Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this Advent season. The Lord blessed us with a full weekend of gathering, fellowship, worship, and witness. The concert by the St Petersburg Men's Ensemble on Saturday Evening at First UMC Endicott was a huge blessing. It is a treat for to have the Men from St Petersburg, Russia come every year during the Advent season. Though they sang in Russian, we declare that "Love in any language, is fluently spoken here". The Russian Men also sang during our 8:30 worship at the Union Center Church.
Sunita and Andy and some of their friends attended the Handel's Messiah presentation at the National Cathedral in Washington this weekend. We are planning to attend the Handel's Messiah on Friday, December 16, at the Forum in Binghamton. We are taking a bus trip to New York city tomorrow to spend the day in the New York City, visiting various sites including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and Ground Zero, and then attend the Christmas Extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall.
The Old Testament reading for yesterday was taken from Isaiah 40:1-11. In this Old Testament passage, we see the compassionate, loving nature of God. Comfort is spoken to those who suffered through the Babylonian exile. These Israelites saw the destruction of their homeland, Judah, including their capital, Jerusalem, and their sacred temple on Mt. Zion. They were exiled from their land to live among the enemy for nearly 50 years. The prophets described the exile as punishment for the rebellious, apostate house of Judah. They saw Babylon as the rod of God's anger against His people.
The tables were to turn in Isaiah 40. Here we see comfort extended because the house of Judah had paid the price for its sin (vv. 1-2). The end of the exile was proclaimed. The landscape was about to be reversed (vv. 3-5). The life the Israelites had come to know in Babylon was about to be altered. Hope was just around the corner. Restoration waited in the wings as the Lord was coming to redeem His people and their land; He was coming in power and might. The prophet called the people to imagine the impossible that was on the way.
The exile was a seemingly hopeless situation, but the return to Judah after the exile made the impossible possible. This powerful passage resonates with us today in wonderful and powerful way. There are many who live in exile, whether spiritually, emotionally, economically, or socially.
The birth of our Lord heralds a message of hope. God is into redeeming His people. Author Francine Rivers best expresses this character of God in her book Redeeming Love. She portrays a Hosea figure who loves a prostitute similar to Gomer. His constant love for her, despite her rebellion and resistance eventually changes her. She becomes a redeemed person. Rivers accurately communicates God's redeeming love... His life-changing love, through her story.
Even more deeply than the Rivers' novel, God longs to take the chaos and failure of our lives and completely rework the landscape. He is God, who makes the rough places smooth and the crooked places straight (v. 4). We all can identify rough places in our lives and acknowledge that we are all need redeeming love. We often can find ourselves in the middle of a troublesome marriage or dealing with family problems. We may have a difficult job situation or an impossible boss, or we may be frustrated with parents, children,or roommates. We may struggle with baggage from the past, a lack of commitment, etc.
I have seen rocky marriages become smooth, chains fall from those in bondage, and burdens lifted from those who were heavy-laden. I also have seen many remain in their exile—functional in their dysfunction. It is heartbreaking. Practically speaking, much prayer, forgiveness, hard work and lots of personal change will heal marriages and most relationships a much more effectively than expecting the other person to change first. We have to be willing to let the Lord take the plow to our lives, uproot the soil, and rework us.
"'Comfort, comfort, My people,' says your God." His message of comfort and hope is for us in the midst of our situations. We have a God who longs to deliver us from exile and redeem us back to Himself. God offers us comfort and healing today—healing in the present and healing from the past. Will we receive it this Christmas season? "Prepare the way of the Lord" (v. 3). He longs to invade our lives, and rework the landscape. Let us allow Him to do that today.
In Christ,
Brown
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Christmas banquet
Home Made cooking, "best in the Country". donation $7.00
Serving at 12 noon
At Wesley United Methodist Church.
1000 Day Hollow Road, Endicott, NY 13760
Come... Share... Rejoice
For Information: 607-748-6329
Saturday , December 10 12, 2011
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church , Endicott
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Jane Hettinger
Speaker: Dave Hettinger
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