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Announcement for our local Reflexion family:
The memorial service for Ellen Stieler will take place Saturday January 20, 2023 at Capo Beach Church. More details will be provided as we get closer to the date.

Morning Devotional: chuck smith, jr.

Intro: Barb and I live off a street that drivers are always speeding up and down

A motorcycle officer occasionally sits on our street at the intersection and clocks speeders
– he’s never there for more than four or five minutes, and someone is always getting a traffic ticket
• from Christmas Eve until a couple days after Christmas, that busy street was quiet
• but Thursday, when I was walking Kona, drivers were speeding again
◦ tail-gating slow drivers and back to their general aggressive, competitive, and rude behavior
◦ I thought, “Well, Christmas is over”
– there are many theories about the “Christmas spirit” (movies made and books written about it)
• it includes warm feelings, friendliness, generosity, family gatherings, decorations, and so on
◦ it’s something we have to “recover” every year, because it doesn’t last
◦ it seems we box it up with the wreaths, ornaments, and colorful lights
• all the polite greetings and wishing strangers “Happy holidays” quickly fade
◦ a few days after New Year people are already reverting to their bad habits

Is there anything Christmas brings that can last the whole year?

The answer is obvious: Christmas brings Jesus Christ
– his last words to the disciples in Matthew’s gospel:
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt. 28:20)
– one New Year’s day, Henri Nouwen wrote down some of his thoughts
Nouwen, “A new beginning! We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new. . . . Imagine that we could live each day as a day full of promises.”
• he noted that it’s difficult to live in the present
“The past and the future keep harassing us. The past with guilt, the future with worries.”
◦ he describes our worries as the “What ifs”
(imagine all the bad things that could happen)
◦ our past haunts us with guilt
(“I ought to have done a better job,” “I ought to try harder,” etc.)

Nouwen, “The real enemies of our life are the ‘oughts’ and the ‘ifs.’ They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and the now. God is a God of the present. God is always in the moment, be that moment hard or easy, joyful or painful. . . . Jesus came to wipe away the burden of the past and the worries for the future. He wants us to discover God where we are, here and now.”

We don’t have to work at keeping the Christmas spirit alive

Life with the Lord Jesus is the essence of the Christmas spirit
– meeting him in the moments of the New Year fuels the fire that warms the spirit

The scripture on my mind this morning, takes us somewhere else

The apostle Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and transferred to Rome for trial
– when he arrived in Rome, he met with a community of Jewish men and women
• they knew nothing of Paul, but had heard about the Jesus Movement in Judah
• so when Paul met with them,
From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’” Acts 28:23-28

I’ve wrestled with myself over what I’m going to share next
– my inclination is to stop here
• I’ve said the important stuff
◦ if I share personal stuff, it could hang over the moment like a dark cloud
◦ but it may also benefit someone else who suffers as I do
– two days before Christmas, I went to the pharmacy to fill a prescription
• I was told they didn’t have my antidepressant in stock
◦ in fact, since October there has been a national shortage of it
◦ this is the one med that counteracts my Attention Deficit Disordered brain
• ADD not only makes concentration and paying attention difficult,
◦ but there is an affective component of shame, self-blame, and difficulty regulating emotions
◦ the past week has been pretty miserable and unsteady

Thursday, when I read this passage,

It seemed that God was saying to me,
“Won’t you open your heart and turn to me, so I can heal you?”
– right at that moment, I felt like I could not do it
• that I didn’t have it in me; the strength, or the will, or the desire
• I wasn’t acting like a stubborn child, it just seemed impossible
– the thought of preparing anything worthwhile to say this morning,
• also seemed impossible
• I asked myself,
◦ “Do I even want to add one more year to my life?”
◦ my immediate answer was NO!

Then these verses of scripture
– Israel’s spiritual disabilities through the centuries–not seeing or hearing–
• continued all the way to the time of Jesus
• even his disciples, did not always have eyes that could see or ears that could hear
– I have always wanted to see, to hear, and to perceive whatever God wants to reveal to me
• but this passage caught me in a moment of shutting myself off from God
• as soon as I heard God ask me,
“Won’t you open your heart and turn to me, so I can heal you?”
◦ my frozen heart melted
◦ I could not resist his tender love – his generosity – his effort to reach me

My days have not become any easier
– and I don’t expect them to for awhile
• but I keep turning myself toward God
• I don’t think he is asking much more from me than just that
– and unexpectedly, I have actually experienced moments of joy
• the sun broke through and caught me by surprise

Conclusion: So my talk today is about moments with Jesus

If at any time that seems hard
or the Christmas spirit slips from your heart,
perhaps when you’re taking down the lights
or dragging the Christmas tree to the curb,
imagine hearing the voice of your heavenly Father, asking,
“Won’t you open your heart and turn to me, so I can heal you?”
And see if you can pry enough space for him to squeeze in

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Welcome and Prayer: Karyn Jones

Good Morning

The Lord be with you

Our last advent candle represents LOVE.

Growing up, my parents made Christmas morning truly magical. Whether they had the money or not, “Santa always brought many gifts.” And even though my dad died just a week before Christmas, 31 years ago today, my mom still made that Christmas “special” for us kids, not because she had the “holiday spirit”, but because she LOVED us.

Not everyone here may love Christmas as much as I do, my husband included. During the holiday season, he’s given one “Scrooge Day,” after that, he’s not allowed to complain about the capitalism of Christmas.

And during the holiday season, we have so many opportunities to share LOVE. Whether it’s in gift-giving or going out of our way to do something nice for someone, we get filled with the holiday spirit of LOVE.

This week provided an example to share today. I love Disneyland. I love Christmas and I love Disneyland. Brett and I had an opportunity to go this week, but Brett does NOT like Disneyland. And so I tried to use the psychology of, “I would really like you to come with us, but then I had to let it go and let him make that decision. And he decided to go. To me, that was such an example of LOVE, because I know how much he does not like going to Disneyland. And . . . we had a good time, so that was cool.

But what does that have to do with LOVE and the baby Jesus?

Luke 2:10 says “But the Angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.”

I found the following quote and I really loved it:

“God’s relentless, loyal love arrives in Jesus, and his affection for us drives him to give us the ultimate act of loyal love in his life, death, and resurrection.”

For me, that pretty much sums it all up, from Jesus’ humble birth, to his sacrifice on the cross. God’s love ARRIVES in a baby. For many people, there really is nothing more exciting than the expectation of the arrival of a new baby. But who could have thought, especially Mary and Joseph, that THIS little “bundle of joy” would change everything.

Joseph loved Mary enough to endure the embarrassment and shame. Mary loved her baby enough to trust the angel saying “Do Not Be Afraid.” And God loves us enough to show his love in such a human way. A baby.

The culmination of the Christmas story,
the response to the waiting of Advent,
Christ born to us, the incarnation of God’s LOVE.

God came to us in human form, to dwell among us, because the fullness of God’s love could not be expressed from a distance.

That’s pretty awesome!

