Through Stained Glass: Advent Word of the Day-Near

Day 24:  Near      

The time is near. [Revelation 1.3]

Now is the time to make what we’ve hoped for

                                                               Longed for

                                                                                 Waited for

                                                                                                   A reality.

The time is not only near

                                    It

                                             Is

                                                      Now.

No need to wait anymore.

God is near.

God is with us.

Now.

Emmanuel.

Draw near to the ones you love as you would to a fire on a cold night and feel the warmth of life around you.

What has come near is simplicity.

God has come in an infant, a baby.

This is how God reigns.

Today celebrate the truth of God’s love.

God loved us so much that God chose to become one of us.

God came near. Love draws near. 

God loves you—and understands you.

As Jesus settled near the bosom of Mary, so we too are invited to rest near the

heart of God. From God’s hear flows the river of peace, peace that covers us, peace that soften hard hearts and hard eyes. A thrill of hope! Draw near, dear friends, as our “weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Near, God is here, now. Imagine with me, please.

The sun shines on this day we celebrate the Light dawning and we are reminded how “God is substantially present everywhere, in and through all creatures, in all their parts and places, so that the world is full of God and He fills all, but without His being encompassed and surrounded by it. He is at the same time outside and above all creatures. These are all exceedingly incomprehensible matters; yet they are articles of our faith and are attended clearly and mightily in Holy Writ…” ~Martin Luther

Draw near to the age-old truth that God and God alone is our savior. The time near, the time is now to believe in another world, God’s hope for us,

is

possible.

Today, on the nativity of Christ, May God grant you always...A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.

Draw near to the light, for the Love of God awaits your presence…

Blessings to you and yours on this Christmas day.

Through Stained Glass: Advent Word of the Day-Don't Be Afraid

Lyrics to Don't Be Afraid

Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,

My love is stronger than your fear.

Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,

And I have promised to be always near

Day 20:  Don’t Be Afraid

Jesus said to the disciples, “Don’t be afraid…” [Mark 6.50]

It is a mantra throughout scripture.

When things are about to get intense or when things are about to change, words Presbyterians have a hard time with, the messenger often begins, “Do not be afraid…”

Don’t

Be

Afraid.

You know what drives society these days, according to some researchers?

Our own unworthiness.

We are afraid of letting people see who we really are and potentially exposing ourselves, so we avoid the one thing that can make us more courageous: vulnerability. In fact Brenee Brown, a researcher at the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work and author of the best-selling Daring Greatly, says courage and vulnerability are closely aligned and the two qualities can greatly improve our lives.

Being courageous can be scary in and of itself. And at the risk of sounding like one of those pop-Christianity clichés, but these words have comforted me many times:

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

I guess that is what makes what comes at the end of Advent so profound.

When God could have remained with Godself, when God could have stepped back, when God could have give up, God did the opposite. God entered fully into the story when She took on flesh. It is as if God owned God’s story.

God

                           Became

                                                      Vulnerable.

Again, Brenee Brown says, “Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable.”

Expressing your vulnerability, accepting who you are and letting go of who you think you should be in the process are the key steps to feeling worthy of love and belonging.

Which we all are worthy of:

Love

and

Belonging.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. God wants nothing more than that from you.

In a time where everyone is trying to be the next big this or that, be yourself, as ordinary as that sounds.

Because what the world needs is you.

And that, that is pretty extraordinary.

In the birth of Christ we see the vulnerability of God.

And vulnerability is the birthplace of love.

Love is our destiny. Love is our name.

Don't be afraid...