Refining...

Isaiah 40.3 (CEB) A voice is crying out :“Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!

This Advent season began with a bang, as the youth led us in worship in a special “Hanging of the Greens” this past Sunday (it truly was something very special). Advent is about waiting and watching for the Incarnation, the birth of the Son of God into our lives, a season that is full of hope, joy, peace, and love.

And while that all sounds great, we know that it’s not easy to wait patiently or experience hope, joy, peace, and love all the time. It takes work and from time to time taking stock by refining our thoughts, habits, and patterns of living. Refining is part of our continual deepening of our relationship with God, trusting Him to work gently in our hearts, minds, souls, and strength , but never pushing us around. Instead, we trust that God is more like air filling us with goodness, love, and blessings as we inhale exhaling all that seeks to diminish life.

This Sunday we look at refining, recognize that in us lie two seemingly competing realities. We are both sinner and saint. As the Apostle Paul rightly puts it, “I don't know what I'm doing, because I don't do what I want to do. Instead, I do the thing that I hate” (Romans 7.15 CEB).

Grace and peace,
Rev. Brian