Far too often I have heard people say, "Oh, God could never accept someone like me. Why, with a past like mine..." It is perhaps hard for them to imagine, but God is in the business of accepting all sorts of people, and they are no exception. After all, just look at the roster of people that the Bible records as being accepted by God--a murder like Moses, for instance; or a murder and adulterer like King David, or a rather questionable sort like Rahab of Jericho, the thief on the cross, or a persecutor of the church like Paul--or like today's gal, the woman caught in the very act of adultery. All of this just goes to show that God loves, values, accepts and forgives all sorts of people--no exceptions! Which, is very, very good news, for us, and for everyone else.

Readiness: that is 'the name of the game' for the season of Advent. But how are we to be ready, that is the question. A suggestion might be to think about the three comings of Christ. The first is what we celebrate at Christmas, the second pertains to His coming into our hearts and lives, and the third has to do with His eventual coming, His return, to our world in glory. So, with the first coming, we can be ready by pondering all that Jesus' birth and coming into our world has meant--whether for us personally, for the church or for the world in general. It is quite incredible that He was willing to set aside His divine prerogatives for 'a moment' and enter fully into our existence as frail, finite human beings. What an outstanding way of demonstrating in practice just how much God loves and cares for us, love in action, no less. And, in terms of His second coming, we can be more ready by looking at our lives and pondering how we might make Him more at home there. If you are at all like me, there is some tidying and purging that might well need to be done for Him to more properly take up residence there. All of which, I would surmise, will make us more ready for His eventual coming in glory and great splendour.

With the many perplexing and disturbing things happening, both near and afar, it is easy to wonder just what is happening and what will happen in the future. With the passages in the Scriptures that purport to tell of future events, it is easy to try to second guess them and work out some sort of timeline. But Jesus said that even He did not know the times and the seasons of His coming. So, my suggestion is that we trust the Saviour and His love and care, and not the signs. After all, trusting Him is what it is all about.

Today we look at the life and ministry of John the Baptist, and in particular at his utter dedication to his calling to prepare the way for our Messiah, Jesus Christ. It made me think of those around us who demonstrate a similar dedication, farmers for instance, to their work, or homemakers or community workers or the unsung heroes of many of our church bodies. Many of these work behind the scenes and seem to be forgotten or overlooked, or eclipsed by a brighter star, as it were, as indeed happened with John the Baptist to a certain extent. But, even so, each of them has done their bit, an essential bit to the outworking of God's plan here on earth. May each of us be like them.

We humans have a curious habit and preoccupation. We are prepared to trust, to place our trust, in almost anything or anyone other than the one source we should trust more than all else. So we trust our elected officials (well, sometimes), our church, our family and friends, our modern technology, our stores and businesses, our modes of transportation, and our service personnel (be they mechanics or plumbers or electricians or such) to lead us, take care of us and look after our needs and wants. And, on top of that, we trust in our own wisdom and understanding--and yes, even when it comes to God and to understanding the ways of God. And, so we try to second guess His second coming and His future plan for us and for the world. The problem is that He hasn't given us a clear indication of this: He didn't mean to. Otherwise, we would trust this game plan and not trust Him. And trusting Him is what it is all about.

Often, it seems, the words and actions of Jesus present us with quite a challenge. Today's passage and meditation certainly do that. They would have us question why we do things, especially things pertaining to our faith and its practice. They ask us whether we do these things for prestige and recognition, or out of guilt and obligation, on the one hand, or whether we do these things truly from the heart. I'm afraid that we don't always look carefully at our motives in all this but it is good to do so every so often. We might find that our motives are mixed and not entirely what they should be--which examination is a very good and healthy thing to do during this season of Advent.

Like it or not, pretty well all of us have problems or difficulties of some sort or other--and, I presume that this will probably continue this way, at least while we are on 'this side of eternity'. And so, it is great to have someone to talk to about our problems, another person perhaps, or God. Today's psalm depicts one person's conversation with God, but if we want to see this 'in action' the story of Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) cannot be bettered. The two disciples are 'lost' in their grief and their woes and Jesus listens in and eventually helps them to find closure. Anyway, I find this story to be most encouraging, both in terms of what we can do for each other, but also what God can do for us.

Yesterday was the start of a new church year, and appropriately enough, the start of the four-week season of Advent, a time for reflection on God's incredible gifts and for preparation for His coming. In this, we are encouraged to be more disciplined and intentional in our times of devotion, but, as today's passage and meditation remind us, this needs to be sincere, from the heart and reflected in the way that we live our daily lives. Seeing as this is easier said than done, easy to rack up in terms of 'intentions' but less so in practice, it is all the more necessary that we engage in prayer for God's help in this.

