Christmas Letter 2024

 Merry Christmas from the Rays!

We hope this letter finds you well and ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  2024 has been another year of watching our family grow and change.  

Matt is still working at KWAY radio and has now for over 15 years.  He continues to host the morning show and call live sporting events.  This Fall he returned to volunteering in youth ministry at the church after a year away from it.

Christine stays at home with the kids and also works about a night a week at the walk in clinic as a nurse.  She is glad to be able to have the ability to be home with the kids in their early years.  She's also enjoyed being involved in Bible Study Fellowship.  This Fall she experienced a life change as she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  She's learning how to manage this new reality in her life.

Jamari has lived all of 2024 in Georgia.  He will turn 20 on Christmas Eve!  He says this year has been a great time of mental and spiritual growth.  He also has been working on a book that he hopes to have released soon.

Joshua is 7 and is in 2nd grade.  He's really excelling in reading and enjoys spending lots of time playing with his best friend who lives on our block.  Joshua has become a Harry Potter expert after finishing the series.  He also is very involved in a number of REC sports and activities and loves being a member of his Trail Life troop.

Anna is 5 and is in kindergarten and is our artist.  She's often creating some sort of picture or project.  Anna is so excited to be learning to read and had such pride when she was able to read an entire Dick and Jane book by herself.  She also enjoys doing activities like gymnastics and soccer.

Gideon is 3 and is in preschool.  His grandpa has called him Mr. Wiggles since he was in utero and the nickname is appropriate as he's always up to something.  He's our most strong-willed child but also the most sweet to his little sister.  Gideon loves music and is captivated by everything from music on a phone to The Nutcracker live.

Faith is 16 months.  She is growing like a weed and wants badly to keep up with her older siblings.  She is walking everywhere.  She absolutely loves baby dolls and necklaces.  Faith is picking up some words and it won't be long until she's talking.  No one, outside of Christine, spends much time not talking.

This Christmas we put our hope in and take our joy from Emmanuel: God is with us.  Jesus is with us in our joys, in our growth, in our changes and in our pains.  Knowing that our faithful God is with us gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.  We look back at 2024 and see all the good God has done in and for us and we look forward to 2025 with excited confidence because Jesus is our Emmanuel.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Rays. 

A Tribute to My First Pastor

You won't find a clip of one of his sermons on a YouTube short.  You never heard him on the radio.  You can't purchase a book he's written.  Yet, for about 40 years at four different churches he was a lead pastor, or as they call them in small churches... pastor.

Whether it was in an old country church building, former Lutheran church building, building with a gym attached, community center, school, library or park pavilion he preached a few thousand sermons on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings.

This pastor is the one I learned the Truth of God under.  He is the one who baptized me.  He was the one that I watched deliver the Word, visit the stragglers, pray with the hurting, get blamed for the lows and give credit to others for the highs.  

This pastor is my Dad.

After about 40 years serving as a pastor and more than half of that time as a bi-vocational pastor, he retired.  Dad retired not to find leisure but because he believes it the right time for someone else to lead Faith Christian Fellowship, his home for more than half his professional ministry.  He retired for the benefit of the church.  As he said on Facebook, "I am retiring from being the pastor of a church but I am not retired from living for Jesus!"

I was trying to think of how to best summarize what Dad did best as pastor.  There are better organizers than my dad.  There are better speakers than him.  There are better leaders than my dad.  Not that Dad did those things poorly, but that won't be his legacy, in my mind.  

In my mind, Dr. Jack W. Ray's pastoral legacy is that he loved the church.

If you went to Faith Christian Fellowship, Enon Baptist, 9th Street Baptist or Fairview Baptist you were loved by my dad.  Dad cared deeply about the people of those congregations while he was pastor there and after he left those local churches.  Dad enjoyed the people and cared for the people, even if they left the church unhappily.

He loves church.  I can't recall more than a couple times that we ever missed going to Sunday Service.  If we were on the road for vacation we went to a church in that town.  Dad had to go to church and it wasn't legalism.  He never thought of attending church as work.  Attending church was a privilege and necessity.  His tank needed gas.  He worshipped and fellowshipped with his brothers and sisters-in-Christ with joy and he passed that joy on to me.  And when there was at times disunity in his local church it crushed him.  

You won't find his preaching on TV, you purchase his Sunday School materials, you won't listen to his podcasts... but if you were in one of his churches you were deeply loved.  We Americans have many indicators for success that you won't find in the Bible.  Steadfast love and faithfulness are the chief markers of success.  Keeping "a close watch on your life and doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:16) is a much greater emphasis than Sunday attendance or internet reach.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:23

The race isn't over and the cross can't be put down yet (Hebrews 12:1; Matthew 16:24) but I hope my dad and the millions of small church pastors around the globe like him know their worth to the kingdom today.  

Election Anxiety and Stress

 Election Day is Tuesday and millions of Americans are stressed and anxious just thinking about it.

The American Psychological Association just release a report call Stress in America 2024.  The findings are extremely interesting and worrying.  The APA reports that 69% of Americans surveyed said the presidential election was a significant source of stress.  This is up from 52% that reported this stressed them in 2016.  The report found that 77% of those surveyed said the future of the nation was a significant source of stress.  And the future of the nation stressed in a bi-partisan fashion: 80% of Republicans, 79% of Democrats and 73% of Independents.

If you've been in the U.S. or watched U.S. politics from afar this won't be surprising.  We're told it's a choice between Communism and Freedom in one religious magazine.  Still more will tell you that democracy is at stake.  Some claim Fascism is likely with the wrong result.  More still say there won't be a country if the other side wins.  For the everyith time in a row I am, and you are, voting in the most important election of our lifetime.  Sources of anxiety real, imagined and exaggerated are working to stress out Americans and drive them to the polls.  This election is important but it's also true, as I have noted in the past, anxious and angry people are more likely to vote.

How can we not be stressed?  

How can we not be anxious as we vote, watch results come in and deal with the outcome?

Don't take this wrongly.  Elections are important and do have consequences both negative and positive.  It is our right and responsibility to vote as best we can.  It is no small deal to have a voice in politics and most of human history would be jealous of what we can sometimes take for granted.  Please don't read this and use it as an excuse to abdicate the responsibility and privilege many died to guarantee you and God ordained that you have on Tuesday.

This all said, how can and must Christians act differently and react different in a constitutional-democratic-republic or any other form of government?

I have talked about this before but the Bible-reading, Bible-believing, God-fearing person can and must act differently from his/her non-believing neighbor.  We must be able to be hopeful in all circumstances and be able to speak about the reason for our unbelievable, inner hope (1 Peter 3:15).  So, how?

I want to encourage you to think on Biblical truths the next few days until they bleed out of you.  It's been asked: What comes out of a lemon when it is squeezed?  What comes out of a Christian when she is squeezed?  Survey says that we are being squeezed in this American Family Feud.  Think on and ponder Biblical truths so the juice revealed is lovely and God-honoring and noticeable to our neighbors.

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

My pastor preached on this verse today. His emphasis was on what the kingdom is but it easily could have been on "Fear not" (Scripture is so wonderful that a verse can contain scores of sermons!).

See, the world conjures up fear in us.  The election cycle and those running the campaigns urge us toward motivated fear.  Meanwhile, Jesus says, "Fear not."  This verse is in the midst of a section about anxiety, mostly economic anxiety.  It is here that Jesus commands us not to fear.  I can hear Him saying the same words to us as we wonder about our little kingdom.

And why should we not be afraid, according to Jesus?  Our Father and His Father is currently and is going to excitedly give us the kingdom.  If He is doing this why would we worry endlessly about clothes, food, money and political power.

"For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.  Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:30-32

These verses help us escape the poverty mindset and can help us escape Chicken Little Politics.  So, think on and ponder this verse.  Memorize it and mull it in your mind.

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, 
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
He removes kings and sets up kings..." Daniel 2:20-21a

One more short passage to memorize and ponder and meditate on this week.  My friend Lynn spoke this verse to our small group and it is so appropriate.  In America we are blessed with the right of election but we must never forget who ultimately holds the power of all election.  Christians cannot and must not fear in the same way as others.  Sure, some rulers are placed for blessing and some for judgement but all are in the hand and control of God Himself.  And as a son or daughter of God we can KNOW that all rulers, both righteous and evil, are elected or disposed for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

People are stressed and anxious about Tuesday and the future that follows Tuesday.  Christians, we must not fear what they fear (Isaiah 8:12).  We must think hard and long on God and His Word.  We must be and act differently because of what and Who we know.

Fight the news of the day fear cycle with timeless truth today.

Dem Bones, Dem Conversations with Kids

 Halloween is days away and my kids are excited.  They love dressing up and, of course, love getting candy.  Joshua is going to be Darth Vader, Anna will be Elsa, Gideon is going as Spiderman and Faith will be a strawberry.

Some shun Halloween and choose not to participate.  I understand where they're coming from.  The holiday is filled with many scary, violent, morbid and even demonic images in some movies, yards and parties.  I understand those that don't feel comfortable joining in on the holiday because they see that stuff as central to the holiday.  Growing up we always went trick-or-treating but then the church usually had a harvest party and definitely not a Halloween party.

For our family we choose to participate in Halloween because cosplaying as a favorite character or occupation is so fun.  It's one of the only times we can go door to door in our community and meet people and put faces with the houses we pass by every day.  And, of course, parents can sneak some (or maybe a lot) of the candy.

Whether or not you trick-or-treat or watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", don't let an opportunity for discussion starters with your kids pass by.  

"Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down..." Deuteronomy 6:4-8

I believe that one of the jobs of a parent is to search for and create moments to obey the command above.  We must look for things in our house and by the way as we go along our day to spark teaching moments.  Halloween, like a million other things, has pointers to Gospel conversations, if we keep our eyes open for them.  I am sure given a brief think you'll come up with some good ones for your children, grandchildren or the kids you speak with at church.

Our kids like to point out skeletons.  Joshua has always thought they were cool.  From the old Silly Symphony Skeleton Dance to skeleton renderings in Nat Geo Kids magazines, he has liked them.

There's a set of massive skeletons in a yard by our house with shining eyes and everything. There's two humans and one big dog and a few smaller ones as well.  My kids love them and love pointing them out.  So, this has become an opportunity.  In fact, the kids almost get annoyed when I bring it up.

I read them Ezekiel 37:1-14 which tells the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones.  Read it if you don't recall it.  

We talked about how God told him to prophesy over the bones and to say the Word of the LORD.  The bones then came to life and had sinews and flesh and skin on them.  Then the breath of God came into the former pile of bones and they became alive in both body and spirit.  We talked about how this was an illustration from God to Ezekiel about how the Word of God could revive the spiritually dead in Israel.

"What does the Word of God do?" I'll ask.

"Make dead things alive." They reply.

"Can dead things make themselves alive?" I ask.

"No, of course not." They reply.

This isn't rocket science or a seminary course.  This is a simple Gospel truth in a conversation prompted by a pretend skeleton.  The Word of God gives life to dead men.  Dead men can't help themselves, they need someone to rescue them.  This is Gospel 101 while driving or walking by a skeleton.

How deep does this go in them?  Will they look upon their classmates with compassion because dead men can't help themselves?  Will they have a cross-caused humility?  Will they hear the Word of the LORD and respond by drawing in the spiritual breath of new life?  I don't know, but I know the Word of the LORD makes skeletons walking and talking men.

Parents, we can't know that our efforts will achieve what we desperately want, but we are called to be Deuteronomy 6 parents and we can trust that God achieves His ends with His means.

So, don't waste a city full of decorations for this holiday or any.  Find ways to talk about Him in your home and on the street.  Be encouraged and find a Gospel conversation opener today.

Christ the Carpenter

 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?' And they took offense at Him." Mark 6:3

Have you thought lately about Jesus the carpenter?  Have you pondered what this means for you today?  Have you considered what it means that Jesus was a tekton, the Greek word translated carpenter?  Does Jesus the craftsman and builder ever cross your mind?

Some may think and wonder if Jesus used His divine powers to miraculously make whatever His task was to be.  I see no reason to believe that Jesus, though God, used anything other than sweat and skill gained from His earthly father to do His job.  Though he crafted the universe by the Word of His mouth, He built and mended structures by the sweat of His brow.

"Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." Philippians 2:5b-7

Not only that, but most Bible scholars believe Joseph must have died between when Jesus was 12 and 30.  This is because Jesus' earthly father has no mention after He was 12.  If that is the case, and I believe it likely to be so, then the oldest son must have worked hard to provide for His family.  Jesus probably worked to provide food and shelter via his craft for Mary, James, Joses, Judas, Simon and multiple sisters.  

Before Jesus' hands had holes in them they had callouses.

Jesus knows what it is to work hard.  Christ knows what it is to work under a supervisor.  The Savior knows what it is to have a blue collar job.  The Son knows what it's like to provide for a family.  Henry Gariepy said, "As the Carpenter, Christ forever sanctified human toil." (100 Portraits of Christ p. 78)

I want you to ponder what it is for Jesus to have been a carpenter.  I want you to brainstorm some questions that will help you as you work this week.  Below are some examples:

How did Jesus work?

What did Jesus charge for His work?

How did Jesus rest from His job?

How did Jesus deal with difficult coworkers or customers?

What was the quality of Jesus' work?

And as you ask these questions I invite you to let them come back to you.  Ask, "How do I work?"  "Should I seek a raise?"  "How do I rest?" "How do I deal with coworkers?" "What is the quality of my work?"

Jesus knows what it is to work. He has forever sanctified work.  When you pray about work, He totally gets it.

Ponder Christ the Carpenter today.

The Olympics: Wetting the Palate for Heaven

 The Olympic games are going on right now and there's been much ink spilled about it.  Stars have been praised, controversies raised and attention has been poured upon sports both popular and obscure.

I could spend my time writing about my opinions on chromosomes in boxing or the opening ceremony.  I could spend my time as a sports fan penning paragraphs about the amazing men's 100 meter dash final or the incomparable greatness of Katie Ladecky and Simon Biles or why I love FIBA's basketball rules more than the NBA's, but I won't.

The Olympic Games make me long for Heaven.

I first started to have my longing for Heaven stoked by the Olympics in 2012.  Paul McCartney performed in the opening ceremony for the London games.  During his performance he sang "Hey Jude" and it was so beautiful watching the nations assembled in their own garb singing along passionately, "Na na na nanana nanana, hey Jude."

As much as I love Paul's music and have since sung that song in a choir of thousands at one of his concerts, the longing wasn't for some temporary peace.  The longing wasn't for Paul's friend John's version of an imagined, peaceful utopia.  I was longing for Heaven.

"Clap you hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth...
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather 
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted!" Psalm 47-1-2 & 8-9

This year as I watch the games I find myself wondering about sport in Heaven.  I wonder what it might look to play and compete and try to win and still love each other and have joy for each other in victory or defeat.  And I see glimpses of this.  While watching gymnastics I have loved watching the excitement the women have had for each other regardless of flag.  I have loved seeing them fiercely try their best and not being threatened by the other athletes doing the same.  The sportsmanship I have seen gives me a glimpse of Heaven.

Can you imagine what glorified, perfect sportsmanship will look like?  Can you imagine perfect enjoyment of one's God-given nationality and perfect enjoyment of everyone else's God-given, perfected culture will look like?  Slivers of this in the games helps me do this and helps me cry: Maranantha!

Outside the arenas, pools, courts and fields of Paris, and even within, we see conflict and suffering: War, rumors of war, economic uncertainty, moral confusion, hurricanes, hatred, abuse, depression and all kinds of the effects of evil.  The slivers of hope and the broad planks of discouragement give a longing for hope and for a hope that does not disappoint.

The rays of the sun come from the sun.  The glimpses of Heaven come from Heaven.  

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Revelation 7:9-10

"Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, no pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4

May the glimpses of Heaven wet your palate and may the pain of the world stoke your desire for Heaven today.

Wearing Goat Skins in Prayer

 I haven't written on here in quite a while.  I have spent my time outside of work preparing for a sermon I was privileged to be able to give at my church.  The fact that pastors regularly do this with one week's prep is impressive to me, especially bi-vocational pastors.  That said, if you're interested and have 45 minutes you can listen to it here. 

In the midst of my thinking and praying about 2 Samuel 9 I checked our family Marco Polo and my aunt had asked a question on there.  She asked, basically, if and how our sin affects our prayers.  Now, that's a complex answer.

1 Peter 3:7 tells husbands that the way we treat our wives affects our prayers.  James 5:16 says that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much.  So, there is something about our personal behavior, obedience and righteousness that does impact our prayer lives.

I also called to mind that Jesus prays for us according to Romans 8:34.  Who could have more effective prayers than Jesus!  What an encouraging reminder when I wonder how my lack of righteousness is affecting my prayers to remember that my most righteous friend and King is praying for me.

And then I recalled a story that I had never connected to prayer before.

Do you remember the story of Jacob and his mother tricking Isaac?  Isaac, the father of Jacob and Esau, was old and had bad vision.  He called his oldest son Esau to him and asked his first born to hunt him food and cook it for him and then come feed it to him and then he would bless Esau.  Rebecca, the mother, heard this conversation and wanted the younger son blessed.  So, Jacob and his mom cooked food to bring to Isaac.  Rebecca then put Esau's clothes on Jacob and goatskins on his arms so he would seem as hairy as his brother.

Poor, old Isaac was tricked by this because Jacob felt like Esau and his clothes smelled liked Esau.  Jacob, dressed in his older brother's garb, got the blessing due his brother.

Now, this story is ripe with how not to be a good family.  It is filled with examples of back stabbing and elder abuse.  Yet, it was this story that encouraged my prayer life recently.

When we come into the throne room of God and ask for blessing we do it with our brother's clothes on.  My hope is not that I am a righteous man and my prayers will therefore be effective.  My hope is that I come dressed in Christ's righteousness and God looks at me and sees Christ and blesses me accordingly.  But the Father isn't an old, blind, fool of a father.  The Father is in on this; it is He that ordained this.

I think the promises of God should encourage us to prayer andI think the warnings of Scripture should move us to live more holy lives; but I know that it is never God's will for me to pray less.  So, I will strive and fall and strive and fall in my pursuit of holiness and I will put on the goat skins of Jesus and come boldly before the Father in prayer (Hebrews 4:26).

Use this story to encourage your prayer life today.