Posts in Category: down to earth believer

“All In and All Out”

On January 7, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


I was baptized yesterday.

Yes, I know: It seems quite strange, doesn’t it?  I am an old guy who was a pastor for 29 years.  I have been a follower of Christ (at least part-time) for many decades.  I have taught and still teach at a Christian university.  Why on earth would I be baptized?

Actually, this is my third baptism.  The first was when I was nine years old.  Did I understand everything about the Christian faith?  No.  But I did understand that I was a sinner, and Christ was the Savior.

I was also baptized when I was twenty-four.  I had been pastoring a church for a year-and-a-half, and realized—while preparing a sermon—that I might know a bit about the Bible, but I didn’t really know Christ.  I was baptized by my father-in-law in the baptistry of the church I was serving as pastor.

For a long time now, I have been having a desire to be baptized again, to renew my vows to Christ and to the Church.  Today I decided to quit desiring, and follow through.

No, I still do not understand everything about Christ.  Sometimes I wonder if I even understand much.

But this I do know: Without Jesus Christ in my life, I wouldn’t have one—a life that is.

Some people tend to coast when they get older.  I have decided to take the opposite approach.  I am too old now to coast.  Some people get cautious when they get older.  I have decided that I am too old not to take some risks.

I am not about retirement.  I am not about taking it easy.  I am about learning new stuff, loving more unlovable people (are there any, really?), sliding into second base head first.  I refuse to rust out.  I would rather flame out. I want to be all in for Christ and His Church, and I want to be all out for Christ and His Church.

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“God’s Covenant with the Critters”

On January 6, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


In the Old Testament, God made many agreements with humankind.  These agreements are often referred to as “covenants.”  A covenant is a cross between a contract and a marriage commitment.  It is binding and has stipulations, like a contract.  It is solemn and personal, like a marriage.

I was reading Genesis 9 the other day, when I stumbled upon a secret that was hidden in plain sight.  This chapter is part of the narrative of the great flood.  You probably remember the story.  The world was a mess, and God was feeling sorry that he had ever made humankind.  God decided to destroy the world, but also decided to spare Noah, his family, and some of the animals.  God was going to start over!

After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah—and with the animals.  For some reason, as many times as I had heard and read this story, I had never noticed how explicit God was in including the animals in this covenant.  As I already said, this not-so-secret secret is hidden in plain sight.

“8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-17. English Standard Version, bolding mine)

For some reason, I had always thought of this as God’s covenant with Noah, and of course it is.  However, the animals and their descendants were included as well.

Christians are often accused of not recognizing the importance of animals.  In some cases, the accusation probably has some validity.  However, perhaps our failure to recognize the significance of animals is because we have ignored certain truths from our own sacred Scriptures.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I am not a vegan.  In fact, I am planning to go out to Outback after church today.  I am not planning to have just a salad.

However, apparently there is at least one solemn agreement in the Bible—and I suspect that it is not the only one—that embraces the animals as well as people.  Perhaps Radar O’Reilly on M*A*S*H was at least partly right after all.  One time, Radar said, “Animals are people too!”

I’m not quite ready to go that far, but animals do matter—more than we are willing to admit, sometimes.  Apparently, they matter to the God who created them, too.

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“Making Your Bed or Taking It Up?”

On January 5, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

DTEB, “Making Your Bed or Taking It Up?”

“And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!””  (Mark 2:1-12)

My wife and I read this yesterday morning as part of our morning routine.  However, the reading turned out to be anything but routine.

This reading was from a devotional book that my wife and I are using this year.  The book is entitled Bread for Each Day.  I quote most of the meditation, due to the fact that it touched me so deeply.  I hope that it will help you at least half as much as it did me.

“A man in great misery of soul, not knowing which way to turn, was wandering one evening along a country lane in England.  He continued walking until at length, completely exhausted, he decided to rest for a few moments beside a nearby hedge.  As he sat there, he heard two girls talking on the other side.  They were speaking to one another about a sermon which they heard in a London church.  One of them said of the pastor, ‘I heard him preach just once, but it gave me a big spiritual life.  I shall never forget one thing in particular that he said.’  The other girl asked what it was that the preacher had presented which had so greatly stirred her.  The other replied that in speaking of the paralytic and his marvelous cure, as recorded in Mark 2, the minister had declared, ‘The world will always say, “You made your bed, and you must lie on it”; but One greater than the world has said, “Take up thy bed and walk, thy sins are forgiven.” ’

The troubled and despairing man on the other side of the hedge heard these gracious words, and through it the Holy Spirit lifted the shadow from his soul.

