Weekly Devotions 2022 Continued

While we think of the Christmas season as the season of light and catch repeated glimpses of beautiful and serene nativity images, Jesus who was the Light, entered the world at a very dark time. Soon after his birth, God warned Joseph to take Mary and their infant child and flee Bethlehem for Egypt (Matt 2). King Herod went on a rampage, slaughtering all newborn baby boys in Bethlehem, hoping Jesus would be among them. Riding on a donkey, a weary burdensome beast took the holy family several weeks to reach Egypt. Although the birth of Jesus as prophesied by Isaiah was to be a light to a people shrouded in darkness, we also need to recognize the depth of that darkness in which the Christ child was born. 

First, the people of God were severely oppressed by Roman rule. Caesar Augustus as we learn in Luke 2 had called for a census. The people of Israel were owned by another. They were heavily taxed. Some scholars believe the people were taxed 50% to 60% of their income. There was a tax for grain, produce, a temple tax, transport tax and so on. Taxation was the means by which the Roman elite were able to control people and build up Rome. These are precisely the deteriorating conditions that Jesus later addresses in the Gospels: impoverishment, hunger, and debt. Secondly, the nation of Israel was fracturing. There were many religious factions vying for position and wielding their power upon the people. The Pharisees were heavy-handed in their approach to religious life and traditions. And Jesus had many run-ins with this group. The Sadducees, on the hand were opposed to legalism and only embraced Moses’ law (Gen-Deut.). Then there were the Essenes, a Jewish sect who lived in a commune near Qumran and were the scribes who penned the Dead Sea Scrolls. They devoted themselves to obedience, temperance and were anxious to overthrow Rome for their pagan worship. These competing sects and the tension of Roman rule caused a huge burden on God’s people. Riots and poverty broke out everywhere. 

And this was the state of the world on that first Christmas. This was the world in which Jesus was born. In the words of the Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 9:1-7 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” God’s divine and long-suffering love for his people, responded with unmerited grace and mercy. 

And so, we look ahead into every new year, with hope, expecting our current circumstances will get better. What will the new year hold for each of us? We don’t know for sure. But what do know is this: the mystery of the incarnation, God clothing himself in flesh has the power to change our hearts. In Jesus, we now have a God who personally loves us. A God who knows what real suffering feels like—rejection, abandonment and abuse. A God who takes our suffering and makes us into wounded healers. For eons, human love has become fickle and smug. Much of human love has grown cold and calculating, filled with pride and prejudice. Genuine love, isn’t that what we all yearn for—to be fully-known, fully-loved and accepted? God’s love does just that and more! 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give youa sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 

The Virgin Birth God's Cosmic Plan 

The Old Testament prophesied that the coming Savior would be born of a virgin (see Isaiah 7:14). To this day, the virgin birth is still a mystery. Many Christians still grapple with it. And some reject the virgin birth altogether. But whether you accept or reject the virgin birth, both the virgin birth and the resurrection are non-negotiable doctrines of the church—they are the bookends of the New Testament. And we accept them by faith and not by sight. 

Mary being favored by God to bear the Son of God, at first glance is incomprehensible. But then God’s ways are light years away from our ways. And thank God for His ways, His thinking, His discernment and His strategic plan for redemption was way beyond our reach. For if left to us, we would surely botch things up.

Even more amazing is the response of Joseph and Mary to God’s cosmic plan of redemption. They both cooperated with God and each other. They accepted their roles. In complete humility without a fight or getting into a tizzy, they surrendered their entire lives to God’s call. Joseph, despite embarrassment and humiliation became Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father and Mary became his wife and the mother of God—Jesus, the one who saves.  

This begs a question. When you and I hear God’s voice, even if it at first it scares us, what do we do? Do we shrug it off and go on to something else? Do we resist and reason it away? Or do we listen? Do we cooperate and accept his divine favor towards us?

Through the virgin birth, God clothed his divinity in flesh that Jesus might be one “with” us—Immanuel. And, this is the ultimate mystery of Christmas—God came to walk with us through every joy, doubt, struggle and battle—even death itself! 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

As many of us are witnessing in our American culture right now,  you can speak the truth and be ostracized and cutoff with slanderous assaults on your character, reputation and your faith— whether it be a business, a faith community or an individual. 

