From the Pastor |
Christmas Eve 2020
This has been one heck of a year, hasn’t it? In fact… I believe that this year has been like any other… at least in my lifetime. We have had to deal with chaos and turmoil, isolation and grief… social and political unrest… and tremendous loss. This holiday season has been more of the same. Things are so different this year that many people have commented that it really does not seem like Christmas. We are living in a time of chaos and unprecedented uncertainty… it makes celebrating Christmas seem strange and even a bit difficult. But really… this is exactly what Christmas is about! Christmas is proof to us that the Lord is still at work even in the midst of chaos… after all… things were no different at the time of Jesus’ birth. The birth of Christ took place during a dark time in Israel’s history… much like today, it was a time of chaos and uncertainty. The Roman Empire cast a vast shadow over the world, and in 63 BCE, after much turmoil and civil war within Israel, the Romans successfully invaded and conquered Jerusalem. In order to maintain control and power over the people, Caesar set up Herod as a “puppet” king. Herod ruled the area with an iron fist and spearheaded many capital projects including expanding the Temple and establishing fortresses to reinforce Roman control. These great building campaigns were achieved by imposing heavy taxes on the people. Therefore, many lived in poverty since they not only had to pay their tithes to the Temple, but they were required to pay stiff taxes to the Empire. To say that this caused social unrest is probably an understatement. Add to this the census called for by Caesar Augustus so that they would be able to tax the people with greater accuracy… and well… you get it? Then into the socio-economic and political turmoil… we have our Christmas story. When you think about that 1st Christmas… about the day Jesus was born… what picture comes to mind? Mary and Joseph together in a stable… serenely looking over at this newborn baby boy? Do the words “Silent Night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright” echo in your mind? That is our greeting card image of the Birth of Christ… but is it the reality of that time? I highly doubt it. We don’t know a lot about what happened that night – Luke doesn’t give very many details – but we do know that Mary and Joseph had just travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem (a journey of about 90 miles)… on foot or by donkey… that’s a long and exhausting trip… especially with a woman so near to “her time”. It had to have been a time of stress, fear and uncertainty for this couple. Then Luke tells us that “there was no guest room available for them.” In other words… the small town of Bethlehem was full… there was no available lodging. Everyone was gathered to be registered and counted and then appropriately taxed by the Roman Empire. There was no doubt great tension permeating the town… So here they are… overwhelmed with chaos and uncertainty… not sure what to do… the only place to stay is what we would call a barn or stable… and then… Mary goes into labor. I can only imagine what Joseph is thinking when this happens… This had to be a scary, stressful time for both of them… in this barn… surrounded by animals? But we are not done yet… Soon after the baby is born… a bunch of strangers… shepherds by trade, come bursting in excitedly telling this tale of angels on the hillside. This whole scenario had to be overwhelming for Mary and Joseph. Honestly… I’m not seeing that idyllic picture forming. All I can imagine is chaos, uncertainty, some fear and worry… and a smelly barn. In fact… it seems a lot like THIS Christmas… a time filled with socio-economic and political turmoil… where people are overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty… the fear and grief… all we need is a smelly barn. But we need to remember that it was in the midst of this dark, uncertain and chaotic time… that Jesus was born. The Christmas story proves that the Lord is still at work even in the midst of chaos… and this brings hope and joy into the midst of our tumultuous lives now, in the present, and for the future. For it was into a dark time in Israel’s history that God sent the light of God’s love… Christ Jesus… into the world. The same is true for us today… God is sending the light of God’s amazing love to us during these challenging times… assuring us that we are not alone… God is with us through it all. You see… Christmas has never been about joyous celebrations in the midst of perfect circumstances. It has never been about escaping the brutal realities of the world and trying to recapture some unrealistic, picture perfect night. Christmas is about God taking our chaos… our turmoil, grief and pain… and transforming it all into the most precious gifts of your life… hope that sees us through… peace of heart, soul and mind… uplifting joy and endless love. Jesus came to reveal God’s love for us… he came to teach us HOW to live lives centered on love, compassion and service… Jesus came… not to take away our problems…. no to lift us up out of the chaos… Instead, through Christ… God inserts Himself right into the middle of it all! This is the meaning of Christmas… God comes to us in the midst of whatever we are going through… God comes and dwells with us… among us. God comes to us wherever we are… no matter how imperfect we are. Christmas this year has come during a global pandemic… even now… in our brokenness and our uncertainty… Jesus is come… Jesus is with us. This night reminds us that there is good news of great joy for all people… even in the middle of chaos. So, remember that even in our brokenness, Jesus is with us. He feels your sorrow. He knows your anxieties. He wants you to experience His hope… his peace… his joy and his love. Christmas has come… Jesus, Our savior is born. Alleluia… Amen.