To every burdened on who finds forgiveness through grace, Jesus in effect says the same today: ‘Take up your bed—take up your cross; and then bear your burden graciously as you walk in My strength!’” (Reading from Bread for Each Day, January 4)

So, I started crying when I got to the bit about making your bed and lying in it.  I’ve been told that, in so many words, for years.  I could scarcely get through the rest of the reading.  You see, I am the man on the other side of the hedge.

You too?

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“Forgiving Those Who Have Hurt Someone You Love”

On January 4, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


One of the spiritual disciplines that I find very helpful is the “3-Minute Retreat” put out by Loyola Press.  They are very brief (about 3 minutes long!), and very practical.  I was especially appreciative of the one today.  It was about forgiving others.  (You may access it at https://www.loyolapress.com/retreats/forgive-us-our-trespasses-start-retreat, accessed 01-04-2019.)

The Scripture was “Matthew 6:14: If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.”

After the reading, the person who was leading the devotional retreat made the following comments:

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We pray this in the prayer that Jesus gave us, the Our Father. These are easy words to recite but not always easy to live by. To be forgiven, we must first forgive. This is not a suggestion; it is a condition for being in right relation with God and others.”

I was especially struck by the final sentence: “This is not a suggestion; it is a condition for being in right relation with God and others.”  When we try to turn forgiving into a suggestion, we’ve already taken a fatal step, not fatal to the other person, perhaps.  But it most certainly is fatal to us.

And then, the retreat master asked a very simple question: “Against whom am I still holding a grudge?”

At first, I thought to myself, well, I’m not holding a grudge against anybody.  I should have moved on right then, but I didn’t.  I thought a bit more, and my heart sunk into my tenny runners.  There are some folks that, though I love them, have terribly hurt my sweetheart.  And, yes, as a matter of fact, I do hold a grudge against them.  I do struggle to forgive them.

I try to tell myself that this is okay.  After all, it isn’t a grudge against someone who has hurt me.  It is a grudge against people who have hurt someone I love.  Somehow, that seems less selfish and unforgiving.  Perhaps it is even noble!

But a secondary grudge is still a grudge.  I don’t think that Jesus ever said, “Forgive others, unless they have hurt someone you love.”  I would be glad if someone pointed out a verse where he did say that.

So I will begin the long, difficult process of forgiving those who have hurt someone I love.  I have no illusions.  This isn’t likely to be quick or easy or pretty.  However, with God’s help, I will do this.

And so, I leave you with the prayer that closes out this retreat:

“God of mercy, kindle in me a forgiving spirit. Help me to be compassionate and understanding to those who hurt me.”

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“Just Breathe”

On January 3, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


“A man without self-control

is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28, English Standard Version)

I have always been a very self-controlled person—in my imagination.  I regret to report that my reality has not always matched my imagination.

The Bible has a lot to say about self-control.  It also has a lot to say about its absence.  Proverbs 25:8 seems to be speaking about the serious nature of a lack of self-control.  Like most proverbs, both ancient and modern, this saying is very terse.  Here is my rather literal, wooden translation of the verse from the Hebrew:

A broken city, there is no wall;

A man who [has] no restraint of spirit (or breath).

The  last word in this proverb is very difficult to translate.  It isn’t that Hebrew scholars don’t know what it means.  The problem is that the word means too much.  It can mean wind, breath, spirit, disposition, mood, inclination,” and these are just some of the meanings of the word rûaḥ.

So, which of these meanings might fit Proverbs 25:8?  I don’t know.  However, I wonder if it isn’t better to stick with a very literal meaning here, a meaning which would have a deeper nuance as well.

So, perhaps this proverb is talking about the importance of breathing.

Now, before you write this off as too Buddhist or too new-agish, or too something else, think about it for a moment.  Breathing is fairly important.  Yes?  And it is important for all kinds of things, ranging from playing the flute to executing maneuvers in martial arts.  It is, of course, also rather important for life itself.  I found this out in a deeply experiential manner a few years ago when I couldn’t breathe due to pulmonary embolisms.   Not breathing can ruin your plans for the day.

But breathing properly, slowly, deeply, is not the easiest thing in the world to do.  Breathing can be compromised by all kinds of outside influences.  “Her beauty left me breathless.”  “I am exhausted.  Let me catch my breath.”  That sort of thing.

On the other hand, breathing—when done properly—can influence our response to outside events and people.  I have noticed that, when I am in a tense or conflictual atmosphere, when I control my breathing, I am much more able to discern what I should say or not say, do or not do.  At least, paying attention to my breathing has helped the two or three times I’ve actually done it.

We can often control our breathing.  It isn’t as easy to do as you might think.  Just try it and you will see what I mean!  But difficult is not the same as impossible.

