Author: Daren Bernecker

By Pastor Wes Poole

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, 

the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. NRSV

The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding. 

Martin Luther, Table Talk.

From my illustration archives…

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, “I am your king!” The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the coarse food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!”

God is willing to make most any accommodation to have fellowship with us. Even becoming human.

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God is willing to make most any accommodation for us. What an amazing truth! This God we worship simply will not tolerate a diminished relationship with His cherished children. With all that we celebrate during the “holiday season”, this is perhaps the most profound of God’s gifts. In the church, we call it the Incarnation, the “Word living among us” as John the Evangelist reminds us in that deeply theological first chapter. Of course, with the two millennia of hindsight we enjoy, we know the true breadth of that gift. What will culminate at Easter began in that stable in Bethlehem. I think it is also important that we take note of just how God chose to come among us. While the Son of God could have legitimately become incarnate with great fanfare and splendor, he chose poverty and the humblest of circumstances. Strength through weakness, power through humility and service; these were the hallmarks of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the example he set for us all. While the need to serve our neighbor and relive the plight of the poor will always be at the heart of faithful, Christian ministry, 2020 has brought into extra high relief that perpetual need. Like the innkeeper who provided the Holy Family with what he was able, so do we look around us, see the needs of our brothers and sisters in our communities and beyond, and do what we can to meet those needs in the Name of Jesus. There is no greater witness to the eternal truth we celebrate at Christmas. God has given the gift of Himself. May we also continue to give of ourselves; making the glad tidings of Jesus and his love known to all people! 

Let us pray…

Incarnate God, you came among us to show us the way to live in service to you and our neighbor. Through your Incarnation, you showed us the truest examples of love and self-giving. As we celebrate your nativity at Christmas, help us never to lose sight of the plight of the poor and needy. The Holy Family depended on the kindness of others. May our lives and our good works show the world that all people can depend on us. We ask these things in the Name of Jesus, Our Lord Immanuel. Amen.

Be well, be kind, and be safe!

Blessings,

Pastor Wes †

By Pastor Wes Poole

Luke 2: 10-11

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. – NRSV

The seasons of Advent and Christmas are times I really cherish.  The warmth of a loving God, revealed to us in the birth of His son, is made all the clearer to us as we celebrate together in the brisk cold of our Northeastern Winter. The weeks prior to Christmas are filled with a living tension and expectancy. God is coming!! After this, everything will be different. Even the festive, secular, and often overly commercial side of the season merely seems to add to the wonder, the beauty, and the sheer magic of this most blessed of celebrations.  

I recently watched, for the umpteenth time, one of my favorite movies, based on one of my favorite book series’, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Now many of you may think that’s a strange place to go for inspiration in writing an Advent devotion. Perhaps, but one thing I always take away from the film, which was very close to the book, was the sense of wonder in the eyes of the main character. Young Harry’s entire world was changed practically overnight. The dreary, joyless life he had led heretofore was transformed into one of limitless possibility and continual amazement. The look of pure, unadulterated delight in Harry’s eyes as his new life unfolded was poignant and quite touching. This is the look that can be seen in the eyes of the believer when we realize that God, in the person of a helpless little child, has transformed our existence into something new and wonderful. Life as it was known before is no longer. Now we see everything in the context of our new life in Jesus Christ.  

As we travel together the journey of Advent towards the miracle of Christmas, I hope we can capture some of the breathless amazement at the blessings our God has given us. Yes, this will be a Christmas like no other. COVID, once again, is forcing us to do things differently to keep one another safe. Nevertheless, COVID cannot change the fact that we are a family of faith, united together in the great hope that was first realized in a stable in Bethlehem. God has come among us and has changed us. Sin’s attempts to enslave us have been rendered futile and we have been set free to tell God’s story to the world. Let us stir up in ourselves and in those around us the wonder that is Christmas. It is the most miraculous story ever told. May we always tell it with the delight and wonder of a child!

And may Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit grant us a truly blessed celebration of His Son’s Nativity.

Let us pray…

God of all wonder and joy, we come to you in this most blessed of seasons to give you thanks for the advent of Immanuel in our lives. Help us always to show others the way to joy of living life in the light of your grace; shown in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is in his name we pray. Amen.

Be well, be kind, be safe, and be joyful! Immanuel is coming!

Blessings always,

Pastor Wes †

By Pastor Wes Poole

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.  He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. NRSV

’Tis the Season!” once again!  Advent Hymns (sung in the silence of my heart!), gold tinsel, Christmas Shopping, Advent Calendars, houses decked out with lights and assorted finery, churches adorned with Chrismons and greenery, Christmas Carols (timely or no!), and the positively over the top festivity that is the “Holiday Season”!  With all the different activities going on this time of year, I suppose it would be easy for the season to develop a bit of an identity crisis…and I guess it does for many people. For me though, I just try to keep one thing in the center of it all…the Godchild, Immanuel, God who is with us being born among us…Jesus Christ the Savior of humanity and the ultimate hope for all people. That is the Spirit of Christmas. Nothing at all, neither pandemics nor purchasing pandemonium can change that. When we realize that and allow it to permeate the tone of this truly merry season, we don’t have to deplore or feel guilty about all of the secular trappings that come along for the ride. I love everything about Christmas…OK, so I’m not too crazy about over crowded malls and the hyper shopping that’s part of that…but that’s just my problem…and this year is all about online shopping anyway!! ☺ 

For the Christian, the period of transition starting with Advent and continuing through Christmas and Epiphany cannot be underestimated. Now is the time when we hear again and ponder the amazing beginnings of the Story of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Story of God coming among us and changing the way we see our place in Creation. Because of the One whose birth we will soon celebrate, we have been put right with God and set loose on a world whose people still need to hear the Story told over and over again. We’re the ones who are now charged with keeping the Story alive and proclaiming it to all of our brothers and sisters. It begins now, in this watchful season we call Advent and continues throughout the year as Story unfolds…birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. It is the Life Cycle of the church; the Life Cycle of our faith. In this most festive of times, let us rededicate ourselves to the ongoing journey that is our life of faith.  

May the blessed and joyous spirit of this holy season inspire us to serve faithfully all year long!

Let us pray…

God who is with us, we thank you for this time of celebration and preparation, as we look for the coming of the baby in the manger. During the festive nature of this season, grant us generous hearts and a renewed zeal for service in the coming year. May we see the radiant face of your Son in the faces of our brothers and sisters everywhere; that we might continue to reach out to others in his Name. For it is in the Name of Jesus the Immanuel that we pray. Amen.

Be well, be kind, be safe, and enjoy this blessed season!

Your Partner in Christ,

Pastor Wes†