Happy New Year! I hope this year has been a year of spiritual growth for you. I hope as you look back at the year that was you can see God's guiding hand. I hope that your 2020 is a blessed year for you.
Below are ten of the top posts from this blog and mine from Remembering Grace this year.
I never wanted a step-dad, but I'm forever grateful that I have you, Larry Grekoff.
There are many reasons why I admire and appreciate you but I want to tell you a few. It's hard to whittle it down to a few, but I will try. Also, I'm writing this down so that I can compose my thoughts. My life's work is spoken words but when I saw you last I couldn't think of how to best say all this.
First, I will be forever grateful for the way you and Mom rescued your marriage. In the first few years of your marriage you both repeated bad habits. It was not good. Neither of you can hold all the blame but I know there are things you both know should have gone better. But you stepped up as a man with my mom to rescue it. Mom told me about how you said that you both needed to make God your priority in your marriage. I watched as you treated her better and better. You treated her as well as she deserved at times and, more importantly, better than she deserved at others. Thank you for showing us all what it takes. Thank you for being a gentle warrior. Thank you for growing as a man in front of us.
Thank you for always honoring my dad. I have never in the twenty years of knowing you heard you say anything negative about my dad. You, in fact, have uttered more glowing words about your wife's ex-husband than perhaps any man in history. I don't think you'll ever know what that means to Maggie, Patrick and I. You are a man of honor.
Thank you for teaching me how to organize vacations around favorite places to eat and baseball games in town. I hope my kids enjoy those Summer days as much we all did.
Most of all, thank you for loving us. I didn't ever want a step-dad, but I thank God for giving you to us. My mom got a wonderful husband, my kids got a lovable Papa and I got another great man to emulate and be totally loved by.
On your birthday you told me two things and I promise not to forget them. You told me to make my family a priority. I will. I will raise your grandchildren right. I will love them. You also told me to make a Kingdom difference in the lives of others. I will do my best to leave a mark for the Kingdom and to touch the lives of others.
These two things are likely the last two things you'll ever say to me. I will treasure them because you deserve that. And I will treasure them because these last words show your true heart. Larry, we all will never forget that you love your family and we'll never forget that you tried to make a Kingdom difference in the lives of others.
Your last words also were a loud sermon to our 15 year-old foster son. He heard them loud and clear. As we drove away he wanted to talk about what you had to say. I shared with him about how all the stuff in the world can't measure up to those two things you wanted to share. I shared with him that those are the things that real men value. In your weakness He was strong and your words won't return void to me or to that young man.
One of the most beloved Christmas hymns is "Joy to the World" by Isaac Watts. This hymn is all over the place during this month. You will hear it in your church, in the mall, on the radio and in your kitchen. This song is one that should be sung a lot this time of year.
Chris Tomlin, as he often does, added a contemporary chorus to this song and it is great. However, I lament that this song skips my favorite verse. If you are a worship pastor I would encourage you to sing the Tomlin version without skipping verse three because all the verses are so rich and do such a good job of explaining what happened beginning at Christmas.
"No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse if found."
This verse highlights something we evangelicals miss during our Advent and much of the year. The evangelical movement has done a wonderful job of highlighting the personal nature of salvation. Christ was crucified for my sin and He rose to bring me eternal life and only I can respond to that and no one can do it for me. This is the thing we evangelicals get very right.
What we too often miss is the Cosmic Gospel. Jesus died for me but not only for me. It's often said that if I were the only sinner that Christ would die for me. I'm not so sure about that and I guess I'll never need to know if that statement is true. But I do know that Christ died for so much more than for my soul. Christ died to redeem all of creation. He died to make all things new. He rose to renew all in creation that was spoiled by The Fall.
"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." Romans 8:19-21
The creation is "groaning as in the pains of childbirth" (Romans 8:22) waiting for renewal.
"No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground."
"Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making all things new!" Revelation 21:1 & 5a
Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth to redeem it and His people in it.
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD and He will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together, and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand in the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious." Isaiah 11:1-10
"He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness
and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love."
Joy to the Lord! The Savior reigns and one day soon we and all of creation will experience more fully His rule and reign. Advent by eagerly waiting for that today.
Merry Christmas!We
hope this e-Christmas Card finds you well.
2019 began in a strange way.Soon after a family Christmas weekend in Little Amana we learned that
Matt’s step-dad had cancer.Larry was
diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.God has been good to all of us even in this scary time.
On Groundhog’s Day we got a special surprise.Our little groundhog Anna decided to make her
grand entrance.She came very
quickly.Christine labored at the
hospital for less than a half hour, which was a massive change from when Joshua
was born.With Anna we became a family
of five and had to adjust to that.
Larry wanted everyone to go to Arizona with him in the spring.So, we all did.18 of us from Iowa, Minnesota, Louisiana and
Australia all went.We spent a couple
days with family in Phoenix and then the bulk of the time in one big house in
Flagstaff.We explored Sedona and
Flagstaff, saw the Grand Canyon, and spent hours enjoying each other.It was an incredibly memorable trip.
Not long after we got back we had to say goodbye to our
first foster daughter “L” after six months in our home.It was a little sad, but mostly very
happy.She and her mom are doing well
and we even got to celebrate Joshua’s second birthday with them in May and her
second birthday with her mom’s family in August.
We spent the summer living as a family of four until August
26th.That evening we got a
call asking if we were able to take a baby boy just 6 weeks younger than Anna
and a 14 year-old boy.We said ‘yes’ and
they arrived at our house the next day.The boys are still with us now and we’ve been learning how to live as a
family of six.
