The Highest Form of Love on Christmas

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43 (NIV)

What is forgiveness? How have you forgiven others? How have you experienced forgiveness? How does it work?

If you are interested in stories of forgiveness may I recommend www.theforgivenessproject.com
Perhaps you think it odd of me to lift up a passage about Good Friday as we are so near Christmas. However, is not the baby we celebrate the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? We remember that Simeon told Mary that a sword would pierce her soul because of the baby she held. The shadow of the cross was upon the manger in which that baby was laid. His life was never free of his fate, and thereby when we celebrate the baby we must do so with awareness as to the death of man the baby would become.
What is forgiveness? I am not completely sure, other than to say that it is the highest form of love. Luke tells us that the two criminals on either side of Jesus while he hung on the cross argued among themselves. One wanting to be saved from his fate mocked Jesus. One knowing that he was receiving what he deserved and Jesus was not stood up for the Suffering Servant.
Not believing himself worthy of forgiveness he simply asked Jesus to remember him. Rarely is such repentance ever seen. His life was a waste and he knew it. No good things would be remembered of him, and yet in the presence of Jesus he asked to be remembered, not forgiven since he could not come to forgive himself.
What a miraculous thing that he heard from Jesus, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus forgave him and gave him life! The criminal knew he had done wrong and stood convicted in his sin. This is repentance, that moment we realize we are in fact wrong. The criminal did not know about, about the highest form of love, about forgiveness. That is what Jesus offers, and in the shadow of Jesus cross he receives that which he did not deserve, but which love gave him nevertheless.

The child we celebrate is covered by the shadow of the cross in order that in the shadow of that same cross we may discover the greatest gift we shall ever know; forgiveness that is neither deserved nor expected but is given by the God who is love. Rejoice in this child for he offers us life!

Merry Christmas,
Garrett

The Grace and Truth Within

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. – John 1:14 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that the Word became flesh? How have you witnessed Jesus live among you? Where have you seen his glory? Where is his grace and truth still on full display? How do you celebrate this event?

I once heard a story of a woman in her early 30s who went to a soup kitchen with some friends to serve the needy. It was Christmas time and they all felt the spirit of the season and knew they needed to do something to help others. The group of them arrived and began to help cook, and set up the coats that were to be given away, and prepare the tables for the people who were about to arrive.
The woman had taken off her coat and set it on a chair as she helped set things up. Eventually the needy people arrived and they were served a hot meal prepared with love, they were able to look through coats and take what they needed, it all went off well. As the afternoon kept going on, one of the woman’s friends came up to her and said, “I just saw someone go off with your coat! She must have thought it was being given away.” “Oh no that is my best coat, and it goes so well with my scarf.” “Well you should go run after her and get it back.”
The woman grabbed her scarf and ran off after the lady who had mistakenly taken her coat. A couple of minutes later she returned. Her friend asked, “Where is your coat? Was she unwilling to give it back?” “No, no, I didn’t ask for it back.” “Why not?” “I was running after her and then realized I can get a new coat. So I decided to give her the scarf too, because it goes so well with the coat.”

Jesus still lives among us. Jesus lives in every kind act, in every loving heart, in every joy filled laugh, and in every moment that is full of grace and truth. That woman was full of grace and truth when she made it back to the soup kitchen. Christmas is approaching. Let us pray that this Christmas is the one where we accept Jesus into our hearts so that he lives in us not just at this time of year, but all year every year. Then people might see his glory through us!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Christmas Family Miracle

Showing a Family That God's Hope and Joy is Real!

This family consists of parents of a boy, age 13, a girl, age 11, and are raising their grandson, age 11.  He works as a painter and recently lost his job.  Without the money to buy basic necessities Christmas does not look to be a possibility.  No tree to be decorated, no Christmas meal to eat, no gifts to be given, no...  When the wife and mother was asked what she and her husband would like for Christmas she said that they wanted the children to have a good Christmas.

And they will have a good Christmas!!!  First Pres, the church that is devoted to becoming God's hope and joy, will be ensuring that hope and joy rein supreme in their household this Christmas.  Should you feel so called to help make this family receive a Christmas gift they shall never forget please send an offering to:

First Presbyterian Church

220 N. Jackson St.

Albany, GA 31701

c/o Christmas Family Miracle

Please write the check to First Presbyterian and in the memo write Christmas Family Miracle!  Join us in working together to become God's hope and joy!

From First Pres, where community happens,

Garrett

December's "Minister's Minute" from The Journal of Hope and Joy

Merry Christmas everyone!  O where must I begin this minister’s minute?  First off let me begin in the spirit of thanksgiving.  I am aware that Thanksgiving was celebrated last month, but that does not mean we cannot and should not be continually thankful throughout the year!  I am thankful for each of you who are reading this letter.  “Pastor,” some might be asking, “why are you thankful for me?”

The last month of my life has been a whirlwind of experiences.  As Melinda’s pregnancy progressed, I took comfort from the multitude of you all who told me you were praying for us.  As we found ourselves in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I was reassured by the calls many made before hand to make sure we were holding up well.  As we stayed in that hospital looking at our son and wondering where life would lead us, I was blessed by many of your calls, visits, and gifts as you each became a part of our joy.  As we arrived home, I was honored to have so many bring us food and gently demand we call should we need anything at all.  And as I sit here today, writing this to you all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that God would see it fit to allow the life of my family to intersect with each of your lives, and I am grateful for each of you!

While the gift of my son is undoubtedly one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive, the gift of being able to know each of you is also one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive.  As I immerse myself in Advent preparation and consider the greatest gift God has ever given anyone, Jesus, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the wealth of gifts God has bestowed upon me.  So to each of you who has felt so called to bless my family, and me I thank you!

The first Sunday of December will mark the one-year anniversary when Melinda and I drove into Albany realizing that this place is our new home!  We have been here a year, wow!  We arrived in the midst of Advent, in the midst of preparation, and I declared to the church upon my arrival that not only were we preparing to accept our Savior again into our lives, but we were preparing to be made new by God.  There can be no doubt that in this last year our church has been made new.  Membership has nearly doubled, attendance has increased by 500% on average, papers have written about us, seminaries are studying us, and God has declared with emphasis, “Behold, I make all things new!”

To meet the needs of our incredible growth we have reestablished the Deacon Board and expanded the Session.  Leaders are being put in place to ensure that the newness, which God has begun, has not been done in vain.  My brothers and sisters, whatever you think about what God has done, we enter into this new season of Advent with the expectation that nothing is done!  We have laid the foundation of success, but the foundation alone does not constitute success.  There are bricks and mortar to be laid, let us build upon this foundation and let our light shine brighter and more fervent.

My hope is that by the time my family’s second anniversary in this land arrives, by the time my son’s first birthday is celebrated, we might be able to celebrate Advent 2009 with 150 members, with church services averaging 150 people, with new ministries for children, shut-ins, the needy, and many others.  In the spirit of preparation and thanksgiving, let us prepare ourselves for the work to be done in this next year to witness how much God will continue to do in our midst!

Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,

Garrett