The Good Explosion of Light

“Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit us. To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace."—Luke 1:78-79, Amplified Classic

For all who believe, Zechariah’s prophetic word—one that was experienced in a jaw-dropping way by shepherds on a hillside near Bethlehem—has been the story of our lives, too. One day, an incredibly glorious Light exploded through our darkness, and while at first half in shock-and-awe and half in wonder, we knew we would never be the same again. And thus, the incredible Journey began, with a lot of hills and detours and open manhole covers but with even more amazingly peaceful vistas of the Big Picture when the small things of life start crowding in, and of Hope over every horizon, direction without Siri, and an indescribable love for the One who created it all and us and everyone.

Today is a day to pause at the manger (or, maybe visit it for the first time) not just out of tradition but to inhale deeply and absorb afresh Zechariah’s prophecy about Jesus, about why He came, and about us journeying in and with Him. For some, perhaps a glorious Light will explode on the scene. And for all who believe, a reason to celebrate with great joy that the Greatest Story ever told goes on and on, even turning the page from 2017 to 2018, “to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace.” So be it, LORD.

From my home to yours: An illustrated 2017 'Vitamin' rewind for remembering God's incredible faithfulness to us in every season...yesterday, today, and forever:

JANUARY

No doubt, within all of us is a longing to be noticed, to be appreciated for who we are and how God uniquely created us. And God, in His great goodness and kindness, often brings people into our lives—even if just one or two—who are there to cheer us on when we need it most. But in the economy of the Kingdom, it seems that God’s preferred currency is this: “Not you but rather I AM through you, and the things that bring you pleasure for My glory may seem small and unnoticed, but they bring Me pleasure because that's how I created you. Your love expressed is seen by Me and can be used as a life-changing sermon in someone’s life. You have no idea. So, don't hold back; whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in My Name, and I can multiply it before your very eyes, or even in a time and place you may never see.”—From “Feeling His Pleasure"

FEBRUARY

Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus say, "Admire Me," but rather "follow Me"... in all of its definitions. But also, nowhere does He raise the bar so high on us and say "good luck with that," but rather points back to His Father's words of promise given through the psalmist: "If you are right with God, He strengthens you for the journey; the Eternal God will be pleased with your life, and even though you trip up, you will not fall on your face because He holds you by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, The Voice)—From “This is Really Good”

MARCH

Just remember, you often won't realize you're making progress on the Journey until you pause to look back at how far you've come. With Me.—From “Parable from the Trail”

APRIL

“Stop glorifying busy.” It’s good to remember that the very first Church that ever was, even in its rather unorganized state, got that. It was filled with people who had demanding jobs and farms and fishing businesses and families. They undoubtedly had their own seasons of life-imposed “busy,” but they did seem to have a handle on simplicity in the midst of it all. Rather than adding more gotta-do-its to “do” church, they seemed to reorientate their normally busy lives to simply “be” church in the regular rhythms of their daily life—to and among one another, and supernaturally influencing their communities as a result.—From “The Simply Amazing Acts of Being Church”

MAY

Sometimes, quite often really, you have to remind yourself that the moment you said "I believe!" and stepped into that beautiful, never-ending Kingdom, you became Royal family; and because of that, you will always have a place at the greatest banqueting table of them all. Always. No matter what kind of day, week, or past 30 minutes it's been, now that you are His and He is yours, God won't love you and me any more or any less according to our performance to try to earn that seat at His table. Or His lap. Or His grip. Because just as we were saved by God's grace alone, and not by anything we could ever do, or think of, or scheme to earn it, so it is with our mind-blowing identity as an adopted son or daughter of the King of the universe. 

God set this truth in place before anyone thought it was a good idea: Family love can't be earned. It just is.—From “A Royal Piece of Work”

JUNE

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."—Romans 15:13, NIV

Hope that is not wishful thinking but trust and expectancy in the only One with a perfect resume;

Hope that becomes as real and as close as your next breath.

The perfect theme song for this wonderful, sometimes-crazy Journey, the kind that is good to have stuck in your head.

A hope that restores...well yeah, joy!

Over and over again.—From “Theme Music”

JULY

"Life is crazy, and time is precious. But everyone's got five minutes to chill... 

Five minutes on the commute with no music, no talk radio 

Five minutes to pause at the smooth-as-glass stream instead of walking on by 

Five minutes to get up from your deadline, step outside, and breathe deeply 

Five minutes while the kids are outside playing 

Five minutes without earbuds, and phone-checking, and social media, and... 