Prayer:

Thank you God ,for this Christmas season,
a time to remind us of your love for all.
Thank you that you entrusted Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus so that we could experience the mystery,
that God’s LOVE is reflected in the eyes of a baby.
I pray as we go into this next week, with so many things to do, that we will take moments throughout each day to remember your unconditional love.
And if we happen to see a baby, that we would be reminded of your arrival into our life, that first Christmas.
Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” Malachi 1:1-3

Intro: Malachi is an odd little book

Like the other prophetic books he brings the word of the LORD to his people
– in Malachi’s time the spiritual culture of Jerusalem was deteriorating
• the priests had become careless and bored with their duties
• the people had lost their faith and broken covenants (with God and each other)
◦ as with the earlier prophets, God had a message for them
◦ but the way Malachi structures his book is unique and creative
– God pulls his people into arguments
• sometimes it sounds a lot like parents with their teenage children
A son honors his father . . . where is my honor? God asks (v. 6)
◦ each time he makes an accusation, they take the bait
“What are you talking about? How have we disrespected you?”
• in response to their objection, Malachi delivers God’s a full-length prophetic pronouncement

I should probably clarify for you,
– what lies behind God saying he loved Jacob and hated Esau
• Genesis tells us that these twin brothers struggled with each other while still within their mother
◦ Rebekah inquired of God what this rivalry meant and he told her:
Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25:22-23)
• in time, Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom and Jacob’s descendants the nation of Israel
◦ so though the two nations were related by blood, there was always tension between them
◦ when Israel was conquered, Edom exploited their defeat
Robert Alter, “Esau is Edom, and the bitter lingering memory of the Edomites’ collaboration with the Babylonians in the destruction of Jerusalem informs [and explains] these lines.”
◦ this contention appears in the prophecy of Amos
For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity,
and his anger tore perpetually,
and he kept his wrath forever (1:11)
– so God’s answer to Israel’s question, “How have you loved us?” is this:
• he allowed Edom to disappear from the face of the earth,
◦ but preserved Israel even through devastation and exile
• sadly, by this time Israel had grown skeptical of God’s love for them

These are the verses that came to me for today’s Advent meditation

Christmas is a revelation of– love
– when reminded of this, I tend to think of our obligation to love
• we are, in fact, commanded to love
• John’s gospel quotes Jesus saying,
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me (Jn. 14:21)
◦ Jesus did not give us a stone tablet list of commandments like Moses gave to Israel
◦ there was only one instruction Jesus referred to as command
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (Jn. 15:12)
– so when Jesus says,
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him
• he shows us that love opens every vital door:
◦ the Father’s love for us,
◦ Jesus’ love for us,
◦ and Jesus’ self-manifestation to us
• how well we know Jesus, and how well we reflect Jesus, depends on how well we love
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (Jn. 13:35)
◦ this is truly a radical love – for strangers and even for our enemies

However–Advent love is not this, it is not our obligation to love others

There was a love prior to our love
– a love that enters our hearts and inspires love
• ours is a secondary love, a derived love
◦ being loved, is how we learned to love
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
We love because he first loved us (1 Jn. 4:16 and 19)
• Advent love was born in Bethlehem
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son (Jn. 3:16)
– love’s true nature is generous – love gives
• lust says, “You are so wonderful, I must have you!”
• love says, “You are so wonderful, I must give myself to you”
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song 6:3)
◦ this is the most valuable gift – the gift of oneself
◦ David understood this, and especially in how love perceives the worship of God
I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing (2 Sam. 24:24)

Advent celebrates the most exquisite, extravagant Christmas gift ever

Jesus described this type of gift to his disciples
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (Jn.15:13)
– Paul elaborated on it in his letter to the Romans
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Ro. 5:7-8)
• John chimed in on it too:
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn. 4:9-10)
• what scripture reveals is that God loves us with the kind of love we need
◦ what is that kind of love?

I’ve been reading a book on Attention Deficit Disorder
– it tells my story so accurately, my picture should be on cover
• Gabor Maté is a doctor, whose experience is with family practice
◦ but his field of research includes trauma and child development
◦ ADD is a specialty field he has studied–he has also been diagnosed with ADD
• he doesn’t believe its hereditary or a chemical imbalance
◦ he’s convinced it results from a lack of nurturing in infancy and early childhood
◦ ADD children whose most important needs were not met
Maté, “So the first thing is to create some space in the child’s heart of hearts for the certainty that she is precisely the person the parents want and love. She does not have to do anything, or be any different, to earn that love—in fact, she cannot do anything, because the love cannot be won and cannot be lost. It is not conditional.”
– he explains how some parents, working on short-term goals,
• ruin their long-term relationship with their child
◦ I instinctively knew that what was most important with my kids and I,
◦ was that we would always have a close relationship
• Maté says parents have to take responsibility for the relationship
Maté, “The parents enthusiastically and genuinely invite the child into relationship. They do not issue declarations of love; they demonstrate day by day that they want the child’s company. They think of things to do together, or they just ‘hang out’ with the child, with an attitude of active attention. When they are with the child, they are fully there . . . .” “Being wanted and enjoyed is the greatest gift the child can receive. It is the basis of self-acceptance. ADD children, without exception, harbor a deep insecurity about themselves.”
◦ he emphasizes not attaching acceptance to performance
◦ whether criticized or praised, a child can feel “judged”
Maté, “People do not need judgments—they need acceptance.”
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world (Jn. 12:47)

Now I want you to hear this again:

“I have loved you,” says the LORD
Did you hear that? The perfect heavenly Parent is speaking to you
– God has composed poems to express his love for us
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isa. 49:15-16)

Can you allow yourself to receive God’s love?
– this is his Christmas gift to you – can you accept it?
• can you let God love you for you?
◦ love you exactly as you are
– that God loves us must be received into every neuron in our brains
• and every other cell in our bodies
• God’s love is a love that welcomes us,
◦ that doesn’t fluctuate with his mood or our actions
– “God can’t love me; I’m too awful”
• God knows how awful I am, but loves me (the true me) anyway
• and his love transforms me

Conclusion: When my brother and I were in grade school, Dad had a way of calling us home when we were running around outside in the neighborhood. He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger, and place them in his mouth, lightly touching his tongue, and blow. There was a certain rhythm to His whistle, sort of like the whip-poor-will, whit-wehoo, and he would make that sound three times. His whistle was so loud, we could hear it even if we were several blocks from our home. When we heard the whistle, we ran home. We knew his call. I even learned how to whistle loud like him, so when he whistled, I would return the call to let him know we heard him and were on our way.
A few years ago, friends invited us to come watch the Christmas boat parade in the Newport Beach harbor. As we were enjoying the decorated procession of vessels, we heard loud music coming from a very festive looking yacht across the harbor. Barbara nudged me and said, “Is that your mom and dad?” I had to strain my eyes to barely see the couple sitting on a bench in the stern of the ship. It looked like it could be my folks, but I wasn’t sure. So I placed my thumb and forefinger against my tongue and blew whit-wehoo, whit-wehoo, whit-wehoo. Immediately Mom and Dad moved around scanning across the harbor to see where that familiar whistle originated. Then Dad whistled back, and we touched through the distance and the darkness, telling each other, “I am here too.”

Through the prophet Zechariah, God told Israel he would bring their lost children home
I will whistle for them and gather them in,
for I have redeemed them . . . .
in far countries they shall remember me,
and with their children they shall live and return.
I will bring them home (Zech. 10:8-10)

Advent love calls us home, to the goodness of God’s infinitely loving heart

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Welcome and Prayer: Jo Daxon

The Lord be with you.

The third Advent Candle represents Joy. It is also referred to as the Shepherd’s Candle, because in Luke chapter 2, the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy for all the people! Get ready! The child is coming–Messiah, Savior. He will be all that He is, for all the people, of all generations. All are included.” 

This third candle offers more light for us, on our path of hope, peace, joy and love. 
This season offers lots of distractions, to-dos, but the path is in place and I can always breathe and return to it.

My grandson asked my daughter if they could attend a concert next week featuring carols, liturgy, candles, “You know mom, the Christmas stuff.” We each experience joy differently, circumstantially and he wanted to get in a place where he could feel it.
But our shared joy is Jesus, and it is in Him that we’ll find the sacred moments during Advent. 

