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GOD IN HUMAN FLESH

John 1:1-14

 

There are few versions of this Christmas story. One day, a man who did not believe in God becoming human in Jesus Christ said to his wife one Christmas eve: "I'm truly sorry to distress you, but I'm not going with you to church tonight." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite, that he'd much rather just stay at home and wait up for them. And so he stayed, and his family went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family had left, snow began to fall. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound, then another, and then another, sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. When he investigated it he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his lighted large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he thought of the barn at the back of his house. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, gloves, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in, so he hurried back to the house, fetched breadcrumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted, wide-opened doorway of the stable. But to his dismay the birds ignored the breadcrumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them; he tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

Then he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, "I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me, that I'm not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how?" Any move he made tended to frighten and confuse them. They just would not follow; they would not be led or shooed, because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird", he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language! Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm barn . . . but I would have to be one of them, so they could see and hear and understand". At that moment, the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sound of the wind, and he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. . . . And he sank to his knees in the snow.

This is what Christmas is about. God loves the world so much that he became like us so God can fully understand, speak our language and save us. Our God became human so that we can go to God and not be afraid. Because God became one like us, we are confident that God understands our situation. Let us share with others such unfathomable love of God for all.

 

 

Pastor's reflection on "Writing our New Song"

 

"Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit, speaking tone another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:17-20)


Beloved in Christ,

Music is the language of the soul. Music is loved by everyone.

It has been said that there are at least three kinds of people who would naturally sing: those who are drunk, those who are happy and those who are in love. Obviously, being good Methodist, we cannot advocate getting drunk in order to sing. This is also forbidden by the Bible as you see in the passage cited above. Of course we can sing because we are happy. But the most important one is that, we sing because we are in love with God and with people. This is the reason why we chose "Writing Our New Song" as the title of our stewardship capital campaign.

"Writing our new song" spells us our vision that the Holy Spirit is giving  us. It is a vision that builds on the blessings we already have and the good things that we are good at as a church like warm and friendly fellowship, with a heart for mission, love for worship and music and more. This title also spells out the life of being in Jesus Christ - to be happy and joyful as we serve God by loving people. Good songs last forever, so this title also proclaims that what we do as a church is an investment for eternity and building a legacy that lasts forever.

This stewardship capital campaign seeks to write and sing our new song that God is gifting us. Each one of us can help in writing and singing this new song. Our new song continues to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples for Jesus Christ and the Great Commandment to love one another as Christ loved us. To do this we must take care of our beautiful church building and do ministries relevant for the 21st century and beyond.

 

As a church you have a history of great love and commitment. You made things happen before, you can do it again. Let us pray earnestly for the success of this campaign, for the leaders and volunteers. Let us pray for things that we can do, share and contribute as the Holy Spirit leads and challenges us. Let us generously share our time and talent and embrace the joy of sacrificial giving of the treasures that God has entrusted to our care. Our participation in this campaign will not only bless our church, it will bring us the blessing of a fuller life where we experience joy, meaning and purpose of our life even more.

 

Truly, we enjoy the fruits of those who have gone before us.  It is our turn now to build on their tradition so that the generation that will come before us will also enjoy the fruits of our new song.

 

With all my love and prayers,

 

Juancho

 

 

 

 

 

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