Happy Pentecost or Whit Sunday! This cartoon seemed like just as good a one for this day as any. Besides, what better day for a little pop-up evangelism than Pentecost Sunday?
Pentecost Sunday in many churches commemorates the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Disciples after Jesus ascended to Heaven. You can read all about it in Acts, Chapter 2. Suddenly, this group of followers transformed from a timid group to one that was willing to do anything to share the good news or Gospel.
Frequently, we feel less peace and joy and more Christmas stress. With two days to go, it feels like the stress level has gotten to an all-time high.
Christmas stress has always been prevalent. I wrote about it and drew this cartoon in 2012. But of course, the last two years have had added layers of stress. We just don’t know what the future holds. Short-term and long-term planning seems impossible.
What do we do when the stress is getting to us? How can we keep from taking it out on our loved ones with a strategically placed wreath? Slow down, take a deep breath and remember the reason for the season.
“When they [Magi or Wise Men] saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:10–11 (KJV) via Bible Gateway.com
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”
Why do we celebrate? It isn’t about any of these:
It is about a baby and the hope he brought a cold, dark world. The winter solstice has come and the days are already getting longer. Winter will be here for a while, but summer is coming. The Light of the World has come into the world as well. We can slow down, celebrate, and know things will be all right.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
James 1:17 (KJV) from BibleGateway.com
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. I’ve written before how I love this time of year.
This holiday weekend, I’ve read about flash mob robberies. It is where a group of thieves organize themselves to rob a store. The number of criminals overwhelms store employees so that they get away with the goods through brute force. As a result, thieves take what does not belong to them There is nothing good about taking what doesn’t belong to you.
You can’t take a gift. No one can take what is already given. When a gift-giver gives something with no strings attached, it is a sign of goodwill and generosity. A gift isn’t earned. It cannot be taken. It is frequently a sign of affection and love.
I have witnessed love through generosity and affection this weekend. And I will witness it today as I go to church and get ready to teach elementary kids about how contentment can prepare our hearts to be generous no matter how rich or poor they are. We will say, “You can always use what you have to help someone else.”
Good and perfect gifts come with no strings attached. There is no emotional baggage or terms. Advent reminds me that a good and perfect gift is coming. It will change the world forever. While it’s true the world can still be a dark place, there is hope in a good and perfect gift.
May the light of this season illuminate our hearts as we realize we can be the recipients, and perhaps the patron, of good and perfect gifts.
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Isaiah 9:2 (KJV) via Bible Gateway
I recently wrote an article for Church of God news on a California pastor’s effectiveness at developing leaders. It is good when someone takes a leadership role. It is even better when a person mentors others to be leaders as well.
This has got me thinking about how I can be more effective as a leader.
This pastor is making an impact in his community. I got a lot of great lessons from his example.
I had the pleasure of writing about two pastors with a legacy of faith at CHOGNews: Household of Faith: Pastors Cherish a Long Legacy in the Church of God
Both pastors had compelling stories on how their legacies affected their call to ministry.
Both pastors emphasized while their family lineage was something to cherish, neither was called just because it was the family business. In fact, they may have hesitated because they didn’t want to enter ministry simply because it was expected of them.
But each traveled on different journeys. to get there.
One pastor ran from his calling and lived a life far from God until he was called back to faith and ministry. It’s a compelling story of redemption. He has been near death twice. He has a testimony that maintains nobody is too far gone to be saved.
The other pastor felt the call after he had been out in the workforce for three years. His career was flourishing, but he found the call to ministry irresistible. He has benefited from the mentorship of his father and is passing that legacy to the next generation.
I resonated with their stories because, though I haven’t been called to pastor a church, my grandfather was a pastor. I felt similar pressure to perhaps go into ministry because of my legacy. Now mind you, nobody placed that pressure on me but myself. Still, I felt it and didn’t want to succumb to it just because it was part of my ancestry.
At the same time, the legacy of my parents, grandparents, and preceding generations had a profound impact on my life and the lives of my children. While only my maternal grandfather was a pastor, all faithfully lived their lives in powerful ways.
Legacies are important facets of our lives. They don’t totally define us, but they are a part of us. Some of us have great legacies that can be cherished. Others are working through baggage brought on by our family history. Every family has some skeletons in their closet—even good families.
We are not ultimately defined by our past, though it is part of our definition. We can embrace the good aspects of our family of origin and learn from the less than the pristine side of our family of origin.
Today, we have an opportunity to affect our future generations. If we are called, we can answer that call. If we need to address the sins of the past, let’s do it and give the following generations a good start. It reminds me of a song by Steve Green, May all who come behind us find us faithful.