Merry Christmas

May God grant each one of us a stronger awareness of and joy in His presence today and in the days to come. Jesus came–God is with us, and we don’t ever have to be cut off from Him again!

It Shouldn’t Happen at Christmas

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23, NIV*

In the past few weeks, three people have lost parents or spouses, two have received bad medical news, and another is suddenly out of work. And these are just the ones I know! News coverage expands that list dramatically.

What’s the first thing we say? “It shouldn’t happen at Christmas.”

We have this instinctive sense that Christmas is about good news, not about pain. Some of that’s spiritual—the angels came proclaiming the wonder of God with us. Some of it’s human—remembering childhood’s warm anticipation of presents and surprises.

In the midst of the celebrations, pain happens.

Maybe that’s not so bad. The pain reminds us why Jesus came.

Let’s be sensitive to those who are suffering while the culture wants them to be smiling. Last week’s devotional thought was about “faithfully administering God’s grace” and one way we can do that is to bring God with us into every encounter. May His grace in us bring comfort and a sense of peace.

Father, I praise and thank You for the gift of Your presence. Jesus—Emanuel—God with us. Because You are with us, we are not consumed. Because You have rescued us, we have hope. Let us live in You and share Your presence with those around us.

Our song this week captures the tension between pain and joy: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” sung here by Casting Crowns.  

*New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Review: The Penn of Denn, by Denn Guptill

The Penn of Denn, by Denn Guptill (Forever Books, 2009)

Denn Guptill has a gift for picking up on something newsworthy or current, adding a bit of humour or common sense, and finding a spiritual application. The Penn of Denn will make you smile, nod, scratch your head, perhaps even pray.

Subtitled “The world through Denn coloured glasses,” this book is a compilation of Canadian author Denn Guptill’s thoughts on a variety of subjects: church, sports, nature, celebrities, politics, etc.

Most of the brief readings (each less than a page) first saw print in the Bedford Community Church bulletin (Nova Scotia, Canada), where Denn was pastor at the time. A few longer ones are from his sailing column, “Aboat Time”.

Because it’s the writings of a pastor to his people (and now shared with us), there is talk of sin, grace, forgiveness… perennial Christian subjects. There is no finger-pointing or blaming, but there is a compassionate desire for all to experience the awareness of God’s grace. Sometimes that comes out in a plea for Christians to share the news of the spiritual life they’ve been given.

Since this is a collection of writings to a particular congregation over a period of years, some selections refer to old or local news. The principles still apply. Not everyone’s writings could translate to the larger audience, but Denn Guptill’s do. I think it’s because he speaks to common issues in a conversational way.

Reading The Penn of Denn is a bit like sitting with the author for tea and a friendly chat. The content isn’t heavy, but it isn’t fluff either. It’s the stuff of everyday life.

The Penn of Denn is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Barnes and Noble. To learn more about the author and read the latest weekly instalments of The Penn, visit his blog, The Penn of Denn.

Scurry Syndrome

My friend Belinda at Whatever He Says posted something the other day that keeps coming back to my mind:

I recognized that paradoxically, I was multi-tasking during my “quiet time.” There was no rush to do any of these things, nor any good reason to do more than one thing at a time. I decided to stop and savour each thing individually instead of trying to do so many things at once. (click the quotation to read the full post.)

Especially at this time of year it’s easy to slip into scurry mode, rushing, hurrying, trying to keep track of three or four things at once.

Somehow God slowed me down this Advent season, and I’ve been enjoying such a sense of peace. A couple of times this week, wisps of “hurry” stirred within me and I realized what had been missing in the peace: anxiety. No thank you, I do not want it back. I’ve been consciously stopping to pray and remind myself that everything is in God’s hands and not mine.

Let’s have a conversation: How do you keep the scurry syndrome from ruling your life?

Administering God’s Grace

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10, NIV*

The specific examples Peter uses in this chapter are hospitality, words and service. We’re given gifts for the good of others, not to keep to ourselves.

You and I may or may not know what our spiritual gifts are, but I think this verse applies to more than those. The Message renders this verse “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it.”

We’ve received so much of God’s grace… let’s think about how we can administer, or share, it:

• when we smile at the checkout clerk
• when we make our kids’ lunches
• when we’re patient with the customer service rep after waiting on hold “forever”
• when we stop to listen to an elderly person’s question
• when we hold the door for a shopper with parcels

We’ve received His love, forgiveness, acceptance… His joy and Himself. Let’s share it by the way we treat others.

Father, thank You for the privilege of administering some of Your grace. Help me remember to see my service in this special way and to serve willingly, in love and gratitude and in Your strength, for Your glory.

What more fitting song than the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”? I don’t know who’s singing this version, but it’s a warm-voiced men’s a cappella group.

*New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Canadian Christian Writers and Editors

Today, Dec. 15 2009, has been set as a day of prayer for The Word Guild (TWG). TWG exists to connect, strengthen, encourage and promote Canadian Christians who write and/or edit, whether they work in the Christian or mainstream media.

If you’re a Canadian Christian writer or editor, or if you consider yourself a “friend” of Canadian Christians in these fields, or if you’re a reader of material they produce… this is your invitation to invest a few moments in prayer for TWG. Managing Director Denise Rumble has compiled a list of prayer focal points on her Just a Word blog.

You may not have known it, but I’m TWG’s prayer team coordinator and this is a project dear to my heart. This day of prayer isn’t a time of desperate pleading for help, it’s a time of praise and of desiring to place The Word Guild under God’s direction and empowerment. There are so many opportunities, but with finite resources of people and money we need clear leading on where to place our focus. God is doing something through TWG and we want to keep working right alongside Him.

