A Few Moments With God

[janbear]

O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. (Psalms 59:17 NRSV Bible)

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Rep. Maxine Waters, a Congresswoman from Los Angeles, said that one of the first people to make a difference in her life was a fifth-grade math teacher at the James Weldon Johnson Elementary School in St. Louis named Louise Carter.
"Beyond her skill at teaching math, Ms. Carter was a very loving woman," Waters says. She recalls one Saturday morning in particular. Ms. Carter had planned a class picnic. However, Waters' mother had not been able to get her ready in time to go. Waters had 12 brothers and sisters. It was quite a chore for her mother to get them all prepared, especially the girls, because it required that she spend time getting their hair all braided. Her mother was so busy trying to do everything, she just hadn't gotten to little Maxine yet. Waters thought she would be left behind.

"Then Ms. Carter came," says the Congresswoman. "She would not leave without me. She took me to her own home and washed and braided my hair and got my clothes together so I could go on the picnic. And it stayed with me forever that she would do that. If you think that a teacher really cares about you," says Waters, "then you try to live up to their expectations. Ms. Carter had high expectations for me, and--especially after that picnic--I tried my best to live up to them."

Can there be a better picture of our relationship with God? God loves us even while we are unlovable. God takes us home and washes us, as it were. God accepts us just as we are. Because we are loved, we seek to live up to God's expectations.


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Dear God, thank you for loving me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NRSV Bible)

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Paul's conversion brought him the joy of unconditional love. That has to be one reason Paul was so content in his new faith. He discovered what it is to be loved unconditionally. Nothing in this world is more pitiful than the person who is unsure he or she is loved.
It has been observed that most emotional problems can be summed up in the kind of behavior where a person walks around screaming, "For God's sake, love me." Such feelings are formed in the earliest years of our lives. As children we are constantly seeking approval from the significant people in our lives. If those significant people show their approval for us only when we do things right, then the message we get is that when you are good, you are loveable. When you are not good, you are not loveable. Love, then, is something you earn. If you have to live up to my expectations to win my love, that's conditional love.

Rigid obedience to the Law makes God's love appear to be conditional. The message of such faith is, "I love you only when you are obedient, only when you are sinless, only when you measure up to My standards." Can you imagine what a giant leap of understanding it represented when Paul was able to write in his letter to the Romans, "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." That's a special kind of love, isn't it? It's unconditional love. There is life-changing power in unconditional love.


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Lord God, help me to give unconditional love like you have given to me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. (Luke 7:2-3 NRSV Bible)

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In a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, Dad is sitting at a desk in the living room, trying to balance the checkbook. Calvin enters carrying a clipboard.
Calvin says, "Dad, your polls took a big dive this week. Your "Overall Dad Performance" rating was especially low. Calvin hands the clipboard to his Dad. See? Right about yesterday your popularity went down the tubes.

Dad protests, "CALVIN, YOU DIDN'T GET DESSERT YESTERDAY BECAUSE YOU FLOODED THE HOUSE!"

Calvin walks away as he replies, "I'd suggest a new line of work, "DAD"....

It's not easy being a parent. It is not easy to be a dad. That's why we set aside one day a year to honor those men who dearly love us. It is a love that has been given to them from our Father in heaven.

Good fathers will have a tender heart. The centurion, in our scripture reading today, had a servant who was quite dear to him. Luke says that the centurion had "a slave whom he valued highly." We can speculate that the servant was an older man who had been with the family for many years. Perhaps he had helped raise the centurion. But now this servant was critically ill and the centurion was quite upset. He was concerned about his servant and he wanted to do something for him. He cared. He had a tender heart.

I'm sure all of our dads today can remember stories with your kids were your kind and tender heart took over. I will probably never forget the time when Matt got a splinter under his finger nail. It was so deep I couldn't get it out. Matt wasn't in any pain, but the splinter did have to come out. So off to the doctor we went. The doctor tried his best to get a hold of the splinter, but the only way he could get it out was dig it out. So, I was then assigned along with a nurse to hold Matt down as the splinter was dug out. It was certainly a low point in my role as a parent. All I could do after such a horrible experience was hug on Matt and tell him how sorry I was. As you might well guess, Matt doesn't particularly like going to the doctor. A good and godly man will have a tender heart. What is the state of your heart?


