FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD Podcast – Week 1 Our podcast between now and Christmas will be focused on God’s love for the world. We will begin with the large view of the universe and the world and then descend to look at the city and the neighborhood.

Monday, November 30 - Morning Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Comments: Embedded in the entry gates of the Coral Castle in Florida is a plaque with the foretelling sentence: “You will be seeing unusual accomplishment.” The prediction is not an overstatement. This landmark and attraction are located on the outskirts of Homestead. It is an amazing monument built by one man without the help of anyone else. Ed Leedskalnin came from a family of stonemasons; his methods have stumped engineers who have compared his techniques to that of the Stonehenge in England. Some of the stones are even calibrated according to celestial alignments. The stone walls fit seamlessly together without the use of mortar. Leedskalnin once claimed that he discovered how the ancient builders in Peru and Egypt were able to set in place blocks of stones with only primitive tools. To do this, it seems like you would almost have to defy gravity. He put each of the immense stones in place by himself. Now, our text today comes from the opening words of the Bible. Here’s what we know about God. He is immense, and the universe, as large as it is, is not large enough to contain God. He also lives in the beautiful community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In truth, he doesn’t need anything. So, the question is: why would God create our world? It is because of love. We believe that the members of the Trinity live in such love in community that God desires to widen the circle and make room for more. This is characteristic of God’s love. It shares; it expands; it grows. God’s love is not a supply that can ever run out, and with each person, his love multiplies. It is this love that moved God to make our world and to create us in his image. Of course, we may doubt all of this is true. We feel like God is far away, but in him we live and move and have our being. He is not far from any one of us. Christmas is the celebration of this truth. God came near to us in Jesus the messiah, taking on human flesh so that he might be God with us. For God so loved the world… Now, let me go back to the Coral Castle. I didn’t tell you the best part of the story. Ed Leedskalnin had been engaged to his love Agnes Scuffs, whom he referred to affectionately as his “Sweet Sixteen.” Agnes broke off the engagement one day before the wedding ceremony, and fraught with pain, the broken- hearted Leedskalnin decided to move to North America. The Coral Castle was all constructed out of love for her. He wanted their love to be remembered forever.

Let us pray: Lord God, our Gracious Heavenly Father, we don’t see that we are living in a love story. Our world is a monument to your unfailing love. You created us and redeemed us because of your steadfast love. Enable us this Christmas season to rejoice in who you are. For we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Monday, November 30 - Evening Genesis 3:14-15 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Comments: The reformer John Calvin once said that if we had only the first three chapters of the Bible, that would be enough for us to know how God planned to redeem us. We would know enough to understand the story we are living in. Our text for this evening comes from the pronouncements of God after Adam and Eve rebelled against him. Here are the words spoken to the serpent, the deceiver that cultivated doubt in their thoughts. Of course, they freely chose to turn from God, but the evil one was present through this time of disobedience. The amazing thing about these words spoken by God is that there is already a plan in place for redemption. God’s purpose has always been to redeem and restore his creation and to provide a way to life for human beings. Now, these words are the words of judgment from God, judgment on the devil and the explanation of how the seed of the woman, her offspring, shall bring redemption. Interestingly enough, in the original Lessons in Carols celebrated in the English church at Christmastime, this is the first lesson or reading from scripture. It is usually read by a choirboy, and it begins with these words: God declareth in the garden of Eden that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Now, this is more than the fact that people will kill snakes and that often snakes are poisonous and deadly to human beings. This verse is a statement of the human condition after the fall. We are being told that there will be endless hostility between the offspring of the woman, all humanity, and the forces of evil. Evil will always want to confront and humanity will always be fighting it back. There will be continual struggle and hostility. While the first two people invited evil into their lives and our world, this did not create peace. From now on, God says, they will be fighting with each other. But there is more. God says a day will come when the seed of the woman, her offspring, will triumph. Of course, the thought of the Jewish people was that they would be the ones, the seed of the woman, that would crush the head of the serpent, defeating evil for good. But the Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that the seed referred to here is really pointing to one person. That person is Jesus, the one that will crush the head of the serpent. It is this language from Genesis that is picked up in the New Testament to speak of Mary and the coming of Jesus. Indeed, this is the part of the meaning behind Jesus calling himself the “Son of Man.” This is why Jesus had to enter human flesh. For God so loved the world, he loved us and his creation, that he sent his Son, born of a woman under the law to bear the curse of our sin. It’s really all there all along in the words of Genesis. This is the wonderful story behind our redemption. Though the first two human beings turned away from God, though our hostility toward evil in our world has always been present, God has sent our redeemer, the one that would destroy the works of the devil. It is this we remember at Christmas. This is why we rejoice.