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1 John 4: 7-21
One of the things I love this time of year are all the wonderful Christmas movies and TV Specials. I enjoy relaxing to the classics like Miracle of 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life. I enjoy laughing at Scrooged and a Christmas Vacation… Or just being nostalgic with Charlie Brown and How the Grinch Stole Christmas… the original 1966 version… not the remakes. Heck sometimes I even sit down to watch those sappy Hallmark Christmas movies. But while these are all great stories, they are not THE Christmas story. You know… the one that is the reason we celebrate Christmas to begin with. The story of how God came into the world in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem… the Messiah… Emmanuel… Our Lord and Savior. The child who would grow up to be the one to reveal the true and extensive love of God to us. It is that love that we remember on this 4th Sunday of Advent. It is the love that the gospels reveal to us as they open our hearts, souls and minds to the story of Jesus. It is the true love of God that puts the lives and needs of others before oneself… love that is willing to pay the price of being a humble servant… It is a forgiving, healing love that reaches out to help those who are hurting whether they are loved ones, strangers or even enemies. It is the love that gives everything… sacrificing one’s own life for the sake of others. That is the love we read about in 1 John: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” It is a love that brings transformation… it changes everything! This kind of love is the very essence of THE Christmas story. Christmas is about God’s love bringing hope, peace, and joy into the hearts and minds of people all around the world… transforming them… recreating them to be more and more like the image of Christ. But we need to be ready… open and receptive to God’s love and the changes it brings. That is why we have the Advent season. Advent is all about preparing… getting our hearts and minds ready. Advent is about our own transformation… about preparing our heart for the love that is coming into the world, and about opening it up to new ways of being. In fact… when we look at those beloved Christmas movies I mentioned before… they really could be considered Advent movies. In most of them… the main character undergoes a transformation that comes from the love found at Christmas. Scrooge is confronted with the truth of how he lives his life and is transformed from a cold-hearted miser to a generous and loving man who vows to “honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” George Bailey finds hope again when he realizes that the love he has shared has made a difference over the years. Clark Griswald changes as he realizes that he is surrounded by love even though just about everything has gone wrong. The Grinch’s heart triples in size when he realized that the Christmas love that the Whos were celebrating was couldn’t be taken away; the reality of what Christmas was all about, changed him too. The list goes on… Love. Changes. Everything. If we’re really serious about preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ, there is no way that we won’t be changed by the love Christ brings. Because God’s love enters in and changes us from the inside out. But just as the lead characters in the Christmas movies did not stop with their transformation… neither can we. Scrooge shared generosity and love with the Cratchet family… with others he met on the street, as well as his own… The Grinch returned the Christmas items and joined in the Whoville celebration. And we… as followers of Christ… we need to be the ones to make the Grinches of this world see the truth. We are called to prepare our hearts not only receive the love of God, to welcome Christ into the world… but also to share that same love with the world. As John writes: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… We love because he first loved us… and he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” We have experienced God’s love through other people we have encountered throughout our lives. I imagine it is what brought us together today… Think about it… there was someone… someone who introduced you to the love of God and helped open your heart so that God’s love could enter in… remolding and remaking you into a disciple of Christ. They shared that love with us creating a bond so we can work together to continue the work of Christ in the world. Now it is your turn…. When God’s love fills us… there is no doubt that God is with us… God’s love is powerful… so powerful because it brings forgiveness which “drives out fear” … it calms us… alleviates anxiety… strengthens and guides us… God’s love is so powerful that it changes everything… but the truth is… it is even more powerful when we share it. What a difference we could make in the world if we all let God’s love drive out our fears and change us into beings capable of sharing that love with the world… and then we all showed the world what God’s transforming love was truly like. If we were to reveal the power of God’s transforming love? … What a wonderful world