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Heavenly Father, give me lots of your love to share. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
(Matthew 8:8 NRSV Bible)

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The centurion was man of great humility. Jesus was persuaded by the testimony of the elders and went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him saying, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof . . . ." Can you believe this? Here is a Roman solider a man of wealth, power, and authority and he is saying to an itinerant Jewish teacher, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof . . . ." He was a man of great humility.
Is there any quality more appealing in a woman or man than genuine humility? I'm not talking about low self-esteem that causes others to walk all over us. Certainly the centurion was no doormat. But he recognized Jesus' power and he was humbled.

One of my favorite stories is about a bald man who decided with his wife one night to go out to dinner and have a baby sitter to take care of their two little children.

While they were gone, the baby sitter got interested in a television program and wasn't watching the children very carefully. The little boy got into his father's electric shaver and shaved a big landing strip right down the middle of his head.

When his father came home, he was furious. He said, "Son! I told you never to play with my shaver. Now you are going to get a spanking!" Dad was just about to give his son a spanking when his son looked up at him and said, "Wait until you see sister!" Dad was horrified.

He went into the next room and there was their little four-year-old daughter with her hair shaved off. By this time dad was really furious. He grabbed up his son and said, "Now you are really going to get it."

Just as he lifted his hand his son looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said, "But Daddy! WE WERE JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU!" I'm sure that little boy didn't get any punishment that night. A good person of God is humble.


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Dear Jesus, through your humility you became my savior. May I also be humble for God's glory. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17 NRSV Bible)

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On a can of room freshener there appeared these words: "Bring the clean, natural freshness of a country meadow indoors. Freshens the air in your home with a clean, back-to-nature scent--as refreshing as the summer grass and fragrant flowers of a country meadow." Following were these words: "WARNING: Inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal." Those instructions remind me of some rhetoric coming out of Washington. That which smells sweet is not necessarily healthy. That which is popular is not necessarily true.
If you were to assess the situation in Jesus' day, wouldn't you say that Caesar had all the glory and Jesus had all the pain? Caesar had power, prominence, palaces. Jesus had no place to lay his head. Caesar could pass laws that would drastically affect the lives of men and women throughout his empire. Jesus could but tell stories and hope his listeners understood. With a wave of his hand Caesar could have a person put to death. Jesus died at the hands of the state. Yes, Caesar had the glory, and Jesus had the pain. But wait. That's not the end of the story. Caesar is in the grave. Jesus has been resurrected. Yes, Caesar was popular, but Jesus brought the truth. May we live in that truth!


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God of all things, may I live in the truth of my savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The people who walked in darkness... (Isaiah 9:2 NRSV Bible)

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What does Isaiah mean by people walking in darkness? From Isaiah's point of view, darkness represented separation from God. And the Bible is full of descriptions of what it means to be separated from God.
Matthew gives us a description of darkness in 13:41-42, "They will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Separation from God is very painful.

I read a story once about some last-minute Christmas shoppers. The store was jammed, and the lines were long at the check out lanes. In addition, there was nobody available to help the customers in the store. Amid this madness, the telephone rang in the mail order office. The caller asked if two copies of a popular book were still available. The clerk went to look for the book. There was indeed two copies left. The clerk told the caller she had two copies left. The clerk ask the caller for her address. The caller said, "Never mind sending them to me. I'll pay cash for the books. Just bring them up to the front of the store...I'm the one standing by the pay phone."

May we not fall into the darkness of what this world can do to us, but let's focus on the light of Jesus Christ. He can take away all the darkness and pain, if we allow him to live in us.


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Dear Jesus, please take away the dark places of my life and fill me with your light of love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NRSV Bible)

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I read about a Sunday School teacher who asked her class to draw a picture of the Holy Family for Christmas. One little boy turned in a picture of a mother, father, and a baby in an airplane with a pilot. "Who do you have there?" asked the teacher. "That's Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus," answered the little boy, "and that Pontius the Pilot."
And after reading this story, I wandered if Pontius the Pilot was going to intentionally wreck the plane, since he was the one who sentenced Jesus to death.

