March 26th Weekly Word

Donkeys of Peace and Passion

"The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

'Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!'"

(Matthew 21:7-9)

Yes, I know. That's a horse with Ginger and not a donkey. We searched and searched on our devises for a photo of a donkey but to no avail.

But I do remember interacting with a donkey on different trip to North Carolina. We were at an orchard grove that stabled some farm animals, including a donkey. I wasn't too fond of him though, in large part because he wasn't at all fond of me. When my family went up to the fence, he was fine. But when I approached, he brayed madly. And if you haven't heard a donkey bray, try to keep it that way. It's a terrible racket.

The truth is donkey's can be fierce. In fact, farmers often use them as a sentinel of sorts to guard against wolves or canines. Not only will they sound the alarm when a predator approaches, but they've been known to full on attack the intruder.

So it's interesting to consider why Jesus selected a donkey to ride into Jerusalem for his triumphal entry. The short of it is that even though donkeys are fierce, they were a symbol of peace in ancient times. We see that in the prophecy Jesus fulfills in this passage from the book of Zechariah. Chapter nine says:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."

So riding a horse into a city would communicate military power, conquest and domination while a donkey would have indicated diplomacy, humility and peaceful intent.

Jesus is very deliberate about that image here. His mission into Jerusalem wasn't to bring violence to the city but rather to allow it to be done to him so as to fulfill his vocation as the sacrifice for sins.

Still I find the fierceness of the donkey compelling too. Yes, Jesus' intent was to bring peace and reconciliation to the hearts of those who trust in him. But during the week leading up to his crucifixion, he boldly took on "wolves in sheep's clothing" by calling out the hypocrisy of religious leaders and the oppressive structures they upheld in the city.

Friends, this is our Lord. Fiercely intentional to uproot evil yet doing so through the sacrifice that would make true peace possible.

Join me this week in meditating on this truth about who Jesus is and what that means for us, his people.

Darin+

March 19th Weekly Word

St. Patrick's Breastplate

Although the Beacon goes out on Thursdays, I'm writing this on Tuesday – St. Patrick's Day. So I thought I'd honor the Saint by including a prayer attributed to him, called St. Patrick's Breastplate. It's a beautiful and powerful prayer filled with rich theology and an extensive list of petitions, all grounded in a plea for the presence of Christ. While not included in our prayer book, the prayer does make up the lyrics for one of the songs in our hymnal. Will you join me in praying this prayer this week? Perhaps it will so move you that you'll go beyond that and add it to your daily or weekly prayers.

Darin+

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim,

In the obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In prediction of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendour of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak to me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me,

From snares of devils,

From temptation of vices,

From every one who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today

Against poisoning, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So there come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye of every one who sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

March 12th Weekly Word

Lesser Staffs

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil;

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

(Psalm 23:4)

Whenever I go for a walk, I take my hiking stick (pictured above). A few months ago a neighbor asked me why I carried a stick in the neighborhood. I don't remember my response, but I think it was something deflective because I didn't want to share the real reason with a stranger.

The thing is, I feel a bit uneasy walking without my stick because of something that happened over 20 years ago.

One early summer morning in 2003, I was attacked by two Rottweilers while jogging. Nine bites later I was in the hospital getting stitched up. I healed physically, but the mental trauma hung on and to some degree still does.

So for me, the image of a staff (like in our psalm) holds weight. I get the tangible comfort that comes from having a rod put distance between me and whatever might be trying to harm me.

The truth is I'll probably always carry a stick of some sort when I run or walk. After all, I don't think it's a bad practice – but it is one largely motivated by an unhealed part of my soul.

What I suffered in this attack was triggered by physical trauma, but many of us have also endured emotional or spiritual wounds. And to defend those unhealed parts of our souls, it's not uncommon to take up another kind of staff – one that might also involve clinging to that which puts distance between us and whatever we perceive might reenact that trauma or reinjure that wound.

These staffs could amount to a variety of defense mechanisms that prevent us from entering into deeper fellowship with others and/or with God. Depending on the origin of the wound, some will steer clear of community or only enter in on a surface level, while others will use distractions to drown out Christ knocking on the door of their hearts. When things do move toward more substantive relationships, those who deal with emotional or spiritual trauma often engage in some form of relational sabotage or retreat into disconnection.