But this silencing of truth is not a new thing. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus was finally silenced and put in prison for purporting the truth—Jesus, the long- awaited Messiah was coming into the world to rescue us and redeem us from the world’s lies. John’s message was challenging. He also demanded that people should share with one another their wealth and material blessings. For those who are in need, we are to be generous and give to those who have little. He also instructed the people to change course. To work and lead quiet lives, to mind their own business and work with their hands. In other words, they were not to their jobs, but stay at it, working out salvation in the places where God had planted them. . 

When the truth shines a light on our belief systems it can rattle us so much that we want to retaliate against the messenger. In some cases, when truth is revealed those that hear it cannot handle it and they will go to great lengths to silence the messenger. That is exactly what happened to Jesus. When he announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand, when he warned the population that both salvation and judgment were at hand—this was truth was too much to bear. And so, they put him to death and silenced his message. 

But little did they know that when they crucified Jesus, his truths were verified, multiplied and spread like a blazing wildfire 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

Rearranging The World’s Price Tags~ 2nd Sunday in Advent ~ Dec 4, 2022  

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard tells a well-known parable about thieves who broke into a store in the dark of night. But rather than steal things, they rearranged all the price tags. The next morning the sales people and customers came upon one surprise after another: diamond necklaces on sale for a dollar, and cheap costume-jewelry costing thousands of dollars. “The gospel is like the thieves,” Kierkegaard says, “It rearranges 

all our price tags.”

It’s difficult to enter into the Advent/Christmas season and remain unchanged by the coming of the Christ Child—God who made himself into flesh to dwell with us. And you cannot enter into this season without first running into John the Baptist and his cry to turn our lives back to God. John, God’s herald was

right. Jesus came to rearrange our price tags—both our preferences and priorities. 

The message of Jesus Christ is filled with powerful dialectics. He challenges our long-held traditions and our false assumptions about everything. Jesus knew without a doubt that the law by itself without love, grace and mercy would be a stranglehold on the people.  

So, Jesus comes to rearrange the way we see and understand our world. And this was the beginning of a new world order. The gospel tells us that we must love our enemies and not hate them. We must lose our lives, in other words, we must sacrifice our lives, spend them down in time and energy to help those who are suffering and those who are marginalized. We must lose our lives, in order to gain the true joy of life, a newfound purpose and find peace with God. We must live like the birds, and not worry about our futures—God will provide. We must come to know that in our weaknesses, in Christ we are given additional divine strength to endure and we are made stronger than ever. And instead of arrogance and self-promotion, we must be humble and + sacrifice for others. This new way of living in the world is in effect, the way he ushers in the Kingdom of God! 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

There is No Time Like Today  ~ 1st Sunday in Advent - Nov. 27th, 2022

Growing up, our pastor made unannounced visits to member’s homes. That’s what you did years ago. On one particular evening, he paid a visit to my family. My mother looked out the big picture window and said, “Who is that?” And when she saw it was Pastor Rich, she went into overdrive. “Kids hurry up, help me pick up the living room, fluff the pillows and put the Bible on the cocktail table (just kidding), the pastor’s here,” she said frantically. All too often, many of us have been caught off guard at home by an unexpected visitor. 

On the first Sunday of Advent, Jesus tells us to stay awake. To be ready and prepared. To live in this world not unto ourselves. People who are only focused on themselves. But instead, he warns us to be watchful of the times. Before Christ returns, life will go on as normal right until the last minute. Some will be cooking or taking a shower, while others will be texting a friend or taking a selfie, some will be hiking the red rocks and others will be sipping a latte. That day will come suddenly like a thief in the night. 