Five minutes...to be filled with simply being thankful for all that God has done for you and is to you. Which, invariably, can lead to a lot more than five minutes. —From “Remembering the Five-Minute Rule”

AUGUST

...we can heed Jesus' words by countering the tidal wave of negativity with a slowly-building and ultimately more powerful one—a wave that celebrates the far-surpassing acts of goodness and Light in our world, that salts the disease with words from tongues that go out of their way to see and speak goodness in others, that respects others whose opinions are different from ours, that doesn't get sucked into an online yelling match*, that decries every form of evil and hatred simply because Jesus' most prominent command is "Love one another," and that chooses to cut off gossip with the fruit of lips that give thanks instead of criticism.

Lord, release the good "weapons" within us this week, and may they be contagious—From “When Waves Collide”

SEPTEMBER

Today, whether at church or a soccer field, or someplace that life has carried us, it's a good time to remember (maybe for the gazillionth time), that for every "God, where are You?" there will always be this goodness reply: "I'm right here."

That even if I feel distant, I can know that He is not. That whenever I am fearful or unsettled, even in an unexplained way, I can know that He is not. That when caught up in going through the motions and thinking "there's got to be more than this," His answer will always be: "There is. Come and see.”—From “I’m Right Here”

OCTOBER

The Divine intent is never to worship nature, no matter how much we love it. But we can love it full-on because nature is God’s 24/7 navigator to the One who is worthy of all worship with heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He speaks to me, to us, about Himself, everywhere, every season.

Even on this dark, late fall morning, there is the sound of rain, and with it, a reminder to soak in His presence this new day and seek to be fruitful—not just a hearer of good Words. And, that I can rest in God’s power behind it all to pull off whatever He wants done, even if and when I get broadsided….—From “What the Forest Knows”

NOVEMBER

Worship, the kind that is lived full-on because you know that you know deep down inside that it's in Christ alone "we live and move and have our being," can't be contained because God can't be contained. Which means that extravagant worship can't be contained in 20 minutes of inspired singing, or relegated to only those who sing or play an instrument, or who do so the loudest, or who have no problem expressing themselves to God. In fact, as Jonathan and the woman with the alabaster jar prove, music isn't even required.—From “Embracing the Craziness”

DECEMBER

This time of year, life is good, or life is full, life is stressful, life is uncertain, life is nuts, life is painful right now, life is speeding by quickly. No matter how we come back to the manger, it is first good to know that there is always room for each one of us, and better still to know that because of His birth, life, and resurrection, none is ever alone, and that there will never be a period at the end of the Nativity story. …God with us, 24/7….—From “The Extraordinary Season”

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, an abundant experience of the glorious Light for the next leg of the incredible Journey…

The Extraordinary Season...

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."—Isaiah 9:6, New Living Translation

The biggest question permeating the dimly-lit upper room during Jesus’ last hours, pounding in the chest of each disciple reclining around the table with their best Friend, was “Where is He going? Why? I mean, is He really just going to leave us, after all of this?” It may be one of the biggest fears of them all: a sense of being abandoned, to have to figure everything out on your own, to do life without a net. Sure, the Lone Ranger lifestyle has its appeal and admirers. But even rugged individualists often depend on a map of some kind. 

Which is why this much-loved Old Testament forth-telling is such good news.

Rounding the bend to Christmas week, it is good to soak in and celebrate the fact that the Child born unto us is Mighty and strong with unimaginable and unlimited resources on our behalf no matter what the season. And there is no better blessed assurance to grab onto when the going gets tough than to remember that the Love of the Child born unto us is Everlasting, hindered by absolutely nothing, nor confined by time and space. And Peace. Who doesn’t want more of that—rather, more of the real thing, the kind that passes all understanding?

Better still, though, is the promise that comes first in the list—the one that God makes clear from the outset that we are never alone, and will always have a map, even if it seems overwhelming at times, and with many route options, and destinations that are hard to figure out. Not only that, it's a promise that it will be an interactive map that speaks, perhaps not as thunder but for all who seek Him as a still, small voice of “go there, try this, think outside your box, stay the course.”

In Handel’s Messiah, and in some Hebrew manuscripts, He is both Wonderful and Counselor. In many others, He is one and the same: He is Extraordinary, and an Astonishing Adviser, or He is the supreme Extraordinary, Astonishing Adviser.

But that’s not even the best part. His Counselor name isn’t some static occupation, confined to a nice story of past history, but rather from Hebrew roots that speak of “action” and “right now” and “always and forever”—for any and all who would believe He is who He claims to be, Jesus is the one-and-only Extraordinary Astonishing Adviser who continues to speak to and lead us in 2017 and into 2018 and beyond.