There are several different songs entitled “Just Breathe.”  Perhaps we need to listen to those songs (as well as to Proverbs 25:28), and begin to sing along.  Today, let’s practice the fine art of breathing.

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“The Chief End of This Man”

On January 2, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


My daily 12-step affirmations are (hopefully) the result of some thought.  They also often generate more thought.  For example, my affirmation for today is as follows: “Today, God being my strong helper, I am consistently glorifying and enjoying God.”

This set me to thinking about that combination—glorifying and enjoying God.  This is a combination that most Presbyterians know.  It comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, crafted in the middle of the 17th century.  The Catechism begins with a wonderful question, and an even more wonderful answer:

“Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

In support of the bit about glorifying God, the Catechism refers us to the following Scriptures:

“Psalm 86. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Show me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me. Isaiah 60:21. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. Romans 11:36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s…. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Revelation 4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

In terms of enjoying God forever, the Catechism directs us to the following Scriptures:

“Psalm 16:5-11. The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 144:15. Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. Isaiah 12:2. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Luke 2:10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Revelation 21:3-4. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Irenaeus said that “The glory of God is a living person.”  It is often quoted (or paraphrased?) as “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”  This paraphrase may capture the intention of Irenaeus.  (The Latin is “Gloria Dei est vivens homo.”)

So, let’s go with the phrase “fully alive.”  Have you ever met someone who seemed fully alive?  I’ve met a few.  They seemed to bring light and energy into every room they entered.  Of course, I’ve also known people who seemed to suck all the light and energy and air out of a room.  Sometimes, I regret to inform you, I am that sort of person at times.  I’m not that way nearly as often, but still, . . .

But the question is this: What sort of person am I going to be today?  Am I going to be fully alive today?  Old age and problems are inevitable.  Death, however, is optional.  The Bible challenges us to “choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)  And choosing to be fully alive today will glorify God, which is the very best way of enjoying God.

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“The God Who Holds Our Times in His Hand”

On January 1, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


“My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” (Psalm 31:15, English Standard Version)

Time is something that most of us wish we had more of.  I wished for more time when I was a kid, when I was a young man, and when I was middle-aged. I thought that I would have more time when I retired.  Silly me!

And then there is time management.  Most of us probably wish we were better at that.  (I am reminded of the man who said that he struggled with this, and had bought a book to help him with the problem.  However, he hadn’t had time to read the book.)

But Psalm 31:15 tells us something quite wonderful and hard to believe: That God holds our time in his own hand.

The rest of Psalm 31 demonstrates that the psalmist was under extreme duress.  He had enemies who were persecuting him and trying to trap him.  Psalm 31:15 is not an ivy-tower philosophic insight.  It is a poison-ivy, hard-times affirmation that is made in the face of overwhelming anguish.

When I was a little guy, I didn’t worry too much about time.  My mom and dad and big sister handled time.  Perhaps I need to remember more often that I have a heavenly Father who is in charge of my time.  As an old hymn reminds us, “I don’t know about tomorrow . . ., but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.”

Have a blessed day, and a very God-trusting, servant-hood-ish New Year!

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“A HAPPY NEW DAY!”

On December 31, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

DTEB, “A HAPPY NEW DAY!”

Have you ever thought about how arbitrary some of our transitional times are?  And perhaps we are biting off more than anyone can chew when we start thinking and talking about a year.

Here is my journal entry for today.

Monday, December 31, 2018

“Finish each day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well.”
  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The last day of the year.  I wonder if we don’t make too much of these transitions.  They are artificial, and perhaps not all that helpful or important.

“This is the day that the LORD has made” (Psalm 118:24) may be said of any day.  Perhaps the morning and night are the real transitions.

Paul speaks of daily transformation in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

In 3:18—just a few verses before the “day by day” of 4:16—Paul notes that “. . . we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

I found the comments of Colin G. Kruse so helpful that I copied and pasted them below, even though I generally hate long quotes.

“And we all … are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another. It is important to note that the changing into his likeness takes place not at one point of time, but as an extended process. The verb metamorphoumetha (‘we are being changed’) is in the present tense, indicating the continuous nature of the change, while the words from one degree of glory to another stress its progressive nature. The verb metamorphoō is found in three other places only in the New Testament. It is used to describe Jesus’ transfiguration in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2, and Paul uses it in Romans 12:2 to denote moral transformation (‘Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind’).

