Luke 1:57-80

Read Luke 1:39-56CommentaryTo be fully human is to be wide awake and aware … and alive to the world around us. To be human is, therefore, to be exceedingly vulnerable and subject to unbearable pain … as we open ourselves to the reality in front of us. Is to be overwhelmed at times by the impact of evil. And, so because of this, we know that humanity requires hope. We cannot live without hope. We cannot cope with meaninglessness.The danger, on the one hand, is that we will retreat from the world, that we will block out the tragedy, in order to protect ourselves. Which is completely understandable. But the danger on the other hand, is that we will absorb the horror, plunge into despair and sink into a deep depression. From this still too-fresh experience that has traumatized all of us, we recognize this awful dilemma.Last Friday morning, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown CT, the inconceivable, the unspeakable happened. We lost 20 children. How could this happen?! 20 beautiful 6 and 7 year-olds who are no longer there …CharlotteDanielOliviaJosephineAnaDylanMadeleineCatherineChaseJesseJamesGraceEmilieJackNoahCarolineJessicaAvielleBenjaminAllisonPledged to defend them, five women lost their lives …Dawn the principal, Mary the school psychologist, Vicky their first-grade teacher, as well as teachers Anne Marie and Lauren.We mourn for the parents who have lost their children, for their brothers and sisters, their grandparents, their friends and playmates, for the entire community that is crushed by grief. We mourn for spouses and families. And we ourselves try to comprehend and process and survive this news --- listening carefully and tuning out, watching and turning away, praying and giving up on prayer, venting our helplessness and rage … and crying out for help.When Herod massacres the innocent little boys in the region of Bethlehem, the heart-rending words of Isaiah the prophet are recalled …A voice is heard in RamallahWeeping and great mourningRachel weeping for her childrenAnd refusing to be comfortedBecause they are no more[Matthew 2:17, 18]Jesus describes in implacable enemy and warns us of his intentions and of his capacity to possess a person who will cause great harm to God’s beloved children …You belong to your father, the devil … he was a murderer from the beginning. [John 8:44]According to the Apostle Peter …Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [I Peter 5:8]We are called to recognize and confront what is wrong in all of its forms, as Mary does in her song, the Magnificat (“My soul magnifies the Lord …”). To confront the evil with a faith that relies completely on God’s superior power and larger purpose. He is “the Mighty One” who has “done great things.” “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm.” He has “scattered the proud,” “brought down (abusive) rulers,” and “sent the (oppressive) rich away empty.” God “has been mindful of my humble condition.” Humble, in the sense of needy and weak and vulnerable. Humble in the sense that she needs total help if she is to fulfill her calling in an often indifferent, sometimes threatening world. Shortly after the birth of her son, Mary --- with her husband Joseph --- would escape into Egypt to avoid the murderous wrath of Herod. Later, of course, she would be forced to witness the violence done to her innocent son on a cruel Roman cross.We should watch Mary, and listen to her, even if she is only a teenager at the time she composed this and doesn’t understand all that is happening to her. Her words are filled with submission to God and a defiant confidence. She can be “greatly troubled” and, at the same time, certain of her high privilege and superlative “blessing.”Under duress, feeling alone and awkward, Mary “rushes” to be with her elderly relative Elizabeth who is, also, inexplicably pregnant. Seeking community when in crisis (and when in a mood to celebrate) is a strong biblical solution. Not as light fellowship but as an expression of worship and as a soul-baring embrace offered to others. We need each other --- more than we know. The family of God is an invaluable resource for us. A place where we can “weep with those who weep and rejoice with those are rejoicing.” As the songwriter Ken Medema once wrote … “If this is not a place where tears are understood, where can I go to cry?”Mary’s moment, and ours, is an occasion to reaffirm and cherish the creation of God --- our children, of course --- and each other. All that we take for granted, God’s precious gifts. Hug a Teacher is a sign that hangs outside a house in Newtown. Hug those you love and those who need your love. Speak kindness. Show mercy. Be mindful of their needs, compassionate in response to their weakness, empathic as we sense their vulnerability.The theme of Mary’s eloquent outburst is mercy, God’s unexpected mercy. Lean into God --- she does and advises us to do the same. Lean into Christ … take comfort, take strength, draw courage. Lean into Christ and move toward the crisis armed with resolute faith, dispensing mercy to everyone.His mercy extends to those who revere HimFrom generation to generationHe has lifted up the humbleHe has filled the hungry with good thingsHe has helped his servant IsraelRemembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants foreverQuestions1. How are you processing this news? What is the human response? What is the faith response? Do they go together?2. Is there such a thing as raw evil in our world? Can you explain it? Where is God in this?3. How do Mary’s words relate to the birth-event of Jesus? How will his life fulfill her gripping words?4. How can we become part of this great reversal … a world turned upside down, mercy triumphing, good news following and overriding bad news?

