. But again the fighting front was only about fifty kilometers away. Frequent air raids sent us scurrying for cover. Explosions rattled the windows. Army trucks brought in the wounded and the dead. Hay wagons filled with refugees rumbled west; bombers droned overhead and army tanks rolled east. Nobody in his right mind went out into the dark winter night.

And yet, it was Christmas Eve. Two women had prepared a Christmas party in a neighboring village and invited us. Mother, wanting to give us children joy, accepted. She instructed my sister and me to dress warmly against the winter’s cold. “Tonight we’re going to a party,” she said. Being only eight-years old, I sensed no danger–only wondrous excitement. Hurriedly my sister, two years younger, and I dressed. If only Mother would hurry! A simple wick flickered in a saucer of oil–our only light. We could barely see her shadowy form as she bustled about getting my four-year-old brother, Fred, and almost two-year-old sister, Katie, ready. Finally Mother was putting on her heavy winter coat, kerchief, and warm felt boots. With one small breath, she blew out the oil lamp. It was pitch dark now.

“Open the door, Lena,” she called to me. We stepped onto the crisp snow covering the farmyard. A crescent moon hung above a large house across the yard where the estate owners lived–kind people who treated us refugees well. It, too, was shrouded in darkness. Mother lifted Katie and shuffled her to her back: she’d carry her piggyback for the five kilometers. “Hang tight onto my coat collar,” she coaxed. Then, turning towards us girls, she said, “You take Fred’s hands.” My younger sister and I complied. We had often taken care of our little brother while mother had culled potatoes in the big barns or had done other chores for the landowners. At the road, we stopped. Although I knew it well from my treks to school, I could barely make out the houses on either side of the street. No street lights were allowed now. Windows heavily draped permitted no light to seep out of the houses. My mother hesitated for a brief moment. Then she said, “Come, we’ll take the shortcut across the fields.” The snow crunched as four pairs of feet punched holes in the white expanse of open fields. Stars spangled the vault of sky above us. A blood-red glow smeared the eastern sky. At times an explosion sent flames shooting into the sky.

“Girls, recite your poems to me.” Mother’s voice sounded a bit shaky. Her arms aching, she put Katie down on the snowy ground. Our recitations of Christmas poems made white puffs in the cold night air. Mother said, “Speak up loud and clear when your turn comes. No mumbling.” She lifted Katie once more onto her back, and we began to walk again. On and on we walked. But we were far too excited to be tired. Finally we arrived at our friends’ house. The door opened and we stepped inside. I felt I had stepped into heaven itself. Lights! A whole room full of lights. Candlelight flickered from a small Christmas tree and bounced out of happy children’s eyes. Heavily draped windows kept the light inside–for us to revel in. Red paper chains decked the tree; delicate paper cherubs smiled down upon us.

We squeezed in amongst women and children sitting on the floor. Soon the room filled with singing: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht.”(Silent Night, Holy Night) Some mothers sang alto, the rest of us, soprano. We sang with gusto and from memory, songs that lifted our hearts above the terrors of war and inspired new hope for the days ahead. I can’t remember our long trek home that night, but I do remember the wonderful gifts I received; my right pocket bulged with the most beautiful ball I’d ever seen. A very colorful ball it was. Much later, I learned it had been made out of scrunched up rags wrapped in rainbow colored yarn probably gleaned from unraveling old sweaters. The other pocket held three cookies!

Soon after that wonderful Christmas party, we were evacuated. Icy winds blew snow into our faces as we cowered on an uncovered hay wagon pulled by two scrawny horses. With the front so close behind, we traveled day and night. Once it was safe to stop, we slept in drafty barns. We ate hunks of frozen bread and drank the occasional cup of milk supplied by a Red Cross jeep. But the warm memory of that Christmas celebration shone like a small candle in the darkness. Even years later, when my own life’s circumstances seemed too bleak to celebrate Christmas, I remembered the truth of Christmas born in my heart that night: Jesus, the light of the world came to us at Christmas time and no amount of darkness can put out that light. (John 1: 4, 5)”

A couple phrases in that story stand out to me, “Songs that lifted our hearts above the terrors of war and inspired new hope for the days ahead.” Just surviving must have been intensely difficult for Helen and her mother and siblings, much less maintaining hope for the days ahead. Some of us may be struggling to hold onto hope in situations we are facing today although most of them are not as dire as Helen’s family faced. Yet for Helen, “The warm memory of that Christmas celebration shone like a small candle in the darkness.” There was no immediate rescue or happy ending for Helen and her family, yet like her when there are not immediate answers or happy endings for us, when sometimes there is confusion and challenge, we can focus on Jesus the light of the world. BBC member Jeannette Louth wrote, “Yet through it all the message of Christmas still resonates: a child was born, a promise made, hope and joy filled earth and sky. To know the child and the young man he became, to accept his teachings, and to strive to put them into practice is to know the fullness of God’s love.”