Even in Jesus' death, we are reminded that Jesus is our savior who brings us light and hope.


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Father of Jesus, thank you for the hope you give me through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Give me the courage to help those who have no or little hope. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. (Isaiah 2:2 NRSV Bible)

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Isaiah said in our scripture reading today, "In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it." One day all will come to the great mountain of God. God's love will prevail.
When Jesus left behind the disciples and entrusted to them with the enterprise of telling the world the Good News of God's love and mercy, he made those disciples a promise, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also."

Advent/Christmas is that season when we look both backward and forward. We look back to Christ's coming into the world in the manager at Bethlehem, but we also look forward to a perfect world full of Christ's love and peace. And that perfect world begins with you and me!


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Dear God, with the help of your son, Jesus Christ, help me to make this world more perfect, because of your love that works through me.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12 NRSV Bible)

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The prophet Isaiah writes, "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." And in Paul's letter to the Romans, we read, "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light..." Jesus, in this Advent/Christmas season, comes to us to bring us the light of God.
Robert Caro wrote a book about Lyndon Johnson. Some of us may remember Johnson for his War on Poverty. Some of may remember him for sending us to Vietnam. But, the people in the Hill Country often remember him for something else.

The people would say, as Caro wrote in his book, "He brought the lights. No matter what Lyndon was like, we loved him because he brought the lights. There were talking about the fact that when Johnson became a congressman in 1937, at the age of 28, there was no electricity in the Hill Country. When he was elected to the Senate in 1948, most of his district had electricity. "He brought the lights.

That is what Jesus does for us in this season of lights. The book of John says it best, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."


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Dear God, come and bring your light to shine in the dark places of my life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

[For] to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Christ. (Luke 2:11 NRSV Bible)

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Jesus is our savior and the savior of our world. He came to bring God to each of us, so it is important to use this great season to renew our lives with God through Jesus Christ.
I remember reading in a newspaper article about a father who got so excited about Christmas that he order a tree house for his three children. Unfortunately, the day before Christmas, the company made a mistake and sent the man a build-it-yourself sailboat instead. He immediately called the company to complain. The operator who took his call tried to calm him down.

"Please, sir, we sincerely apologize for our mistake," she said. "But consider yourself lucky: somewhere out there on a lake is a man trying to sail your tree house."

I hope we don't make the mistake of sailing through Christmas without taking time to renew ourselves in Jesus Christ.

As the time old saying goes, "Jesus is the reason for the season." There are no Christmas sign flashing, "No room in the inn," because there is plenty of room in this season for Jesus. The question for us: Is there enough room in us for a savior?


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Lord Jesus, thank you for coming for me. I do want to make more room for you. Help me do that during this season and all year long. Amen.

[janbear]

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NRSV Bible)

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Isaiah reminds us that God brings into our world and into our lives the light of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season.
I recall a story about one of those busy days before Christmas. A sales clerk was overwhelmed with costumers. So, the manager was having the clerk take down everybody's address for a free catalogue.

The clerk took down one family's address, and the clerk trying to be friendly said, "It's a madhouse, isn't it?" "No," said one member of the family pleasantly, "It's a cute little home with a white picket fence around it."

This family didn't see their home as being a madhouse like many places are right before Christmas, but they saw their home as a pleasant place that was full of love and light. Their home was just like the stable, where Jesus was born. Most of us could not imagine being born in a barn, but Mary and Joseph made it their home. And in this place, there was a bright star over Bethlehem which marked the birthplace of our savior.

What does the light of God mean to us? It means that when we accept the light of Jesus Christ into our lives, we meet God. It means the light takes away the darkness of our lives. It means we become different people. It means we live for God and others. It means we work through the church to make a difference in our community and world. It means we have experienced God's unconditional love.


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Loving God of Christmas, help me to see more clearly the light of Jesus Christ in my own life, and help me to share him with others. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18 NRSV Bible)

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Perhaps what was most interesting thing about Mary's story to Joseph was the visit of an angel. In all his years Joseph had never even heard of anyone speaking with an angel, let alone seeing one face to face. Angels don't make a habit out of visiting humans. Or do they?
I remember reading about a minister who thought that one of his parishioners was an angel. His name was Phil, and he was a street person. Phil refused to stay in a shelter. When it got cold he would sit in the church. One night during Christmas, the church held a Christmas party after the service. The people were in the back of the church having cookies and coffee, when out of the church rose a magnificent voice, singing, "O Holy Night." It was of professional quality. Everyone rushed into the church to see who was there. "It was Phil and God," said the minister.