this would be! The story of Christmas that we read each year may center on Mary and Joseph… Angels and shepherds and wise men… It may focus on a baby in a manger who came to reveal God’s love to the world, but it does not end there. The Christmas story continues on throughout the world… throughout history and right to this very day and beyond. You and I are the lead characters now… we are the ones called to reveal God’s love to the world today through our attitudes… our words… and our actions each and every day. Christmas comes every year because Christ, God’s love, still comes into the world. His coming was not a once and done scenario… God’s Love has come… God’s love is here and God’s love continue to come in the future. God’s love is unending. Christmas is a season when our own love for God and for our fellow human beings should fill us… wiping out fear… pushing aside our doubts and anxieties… spilling out to bring compassion and healing to a world in pain in whatever way we are able. The real challenge is to continue feeling and sharing that love once Christmas is over. So this year… open your heart… let the love of the Lord in… fully and deeply… let that love change everything… be like the Grinch and allow your heart to grow 3 sizes… join Scrooge in saying “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!” Amen Psalm 126
Today is the third Sunday of Advent and we lit the pink candle… the candle of Joy. Today is a day that reminds us… as Paul said… to “rejoice always!” We are in the midst of what one carol refers to as “the most wonderful time of the year.” A time of celebration, hope, peace and joy. Unfortunately… for many, it is a hectic and stressful time… many look to this season and are filled with grief and sorrow, depression and pain. Add to all of this our current pandemic crisis which is once again spiking all around us… and it seems difficult to find joy! I mean… How can we rejoice in the midst of tears, grief and suffering? How can we rejoice in the midst of such wide spread illness and pain? That is the question... In fact scripture answers that question and so does Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens published his famous story A Christmas Carol in 1843. Since then, this popular tale has been reprinted and sold countless times… It has been made and remade into movies and plays… recreated and adapted over and over again. The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is a timeless character who embodies the selfish, self-centered, unforgiving and unloving qualities that we may deny, but are a strong part of far too many people… including… at times… us! This story reveals the awesome truth… that joy is found in repentance. Think about it… In this story, Scrooge is guided through the reality of his miserable, miserly life by a cast of ghostly visitors… he is given the chance to repent for his cold and heartless behavior. So, after years of living a life devoid of love, faith or joy… his repentance… his amazing change of heart… his big turnaround… leads him to being filled with immense joy and excitement as he comes to understand what is truly important in life… love, forgiveness, caring and generosity. This is the message of our scriptures today. Psalm 126 is filled with joyful celebration as the author remembers Israel’s deliverance from pain and hardship in the past. Through this short song, we find that repentance and rejoicing are linked together… they go hand in hand. Repentant joy is what our psalmist offers this morning Repentant joy doesn’t really fit with the joy of Christmas people talk about… It’s not the joy of Rudolph who finally finds acceptance when it turns out he is needed… Or Frosty who is saved by Santa so he does not melt away. It is not the joy of succeeding in having a perfectly decorated home… or beautifully wrapped presents… or even a wonderful candlelight service on Christmas Eve. This repentant joy might not be the “joyful happiness” the world looks for as we count down to Christmas Day… but… it is truly what the world… and we… need more than anything. Repentance means to turn back… to turn away from sinful behaviors and back to God. To focus on God, instead of on ourselves… on our own selfishness. It is genuine repentance that leads to rejoicing. We see it with Scrooge… we hear it in the psalm… Like the other two Psalms we have looked at this Advent season… Psalm 126 is a plea for a restoration… for help during a time of trial and difficulty. But the psalmist has no doubt that restoration is possible because they have experienced it in the past. The people had rejected God, and after repeated warnings from the prophets, God finally had enough. Israel was conquered and the people taken into exile. They had tried to find joy from idols and sin… and they paid the price. Are things any different today? This world… our own society tries to tell us that we can find joy and happiness in things other than God. We are taught that money, possessions and power will bring happiness. We tend to live by that old Burger King slogan “Have it your way” instead of God’s way... living by the adage that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. We do what we