Teen Mom Read Luke 1:26-38 The Song ... from the Story Everything inside me cries for orderEverything inside me wants to hideIs this shadow an angel or a warrior?If God is pleased with me ...Why am I so terrified? Someone tell me that I'm dreamingSomehow help me see with Heaven's eyesAnd before my head agrees, my heart is on its kneesHoly is He, Blessed am I Be born in me, be born in meTrembling heart, somehow I believe that You chose meI'll hold You in the beginning, You will hold me in the endEvery moment in the middle, make my heart Your BethlehemBe born in me All this time we've waited for the promiseAll this time You've waited for my armsDid You wrap yourself inside the unexpectedSo we might know that Love would go this far? I am not braveI'll never beThe only thing my heart can offer is a vacancyI'm just a girlNothing moreBut I am willing, I am Yours Be born in me, be born in meI'll hold You in the beginning, You will hold me in the endEvery moment in the middle, make my heart Your BethlehemBe born in me ["Be Born in Me" sung by Francesca Battistelli, lyrics by Nichelle Nordemann] Commentary Who is she? Is she the icon, the queen of heaven? Or is she an extra in the Christmas cast, a nobody only mentioned in passing? Should she be worshipped ... or dismissed? Mary was an ordinary girl living an ordinary life in her place (Nazareth of Galilee, in the far north of Israel) and time (a difficult time for her people). An ordinary girl who surrenders to the extraordinary call of God. Mary would have been 13 or 14 when betrothed --- an arrangement that would normally result in a wedding a year later. It would take a divorce to end the engagement. Her husband, Joseph, would then take her to his home and they would begin married life. Normally, the birth of children would follow. In that conservative society, the couple would be chaste until they were married. A violation of this expectation would be serious --- punishable by ostracism, at the least, and death by stoning, if the letter of the law were followed. The pledge to be married, to be faithful, was sacred. No wonder the angel's message was startling --- and alarming. The announcement of a premature pregnancy and birth would pose a severe threat to all that she hoped for. She would surely lose her fiance, her reputation and her standing in the community. Ultimately --- and she couldn't know this at the time --- she would lose her son. In fact, she would one day watch him die in agony. How is this call a "privilege", a sign of God's "favor"? Mary's son, to be born in the most mysterious of way, is one of a kind (it's true! and a terrible understatement). There is no one like him ... not even John, who is also celebrated in Luke 1. Her son surpasses John in every way. He will rule over the house of Jacob (the nation of Israel) forever; he will occupy the royal throne of David --- the greatest king --- and his kingdom, unlike David's, will never end; he is the Son of the Most High, the unique Son of God; and his name is Jesus (Yeshua) --- the embodiment of God's saving grace and power intervening on behalf of a weary, wandering, wasting-away world. He is the long-awaited answer to Israel's hopes and prayers, and to the deep, desperate longings of people everywhere. "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" Mary asks, recognizing her own vulnerability and the extremity of her calling. Gabriel assures her that this is the Spirit's project. This is all God's initiative, the fulfillment of God's loving purpose. And with God nothing is impossible. Mary is amazing. Her faith forever sets an example of complete surrender in the face of severest challenge and incredible blessing. "I am a servant of the Lord ... let it happen to me according to your word." Mary is a model of submission that becomes an astonishing boldness. Wait 'til you read her song (1:46-56). She not only believes in the promise she hears but affirms her unconditional loyalty, and acts on it. This is called trust --- and it is the only form of belief that rises to the true biblical definition. Questions1. Who is Mary? She identifies herself by her relationship and role as "servant of the Lord." Who are you?2. Does God ask the "impossible"? Do you have a example from your own life? How did you respond? How do you respond? How will you respond?3. Does the call of God always come with a cost? Can we know the cost in advance? Is obedience worth the cost?4. What do we learn about the identity of Jesus from the description in this passage? What is most meaningful to you?

