Praise the Lord for this season of excitement and anticipation. We once again become like children. Our hearts become tender and are softened as we pause and ponder about the wondrous birth and the gift that came down at first Christmas long time ago in Bethlehem. Today is our daughter Laureen's birthday. She was a Christmas baby. We praise the Lord for Laureen. She ia a huge part of our Christmas blessing.
All my high School and College class mates back in India are retired. They ask me when I am going to retire. There's no theology of retirement in the Bible. We are still followers of Jesus Christ, no matter how old we are. You and I are meant to be sent, whether we're teenagers like Mary or senior citizens like Zechariah and Elizabeth. The example of Elizabeth and Zechariah makes it very clear that God has no has-beens. This story is a word to the elderly that God is not finished with you yet! Christmas is a time of surprises and things that take your breath away. There so many people that are so methodical and so calculated that they leave no room for surprise. They do not leave any room for the Lord to work in their lives either. In fact, all of life can and should be full of surprises. Most of us measure our lives by the breaths we take. Perhaps it would be better for us to measure our lives by the breaths we miss. Those times of amazement and astonishment, when suddenly our attention is carried away, are when God catches us by surprise. He takes our breath away.
The only problem is that some of us have too carefully ensconced ourselves in religious tradition to be surprised by anything. That had just about happened to Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were good people. The Bible says, "Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord" (Luke 1:6). Now that's the profile of a very religious person. They went through all the right motions. They obeyed the Law. They were faithful in worship. They prayed fervently to God.
Zechariah and Elizabeth teach us that our God is a God of surprises. Zechariah was a clergyman, a priest. He was faithful in carrying out the functions that were assigned to him in the temple worship. Apparently, he wasn't accustomed to hearing the Word of God as it applied itself in a highly personal way to himself. How tragic it is when we see a person who should be noted for their faith in the Lord, stumble in disobedience. When God, through the Angel Gabriel, spoke specifically to Zechariah, Zechariah became confused. He doubted. He spoke back these words, "How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years" (Luke 1:18). Gabriel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur" (1:19-20).
Sometimes God has to use severe methods to get our attention, especially those who lead. If we don't shut up for a while and listen, God may have to shut us up. There need to be times of renewal. There need to be times of reflection and contemplation. I envy that segment of the Roman Catholic Holy Orders which are referred to as the "contemplatives." These monks, such as Thomas Merton, take vows of silence. Some of us would benefit from at least periods of silence, times in which we stop our talking, our ceaseless babbling, so as to drink from those deep, cool, refreshing springs of spiritual water, which the Lord yearns to provide.
It is a great blessing and a gift to have time off on Lord's day to worship, to witness and to celebrate. Only slaves worked for seven days. We are set free to serve the Lord and to worship Him. Let us remember this. No matter how old or young we are, we are meant to be sent. Let us be willing to be surprised by the Lord of time and Eternity. Let us Open ourselves to a maturing faith that enables us to be continually used by the Lord.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/Cqnrn89uf0k
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sponsored by: The Union Center United Methodist Church, Endicott.
4-6 PM Living Nativity, with live animals and full Nativity cast
Across from the First Presbyterian Church of Endicott.
The Corner of McKinley Ave and Monroe Street . Endicott
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Laureen Naik
Speaker: Rev. Earle Cowden
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
4:30 PM at First United Methodist, 53 McKinley, Endicott
Music: Aric Phinney and Yancey Moore
Preacher: Rev Brown Naik
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
A Service of Carols, Candles, and Communion
7:30 PM at Union Center United Methodist Church, 128 Maple Drive
Music: Laureen Naik, Betty Phinney, Sarah and Emily Sabin
Preacher: Rev. Brown Naik
No comments:
Post a Comment