This Christmas some of us may be experiencing a “first” with loss and may be grieving, dealing with illness, or financial burdens, the challenges of aging, a family member wrestling with an addiction or some other disappointment. Whatever our circumstance, Christmas reminds us that in Jesus, God has given us a candle light of hope in the darkness.

 

Prayer at end of sermon

May the sacred and holy light of Jesus guide you.

May the awe of his birth bring you hope

May the glorious song of love sing in your heart

May you experience new birth and life within and around you

May this Christmas bring the joy which only Jesus can give

 

Blessing

God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;

The warmth of Christmas, which is love;

The radiance of Christmas, which is purity;

The righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;

The belief in Christmas, which is truth;

The all of Christmas, which is Christ.
–Wilda English

Prayer before Communion

We praise and thank you, tonight, Most Loving God.

At the appointed time, after all your careful preparation,
you fulfilled your plan to become one of us.
A young woman accepted her role as your servant.
A carpenter accepted his role to be a father on earth.

And, a child was born for us. A Son is given to us.
This night, our gloom and tears are taken away. This night, the angels sing.
Peace on earth. Peace in every human heart. Peace that all will see.

In a barn, a child is born and the angels sing. In simplicity, in lowliness,
you speak the most profound expression of your love for us,
your oneness with our lives.
Totally other before Creation began, you have become totally with us.

Tonight we come together to give you thanks.
We gather to let your Son be born again, for us.
We open our hearts to his coming among us tonight.
So we might be at peace and share our peace with one another.

This night your Holy Spirit gathers us together to give you praise
for you have conquered all that discourages us, defeats us, divides us.
This child, who walked our life’s path and taught us how to love,
gave himself into our hands to face even an unjust death –
to give himself to us as food, as nourishment for our facing every death,
so we can give ourselves to every degree of love.

Now in prayer before you, let us be like the shepherds
who hastened to see that what was promised is real.
Let us together adore him, the Child, the Christ, our Lord.
And let us share our joy and gratitude this night,
by your grace, filled with the gift of his gracious mercy.

We ask this in his holy name, blessed by your ever-present Spirit. Amen.

The passage I’m going to read from 2 Samuel 7 is one of the most important in the Old Testament for Christian faith yet it is not familiar to many people. In 2 Samuel 5 David becomes king of all Israel and Judah. He captures the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and makes it his capital and he also defeats the Philistines in battle. Then to help unite the people north and south, to add prestige to his new capital city, named in his honor, David has the Ark of the Covenant (yes, that Ark of the Covenant, which was a sacred object to the northern tribes), brought to the city to make Jerusalem not only a political and military center, but also a religious one. So the fighting is over, David has solidified his rule, the Ark is in Jerusalem, and David was living in a lovely home made from cedar trees, a gift from Hiram, King of Tyre the neighbor to the north. David is a man of action so he starts thinking about his next project.

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December 18, 2011
Luke 1:26-38, God Is Still Moving
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:16 — 27.8MB)

Before I read this passage, remember a good principle to keep in mind when you are reading or studying the Bible on your own is to look for repeated words, phrases, or images because those often are clues to what a passage is about. Listen closely and you’ll notice the reading from 2 Samuel 7 is a good example of that. See if you can figure out what key words or images are used multiple times.

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

7:1 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you.”