“And I will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…you know Him [Holy Spirit], for He lives with you and will be in you…the Counselor, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”—John 14: 13, 17, 26, NIV

This time of year, life is good, or life is full, life is stressful, life is uncertain, life is nuts, life is painful right now, life is speeding by quickly. No matter how we come back to the manger, it is first good to know that there is always room for each one of us, and better still to know that because of His birth, life, and resurrection, none is ever alone, and that there will never be a period at the end of the Nativity story.

God with us, 24/7....

Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,

    a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.

And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.

    The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.

His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—

    He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,

    Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.

—Isaiah 9:6, The Voice

All Things New

“….but You have saved the best ’til now.”—John 2:8-10

Someone needs to compose a Christmas carol about the wedding at Cana. 

It's a most unlikely place to discover the good news of what we expected to see first from the One sent from heaven to be born as a humble King, Savior of the world, healer and restorer of broken hearts. Surely, He would open the eyes of a blind man first, or restore strength to someone lame from birth, or better yet, just go for it and start raising dead people to life.

But turning water into wine? Really, Jesus? OK, that was cool, and must have been fun to see up close and personal, but now that You’ve got that preliminary out of the way, let’s see what’s really up Your sleeve.

Except, could it be this was it?

Cana may have been, after all, the perfect picture of why Jesus came. For one thing, He showed from the start that He cares about every detail of our everyday life and not just the big weighty things, that He enjoys joy but more than that is the author of it, and most all, that here in this rather unlikely setting He chose to lay the foundation of everything that really matters:

"I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."—John 10:10

"For I am about to do something new.

    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" (Isaiah 43:19)

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

    the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

    and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

    and his Bride has made herself ready…"(Revelation 19:6-9)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

    for the Lord has anointed me

    to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

    and to proclaim that captives will be released

    and prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn

    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come…"(Isaiah 61:1-2)

It is good to know, at Christmas and all year long, that when Jesus makes all things new, or something out of nothing—be it renaming impulsive Simon to Peter “the rock,” or turning water to wine—it is never just OK or passable or close enough but absolutely, positively and completely for “the best.” 

Even closer to home, that when He changes a life on the that day you first believed—no matter how you may have felt on any given day since—that it wasn’t nice repackaging or a bandaid but a beautiful and finished transformation suited only for a child of God…and to remember that is what we are, always and forever.

Never rejected, never alone. Always welcome home with the Father of all creation. Why He came. For us.

O come, let us adore Him.

Find hope

When all the world seems lost

Behold

The triumph of the cross

His power

Has trampled death and grave

Our life found in His Name

The greatest Name of all

Lift up your eyes, see, the King has come

Light of the world reaching out for us

There is no other name,

There is no other name

Jesus Christ, our God….

"No Other Name," (C) 2014 Joel Houston and Jonas Myrin, Hillsong Worship

Light in the Darkness

"Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe and aren't even aware of."—Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist

You don't have to be afraid of the dark to hate the dark. Especially in late November, early December, when it feels especially weighty, and wearying, and filled with too many cars with blinding headlights straight from a Fenway Park night game.

But it was in that darkness, on a cloudy late afternoon in my living room, that Light broke through last week. No fanfare. No loud noises. Not even any real, tangible light. But on the inside, an unexpected explosion, resulting from following a tradition of kicking off the season by listening to Handel's “Messiah.” Heard it a gazillion times. Sung it not quite as many, but plenty. You come to know how it starts, what comes next, anticipating the downbeat so you can join the chorus. Good old tradition.

Until the very end, some two-plus hours later, when it became much more than that.

It started by realizing you don't even need a score in front of you to remember those extra "A-mens" that were added to the final "Worthy Is the Lamb" chorus all those years ago at a nearby college campus performance, and that you pretty much remembered most of the bass line and entrances on a song that, as anyone who has sung it realizes with sweaty palms, can turn into a choral train wreck at any moment if some section comes in too soon or too late.

But more than that, I was transported back to that campus, on the top row of the risers, looking out onto a sea of smiling faces and wondering aloud, "Dear God, do these folks have any idea what is being said right now? Let it be so!" But then, transported deeper still to wonder what that scene will look like, no, sound like, soon and very soon, when:

"...the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne" and "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the sea" sing endlessly: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever.”

And at the last "Amen!," Handel put down his pen. The choir stopped singing. But tradition broke the darkness of the day and mood with this reminder: not so the Messiah, the Lamb, the Lion of Judah. The song goes on and never stops. The One who was and is and is to come. The One who is alive, even December 2017. The One who sits on the throne has not stopped being the One. We sit to rest. He sits to rule and reign over all the little and big things we can see and cannot see, and better yet, He lives to intercede for us every single day.

On this first Sunday in Advent, with themes of hope and expectancy, it is good to know:

"Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber briefly nor sleep soundly."—Psalm 121:4 Amplified

Even in our dark.