Today is the First Sunday in Advent and the start of the Advent season of preparation and anticipation. It is often said that during this season we celebrate the three comings of Jesus into our world. We remember with joy and thanksgiving His first entry into our world, as a vulnerable creaturely baby in a manger in Bethlehem. And we celebrate His coming into our hearts and lives and what that means to us individually and corporately. And, we look forward to His coming again into our world as its Redeemer and Saviour and Judge to set 'aright' all things and bring all things to their proper state and completion.

And so, it is most appropriate to think of how we might be ready, prepared, in heart, soul, mind--and action, which is what today's Scripture passage and meditation are all about.

Our psalmist today waxes eloquent partially on the wonders of creation, but even more so on how the hand of God created it and is present in it. What this says to me is that perhaps more of us should simply take the time to step outside and take in and enjoy the wonders He created. Here I am thinking of the wonders of the snow and ice and the glory of the night sky. And, if you have an indoor arboretum, to take a gander at the wonder and intricacies of the plant world. Or, failing any of these, just to watch one of the glorious 'nature flicks' that have been produced over the years. To me, all of these just highlight how wonderful and praise-worthy is our God.

For yesterday and today our readings and meditations have to do with our praises and thanksgiving towards God, which is, of course, entirely fitting for all times and situations. But in a sense, it is all the more appropriate as we look forward to Christmas and God's incredible and costly gift of His Son, to not only share our mortal human existence with all its joys and sorrows, but also to experience the very worst that humans could endure and the very worst that we could impose upon another, namely the Cross and Passion of Jesus. This is such an incredibly rich and precious gift that we should, at all times and places, give thanks to Him.

Today and tomorrow’s readings and meditations have to do with our praises and thanksgiving towards God, which is, of course, entirely fitting for all times and situations. But in a sense, it is all the more appropriate as we look forward to Christmas and God's incredible and costly gift of His Son, to not only share our mortal human existence with all its joys and sorrows, but also to experience the very worst that humans could endure and the very worst that we could impose upon another, namely the Cross and Passion of Jesus. This is such an incredibly rich and precious gift that we should, at all times and places, give thanks to Him.

At Thanksgiving we are reminded, in something of an 'official' capacity, of all the things that we are thankful for, but very rarely do these 'official' recognitions mention anything by way of our spiritual blessings, which are many and wonderful. It is this kind of blessing that the apostle Paul waxes eloquent about in today's passage and is something well worth each of us paying attention to.

I think that all of us want the church to be built upon a solid foundation, such that it will continue to last, well into the future. And indeed, Jesus has promised that it will last, that even the 'gates of Hades' will not prevail against it (Matthew 15:18). But then, what about our own efforts to build it? Well, that is another, far more challenging question. Absorbed in that simple question are two other question. Firstly, are we really building upon the foundation of Christ--and not only some human philosophy or technique? (Far too often, I'm afraid, that we in the church pick up on the 'latest' fad--be it a philosophy or a technique--and run with it, never thinking to examine whether it is really of the Lord--or, more importantly, whether it is based on the Lord.)

And, secondly, we don't always examine what materials, what behaviours or ideas, we use when we build upon that one foundation that is Jesus Christ. Sadly and unfortunately, over my more than forty years as an ordained pastor I have seen more than my share of back-biting and raw ambition and just plain nastiness 'gracing' the sanctuaries and decision-making assemblies of the church. Surely these are less like gold and silver and precious jewels and more like hay, wood and straw.

So, folks, we are left with quite a challenge: how are we, you and I, going to build our beloved church?

Today's passage from Galatians raises, for me at least, an issue that has continually haunted and bothered me. It is the question of 'handouts', of giving materially to those who show up at the church asking--and often demanding--assistance. On the one hand, we have Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, telling us to give to whomever asks (Matthew 5:42) and furthermore telling us that the measure, the standard, that we apply to others will also be applied to us (Matthew 7:2). That sounds pretty conclusive and pretty drastic. Some would argue from this injunction of Jesus that we should give liberally and without question or judgment to anyone or everyone who asks, regardless of whether we are pretty sure that they will abuse or wrongfully use that gift. Anything else, they claim, would put us ahead of God who gives His gifts liberally to people both bad and good (see Matthew 5:45).

But, on the other hand, Jesus also tells us to actually make judgment calls (see Matthew 7:15-20) and even the Parable of the Speck and the Log (Matthew 7:3-5) is not forbidding any acts of judgment but only to do so with clear vision. And the bit about pearls, dogs and swine (Matthew 6:6) is clearly implying that we make some judgment calls.

Today's passage from Galatians takes what I would consider to be a rather balanced and nuanced approach. It maintains, first of all, that all of us should work for a living and take care of our own needs. There is to be no sponging or sense of entitlement. However, at the same time, we are to use, to apply, whatever abundance we have to assist those who are genuinely in need, seemingly through no fault of their own.

This still means that I have to struggle with this issue, but can do so, with some excellent guidance and help from God's word. Of course, it all comes down to a personal decision, to how we understand God's word and how we feel He is guiding us in specific circumstances. May God bless you as you wrestle with this.