January 3, 2011

A few thoughts concerning love, trust and obedience.

Love, trust, obey, these three simple words sum up the lives of Mary and Joseph.  Both of them were loyal observant Jews who loved God with their whole being.  Out of this love there was an implicit trust in God and, most important, an obedience to the wishes of God.  It is out of this simple trust in God that our savior, Jesus was born and reared by the holy family.

Mary who was to be the mother of Jesus was a teen aged virgin engaged to Joseph a skilled carpenter.  Mary demonstrated love and trust in God when the angel of the Lord came to her and informed her that she was to be the mother of the Son of God.  She trusted God.  Her response to the angelic visit as recorded Luke 1, 41-45 was:

My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

Joseph was engaged to a Mary whom he loved.  He was distressed when discovered Mary’s pregnancy.  He knew he was not the father of the unborn infant.  His first impulse was to marry her to prevent her being persecuted and possibly killed for having a child out of wedlock.  He resolved to divorce her after an appropriate period of time.  His love and trust in the Lord was put to the test when in a dream an angel of God asked him to fully accept Mary because she was to have God’s son.  Joseph was instructed to name the new born Jesus.  Thereby Joseph and Mary provided a normal home for Jesus.  Mary and Joseph made this possible by their love and trust in God as evidenced in there obedience to God’s will.

Joseph’s love and trust in God was put to the test a second time just 12 day’s after our savior’s birth.  Joseph was once again was told in a dream by an angel of the Lord to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt.  They were to remain there until told they could leave.  Once again Joseph obeyed Gods request out of his love and trust for the almighty.  He took Mary and the new born Jesus to Egypt.  The reason for this visit by the angel of the Lord was Herod’s plan to have all male children under age of two killed.  Herod ordered the killing of infants to prevent the birth of the king of the Jew’s (Jesus) from threatening his throne. 

The third and fourth instances of Joseph’s trust in God and obedience to his will also occurred after visits of angels in his dreams.  An angel of the Lord informed him of Herod’s death and instructed him to leave Egypt and return to Israel.  After the holy family’s return the angel returned in another dream and told him to leave Judea and move his family to Nazareth in the district of Galilee to insure Jesus’ safety .

It was through the love, trust and obedience of both Mary and Joseph that Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, Emmanuel, the Prince of peace came to us to conquer sin and save all of humankind.

Thank you Mary and Joseph for the love, trust and obedience to God that allows us to pray,

“Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.”

December 27, 2010

Today I would like to share some of the comments I have received about our Christmas Service and Snowshoe Community: 

“Our family feels very blessed for this is our eighth Christmas in this lovely quaint place.  We would like to express our gratitude to you – a church that welcomes visitors with open arms!  Not one year have we left your church without feeling the magic and warmth of the Christmas spirit and that makes our stay extra special!

We are sure that there are needs in your community.  Please use this money where it is most needed.

With kindest regards may you & your loved ones have a blessed Christmas.”

Name withheld

The kind contribution of this guest will be used for outreach to some needy person in the Snowshoe area.

Another comment:

“I recently watched a couple of those sappy, ie, heart warming Christmas specials. You know, the ones about a community always coming together, helping about, caring about each and actually going out of their way to help strangers (no matter how dumb they are)  That’s when I realized, Hell, that’s where I live.”

          Name withheld

The last statement is a good comment about each of us.

I appreciate your comments and can’t help but sharing the great ones.  I hope you had a merry and holy Christmas and wish you all a happy and blessed New Year.

Jim+

December 25, 2010

Yesterday, Christmas Eve was magical on Snowshoe Mountain.  The trees were encased in snow white crystals.  The sunlight reflecting over the snow covering made for a truly memorable Christmas Eve service at Chapel on the Mount (St. Bernard’s Chapel).  The congregation in the Chapel included 300 guests and home owners.  The choir was outstanding (Martha, Sue, Thomas, Mike, Doug, Sally, Doris, Caroline and Gillian).  The service went smoothly.  I would like to thank the ushers (Fred, Jay, Martin, Rodney, Michael, Ronnie and Tim).  The service would have been much poorer without the assistance of Hannah, Ashley, Connie and Steve.

