The last few days have served up a Winter Wonderland in the Nashville area. I hope you enjoy this photo of a few of the kiddos in Westhaven milking their snow day for all it’s worth.

The fresh blanket of snow changes our perspective on nearly everything. The hills of Middle Tennessee look more like the majestic mountains that set the stage for holiday movies. The normally dull tones of our January grass and shrubs are covered, and everything looks clean and bright. In fact, all the other colors look more vivid against a backdrop of arctic white. The imagery and the loveliness are profound. Everywhere we look, friends, we’re powerfully reminded of the humble prayer of King David (Psalm 51:7): “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Do we really believe that?

Do we really believe that the grace of Christ is sufficient to cover all our sin? In reality, “covered” may be too weak a word. “Obliterated” would be more like it! Our past sin … our present sin … and even our future sin … completely done away with? That’s an amazing concept, if true, and I contend that it is. God has provided a way for all our sin and shame to be eradicated, and that Way is Jesus. In the words of William Cowper (1731-1800): “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Christ came to offer Himself as the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins. By the shedding of His own blood on Calvary’s Cross, our Lord accomplished perfectly that to which every Old Testament sacrifice only pointed to, imperfectly. For those of us who are in Christ, the New Covenant that is ours is vastly superior! The saints of old may have understood their desperate need for their sins to be covered, but you and I know the rest of the story: “It is finished!”

It. Is. Finished. Now that’s a truth we ought to delight in when we put our heads on our pillows this evening!

I can’t add one thing to what Jesus has done for me, and I don’t need to. Nor can I subtract from what Jesus has done for me. It was His finished work on my behalf. It was His gift. His life. His death. His grace.

And now His life is mine. His victory is mine. His resurrection is mine! I can’t imagine why I would ever want it any other way.

Sometimes the devil likes to get us all knotted up in the haunting awareness of our own poor performance. But what we have to keep in mind is that Jesus Christ, even as He set His face toward Jerusalem, had perfect knowledge of our dumbest mistakes and our most grievous offenses. But He loved us, and He died for us, anyway. If we are in Christ, we never have to beg ourselves back into His favor, because His favor was settled more than 2000 years ago. We’re already in.

We are forever loved, y’all. White as snow, y’all. Sweet dreams.

Pastor Charles

It’s more than a little exhilarating to have a personal connection with a player in the NFL. Sunday night Eileen and I were glued to the screen as we watched the Bills defeat the Dolphins in what became the fifth straight win for Buffalo. We enjoyed a little interactive Facebook fun with Jimmy, Bunny, and Kim, who were there in South Florida cheering on their grandson and nephew, Dawson Knox.

And it got even better. Though the Bills were behind when it started, the game’s fourth quarter featured two touchdowns for Buffalo. The first was a 96-yard punt return. And the second – the winning touchdown – was scored by Dawson himself! We could only imagine the celebration that was erupting among our friends in Miami.

As a non-athlete for all intents and purposes, I stay in a starstruck mode of “perpetually impressed” by accomplished athletes like Dawson – men and women who have the perseverance to achieve on the field (or the court, or the ice, or wherever) what most of us can only dream about.

At the same time, no matter the sport that I’m watching, a kind voice keeps whispering in the ear of my soul: “You have your own race to run, Charles, so run well.” Ah, yes! Paul made that clear (2 Timothy 4:7-8). For all of us who follow Jesus, that same clear aim that was the apostle’s should be the finish line which we desire most: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

So how do you and I run in the direction of the only finish line that really matters? Well, quite frankly, I think that we should take a few lessons from Mr. Knox. I’m not referring to the Protestant Reformer whom I’ve quoted many times, but to Dawson – though I believe that John would agree wholeheartedly. In October of 2022, in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dawson scored another winning touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium (you may have seen the photo of Dawson pointing toward the sky). In a post-game interview, here’s what Knox had to say: “Never a doubt. This is how we play, man. You’ve got to take it one play at a time and execute that play. When we do that, it’s hard to beat us.”

Wow! That’s some good stuff if you ask me. Even after the recent and painful loss of his beloved little brother, Luke, Dawson was able to draw upon his strength in Christ and share with the whole world some of life’s most valuable lessons …

1. We ought to keep the faith. Like Dawson, who’s weathered more than his share of injuries, you and I will face our own series of setbacks. Some of those disappointments will be physical, and the others will be of various and sundry stripes, but the Bible urges us to keep our eyes on the ball – and on the prize. Our walk with Christ is not a spectator sport, and sooner or later it will test every fiber of who we are. I’ll share with you Coach Sean McDermott’s assessment of Dawson: “He’s been through it. He’s stuck with it, stuck with it, been resilient, and then he’s been banged up a little bit … My hat goes off to him.”