            Paul speaks often of the transformation of believers in other passages, though words other than metamorphoō are employed. In some cases he has in mind the future transformation of believers’ bodies to be like Christ’s glorious body (1 Cor. 15:51–52; Phil. 3:21). In other cases it is clearly a present moral transformation that is in view (Rom. 6:1–4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). The Old Testament prophets who spoke beforehand of the new covenant certainly anticipated a moral transformation of those who were to experience its blessings (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:25–27), and Paul saw this expectation fulfilled in the lives of his converts (1 Cor. 6:9–11; 2 Cor. 3:3). These last references, together with Romans 12:2 cited above, provide the clue to Paul’s meaning in the present context. The continuous and progressive transformation by which believers are changed from one degree of   glory to another is the moral transformation which is taking place in their lives so that they approximate more and more to the likeness of God expressed so perfectly in the life of Jesus Christ.”[1]

So, rather than simply wishing you a happy New Year (which I do!), let me give you an even deeper wish: May you have a happy new day!

[1] Colin G. Kruse, 2 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, TNTC 8; IVP/Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 101-102.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/Tyndale_Commentary#51472.
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“The Dailiness of God”

On December 28, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


I was trying to find out how the word “daily” is spelled, so I did what everybody does these days: I went to Google, and typed in “Spell daily.”

In its nearly infinite algorithmic wisdom, Google took me to sites that advertised daily spells.  No, I didn’t click on any of the sites.  I am trying not to take shortcuts, since such critters don’t exist.

We probably all wish for some way to make our days better, preferably magically.  We want someone to wave a wand and weave a better day for us.  We probably feel as if there isn’t a lot of magic in our days.  We long to edit the dailiness of our days.

Yet, our days are stubborn.  They remain confoundedly daily.  What is I mean is this: We all long to be extraordinary, but day by day, we are not.  We long to be transformed, but day by day, we can’t see it.  Dailiness just seems too slow, too much the same, boring.  In 12-step work, we have a slogan: One day at a time.”  However, speaking for myself, I don’t really like that slogan.  I believe that the slogan is true.  I just don’t like it.

The Bible talks a lot about dailiness.  And thought of taking you on a tour de force of the Bible’s verses that speak of what God does for us daily, and how we are to live daily.  However, when I discovered how many occurrences of “day” and related terms there were, I quickly realized that I needed a more reasonable goal for today.

So, I chose one verse: Psalm 68:19.  “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

It is possible to translate the verse in a very different manner: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily loads us with blessings.”

The first possible translation seems more likely.  In either case, we have a God takes care of us on a daily basis, whether this means that he carries our burdens, or that he loads us down with blessings.

Who knows?  Maybe it’s both!

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“Beyond Currier and Ives and Hallmark”

On December 25, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


I love Currier and Ives winter/Christmas scenes.  They are very lovely.  I love the feel-good Christmas stories on the Hallmark channel.  I don’t actually watch them very often.  I am prone to cry, my nose gets all stuffed up, and I get a sinus headache.  But I do like them.

However, my own life is neither a Currier and Ives print nor a Hallmark Christmas special.  My life is messy.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  There is a lot that is right with my life.  I have a wife whom I love, and who loves me.  We have paid off our house and cars.  We have a little money coming in, and a little money in the bank.  We are, in fact incredibly wealthy, compared to probably 98 % of the people in the world.

We have good friends and we have a little dog who lights up our lives, just by being her canine self.  We have things that we love to do, some of which even make us a little money.

Still, my life is messy.  My mind is messy.  My emotions are messy.  My sleeping and work areas are messy.  As my grandmother used to say to me, “You’re a mess!”  (For those of you who think that grandmas are always on your side, I’ve got news for you: It ain’t necessarily so!)

And thanks to me, my wife’s life is messy, due to no fault of hers.

So, as this Currier-and-Ives-Hallmark-Channel season reaches its most feverish pitch, I comfort myself with one simple thought: According to Luke’s birth account, Jesus was born in a barn.

What?!  That’s no place for a baby to be born!

No, it isn’t, and if I had been making up a story about the birth of a king, I don’t think I would have made this story-telling move.  But Luke makes precisely that move: Jesus, the King, was born in a barn.

I struggle to believe it sometimes, but there it is: a king, The King, born in a very messy, humble place.  I grew up on a farm.  Rest assured that even the cleanest barn isn’t—clean, that is.

So, for all of you who are alienated from your families, for all of you who wish you were alienated from your families, for all of you who have lost a loved one recently, or are afraid you will soon, for all of you who are alone, for all of you who feel hopeless on this 25th day of December, 2018, for all of you who just wish the day was over, I say this:

Merry Christmas!  I can say this, not because of Currier and Ives, not because of Hallmark, but because of a King who made a humble entrance, rather than a grand, royal one.  I can say this because Jesus is always willing to be born in messy places, messy places like my heart and your heart.

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