Review: The Lightning File, by Eric E. Wright

The Lightning File, by Eric E. Wright (Hidden Brook Press, 2007)

“My discovery of terrorist cells operating in Canada coincided with Stephanie’s request that I move out.”

And so begins journalist Joshua Radley’s harrowing adventure.

Well-liked by almost everyone at the Toronto newspaper where he works, Josh is in the boss’ bad books. He’s been spending too much time chasing a hunch about a new drug ring linked to international terrorists. With a few tenuous leads and a faceless hacker friend, Josh slowly begins to piece together some clues.

As gifted as he is with news stories, Josh isn’t so good at relationships. His wife can’t take his workaholic ways anymore and says they need time apart. All he wanted was to track down this terrorist threat before it’s too late. Now, he’s dealing with writer’s block on the stories he’s actually been assigned, a tumult of emotions over his separation, a shaky faith, and temptation in the form of a beautiful woman who shares his commute.

The Lightning File languished in my “should read” pile too long because I thought it might be traumatic. Terrorists, after all, get pretty intense. But Josh is our narrator for the whole story, and although he’s shaken by his experiences it’s not an upsetting book to read. Instead, it’s a fast-paced puzzle he’s racing to solve.

His investigations take him into nuclear power plants and other places that require a lot of detail. Author Eric E. Wright does a fine job of keeping it all understandable, although at times the volume of facts got a bit too much for me.

Perhaps it’s the weight of facts that makes me feel there’s more “telling” than “showing” in this novel, although Josh tells us a lot about his feelings too. The plot gets very complex as it progresses, but it’s all part of unravelling the mystery. And the details could come out of today’s newscasts – or tomorrow’s.

The Lightning File is a well-crafted, high-stakes novel that will appeal to men and women both. It’s the winner of the 2007 Canadian Christian Writing Award in two categories: best mystery/suspense and best independently-published book.

Canadian Eric E. Wright is the author of five non-fiction books. The Lightning File is his first novel, and his second, Captives of Minara, also featuring Josh Radley, released in November 2009. You can learn more about Eric at The Country Window site and read an interview with him at the Hot Apple Cider site.

Keeping Focused

As Margaret from the Hallelujah blog pointed out in last week’s “Friday conversation,” there’s plenty of commercialization and other pressures that threaten to distract us from the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus’ birth.

What do you do to intentionally keep focused on Christ in the days leading up to Christmas?

For me, faith-centred Christmas music helps.

Love Each Other Deeply

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8, NIV*

The Apostle Peter places a lot of emphasis in this letter on how Christians should conduct ourselves in relationships and in hardships. He’s already told us to “love one another deeply, from the heart [or from a pure heart]” (1 Peter 1:22b, NIV)

Now he reminds us again to love deeply, and says it covers a multitude of sins. He’s been urging us to live well in relationship, and I think this is the “how”.

Most translations that I checked speak of love covering sins. (I love Bible Gateway). The Message expresses it as “love makes up for practically anything.”  The Amplified Bible says love “forgives and disregards the offenses of others.”

Peter’s not saying love will turn a blind eye, excuse or enable wicked or destructive behaviour. It seems to me the “sins” love covers are twofold:

People are irritating (rumour has it, this includes me!). If I choose to ignore the thing(s) that grate me in another person, choose to focus on that person’s value and to love him or her, that helps me obey Peter’s teaching and live like Jesus.

And by choosing to love rather than to be critical, I’m dealing with or negating sin in my own life. Jesus had lots to say about being critical and judgmental.

Father, You know true, Christ-like love doesn’t come naturally… or easily. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who longs to produce it in me. Please help me learn to rest more in Him and not hinder His fruit in me. Help me to love others, because You love them. Thank You for loving me too.

For this week’s song, I chose Don Francisco’s “I Could Never Promise You,” which is often thought of as a wedding song but which I think applies just as well to all of a Christian’s relationships. How can we promise to love others without Jesus’ enabling? At the end of the video there’s some conversation about that.

*New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Review: Because We Prayed, by Mary Haskett

Because We Prayed: Ten Considerations for Effective Prayer, by Mary Haskett (Word Alive Press, 2009)

Our troubles don’t end when we become Christians. They may even get worse. But belonging to Jesus means we’re not alone. We can pray to a living and powerful God who loves us.

In Because We Prayed, Mary Haskett looks at ten considerations for effective prayer: faith, forgiveness, not judging, the Holy Spirit, the Enemy, spiritual warfare, hope, evidence, the value of prayer, and victory in Jesus. In her own gentle style she shares key truths learned through Scripture and personal experience.

Because We Prayed is a small book, easy to read yet offering solid teaching. I took a chapter at a time so I could digest it before moving on. Each chapter finishes with three application questions for personal reflection or group discussion, and with a prayer.

This isn’t a theology text, but it’s theologically sound. It’s meant for the average reader. New Christians, seasoned pastors, and everyone in between in a variety of denominations can benefit from these brief readings. Prayer is a work to which all Christians are called. It can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be elaborate. It’s our duty—and our privilege. If it’s boring, we’re doing it wrong. And prayer works.

Let Mary Haskett challenge and encourage you to deepen your prayer relationship with God. You won’t be sorry.

Mary is the author of two non-fiction books: Reverend Mother’s Daughter and Because We Prayed. Reverend Mother’s Daughter received the Bronze IPPY Award in the 2008 International Literary Competition and was a finalist in the Life Stories category, The Word Guild of Canada National Award, 2008. You can find her online at her website and her blog. It’s been my pleasure to work and pray with Mary in The Word Guild prayer team, and I truly appreciate her gracious spirit and her sincere faith.