Let us pray: Holy Lord and gracious Father, we find it difficult to plan one day, and we see that you have planned our redemption from the beginning. We rejoice that Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil, defeating sin and death at the cross and in his resurrection. Help us to see the wide expanse of your love that stretches from the beginning to the end of human history. For we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tuesday, December 1 - Morning Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Comments: When I was in high school, I had the privilege for a few days to be the guest of my Florida congressman in Washington, DC. It was amazing. For example, I was invited into the lunchroom congressional leaders use and had an escorted tour of the Capitol building. It was the visit of a lifetime. One evening just as the Smithsonian was closing, this congressman got permission to take us through a special exhibit that was touring the world. It was the Tutankhamen exhibit all the way from Egypt. There were no lines or tickets needed for us. We were ushered right in and led directly to the special exhibit. It was amazing. Now, when we think of privilege, we think of special perks like this. We have access to places other people cannot visit and opportunities that other people don’t have. That is how the Jewish people thought of their relationship with God. They were God’s people. They had access to God and special privileges. But, do you know that story really misses the point. Our scripture from this morning comes from God’s calling of Abraham. Here we find the promises God made to Abraham and his descendants. Here’s the surprise. God doesn’t exclude everyone else in the world. Abraham was not being invited into an exclusive world. God was calling him to become a priest for the whole world. God’s calling wasn’t so much privilege. No, it was about fulfilling God’s purposes in the world. All nations were to be blessed through Abraham. Now, there were times when Abraham seemed to understand this, as when he bargained with God to save the city of Sodom. But, more often than not it appears he didn’t fulfill his calling. He missed God’s purpose. We can do that too! Yes, God called us and has given us life in Jesus. It is an amazing privilege to know God and to walk with him through life. But we also share this mission. For God so loved the world… What Jesus has done isn’t for just a few followers, but it is meant to be shared across the world so that people from every tribe, and language, and nation might know Christ. The idea is that the nations of the world would be blessed through you.

Let us pray: Abba, Father, we think small and easily get stuck with a limited view of your love. We think there are few people that are yours. But we see in Jesus your intention to bring redemption to the whole world, that the world might know your love. Show us what our calling is. Provide us, we pray, your Holy Spirit that we might fulfill your purposes. For we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tuesday, December 1 - Evening Genesis 50:18-21 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Comments: Years ago, Stephen Covey was traveling on the subway in New York City. At one stop, a man and some children boarded. Right away the children began disrupting the other passengers, acting up, making noise, and generally making it an unpleasant ride for everyone. Covey became more and more irritated. He thought, why is this man not watching his children? What is wrong with him that he is not a better parent? He decided he would say something. He asked the man why his children were acting up. He said: “You see, we have just come from the hospital. Their mother died this morning.” That man wasn’t an irresponsible parent. He was a grieving widower wondering how he was going to live without his wife. The children weren’t bad children, but kids who didn’t know what to do with themselves. Do you see how a situation can change when we see the context? In the scope of the few moments, the entire picture was reframed. This explains what happened to Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob. Years earlier, his brothers sold him into slavery. He was trafficked to Egypt and soon languished in an Egyptian prison. During these years, Joseph’s life was filled with pain and misery. He was alone, and his father thought he was dead. But God planned a surprising reunion. Our scene from scripture tells us what happened when Jacob died. Joseph’s brothers believed that would be the time Joseph would avenge all the wrongs they had done. But Joseph’s heart has been changed by an immense reframing. Yes, he was a slave, and yes, he was in prison. The pain and loss were undeniable. But there was more. During Joseph’s time in Egypt, he was swept into leadership under the Egyptian king. As a result, Joseph put into place a series of efforts to avert a famine. In the end, the lives of thousands and thousands of people were saved. You see, Joseph knew his brothers had done him great evil. At the same time, God was saving lives. God used it all for good. Not only is he not angry with his brothers, he also makes a pledge to take care of them and their families. This is a beautiful story to show us that God is working to save the lives of people. God is at work behind the scenes of history. Why is God doing this? He loves his creation. He loves people. Yes, for God so loved the world. There may be days when we doubt this, but we see a thread running through history showing us that God’s plan is to save, to redeem, and to restore. That is the joy we have at Christmas, and this is why Jesus came into our world.