But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

A primary word that is repeated a lot is….”house.” King David is settled in his new house and all of a sudden he has a realization that he shares with his confidant, the prophet Nathan, “I’m living in this beautiful cedar house and the Ark of God is in a tent.” Anyone who ever saw the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark with Harrison Ford has a little idea about the Ark of God. The characteristic feature of the Ark was that it could be carried about. The Israelite Ark led the people in the desert (Numbers 10:33), was carried round the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6), and was brought into the camp during military operations (1 Samuel 4:2-4). It was kept in a tent (2 Samuel 6:17) with an attendant (1 Samuel 7:1) and used to ask God for direction (1 Samuel 14:18). According to biblical tradition, the Ark contained the two tablets of the law God gave to Moses (Deuteronomy 10:2, 5). Perhaps the most striking fact about the Ark was that it was a direct manifestation of God’s presence and was virtually identified with God. So in other words, David is feeling badly he is in a better house, than the Ark, that represents God’s presence among the people, which is in a tent. Nathan assures David that the Lord is with him so if he has a plan coming to mind to go ahead. But, that night the prophet Nathan hears from God. God often speaks to us at night because it is when we are quiet, still, and less distracted so the Lord can get our attention. Nathan is told to tell David, “Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”” The Lord is making an important point. While David may want to build a permanent place for the Ark of God, coincidentally in the new capital city which is named after himself, since the Exodus, the Ark that represents the presence of God has been mobile, moving about, free to go wherever the Lord wants.

I think this conversation demonstrates the contrast between the human desire to be sure of and to locate God’s presence in one familiar, predictable place and God asserting the divine freedom to move and manifest the presence of the Lord any place, any time, and in any way the Lord chooses. When God led the people out of Egypt and in the wilderness, God was moving and the people needed to follow. God wasn’t found only in one place, God moved and the people needed to be alert and to keep up. God didn’t allow them to get too comfortable in one place. At times there were surprises and movements the people could not or did not anticipate or even understand. These same things are true of us in our journeys of faith. God is not static or locked in place. God is still moving.

The Lord makes this point with David and there is a second repeated phrase and that is God saying all that the Lord will do for David. God says, “You’re not going to build a house for me, but this is what I will do for you.”

First, God reminds David that he is in the position of victorious and prosperous king solely thanks to God. “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you.” If God had not been with David, none of the good that has happened to him, for him, or through him would have happened. One doesn’t go from being the younger brother minding the sheep to the top of the heap without God’s help so this is a reminder to give thanks and praise to God for the good things we have in life. God has been with David and, hopefully with us, at all times. So the Lord is humbling David a little reminding him that any success he enjoys and whether the Ark has a permanent home is up to God and the Lord’s initiative. “I will make for you a great name… I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more…and I will give you rest from all your enemies.” God will do all these things for David and God’s people. God doesn’t like to share credit.

Then God makes an amazing promise playing on David’s use of the word “house.” “Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

This statement is crucially important for a couple reasons. First of all, up to this point, Biblical faith has been an “if, then” proposition. God says, “If you obey my commandments, my ordinances which I’m giving you, then, I will bless you.”

Here God says to David with no ifs and no provisos, “David, not only are you not going to build me a house, but I am going to make your “house,” your family, sure forever before me, your throne shall be established forever.” That is a grace, undeserved unmerited favor or blessing. God will bless David’s line and descendents forever.

Things didn’t go so well for quite some time after that, eventually the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, the Ark of God disappeared never to be found again except in a movie, the magnificent house or Temple that David’s son Solomon built was destroyed and no trace of it has been found either. Cities and buildings and objects built by human hands all eventually pass away so we shouldn’t get too attached to them. But God’s promise endured. God kept moving regardless of the sins and failures of human beings.

That is what connects this passage with the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary and declaring said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” That statement by the angel Gabriel is tied to what the Lord spoke through the prophet Nathan to David hundreds and hundreds of years before. Whether a woman like Elizabeth is barren or a woman like Mary is a virgin, nothing is impossible with God when God is moving and working in our midst and in the world.

God was moving during the Exodus, during King David’s time, in the first century with Mary and the birth of Jesus, God is still moving today. We need to be alert, keep our eyes and our spirits open to what God may be doing and where the Lord may be leading us.

Marie Sherman shared the following story with me this week written by a musician in New York City. “It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it’s enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig – I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the ’40s to the ’90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our rendition of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. After the tune was over, she approached me. “I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?” she asked. “No,” I replied. “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?”  To my delight, she accepted my invitation. “You choose,”  I said. “What are you in the mood to sing?”  ”Well. … Do you know any hymns?”

Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. “Name one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay,” I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’?”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, “Yeah. Let’s do that one.” She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

“Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?”

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion. “I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me.”

When the last note was sung, the applause rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, “Oh, y’all go back to your coffee! I didn’t come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get something to drink, just like you!” But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. “You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!”

“Well, it’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said. “Why is that?”  “Well . ..” she hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s favorite song.”

“Really!” I exclaimed. “Yes,” she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual… “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.” I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. “Are you going to be okay?”

