Category: Kim’s Blog

Joy to the world! O come, all you faithful! Angels we have heard on high. It came upon a midnight clear. The first noel. Feliz navidad. Sleigh ride. Silver bells. Jingle bells. Can you even imagine this season without music? Without the countless concerts and the carols accompanying you as you walk down the aisles of the grocery store? “In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas,” simply because of the ubiquitous Christmas music we hear this season.

The glad tidings of great joy to ALL people cannot be contained in words alone. We need music to express our sentiments this time of year, and lots of it. That’s why there is lots of Christmas music. There is the music that we sing in church; the conventional carols. There is popular Christmas music. There is country Christmas music. There is sacred Christmas music. There is classical Christmas music. All kinds of music. All themed to the Christmas season. It just shows you that the glad tidings of Christmas are celebrated by people of all musical tastes! All kinds of music lends itself to the themes of this season, themes of love, giving, and peace. Music exposes everyone to Christmas and spreads those glad tidings ever more widely.

Prayer: We are grateful for the music of this season. The glad tidings cannot be contained in words alone. We need melody and harmony and rhythm and tempo to share the feelings evoked by Christmas. Music is a beautiful gift for sharing what longs to be conveyed. Music lifts the spirits and touches the heart and we are thankful! Amen.

Evidently, two years ago, the prime minster and defense minster of Israel directed the Israel Defense Forces and the country’s intelligence and special operations agency to prepare for a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. The heads of both organizations were opposed to this initiative and never fully prepared for a stike. These leaders have now retired and have spoken out in opposition to an Israeli attack against Iran.

I found it very interesting that these leaders had the strength of conscience to undermine their superiors by not cooperating with the directive they were given. My impression is that it is rare to see such defiance at such a high level unless there is direct personal interest involved. And yet, it is heartening to hear of people following their consciences and doing what they believe is right from a moral and practical perspective.

Meaningful change in the world can happen when people take responsibility for doing their part, and sometimes that means not doing something that is expected of you. On a more mundane level, pertinent to the holidays, I know someone who felt obligated to give her extended family members gifts on Christmas, even though she knew they already had too much, and did not need another sweater, or another tie, or another bottle of lotion. But she went along with it because it was what was expected. Then one year, she broke free and gave each person a card with a note about the organization she had given a donation to in their name. She was very thoughtful, giving to things she knew each one cared about. She was concerned about how this would go over. The next Christmas, she got cards from some of her relatives who had donated to efforts that she cares about. So, this was accepted. Or at least, it was not rejected and she was not condemned for it.

If we believe that the birth of Jesus is glad tidings of great joy to ALL people, then we need to be ready to live those glad tidings in ways that may be defiant, subversive, or offensive to some. But if we simply support the staus quo, then who cares that Jesus even came at all? Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people is a big message, a world changing cataclysm. It’s not the usual “What’s in it for me?” perspective that motivates much of human behavior. So, get ready to rock the boat with those glad tidings!

Prayer: The glad tidings of Jesus’ birth are earth shaking and soul quaking. May we have the courage live those glad tidings whatever the cost. Afterall, that’s what Jesus did. Amen.

Church signs definitely have a lot to say! And, yes, this one appears to be incredibly ironic. America’s joyous future? But, if you are an alcoholic, or an abused spouse, or have an eating disorder, or a drug problem, if you are worried about a teen, or poor and hungry, the meetings on this sign are good news. It is good news to know that there is somewhere you can go for support and solidarity. It is good news that there are others facing the same problem; you are not alone. It is good news that there is a community of acceptance and not condemnation. It is good news that there is a place of safety and healing. And, of course, this is just what the church should be. This sign shows the church sharing good news of great joy to those who are facing significant problems in their lives. Offering the space and the opprtunity for comfort and growth is good news. Good news to the addict, to the victim of domestic abuse, to the troubled teen, to the hungry and poor. This church is sharing good news and helping to create a joyous future for the people who come to the meetings. This church is making a contribution to a brighter future. It is committed to glad tidings of great joy to all people.

