How-to-Change-the-World and Faith

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9 ESV)

How-to-Change-the-World and Faith

Right off the top of my head I can think of three times that God turned the world upside down. First, the children of Israel were slaves. They were controlled by the most powerful nation in the Middle East of that day, Egypt. The slavery of the Israelites was well established, being the norm for hundreds of years. The Israelites were untrained in rebellion, subversion, and tactics. But God turned the world upside down. God freed them. God gave them land.

Second, Christianity was new, floundering, and in hiding. Caught in a crossfire of empire-protection and organized-religion, an articulate, knowledgeable, and able organizer, Saul, was attacking Christians left and right. And they were dying. From their perspective, they were in danger of dying out. But God turned the world upside down. God converted the main enemy. God invigorated the fearful. God grew the church.

Third, many centuries later, the Church was floundering. Scripture had been replaced by false doctrines. Grace was nearly forgotten. The faithful seemed insignificant. But God turned the world upside down. God’s Spirit moved once more. God’s truth was re-embraced, re-understood, and renewed. Not only to the remnant become the majority, but in the years that followed, the Church as the bride of Christ was blushingly beautiful once again.

Today, maybe even particularly this week, you might think you have reason to despair. Perhaps enslaved to the State… Perhaps your Christian community is comparatively floundering… Perhaps the truths of God’s sovereignty, God’s grace, and God’s mercy are faded and being forgotten.

But God is very good at turning the world upside down. In addition to these three, think about the creation of the universe from nothing. Think about the revivals during the days of Samuel, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Think about the personal world-changing of barren Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson's mother.

He has done it before. Believe He can do it again!

Take the faith God grants us.

Prayer and Love

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 6:27,28 ESV)

Prayer and Love

I admit that I like the idea of praying strong, angry, vengeful prayers. You know the kind that I mean. “Dear All-Powerful God! Destroy my (and Yours, I guess) enemies! BASH them! Shame them! Hurt them!”

We find this kind of prayer in the Psalms, for instance. (e.g. Psalms 69 and 109)

The problem with those imprecatory prayers, though, is first, that only God knows who His enemies are. While certainly folk, institutions, and nations can be identified as acting in a way clearly opposed to God’s will… so can most of our actions. Only God knows who His enemies are. God clearly DOES have enemies! But our definition does not necessarily match God’s deeper understanding.

The second problem with imprecatory prayers is that Jesus gives us this difficult command. Love those who hate us, curse us, and abuse us. Love our enemies.

I saw a meme this morning. It asked us to pray that our unrighteous leaders be caught, shamed, ruined, and removed from power. I understood the frustration, anger, and pain that led to that meme.

But I disagree with it.

What if instead we really prayed for those unrighteous leaders, in love? What if we really tried to desire the best for those who have acted in ways that display hate towards us? What if we desired the best for those who have cursed us? What if we desired the best for those who have abused us?

What would that ‘best’ be?

It is a pretty simple thing. Do we believe in the power of the gospel? What a grand thing it would be if those who oppose God and His work fell in love with Him!

Praying that our enemies be destroyed is not praying in love.

Praying that the rebellious hearts of our enemies be transformed is. Praying that His apparent enemies be stymied by a shocking and glorious transformation (exactly as has happened in OUR lives!) into citizens of Christ’s Kingdom is. Praying that God’s enemies be utterly and completely defeated because they are no longer His enemies is.

Prayer and love are necessary partners.

Take the love God grants us.

Prayer and Hope

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

Prayer and Hope

I recently heard a story from a friend who attended university far from her family and home. Further, she was required to park her car quite a long distance from her classes. The walk was long, along a deserted, lonely, and unfamiliar road.

Normally, we might expect her to be anxious.

But she had an amazing piece of technology that we take for granted. She had a cell phone. As she journeyed through unsafe territory, she talked to her mother. Not necessarily about the things going ‘bump’ in the night… but simply talking, listening, laughing.

And anxiety turned into peace. Anxiety turned into comfort. Anxiety turned into hope.