Read Luke 1:1-25 Commentary It certainly seems ironic that we are searching for certainty in an age of radical uncertainty(!) As Dr. Luke opens his “gospel” he tells us that he has “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” in order to “write on orderly account … so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” From any human point of view, certainty is not possible. And yet it is necessary for us if we are to live securely and confidently. We require a certain direction, a certain value system, and --- most of all --- a certain faith that God is trustworthy. This is more than a certainty about “facts.” We need to know the significance of these facts --- we need understanding, we need to know the relevance of these facts for living. The “word” (logos in the Greek, the language of Luke) is the interpretive key --- the core truth that explains all of the facts. All facts are not created equal --- some facts provide an overall framework and must be reliable. Knowledge is wonderful but “eyewitness testimony” is the most intimate, and therefore powerful, form of knowledge. This up-close-and-personal knowledge is based on experience and generates a much deeper understanding. An understanding that motivates us, re-casting our identity and re-shaping our character. This level of knowledge demands we take a risk and enter into the arena ourselves to test the claims and impact of the knowledge. As we mature, we are less certain than we once were about many things that now seem more nuanced, not so black-and-white. The world is a complicated place. At the same time, from a larger spiritual perspective, we become very certain of a few central assertions that have the capacity to define and contextualize our universe, our world, our lives, our relationships, our faith. Zechariah, one of a thousand temple priests, fulfills his duty on a high holy day in Jerusalem and encounters the Angel Gabriel (God is your strength in Hebrew). The old priest and his wife Elizabeth have been serving the Lord faithfully for years but carry a sadness because they have no children --- a huge handicap in that society. They have no legacy. The angel tells him that God has heard their prayers and that she will bear a son to be named John (God has been gracious, in Hebrew). “You can be certain of this,” the angel reassures him. But Zechariah has his doubts (because his longing is so deep and the possibility slim-to-none). “How can I be sure of this?” he asks. The angel refuses to argue the point and silences the priest --- which is another sign to him that something miraculous is happening. When Elizabeth hears the good news, she immediately and exuberantly expresses her gratitude: “The Lord has done this for me!” These two represent the range of response when confronted with a revelation from God. We believe and yet we doubt. We are hopeful and yet we tend to fall into despair. We are called to certainty by the Word of God and yet fail to respond with a childlike faith. But God’s determination overrides our doubt. His purpose will be fulfilled. Of this, we can be certain. Their son, John, is later known as John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Christ. He prepares the way for the Good News that follows the good news. Questions 1. Do you think we live in age of uncertainty … and we have access to so much knowledge? Is it ever possible to be completely certain? 2. What happens when experience is added to knowledge? What happens to you when you actually trust God’s word and act on it? How does that affect your confidence?3. Why hasn’t God answered the prayer of this righteous couple … to this point in their lives? Are you waiting for God to respond to an urgent request? Should you keep on asking?4. If faith and doubt can coexist, how do we ever get to certainty? How would you answer someone who believes that certainty is impossible and so he or she can never come to a personal commitment of faith?

2 Chronicles 13:1-13

Relational Range (Part Two) Acts 10 Commentary Dr. Luke writes a long, involved and dramatic chapter as he chronicles the unlikely encounter between Peter (Jewish fisherman, disciple of Jesus) and Cornelius (Roman centurion, noble pagan). The unfolding story in Acts 10 is reprised in Acts 11, and later referenced as the key piece of evidence in the great debate at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. This is a pivotal moment for this new movement. Will Christianity be an exclusively Jewish faith, or will Gentiles be invited in --- and if so, on what terms and under what conditions? The conversion of Cornelius illustrates the reality of "prevenient grace" ... God seeking people before they are fully aware of His presence. God provides clues, drops hints, and works in the hearts of people who are often far away ... so that they are drawn into the sphere of redemption and reconciliation. This is God's amazing grace at work and we should be aware of it all around us all the time. And become a credible part of His appeal as we join this incognito conspiracy of love. Just as necessary, and maybe more difficult(!), is the conversion of Peter. He is precoccupied with his own perfection --- as demonstrated by his meticulous religious observance and proper sense of taboo. He wants to avoid contamination in his diet and in his relationships. Peter maintains a posture and practice of resistance to all things and all persons who are not kosher. Cornelius would certainly fit that definition. He is a Gentile --- a non-Jew, an outsider, a traditional enemy, an alien, a sinner and and a high-ranking member of an oppressive force. Acts 10 documents the progressive demolition of the barrier of bigotry that would forever keep these men --- and their wide circle of friends and families --- apart. This is a monumental task requiring the direct intervention of God and the bold, counter-cultural response of two men living in two absolutely incompatible worlds. This barrier will not come down easily. We are astonished and heartened when it does. And so was everybody in this original, ground-breaking interaction. All of this is unexpected, confusing, and extremely challenging to us as we read it, and think about applying it to ourselves --- with the hard divisons and subtle prejudices that rule in our environments. But the Spirit is moving us into places and towards people that we have avoided, ignored, overlooked, rejected and/or felt threatened by. In Christ, God is creating a new community, no longer defined by race or ethnicity or class, and no longer estranged by suspicions and animosity. The Body of Christ represents a new reality --- a new humanity, and Peter (inspired by the faith of his new friend, Cornelius) will become a leading advocate for this. Questions 1) What's the connection between the vertical (intimacy with God) and the horizontal (human relationships)? Can we separate the vertical and the horizontal dimensions of our lives? How do they affect each other?2) How close is Cornelius to authentic faith? What will it take for him to get there? 3) How open is Peter to meeting Cornelius? What barrier/s does he have to break through? 4) What barriers are currently strong in your community? Why do they exist? Do these barriers limit the range of your relationships?5) What barrier do you need to break? When will you break it?