The Bible says, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Maybe an angle is with you today.


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God of our heavenly angels, thank you for sending your angels to touch me, heal me, and teach me. May I be an angel to all of your people. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply John said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." (Luke 3:10 NRSV Bible)

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This day was no exception. He waited anxiously for the postal clerk to weigh his packages and give him his stamps. His irritation quickly increased when he overheard a shabbily dressed man ask another clerk for $50 worth of Madonna stamps! "What corrupt influence is the government supplying society with now?" he thought. "Wasn't Elvis enough?" As the clerk in the next stall came to his clerk for extra stamps, he leaned forward to catch a glimpse of what vile picture of Madonna the old man was buying. Surprise, embarrassment, and finally laughter engulfed him as he realized that the picture on the stamps was not Madonna the rock star but the Madonna, Mary, the mother of Jesus!
John the Baptist's role was to prepare the people for the coming of Mary's son Jesus Christ. As John prepares us, he also reminds us that if you have been blessed with much, share it.

Christmas is a time of sharing. Many charities, including your church, receive most of their donations during the Christmas season. We will drop money into Salvation Army kettles, we will write checks to worthy community projects, some of us will make an end-of-the-year contributions to your church. There is something about this season that helps us see beyond ourselves to the needs of others.

In a stewardship drive one of the members sent the pastor the following letter: Dear Pastor, In reply to your request to send a check I wish to inform you that the present condition of my bank account makes it almost impossible. My shattered financial condition is due to federal laws, state laws, county laws, corporation laws, mother-in-laws, brother-in-laws, and outlaws. Through these laws I am compelled to pay a business tax, amusement tax, head tax, school tax, gas tax, light tax, water tax, sales tax, even my brains are taxed. I am required to get a business license, a dog license, not to mention a marriage license. I am also required to contribute to every organization or society which the genius of man is capable of bringing to life--including the Red Cross, the purple cross, and the double cross. For my own safety I am required to carry life insurance, property insurance, liability insurance, accident insurance, burglar insurance, business insurance, earthquake insurance, tornado insurance, unemployment insurance, fire insurance. I am inspected, expected, respected, dejected, rejected, examined, reexamined, informed, reformed, summoned, fined, commanded, and compelled until I supply an inexhaustible supply of money for every known need, desire or hope of the human race. Simply because I refuse to donate something or other, I'm boycotted, talked about, lied about, held up, held down, robbed until I am ruined! I can tell you honestly, had not the unexpected happened I could not enclose this check. The wolf that comes to so many doors now-a-days, just had pups in the kitchen, I sold them, and here's the money.

There are times when we most certainly feel the way this church member did. We have to make choices about how and where we spend our money. And yet the gift of Christmas is a gift that must be passed on to be enjoyed. Christ comes into our lives bringing unmerited love. Our enjoyment of Christmas will be proportional to the joy we bring to others through our sharing.


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Dear God, thanks for sharing your Son with me. May I also be generous in my sharing. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 NRSV Bible)

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Advent and Christmas are times when our minds naturally move toward the hope of peace on earth, good will toward all people. That was part of the great messianic hope that Isaiah described hundreds of years before in chapter 11 verse 6, "And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
There is a story, from World War I, about a very young Second Lieutenant who had been rushed through Officer's Candidate School because there was a shortage of officers. He had been sent to command a company immediately out of school. He not only was young, he looked young. He looked as if he had not even begun to shave. To make matters worse, he was commanding a company of veterans.

The first morning, he had them line up at attention. When he turned his back on them, from the rear of the ranks, someone shouted these words from Isaiah, "A little child shall lead them."

The other soldiers muffled snickers as he turned smartly around and shouted, "Who said that?"

There was silence. He said, "The one who said that, take one step forward."

Everyone in the company stepped forward one step. The young lieutenant knew he was licked and did nothing.

