MetroMonk

This morning there are several readings I'm reflecting upon: Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 46:1 & Ps. 80:1-7, 16-18 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 All of these readings have so much going on and, in no way, do I expect to reveal and expose all the wonderful layers and context in these passages. I only hope to help shed some meaningful light from these scriptures that'll help build up and encourage believers. Ultimately I hope, that from this, our hearts will be lifted to the Lord and be reminded that he loves us (oh how he loves us) and remember again, as the following passage reads, " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in in trouble " (Ps. 46:1, ESV). (Let me start by quickly reflecting on Isaiah 7:10-16 and Matthew 1:18-25). Both of these passages happen in the midst of chaotic times.  Isaiah 7 starts off by telling us that Rezin; the king of Syria and Pekah and Remaliah; king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to Ahaz; king of Judah to wage war. S...

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to beat witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:6-13 Christmas lights are all around us. They illuminate and hang on people homes, bushes and trees. Christmas lights come in many different sizes, shapes and colors. You can get them to blink or be set to a timer. Lights are pretty to look at. They are festive, fun and imaginative. No matter what your opinion of Christmas lights are there is no escaping them. Christmas lights are the first sign the Christmas is c...

Disclaimer: I don't endorse this belief, but it's simply a poem that, I think, ultimately, tells of the limits of human knowledge. So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant Not one of them has seen! From British poet John Godfrey Saxe Tweet

Psalm 66:1-5 reads (in my ESV) Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give him glorious praise! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." I read this one morning and thought, "yeah, you're right. God is so great." It really lifted my spirits. Every day is different. How I feel in the morning is not necessarily the way I'll feel in the evening. If something is good early in the day, it might not be later. The point is that things change. The Lord does not change though. I, because of my ever-changing moods and mentalities, need to be reminded of God's goodness, his very worthy and deserving goodness. The danger is in forgetting. I'm thankful scripture reminded me, yet again, to lift my eyes and heart to the Lord God of heaven and earth. God has been good to ...

I was reminded today about the importance of good Christian leaders. Most Christian people are not necessarily staff people in an official leadership job description, but rather, volunteers. Good Christian volunteers are so vital in the life of the Church. Volunteers are the vital necessity of any non-profit organizations, but especially the Church. In the early part of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, we read about Jesus getting his ministry going after his baptism and temptation in the desert. The author, Matthew, writes: When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This move completed Isaiah's sermon:      Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,        road to the sea, over Jordan,           Galilee, crossroads for the nations.     P...

I stumbled upon something this morning in my coffee sanctuary....joy. Not like happy-go-lucky joy or giddiness, but a joy that, with it, had peace and a feeling of being loved, like sincere love. Maybe it was more like entering, if just for a few moments, into the shalom of the Lord [ For a look at some definitions for "Shalom" you can look here: http://therefinersfire.org/meaning_of_shalom.htm  or here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom ]. As I was in those moments, I felt, and still feel, how I wished others could know the peace, the joy, and goodness of knowing Jesus I feel now and have felt my entire time with him. I don't have a testimony where I remember the exact day and time when I first came to really "know" Christ. I do, however, remember that early in my relationship to Jesus that I felt that others really ought to know this feeling too. I instantly thought of all my friends in high school, who weren't apart of my church youth group, and how ...

So I know there has been a lot going around about this topic since Glenn Beck's "Restore America's Honor" rally last Saturday upon the Lincoln Memorial, and I don't have any political stance to rant about from what took place or what was said, however I have a thought (or 2 or 3) about the phrase 'Restoring America's Honor." What does that mean? At what time was America honorable? Are we so less honorable than, say, 10 years ago? Would this rally have taken place if a republican were in office? Would America be a "more honorable" place if G. Beck or some other republican were in office? What honor or glory are we thinking about returning to? As this movement of "restoring" gets more and more tied up with Christians, more specifically, Uber-Conservative Righter than Right Republican Christian-ish Thinkers, I can't help but think they're talking about America getting back to the Bible. Is that really what the message is b...

O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - Prayer for the Good Use of Leisure, page 825, The Book of Common Prayer

Before the Israelites are about to enter into a new land, the Lord (via Moses), is retelling the Israelites their story/journey once again (I'm not sure how many times it is by now that this has happened), but the point is for these people to remember their story, remember their mission-objective, remember grace, remember the Lord's favor to them, just remember so they'll live the right way and not the wrong way by forgetting. * A Note : From Dt. 10:12-12:32, the Lord reminds them bluntly 10x to "be careful to (remember) do all the Lord has commanded. Dt. 11:18 says, "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes... v.20 says, "You shall write them on the doorposts of house and on your gates. v.22, "For if you will be careful to do all this commandment.....Loving the Lord, walking in his ways and holding fast ...

I would love one million dollars. Wouldn't you? How about 2 million or a fraction of the lottery pot? What would you get if you had one million dollars today? How would life for you be different? I'll never make a lot of money, but for some reason I always want a lot of money.  This got me thinking about why and what would be different. I wouldn't have to worry about college costs or footing the bill for the wedding when my daughter gets married. I could fix repairs around house without it being a strain on my bank account. We could go out to dinner lots and be generous tippers (and sort spread the wealth around). I could tithe more to my church without strain or budget concern. With lots of money we could just shop for things when we wanted to or needed to. I wouldn't want to get the nicest brand or anything like that, but I would want to stay practical and refrain from being frivolous. If I had lots more money I wouldn't have to worry about overdraft fees or...