“Jesus, you are the consistent joy in our lives. 
When we make a place for you–in worship, in a shared experience, in spending time in your creation–you meet us there and that moment is enriched with joy. 
We get to know you more, even as we are known. 
Abiding in you, your joy in us, and our joy, is made full. 
Jesus, the most holy one of God, heavenly,
 beyond our understanding . . . .
Jesus is here in our town, here with us. 
Jesus, you are the joy given to us, we are the joy you considered as you endured the cross, the example to look to heaven in our pain and rely on your Spirit for comfort. Another kind of joy in that faith transaction of beauty for ashes. 
Help us in our hearts and in our living to be receivers and sharers of joy. 
Jesus, our Emmanuel, our joy. 
Amen. “

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. . . .
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth Zechariah 9:9-10

Intro: ADVENT is a season of travel

We are on the road to Bethlehem
– we are like Israel when they made pilgrimage to Jerusalem
• they sang while hiking up to the peak of Mount Zion
◦ there is a beautiful description of this journey in Psalm 84
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise!
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion (Psa. 84:4-7)
• like them, we make our way toward Christmas day,
◦ and as we go, we sing Carols celebrating our hope of what awaits us
– besides living in a different time and a different world,
• their journey was different from ours
◦ theirs was geographical; they traveled through space
◦ ours is a journey through time
• their travel included desert and oasis; valley and mountain; meeting strangers and fellow worshipers
◦ our travel brings encounters with hope, peace, joy, and love
◦ today we make our way to joy

God gave Zechariah a message regarding the future

For seventy years the LORD had abandoned Israel
– his people had suffered the hardship and oppression of living in exile
• but now, Zechariah makes the announcement:
Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem (Zec. 8:3)
• he promises to eliminate their immediate threats,
◦ to the north, Syria and Tyre and Sidon; to the south the five kingdom cities of the Philistines
◦ and from there, to the ends of the earth (v. 10)
On that day the LORD their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women (Zec. 9:16-17)
– so they are to rejoice in anticipation of their hero’s arrival
• surprisingly, their hero does not look like a proud champion; he is
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey
• but he is the one who will bring peace to Jerusalem and to the world
◦ when the crowds welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem with shouting,
◦ both Matthew and John witnessed it as a fulfillment of Zechariah’s announcement

Advent joy is inspired by what it sees on the horizon

Is there enough of the child still in you, to remember how exciting it was to look forward to Christmas?
– when C. S. Lewis wrote the magical fairytale, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
• one of his characters described the curse that had been placed on Narnia
The White Witch “’has got all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!’
‘How awful!’ said Lucy.”
• Christmas is what makes winter bearable
◦ light in the darkness, warmth in the freezing cold
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you
– we are on the road to Christmas
• and at the same time, Christmas is coming to us

I admit that I’m the last person to teach anything about joy

I should have asked my sister Cheryl to speak this morning
– I know Christians who live in a constant state of joy
• they have all these bright sayings, optimistic slogans, and positive ways to interpret everything
• they pick up the Bible, read, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and say, “Oh, that’s easy!”
– I am not one of “them” – and, I’ve never appreciated their attempts to cheer me
• “Hey, Mr. Sad-face, where’s your smile?”
◦ “I locked it in the cellar” – it’s all I can think to say

There are different types of depression,
– but all of them block the feelings of joy
• for most people, it is temporary and resolves on its own
◦ for others, depression is a way of life
• for some, the brain’s chemistry for joy doesn’t work
◦ all of the color and music of the world has faded out
• the self-contempt of many depressed people is so strong,
◦ they can’t allow themselves to enjoy life–they’re certain they don’t deserve to enjoy it
– what I am saying is that some of us need healing before we can experience joy
• and some of us have to work at joy
• we have to force ourselves to remember a time of joy and what it felt like
◦ I tried to remember moments of joy from this past week
◦ at first, nothing came – then I remembered the cloud formations I saw on Tuesday and the joy I felt
◦ then other moments came to mind and it was, in fact, a joy-filled week
– I also realized, that each stab of joy brought me to God,
• that I recognized his hand in what I saw, heard, and felt
• then, the most natural response of joy was to thank him and praise him

We don’t have to worry if we lose joy for a moment

When God’s Spirit moves in our soul,
– to feel nothing is as normal as feeling something
• human emotion alternates with every new situation:
• difficulty and ease, fountains and dryness, sorrow and joy
◦ the wise teacher said:
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God had made the one as well as the other, [and you never know what is going to happen next] (Ecc. 7:14)
– Pope Gregory the Great outlined three stages of Christian experience:
1. the struggle of our old self and our new self
2. by God’s grace, the new self wins and we’re filled with joy
3. then, so we won’t become conceited, he causes us to journey in the desert
◦ but God will always lead us back to joy
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psa. 30:5)

Do we need to be reminded happiness is not the same as joy?

It seems rather cliché to go over this again
– still, the reminder may do us some good
• we should not think we are supposed to accept joy and reject happiness
◦ we will experienced both joy and happiness
◦ but there is a different quality to each of these feelings
• think about their opposites
◦ the opposite of happiness, unhappiness, is not getting what we want
◦ the opposite of joy, sorrow, is losing what we had (that was meaningful to us)
– I think that happiness is wrapped up in tangibles
• what joy involves is spiritual
◦ there’s a lot of happiness at Disneyland and birthday parties
◦ there’s joy when the children come to visit
– happiness is short-lived – it comes and goes quickly
• joy lodges itself in the soul
– happiness requires repetition of specific stimulation
• joy produces a lasting contentment
– I think that happiness stirs the shallow part of our soul
• joy moves in the depths of our being
– happiness typically involves having “fun” – getting our next fix
• joy is found in sharing relationships with others
– we find happiness in getting “things” or certain activities
• love is the most common source of joy–even a pet can bring joy
Keep you life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5)
◦ what brings contentment? A secure, loving relationship
◦ in this instance, it is God who tells us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”

Like faith and hope and love, joy is a challenge

Henri Nouwen, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep on choosing every day.”
“Some people become bitter as they grow old. Others grow old joyfully. That does not mean that the life of those who become biter was harder than the life of those who become joyful. It means that different choices were made, inner choices, choices of the heart.”
“It is important that at every moment of our life we have an opportunity to choose joy.”
– joy does not exist in the natural world–it is neither a substance or a force
• a rock, a leaf, a puddle of rain water may stir up feelings in us,
◦ but those emotions are not felt by or emitted from the rock, leaf, or puddle
◦ nature can be nourishing or brutal, either way it doesn’t care
• joy is our inner response to sky and mountains, rivers and trees
◦ William James said that joy is our gift to the universe
– so I begin to ask myself questions to take my next step on this Bethlehem road
• I have not mastered joy, but am I moving toward it?
• have I been living in a way that allows joy to come to me? Am I receptive to joy?

Conclusion: There was a moment of joy I recall vividly

And I’ve returned to that fountain many times. I was twenty-three years old and driving up north to share an apartment with my cousin. I stopped to visit friends in Lompoc, California and then again in Napa. From there I was going on to Yuba City. I was on a stretch of highway not far from Sacramento and it occurred to me that no one knew where I was–not my family, not my former neighbors, none of my friends; no one. GPS tracking was not available back then and it was long before cell phones. Suddenly, I had a profound feeling as if I were sucked into a vacuum of loneliness. On my car seat next to me was my Bible and a commentary on the book of Hosea I had been reading and enjoying. I glanced at it, and instantly my mood shot upward. I said out loud, “It’s just you and me, Jesus! Just you and me.” Since that time I’ve been thrown into situations I never expected–rejected, abandoned, alone. But before I could sink into my misery fully, I heard Jesus’ voice in my heart, “It’s just you and me–again. Just you and me.” And the joy was there again. I feel it now as I recall it.