The next morning, however, on the barracks wall was a notice: "C" Company will report in full gear, this afternoon at 1300 hours, for a 25 mile hike. And a little child shall lead them...on a great big horse."

Every year, at this time, we rekindle our hope for peace. We look forward to that day when the wolf shall indeed lie down by the lamb, and a little child shall lead them.


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Dear Jesus, There is a lot of tension in this world and in my life. Thank you for bring me the gift of peace and the hope to share it. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20 NRSV Bible)

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One of my most vivid childhood memories of Christmas was being in the Nativity play at my home church in Darlington, Indiana. Dave Berry tells his Nativity play story that is similar to mine: The director would tell us what role we would play, based on or abilities. For example, if you were short you would get a role of an angel, which involved being part of the Heavenly Host and gazing with adoration at the Christ Child.
Being a Shepherd was my favorite role, because you got to carry a big stick with a hook on the end. Yes, it was a shepherd's staff, and it worked well for tripping and whopping people. Oh yes, there were a couple of times when I had my shepherd's staff taken away, along with the fun.

Our knowing director from year to year would try to get some of us old shepherds to become Kings, but, as you can well imagine, I had no interest in being a king. Being a king was not fun. You had to lug around the gold, the frankincense and myrrh, which God forbid you should drop because these items were valuable antiques. And of course, being a king meant not having that trusty ol' shepherd's staff.

But if push came to shove, I would become a king because it was much better then being Joseph, since Joseph had to hang around with Mary who was played by a girl. You had to wait backstage with this girl and walk in with this girl. Needless to say, you felt like a total wimp, which was not helped by the fact that the shepherds and three kings were constantly suggesting that you really liked that girl who played the role of Mary.

But, maybe we were right. It wouldn't be much fun to play Joseph. Joseph appears to be an insignificant character in the Christmas story, and in reality he was insignificant. Because Jesus is and should always be the one who grabs our attention in the manager scene and in this great season!


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Loving God, thank you for Joseph. No, he isn't and shouldn't be the main focus of our Christmas story or pageant. However, he was a Godly man who followed you. Help me to do the same and keep Jesus as the focus of my Christmas celebration. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." (Luke 1:38 NRSV Bible)

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Mary was obedient to God's call to be the one who would give birth to God's Son Jesus Christ. The greatest blessings are the ones bound up in our fellowship with God. Mary knew how important her relationship to God was.
You see, the greatest miracles in life come when we are bound to a close relationship with God. Maybe our celebration of this season would be more wonderful if we recognized that the glory of Christmas came about because of the willingness of ordinary people, like Mary, who obeyed God's claim in their lives.

I firmly believe that miracles happen today, and one way they happen is through ordinary people like you and me. There was a story in the newspapers a few years ago about eight-year-old Mark Amador's letter to Santa. He laid it on the line, "My Mom needs help bad! . . . " His letter spoke about his mother's unemployment, about them selling almost everything they had to buy food. "I want clothes and food for us to last 3 months," wrote Mark. "Hope my Mom will have a job by then."

The Tucson postal workers who opened the letter were jarred with his story and gave presents of clothing, and toys, and food to Mark, his two older brothers and their mother, Abigail. But there's more. Mark confided to Santa that he tried to be good at school but had to contend with classmates who ridiculed his ears, which stuck out. Dr. Burkhardt, a plastic surgeon, was asked by his nurse, if he would be willing to fix an 8-year-old boy's ears for nothing. "Sure," he said. "That's good, because Channel 13 is on the line." Mark's mother, was astounded by the response to Marks' letter ". . . it was a Godsend," she said. "Things like this never happen to us . . . ."

But it was Christmas! And Christmas is a time for miracles from a God who uses ordinary people, like Mary, and like you and me.


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Dear Father of Jesus, I want to be open to responding to your word like Mary was. Please guide me to be faithful to your word. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20 NRSV Bible)

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Although we might not think of Joseph as a man of great faith, he really was. The custom of the day was for families to arrange the marriages of their children. Often this involved negotiations with the parents, while the children had no say whatsoever in whom they would marry. Being a small town, they no doubt had known each other.
I'm sure that Mary and Joseph were excited about getting married. We can imagine Joseph inventing carpentry errands that took him by Mary's house. We can picture Mary making a wide detour with her water jar on the way to the well and walking ever so slowly past Joseph's shop. Joseph must have been happy. Mary would soon become his wife.