want, but rarely does that path lead to joy because the truth is… the things of this world do not bring satisfaction… joy cannot be found in money or power… or people. The happiness… the “joy” those things bring is fleeting… short lived. The psalmist reminds us that it was after Israel repented… after they turned back to God… they were restored back to their homelands… “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion… Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” When was the last time your mouth was “filled with laughter?” When songs of joy rolled off your tongue? All too often we end up running around… so totally self-absorbed that we end up putting God on the back burner of our lives… or worse… we shut God out altogether. We become distracted and turn away from God… sometimes without even realizing it. Then one day, we find that, like Scrooge, our lives are miserable and seriously lack joy. The word we need to hear and remember this Advent season is that real joy… true joy… lasting joy… is only found in God. It takes repentance… turning back to God for us to be able to refocus our lives and once again find the joy that escapes us. The experience of being restored by God is not just some outward reality… It is an experience that changes us from the inside out… filling us with joy and hope and love and strength… even in the midst of tears and suffering. During this time of trial and suffering… Let us cry out with the Psalmist saying, “Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Rain in the desert causes new life to spring up… tears of sorrow can bring us to new life as well as we are lead the joyful beauty of forgiveness. We struggle yes. Life is hard and sometimes painful as we struggle to focus on the will of God when it is easier to focus on ourselves… on our own wants and desires. But there is only way to find restoration and joy… and that is through repentance and faith in the forgiveness of our sins in Christ Jesus. Unfortunately… Repentance isn’t easy… but the rewards are great… When you turn your heart… your eyes… your mind and your life back to God… we are forgiven… we are restored to new life… and this new life brings unrivaled joy. This is the joy made possible through the love and grace of God who “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Made possible by the love of Christ who gave his very life on the cross for our sake. Made possible by Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is the joy made possible by the knowledge that no matter how bad your sins might be… God’s love is greater… the joy that comes from knowing… knowing in your heart… that you are forgiven, and loved by God. Knowing that through God’s love our heavenly fortunes have been restored, and we can rejoice and say, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” It is the joy that causes us to go out and share God’s love with others each and every day. Repentance is not a one-time thing. Our nature requires us to do it again and again. But thankfully… God offers forgiveness again and again… enabling us to know that we are not held captive to our sin… but only to God’s awesome love and amazing grace… In God’s forgiveness we can truly “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, [and] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So this year… even in the midst of sadness, depression, and despair… May we refocus our whole selves on God and come to know the joy that fills our mouths with laughter and our tongues with joyous song. And may we continue to be comforted, encouraged, and uplifted by our God who has done and continues to do great things for us. Amen. Psalm 85
This Advent season is a time of preparation… a time to remember and reflect… on what was… what is…and what is yet to come. A time to remember that Christ has come… is come… will come again… Past, present, and future… That is why Psalm 85 is perfect for this Sunday of Advent… this Sunday of peace. This psalm contains three distinct parts: First, the psalmist looks to the past… to the wondrous things God has done. Then he moves to the present… to the reality of how Israel has angered God… But then he moves to the future and the hope that comes from God’s promise. What was… what is… and what will be! The psalm is filled with promise in the midst of a time of waiting and uncertainty. Reflecting on the past is important. It helps us to understand the present. This time of year tends to bring memories to the forefront of our thoughts… These memories can be a great source of encouragement, or they can bring us pain and dishearten us… either way… it is the past that shapes who we are today. In Psalm 85, the author remembers when God the writer recalls a time when God truly did show favor to the people of Israel. A time when God set aside God’s anger and restored Israel… looking favorably on the land, restoring fortunes, and forgiving their sins. This is what we do during Advent… we look to the past to point our way forward… We hear of the prophets declaring that one would come to “prepare the way…” and we look to the gospel’s picture of John the Baptist as he does just that… calling out to the people to “repent”… to turn back to