This year has been eventful.There have been very high highs and very scary lows, but through it all
God has been with us.And that it was
Christmas is all about: God with us.Jesus became our Emmanuel more than 2,000 years ago and we eagerly await
His return.
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
The Christmas bells clanged brightly and cheerily on that cold December day, but there was nothing about that month of long nights that seemed bright or cheery to him. No, December, 1863 was but another dreadful month.
In the course of two years Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's life had spun dramatically out of his control.
In 1861 his beloved wife Frances was sealing envelopes with hot wax. It was this simple chore that sprang the seemingly downward spiral into motion. While heating the wax a single flame touched her clothes. Before she could help herself her garment was ablaze. Henry sprinted to her and attempted to smother the fire. He did, but it was too little too late. Frances was burned so badly that she died the next day. Henry was also badly burned and was unable to even attend his own wife's funeral.
His appearance mirrored his heart as he wasted away. He grew a beard to cover the melted skin that disfigured his once proud face. His heart and mind sank into a deep, dark depression. On Christmas day 1862 he wrote: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me."
Henry was a hardline abolitionist and raised his boy to believe that slavery was unjust. Unfortunately for Henry his son Charley listened. In 1863 Charley, against his father's wishes and driven by deep love of country and of justice, enrolled in the military. Henry had to learn of this through a letter. Charley rose to the rank of lieutenant.
In November of 1863 Charley Longfellow and his unit were engaged in the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia. During the battle a bullet went through Charley's back and into his shoulder while nicking his spine along the way. Charley was on the verge of joining the 620,000 dead in the Civil War.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a man already deeply depressed and still grieving the loss of his wife, rode out to Washington D.C. to pick up his son that very likely would die. On December 8, 1863 the pair returned to Henry's home in Cambridge, Massachusetts to attempt to nurse his injured son back to health.
December 1863 was a dark one for Henry Longfellow.
Those bells clanged merrily in the December air of Cambridge. How could merry sounds ring in the air when cannons rang hellishly?
In the book of Luke the angel promised peace on earth at the announcement of Christ's birth. Where was the peace?
It was as the heavenly sound of the bells clashed with the hell around him that words filled his mind. Longfellow went to work writing the words that these bells inspired. In December, 1863 he wrote and published "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
Let me share a couple of the verses from his poem.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men."
On that December day with chaos swirling all about him, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow found peace. His sadness didn't disappear. For years he wrote about his deep sadness about his wife's death, but that day he found peace.
Longfellow trusted in a God who brings a here but not fully yet peace. He trusted in the Sovereign God that keeps all of His promises perfectly. He believed that peace was inaugurated on that first Christmas day.
As we Advent we must never believe that the fullness of the promise is being experienced right here and now. Wars continue, cancer grows, marriages crumble, wrong seems to win, pain and sorrow engulf us. No, the promise is not fully here yet. But in Advent we remind ourselves that the promise has be initiated.
True Advent is longing for the future fullness while striving to experience the foretastes we're graced with today.
"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:10-14
This Advent I want to write through songs. The Christmas season is here and that means songs surround us. So many of the songs are mindless and can stay that way for all I care. I don't need you pondering the deep meaning of "Frosty the Snowman". But for many stations around the world this is the time of the year when explicitly Gospel focused lyrics are on the air. So, I want to look at a few of these songs and I hope this enriches your December.
I grew up Baptist and I continue to be a Baptist and I'm glad of that. My denomination is one that has helped me grow in my faith and has reached millions with the Gospel. My wife grew up Lutheran and her parents are Lutheran. This Sunday we went to First Lutheran in Onalaska, Wisconsin as they celebrated the first weekend of Advent. Baptist friends, we have much to learn from our Lutheran brothers and sisters about Advent. In the Baptist tradition we may light wreaths and do Advent readings but we rush to Christmas songs, however in the Lutheran tradition they linger in true Advent before singing of Christmas itself.
During the Advent worship Sunday there was a rich time of confession. There was a purposeful longing for the consummation of all things. Pastor Jason Stanton preached about expectant, mindful, watchful waiting as seen in Matthew 24:36-51. The whole of the service was centered around the passage and the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emanuel".
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come... So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Matthew 24:42 & 44
Be awake! Keep watch!
For what? Didn't Jesus already come?
Advent is a season where we look not only to the past and the first coming of Christ but we look forward with longing to the second coming of Christ. As Pastor Jason said, The End has begun but it is a here but not yet reality. The End has begun and the Gospel is here but we wait with eyes wide open for its consummation.
This world is broken: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! Pain and sorrow persist: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! Death is less true than life but is still at our door: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! Babies still suffer and families flounder: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! Hope is still mostly unseen: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
Don't skip Advent this year. Christmas is full of joy but we must also realize that it is a joy that is yet to be as full as it will be. So we Advent.
The last words of the Bible:
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." Revelation 22:20-21
Read the lyrics to O Come, O Come, Emmanuel below and let them sink into your mind and soul as you listen to the song anew today.
VERSE 1O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear
VERSE 2O come, Thou, Dayspring from on high And cause Thy light on us to rise Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow put to flight Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel
VERSE 3O come, O come, true prophet of the Lord And turn the key to heaven’s door Be Thou our comforter and guide And lead us to the Father’s side Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall by His word our darkness dispel
VERSE 4O come, our great High Priest, and intercede Thy sacrifice, our only plea The judgment we no longer fear Thy precious blood has brought us near Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Has banished every fear of hell
VERSE 5O Come, Thou King of nations bring An end to all our suffering Bid every pain and sorrow cease And reign now as our Prince of Peace Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come again with us to dwell