Then one day everything changed. Mary wanted to speak with Joseph. She told him about an angel who told her that she would have a child who will "be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High." (Luke 1:32) Matthew tells us that Joseph was a "righteous man" but he was having a hard time believing Mary's story.

Joseph had two choices: he could set the wedding date sooner and hope people had lost track of time, or he could divorce her. Mary was in danger. If anyone found out that she was pregnant she would be stoned to death. Matthew tells us that his decision was to quietly divorce her.

Joseph, however, was a "righteous man" and God intervened. As Joseph was sleeping, an angel from God spoke to him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife... for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." The angel told Joseph that he had the responsibility of naming the child Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins." Joseph was faithful to God's call. and, as the say, the rest is history.


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God of Joseph, help to remain faithful to you during this Christmas and all year long. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 NRSV Bible)

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According to Matthew, Immanuel means, "God is with us." You see, Mary's miracle is one of hope for all of us. It's a miracle that says that God has not abandoned us to the consequences of our own sinfulness. Rather, God sent Jesus as our deliverer, and our savior.
Last year before Christmas, Doris Young, 41, an unemployed mother living in Dallas, was sick with grief. Her 6-month-old son, had just died from sudden infant death syndrome; and the funeral home wouldn't bury him until she could come up with the $700 fee. Heather Hoffman, a social worker was doing her best to help. "I made dozens of phone calls... but no one had an emergency fund for funerals," she said. Then one of Hoffman's coworkers put in a call to a local officer who frequently urged neighborhood residents to call her if they ever needed anything. The officer was not on duty, but Sergeant Williams was on duty. As he heard about the woman's plight, he sent out an alert to patrol cars citywide. Almost immediately, officers began showing up at his police station, handing over five, ten, even twenty-dollar bills. Within hours, Williams had collected the needed money and an additional $300, including cash from his own pocket. "Maybe my son won't get that special toy for Christmas, but this was a child who would never see Christmas," said Williams. Young cried when Hoffman called to tell her the news. "I didn't know what I was going to do," she says. "I would have been lost without those officers."

That is the miracle of Christmas. Jesus, the Christ child, turns our despair into hope.


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Dear God, please forgive me. Thank you for giving me a savior. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a college freshman who decided it was about time she experienced her first college date. Her roommate, who was a senior, asked whether she preferred Southern boys or Northern boys. Since she was from South Dakota she was unaware of such nuances in the male gender and asked what the difference was.
Her roommate answered, "Southern boys are more romantic. They will take you walking in the moonlight and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Northern boys are more active. They like to go places and do exciting things."

The girl pondered the contrast and then asked wistfully, "Could you please find me a Southern boy from as far North as possible?"

This story suggests an expectation we often have when we have to make a decision in our life. We love to have the best of both worlds. We love to have our cake and eat it too. However, I think we know that when we are forced to choose which direction we will take in life it frequently involves lots of challenges. It is rarely the best of both worlds. We have some tough decisions to make this Christmas too.

"What do you want for Christmas?" That is a question we often hear during this time of the year. But the question I want to ask is "What do you need for Christmas?"


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God of peace, give me what I really need for Christmas. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

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Christmas is a celebration of how God shared God's self with us. This story tells it best... Time before time when the world was young, two sisters shared a field and mill together. Each night they divided evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. One sister lived alone, the other had a husband and a large family. Now the single sister thought to herself one day, "It isn't really fair that we divide the grain evenly. I have only myself to care for, but my sister has a family to feed." So each night she secretly took some of her grain to her sister's granary to see that she was never without. But the married sister said to herself one day, "It isn't fair that we divide the grain evenly, because I have children to provide for me in my old age, but my sister has no one. What will she do then?"
So every night she secretly took some of her grain to her sister's granary. As a result, both of them always found their supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning. Then one night they met each other half-way between their houses. Suddenly they realized what had been happening, and embraced each other in love. It is said that the spot where they met became a holy place, because God was made known to the world in a place where human beings discovered each other sharing in acts of love.