Toward the end of John’s gospel, Jesus told his disciples,
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also (Jn. 14:1-3)
Joy is the fruit of relationships and love
The prospect of Jesus coming for us so that we can be with him, brings us joy
because we know and love him
In the next chapter of John, Jesus told his disciples,|
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (Jn. 15:11)
Maybe fullness of joy isn’t about volume
Maybe it is the integration of our whole person,
joy in every part: our mind, heart, body, and spirit

Look again at what Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you”
Can you hear this? There is a place for you!
A place where you are wanted, loved, sheltered, and where you “belong”

Advent joy is what comes with Christmas–and Christmas is Jesus

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Welcome and Prayer: Rich Milstead

When I was in college, my roommate and I joined a march to protest the building of a nuclear power plant in Diablo Canyon, because we thought it would be a terrible thing. In fact, Aaron was very upset about it, and was saying, “What happens if this thing is built?” For me, the thought of it was not as terrifying, and I told him, “I’m okay, because I’ve read the the final chapter”–referring to the Scriptures, where God wins.

I had grown up in a mainline denomination where our version of faith in God was the equivalent of having fire insurance. We did not hear a whole lot about a personal relationship with Jesus. Later on, I met Chuck, read books, and discovered the idea that faith could be knowing Jesus, which was much nicer than fire insurance.

Nerd that I am, I looked up peace in the dictionary and read that it is “a lack of conflict or war.” That’s easy, because I’m not fighting anyone or at war with anyone. But if we look at peace in the Scriptures, the Hebrew word is Shalom. In English, a common greeting is, “How are you?” In Israel, people greet each other with, “How is your shalom?”

I looked up Shalom too and it is peace, but of a much richer sort than our English word indicates. Shalom is a general state of well-being, a wholeness or completeness within oneself, a harmony with God and others, it is the soul’s prosperity, welfare and tranquility. This is much more than just a lack of conflict or war.

This is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. However, if you’ve been out in the malls or holiday traffic, you realize the birth of the Prince of peace brings out less than peaceful reactions from a lot of people. I was talking to a guy at the job site, who is responsible for holding up the stop sign to stop cars to protect both workers and drivers. He told me, “This time of year, when I hold up the sign I get a lot of angry reactions.” There’s not a lot of shalom out there.

So, “How is your shalom?”

Our prayer this morning is from 2 Thessalonians 3: 16, and I am reading The Message version:

May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you.

Morning Talk: Phil Aguilar

We do not have notes for Phil’s talk, but you can watch it by clicking on the Watch Live button in the sidebar and scrolling to it.

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

And when [Jesus] came to the place, he said to [his disciples], “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, it you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation Luke 22:40-46

Intro: “Jesus was only thirty-three”

William Barclay made that observation
Barclay, “Jesus was only thirty-three, and no one wants to die at thirty-three.”
– for some reason, that simple statement caught me off guard
• I was reading a familiar story–that’s all
◦ I wasn’t thinking about the whole story,
◦ or connecting with Jesus in his real-life context
• being reminded of his age, stirred up in me empathy for him,
◦ and I felt myself being pulled closer to him
◦ my youngest child is older than Jesus was that night
– we have followed Jesus for seventeen weeks,
• watching him pray, listening to his prayers and to his teaching and parables on prayer
◦ an underlying tension that has been running through the story, at this point explodes
• the conflict isn’t between Jesus and the scribes, Pharisees, or chief priests
◦ it is with everything that is wrong in the world, that ruins people and opposes God
◦ it is the ultimate battle of good versus evil

For a moment, Jesus behaves in a way we’ve not seen before

He pours his heart out in words we’ve never heard him say before
– for a moment, it looks like he is losing his footing
• but then he regains his composure, gets up, and goes to cross
– during all this, we hear his final instruction to the disciples about prayer
• and also his own last words of prayer (according to Luke)

Given the circumstances of chapters 22 and 23,
– I could title this talk, “Prayer In Times of Crisis”
• or simply, “Crisis Prayer”
• but that doesn’t mean that these passages will give us another scripted prayer like the Lord’s Prayer
◦ or that we’ll learn a method for how to pray in crisis
◦ in fact, both of those ideas are absurd
– the nature of crisis, is that it’s not something you plan,
• and we don’t know in advance what emergency will arise or what it will look like
◦ we don’t know how we will react: will we panic? collapse? come out fighting?
• a method or prayer composed in peace, may not work in calamity,
◦ when intense trouble rolls over us or sudden danger looms before us
◦ we may not be able to muster more than a cry for help
“Lord, save me!” “I believe; help my unbelief!” “What must I do to be saved?”

I think it’s best if we look for general thoughts about prayer
– if we develop right habits of prayer,
• we will pray right prayers when needed
– most important, is that we secure our connection with God
• constantly returning to his presence in the here and now
• as long as our souls can find rest in God,
◦ our prayers will be acceptable – with or without words

Jesus gave the disciples a reason to pray in that moment

“Pray that you may not enter into temptation”
– this was the last line of the prayer he taught them in chapter 11
“and lead us not into temptation”
• this word has a dual meaning: enticement and test
• many things must be put through trials to see if they work
◦ how much stress can a metal take before giving out?
(this matters to me when I step into an airplane and wonder about the wings)
◦ fire is used to refine gold
– even though we have said the Lord’s Prayer many times, it is still a surprise:
• that we can pray our way around, away from, or through temptation
• we are asking God to not give us more than we can take
◦ and through prayer we can enlist his help and strength

Jesus prayed for what he wanted

He did not begin, “Forgive me for asking something for myself,” but
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me”
– I hear an echo in these words – it’s the voice of a leper
when he saw Jesus, he fell on hi face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” (Lk. 5:12)
• when Mark tells story, he says Jesus was moved with compassion
And he stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I will; be clean”
• now, in Gethsemane, the Son kneels on the ground and uses the same appeal
“Father, if you are willing”
◦ it is as if he wants his Father to be moved with compassion as he was for the leper
◦ it is a tender and tragic moment

In prayer, Jesus surrendered to his Father’s will
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done

We also come to a point of surrender, eventually
– but it makes all the difference if we surrender through prayer
• it is important to surrender face-to-face with God
• otherwise, it won’t be a real surrender, but just a giving up
◦ we may do nor more than resign ourselves to fate or bad luck
Catherine Marshall introduced the idea of “The Prayer of Relinquishment” in an article for Guidepost Magazine. In it she explains, “The Prayer of Relinquishment must not be interpreted negatively. It does not let us lie down in the dust of a godless universe and steel ourselves just for the worst. Rather it says, ‘This is my situation at the moment. I’ll face the reality of it. But I’ll also accept willingly whatever a loving Father sends.’ Acceptance, therefore, never slams the door on hope.”
• I don’t think we can jump to this point of surrender from square one
• we first have to learn, from experience, that God is a loving Father

Agony increased the intensity of Jesus’ prayer
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly

It may be embarrassing to discover that it takes an intense pain or grief to improve our prayer life
– last week I was asked to pray for man who had thrown his back out and was in a lot of pain
• walking Kona near his neighborhood, I remembered to pray for him, but only that one time
◦ then on Friday morning, I threw my back out, and I’ve prayed for him every day since–earnestly

Jesus woke his disciples to pray

I’m convinced that for our prayers to be meaningful, to be worthwhile,
– requires our most aware state of mind
– I’ve talked about this enough to not go over it again now

Jesus prayed the most generous prayer imaginable
Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:32-34

I would never tell someone in crisis, “Pray that your tormentor will be shown mercy”
or
“Pray God will forgive the person who murdered your child”
“Pray God will forgive your rapist”
“Pray God will forgive the accountant that swindled you”
– my first thought: This is Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, who prayed for those who were nailing him to the cross
• he worked miracles – he was, in himself, a miracle
• I don’t expect us to be capable of this infinite generosity of grace
◦ but I do admire and reverence him for his compassion and grace
– my second thought: But there are believers who have done this
• every year we have seen them in courtrooms,
◦ telling the convicted felon that because they are followers of Jesus, they forgive the convict
• it is not that they were able to do this instantly or at the time of the violation
◦ but they were led by God and by his love to forgive; to let mercy triumph over hatred
◦ witnessing this always takes my breath away

Then, at the end, there was Jesus’ dying prayer
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And having said this, he breathed his last Luke 23:46