Let’s pray: Almighty God, we see things in such a way that we get stuck. We miss just how great your love is. We can easily forget your plan for our world. We think you are angry with humanity and that we have been abandoned. But we know this is not true because Jesus came into our world. Reframe our view of our lives and our world by the cross of Jesus. For we pray in his name. Amen.

Wednesday, December 2 - Morning Psalm 67 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Comments: It was 2010 when adventurer Andrew Skurka accomplished what had never been done before. He hiked 5000 miles in a giant loop through the Yukon and Alaska. During this journey, he passed through places totally untouched by man, at times going weeks without seeing another person or sign of civilization. There were no paths to follow, only game trails and river basins. He had to avoid chest-high brush thickets and half-melted snow that could bog him down. He knew where to look out for bears and how to cross glacial rivers. He thought constantly of the weather and what it would bring his way. I’ve taken a few long hikes in my time, but nothing resembling this. When I read Andrew’s account of his journey, I was struck by the emotion of it. He spoke of loneliness and exhaustion and the humility that being alone in such a vast wilderness taught him. One time he found himself following the trail of a caribou herd and was overwhelmed with emotion, feeling as if he was just like one of these animals making his way across the face of the earth. He wrote, “This new level of self-dependence caused me to tap into a primal, ancient, and mostly lost, sense of humility that dates back to when humans were really just another wild animal on this planet.” Psalm 67 invokes this kind of humility. The author considers God’s blessing upon both mankind and nature alike. He says, “You rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.” And he goes on to write, “The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.” God’s grace and favor permeate our entire planet. How can I be so sure? It’s because he has given life, and this life is all around us. The expanse of his life-giving blessing is too broad for any one person to take in, so the psalmist says, “May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.” Ends of the earth…that sounds like where Andrew went, and he only saw a fraction of it. Indeed, God’s love – we might say his very nature – is expressed in every act of life in the world, from the wildflowers of the arctic tundra to your body and mine. He pushes his life into our world at all times. He oversees governments and nations; he judges mankind and makes things right; and he redeems. We read, “May God…make his face shine upon us so that your ways may be known on the earth, your salvation among all nations.” Well before the time of Christ, this statement attests to God’s nature as savior. He is always saving. The request for his face to shine is like asking that the light be lit in a dark room to see the treasures that were always there. And so, we hope to be illuminated with the knowledge of God’s salvation, his creative life-giving power, and his love. “May the nations be glad and sing for joy.” Indeed, what other response could be adequate for such a profusion of love. God’s love permeates our world. We can see it in every green leaf, in every act of goodness. On his long journey through the wilderness, Andrew reached a place of humility that enabled him to see the wonder of life that encompassed all creation. He felt a part of creation, and he was overwhelmed. I hope we won’t have to hike 5000 miles to learn that same lesson.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, help us to see the simple fact that your love is expressed through life itself. From the littlest single-celled organism to the most advanced civilization, the order and progress of it all comes from you. And even better than that, the ability that each of us has to give and receive love exists because you yourself have loved us, a thought that is barely comprehensible. With a glimpse into this truth, we call forth the knowledge of you to be illuminated in our world. May all see and acknowledge that God loves his creation. Amen

Wednesday, December 2 - Midday prayer Oh Father, great God of love! You are love, and in Christ you have loved us with an everlasting love. As soon as you touched us with life, you knew it would cost life to bring your love into fullness. You don’t merely give us love. You have made us with love, and you have made us part of your love. In Jesus we have assurance of this love. He has given all, and now we are yours. Amen.

Wednesday, December 2 - Evening John 3:16-17 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Comments: Jesus is God’s love for his creation. Through him all things were made, and he himself is the light of creation. His life is the light of all mankind. At the dawn of time, he shone forth, emanating from the Father. The Father spoke life into existence; the Son was his spoken word. The Son exercised the will of the Father upon the blank canvas of an empty universe. He made matter. He made galaxies. He made light and energy, and he remains the light and energy that power all things. But the Father had more to give. In the hands of the Son, he gave life. He set motion to the impossibly complex array of materials, atoms and molecules he had made. In giving life, God imparted his nature into creation. He organized and directed the energy of his creation into beings that themselves could create. They could multiply, interact, and change. Every life was like a little god, reflecting his nature and glory. The hands that wove those creatures and breathed life into each of them. were the hands of Jesus. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, sustaining all life by his powerful word. His life-giving act was not a singular event, but it continues at all times. He sustains life. He sustains us, and in him we live and move and have our being. We have our being in him. Our life comes from his word, and his word does not return to him void. Indeed, all life speaks back the one who created it. The love he has given comes back, his glory reflected in a trillion lives. And he listens to his creation. He imparted his life to them; he will never turn away or lose interest. And yet, life imparted would always feel a pull away from the creator. Able to live and grow and create on its own, it would experience its own god-like impulses, each life longing to exert its will in its tiny little sphere. Those little spheres obscured the glory that returned to the Father; they impeded the flow of his life to them; and they trapped his most precious creatures in a cruel universe of impotent self-reliance. Suffocating there, writhing like a newborn baby covered in blood, those little gods lost the light that could return them to the love of the Father. And it was in that moment that the abundance of his love reached full expression. Jesus Christ entered the world he had made with such glory. But this time it was different. This time, instead of giving, he took. He took on flesh. He took on pain. He took on the evil that had crept in. He took the horror and the alienation. He took the nails. Jesus Christ was crucified from the foundation of the earth. The tender lovingkindness he plied into every corner of creation should have been more than enough, but the Father knew that giving life would not, could not, cost anything less than the life of the giver. So, he gave the only thing he could give; he gave his Son. Nothing costs anything to God, but this did. It was the culminating act of love that reflected the heart of the Father. He himself is love. He must love, and his love is itself a universe of infinite goodness, the wonders of which we were created to recognize. A sunset, the turning of the earth, a glimpse of faraway galaxies – we can see his love in the immense glory of creation. But nowhere is it known more than in the heart that has been rescued, the heart that may now be near Christ, the heart that knows his pain and knows his glory. This heart does not observe the love of the Father or remember a long-distant act of creation. This heart has become part of his body. Enveloped by him, it beats with his love. God is love. And in Christ we are part of this love, the wonders of which will unfold for eternity.

Let’s pray: What wondrous love is this, oh my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul! When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul. To God and to the Lamb I will sing. To God and to the Lamb, who is the great I AM, while millions join the theme, I will sing. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be. And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, I’ll sign on. Amen.

Thursday, December 3 - Morning Jeremiah 31:1-3 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” 2 This is what the Lord says: “The people who survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.” 3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Comments: It’s a fun love story. It takes a while for Buttercup to realize Westley loves her. Soon she realizes his words “As you wish” mean “I love you.” Westley and Buttercup fall in love in the movie, The Princess Bride. But Westley, being poor, needs to find his fortune in order for them to marry. He leaves, promising to return to her, but he is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts and thought to be dead. The movie tells us how the two are reunited and how true love can survive death. There are so many love stories in our world. We tell them because the story of our world is a love story. These stories are about finding the one you love, losing the one you love, and finding each other again. One theologian explained that our story with God is about two lovers that became separated. Things will not be right until they are back together. The Old Testament often uses the metaphor of marriage to talk about the relationship between God and his people. Paul the Apostle of Jesus, says that marriage at its best reflects the union between Christ and his church. Now, these words of Jeremiah we have before us today are shocking. God called Jeremiah as a prophet during the worst days in Israel. The people turned away from the Lord. The Lord says to his people: I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. It sounds like a couple when they first marry and hardly have two nickels to rub together, but they have each other. They are poor but together, and they love each other. But, the scene changes as Israel forgot her wedding day and became unfaithful to the Lord. It was true, during the time of Jeremiah, the people of the Lord were taken into exile. Their city was destroyed. The moment looked hopeless. But these words the Lord gives Jeremiah remind us that the love story is not over. The Lord explains that he loves his people with an everlasting love. He told them this all along. He would never give them up. There would be a day when he would be God of all the families of Israel, and they would have true peace. Here is the Lord, the lover of his people, refusing to give up the one he loves. It’s a beautiful story of faithfulness in the face of unfaithfulness. Of course, these promises are fulfilled in Jesus. The Lord promised to send his messiah to redeem his people and to bring them home. For God so loved the world… This is the love story we are living in. Here’s what happened to Westley. He found his Buttercup, but it wasn’t so easy. She was engaged to marry King Humperdinck. She didn’t love the king, but she didn’t have a choice. And, the king planned to kill her after they got married in order to start a war. When Westley, her true love, showed up, Humperdinck had him killed. But remember, you can’t kill true love. Westley was revived just in time to save Buttercup from a very bad marriage and an early grave. How many times have we heard that story? Yes, that’s the story we’re living in.

Let’s pray: Loving Lord, we easily give up. We are so easily distracted in life. There you are loving us each step of the way. Usually, we can’t see your love, though you are always faithful. Open our eyes this Christmas to see all that you have done for us in Christ. For we pray in his name. Amen.

Thursday, December 3 - Evening Exodus 2:23-25 23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

Comments: When I was young, our family treated our across-the-street neighbor as family. She had been an orphan as a child. Then she married, but her husband died, and they had had no children. Really, she was alone in life. But she became as a treasured aunt, invited to our family gatherings and part of everything, really. As she grew older, she contracted cancer and was hospitalized. One day, visiting her in the hospital, we noticed that she had tears in her eyes. When we asked her why, she explained that she had that same doctor for decades. She knew that on this day he would be coming by to tell her that she was not going to live very long. Eunice was weeping because she knew how painful delivering that news was going to be for her doctor. It struck me that she was not weeping for herself and her diagnosis. She felt such empathy toward others she was weeping for the one delivering the news. Empathy is one of the most powerful characteristics that God has given us. It is rooted deeply in the way God created us. How did God come to create us this way? It is because it is part of the character of God himself. In our text today, we find Israel in a prolonged period of slavery in Egypt. With a change of dynasties in Egypt, Israel was treated brutally and with contempt. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, even practiced genocide by killing Jewish babies to keep down the population of Israel. Such a heavy burden was laid upon Israel that they cried out to God. Here’s what we learn. God wasn’t removed and distant. He could hear the groaning of his people and see their condition. If we have an idea that God is untouched by human suffering, we need to correct those thoughts. Here is the empathy of God. Our text says that God was concerned, but the word can mean that God cared for his people, or that he entered into the knowledge of their condition. God knew, and God cared. We need to know this about God. For God so loved the world… God hasn’t distanced himself from the brokenness and pain of our world. The gospel tells us Jesus came so that God would be with us. God entered in. Indeed, at the cross, God shared the pain and loss we know so well in our world. We are not alone in our suffering. Jesus came and suffered on our behalf so we might be assured that God knows our condition and that he cares for us. Let me tell you what happened to Eunice. Her doctor told her the news that day, but she actually ended up out living him. She fought a courageous battle against cancer by the grace of God. That was years ago, but I have always remembered her love and empathy.

Let’s pray: Gracious Father, there are times when we feel we are utterly alone, and that no one can understand what we are going through. We rejoice that you know and that you do care. Use Christmas to remind us of your goodness and your grace that we might walk with you and enjoy your presence. For we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Friday, December 4 - Morning Leviticus 25:35-38 35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

Comments: In 2003, Judge Roy Moore was removed from office by the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to remove a marble monument he had installed in an Alabama judicial building. Of course, this event caused an immense outcry from all sides of the political spectrum. We’re not going to wade into that debate. But it is important to recognize that Judge Moore didn’t put the Ten Commandments on display. He put only part of the law there. He missed the most important part. You see, the Law of Moses, as we call it today, didn’t being with the first commandment. It has a prologue that serves as an explanation for everything else. The Law actually begins with the words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Everything in the Law is based on a relationship. The Law wasn’t given as a means of salvation. No, it was given to people that had already been saved from their slavery. You see, the Law was a gift of God for the ordering of a people saved by him. It wasn’t given to the whole world, although this law would be good for everyone to follow. It would help immensely in the ordering of our lives and our world. But, you see, it begins with a relationship with the Lord. That is often a problem with the Law of God. We embrace part of it, and yet, we neglect or even deny other parts of it. That is true with the Law we read today from the book of Leviticus. We are reminded that grace was woven into the law of God. Aliens and strangers in the land were to be treated with hospitality. They are not to be seen as a means of making a quick buck because they are vulnerable. God tells his people that they must remember what it was like to be slaves, to be vulnerable themselves. And let that dictate the way you treat the vulnerable among you whether from your own people, or foreign born. Now, in the Law there is this tension that was always present. First, there was this push to purity and holiness. Israel was told not to be like the people that lived around them, but to be holy and set apart for God. Of course, this law could produce separation and exclusion of people that were different. But, also in the law, we find the embracing of strangers and outsiders. We see a clear picture of the grace of God. These two aspects of the law were always in tension: exclusion and embrace. Now, here’s the amazing thing. For God so loved the world… Jesus came to extend the embrace of God to make room for people far away from God. The Jewish people had become absorbed in exclusion and had as little to do with gentiles and outsiders as possible. They had embraced only the part of the law they liked. But Jesus came showing the generosity and love of God. He welcomed sinners and ate with them. He treated women and Gentiles with respect. Here was the embrace of God on display for the world to see. If we want to know where God stands, we can look at Jesus. And, that is the message of Christmas. Jesus has come and brought his salvation that the world might know and enjoy fellowship with God.

Let us pray: Abba Father, we look for ways to draw lines and keep people out, and you sent Jesus on a mission to open the way to life. Teach us how to embrace those far away and those near. Help us to see that we are loved by you, and show us what it means to live in your love. For we pray in the name of the one that embraced us in our sin, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Friday, December 4 - Evening Zephaniah 3:16-17 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Comments: If you are a Miami Dolphins fan, you likely will know about their amazing turnaround year. In 2007, the Dolphins lost 15 of 16 games. Yes, they won only one game that entire year. Some Dolfans resorted to wearing bags over their heads at games. It was an embarrassing year. But the next year, 2008, the team won 11 games in the regular season, a ten-game improvement. 2008 was the year of the Wildcat offense in Miami. With running backs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown running over opponents, the Dolphins had the chance to become the greatest comeback team in history. Quarterback Chad Pennington passed for more than 3,500 yards and won Comeback Player of the Year honors. Now the prophet Zephaniah talks about the greatest comeback in world history. He begins his book with the bad news. God is raising up the Babylonians to bring judgment to the city of Jerusalem. He says of Jerusalem: She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God. In her destruction by Babylon, she is put to shame. Indeed, what Zephaniah prophesied took place. But there was more to his prophecy. Here are some of the most beautiful words in the Old Testament: He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. In the great distress that comes upon Jerusalem, there is a word of hope. Here is the beautiful picture of God rejoicing over his people, enjoying communion with them. How can this be possible? For God so loved the world… Yes, their story does not change because they straighten up and get themselves together. Their story changes because God comes and redeems them. He tells them he is in their midst. He is the God that is for them. Yes, they will endure a time of hardship but it will not last forever. He loves his people and, even in their unfaithfulness, he will provide redemption. We don’t engineer our own comeback. God comes back for his people. His love wins that day, and we are left with this amazing picture of celebration, of dancing, and of God delighting in his people. Sadly, the Dolphins did not fully comeback. They were beat out by the Ravens in the playoffs. But here is what we are told about the future for God’s people: he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love.

Let us pray: Faithful and ever-present God, these days we feel stuck in a broken story, cut off from each other by the pandemic and straining to feel hope. You alone can lift us from the pit of despair and give us a firm place to stand. Only you can lead us from lives closed in to a spacious place of joy. I pray that this Christmas you remind us of all you have promised in Christ and sustain us by the living hope we have in him. Amen.

Saturday, December 5 – Morning, Midday & Evening prayers [recorded, not written]

SUNDAY, December 6 – Worship RSVP for worship: https://granadachurch.com/rsvp/ 9am - Heritage Service 11am – Contemporary 1pm - Spanish Worship

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