But here's the irony: through these defensive strategies, it's possible to push away the only one who can really protect us – the one Psalm 23 says is our Shepherd.

It reminds me of what Aslan says in The Chronicles of Narnia, "Oh, Adam's son, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that might do you good!"

How true it is. We often hold tight to our staffs of self-protection while ignoring the Lord's staff that is meant to bring comfort and peace. But the reality is that if the trauma is of a spiritual nature, it's often a process or a path even to get to the point where we trust God's staff as that which protects rather than punishes us.

It is a path, however, that's well worth walking.

During Lent I'd encourage you to consider getting onto that path. It might be a fearful first step, but remember that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is walking with you. And in a figurative way I imagine that the staff he carries has been chiseled from the cross through which he demonstrated his great love for you and me. With that staff, he beats back the enemies of our hearts – sin, accusation, guilt, shame, and fear.

So, dear friend, will you join me on this journey with Jesus this Lent? And while traveling this path, I pray that we learn how to trust him and let go of our lesser staffs.

Darin+

As an additional note, I want to say that these are often deep and hard things to reckon with, and meditating on these truths can be helpful. But God also works through means like counseling, pastoral care and spiritual guidance.

If you’d like to chat personally about any of what I discussed here, feel free to reach out to me. If I'm not the right one to help in your situation, I can certainly point you in a good direction.

March 5th Weekly Word

First Things

"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

How we perform is important in this world — on every level. From work to family to sports to church, we are assessed based on our competence, commitment, output, effectiveness, etc. And much of the time this is helpful because it aids our understanding of how we're doing and how we can improve.

But that performance-based mindset can have devastating consequences when it bleeds into relationships and sets up conditions for love and acceptance. And nowhere is this truer than when it infiltrates our perceptions and beliefs about God.

But here's the thing, misunderstanding God's love for us as conditional based on performance is incredibly common. And I guess it makes sense because there are commands and consequences for disobedience dispersed throughout all of the Scriptures — both in the Old and New Testaments. So we must understand this correctly to grasp truly the good news message of Christ crucified. And the verse above from our upcoming epistle reading is helpful in that regard.

You see, God's love in Christ was enacted while we were still sinners before we had any inclination to obey or follow him. Now you might object by observing that Christ died long before any of us were even born.

But the point here is that God's love for us predated anything good that we might do. God's plan to redeem us through the cross was put into place when humanity was still in rebellion. It wasn't based on our goodness but on his love for us even when we were in a sinful state. And the case Paul is making here is that if he treated us that way while we were enemies, how much more will he pour out his grace upon us now that we are his children.

While it's true that there are commands and consequences in the Scriptures, those come after God has already accepted us into his family. We didn't have to perform in order to receive adoption. That came freely, lovingly, lavishly. And now in response to that great love, he has called us to live a life that reflects his love back to him and to others — not to earn his love but to channel it. There's a big difference.

First things must be first, you see. And the first thing in the gospel message is that God loved us while we were still sinners. Above all, friends, let that reality sink in this Lent, and may it fuel our Lenten practices and lead us closer to God.

Darin+

February 26th Weekly Word

Beautiful Chains

O to grace how great a debtor

daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now, like a fetter,

bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love;

here’s my heart; O take and seal it;

seal it for thy courts above.

The lines above are from one of my all time favorite hymns: "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." To me, these lyrics bring to mind some very important truths.

First, they're a sobering reminder that even the hearts of the redeemed have a tendency to be pulled away from the Lord. Prone to wander/Lord I feel it/ Prone to leave the God I love.

I so appreciate the song writer's vulnerability here because what Christian really wants to admit this? But isn't it true? Haven't we all felt this tendency to wander? I know I have. And I guess it makes sense. Scripture reveals that we have a threefold enemy trying to pull us away from God: 1) Satan 2) the world system aligned with the spiritual forces of darkness 3) and our own sinful nature.

Now the truth is that as believers we are not simply puppets of these enemies; after all, we have received a new heart through the work of the Holy Spirit. But the struggle is real, as they say, because God's sanctifying work in us won't be complete until the day of Christ's return. So until then we must contend with this threefold enemy, which as we all know is sometimes successful in leading us astray.