God. Pointing us to the one who has come… the long awaited Messiah. Then the psalmist moves us to the present… to a time when things do not seem to be going as well. A time of uncertainty and suffering for the people of Israel. It seems that God is angry with the people. So the author cries out: “Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” And then he pleads that God will “Restore us again… and put away your displeasure toward us… Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.” Is our present any different? Even as we look to the past and all God has done throughout history and more personally… for us… We look at the suffering and turmoil that is all around us today, and have to wonder… Will God be angry with us forever? We too plead with God… “Restore us… show us your love… grant us you salvation.” But even with the suffering and apparent anger of God in the present… the psalmist has not given up hope in the promised future of God… a future where salvation is near… where God’s glory will be with us. He writes of how “hesed” meaning love, goodness, kindness and loyalty will meet together with “emet” which means faithfulness, truth, reliability. “Sedek” meaning righteousness, justice, deliverance… will kiss “shalom” which means peace, completeness, well-being. The language is intimate; the wondrous embrace of God’s graciousness. Through this embrace, the Lord’s loving kindness is revealed, the land becomes fruitful; and righteousness comes creating a path for the Lord’s feet. This is the path of God… the “way of the Lord” that is being prepared in the wilderness. It is along this path that we can find that love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace meet, and join together… springing up from below and looking down from above. This path begins with the act of listening. “I will listen to what God the Lord says…” These words are a reminder that we can’t simply sit back and wait for God to act… we need to pay attention to God… to listen as God speaks to us now… in the present. Being faithful to God… trusting in God’s promised future. It is God’s voice that speaks Shalom: a word of peace. When we read this Psalm through the scope of Advent, we find it resonates clearly with the promised hope and peace that is fulfilled in Christ… who brings us forgiveness and restored life; who leads us into truth. The one who was… who is and who will come again. By looking both to the past, remembering what God has done… and to the future promised by God… we can look to our present with eyes that are clear… we can look at our lives and this world… with all its pain, injustice and suffering… and we can find the peace of God. For as Jesus said “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” [John 16:33] For in Christ, love and faithfulness… righteousness and peace, come together… in harmony with one another. And through Christ we find a God whose glory is seen in the world, and where true peace can be found… not only in the future but today. Because, The Peace of God that is not absence of conflict, or a place where there is no noise, trouble, or pain. Peace is what we receive that enables us to find a calmness of heart, soul and mind even in the midst of all those things… it is God’s peace that enables us to get up each day and continue the work of Christ Jesus to bring hope, peace, joy and love to the world… bringing healing and wholeness to others. Peace that will ultimately transform this world and bring God’s kingdom into our reality. Amen Psalm 80
As I was looking ahead to this Holiday season, I found myself drawn to the power found in poetry… specifically the poetry of the psalms. Poetry that lights the way through Advent… through this season of preparation. Have you ever noticed how different people react in times of desperation? It is like an airplane that is spinning out of control… As the people on board realize they are about to die… some curse and give into despair. Others pray… turning to and reaching out to God. Are the ones who pray “magically” saved? No! At least not from the crash… but they have one thing the others do not… hope… the hope that comes from faith… hope that comes from believing in the promises of God… from knowing that the crash is NOT the end. Hope is not wishful thinking… it is trusting in God... believing in God’s promises. Hope requires patience and endurance, but it can withstand whatever this world throws at it… fire, trials, and even despair. Hope is what we find in Psalm 80. This psalm is a song of lament… not for the individual, but for the whole community… for the nation following some sort of national disaster. We don’t know what crisis may have originally precipitated this plea. Perhaps it was the Assyrian destruction of the northern kingdom, or maybe the Babylonian exile or some other national humiliation. But this psalm is a prayer sung by a community in crisis. It is also a perfect psalm for us today because, although it is a prayer of desperation, it is not a prayer of despair. It is a prayer that acknowledges the need for God’s saving presence. Psalm 80 offers a profound description of suffering, and a plea for God’s saving power. “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel… Stir