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m going be okay. I’ve got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs and everything’s going be fine.” She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone. Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch to imagine that God could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting God and singing the songs, everything’s going be okay.”

God is not found in one place like a Temple in Jerusalem or a church or even the Bible. The God we meet in the Bible is still moving and doing new things. God is still moving make sure your eyes open and you’re ready to move too.

 

Did you see any of the beautiful sunsets we had earlier this past week or even yesterday? Living on Cape Cod we are blessed to be able to see the sun rise and set over the water if we choose. Seeing the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, recognizing the warmth and light the sun provides as well as its reliability, it isn’t a surprise that many ancient cultures worshiped the sun. Obviously Christians don’t worship the sun but the God who made the sun and everything else. Connections between light and God’s power, presence, and glory are found throughout the Bible, starting in the beginning. The Bible opens saying that “the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,” and Genesis 1:3 states, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” The first act of creation is God speaking light into being and light was good and “God separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:4).

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December 11, 2011
John 1:6-8, 19-28, Bearing Witness to the Light
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:29 — 23.4MB)

Later Psalm 27:1 affirms, “The Lord is my light and my salvation,” and Psalm 36:9 states, “With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” In Luke 2 the prophet Simeon, guided by the Spirit, took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying Jesus would be (Luke 2:32), “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 

Images of light and darkness permeate John’s Gospel. John begins his Gospel by telling us that in Jesus there is life which is the light of all people and that light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not and will not ever overcome it. Jesus is the true light which enlightens everyone. In John chapters 8 and 9, Jesus declares he is “the light of the world” and demonstrates the truth of his statement by giving light to the eyes of a man born blind. John the Baptist, who had a significant number of followers himself, is portrayed in John’s Gospel as clearly identifying himself as a witness who came to testify to the light who is Jesus. Listen to John 1:6-8, 19-28,  

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”

And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”

Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.”

 John the Baptist “came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” “Witness” is a word that we still hear all the time today. A witness in the practice of law is one who speaks from personal experience about what happened to oneself or another. In the Bible, this may occur at a trial (Deuteronomy 17:6; Proverbs 19:28; Mark 14:63) or in a legal transaction (Isaiah 8:2; Jeremiah 32:10). Bearing false witness is roundly condemned (Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 12:17; Acts 6:13) and can bring severe reprisal (Deuteronomy 19:16-21; Proverbs 21:28). Sometimes in the Bible a pillar or altar of rocks is built as a visible witness to a convenantal agreement (Genesis 31:44; Joshua 22:27, 34; Isaiah 19:19-20). In the New Testament, “witness” takes on several specialized meanings – referring to a person present at the ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:22) or to one who attests to the truth about God (John 8:18; Revelation 1:5; 11:3). The ‘cloud of witnesses’ in Hebrews 12:1 compares the multitude who have suffered or died but retained their faith to the great crowd of spectators at an athletic contest, whose presence spurs the contestants to give their best efforts. The word ‘Martyr’ is derived from the same Greek word as ‘witness.’

John was a witness because could speak about Jesus from personal experience, he was his cousin and he knew and baptized Jesus. In the Book of Acts, chapter 1:8, Jesus says to his followers, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Book of Acts is the unfolding of that verse (Acts 1:8). It tells the story of the Holy Spirit coming upon the first followers of Jesus filling them with courage and boldness to witness and testify about Jesus to other people. In that book we repeatedly hear Peter talk of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus from personal experience. The resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit inspired and empowered the first Christian witnesses to share the remarkable news about the Lord everywhere they went. A professor of mine in seminary (Howard Clark Kee) wrote about how incredible and unlikely the growth of the Way of Jesus was from a human point of view. “No one observing the itinerant fishermen and craftsmen trying to launch an apocalyptic movement in Palestine in the name of an executed Galilean troublemaker would ever have supposed that by the end of the first century there would be flourishing communities of Gentile adherents in the major Mediterranean cities and in Rome itself.”[1] The disciples couldn’t keep their experience of Jesus to themselves. Everywhere they went – crossing barriers of race, culture, class, and gender, they bore witness to the good news that there was forgiveness of sins, life transforming power, and a new sense of identity and purpose, available through Jesus Christ. We are here today two weeks from celebrating the birth of Christ because for almost 2,000 years faithful Christians have been effective witnesses in telling others about Jesus. That began with John the Baptist testifying that Jesus was the light of the world.