May we be such a church, too.

Prayer: Jesus did not come because everything was going well in the world. He came to offer healing and hope to those who need it. May the church always look for new ways to contribute to that healing and hope in the world today. May the church be glad tidings, not just to those whose lives are going smoothly, but to those who are seeking help with their troubles. We pray for all those in need of safe space, acceptance, and support. May they find it at church. Amen.

Well, we’ve almost made it to Christmas. Do you hear the angels sing? Are you being swept away by the glad tidings? Have you seen the star?

In the book, Wild, Cheryl Strayed chronicles her experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. She leaves behind the comforts of what we would consider a normal American middle class life to hike and camp out in the wilds for weeks. Toward the end of the account, Strayed comments: “I didn’t know how living outdoors and sleeping on the ground in a tent each night and walking alone through the wilderness all day almost every day had come to feel like my normal life, but it had.”

As we consider the theme “Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people,” we might consider what has become normal for us. I would suggest that “bad” news has become “normal.” The paper is filled with bad news – government problems, financial problems, killings and crimes, global warming, war and violence the world over, corruption, declining student achievement, increasing rates of obesity, accidents and deaths, and so on. Ask someone what’s going on in the world and you better be ready to sit down and listen for a LONG time to all the bad news.

Ask about the glad tidings, the wonderful, positive things going on, and the response may be quite brief. That’s not because it is so, but because that tends to be what we know. The negative has become our “normal.” To choose to see and spread glad tidings is practically an act of subversion. There are countless good things, medical advances, acts of generosity, amazing achievements, expressions of compassion, positive improvements and significant strides taking place in all aspects of life. To see them, know about them, and share them – that is to create a new normal. A perspective that expects and sees the goodness in life. And it IS there. Everywhere. All the time.

This does not mean that we deny the bad, the heinous, the evil that goes on around us. But it means that we are not cowed by it. We do not orient our lives to accommodate the fear and negativism of that “normal.” Instead, we trust in the power of love and goodness to triumph. In short, we trust God. Look for the glad tidings. Listen for the glad tidings. If necessary, dig for the glad tidings. They ARE there.

Prayer: There is so much suffering and injustice in the world. Jesus came to respond with love and compassion. He triumphed over evil with goodness and mercy. His witness continues each and every day. May we look for it with openness and joy. Amen.

Yesterday I mentioned our new dog, Andre. He is pure delight. Cute. Playful. Engaged. Attentive. But he is a dog. And that means he does not have an imagination. Humans are the only animals to be endowed with imagination. Our minds have the ability to envision what does not yet exist. We have the power to create realities, images, possibilities, scenarios, and concepts that are not yet factual reality. We can plan and dream for days, weeks, months, and years into the future. Our imagination makes this possible, and we are the only living beings with this capability.

Imagination is a wondrous gift. It is the source of all that we have accomplished in human history. And, amazingly, it is the reason we can envision how we will progress as a human race. Our imagination gives us the ability to dream of peace, of a clean sustainable earth, of all people fed and clothed and sheltered, of health care for all, and of every child loved and cared for. It is our imagination that fuels these hopes and dreams. And these images have the power to impact behavior and choices and values and policies.

We cannot leave imagination only to the realm of entertainment. We need to use our imagination to envision and create a world of justice and peace, compassion and generosity.

Stars. Angels. Shepherds. Dreams. Wise men from afar. These images stir the imagination. They inspire us. The capacity to imagine is a glad tiding of great joy to ALL people. We need to celebrate the imagination. Affirm the dreaming of dreams. Nurture visions. Foment creativity. This will spread the glad tidings of great joy to ALL people.

Prayer: We are grateful for our capacity to imagine. Help us to dream your dreams. Give us your visions. Inspire us through Jesus to spread glad tidings of great joy to ALL people. Amen.