up your might, and come to save us! …how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?” It is a song of the suffering felt by a people due to God’s apparent absence. It implores the Shepherd of Israel to reveal himself and save his people. The problem they face is that instead of enjoying the “bread” of God’s presence, the people have been forced to consume only the bread of tears. In their profound suffering, the people feel that God has turned away from them… that God is simply not there with them in their pain, and they long for God’s presence to be restored. The Psalmist portrays Israel as a vine… using the metaphor to demonstrate how God had provided loving care for God’s people, as well as to dramatize the destruction that has been wrought upon them. It was God who had brought this vine out of captivity in Egypt, and planted it in the place where it grew and thrived. But now God’s care seems to have been removed. The walls protecting the vine (Israel) have been broken down, and the vine has been plundered, ravaged, fed upon… it has been burned and cut down. This is a devastating portrayal of the people at their most desperate. Things have gone horribly wrong. Their enemies laugh at them… they are scorned by their neighboring nations… and they seem to believe it is God’s fault… “You make us the scorn of our neighbors.” But the worst part is that God seems to have abandoned them to this destruction. Their suffering is acute and seemingly endless; so the psalmist cries out “How long?” But as I said… this is a prayer of desperation… NOT despair. They still have hope. It is a plea for the restoration of their relationship with God. The repeated plea “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” is for the very presence of God to be with God’s people… for the sign of God’s approval and blessing… for God’s loving care to be lavished upon God’s people once again. The people of Israel long for God’s face to turn back toward, and to shine upon them with the light of grace. These desperate people are crying out for God’s grace, peace, and loving care to be present with them in their time of distress. This is a prayer of hope in the midst of suffering. Hope for restoration… hope instead of despair. This is a prayer WE need today… it echoes the hopeful yearning of God's people today. We are in a time of suffering, turmoil and desperation. There are so many people suffering… so many whose lives have been turned upside down… who grieve… who are sick… who are in pain, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual, or some combination. There are too many living in fear… full of anger and hatred. It does seem as though God has turned away from us… In fact, there are many, even among the people of faith, who are truly experiencing within this desperation the absence of God. Those who are feeling as though they have been ravaged, fed upon, burned, and cut down are crying out for the return of God’s presence, for God’s countenance to shine once more. For it is God alone who can “restore us” and make things right once again. As we begin this season of Advent… we need the reminder that, even in the midst of pain and suffering… of grief and sorrow… we can still have hope. Even though the lament of this psalm is dire… it is full of hope… this song holds out great hope for the son of man who would be the seed of the dream of the Messiah. Such was the hope for the nation of Israel. Such is the hope for every nation, every people, every community… hope for all of us. So today, we sing this psalm of lament in solidarity with all who are suffering, and remember that it gently points us to the reason we are here… the Incarnation… This is what Advent is about… Hope… Hope is found in the shining face of God… a face we see throughout the Advent season. It shines in the baby born in Bethlehem… it shines in the obedient, reverent love of Mary… in the willingness of Joseph… it shines in the wonder and awe of the shepherds… Advent is our invitation to receive the gift of hope anew. The good news for us during these difficult times is that the light of God does, in fact, continue to shine in the darkness. God's face will shine and reflect God's mercy and forgiveness to God’s people. This is the promise of Advent… This is our hope: the coming of the one at God’s right hand… the coming of Emmanuel… God WITH us! Advent is about the restoration of hope bringing us back into a good and right relationship with God, where we will be restored and saved… and given new life. In this day and age, where it seems evil and suffering abounds, we still have hope. Hope in the “the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.” Hope in the one who has come… revealing to the world the love of God… the one who promised to always be with us “even to the end of the age”… the one who has promised to come again in glory… bringing in the kingdom of God. It is hope that will see us through this time of darkness and back into the glorious light of God. So let us cry out: “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” O Come, O Come Emmanuel… Amen. |
Yeon Shin
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