It’s so easy to fall asleep and become lazy in our faith. It’s so easy to stop trying, to  n the first Sunday of Advent, Jesus tells us to stay awake. To be ready and prepared. To live in this world not unto ourselves. People who are only focused on themselves. But instead, he warns us to be watchful of the times. Before Christ returns, life will go on as normal right until the last minute. Some will be cooking or taking a shower, while others will be texting a friend or taking a selfie, some will be hiking the red rocks and others will be sipping a latte. That day will come suddenly like a thief in the night. It’s so easy to fall asleep and become lazy in our faith. It’s so easy to stop trying, to 

Just as 1st Century Christians experienced dangerous and turbulent times, we do also in our generation—nothing new under the sun. And so, before Christ’s return, we are to live out our faith in such a way, that our hearts are fully awake, our eyes and ears are wide open anticipating God’s arrival in every living moment of every day. We are to be fully ready and prepared either for Christ’s return or our own homecoming (death). And you know there are some things in this life that you can’t obtain at the last minute. Such as good character, a good reputation or acquiring a skill. All of those take time. 

But there is good news! God has given you and I today, yes today. We still have time. As much as we try to forecast our futures, none of us know what will happen tomorrow or next year. So, live today fully prepared, anticipating to see the glory of the Lord now! 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side. We thank you for setting us at tasks that demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments that satisfy and delight us. We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone. Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he conquered death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom. Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen. 

May the bounty of God’s grace fill your hearts and homes this Thanksgiving

with His inexhaustible love and sovereign care.

In Christ Jesus, Pastor Dona and Mike

In the 1st Century AD, the people of Colossae, when things went wrong in  their day blamed the gods. For the gods were “in charge” of all the earth and all human affairs. Warriors needed Mars on their side. Lovers needed Aphrodite’s help. Those seeking offspring sought the god Pan—a half human, half goat fertility god. These dominions created a lot of tensions and wars spilled over onto earthly battlegrounds. So the citizens summoned the gods for wisdom and how to direct their daily affairs. 

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul addresses his contemporaries about these dominions and informs them of who is really in charge. In Colossians Chapter 1 Paul writes, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins...The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; 

Today, there are many other dominions we seek and place our trust in. And these dark forces push and pull us in ways we don’t often understand. What about our politicians? We elect them and we give them the power to do good. However, do politicians really run the world? 

What about the economy? Though Americans may think that Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve, for example, control it, the economy at least arguably remains beyond anyone’s control. Just watch the daily ebb and flow of the DOW, it is fickle and the slightest fear of anything sends stocks plummeting. Our economy also has enormous influence. It can throw millions of people out of work and help shove thousands of businesses into bankruptcy. 

Watch any part of our 24-hour news cycle and you’ll see people killing each other not only on our own streets, but also in places like Ukraine, North Korea and China. Human trafficking and sexual slavery and abuse of minors. What can anyone really do about such horror? Forces are definitely at work in our world that seem to be among the dark dominions about which Paul writes to the Christians in Colossae. 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

The cross stands at the heart of the Christian faith. For Christians, the cross is the lens by which we see our suffering world—it magnifies suffering and our need for a Savior. Jesus on the cross is a powerful reminder, that by God’s boundless grace, we who often fall short of loving God and loving our

neighbors are set free from our failures to love and care for the stranger, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and the prisoner. On the cross, God forgives us and invites us to receive his love.  

One of the most profound moments in all of Scripture was the conversation Jesus had with two criminals that hung execution style to the left and right of him on the cross (Luke 23:33-44). We are not told too much about the criminals, who they were or what crime they committed. But we do know that they were strategically placed on either side of Jesus to humiliate and demean him. This scene is one of several of the paradoxes associated with the crucifixion. Jesus, a man who is blameless and who committed no crime is now hung to die between two convicted criminals. A great example of what happens when sin, fear and anger turn in on itself. 

Throughout history, many a person has been unjustly accused of crimes they did not commit. In 2021, University of Michigan cites there were 161 exonerations only after these prisoners gave up years of life and suffered abuse in the prison system. For anyone who has ever been accused of something they did not do however small the incident, to be accused and misrepresented, where truth goes unheard is a very painful tragedy.

While both men were suffering the same gruesome death and were both in the presence of Christ, their reactions to their plight were drastically different. One of the criminals arrogantly harassed Jesus with sarcastic comments such as, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” In anger he mocked God and asked to be taken down from the cross. Maybe he was angry that he got caught. Or maybe he was angry at his life and all those who had let him down along the way. Whatever the reason for his anger, he was hostile towards the one who could truly save him. And this is still true today. Even though God has big shoulders and a big heart, some people still reject God’s offer of love and acceptance. And some people without knowing it, resist his love by projecting onto God their unresolved hurts and their unlovable natures. 

In one of the most startling and beautiful moments of the Gospel, the other criminal does not ask to be taken down. Instead, he reaches past his pride and confesses his crime and confirms Jesus’ innocence,“And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but  this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And then in a divine moment of humility, Jesus looks into the heart of the criminal and offers words of grace and forgiveness, “Very truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

So what do we take away from Luke’s message? First, it’s very difficult to be confronted with God’s love and remain neutral about it. Secondly, when we confess our bad choices, when we stop being defensive and own our mistakes, God frees us from guilt and shame and restores us to a way of new life. And thirdly, if God at the last moment forgives a despised criminal, then it is never too late for us!

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

Growing up, my father instilled in me a strong work ethic. Oh I tried the “I don’t feel good routine,” but if I was not running a fever, I was quickly escorted out to the school bus. I watched my parents work, at home, in the factory—every day without a complaint. If I heard my father say not once but a hundred+ times, “There is no free lunch.” And to a large extent he was right. 

Now as I talk about work, I am not saying we are to experience burnout nor be chronically fused to it. We are to also have times of rest and relaxation.

So, what does God think about work?

While works do not save us, they are the result of faith. It is not only good works that should flow from our faith, general work should also result in the lives of faithful people. All believers have holy callings, whether they be mothers or fathers, school teachers, auto mechanics, software engineers, or any other vocation. We are to work with a whole and full heart as though we are employed by the Lord (Col 3:23). 

In 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Paul encourages us to not be idle or grow lazy. We are to own our own living in such a way that benefits others and gives honor to God. This is the Christian ethic. 

Why would Paul say this? Because the Lord is returning. That great and awesome day draws ever near. But that day is not here yet. So what do we do in the meantime? We are to use our gifts, our talents and natural abilities to serve God and to serve and love our neighbor.

Now is the time for endurance—to continue doing what is right. We must wait for God to judge the world with righteousness, and in the meantime, we are to make a joyful noise to him and tend to our work/careers/vocations. As we

make that joyful noise, we are to do our work quietly. Faith finds a level place to take an enduring stand in the steadfastness of Christ. We are thereby empowered to patiently wait for his return while tending to the holy callings of parenting, farming, teaching, or any other tasks that God has placed before

us. This is how Christians endure the times: faithfully expecting, quietly working and patiently waiting as our redemption draws near.

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

But although God’s grace was always present, it had to be discovered. And it

took a stubborn Catholic monk, Martin Luther to first discover, what the other 

reformers also soon uncovered, Calvin and Zwingli, that God’s grace, our

salvation cannot be earned by works and good deeds but rather is a free and

undeserved gift from God. 

Jesus in a discussion with the Sadducees in Luke 20:27-38 tells us that

legacy means much more than an earthly legacy. Jesus informs them that

those who follow him have a heavenly legacy or to say it another way, a

heavenly destiny through a death and resurrection like his. And the promise of

a resurrection is not something that only happens to us when we die, but this

promise is planted in our hearts and changes who we are now. It changes

how we respond to others and the culture around us. It changes how we

respond to death, illness, conflict, politics, finances, relationships and natural

disasters. 

Our legacy is no longer earthbound but heaven-bound. In Baptism, we become

children of the living God, and we become resurrection people—people who

live with the promise and power of resurrection in their hearts. In recent 2021

Polls Pew Research and Rasmussen said about three-quarters or 73% of

Americans believe in the resurrection (heaven). While 26% of American adults

do not believe in heaven but 17% of that group believes in some sort of

afterlife—reincarnation or the afterlife of one’s spirit lives on. 

But whatever the polls show, people by and large are interested in what

happens after they die. Did you know that Amazon has a subsection of books

in its Religion and Spirituality section on “Near-Death Experiences”? There are

over 7,000 titles. And in the Christian books category, you’ll find loads of

writings about heaven under the heading of “Eschatology”. There are over

10,000 books in that category (though they are not all about heaven per se).

Clearly, we are a curious people about what comes next.