And because that's the case, our fight against it must entail repentance when we falter. Friends, please hear this because sometimes we can imagine that "fighting the good fight" only means winning the war against temptation. But that's not all there is to it. Contention also entails getting up when we fall, turning away from sin, and turning toward God and his grace – which is the other significant point that our hymn makes.

O to grace how great a debtor/ daily I’m constrained to be!/Let that grace now, like a fetter/ bind my wandering heart to thee.

What an unexpected yet appropriate image! Our wandering hearts chained to the grace of God. In other words, though we might be prone to wander, it's God's grace that holds us fast and brings us back. That's the wonderful prayer of the song writer, and it happens to be the prayer of our upcoming collect for Sunday as well.

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

What a beautiful collect! God's grace leading the wayward back to him through repentance. And Scripture confirms this truth as well, indicating that it's God's kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) so that we can experience his lavish grace and mercy. Kindness, grace and mercy – these are the beautiful chains with which God has bound his people. May we ever adorn them, and may they hold us fast within the confines of his eternal kingdom. Amen.

Darin+

February 19th Weekly Word

The Disposition of the Father

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our sins from us.

As a father cares for his children,

so does the Lord care for those who fear him.

(Psalm 103:10-13)

Last night we held our Ash Wednesday service, launching the season of Lent. Lent, of course, is a penitential time when we intentionally do a self inventory that involves repentance and sorrow for our sins. That process can be difficult because, if done right, it unearths areas in our hearts that might be selfish, rebellious or even dark. And it's important to see these realties within if we are to move toward true repentance.

But if we don't understand this season correctly, bringing our darkness to the surface can lead to despair. Inner voices of self condemnation wait to accuse us when the reality of our sin becomes clear. But here's the thing: self flagellation is not the point of Lent. The aim rather is turning our hearts away from the destructiveness of sin and toward God who desires to forgive, heal and restore.

Early Christians throughout the centuries have always understood this to be true. In fact, for around a thousand years, the Church has associated Psalm 103 with the penitential season of Lent — and that, of course, includes the verses above, which state that God is merciful, removes our sins, and cares for us as a father cares for a child.

"As a father cares for a child" ... The photo above is of my dad holding my brother and me at the beach. My dad is a fun person whose disposition toward us has always been that of love. Even in my own failures and rebellion growing up, I never doubted that he loved me. And that's what we need to remember about God as we head into this hard season of Lent.

Yes, our sins and sinful patterns are real and need to be surfaced and addressed. But even so, our heavenly Father's disposition toward us is that of love as he lavishly demonstrated by giving up his Son on our behalf so that we could be reconciled and restored to him. You see, it's because of his great love for us that he's committed to addressing the sin in our lives both through the redemptive work of Christ and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.

Keep these truths in mind, friends, as we enter this season. And may God use these coming six weeks to reorient our hearts more fully towards him.

Darin+

February 13th Weekly Word

Head in the Clouds

“You have your head in the clouds.”

Has anyone ever said that to you? It’s a somewhat negative expression meaning you’re out of touch with reality or that you daydream too much. 

But biblically speaking, having your head in the clouds would probably be considered a good thing. Granted the expression is never used in the Bible, but Scripture records times when this literally happened. 

In our upcoming Gospel reading, Jesus takes three of his disciples up a high mountain and is transfigured before their eyes, "and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white." Afterwards, they're joined by Moses and Elijah, enveloped by a bright cloud and hear the voice of the Father.

Contrary to the modern meaning of the expression, what the disciples experienced on that day, with their heads in that bright cloud, connected them with reality – the reality of Jesus’ divine glory and his identity as the Son of God.

In that respect, having our heads in the clouds is not a bad thing. In fact, if by it, we mean basking in God’s presence and growing in the knowledge of Christ, then nothing could be better. 

Friends, as we move toward the last Sunday of Epiphany, may we experience afresh a manifestation of the light of Christ in our hearts, and may that light reflect out to those around us. 

Darin+

February 5th Weekly Word

Being Salt — Bringing Beauty

"Jesus said, 'You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.'"

Those who know me well know that I'm a bit of a salt addict, and ... here's a confession: that might be an understatement. It's not a good thing, especially when someone has high blood pressure.