We have super cell phone connection to God.

Prayer does not bring hope merely because we anticipate He might answer our prayers in the way we expect. Prayer also brings hope because when we pray we are talking to our Heavenly Father. His presence in our praying relieves anxiety. His presence in our praying reminds us of the Almighty Lord of Heaven and Earth. His presence in our praying offers hope.

Take the hope God grants us.

Prayer and Faith

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)

Prayer and Faith

Most of us end our prayers with, “in Jesus’ name, Amen.” And when we consider our reasons, we usually think about the fact that His Spirit intercedes for us when we pray, changing our faulty words to exactly the right ones. (Hebrews 7:25) Or we realize that Jesus as our older brother enables us to confidently approach the throne of God in prayer. (Hebrews 4:16) Or maybe we just say the words to remind us of our savior.

But there is a richer reason.

James declares that of all the prayers in the universe, the prayers uttered by a righteous person are the most effective. Other translations correctly add nuances of, “effects much,” “is powerful and works,” or even, “is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

And no one is as righteous as Jesus.

By attaching our prayers to Him, the One in whom we believe, His righteousness helps our prayers. His righteousness, just like in our justification and sanctification, is powerful.

Our faith connects us to Christ’s righteousness even here.

Pray in His name!

Take the faith God grants us.

Pets and Love

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. (Proverbs 12:10 ESV)

Pets and Love

It is a little strange to claim that having regard for animals is a thing of righteousness. But maybe it is not so strange.

My first pet, a dog named Kelly, was my buddy. He adored me. He obeyed me. He looked at me with his deep eyes and warmed my soul. And while I liked him a lot… while I took care of him, even at some expense… while I sacrificed time and energy for him… I am not sure that what I had towards Kelly was Love, in the Biblical sense.

My next pet, a guinea pig named Herbie, was not my buddy. He sort of adored me, or at least liked it when I petted him. He never obeyed me. He looked at me with his shallow eyes and blinked. I did not like him… but I did take care of him… and sacrificed time and energy for him… and I am sure that what I felt towards Herbie was not Love, in any sense.

But the regard I had for both animals teaches me something about Love. My pets were MY pets. They existed for me, not the other way around. And yet I was (usually) kind, thoughtful, concerned, and affectionate towards them.

My ability to have that regard towards both Herbie AND Kelly is a result of God’s image in me, focused and expanded by the Holy Spirit’s enlarging of my heart through Christ Jesus.

Almighty God has regard for His creation.

The conquering God/man Christ Jesus has regard for His people.

Christ’s bride, the church, has regard for the unfortunate, broken, lost folk of the world.

Do you see the pattern?

Not only is the writer of this proverb saying that having regard for animals is an indicator of character, but God’s people, made righteous through the work of Christ, are able to emulate God in this characteristic.

Take the love God grants us.

Pets and Hope

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison…

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:7-8, 17-18 ESV)

Pets and Hope

We once had a dog named, ‘Ding’ that we finally gave up on. He misbehaved, he was stubborn, too energetic, and either too smart or too stupid. When Ding started to growl at our young children it was the last straw.

We could not tame Ding.

Our failure does not contradict James’ statement about the taming of animals. While we failed to tame Ding, dogs like Ding have indeed been tamed. “Every kind of beast” has been tamed. Even difficult dogs.

But do not misunderstand James statement about our tongues. James is not saying, “our language is even worse than difficult animals! Shame on you! There is no hope for you!!!” Instead, James is saying that our language, our words, our tongues are beyond our skills, efforts, or willpower to tame.

But later in the paragraph, He tell us how even our tongues canbe tamed.

The methodology that tames tongues is found through a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That is what wisdom is. That relationship gives rise to pure instead of foul language. That relationship leads to peaceable and gentle people instead of harsh language. That relationship leads to reasonable, merciful, and good conversations instead of thoughtless, cruel, and evil language. That relationship leads to good fruit, impartial judgements, and sincerity instead of tragedy, injustice, and fake communication.