I am truly thankful for people like John the Baptist, Peter, and millions of others who were courageous and bold enough to witness to others about their faith in Jesus. All of us who are believers today, have been fortunate enough to come to faith because others in previous generations have been faithful witnesses. Hopefully all of us, if we were to take a few moments to think about it, could identify members of our family, Sunday School teachers, Pastors, Youth Group leaders, camp counselors, or friends who bore witness to Jesus and helped us along the road of faith. Those people are very special to us and we’re grateful for them and many of them may now be part of that great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. At the same time, we need to remember, that the Lord calls us to be loving, faithful witnesses to the light of Jesus for other people as well. Some of you may have heard of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who is a devout Christian, the son of missionaries in Philippines, who is very open about sharing his faith and praying. It has been very interesting watching the response to his being a witness for Jesus.

Here are some questions for us to ponder as we consider being a witness: Is the kingdom of God expanding through the work of the Holy Spirit in me? Have I brought anyone closer to Jesus? How can I help the light of the Jesus to shine in someone else’s darkness? Jesus says that bringing people closer to him is part of what we do when we receive the Holy Spirit and bear witness as his disciple. Following the Spirit’s leading may mean being willing to leave our own comfort zone and putting aside our prejudice as Peter did in being willing to go to the home of an Italian soldier named Cornelius (Acts 10), even though it made him a little nervous and uncomfortable.

Oswald Chambers observed in My Utmost for His Highest, “The moment we recognize our complete weakness and dependence upon him will be the very moment that the Spirit of God will exhibit his power.”  Jesus didn’t save us just to get us into heaven, but to change us into the kind of people who make a difference in the world by bringing light where there is darkness.

A woman looking back at a college experience wrote, “When I was in college, I used to baby-sit for a six-year-old boy named Peter. His mother started hiring me after her husband died. I recall putting Peter to bed. The house was very old. Over the years various owners had added on to it section by section. The electrical system seemed to be an afterthought. There was only one way to switch on the light at the end of the upstairs hall where Peter’s bedroom was located: you had to turn at a right angle to the staircase and grope along the hall to his door until you felt the switch with your hand. Whenever we were downstairs watching television and it was time for bed, Peter would stare into the darkness at the top of the stairs and say to me, “You go first.” I would start up the stairs alone, and just as I was getting to the top step I would hear footsteps behind me. Then Peter’s hand was in mine, and I groped along the wall and found the switch.

What struck me about this is that Peter didn’t wait for me to turn on the light. It was enough simply to know I was there in the dark. “You go first, “he had said, and as long as I did go first, then he had the courage to follow after me. I remember Peter’s hand in mine to this day, not just because it charmed me, but because it touched something profound that I have observed is true in myself and others: The great hunger of the human heart to trust that there is some power, some strength, some hand waiting to take ours in the shadow of the unknown.” That power, that strength, that hand belongs to Jesus and he yearns to share it with us and for us to share it with others.

There are some stairs leading to darkness none of us want to climb – stairs of stress, heartache, grief, depression, disappointment, physical struggles, relational pain, financial hardship, regret, sin, yet with them all, if we will allow him, Jesus promises, “those who follow me will never walk in darkness.” The Bible also helps us in dark times as Psalm 119:105 (NIV) reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  If we follow Jesus the light of life, then we’re called to help other people when their way is dark. We are to let our light shine. When people are walking even through the darkest valley, God still sheds the light of life upon us and through us to those who feel like they cannot see any light at the moment. Og Mandino wrote, “I will love the light for it shows me the way.  Yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” There is a sense in which we are like the moon (I hope you saw it last night or early this morning) which has no light of its own; all it can do is reflect the light of the sun. We can reflect the light and love of Jesus to others.

One final thing about light is that it can both illuminate or it can blind us if we aren’t careful. That is the way it is with Jesus as the light of the world as well.

Blaise Pascal observed, “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.”

“Light has many functions that make it a good symbol for Jesus. Light helps us see things. Jesus gives us the truth about God and about life, our origin, and our destiny. Light guides us as we travel. Jesus guides us safely through life to our heavenly home. Light promotes growth and life. Jesus brings us everlasting life. Light warms and comforts. Jesus welcomes us and calms us. Light prevents crime. Jesus is goodness itself. Light dispels darkness. Jesus pierces the darkness of sin and death and conquers them. All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle flame. Jesus cannot be overcome by evil.”[2]

How can we be witnesses to the light who is Jesus? John the Baptist had to overcome skepticism and resistance among the Pharisees and even upset some of his own followers. We can show similar courage and conviction as John and Tim Tebow. We can be open to opportunities the Lord may present; there may be people who would surprise you who are open to hearing John’s message about Jesus. Witnessing to the light is basic to being a Christian.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah describes a time (14:7) “when God comes to reign over all the earth, there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.” In the final chapter of the final book of the Bible, in John’s vision of heaven, in Revelation 22:5, it says, “And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, they will reign forever & ever. Amen”            

Blessing – The cross, we will take it. The bread, we will break it.