This is his second quotation of a psalm from the cross
(the first was from Psa. 22:1, this quote is from Psa. 31:5)
– for me, personally, I feel a cushion of comfort in his last breath
• he is not succumbing to the torture of the cross,
• he’s giving his life, releasing his spirit, putting himself into the hands of his Father
– my oldest daughter, Jennifer, has five children–each of their births was assisted by a midwife
• a midwife is sometimes referred to as a “doula” (Grk. female servant/slave)
◦ did you know there are end-of-life midwives? Death doulas?
◦ they assist the dying (and the person’s family) with emotional and spiritual support through the transition
• it’s natural to fear crossing this threshold
◦ but I hope that we all will breathe our last with this prayer on our lips,
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit

Conclusion: We have now finished this wonderful prayer journey

Luke, as our tour guide, has shown us in Jesus’ example what he had taught others;
that is, that “we ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1);
that we can pray in all situations;
that in our darkest hours we cannot give up on prayer or on God
Every thought can be turned into a prayer
Nothing is too trivial, awful, or juvenile
If something is of concern to you, it is of concern to God;
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7)
The sooner we know and trust God’s unconditional love for us,
the sooner we will realize the safest place for us to be is in prayer

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning and welcome to RefleXion!     May the Lord be with you                                               Steve, John, and Spencer, we especially welcome you; thank you for being with us. 

Today, if you don’t know, is World Kindness Day.  It was started in Japan in 1997 by a coalition of non-governmental organizations “to promote expressing kindness in our communities and around the world.”  Now observed on November 13 each year, it’s a chance to remember kindness’s power to bring humankind together across political, social, racial, and economic boundaries.

Kindness, as we know, is an attribute of God, and its quality desirable, but not consistently found, in humans.  It has connection with other English words, such as goodness, mercy, pity, love, grace, favor, compassion, gentleness, tenderness, etc. And we’ve experienced God’s kindness in these ways, haven’t we, as deliverance from fear, trouble, or consequences, as open doors, as comfort and support.  It seems like a gentle word.  Some Mindfulness teachers are even replacing that word with the term Kindfulness, to remind us that it’s not just being present; it is being present with compassion and kindness, even to ourselves.  It IS gentle, it is a virtue. 

And I think Kindness is much more powerful than we might first think about it.  From Romans 2:4, we’re asked:  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God is what led you to repentance?  Kindness led us to repentance; kindness was a member of our rescue team. It has transformative power.  It heals.  The Good Samaritan was kind, and this kindness was expressed in actions that rescued, helped, and healed.

And moreover, I believe that we can say that kindness is spiritual warfare.  It is a weapon against disconnectedness. It pierces through our own armor of Ego and judgement, our prejudices, and when released, can pierce through another’s armor too.  Kindness can pierce the darkness.  Kindness is an act of resistance, reconciliation, and restoration.  Kindness says no to evil deeds.  It is a breath of fresh air, a proclamation of shared humanity.  It is a gift of good news. That’s what I think. What do you think?

Let’s pray:

Our Father, may Your Kingdom come in truth and power.  As we are glad recipients of Your kindness, may we honor You by offering that kindness that has been shown to us, knowing that it is good news for us all.  Thank you for each person listening here and all the ways they have shown kindness.  May Your kindness be the blessing we give and receive today.  Amen

Morning Talk: Steve Gumaer

Steve’s talk was personal and unscripted, so we do not have notes to share with you. However, you can watch it by clicking the “Watch Live” button in the sidebar, or listen to the podcast of his talk.

Personally, I found Steve’s message to reach deeper and have more impact than anything that I have heard in a long time. —chuck

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Welcome RefleXion friends!                   May the Lord be with you!

The gifts of the season.   Have you already begun to see ads that offer the “gifts of the season”?   A recent email informed me that I needed a new phone to “spark joy”.  Another told me that a pillowcase is becoming the must-have holiday gift of 2022.  I looked back at what the must-have gifts were a few years ago.  Do you remember the chocolate fountain (did anybody ever use theirs more than once?), the razor scooter (every kid had to have one), the virtual pocket pets, or the cabbage patch dolls (parents stood in line for hours to get them).  Advertisers love to remind us that we’re in a new season and that we should consider getting the must-have gifts.  Well, I think most of us realize that we’re all in a new season, and it’s not just called Autumn.

This has got me to pondering about my season: What season am I in?  What would I name it?  What are its gifts?  These contemplations have helped me be with what is, not necessarily what I might prefer and to look a little closer.  What is most important to me?  What is God offering me now that He couldn’t do at any other time in my life?  If I believe (which I do) that the Holy Spirit’s mission is to develop Christlikeness in me, then I can look in this direction.

If you think this exercise might benefit you, then take some time to describe and name your current life season.  Use the prompts we use in Lectio Divina–a sacred Reading of your life.  Is there a word or phrase or image that comes to you?  Spend some time in quiet Reflection, letting God speak to you about this season and the gifts He intends for you.  Respond by acknowledging what you heard and how it makes you feel.  Maybe you will put words or an image to paper.  Rest in knowing that God is with you and for you.  Always.

All this, of course, sent me to a familiar passage in Ecclesiastes, and we’ll make this our prayer:

Lord, like Solomon, we realize this truth, that “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.  A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.  A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.  A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.  A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.  A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.  A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.”  Let us be mindful of this time, this season; we ask that you fill it with Your Presence and Your intentions, and fill our hearts with the Beauty of it all.  In this, may we learn to love, for Your sake, for our own sake, and for the sake of others.  Amen 

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man Luke 21:34-36

Intro: I feel like we’ve taken an intensive course – on prayer

Luke provides lessons Jesus taught on prayer that are not not found in the other gospels
– he has also reported times Jesus prayed than no one else recorded
• so it has taken us a long time to get this far
• Luke is a rich source information and it is helpful to learn what he has to tell us
– the prayers we’ll look at today are pretty basic
• there’s no new form of prayer and nothing exotic
• nevertheless, the situation of each prayer is exceptional
◦ and some of the material is extraordinary

Jesus’ sermon in this chapter is well known: it is his “Olivet Discourse”

The same message can be found in Matthew 24 and Mark13
– it is very popular among students of biblical prophecy
• in it, Jesus tells his disciples how to survive end of the world
watch yourselves — stay awake at all times — praying
• stay awake translates one word that means “not asleep” – is used literally and figuratively
you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed (Ro. 13:11)
• Jesus is saying is telling his disciples, “Stay alert, be aware” — and he adds, “at all times”

I am not by nature a person who is especially aware
– a friend, when we meet up, often asks me something like,
“On the way here, did you notice the jacaranda trees in bloom? Isn’t God’s creation beautiful?!”
I usually respond, “No, I only noticed all the bad drivers and red lights”
• I’m not always even aware of my motivation
◦ an opportunity to act occurs, and I jump on it
◦ it is as if I was unconsciously waiting for it, so when it comes, I react before I think
• perhaps I might share dirt about someone else – but why would I do that?
◦ maybe I assumed I was doing something useful
◦ maybe I don’t know the reason
◦ perhaps it comes from a dislike, or grudge, or jealousy hidden in the recesses of my brain
– why say something I will regret later?
• because when I said it, I was talking in my sleep
◦ if I had been awake, and aware of what swims in my brain,
◦ I would have kept my mouth shut
• when I sit in silent prayer and listen for God,
◦ a negative thought, or feeling, or attitude may come into my mind
◦ and if I listen, God will show me its hidden roots
– awareness is something that enlarges and deepens with practice
Thich Nhat Hahn, “Meditation is not passive sitting in silence. It is sitting in awareness, free from distraction, and realizing the clear understanding that arises from concentration.”