But putting that aside, salt generally is a good thing. In the ancient world, it was certainly seen as such, given its flavoring and healing properties. And Jesus was likely pointing to these components when he spoke of his followers as being "the salt of the earth."

But what does that mean for us and how do we do live into that?

Well, thinking about the flavoring aspect of salt, we are called to make the world a better, more palatable place to live. Perhaps this point isn't communicated enough from the pulpit, but our presence in this world should be something that not only pushes back the darkness but also the dull, the vapid, the banal.

And that comes through engaging the world with redemptive beauty whether that be through art, music, writing... or whatever other creative giftings that God has given us to bring flavor to a saltless society.

Friends, creativity is part of our vocation as believers. After all we are made in the image of our God and Father who is the creator of this vast and beautiful universe. Our calling then is to reflect his image to the world, including his creativity.

And here’s the thing, when we decorate this world with redemptive beauty, we not only bring flavor but healing.

Musician and author Andrew Peterson articulates this point well in his book, Adorning the Darkness:

"I want you, dear reader, to remember that one holy way of mending the world is to sing, to write, to paint, to weave new worlds ... Those of us [who do those things] must remember that to a child a song may glow like a nightlight in a scary bedroom. It may be the only thing holding back the monsters. That story may be the only beautiful, true thing that makes it through all the ugliness of a little girl’s world to rest in her secret heart. May we take that seriously. It is our job, it is our ministry, it is the sword we swing in the Kingdom, to remind children that the good guys win, that the stories are true, and that a fool’s hope may be the best kind.”

Friends, when I think of creativity that way, I’m inspired by this calling to be the salt of the earth. I hope you are as well.

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP, p 819).

Darin+

January 30th Weekly Word

Sacrifice and Summary

"He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).

Above is a photo I took at the campus of one of the seminaries I attended. While I really enjoyed the experience, seminary can be challenging. After all, it includes many hours pouring over books, writing papers and listening to lectures. And all of that can get overwhelming. So it was nice when professors would take the time to summarize the often complex content that we'd been covering.

In our upcoming Old Testament reading, God does something like that for the people of Israel. At the beginning of chapter 6 in the book of Micah, God reminds Israel of what he'd done for them by redeeming them from Egyptian slavery and delivering them from others who intended them harm.

Then he poses the question as to what their response should be to his gracious love toward them. Should it be to offer an abundance of sacrifices? God's reply here was no. He wasn't interested in the sacrifice of calves or rams.

Instead he laid out a succinct and rather simple summary of what he required from his redeemed people: do justice, love kindness (or goodness), and walk humbly with him.

So is God not interested in sacrifice at all? Well, I would say he is very much interested in sacrifice, but there are a couple things to consider as we ponder this verse from the perspective of those who serve God after the coming of Jesus.

First of all, the animal sacrifices required by the law were mere shadows pointing to Christ's ultimate sacrifice, which redeemed us from slavery to sin. Listen to what the author of Hebrews says:

"Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins" (Hebrews 9:13-14).

You see, once Christ gave himself for us, the old system of sacrifice was obsolete since it served merely as a place holder that pointed to Christ. But even during the time of the Old Testament, those sacrifices didn't undo the necessity to live rightly, as our reading makes clear. If the people offered an abundance of sacrifices yet lived in a manner that was contrary to the Lord's laws, God indicated here and elsewhere that such offerings were unacceptable or even detestable.

So the Lord lays out in our verse here what real sacrifice should entail, and that is right living based on fellowship with the Lord.

Friends, as we remember the matchless sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, let's respond by walking humbly with our God and allowing that relationship to fuel our love for goodness and our concern for justice.

Darin+

January 22nd Weekly Word

The Beatific Vision

"You speak in my heart and say, 'Seek my face.' Your face, Lord, will I seek" (Psalm 27:11).

Have you ever wondered what the face of God looks like? Over the centuries, many have considered this question. During the middle ages, theologians delved deeply into the notion and developed a phrase to describe it. "The Beatific Vision" is defined as the ultimate Christian hope of seeing God face-to-face in heaven.