The pain, we will bear it. The joy, we will share it.

The Gospel, we will live it. The love, we will give it.

The light, we will cherish it. The darkness, God shall perish it.

The Iona Community

This is the first Sunday of Advent; it is the beginning of marking the weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. One of the best known aspects of Luke’s birth narrative is that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem “there was no room for them in the inn.” There also was apparently no one in Joseph’s family who was willing to share hospitality with their relatives. No one welcomed them as guests after their journey. That had to be disappointing.

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November 27, 2011
1 Kings 17:8-24, Guests and Gifts
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

Guests and Gifts from BBC on Vimeo.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:07 — 28.7MB)

From Saturday, November 19^th until Thanksgiving night this past Thursday our family spent a lot of time as guests and we were warmly welcomed everywhere we went. We left Brewster on Saturday and drove to Suffield, Connecticut for a family gathering with relatives from my mom’s side of the family. We had a great time visiting with everyone and then we got back in the car and drove to Jill’s parents in Pennsylvania. On Sunday we had Thanksgiving with Jill’s family which was nice. Monday morning we drove to Swarthmore, PA and Jill visited with her Aunt Ann, whose husband Ed died a number of years ago, while I cleaned out the gutters and did some needed yard work. Thanksgiving Day we drove from Pennsylvania to Leverett, in western Massachusetts, to share in a meal and visit with my cousin Chris and his wife and my sister. We left there that evening and drove to Wayland where Jill’s cousin, Susan and her family live and after dropping off a Lionel train from Ann and chatting, we finally drove home to Brewster. I’m sure some of you made similar trips or welcomed people doing the same.

This season of the year from Thanksgiving through Christmas is one in which at various times we are guests or hosts; we are visitors or we are those sharing hospitality. Most of the time this is with family or good friends we know well; we might feel differently if we opened our door and were greeted by someone we’d never seen before or even a person from a different country who asked to come into our home and eat a meal. We also might have more anxiety if we were in an unfamiliar place and, like Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire; we “had to rely on the kindness of strangers.”

The next scripture is a story about the prophet Elijah and a widow and it is about a guest and hospitality and welcoming a stranger. It is from 1 Kings 17, beginning at verse 8. “8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” 19 But he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24 So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Let’s think about the details of this story for a moment. The prophet Elijah is living during the time of King Ahab, the very worst king Israel ever had. Just before the scripture I read, Elijah told Ahab that there would be no rain, not even any dew, except by his word. Then he fled for his life, first north, to the east of the Jordan River. Then the Lord tells him to go to “Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” This is not good news. This is not like being told, “Go to a beautiful seaside resort where all your needs will be met.” Elijah is fleeing his country, having to travel some distance to the northwest to a dot on the map between the cities of Tyre and Sidon. There, the Lord tells him, a widow, someone probably among the poorest of the poor, is going to feed him. “Great,” Elijah must have thought. “First, I have to rely on being fed by ravens sitting by a dying stream (1 Kings 17:4). Now I have to go to another country and depend on a widow to share her meager food, with me, a foreigner. I don’t know if that is better or worse. Thanks, God.”

Sometimes if life gets tough, we can relate to Elijah. He is trying to be faithful to the Lord, yet it seems each day brings a new test which stretches his faith, his physical ability to go on, and his hope. He believes he is hearing the Lord’s voice and seeking to do what he’s told, so he keeps going forward even though that means venturing into unfamiliar territory not knowing how he will be received or welcomed. He also has to trust that the same Lord who is communicating with him, is going to get through to a widow in Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to the north of Israel. At least there on the Phoenician coast, Elijah would be beyond the control of Ahab.