Jesus told his disciples to be aware and to pray they would,
“have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place”
– we can escape a lot of bad stuff if we practice awareness
– awareness prayer is holding focused attention on God, here and now

Next is a lesson in “giving thanks”
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise with the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” Luke 22:19-20

I want to include the dark words that followed Jesus’ prayer of thanks
“But behold, the hand of him who betrays me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed” Luke 21-22
– did Jesus have a good reason for giving thanks?
• it was his broken body, his poured out blood that he blessed
◦ one friend at the table would betray him and the others were going to abandon him
◦ he was only hours away from his arrest, beatings, and crucifixion
• was Jesus giving thanks for everything that was going against him?
◦ and does that me we’re supposed to give thanks for illness and injuries? if we’re mugged or abused?
◦ I cannot imagine telling a parent who’s lost a child to give thanks for that loss
– Paul tags a list of Christian duties onto the end of his letter to Thessalonians:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Th. 5:16)
and to the Ephesians: giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ep. 5:20)
• perhaps giving thanks for hardship and tragedy is a way of seeing God in all things
◦ or connecting all things to him
Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts wrote, “The act of sacrificing thank offerings to God—even for the bread and cup of cost, for cancer and crucifixion—this prepares the way for God to show us His fullest salvation from bitter, angry, resentful lives and from all sin that estranges us from Him.” “Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace.” “To learn how to be grateful and happy, whether hands full or hands empty. That is a secret worth spending a life on learning.”
• this is a high-flying spirituality – an exercise for saints
◦ but can I do this? Does God expect it or even want it?

When I woke up yesterday morning, my room was spinning
– I tried to get up–twice–but the vertigo was too intense
• it occurred to me, I could give thanks for my misery
◦ I’m a preacher, so I suppose I could always pray,
“Lord God, I thank you for this sermon illustration!”
◦ but I didn’t – I wasn’t feeling grateful
◦ to give thanks for my nausea would have been a lie
• No, I do not believe God wants us to give thanks for:
◦ anything that was not his doing
◦ anything that displeases him or grieves him
– the apostle James, ever practical and wise, points us in right direction
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him . . . (Jas. 5:13-14)
• if we follow Jesus that night, he did not give thanks for his coming crucifixion
• in the upper room, he gave thanks for the cup — with it he sealed the new covenant with us
◦ but a short while later in the garden he prayed,
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me . . . . And being in agony he prayed more earnestly” (Lk. 22:42-44)
• it’s okay for us to follow his example
Abbot John Chapman wrote, “It is not an imperfection to find it painful to submit to God’s will. Our Lord showed us that, by His Agony in the garden.”

So the lesson is not that we must give thanks for pain and sorrow
– what else can we learn about giving thanks?
• I am going to let Henri Nouwen tell us what he learned
◦ this from his published journal while living in South America, Gracias!
• it’s a lesson we desperately need to learn here in the States
Nouwen, “The word that I kept hearing was: Gracias! . . . I saw thousands of poor and hungry children, met many young men and women without money, a job, or a decent place to live. I spent long hours with sick, elderly people, and I witnessed more misery and pain than ever before in my life. But in the midst of it all, that word lifted me again and again to a new realm of seeing and hearing: ‘Gracias!’ Thanks!’
“Whatever is given—money, food, work, a handshake, a smile, a good word, or an embrace—is a reason to rejoice and say gracias! What I claim as a right, my friends in Bolivia and Peru received as a gift . . . . ¶ I learned that everything that is, is freely given by the God of love. All is grace.”
– I know it’s a long quote – I would to read to you the whole book (so be thankful for long quotes)
Nouwen, “Not only are the poor grateful for life, but they also celebrate life constantly. A visit, a reunion, a simple meeting are always like little celebrations. . . . for them all of life is a long fiesta with God.
• that line reminded me of a song I learned in Costa Rica
Hay una fiesta, fiesta, fiesta|
Continuamente en mi,
Continuamente en mi.
Hay una fiesta, fiesta, fiesta
Desde que a Cristo yo conocí
(There’s a festival, festival, festival, continually in me, since I knew Christ)
Nouwen, “I am . . . convinced that gratitude is one of the most sublime human emotions. It is an emotion that reaches out far beyond our own self to God, to all of creation, to the people who gave us life, love, and care.”

And then, the most beautiful lesson on intercession, ever
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers Luke 22:31-32

Jesus is talking to Peter as a close friend
– he lets him know that Satan has demanded access to all twelve disciples
• but Jesus got out ahead of Satan – he has prayed for Peter
• I think this reassurance carried Peter the rest of his life
– some of Bible’s heroes were great intercessors–e.g., Moses and Samuel
• but anyone can perform this service for others
Epaphras, who is one of you . . . greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God (Col. 4:12)
• prayers of intercession make a difference in the lives of others
◦ not only because God hears them and responds,
◦ but also because they’re a way of letting others know we’re there for them

Conclusion: I believe, making these three prayers a daily practice,

Will solidify and enhance our spiritual development
– sit in silence with God – give thanks – pray for others
• I’m encouraged by Jesus’ confidence in prayer
◦ and he encourages his disciples to pray with confidence

This is our daily turning toward God
Transcending our world of confusion and hostility

Do you have enough imagination to look at Jesus face to face,
and hear him say, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail”?

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Welcome to RefleXion.                 May the Beauty of the Lord be with you!

“Beauty will save the world.” This phrase appeared in a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in 1868. I heard it from Pastor Brian Zahnd.   The True, the Good, and the Beautiful are sometimes called the three transcendentals, or the human ideals. Today, I’m hearing a lot of folks talking about Truth— “We stand for the truth.”  I had a mentor years ago and whenever we said something like “This happened to me, or people act badly, or I’m disappointed or angry,” he’d often say, “Well, that’s true, but not True enough.”  He meant that there was always more to it, more to see.  I think about this sometimes when people are sworn in to court with “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”  How can any of us have the “whole truth”?

The Good?  Well, I think it’s clear that most times helping someone with a compassionate heart is good; but discernment is needed, right?  And how often do we label what comes to us as “good” or “bad.”  I mean, how can we judge if something (even something very difficult or disappointing) is bad, or good in the sense that God is in it?  I understand that my perception is only one perspective and that the thing that has come hasn’t reached its fulfillment yet. 

Perhaps we could say that it’s not yet Beautiful. Beauty is more than a visual.  We know when words or actions are also beautiful, don’t we? Can we ever separate truth from goodness and beauty.  Adding Beauty brings Light to Truth.  Adding Beauty to Goodness is a greater Good.  What happens when we develop Beauty, when we look for it and nourish it, when we create it or sensitize our hearts to long for it?  Dostoyevsky wrote, “The infinity of the human soul–having been revealed in Christ and capable of fitting into itself all the boundlessness of divinity–is at one and the same time both the greatest good, the highest truth, and the most perfect beauty.”  Will beauty save the world?  Perhaps it will, at least, save us.

Our prayer this morning is from an old hymn, perhaps you will remember it:                   
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.
We welcome You today, Lord, as we welcome each other,
in Truth and Goodness and Beauty.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Intro: I try not to say much about prayers that go wrong

There is no good reason to feel nervous about praying
– we’re children coming to a good, loving Father to ask for bread
• in fact, Jesus taught us to use prayer to rid ourselves of anxiety
◦ we can ease into prayer and find rest in God’s presence
• you will pray right, if your heart is right
– so we pray with confidence, but we also know that prayer can malfunction
• that’s what we’ll learn from Jesus in our two passages from Luke’s Gospel

The place of prayer can be spoiled
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers” Luke 19:45-46

Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with disciples
– he is “home for the holidays” – but when he gets to temple,
• he finds out there is some spring cleaning that needs to be done
• preparing for Passover, many Jewish families play a game
◦ either leaven (yeast) or something containing leaven is hidden around the house
◦ children go around searching for it to get rid of it
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel (Ex. 12:15)
– when Jesus entered the temple precinct,
• it looked more like a marketplace than a holy place
•so he began to clear out the leaven

Every Jewish family would try to be in Jerusalem for Passover
(the final words of the Seder meal are, “Next year in Jerusalem”)
– some worshipers came from far away – others arrived from different countries
• an annual temple tax could be paid during Passover, but foreign currency was not acceptable
• booths were set up in the colonnade around the temple’s outer court
◦ visitors were charged for any money they exchanged
◦ if they didn’t have exact amount, the were charged extra for the change they received
– every family had to bring a lamb to the temple for the Passover sacrifice
• if they had traveled a considerable distance, a lamb could purchased the marketplace
◦ but they would run the risk of it not being accepted by the inspectors
◦ the cost was hiked up for lambs purchased in the temple that had been preapproved
• so there was a profitable business going on in the temple
William Barclay, “It was not simply that the buying and selling interfered with the dignity and the solemnity of worship. It was that the very worship of the house of God was being used to exploit the worshipers.”

