Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 Feast of the Nativity Birth of the Savior: Joy to the World

1 Timothy 1:14-17

“and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are FOUND in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy:15

One of the most difficult parts of losing something is the frustration of knowing something is supposed to be somewhere, but when you look it’s not there. In my house, we have a place to hang our car keys right by the front door, and there is an unwritten system, that once we come in we should hang the keys so if we need to leave with the car, the keys are right there in plain sight. The problem becomes when a person (usually ME) doesn’t follow the system.  There is a range of emotions that happen when you need to leave in a hurry and you can’t find the car keys. First, you stare at the key hooks for a while, expecting magically they would appear. Then you go on the search for the keys, thinking about what you last wore, and where you last sat, and you search and search in normal places like couches and desks, and as the search drags on you start searching the fridge and other odd places. The standard process for searching usually starts out calmly, but as time goes on, it moves to frustration and anger.  If anyone else is in the house, you start blaming them for just being there and not helping or worse, that they moved it to intentionally cause you this search.  Finally, you get angry at yourself, due to the embarrassment and shame that you couldn’t follow a simple rule.   All of this occurred, due to a “little” disobedience.  The anger and frustration caused issues with relationships and finally being overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and a feeling of a loss of control over what started out as a routine activity.  
Paul in his letter to Timothy is talking about finding things like faith and love, and in verse 16 going further to say he found mercy, and he found all of this in Christ Jesus.  In order to find something, I think there’s an understanding that it was lost, to begin with.  In my car key example, the sin and downfall started with me not being obedient to the system.  In a single moment, I made a decision usually unconsciously to not hang up my keys, but later I had to deal with frustration, guilt, and anger.  Paul recognizes that He Paul is part of a creation that is unconsciously and consciously in confrontation with God.  We lost something that we could not in our own power find, but this is where the grace of God shines.  In Christ Jesus, all of what we lost with God was found.  Our faith in God, God’s love for us, our love for God, and God’s mercy toward us,  can all be found in Christ.  If you have lost anything, we can all agree, the greater the value of the item, the longer and more intense the search.  But once we find it, the more valuable the item, the greater the celebration when we find it.  This Christmas, the gift of a savior was a great treasure that we struggle to realize we lost, but when you find Him, He will be the greatest source of celebration in your life.   Amen
 

Prayer

 Lord, I thank you for giving us, Jesus.   Speak to us and draw us closer to you through your Holy Spirit. Forgive us for the times we fall short but help us to live a life of joy with you. Guide us to give you glory in our big and small decisions today. Amen.

 

Shibu Mathew
Epiphany Mar Thoma Church

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more