The word "beatific" comes from Latin for "to make happy" because the vision is understood to be the source of complete joy. The medieval theologian, Thomas Aquinas said that to look upon God unmediated (as his redeemed people) equals total fulfillment and utter bliss because that is the final purpose for humanity. Scripture confirms the blessedness of that experience rather explicitly when Jesus says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

But is seeing God's face strictly reserved for the future in heaven? In the ultimate sense, yes. But notice in our upcoming Psalm, God told David to seek his face even while he was alive.

Now, there is a metaphorical aspect to this because to seek God's face can mean generally to seek God himself. But the focus on his face particularly indicates the pursuit of a more intimate, personal encounter with the Lord. Consider the intimacy conveyed in the expressions of a face, like a warm smile of love and approval from a friend, a parent, or a spouse?

And this reveals a wonderful thing. God is eager for us to seek his face because he wants us to experience the blessedness of his presence. To be sure, we won't know the fullness of that joy until we stand before him as his redeemed children. But God is desirous that we get a foretaste of it through our daily interaction with him here and now.

Friends, let's respond to God's call like David did by praying, "Your face, Lord, will I seek."

Darin+

January 15th Weekly Word

Revisiting an Important Image

Are there photos that you look at a lot? I go back to the one above with some frequency because it reminds me of what a wonderful day our wedding was and what a wonderful woman I married. I think these kinds of reminders are helpful especially when the busyness and stresses of life pile up and tempt us to prioritize other things.

In a similar way, our upcoming Gospel reading gives us a metaphorical image of Jesus that is vital to remember and revisit in the midst of life's many distractions.

During the season of Epiphany, our readings quite naturally highlight different epiphanies related to who Jesus is. The Gospel text for this coming Sunday points to a significant one — the moment John the Baptist identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." What an insight for so early on! John said this shortly after Jesus' baptism when his ministry had just launched, somehow picking up on the nature of Jesus' purpose and what that would entail.

You see, "the Lamb of God" hearkens back to the Passover in the Old Testament, when God told the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and paint its blood on the doorposts and the lentil (top) of their dwellings, so the Angel of Death would pass over them in the final plague against Egypt.

Whether or not John understood the full implications of his words, we don't know, but in that moment, he prophetically identified Jesus' purpose on earth and the means through which he would save his people from their sins. Jesus — God's own sinless Son — would shed his pure, precious blood on the cross to pay the sin debt we incurred. Interestingly enough, John revisits this truth again the next day, pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God to two of his disciples. John, it seems, recognized the significance of this image and the need to come back to it again.

While this may not be a new epiphany for us as believers, it's one of the most important of all. Hence the reason that we remember it every week during Holy Eucharist as we partake of Christ's body and blood.

Friends, don't let the importance of this truth get away from you in all the bustle of life. This epiphany is at the heart of the gospel message. By believing in it, you entered the household of God whereby you were adopted into his family. God has granted you eternal life and everlasting fellowship with him because of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

So let us lean into this description of Christ as the Lamb, our sacrifice, and may this image of our loving Lord inspire in us a renewed love for him.

Darin+

January 8th Weekly Word

Divine Manifestation

Have you ever experienced an epiphany? Aside from it's significance as a season in the Christian calendar, it's defined as: "a sudden, profound moment of clarity, insight, or realization that dramatically shifts one's perspective, understanding, or worldview."

This modern use of the word can have different contexts. Perhaps you had an epiphany regarding some challenge you were facing at work or in a relationship. Or maybe it was an introspective psychological insight related to your past that helped you understand current patterns in your life. For me sometimes nature itself can facilitate what I call mini-epiphanies. The photo above was one of those moments where the blue in one part of the sky appeared almost otherworldly – divine even. My epiphany in that moment revolved around a renewed sense of the Lord's beauty as revealed in this aspect of his creation.

Whatever the context that facilitates the insight, these kinds of epiphanies are moments that contribute to a change of perspective.

The Scriptures also communicate the idea of of epiphany but on the divine scale. The root of the word epiphany is derived from the Greek, meaning "manifestation." Epiphany as a season in the Christian calendar initially points to the manifestation of the star that led the wisemen to the Christ child. Beyond that, it speaks to the manifestation of Christ himself to the Magi, who were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as King.

But that's not all that we find in our Scripture readings this season. The first Sunday after Epiphany is a feast day that marks the baptism of Christ, which is also a significant manifestation. There in the waters of the Jordan, God the Father identifies Jesus as his beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descends upon him, filling him and equipping him to take up his calling as the savior of the world.