I am guessing, that given commotion going one, Jesus would have had to shout
– he explains the scene he’s created with two Old Testament quotes
• the first was based on an ancient tradition, in which God defined the purpose of the temple
. . . let them make me a make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst (Ex. 25:8)
◦ God has never abandoned this dream
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:2-3)
• God assured Israel everyone is accepted in his house
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely separate me from his people . . . .”
[both foreigners and eunuchs would be welcomed]
“these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isa. 56:3-8)
◦ what Jesus was doing when driving traders out,
◦ was recovering God’s central purpose for the temple
– in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 7 is my favorite
• God sent Jeremiah to the temple gate to proclaim a message
◦ they were not to put their trust in the temple, as if it were magic
◦ God would abandon it unless they cleaned up their act
if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice . . . if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow . . . then I will let you dwell in this place . . . . Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? (Jer. 7:5-11)
• the priests and other religious authorities,
◦ had reverted to their old behavior
◦ they blinded themselves to what they risked losing (see Luke 19:41-44)

I suppose we can benefit from applying this to churches

In the New Testament, the community of Christians becomes God’s temple
(the house where he dwells on earth; 1 Peter 2:5)
– together, we become the space where God lives
• anyone can join us without jumping through any hoops
• no purchases have to be made – nothing here is for sale
For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word (2 Cor. 2:17)
[Or, as it reads in the Good News Bible] We are not like so many others, who handle God’s message is if it were cheap merchandise.
Karl Barth, [Paul says] “the word of God cannot be handled in such a way. . . . there is something where bargaining is out of the question. The word of God is not for sale; and therefore it has no need of shrewd salesmen . . . . therefore it refuses price cutting and bargaining; therefore it has no need of middlemen. The word of God does not compare with other commodities which are being offered [people] on the bargain counter of life. It does not care to be sold at any price.”

So much for church life then – but what about our personal lives?
– I find it isn’t difficult to get myself out of the world to pray
• but my biggest challenge is to get world out of my head
The Message Bible paraphrases Jeremiah 17:21-22 like this: Be careful, if you care about your lives, not to desecrate the Sabbath by turning it into just another workday, lugging stuff here and there. Don’t use the Sabbath to do business as usual. Keep the Sabbath day holy . . . .
• it occurred to me that I lug a bunch of stuff into my prayers
– now when I pray, I relax, breathe slowly, and purge my mind of that outside stuff
• when temple was first built, gatekeepers were assigned to it monitor what was brought into it
• part of my focus in prayer now includes monitoring what gets in
◦ I cannot allow my mind to lug worldly stuff into God’s the place or prayer, or else I ruin it

The way that we use prayer can spoil it
And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive greater condemnation Luke 20:45-47

The scribes were experts in the law of Moses – teachers
– people would consult them for the correct interpretation and application of the law
– but Jesus pointed out things they were doing outside the classroom
• what they liked and what they loved, what they devoured, and what they made
• where they could be found enjoying and doing these things:
◦ the marketplaces, the synagogues, and at feasts (or banquets)
– people who pray “long prayers” create a perception of sincere devotion
• but Jesus saw through their pretense
◦ they were like stage actors, making a show of their piety
• in Matthew, Jesus taught his disciples,
. . . when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others (Mt. 6:5)

Jesus was warning the disciples, but he intended others to hear what he had to say
– he does not tell his disciples, “Don’t be like them,” but “Beware of them”
• that they shouldn’t be like them was implicit in his warning
• the danger wasn’t with their example only, but with the scribes themselves
◦ they worked at creating a pious image, but Jesus said, “Don’t trust them”
– right before this warning, some scribes had congratulated Jesus for a wise answer he gave the Sadducees
• at that point, I was tempted to see the scribes on Jesus’ side, but they weren’t!
◦ they had not changed their opinion about him
• Jesus didn’t want his disciples–or anyone else– to mistake that moment as a friendly alliance between them
◦ it wasn’t! – they were dangerous

A long time ago, the Lord made it clear to me
– I was to proclaim the gospel, but never promote myself
• a lot of my colleagues were having their sermons broadcast on Christian radio
◦ some of my friends urged me to do the same with my sermons
◦ but after thinking about it, I had to question my purpose for doing that
• why would I need to add my voice to a medium glutted with voices already
◦ what would my motivation be to get my name out there?
– I get that — we are not supposed to promote ourselves; it’s wrong
• but what surprises me is that Jesus tells us, “Watch out for those who do promote themselves!”
• they aren’t safe and they can’t be trusted

Conclusion: To summarize all this, here’s another quote from the Message Bible:

The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply (Mt. 6:7-13)

Okay, it’s time to end on a positive note
when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt. 6:6)
God is present, but his presence is secret
it is hidden from us, because he transcends all that we can know or experience

So maybe try this when you pray; begin by asking:
What am I thinking? Then remind yourself, I am not this thought
What does my heart feel? Then remind yourself, I am not this emotion
What does my body feel? Then remind yourself, I am not this sensation
Perhaps observing and recognizing these things we will transcend them,
and enter that secret place of God’s presence and commune with him there
After all, we are his temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17)

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning, RefleXion Community.            May the Goodness and Mercy of God be with you!

This past week, I had an encounter with Mercy! Really, it just came and overwhelmed me—God’s mercy.  You know that verse in Psalm 23: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….”  Well, maybe I just slowed down enough for mercy to catch up with me.  Sometimes the goodness and mercy of God can catch us off guard—and I mean that literally.  If our Ego-defenses are down, there’s a crack where the light can get in (hats off to Leonard Cohen here).  James Finley says that the crack is realized when our brokenness is deeply accepted.  That often happens in prayer.  It did for me.

Then this week I heard a quote by Julian of Norwich that “Mercy is God befriending our suffering,” so I followed the trail of Julian. Some of you know her writings quite well; but, if not, Julian was a celebrated mystic who documented her experiences with God in her book “Revelations of Divine Love.”  She was born in 1342 and lived through turbulent years for the Church and for the life of the people who were suffering the consequences of a long-drawn-out war and the Black Death, which was the most fatal pandemic in human history.  Julian came to understand that the central message for spiritual life is this: “God is love and it is only if one opens oneself to this love, totally and with total trust, and lets it become one’s sole guide in life, that all things are transfigured, true peace and true joy found, and one is able to radiate it.”

She taught that prayer is the deliberate and persevering action of the soul. “Prayer fastens the soul to God,” she says, and that “God is honored and truly delighted if we faithfully pray for His goodness, because His goodness is full and complete, and in it there is nothing lacking.  Goodness comes to meet our humblest needs.”

Goodness comes to meet our humblest needs; Mercy befriends our suffering;  Goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.

I’d like to begin our opening prayer with her words before I add mine.