Sure enough when Elijah gets to the gate of the town there is a widow gathering kindling to make a fire to prepare a last supper for her only son and herself so they can eat and then they will soon die of starvation. If you think Elijah was being pushed and having his faith stretched by what was taking place, think about this woman. She literally has nothing but the end of her meal and oil to make a final meal and then some stranger from down south she’s never seen before is asking her to feed him first before she and her son eat the very last of their food. Elijah asks her to do what the Lord basically asks us to do, to put the Lord first by giving a little to him, and then using the rest for her family. Elijah promises that if she puts the Lord first, “The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” If the widow gives generously from the little that she has to her guest, the Lord will be more than generous in providing for her and her son until the drought ends and the rain returns. She is asked to trust the stranger, the guest, who while asking a lot of her, promises more than she can imagine.

That is how God works sometimes. The Lord wants to see if we will trust even when it is difficult, yet when we do, we may be blessed in ways we cannot imagine. So both Elijah and the widow, have to be pleased when the meal and the oil miraculously do not run out and their situation seems to be stabilized. Then, of all things, the widow’s son dies. C’mon, man, you’ve got to be kidding. The widow says plaintively in her shock and grief, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” We have no idea what sin, if any, the widow may have committed or what she is thinking of, it is quite possible that this is merely a reflection of the belief that if something bad happens; someone must have sinned. This is not always true.

Elijah takes the boy upstairs to his room and does a kind of all-purpose, spiritual CPR. He lays him on the bed, prays fervently, stretches himself out on the kid three times, (warming him up and helping him breathe), and the boy revives and Elijah brings him downstairs and presents him to his grateful and impressed mother who can only say, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

This healing is a model for several that we read about in the New Testament including Jesus raising a widow’s only son from the dead (Luke 7:11-17), and doing the same for the only daughter of a leader of a synagogue (Luke 8:49-56). The fact that in each case it is the parent’s only child heightens both the pain of the loss and the joy of the revival. In the Book of Acts Peter is used by God to bring the widow Dorcas back to life (Acts 9:36-42) and Paul revives a young man named Eutychus (Acts 20:9-12). Bringing life out of death is one of God’s specialties.

This Elijah story is significant, not just because of what it says about the power of God, the importance of welcoming guests and being open to discovering that a stranger may in fact bring the presence of the Lord and gifts we cannot imagine. Jesus also refers to this story in his introductory sermon in Luke 4:16-30. In that context, Jesus is making the point to the folks in his home synagogue that sometimes God’s mercy and grace are extended to people they might not expect. Jesus says God could have sent Elijah to stay with any widow in Israel during the terrible three and a half years of drought, God could have fed and provided meal and oil that wouldn’t run out for one of them, but instead, who received the blessing of God? A Lebanese or Phoenician woman and her son. This doesn’t make the people listening to Jesus happy at all. In fact, they are so mad they’re ready to kill the preacher at the end of the service.

The Advent season is a time to think about both guests and gifts. Not gifts that people sleep outside of stores and pepper spray and hit other people to get, but gifts that we bring and can receive from others. Sometimes these gifts are not immediately evident. Sometimes they may come in and through people we do not expect. Henri Nouwen in his book Reaching Out writes, “When hostility is converted into hospitality then fearful strangers . . . become guests revealing to their hosts the promise they are carrying with them. Then, in fact, the distinction between host and guest proves to be artificial and evaporates in the recognition of the new found unity.”

Listen to two stories about guests and gifts and new found unity. In October Medad Birungi of Uganda came and spoke to us at BBC and shared about his remarkable journey to forgiving his enemies who killed so many members of his family. Medad also spoke about his six-year-old son Jonathan Jabez Omega who had a brain tumor and needed surgery that required a huge amount of money they didn’t have and traveling to Great Britain. Through the loving interceding of BBC member Melanie Stone who connected the Birungi’s with her father, doctors removed Jonathan’s brain tumor at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday at no cost to the family. Patti Ricotta relayed through an email, “The Birungi’s want to thank Melanie Stone for contacting her dad Carroll who lives nearby and belongs to a Christian organization of doctors. He has connected many others, and on Monday (before the Wednesday surgery) a couple of people took the Birungi’s to the Memphis Children’s Museum. Medad said they had never seen anything like it in all their lives. The thought that there would be a museum just for children was a marvel to them. He was amazed at seeing hundreds of smiling children, all there to learn and have fun doing it. He said that seeing this made it clear to them that the reasons for America’s greatness is that we are willing to spend so much money on the health and education of our children.

Melanie’s dad connected the Buringi’s with a young mother of two named Natalie who came and sat with Connie all day during the surgery. Connie said, “God sent me and angel that day. Another mother who knew what I was going through. She prayed with me, read scriptures with me and never left my side. I don’t know how I would have made it without my angel Natalie.”

Medad and Connie Birungi, wrote me on November 24, 2011

“Doug, Thank you for all your support and prayers. Jonathan Jabez Omega had a very successful surgery and the tumor was completely removed. He is now talking and eating. Thank you for all your prayers and contributions. He will need 2-3 weeks for recovery and needs more prayers. Thank the church for their love.”

Then he wrote a prayer quoting largely from Ephesians 1, “Father in heaven, to whom the impossible become possible…and the one who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to think of, talk of, pray for, according to the power that worketh within and among the believers…to you be all the glory, the honor, the majesty, the splendor and all the dominion forever and ever…for Jonathan’s complicated but successful surgery, recovery and life now and forevermore…Amen..Amen..Amen.” Medad and Connie.

I want to close with one other email that is hopefully an encouragement to those joining BBC today as well as another example of how God can provide in amazing ways as in the days of Elijah. This email came to me on November 10, 2011, from former BBC member Jack Tripp who along with his wife Dale moved to Eugene, Oregon to take on a new challenge of leading a Gospel Rescue Mission. I have Jack’s permission to share it with you. “Doug, I pray that you, Jill, and your family are doing well. Thank you for the blessing Brewster Baptist was to us for the few years we lived on the Cape. You and I didn’t talk often, mainly because I was so busy at my secular job. However, I reaped so much from the sermons you sowed as well as Bev’s bible study and our small group. I often remember a conversation from the bible study or small group while reading scripture and it puts a smile on my face as well as being a blessing from a knowledge standpoint. Cathy Kroeger took Dale and me under her wing and I miss her so much as I am sure you do as well. It is so interesting and not surprising that the Eugene Mission has close connections with a group in Eugene called CAFA (Christians as Family Advocates) whose President was a good friend of Cathy since they both are concerned about family abuse in the Christian home. Cathy’s impact was so widespread.

In any case, I wanted to stop and thank God for you and the environment of learning and growing we experienced at Brewster Baptist that has helped me so much at this Gospel Rescue Mission. Dale and I went to Jill prior to moving here to serve and she gave us a great piece of advice which was “If you see God’s love there then go and if you don’t then be careful.”  As it turns out, God brought me here to be used by Him to get rid of a lot of weird institutional like 1960”s hit me over the head Fire and Brimstone Gospel stuff. By a lot of God centered sweat equity the changes here have been pretty remarkable and fairly miraculous and I thank God every day for being used by Him to show His love.

One quick story about God at work here: The previous Executive Director was here for 50 years. I realized quickly through prayer that we needed to re-center the Mission on God and then to implement a lot of practical things to show that change, which included putting in computers, high speed internet lines and the first website to communicate the God centeredness of the Mission. Yes, they had no computers or website or internet. The total cost would be $40,000 and I wasn’t about to start off by asking the Board if I could immediately take $40,000 out of the budget. So after a long 3 month interim period with the previous director I started May 1 moving in to his former office. He moved NOTHING out so he had 50 years of stuff in the office. I start opening envelopes on his desk and the second one I opened was a Trust Fund check donated to the Mission for $39,000. He had lost the check on his desk and this was the LAST DAY we could deposit it. Thanks to God we now have computers, high speed internet and a new website as of last week. Please go to www.eugenemission.org to see what we are all about.

I know sometimes we look at what God has us doing and wonder if we are making a difference. I send this email to confirm that God used you and Brewster Baptist Church to grow me in my Christian maturity. Therefore, every day I am used by Him to serve “one of the least of these brothers and sisters” (400 on any given night plus 200 who just use our day facilities) then you and Brewster Baptist are right there with me. Hey, isn’t the Body of Christ just so glorious!!!

Blessings for the Holiday season and don’t hesitate to look us up if you are ever in the Pacific Northwest, Jack Tripp, Executive Director, Eugene Mission”

I close with this thought, sometimes we are in the place of the widow in the Elijah story – feeling we have nothing to offer, nothing to share, nothing to give to a guest or anyone else. We feel in a place of need rather than a place of sufficiency, much less a place of abundance. Yet we still have things we can share – including words of appreciation, encouragement, or prayer, or our gracious hospitality. Sometimes we are in the place of Elijah – feeling lonely, hungry for community, longing for rest, yet also bearing the word and spirit of God which can bless other people. Keep your eyes open for guests and gifts this season and throughout the year.