Friends, may we orient our hearts toward Epiphany this week, remembering that God manifested himself to the world through the incarnation of his dear Son. And may our focus on that truth grant us a personal epiphany whereby we experience renewed joy, love, and purpose that comes from the knowledge of Christ's love.

Darin+

January 1st Weekly Word

The Holy Name

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).

During my first sermon at Christ Church, I shared the significance of our daughter's name, Haleth (pronounced: hall-eth). JRR Tolkien (our favorite author) is best known for his classic novel, The Lord of the Rings. But he also wrote a prequel for that book, which narrated its lore and mythological background. Haleth, one of the characters in the prequel, showcased courage and care as she fought against evil and led her people to safety. Since we liked the sound of the name and the character it was associated with, we decided it would be a good name for our daughter.

In this day and age, a name doesn't necessarily need to have literary, historical or biblical significance to be a good name. But in ancient Jewish culture a name was not just a label but a profound expression of one's identity, character and even destiny. Now, how would parents know all of those things when naming the child at eight-days-old? Well, of course, they wouldn't, but the name was chosen based on blessings and hopes for the child and perhaps even as a result of prophetic insight or proclamation.

And it's that last point that was certainly the case when it came to the naming of Jesus. In fact, it was an angel who told Joseph and Mary their son's name and its significance.

"You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Can you imagine what they were thinking when they heard that? What could that even mean? What was God up to in this child whom he had given them, who would save his people from their very sins?

Of course, we know the story and what that means now. Jesus' name signified his ministry and his passion when he would deal with our sin by offering himself up as a sacrifice on our behalf. That was what his name pointed to.

And now because he has fulfilled the angel's prophecy and defeated the powers of sin, Satan and death, it is through his name — the holy name of Jesus — that we are saved. Peter makes this very clear in the book of Acts: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

What wonderful news! News worth remembering, rejoicing in, and sharing on this New Years Day, which happens to be the feast day in the liturgical calendar for the Holy Name.

So friends, may we take refuge in the name of Jesus. May it be a banner of life, love, comfort, protection, power, joy and peace as we make our way into this new year that the Lord has graciously given us.

Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (BCP, 213)

Darin+

December 18th Weekly Word

To be with us...

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means, God is with us.”

We went to a Christmas tree farm to cut down our tree again. It's a tradition for us, although ... not always an easy one. This year I had the hardest time sawing the thing down. I don't know if it's because of my age or because I selected a dull saw or both. In any case, I was worn out and winded by the time I finished.

In previous years after the cut, a tractor came by pulling a trailer and took us and our tree back to the processing area. But this year an army of kids in buses arrived at the farm before us, and the tractor driver was preoccupied with giving them "hay rides." So I carried it myself.

By this point, I was convinced that it was indeed my age that had me huffing and puffing as I hobbled back with that tree in tow. To make matters worse, the day we went happened to be the only day that week that it got over 80 degrees.

When we arrived home, the challenges continued. The stem of the tree was on one side with most of the branches and growth on the other – contributing to the difficult endeavor of situating it in a Christmas tree stand without it falling over. After multiple attempts with two different stands, we managed. But I must say it looks rather like it's heavily pregnant or perhaps even like a really rotund Santa Claus. So to communicate the deception of intentionality, we put a Santa hat on top instead of a star.

All in all, our tradition this year turned out to be somewhat strenuous and at times even frustrating. Even so, I look back on it with fondness. Why? Because of the photo above where my daughters are decorating the tree I cut down with such toil.

Tradition, you see, is about presence. Not "presents," but "presence"– the presence of family and friends together participating in activities that hopefully promote fellowship. And what does that entail but being with each other.

Our upcoming Gospel reading references a prophecy from Isaiah where God tells his people that when the Messiah comes, it will mark a time when God will tangibly be with us. It points to the incarnation of our Lord who bore human flesh and "dwelt among us" as John's Gospel says.

And as you read the story, it becomes very clear, very quickly that there was nothing easy about his coming. In fact, it would culminate in him carrying a tree of his own – one that was much heavier and costlier than anything we could imagine because on it he bore the weight of our sins. But he came anyway because he loved us that much and wanted to ensure that his people would be with him both now and into the age of eternal life.