Yesterday Sally Adkins sent me a poem by her brother the Reverend David Kirk , I would like to share it with you:

“Special Grace”

Tis the time of special grace

Eternity touches troubled earth

Shows us a merciful face

Tis the season of God’s birth.

Tis the time of special grace

Light invades the darkest night

Illuminating every earthly place

The poor are rich, the blind have sight.

Tis the time of special grace

The gift of love is on display

I see it now in your face

This love, this truth, the way.

Tis the time of special grace

Sound the chimes, a child is born

A son given to the human race

Ring the bells, blow the horns.

Tis the time of special grace

Peace comes to touch the earth

Hope enters our deepest space

Tis the season of God’s birth.

David Kirk

May you and yours have a joyous and holy Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year

Jim+

December 12, 2010

Bummer of a Sunday, I got stuck trying to get over Mace Knob, but got out of the ditch OK.  Called Joyce to tell her not to come to Church; no answer at home.  Back tracked to see if she was making it, sure enough she got stuck on Mace Knob.  Got her extracted and went home, too dangerous to tackle Elk Mountain and by the time Joyce was rescued it was already after 9 AM so I ended up missing both services.  I really wanted to hear Sue's sermon; sorry Sue.

Jim+

December 12, 2010

I had the pleasure of doing my first wedding, Ginger and Andy.  All went well, Gingers ceremony was beautiful and The bride looked stunning and radiant, just as we all feel she should.  Join me in wishing the the newlyweds a blessing.

Jim+

December 12, 2010

Fourteen to eighteen inches of crystal white snow fell in the mountains of West Virginia over the last two days.  The mantle of white reminds us of the approach of the birth of Christ. The coming of the Prince of Peace is a time of great joy and gratitude for God’s gift to us.  Peace is difficult in this stressful world.  We must remember Jesus’ example of simplicity and patience.  Often our response to Christmas hype coupled with our natural excitement during the Yule time leads us away from simplicity and patience. 

Sue Owen has graciously agreed to give the sermon next Sunday which will help reduce my stress over the holiday season.  Please come to the Chapel on the Mount to hear Sue’s inspiring Advent message.

Have a blessed, holy and calm Christmas.

Jim

November 28

John the Baptist was a wild man!  He is described as a person who lived in the wilderness, wore camel’s hair clothing and a leather belt; his food consisted of locusts and wild honey.  Today he would be called mad or if we are more kindly, we would refer to him as the last of the hippies.  The wilderness was and still is a place dangerous to human life.  John’s message from the wilderness was simple, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

John in many ways reminds me of Tarzan of the apes.  Tarzan is a strong but simple man of the jungle pitted against the evils of the modern world.  John the tough man of the wilderness shows us that the way of the Lord to come is a difficult but simple life.   There is a fundamental difference between John and Tarzan.  Tarzan is one man against evil.  John is the harbinger of all of the fight all of us have from the forces of evil. 

Metaphorically the wilderness is where man is separated from the “light of the world”, God.   The world in the time of John the Baptist had fallen away from the true path to redemption.  The chosen people of God had strayed from God’s way. The Pharisees were a sect within the Jewish faith that felt the only way to God was strict adherence to the law without the forgiveness and mercy inherent in our creator.  The Sadducees were another Sect that did not believe that there was a life after death.  Both of these sects were comfortable under Roman rule with its reliance on the law and a life style of ease and debauchery. 

The coming of John from the wilderness is a clear preparation for the coming of Christ.  We must give up the pagan ways of the world in order for our hearts to be open to the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ.

While in the wilderness John baptizes believers in the River Jordan.  When he found Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized he lit into them with relish.  He called them snakes in the grass and proceeded to give them a sermon worthy of any hell and damnation preacher.  He accused them of hedging there bets by being baptized’ while not really accepting God’s will. 

The Messiah of whom John is preparing us for is not anti-science or anti-progress but one who preaches a simple life dedicated to the caring for our neighbors.  The babe in the manger is what the whole of creation had been waiting.  Jesus the Christ is the promised one of God who springs from the root of Jessie. 

The long awaited Messiah is also the one destined to die for us on the cross.  The thirty three years of Christ’s life are spent in bringing us into the way of God.  It all begins on the feast of nativity.  Let us come out of our own wilderness and ready ourselves for the coming of Jesus the Christ, our redeemer.