Relational Range (Part One) Read Romans 12:9-21 Commentary People who are growing and maturing spiritually are expanding their relational range. We are becoming more secure in our relationship with God, and so more confident in ourselves --- and much more free to look past ourselves to appreciate the beauty, sympathize with the brokenness, and imagine the God-designed potential of others. In the Kingdom of God, relationships are everything. Realizing this, we invest ourselves in others, extending God's love in ways that engage, invite, and bless. "Love must be sincere." Love comes from God, into you, and through you into others ... with passion ("zeal", "fervor", "devotion", "joy")! Love with empathy ("rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn"). Love by sharing with those in need. Love deep! Love your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. "Love one another." Love wide! Love those who are outside the Family. "Love everybody."Love those who are different from you, whose who are "beneath you," those who are indifferent toward you, and even those who are against you. Love forges a community and creates a remarkable unity --- a unity that is more impressive as it embraces an ever-widening diversity. This love, God's love, breaks down walls and crosses barriers of race, culture, generations, gender ... and of sin, injustice and alienation. Consider the astonishing relational range of Jesus Himself! The diverse personalities of his disciples ... the common folk, the poor, the working class, the rich, the nobodys, the elite ... women ... children ... priests and prostitutes ... saints and sinners ... the religious and the irreligious ... the strong and the weak ... lepers, the demon-possessed, and other outcasts ... soldiers and revolutionaries. Reflect on the example of his disciple, the missionary Paul, and his determination to "become all things to all people so that by all means I might reach some." Questions 1. Do you believe "relational range" is an indicator of spiritual maturity? What biblical truth would you use as an important support for your conviction? How would you rate yourself --- what is your "range"? 2. What limits your relational range? What can you do about that?3. What happens when you intentionally move outside your comfort zone --- in terms of openness or initiative in new relationships? What are the risks? What are the possible benefits and blessings?4. Where do you sense God is calling you to expand (or deepen!) your relationships? Are you ready?