What good news that is!

As we approach Christmas, may we be intentional about remembering this truth and allowing it to inspire us toward fellowship with each other and with our Lord.

Darin+

December 11th Weekly Word

Waiting to Rise

by Ginger Metz

Patience, waiting and anticipation – all things our modern lives do not mix with. And yet this is Advent. We wait patiently with anticipation on the coming of our Lord. Our reading in James states:

"Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord."

I'm not a farmer, but reading this made me think about our Christmas tradition of baking Stollen. Stollen is a Christmas sweet bread that comes from Germany. I've been making Dresden Stollen for years. I don't remember why or when my mother and I started this tradition, but every year we spend the entirety of one day making three loaves. Why does it make me think of this passage? Well, there is a lot of waiting. It takes about eight hours from start to finish for these loaves. But the thing is, action time is very minimal. It really amounts to a little work and a lot of waiting.

It might be silly, but it's easy to get discouraged as we wait for the dough to blister or to rise to double its size. So why do we do this every year? The answer is simple: there is not another day like this day all year long. The house smells of butter and yeast; the feel of the bread in your hands is like no other; and the TASTE of a fresh “out of the oven” slice is wonderful!

Maybe this is how we should be living all year round – recognizing that, like the house enveloped in smells of butter and yeast, we are enveloped by God all around us. How the feel of kneading a soft beautiful ball of dough reflects the work our Lord has called us to. And the taste of bread reminding us of the goodness of God – "Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

May we open our eyes to God's Kingdom around us and eagerly anticipate His coming!

December 4th Weekly Word

Paths of Transformation

"In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, 'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

For years I worked in an office for a nonprofit ministry. While I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to participate in the wonderful work they do, the truth is I often felt stifled sitting in a desk behind a computer for eight hours a day. So every time we got a break, I made sure to get outside and walk.

Sometimes that meant walking behind the building around a lake with coworkers. Other times I would walk by myself on a path on the other side of the facility. And during those walks alone, I'd often pray. Now, I love the prayers in our prayer book, and I use them often. But when I want to really bear my soul to God, nothing opens those channels like a hike in the woods.

Recently, I came across the photo above, which I took on my way back from one of those walks at work. If I remember correctly, I was praying for direction at the time. And as I came upon my own footprints, I saw a butterfly land on one of them. Kind of a silly thing to take a photo of, I know, but for some reason it felt noteworthy to me because it communicated that God was in the midst of my journey – even the hardships and the feelings of being stuck – and that maybe he was using the path I was on to bring transformation in my life.

The notion of paths is significant in the scriptures. Our Gospel reading for this coming Sunday refers to the Messiah's path and how John the Baptist's call was intended to make it straight – which meant preparing the people for Jesus' arrival.

I think of Jesus' entry into our world and the fact that his path here was one of extreme hardship, especially his path to the cross. But those who followed him experienced transformation and observed how his presence transformed the live of so many others. And at the end, they bore witness to the ultimate transformation of his resurrection from the dead.

Friends, as we begin this journey of Advent, let's remember that Jesus' coming always heralds transformation. It did when he came as a babe in a manger and in the years that followed during his life on earth. And it will when he returns in glory to restore all things.

But in between those times, he longs to come to us as well. Through his Spirit, he has promised to walk with us on our own paths. And as he does, you can be sure he will bring transformation in us, around us, and even through us.

Advent is a season of expectation, friends, so let's expect the transformation that the Lord's arrival always brings.

Fr. Darin+

November 27th Weekly Word

Fruits of the Season

by Ginger Metz

"You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:11-14).

As I read this passage in Romans from our upcoming epistle lesson, I'm on holiday auto-pilot. We just finished the Fall Festival, and I'm winding down a short work week and thinking about Thanksgiving prep. My thoughts are occupied by all the holiday busyness, not to mention the constant (and now even earlier) bombardment of Black Friday sales.

In the middle of all this, however, my mind wanders back to the last part of the passage "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

When all is said and done, it's not about how good the Thanksgiving stuffing turned out, or if I had time to make my German Pear Tart. The more important question revolves around whether or not we're putting on the Lord Jesus. Are we more concerned about the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) than we are about the fruits in our desserts?