As we consider we are people of the resurrection, in the Reformed tradition, it

has led to the pursuit of living the “already and not yet” in this life: seeking the

good truths, values and ethos of the eternal age already now as the Kingdom

of God breaks in and takes root in this age, which is not yet what is to come.

By doing so, we pray and pursue “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

Whether it’s last Sunday’s Protestant Reformation commemoration or next Sunday’s All Saints Day, remembering the faithful cloud of witnesses who

have gone on before us, at the heart of every Christian worship service is the celebration of God’s radical grace—His endearing love for all humankind. 

But although God’s grace was always present, it had to be discovered. And it took a stubborn Catholic monk, Martin Luther to first discover, what the other
reformers also soon uncovered, Calvin and Zwingli, that God’s grace, our salvation cannot be earned by works and good deeds but rather is a free and undeserved gift from God. 

Having grown up in Germany during the 1500s during the famines, Black

Plague and marauding invaders, Luther saw God as someone to fear. He saw God as unloving. But later while searching through Romans and Ephesians,

Luther came upon a monumental discovery—God is grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift

of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8). And this discovery

unleashed a worldwide reform of Christ’s Church. 

What exactly is grace? Grace, the Greek word is “charis” means the

unconditional love and forgiveness of God. Grace is the heartbeat of our

heavenly Father flowing through Jesus, His Son. And although it defies all

human reason and logic, no other religion places grace at its theological

center. In a world, where we have to earn our place in it; perform and compete 

for trades, college degrees, sports and career paths, we learn early on there is

no free lunch. We have been taught at a very early age that we have to work hard and earn our way in this world. And that is exactly why for many, even

those in the church, the notion of God’s grace is so hard to grasp, let alone 

receive. But whatever one accepts or rejects about grace, grace is the

distinguishing mark of Christianity. 

God’s grace is visible everywhere. And God has a great stake in how we

express grace to others. As those who receive God’s grace every day, we are to always err on the side of grace. We are called to see each other not with a

critical eye, but through the eyes of Jesus Christ on the cross—merciful,

forgiving and full of grace. Jesus granted his followers the immense privilege

of dispensing God’s grace to a spiritual hungry world. And knowing that this

grace, the eternal forgiveness God offers us, cost him everything, his only Son, 

his grace is by no means cheap, its costly. This Sunday and next Sunday, we

will witness the visible sign of God’s grace through several baptisms. Where

God joins himself to believers who by faith receive the grace and forgiveness

of God. Te Deum! 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona

Pride is a destructive force in our culture—religion, politics and every human

relationship. Pride keeps us puffed up in ourselves. It makes us overly confident. It prevents us from having a teachable spirit because we have a “I know everything attitude.” Spiritual pride infects the church. Whether it is denominational pride, or pride among pastors and pride among congregational members, there is a pervasive attitude by some Christians to think they have a bigger, better church or they have a better and “right” grasp of the gospel. Spiritual pride belittles, demeans and it sets us over and against one another.  

Humility on the other hand, means living in the world without having to self-justify. Christian humility understands that no one is without sin and all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3). Christian humility understands that there is so much evil in one’s heart, and it is of such great concern that there is not enough time nor emotional energy to focus on the sins of others. Humility is never concerned in always trying to right every wrong. In many cases it yields. 

Jesus tells a powerful parable of two men who are polar opposites. A Pharisees who was over the top prideful about his biblical knowledge and how he lived out his faith practices, and a tax collector who extorted money from the poor. Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee puffed up his chest and prayed, “Lord thank you for not making me like this fraudulent tax collector.” Now when the tax collector prayed, he prayed, “Lord have mercy on me, I am a sinner.” The Pharisee although a sinner too, focused and gloated on his ministry—his faith. He ignored the plight of his own soul. The tax collector, before God recognized he was a cheat and thief and asked God to be merciful. And God poured out his grace on the sinner. 

The punchline to Jesus’ parable: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Pride is a universal human struggle. It is present in every human heart and it can drive a wedge in every human relationship. But Christian humility is the

way of Jesus Christ. It surrenders. It loves. It forgives. It gives wiggle room

(grace) to others and realizes there is no gain in spiritual superiority nor religious legalism. It’s not human pride but God’s humility that brings people into the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

In His abundant and unconditional love, 

Pastor Dona