Emotional Health (Part Two) Psalm 23 CommentaryEmotional health is an often-overlooked and underestimated component of spiritual maturity. Emotions can both enrich and distort our perception of God, our understanding of his will for us, and our view of ourselves in relationship with him, with others, and with ourselves. God created us as emotional beings --- with the capacity to feel and express a full range of emotion. There is a dynamic interaction between the emotional and rational sides of our nature --- each affecting the other. To be healthy, emotions must be acknowledged without shame(!), recognized for the reality they reveal, aligned with God's good purpose for us, and disciplined for constructive expression. We can't help what we feel (feelings are not good or bad) but we are responsible for what we do with them and for how we act on them. Neither venting without inhibition, nor repressing our of fear, is healthy or helpful. Listening to our feelings --- and with empathy to the feelings of others --- is essential. Processing them with God --- and with people we trust, who are God's gift to us --- is extremely important. The Psalms provide a model of how to do this. Nothing is held back. Everything is then placed before God. God will direct us in "paths of righteousness" as we learn to trust him with everything --- including are highly-charged feelings. Psalm 23 is packed with emotional images:Green pastures, quiet waters, feasting tables, anointing oil, overflowing cup, a place to call home, as well as ...Deathly shadows, the presence of personal enemies, actual evil Psalm 23 describes the presence of --- the wonderful intervention of! --- the shepherd. This shepherd:Makes me lie down, leads me, restores me, guides me, comforts me, anoints me, invites me, is always with me! Because of this (because of Him!) we can live in peace --- when circumstances overwhelm us and even drive us toward despair. We can live with contentment --- and move past chronic complaint, envy and resentment. "I will not lack for anything." Read Psalm 34:8-10. We can develop a defiant faith in the face of any threat (real or imagined, distant or nearby). We can find strength when we feel weak and helpless and lost. Notice that the pronoun changes in verse 4 --- from "he" to "you." The Psalmist is no longer talking about God, but now is speaking directly to God. This is the intimacy with God which shapes our character and renews our hearts. This is the truth that must be experienced, as well as believed. Passion without God is confused and confusing, directionless and dangerous. Truth without passion is cold, lifeless, damaging. God's "goodness and lovingkindness" is therapeutic in a life-giving, deeply transforming way. Questions1) Read the Twenty-Third Psalm again. Meditate on it for a moment (lectio divina). How does it speak to you?2) Is it difficult for you to relax and allow yourself to "lie down," to "be led" --- to quiet yourself, to relax into the care of the Shepherd? Why is it so hard sometimes?3) Are you walking through this "deep valley of dark shadows" or sensing the "presence of enemies"? Is God there for you? How do you know? How do you find him?4) Can you say --- with David and with full confidence --- "the LORD is my shepherd"? How can your faith be increased?5) What are the implications of the claim of Jesus to be the "good shepherd" in John 10:1-18? Also read Matthew 9:35, 36.

Emotional Health (Part Two) Read Ephesians 4:17 - 5:2 Commentary On Sunday you heard me say: You can't be spiritually mature if you are not emotionally healthy. Let me amend this statement: You can't be spiritually mature unless you are responsibly processing your emotional issues. As always, God takes us as we are, right where we are. There is no judgment --- the judgment due us was absorbed by Christ on the cross --- in Christ we are fully accepted. The grace of God saves us --- and then claims us. We no longer belong to ourselves, we belong to Him. God is determined to restore us, to strengthen us, and we submit ourselves to this sometimes painful project. God created us as humans with a rich range of emotions --- and our emotions need to be re-ordered as we are discipled into maturity. Here is the Apostle Paul's wise counsel to us: Put off the Old Self = the self that is separate from God, that is inescapably self-centered (either self-aggrandizing or self-loathing)No longer live as the gentiles live = driven by emotions (that are fully indulged and acted out --- or completely suppressed and denied)The gentiles (pagans who are at the mercy of their emotions) have hardened hearts that result in moral depravity and emotional disequilibriumThe Old Self is conditioned by family of origin issues, such as lack of expressed affection, impossible expectations, and/or experiences that generate insecurity Put on the New Self = emotion is validated, realigned and disciplined (feelings are involuntary --- neither right nor wrong; what we do with those feelings becomes our choice and responsibility)We need a reorientation = an appreciation of our emotions from the viewpoint of our CreatorWe need emotional healing = deliverance from messages that deny God's purpose for our emotions (messages that imply we shouldn't feel what we feel, messages that urge us to act on our feelings --- without concern for the consequences, and messages that are mixed and leave us confused) Case Study: Anger "Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger." Anger is the sentinel that stands guard at the border of your dignity. Anger is a gift from God. The person who can never get angry, no matter the provocatgion, is emotionally disabled. Anger sends a signal that mobilizes your defenses against abuse. But that signal is not supposed to keep going off. Don't become an angry person, with a gut-load of resentment and/or rage. Forgiveness is the God-given opportunity to name the violation and its effect (own the emotion, feel it) and then --- courageously and often progressively --- release the offense. Because God in Christ has forgiven you and because forgiveness is detox for the soul. Forgiveness frees you from obsessing on the past and getting stuck there. Forgiveness frees you then to express "kindness and compassion" despite your troubles. Questions 1. Do you agree that emotional health is a component of spiritual maturity? How do you feel about that correlation? 2. What is the meaning of human emotion, from God's point of view? What would life be like without it? What is life like when people can't control their strong emotion? 3. Which emotions do you find most pleasant? Which do you find most problematic? Which do you find most puzzling?4. Based on this passage, how do we move toward emotional health? What did you find here that is practically helpful?