When we share and give in love most of the mud of the world will become a firm foundation of peace for all. When Jesus is around all ground can be Holy Ground.


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Lord Jesus, may the mud of my life become a firm foundation of your peace, as I learn to share. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 NRSV Bible)

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Our scripture reading tells us God's answer to our deepest longing, "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."
This Christmas we need to follow Jesus Christ. Christ doesn't need a gift or a present from us. Jesus does want our presence. Jesus does want us to share. Jesus does want us to bring God's love to our family, friends, and neighbors. Jesus wants us to make a difference for God.

"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."


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God of all, help me to do my best in fulfilling what Jesus would have me do. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a little girl in Sunday School who was asked what she had learned from the story of Jesus changing water into wine at the wedding celebration at Cana. She answered: "It is always a good idea to have Jesus around." Children can give us some great wisdom in understanding life.
The reason we often track mud into our lives, and lean on crutches, and admire ourselves in mirrors, is that we won't allow the presence of God in Christ to be reflective in our everyday existence. Christmas is a celebration and a way of life-not a one day festival of getting what we want.


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Loving God, help me to make the true meaning of Christmas a way of life all year long. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7 NRSV Bible)

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When I was growing up, I can remember making out my "want list" by pouring through all the Christmas catalogues we received in the mail. Often, I would put down the prices, so mom and dad would see how little it would cost them to get everything I wanted.
However, as we read from the Gospel of Luke, the question we should ask is "WHAT DO WE NEED FOR CHRISTMAS?" What will help us live out Christ's message of love and forgiveness? What will happen to us when the last turkey scraps are used and the cookies and other goodies have been devoured? What will we do after the excitement of Christmas is over? What will we do to satisfy the hunger for the bread of life that got lost in all the activity and busyness of this season?


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Dear Jesus, you are everything that I really need. Thank you! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 NRSV Bible)

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When I was growing up, I can remember making out my "want list" by pouring through all the Christmas catalogues we received in the mail. Often, I would put down the prices, so mon and dad would see how little it would cost them to get everything I wanted.
However, as we read the Christmas story, the question we should ask is "WHAT DO WE NEED FOR CHRISTMAS?" What will help us live out Christ's message of love and forgiveness? What will happen to us when the last turkey scraps are used and the cookies and other goodies have been devoured? What will we do after the excitement of Christmas is over? What will we do to satisfy the hunger for the bread of life that got lost in all the activity and busyness of this season?

I read a few years ago a story about a store the was jammed with last minute Christmas shoppers, and the lines to the cashier's were very long. And of course there was nobody helping people with their questions on the floor of the store. Amid the madhouse, the telephone rang in the mail order department. The caller asked if the store had any copies of a popular book left, and if they did she would like two of them. "Just a minute," said the clerk. After checking, the clerk informed the caller that there were some books left and said, "That will be $24. Do you want us to send them C.O.D.?" "Oh, never mind sending them," said the caller, I'll pay cash. Just bring them up to the front of the store... I'm the one standing by the pay phone."

This is a busy season, hopefully after today it will slow down some. But there is a lot more to Christmas than shopping. I recently read a Christmas card that clearly reveals what our focus should be this Christmas.

"If our greatest need was for information, God would have sent an educator."
"If our greatest need was for technology, God would have sent a scientist."
"If our greatest need was for pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer."
"If our greatest need was for money, God would have sent an economist."
BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS, GOD SENT A SAVIOR.


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Dear God of peace, as I welcome your son once again on this Christmas day, transform me into his image. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (Mark 1:9 NRSV Bible)

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In our scripture reading today, Jesus went to John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan river. Baptism has been given to us so that spiritually we can be cleaned of our past and given a new start. Baptism is an important symbol that says God forgives us and welcomes into the community of faith.
Baptism has also been given to us--the community of God's people. One of the greatest joys and blessings we receive as the church is to witness a person being baptized. It is a gift that reminds us of God's power and love.

I read once about a little girl who watched quietly and intently as the minister baptized her little brother. But when the ceremony reached the pouring of the water, the little girl became nervous. She edged up to the baptismal font and whispered to the minister, "And be sure to wash behind his ears too!"