Let's spend this season with gratitude in our hearts. We are grateful and thankful for each and every one of you. May everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving, may we remember to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and may we enter into this Advent Season with great anticipation of the coming of our Lord.

November 20th Weekly Word

Grateful Stewardship

Stewardship first involves understanding that God is ruler of all. I discussed this in the sermon last Sunday by indicating that much of mankind’s rebellion has had to do with casting off God’s rule and assuming authority and ownership ourselves.

As we continue our focus on stewardship and approach Christ the King Sunday in a few days, I want to reiterate this truth because it’s key for apprehending our role in the economy of God’s kingdom.

Since Christ is King, we have to acknowledge that we are not. But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t given us authority and responsibility. Quite the contrary. God has given each of us our own realms to manage, which consists of finances, belongings, gifts, talents, work, time and relationships. And as I discussed last week, nature itself is a gift for our pleasure and stewardship.

But Jesus has given us more than all of this. Much more. Our Lord and King gave everything for us – including his very life so that we could eternally fellowship with God in the new heavens and new earth that Christ will usher in at his second coming.

And it is this message of Christ’s victory, sacrifice, generosity and love that he’d have us, as his church, share with the world in word and deed, so they too can experience the richness of his redemption.

But what is our part in that? Well, it's back to stewardship. We respond to God's generous love through generous living, which means offering ourselves to him and his kingdom expanding work – including our time, talent and treasure.

As we continue our focus on stewardship in the next few weeks, let's do so with a grateful heart, remembering all that God has given us. Below is a prayer used to close out the Daily Office (morning and evening prayer) in the Book of Common Prayer. The summary of the prayer amounts to thanking God for all that he has given us in creation and done for us in redemption. Then it's a request that we respond to God's goodness by offering him all that we are. And by the power and strength of the Holy Spirit, may we do just that.

Fr. Darin +

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

November 13th Weekly Word

Generous Living

While in Asheville last week, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of God's creation. Since we got back, I've been reflecting on how it all points to our generous God who gave us so much in nature alone. So many different kinds of natural beauty abound in our world — from the beaches to the mountains, from the deserts to the rivers, from the glaciers to the rain forests and on it goes. And beyond the gift of creation, God has given us so much more in order to secure our redemption (which I'll discuss next week). It's mind blowing really. But that is our God: creative, beautiful and generous.

As we enter the time of year when we focus on stewardship, I want us to think about these aspects of God, especially his generosity. Think of God as a host who owns all things and has graciously blessed us to experience his abundance on every level. And as we know and experience these blessings, generous living means passing them along. At it's heart, that is what stewardship is all about.

Would you take five minutes to watch the Bible Project video linked below? It really does frame God's generosity in the context of his redemptive plan. I find it inspiring. I hope you will too.

Fr. Darin+

Bible Project Video — Generosity

October 30th Weekly Word

Climbing Trees

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way."

I remember climbing trees when I was young. I loved it. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of that, and these days I try to keep my tree climbing endeavors to a minimum elevation (as evidenced by the photo above). The truth is, apart from professional tree workers, adults just don't often climb trees because tree climbing is the province children.

That was likely the case in first century Israel as well. And yet, in our upcoming Gospel reading, we find Zacchaeus up in a tree. Why was he there though? As the text tells us, he wanted to get a look at Jesus, but he was short and couldn't see past the crowds. So in his determination he made a way – and it paid off big time. Not only did he get to see Jesus, but Jesus saw him and invited himself to his house. And through that encounter, Zacchaeus' life was forever changed.

The thing I love about Zacchaeus is that he was so excited and determined to see Jesus that he went full on child and climbed a tree to make sure it happened! Doubtless, people stared at him disdainfully (even more so than usual, given his despised status as a tax collector). But it seems Zacchaeus didn't care. All that mattered to him was seeing Jesus. It reminds me of the Lord's words from Matthew 18: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

And Zacchaeus' willingness to do just that brought him into God's fold as he repented of his sins while he dined with the Lord. At the end of the reading, Jesus said: "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Friends, let's allow Zacchaeus' story to remind us of what matters most – experiencing Jesus. And with simple, humble hearts, may we pursue that goal even if it means a child-like devotion that has us climbing trees.

Darin+