Sometimes we despair of taming our tongues, just like Ding.

But there is hope in our Redeemer, our Sanctifier, and our patient friend.

Take the hope God grants us.

Pets and Faith

You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Deuteronomy 14:21 ESV)

Pets and Faith

When God finished creating animals, both wild and domesticated, He saw that His creation was very good. (Genesis 1:25) Logically, this indicates that as much as God ‘likes’ majestic lions, elegant giraffes, efficient water buffaloes, and intriguing platypuses, He also ‘likes’ our pets.

He created them, and enables our relationship with them, because He considered them good for us.

The breadth and depth of God’s compassion for His creation, now broken by Adam’s sin, is shown profoundly in this odd commandment from Deuteronomy 14. Why should God command that a young goat not be boiled in its mother’s milk?

Some have considered that God had health concerns, perhaps similar to concerns about the germs that commonly inhibit pork… but biology has shown this is not likely to be the case. Some have proposed that some sort of symbolic matter regarding the sacrificial system was behind God’s command… but if so, there is no further scriptural evidence for this. Some have wondered if God was issuing commands to demonstrate His authority even over simple dietary matters… but this seems trite.

I believe and hope that God is instead richly displaying compassion.

The picture of a mother goat’s precious offspring being prepared in the milk that is intended to sustain that young animal puts the ‘sad’ in sadistic.

Scientifically… it does not matter. Objectively… it seems unimportant. Logically… why should anyone care about a soulless goat and her food-purposed baby?

But God shows compassion. For those who might observe, for those who like goats, for those with tender hearts, yes. But even for the goat herself.

That teaches us about God’s compassion. It encourages us that He has compassion for us, too. It shows us that God cares for every part of His creation.

The death of the divine Christ on the cross for us,much more lowly humans, is the result of similar Godly compassion. The same God who cares about baby goats obviously cares for His people too.

We need compassion, and God has shown that He has compassion to spare. Believe it.

Take the faith God grants us.

The News and Love

Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, (I Chronicles 12:32 ESV)

The News and Love

You probably do not know much about Arthur St. Clair. But I do. I know about him because for some reason, I like him. Most famously, St. Clair was the seventh President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. He was a farmer, a Justice of the Peace, and a governor of Ohio Territory. He also served unsuccessfully as a General in the War for American Independence, and led American troops in 1792, overseeing the worst defeat of American Forces in our history.

I am not really sure why I like him.

But since I do… I know about him. We are willing and eager to learn about those we like, appreciate, and especially love.

When David was crowned king of all Israel, the book of Chronicles listed attributes of the people who gathered to his banner. The men of Issachar understood the times, we read.

It seems to me that this statement indicates their love of God. They understood the times, because they loved God and wanted to understand what He does in the world.

And so we can gather the News, even when it is unpleasant. Because in the News we can see the hand of God.

At times it is difficult, confusing, or frustrating. But God’s ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) And our love for God can be found in our study, comprehension, and understanding of the times.

Take the love God grants us.

The News and Hope

…Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4-5 ESV)

The News and Hope

It is easier to interpret the Bible than it is to interpret current events. Luke describes Jesus’ explanation for a tragedy that took place in Jerusalem. He could interpret events, knowing exactly what was really happening, because Jesus was God Himself. It is more difficult for us to do such interpretation.

But our ability to interpret the News will improve as long as two other things happen. First, to interpret the News, we first need to know God’s revealed, clear, sufficient Word. The more we know His Word, the more we have a foundation to interpret today’s events. The more we know His Word, the more we comprehend His love, His mercy, His justice, and His holiness. The more we know His Word, the more we will understand His actions.

Second, to interpret the News, we first need to believeGod’s revealed, clear, sufficient Word. Interpreting the News is easier when we are interpreting the actions of Someone we know, trust, love, and to Whom we submit.

If we desire the world to make more sense, our hope is found both in knowing about God, and knowing God.

Take the hope God grants us.

The News and Faith

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16,17 ESV)

The News and Faith

We expect The News to be correctly informing us. We should accept and understand bias, (no news is truly fair and unbiased) but we expect honesty and accuracy. And we are often disappointed.

But perhaps we should not be disappointed. Because The News is by its nature not primarily interested in honesty or accuracy. The News is interested in selling information.

But the pricks, jolts, and upheavals caused when we discovery inaccuracy in The News can be a spiritually useful thing. Rather than merely fume, smolder, and complain, the dishonesty and inaccuracy of The News can be a goad.

We have a news-giver that is honest, accurate, personal, encouraging, and challenging.

We have God’s Word.

So when our hearts yearn for better News, remember that we have plenty. God’s Word has proved itself reliable, gripping, and necessary. It is believable.

Take the faith God grants us.

Starting Over and Love

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Starting Over and Love

Evil Mr. Potter did not let George Bailey start over. The Emperor Palpatine did not let Luke Skywalker start over. George W. Bush did not let Al Gore start over. Wile E. Coyote would not have let the Roadrunner start over. The Continental Congress did not let the government of King George III start over. The Ohio State University football team did not let Clemson start over.

A prerequisite of starting over is love.

Parents let children start over. Friends let friends start over. Good employers let good employees start over.

But only as shades and imitations of the one real chance to start over.

Because of Christ’s love, His people are new creations. Because of Christ’s love, the old rebellious ways of His people have passed away. Because of Christ’s love, the new has come.

I need to start over. You probably do, too.

Take the love God grants you.

Starting Over and Hope

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

Starting Over and Hope

I never enjoyed chess as much as when I played with my grandfather. I made many mistakes while learning chess. And he always reacted to my errors with the same advice, “We start over with the next game.”

Few things give us that opportunity. Our gardens do not simply start over if we overwater. Our cars still need body-repairs the day after our fenders have bent. Our checkbooks do not refill if we overspend our budget. Our lasagna can not be restarted if we leave out the oregano.

But the most important thing in life, a relationship with God, will always be fresh in His mind… tomorrow, the next hour, the next minute, the next moment.

His steadfast love, no matter our arrogance, begins again. His mercy, no matter our repetitive rebellions, begins again. His faithfulness, no matter our infidelity, is limitless.

This is how we live in hope. We start over with the next game.

Take the hope God grants us.

Starting Over and Faith

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17 ESV)

Starting Over and Faith

Few disciples have been wrong more than Peter. After witnessing the shocking transfiguration, absolute proof that Christ is the Messiah, Peter soon protested that Jesus had to die. He was so wrong, and Jesus rebuked Peter. (John 16:16-23) Peter, after a good start, lacked enough faith to keep believing that Jesus would keep protecting him on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:31)Peter was so afraid (and angry) that he tried to defend Christ at Christ’s moment of arrest. (John 18:10)

And there were more. Including, of course, Peter’s most famous failure… when he denied he knew Jesus, let alone believed in Him. (John 18:25-27)

We would expect that Jesus would have had enough. Peter’s credentials were sullied. Peter’s discipleship was questionable. Peter was not reliable, teachable, or trustworthy.

But Jesus not only forgave that dastardly Peter. Jesus also, in a sense, ordained him. That is what ‘feed my sheep’ means, right? Jesus wanted Peter to be a shepherd for His people. Jesus gave Peter another chance.

And He gives the rest of His people repeated chances, too.

It is partially because Jesus treats us now as we are going to be for eternity…

It is partially because He desires to be gracious…

It is mostly because He loves us…

When because of our failures, we despair of receiving yet another chance from God, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter. When because of our rebellions, our reason assures us that God MUST be done with us, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter. When because we have misunderstood Him, doubted Him, and denied Him, we expect God to be done with us, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter.

Take the Faith God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Love

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

The Old and the New and Love

Many years ago, I used to build plastic models. I found the process calming. It allowed me some small expression of my creativity. I enjoyed the small detail work and the finished products.

But then I stopped for a while. In fact, two particular models remained unfinished. I had boxed them up, painted… partially glued… but complete… and put them away. For many years.

Recently I have begun enjoying that hobby again.

And the first models I completed were those two cars that I had never finished.

Now they are on my display shelf. And when I glance at them, I am reminded of how God finishes and completes what He loves.

He loves His people, those redeemed through Christ. He loves me. He loves you.

Sometimes we despair when we notice those things He is still working on with us. Just like I would notice occasionally those boxes of unfinished models. But He will complete making us new! Not grudgingly, or out of obligation, or merely to keep a promise.

He will make ALL of the old in His people new.

Because He loves us.

Take the love God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Hope

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:13 ESV)

The Old and the New… and Hope

I have a ‘new’ Bible Study program. I have had it for over a year, but it still seems new to me. My old way of Bible study, involving books spread all over my desk, is no more. Instead, this program lets me peruse my commentaries, dictionaries, and articles while also keeping the verses I am studying open on the computer screen in front of me.

Please understand, though, that my OLD program was pretty cool. It was very (more than I needed) academic. It performed analysis of original languages, comparisons of translations, word searches in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. And sometimes I miss those old functions.

But then I discover some way that the NEW program can do those things, too.

And almost every week, I discover something else nifty about it. For instance, I recently discovered that the program will send my calendar a reminder and nudge to finish reading a particular book.

And those types of discoveries give me hope that ALL of my old program’s tricks and functions will be found in the new program, too.

Peter knows that while we have been made new… we still have bits and pieces (and chunks and boulders) of the old still hanging around.

And here he promises that all will be made new. God’s perfected heaven and earth are coming. All of our old ways, habits, desires, failings… well, sins… will be gone.

And ALL will be new. Heaven soon!

Take the hope God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Faith

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (II Corinthians 5:17,18 ESV)

The Old and the New and Faith

My father gave me his old home-made miter-box. I thought it was the most amazing wood-working tool. Using it, I could cut perfect corners when installing trim. I could cut perfect edges when building square things. I could cut perfect square picture frames.

Or nearly perfect.

And over time, the home-made miter-box began to show its age.

Imagine my joy and surprise when one afternoon I discovered that miter-boxes were NOT elaborate, expensive, fancy, rare tools. Miter-boxes cost less than ten dollars!

And so I bought a new miter-box!

The old miter-box is gone. I do not use it to build sharp corners. I do not use it to trim in doorframes. I barely even remember that it was in my workshop.

The old is gone.

And Paul tells us that our ‘old’ is gone, too.

It is harder to discern than miter-boxes. Our old nature, our old hearts, our old unredeemed selves are still hiding a bit. And not just because those old things are tenacious.

We ourselves, at times, do not accept that the old has been made new.

We accept the evidence of our eyes instead of the evidence of God’s promise.

I do not really claim to understand it. It sure seems to me that the old is very much alive.

But God has declared otherwise.

What part of “the old has passed away” do I not understand?

The old is gone. Cling to the New.

Take the faith God grants us.

Loneliness and Love

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord Godmy refuge, that I may tell of all our works. (Psalm 73:28 ESV)

Loneliness and Love

My cats sometimes like me. My dog loves me, doggishly. My children love me undeservedly. My wife loves me unreservedly. But God loves me absolutely.

And because He love me, He has enabled me to love Him, too.

The Psalmist knows this about God… and knows that because of that Love Connection, it is good to be near to God. And being near to God, the God who loves us, the God we love, means not being alone. Even when our circumstances make us feel alone.

It is not surprising that in this time of seclusion and isolation many suffer in loneliness. And while we often seek resolution for our loneliness through technology, six-feet-closeness, or remembering, God offers something better.

He offers relationship with Him… He offers better relationship with Him… He offers profound relationship with Him.

Because it is good to be near God, that relationship is an answer to our loneliness.

Nearness with God is found in three ways. We draw near to God by reading His Words. (John 6:45) We draw near to God by praying to Him. (Hebrews 7:25) And best of all, we draw near to God by physically gathering with His people in worship, (Hebrews 10:19-22) particularly in the Lord’s Supper. (I Corinthians 11:24)

The cure for loneliness is God’s love.

Take the love God grants us.

Loneliness and Hope

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 ESV)

Loneliness and Hope

One of my early friends was a kid named Niklaus. His father was a college professor, and Klaus was popular, fun, and cool. Everyone wanted Klaus for a friend. And much to my surprise, he wanted to be myfriend. He wanted to be friends with nerdy, uncoordinated, socially awkard me.

One of my favorite elementary school memories was having a couple of meals at Klaus’s house. Listening to his father talk about grownup things without patronizing. Watching Klaus’s family welcome me, include me, and actually like me.

Lonely kids, and lonely people, appreciate it when others befriend them.

That is what Jesus does regarding us. He will come in to us through the Holy Spirit. He will eat with us whenever we invite and involve Him in our lives. And we will eat with Him whenever we partake in the Lord’s Supper.

He will always answer. He will always open. He will always be with His people.

Take the hope God grants us.

Loneliness and Faith

Then the word of the Lord came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you. (I Kings 17:9 ESV)

Loneliness and Faith

Elijah the Tishbite was alone. While the town of Tishbe is probably where Elijah was from, the word also means, ‘wanderer.’ And wandering is lonely.

God had sent him to hide East of the Jordan River, by a brook, Cherith. (I Kings 17:3) Israel had become dangerous for Elijah, and God appears to have been protecting Elijah, as well as teaching him.

The lesson that God was teaching Elijah is a lesson for us, as well.

Elijah’s physical needs were taken care of already. He had a brook for water, and most likely food was available there. But Elijah was alone. In fact, Elijah felt alone often in his life.

Certainly, Elijah had a grand relationship with his God. Certainly, Elijah had interactions with those to whom he ministered. Certainly, Elijah had the school of prophets. But the life of Elijah was a life of loneliness.

But our gracious God provided just the right person at just the right time. The widow at Zarephath needed Elijah’s help as much as God knew Elijah needed her.

Our God connects His people in the tapestry of His kingdom.

We are wanderers, too. Christians are wandering on this planet, and as much as we should enjoy it while here, it is not really our home. And sometimes we are alone.

When the loneliness is overwhelming, remember Elisha and the friend God provided. And remember that this is not the only example of God helping the lonely. Remember also Leah, and Hagar, and Miriam, and Jeremiah. Remember even King David. And remember Jesus.

All of them lonely people whose stories give us peace in our loneliness. God has a precedent for solving loneliness. Believe He will help us, too.

Take the faith God grants us.

Boxing Day and Faith

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19 ESV)

Boxing Day and Faith

Boxing Day is a British holiday. It is celebrated the day after Christmas, but the exact origin or meaning of the day is a bit muddled. Some claim it was the day that the Brits used to put presents outside their door for those who delivered milk, eggs, ice, and the like. Some claim Boxing Day is the day when parents disposed of all the gift boxes. Some claim that the day after Christmas people boxed up their decorations.

But to me, Boxing Day is the day to sit back and contemplate what happened. The chaos of family celebrations, church services, advent series, parties, traveling, decorating, eggnogging, and over-eating is finished… boxed up, so to speak. And now, in the still of the next day, we have some time to think.

To ponder things in our hearts.

Mary obviously had some amazing things to ponder. Way back when Gabriel first shocked her with the news of the incarnation, her wild ride began. Nine months of family and fiancé issues, travel donkey-back, last minute Bethlehem relocation, a not-at-all silent night, shepherds, a new baby… the overwhelming realization that the time of the Messiah had come. And that the Messiah was right… over… there.

She treasured and pondered.

We can do no less.

Ponder the sacrifice of God Himself becoming human. Ponder the extreme ends to which our loving God went to give YOU forgiveness and heaven. Ponder the story told by an angel, shepherds, angels, and the very Word of God.

Believe those things.

Take the faith God grants us.