12-22-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 22, 2024
Everything is coming to completion. I’m not talking about Christmas, but football. Yesterday, we saw multiple college division playoffs take another step toward their Championship Games. The NFL’s playoff slots are dwindling, and the path to the championship is becoming clearer with each game. Similarly, the Advent season is leading us on a journey toward the fullness of the Christmas experience, with Bethlehem’s destination coming into focus with each passing day. There are some differences, but the one that stands out to me the most is how each week produces LOSERS as the football championships become increasingly apparent. On the other hand, as we approach Christmas, each day we discover a God who is reclaiming and redefining every single person who has been made to feel like a LOSER. There is one ultimate destination, and that is the restoration and healing of all creation, including every human soul that is feeling great joy as they learn how their title is not LOSER but BELOVED. And a manger in Bethlehem is the place where God’s intentions are made entirely clear. 

O God of the Christmas story, reveal your message once again as I and so many others need to be reminded of our place as a beloved member of your family. Amen.