My Neighborhood

John 1:14   "And the Word became felsh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son….."  (NRSV)

John 1:14   "The Word became a human being and lived here with us.  We saw his true glory,

   the glory of the only Son of the Father."    (CEV)

John 1:14  "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son…"
(The Message)

Jesus is here.  He’s moved in to the neighborhood.  Not just my neighborhood, but yours as well.   I’ve been travelling alot these past few weeks:

        A Pre-Christmas trip to Wisconsin, where I visited the seminary I will most likely be attending next year.  Jesus was in that neighborhood.

        I’ve been to my parents house in Dickson.  Twice as a matter of fact.  Jesus was in that neighborhood.

        I’ve been to Jill’s parents house in Columbia.  Guess who I found in that neighborhood!!  Yeup…Jesus was there as well.

       My brother just bought a new house in Georgia.  I went there to visit.  My neice (19 months old) led me and my mother on a trail through the woods in her new backyard.  So what if the trail was only about 10 feet long…it was her trail.  Jesus is in that new neighborhood with her and her family as well.  The joy she had showing us that trail proved that.

   Jesus is here.  In my neighborhood…and there are two really cool things about that (Okay, probably more than two…but, I can’t list them all!) 

1.  Jesus has been in our neighborhood for a LONG time.  Longer than we have!  It’s kind of reassuring to me to know that before I got there, he was there…and he’ll be there for a long time after I leave.  Maybe we move in to HIS neighborhood…..

2.  In all the travelling, I’ve found Jesus in all these different neighborhoods.  I’ve seen Him in all these different places, with all these different people, doing all these different things.  I can guarantee that as Sally is in England, Jesus is in her neighborhood there as well.   So it got me thinking, maybe it’s not all these seperate neighborhoods…maybe it’s just one.  We are one community of believers, and in all these different places, as believers, we still focus on spreading God’s love.  As I think about that…it makes my neighborhood grow.

My neighborhood is HUGE now.   How big is yours?

The Son of God is here on Earth with us….He’s helping me move in to my neighborhood. 

Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone!

Turned Upside Down

It’s Christmas Eve today.

We remember Mary, listening, and hearing the message given to her from Gabriel.  She would bear the Son of God.  She would be the Theotokos, the "Christ Bearer" to the rest of the world.  This must have (in the words of Father Bob) turned her world upside-down.  Mary believed the Angel, and had a song in her heart that she sang (The Song of Mary; Luke 1:36-56)

But, also remember that this story didn’t just happen, it happens.  It isn’t Mary’s story…it’s our story.  Christ is coming.  Our world is about to be turned upside-down.  We are called to be the "Christ Bearer’s" to all the world.  Let us sing the song that we have in our hearts.

-David

A Word from Sally

So, it looks like Sally got a good plane for her trip to England….

Just look at that AMAZING view!!!!!

     Hope your break has started out GREAT!

     —  David

our very own Nat Sprat!

it was sweet! 

Sean and Joey provided great light!

Mackie technically assisted magnificently. 

Even Woody made the show.   

Natalie’s directing debut!

Advent: The greatest story every told

Ok so Gabriel did somewhat resemble the teenangel from Grease (and I did half expect him to burst into "beauty school drop-out.") 

But even still it was so beautiful that it just had to be true, the story that was brought to life before our eyes.

Mary and Joseph were just ordinary people.  And actually Mary was more than that – she was an ordinary teenager.    You could see them struggle, question, wonder, love and hope.   I found myself so encouraged and strengthened somehow.

An ordinary teenager asked by God to be the way through which he could come nearer to his children.   An ordinary teenager through which God came near.   Heaven came to earth.

a teenager.   God chose a teenager to bring his plan of salvation into the world.  For one of his greatest acts in history, God chose a teenager. 

And remember it didn’t just happen, it happens.  It’s not just Mary’s story, it’s our story.   

Out of everyone, God chose a teenager.

It may be the greatest story ever told … but I think it’s more.

I think it’s the most beautiful story ever told.

Advent: Theotokos.

The Theotokos.

What the Greeks called Mary.

The Theotokos.

Literally translated the "God-bearer."

And as I am always reminding myself- the familiar story of Mary, the Theotokos didn’t just happen, it happens.  It isn’t just her story, it’s our story. 

Theotokos – to be God-bearers.  Not just a job for Mary.   But for each of us.  To bear God to this world, to bring Heaven to earth – Theotokos. 

The season of the Theotokos.  The season of bringing Heaven a little closer to earth.  The season of bringing our maker, our God a little closer. 

The season of being God-bearers to a world still in need of the light, the hope, the love, the peace, the comfort and the joy that was born of THE Theotokos over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.

It didnt just happen.  It still happens.   It isnt just her story, it’s our story. 

Blessed Theotokos.

Advent: Of Angels

Advent: the season of angels.

Angels and Mary

Angels and Zechariah

Angels and Joseph

Angels and Shepherds

The Season of Angels

The name "angels" comes actually from the Greek word for
"messenger"   

So it’s perhaps is also the season of messages.   

The word "angel" actually also described not a "being" that wears white and has wings.
But the word "angel" actually described the "office" what they were called to do (think of it like the difference between THE president (GWB) and the "office" of president.   

This I find actually very interesting -  because it means that any of us could actually be a "messenger" of God … any of us could technically be an angel.    Be a messenger.

All that being said …  I wonder what messages the angels bring this year? I wonder who are the messengers?  I wonder, this holy advent season?