Baptism is about cleansing, and it is about our spiritual cleansing through God's touch of love and forgiveness.


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Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us the importance of Baptism. May your love and grace cleanse me forever. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:25-28 NRSV Bible)

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Jacob was the son of Isaac who two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob is famous for clinching his brother Esau's hel at birth. Jacob also stole Esau's birthright which was very important part of the family structure in those days. Jacob went on to become known as the Father of Israel. In verse 28, God said to Jacob, "You shall not longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob had just sent some gifts to his brother Esau, so that he won't avenge Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob sends the caravan to Esau while he stays back by the river. This is where Jacob has a wrestling encounter with God.

Have you wrestled with God lately? In our scripture reading today, it says in verse 25, "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak." In the next verse, we are given the indication that the man Jacob was wrestling with was God. For he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." It was a common belief that no one could see God face to face and still live, so the wrestling could not continue after daybreak or Jacob would die.

Now, I was a wrestler for six years when I was a kid in Jr. High and High School. Wrestling is a very physical sport. It takes a lot of energy and focus. Our relationship with God also takes a lot of energy and focus. We need to wrestle with God from time to time. We need to work at building our connection to the one who gives us life. It is so easy to go through life and lose our focus of serving God. When we wrestle with the big issues of life, when we wrestling with ourselves, and when we wrestle with God, we learn a lot and are blessed. Jacob was blessed for not giving up. Jacob said in verse 26, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And verse 29 says that God blessed Jacob.


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Loving God, as I wrestle in my relationship with you, please bless me in your service. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. (Mark 1:11 NRSV Bible)

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In our reading today, after Jesus was baptized, a voice comes from heaven and says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." Jesus is God's son who has been given to us as a gift. It is through Jesus that we have been given an example of how to live. It is through Jesus that we are given salvation. It is through Jesus that we are given the example of how to receive God's love and share it.
Notice also that God says in our reading today, "With you I am well pleased." A good question to ask ourselves would be, "Is God pleased with us?"

In one of the PEANUTS cartoons, a little girl calls Charlie Brown on the telephone. "Marcie and I are about to leave for camp, Chuck," she says. "We're going to be swimming instructors." Marcie takes the phone and adds, "We just called to say goodbye, Charles. We are going to miss you. We love you."

Charlie Brown, stands by the phone with a grin on his face. Linus asks, "Who was that?" He answers, "I think it was a right number."

God believes that each of us is the right number, because God calls all of us to accept the gift of Jesus Christ and to follow in his footsteps.


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Thank you, O God of love, for making me important enough to give me salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7 NRSV Bible)

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Paul Harvey tells an amusing story about some airline baggage handlers who retrieved an animal carrier from the luggage bay of an airplane. As they removed the carrier, they made a gruesome discovery--the dog inside was dead. The baggage handlers panicked. They thought there might be lawsuits, and they might even lose their jobs. They told the woman passenger that her dog had been sent to another destination by mistake. They promised her they would find her dog and have it delivered to her. With that assurance, the woman went home.
The baggage handlers set out to find another dog to replace the one that had died. Finally, they found a dog that was a perfect match. They put the substitute dog in the animal carrier and sent it to the woman's address.

The woman took one look at the dog and exclaimed, "That's not my dog! My dog is dead. I was bringing her home for burial."

Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we sin, but God loves us nonetheless. Of course, sin moves us away from God, but seeking forgives through prayer brings us closer to God's fulfilling love.


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God of forgiveness, for too long I have carried around my baggage of sin that I have not let go of. Please forgive me. Please free me. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want." (Matthew 26:39 NRSV Bible)

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I remember an old story of a pastor who was visiting some of his church members. And he took his young daughter with him. As they visited an elderly couple, the couple gave her a handful of peanuts. Expecting her to show a spirit of gratitude, the father asked his daughter, "Honey, what are you supposed to say?" Sincerely, and with her eyes fixed upon the couple, she asked, "You got any more?"
I hope that is not our response to the great season of Christmas. All the gifts are now open. Some of us may being thinking about the things we wanted but didn't get. If we will allow it, God's greatest gift of Jesus Christ will satisfy all our wants and needs!


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Dear God, there always seems to be else that I want, but help me to remember that all I need is found in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse