My Home Town

Well, it's Christmas Day. We have finally tied up all of the packages with bows and finished the baking and all of the other making and it's time to settle down and just look and listen, maybe read the paper, call some friends and family in far away places, watch the kids or grand kids playing with their new toys, maybe have one more piece of that fudge or fruit-cake.

What a crazy ride it is every year, just getting to this day, and then it is all over, and we put away the ornaments and take down the lights and forget about the baby Jesus until next year. I hope that's not the case with you. I hope that you will keep Jesus in your life through the winter and spring and through summer and fall. I hope that you will follow him all the way down the dusty road... through the Judean hills into Galilee and back again to Judea and then finally up to Jerusalem for Passover and out there to that lonely hill called Golgotha. I hope you will wait for him outside of that borrowed tomb and rejoice in his Resurrection! You can follow him through God's Word. If you read a few chapters every day you can read through the whole bible in a year. You can follow him in the Holy Spirit if you will believe in him and be obedient in christian baptism.You can follow him through Faith and fellowship with the body of Christ. You can follow him all of the way home, if you just choose to stay with him and follow him wherever he leads you, because if you follow him, he will lead you home... to the only true home that we have.

I wrote this poem one day after reading another poem, a much greater poem by a much greater poet. My humble poem was inspired by G.K. Chesterton's "House Of Christmas" (You can read his wonderful poem on my 12/9/12 post on this same blog). Christmas is about going home isn't it? Christmas isn't very joyful without home and hearth and loved ones near. Christmas is about being home. Ultimately, that's what this whole life that we live is about... finding a home. Chesterton says it so well:

To an open house in the evening,

Home shall all men come,

To an older place than Eden,

And a taller town than Rome.

To the end of the way of the wandering star,

To the things that cannot be and that are,

To the place where God was homeless,

And all men are at home.

 

The trick is figuring out how to get home again... how to find our way back home, to our "home town". The answer of course is simple, just follow Jesus. Simple, but not so easy... huh? Merry Chrstmas, y'all. Here's hoping and praying you find your way home thru the darkness. You're gonna need a light.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. - Isaiah 9:2

 

MY HOME TOWN

 

In my hometown nobody’s homeless.

There’s rooms galore, everybody’s got jobs.

No orphans, no lonely, no mobs.

 

In my hometown no one goes hungry.

There’s feasts everyday, and sweets a plenty.

Nobody is in pain and nobody lies.

Nobody is bewildered and nobody cries.

 

There are no cops, cause there’s no robbers.

There’s no regulators, cause there’s no need.

Everyone lives in harmony,

No hatred, no lawsuits, no greed.

 

I aint never been there. I aint never seen it.

But I know there’s a place for me there.

My future is won, see I know the boss’s son.

His Word and his promise I bear.

 

Sounds pretty good, now don’t it?

Why don’t you come along?

I’ve got his word on it,

And he’ll never steer you wrong.

 

Don’t waste your time looking for it,

Because it’s a place beyond time and space.

It’s on a distant shore, in another land,

A place of majesty, grand.

 

There’s just one way to get there,

And it’s a long hard journey.

You can’t buy a ticket,

Nor can you work your way,

And even if you sold all you had,

The fare’s too much to pay.

 

The road is narrow and steep,

Rocky and rough, thru mists dark and deep.

A rough wooden cross marks the way.

It shows us the toll’s been paid.

There is no win without cost,

Our victory’s won thru his sacrifice made.

 

And we are to follow and bear our own crosses,

Planting them where we are told.

Helping our fellow along the way,

The weary, the young, and the old.

 

The fork to the left looks easier, straighter.

The fork to the right, less dangerous, lighter.

But keep to the narrow way,

Enter friend by the straight gate,

And you will win your prize one day.

 

One day, over a rise, beyond the last hill,

Steeples and spires in a golden vale,

And we will arrive at the gates of pearl,

Trumpets will blow, and banners unfurl,

Angels parading, legions of millions,

Creatures of wonder, heavenly minions,

Announcing our coming to the Lord’s host.

Where the meek rule, and the least are most.

Burdens will be lifted, backs unbending,

All weariness, pain and fear, ending.

And we will be clothed in robes of white,

Crowns will be placed,

Radiant, shining, cleansed in light.

 

And we will live by a glassy sea.

And God will wipe away our tears.

Eternal rapture it will be.

Forever in his presence near.

Together, forever, you and I.

Beyond the rainbows,

Beyond the sky,

Lies my hometown.

 

 

 

MJS

1/16/09

 

 

The Coming

May The Lord bless your gatherings this Christmas Eve. May his Spirit abide with you. May he watch over your coming and going in safe journeys. May his light illuminate the darkness of this fallen world in which we reside for now. May he provide plenty amidst famine. May he provide healing amidst sickness. May he mend the broken-hearted. May he bring forgivness amidst the hatred. We thank you Lord for coming and we joyously await your reappearing.

 

 

 

 

 

The Coming

 

A cold winters night,

A strange heavens light,

An uncharted star,

A beacon, so bright.

A backwater town, forgotten by all,

Save those who remember, those who hear,

The ancient voice of the prophet’s call.

Stars glisten,

Brilliant, shining.

Angels listen,

Poised, pining,

Ready to rush,

Terrible beauty,

Waiting and watching,

Sentinels duty.

Shepherds waking,

Startled, quaking.

Hearts pounding,

Chests heaving,

Worshipping,

Bowing,

Hearing,

Believing.

The stillness is broken,

A child cries.

Satan shudders,

Knows his doom,

Regrets his lies.

 

A Child is born,

A Son is given,

The Son of man,

The King of Heaven.

Immanuel,

Come to save us.

Jesus child,

The gift God gave us.

 

                       

                                                                                                MJS

                                                                                                December, 2007

           

Mary's Song

 A lullaby for thee I sing,

Whose ears have heard heavens voices ring.

A manger low for thee to lie,

Whose hands have wrought the earth and sky.

 

The angels look in awe and wonder,

That God has sent his son down yonder.

 

Oh what wonder now I feel!

That God has sent his son to heal,

The wounds of sin, the souls of men.

 

 

                                             MJS

                                             12/92

 

God Loves you, Merry Christmas!

I'd like to tell you a story about a very special person. For the sake of the story, we will just call her "Susie".

Susie has had a hard row to hoe. She is a single mom. She has some physical disabilities. She is blessed with a loving mother, but is from a fractured family. She is well acquainted with poverty. She has struggled with sin in her life, including chemical dependency, among other things.

Despite these challenges Susie is blessed beyond measure. She is blessed because she is a disciple of Christ. She is a living example of the love of Christ and what it is and what it does in the world, and what it means to call yourself a Christian. She is also a teacher... not because she is a biblical scholar or a great preacher, but because she shows the love of Christ in her life. That's the most important kind of teaching in the world. Edgar Guest said, "I'd rather see a sermon than hear a sermon". By that he meant, I'd rather see someone living Christ than talking about Christ. The bible tells us to be "doers of the Word" (James 1:22). That's what Susie is. She is a doer of the Word. She is a doer of Christ.

Let me tell you why this is true. Susie is a member of a church. Sometimes she has trouble making ends meet and so now and then her church family provides some help to her. A while ago her church family gave her some gift cards to buy food and other stuff at some local stores. One day Susie was at the store buying some things for her family and when she was done she walked outside and on her way to the car she spies a person in the parking lot. It's not important to describe this person. It's not important to describe all of the signs that presented themselves to Susie. Suffice it to say that what Susie saw was a person who was in need, a person who needed help. A brother/sister in need (which is to say, a stranger in need). So what did Susie do? She reached into her pocket and she pulled out one of the gift cards that she had received from her church family, and she handed it to this person in need and she said, "God loves you, Merry Christmas!".

Now I want you to think about that for a minute. This girl didn't have enough money for her own family, but she gave of her wealth to a stranger! She didn't have a surplus of wealth to give away, but she had something more important. She had a wealth more important than money. She had Faith! Her faith in Christ resulted in an outpouring of agape love, which resulted in her sharing this gift. A gift of true love. Now no one knows the impact of her gift, no one that is, except the person who received it and God. Susie's faithfulness may have had an impact far beyond the few dollars that were received by that stranger. Who knows what affect that love gift and those words of encouragement had on that life, at that moment in time? God knows. He knows, because he works through us to do good in the world. He works through us to show Christ to those who are still in darkness.

Now it isn't much of a hardship for most of us to give gifts to those that we love, and we don't mind giving gifts of charity to those in need, through the office, or through church. We hear the bell ringers and we drop a few coins into the little red pot when we come out of the store, and we feel good about what we have done. But what if we decided to give of our wealth... to really give to those that God presents to us. What kind of difference might we make in the world if we really gave of our treasure? What a difference could we make if we decided to give like Susie did! Jesus makes note of this kind of giving. The Gospel of Mark tells the story of Jesus' observing and commending this kind of sacrificial giving by the widow in the temple (Mark 12:41-44). If a "widow's mite" can be used of God to make much good in the world, imagine what God would make of our gifts, if we would just give them. Imagine what good would be done in the world if our faith were as mighty as the faith of the great ones... like the widow, like little Susie.

Give to a stranger and then tell him, "God loves you, Merry Christmas!"

Give a gift this Christmas. Give of your wealth. Give of your time and talent. Give without expecting anything back. Give without anyone knowing. Give a gift like he gave to you... like he gave to me.

Christmas Without Cathy

I lost a really good friend about ten years ago. I still think of her often. I tend to think of loved ones past during Christmas. This one's for you, Cathy.


 

Christmas will be a little dimmer, a little less joyful for me this year, since I lost a good friend. Cathy loved Christmas and all that goes with it. She loved to laugh and sing and talk… maybe even gossip a little. She loved late night television shopping on the Home Shopping Network. She loved good food, good music and good books. She loved life.

 Her humor and cheer were infectious. When Cathy laughed, everyone laughed. It was simply irresistible.  I often came to see her, with the intent of cheering her up, to minister to her, if you will. I would usually leave feeling a little guilty, knowing that I was the one who had benefited most.

She was the bravest person that I have ever known. She refused to be defeated by disease, or suffering, or lost freedom of movement. She knew the true value of things that I take for granted every day. She woke up, faced her situation, and lived her life every day with love, courage, and vitality, in spite of the difficulty and the pain.

Most people approach the age of 40 with some degree of trepidation. Cathy considered it a personal victory. Every day of life was a new record for her, a personal best, as they say in the world of athletics.

I know that I shouldn’t be sad, because Cathy isn’t here to see another Christmas with me. I can’t help it. I miss her. It helps to know that she is seeing her first Christmas in Heaven. I hope that I can share it with her some day.  I can’t imagine what glories are present there to see. I’m sure that Cathy is seeing them all, experiencing the unimaginable delights. I have no doubt that she has joined the choir.

After she has rested a while, I think God will call Cathy to him. I think he might say, “Cathy, I have a very important job for you.” “I want you to teach the angels to laugh.”  No one could be more qualified for the job. Only someone who has suffered can truly be joyful. Maybe that was her secret, Lord knows she suffered so. When I think of her though, I remember her cherubic smile, her sprightly humor, and her laugh. I can still hear it.

 Yea, I think the angels are in good hands with Cathy as their instructor. I wonder what it sounds like, when an angel laughs?

 

                                                                                                            MJS

                                                                                                            12/13/02

Rest For the Weary

Christmas is coming and we sing the old favorite carols again. One of my favorites is, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”. It tells of the angels singing on that night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Wouldn’t you love to have heard that angel chorus? I wonder what it sounds like when angels sing? One day we will hear them.

My favorite verse of that old carol says,

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,

Who’s forms are bending low,

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow,

Look now! For glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing

O rest beside the weary road,

And hear the angels sing!

Jesus came to heal creation of all infirmity, to heal it of sin, to heal it of death. In Revelation 21:5 He declares, “Behold I make all things new”. No more tears, no more pain.

Isaiah 40 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Let us renew our strength in the Lord, as we remember the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Messiah, who died for us, and who lives again and sits at the right hand of God.

 

Let us shake off our weariness and climb on, in the hope of the unseen promise. Let us be still and listen for the angels voices singing.

Preparing

As we prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas, let’s remember the wonderful and marvellous way that God came into the world. Let's remember the perfection of God's plan. Let's remember God's amazing Love. Let's remember the profound combination of God's Love with his Truth, without both we are doomed to destruction. Let's remember the reason for the coming of the Christ Child born in Bethlehem.

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…”

He came when God had prepared the world for his coming.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

He came in a way that we could understand. He came in the flesh. He walked among us. God walked among us again, just as he had done in Eden.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…”

He was a gift from God. He was given to us. He was given for us.

Among the gifts that the Wise Men brought to Jesus was myrrh, an expensive oil or resin that was used for burying the dead. Along with frankincense, it was also burned as incense in temple worship. It is clear, that even at his birth, Jesus was already being prepared as a sacrifice for us.

Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Life and the Truth”.

Let’’s remember his Way, the only path to salvation.

Let’s remember more than his birth. Let’s remember his life which was given for us, and his death, which purchased us, and his victory over death, which saves us.

Let’s remember his Truth, the Truth that sets us free.

 

Let’s prepare our hearts for Christmas.

 

MJS