“Lord, let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for thee or thine, but quiet homes of prayer and praise, where thou mayest find fit company, where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away, and wide, sweet spaces kept for thee; where holy thoughts pass up and down.”  Yes, Lord, may mercy and goodness overtake us and help us to keep the pace of grace and give us the light and life our souls seek.  May we also be blessed with revelations of divine love.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Luke 18:9-14

Intro: Before we jump into these verses, take a breath

Remember who is telling the story – he is not a stranger
– we know this person – this storyteller
• we met him when as children we were dragged to church
◦ or when a friend first introduced us
◦ or when we picked up the Bible and read one of the Gospels
• we know Jesus, we trust him with our lives, and we love him
– it’s good for us to occasionally clear our calendar,
• perhaps go on retreat or find our own place of quiet solitude
◦ and there, renew the intimacy of our relationship with Jesus
• God sent Jesus into our world to reveal himself through him
◦ in Jesus we have discovered the depth of God’s love for us
◦ I will always want to know Jesus better than I do now

In this story, Jesus shows us a way to fix our broken prayers

Prayer is not the main point or purpose of the parable
– verses 9 and 14 provide Jesus’ specific purpose and lesson for telling it
• but in this series of talks, we’ve been culling through Luke,
◦ paying attention to each time Jesus prayed and everything he said about prayer
• prayer is at the heart of this story–it’s the central action
◦ and there’s some really good stuff in the parable on prayer

Luke provides an introduction to the parable
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt Luke 19:9

Luke tells us the type of people Jesus had in mind
– two words describe the behavior of those people: trusted and treated
• these are the essence of Christian spirituality
• they specify how we keep the two greatest commandments (Mt. 22:37-40)
◦ we love God by trusting him and love our neighbor by the way we treat them
– immediately we can see the problem that troubled Jesus
• the people he had in mind trusted in themselves
◦ specifically, that they were righteous
• and they treated others with contempt

The people Jesus is describing couldn’t see the problem with that
– they worked hard at obeying the commandments, at being righteous
• at least as far as they understood the Scriptures
◦ they were doing what they learned to do from the Torah
• as far as they were concerned,
◦ other people who did not obey the law and keep the commandments,
◦ belonged to the camp of the wicked, and deserved to be treated with disgust (e.g., Ps. 139:19-22)
– the key theme of the parable is the word “righteous”
• two men pray, but only one of them will be “justified” (to be declared righteous)
◦ righteous is a relational term – in love, do what’s right
◦ two verses worth committing to memory:
For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Ro. 13:9-10)
• the tendency of religion is to forget the relational nature of righteousness,
◦ and substitute it with moral or legal righteousness
◦ the law may be hard to keep, but it’s a lot easier than to love as Jesus loves and calls us to love

The two main characters are like the two we met last week
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector Luke 18:10

What I mean, is that they are both standard stereotypes
– in the New Testament, Pharisees are the epitome of rigid legalism and hypocrisy
Tax collectors are classed with sinners
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at [Jesus’]disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Lk. 5:30)
– for most people listening to Jesus,
• the Pharisee would be the good guy (devoted to obeying God’s law in every detail)
• tax collector would be the bad guy (a defiled person, perhaps even a traitor to Israel)

First, Jesus lets us eavesdrop on the Pharisee’s prayer
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” Luke 18:11-12

He begins, “God, I thank you” – he is offering a prayer of gratitude,
– and for what? “That I am not like other men”
• do you hear what Jesus puts into his mouth–it’s classic!
• it’s like a Saturday Night Live parody
◦ Jesus definitely has a sense of humor
◦ except this is not as funny as it is sad
– there’s a difficulty translators have with the Greek text
• the Pharisee was either standing by himself or praying to himself–i.e., silently
◦ scholars debate which phrase is correct, but preachers prefers the secone
• people who trust in themselves, tend to pray to themselves
◦ but it may be, he kept his distance from the other worshipers to maintain his purity
◦ Pharisee means “separated one”

The Pharisee offers a short list of what he didn’t do and another list of what he did
– one of these words he uses deserves attention: “unjust”
• we came across the same word last week, “unrighteous”(v. 6)
– justice and righteousness are related,
• and appear together frequently in the Hebrew Scriptures
◦ righteousness: doing what’s right given the circumstances
◦ it applies to our personal lives and all our interactions with others
• justice: is also doing what’s right given the circumstances, but on a broader scale
◦ justice is how a society practices what is right rather than individuals
◦ if in a Christian context we were to make America great again, it would have to be based on this verse:
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people (Pr. 14:34)

Now we listen in on the tax collector’s prayer
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Luke 18:13

Like the Pharisee, the tax collector stands off from the others, but for a different reason
– his body language reveals what he feels about himself
• when Jesus prayed, he often looked up to heaven (Lk. 9:16)
◦ this man cannot do that
• thumping on his chest was a sign of grief and remorse,
◦ he was punishing himself, as it were
– his prayer is brief and to the point,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner! – or “the sinner”
• as if he were the worst

I have not said anything about various types of prayer
– it did not seem necessary, because lots of people have done this for us already
• or we have figured them out for ourselves
• typically we use the following:
◦ petition is prayer we pray for ourselves
◦ intercession and supplication are generally prayers for others
◦ communion is resting in our closeness with Jesus and the Father
◦ confession is admitting our sin and seeking forgiveness
◦ praise and thanksgiving (speak for themselves)
– the tax collector offers a prayer of confession
• but notice, he does not mention any specific sin
◦ the Psalms contain many confessions of sin (see especially Psalms 51 & 32)
◦ but never confess anything specific
• that leaves the confession open-ended, so that we can pray them too
◦ it also eliminates the need to comb through minutia to seek forgiveness

Jesus illustrates how these men themselves in prayer

Not intentionally, perhaps – they may not even realize they’re doing this
– nevertheless, coming to God in prayer exposes us to what he sees
• in 1 Corinthians 4, Paul wrote:
I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted [justified]. It is the Lord who judges me (1 Cor. 4:4)
Jean Mouroux observed, “These words mean that he recognizes that the Christian has such a partial awareness of his actions, that his seeing himself as justified does not by any means mean that he is justified, and that the final judgment on the value of his acts can only be made by God; it means that the ‘heart’s intentions’ are absolutely dark secrets,’ to oneself as well as to others . . . .”
• this would explain why the Pharisee could trust in himself and treat others with contempt, even while he was praying
Gerald May, “I think most people have trouble with prayer because prayer is really an act of love, and therefore demands vulnerability. As with love, the more we try to control prayer, the less prayer can happen. Yet the desire to defend and protect oneself is understandable. Prayer is where we most directly face the truth of ourselves and of the world: it is risky business indeed.
[Prayer] should be the most honest, loving enterprise of the human heart [but] sometimes becomes one of the most dishonest.”
– our prayer–even if dishonest– reveals us
• that is what happens in the parable
◦ and it’s what explains the surprising reversal
“I tell you, this man [the tax collector] went down to his house justified, rather than the other” Luke 18:14a
• Jesus wants us coming to God in honesty and humility
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” Luke 18:14b
◦ we do not have to hide anything from God!
◦ we just need to be honest, humble, and to trust God to be loving and merciful

Conclusion: It is not necessary for us to identify with the Pharisee or tax collector

We are probably both
I get upset with Pharisee-type Christians
– their unholy zeal for right (their) doctrine,
• their certainty they know what’s right and the precise ways that everyone else is wrong
• I am upset by their misrepresentation of God and Jesus
◦ and, consequently, how they turn many others away from God and Christianity
– but then Jesus tells me, “Yes, but you must love them too”
• and then I have to pray, “Be merciful to me the sinner”

What have I learned from this parable?
That when I pray, I need to know myself as honestly as I can
I must present that self, with all its strengths and weaknesses to God
And from him I must receive the love that will warm my heart to others
For prayer moves along a vertical and horizontal axis
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Mt. 5:23-24)

Trust God and treat others as you would have them treat you,
for this is the Law and the Prophets (Mt. 7:12)