2. We ought to keep the focus on the steps of wisdom and obedience which we know are ours for today. Life includes its share of pain for every pilgrim. And sometimes we’re weary pilgrims. And sometimes our weariness seems to cloud our vision for tomorrow. But, in this moment, God will give us what we need. You and I may not receive a long-term plan with all of the details which we might desire, but we will find in Christ the needed strength for today. We can take our next step, however small it may seem, with confidence in our faithful Shepherd and King.

3. We ought to give our best to the responsibilities, and the opportunities, which have been put before us. For most of us, these will not include a professional sports career. But that’s O.K., and our individualized vocations play out according to God’s perfect design and plan. Our job is simply to run well, and to finish well. As R.C. Sproul used to say, “Right now counts forever.” And I’ll quote Mr. Knox just one more time: “A win is a win. We treat every game every week like it’s the biggest game.”

I’m so humbled by the fact that God has blessed me with so many positive examples of faith and fortitude. I find them in the Scriptures, and I find them on the football field. Thank you, Dawson. May we who are the blessed recipients of such spiritual encouragement find the grace and the grit that we need to go the distance for the One who is the Hero of all heroes.

And, friend, may you never forget: You have your own race to run, so run well!

Pastor Charles

In August of 2008, Eileen, Josh, and I were able to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. Toward the end of that amazing performance by the British Armed Forces and other international military bands, “Auld Lang Syne” is traditionally sung and celebrated by the crowd. For our family, it is a night we will never forget.
 
O.K., admittedly, in my title for today’s blog posting, I tweaked a word in the song title. Just to be clear, Robert Burns wrote the poem in 1788. “Auld Lang Syne” was the title then, and it was set to music eleven years later. If my research is correct, Mr. Burns based this specific piece of poetry on an old Scottish folk song – likely dating back to the Middle Ages. “Old Long Since” would be a more literal translation, while “for the sake of old times” would be a loose capturing of the essence of the meaning of the poem and the song.
 
“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” The question is, of course, rhetorical. Should we forget about our old friends? Never! It is a good thing to reminisce with fondness, and to be grateful for our delightful memories of happy times spent with the people with whom we’ve enjoyed different seasons of life. For auld lang syne!
 
But I changed “syne” to “shine,” and that’s what I’d like to talk with you about today. When you and I remember days gone by, do we first and foremost remember the faithfulness of our God? The Word captures it like this: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). That one verse speaks volumes to us about how we should view the past in the distinct light of the future. And, in Christ, our future is a glorious one!
 
1. Even the most difficult dimensions of our past chapters fall under the umbrella of Christ’s enduring grace. All of us have made tragic mistakes. We have sinned and fallen short. And, sometimes through no fault of our own, each one of us has experienced the painful realities of life on this fallen and broken planet. But that’s not where the story ends! That’s not where it ended for God’s people in Isaiah’s day, and it’s not where it ends for us. God is writing our story, and it’s a great story of a great redemption: “It is finished!”
 
2. In His ceaseless kindness to us, God shares with us His matchless beauty, so that we may attract others to Christ. Here’s the amazing part: we can expect that all kinds of people will come to know the Lord, to fear His name, and to worship Him along with us. You and I will never be perfect witnesses on His behalf, but His Spirit – the Holy Spirit who is already upon us, and in fact living in us – will bless the words of our mouths and the work of our hands for His glory.
 
3. Though we know not the specifics in regard to our future journey, a final glory in Christ is already ours! His eternal goodness is our present possession – already. Yes, our “hope” is in Christ, but that is not the same thing as wishful thinking. To the contrary, Biblical “hope” is the absolutely confident expectation that is already ours. The Truth is ours, here and now! In the words of Charles Wesley: “Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”
 
I’m so glad that the Light has come. Because of Jesus, and only because of Him, you and I have a bright future which we can embrace with cheerful expectancy. All of the glories of this earth will fade away … but Christ will shine forever! And, in Him, so shall we!
 
“And there’s a hand, my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.” In my heart of hearts, I can still hear the bagpipes. To one and all, Happy New Year!
 
Pastor Charles

It’s a fascinating time of year. These shorter days and longer nights give us the perfect context in which to think about how our amazing God keeps things alive – even when you and I see no evidence of life. God does it with varieties of plants and grasses like you find here on the golf courses in Middle Tennessee. We know that what now looks brown will soon look lush and green. It’s a divine promise as old as Genesis 8:22. And God does it with certain intriguing animals that He has made, like the Alaskan Brown Bears which roam much farther to our north. In fact, that particular species has been designed by our Creator to hibernate for up to eight months.

Friends, there is wonder in the things that we can see, and there’s even more wonder in the things that we can’t see. Today what I’m encouraging you to do is to simply consider the always wonderful, though sometimes mysterious, ways of our God. Winter is our annual reminder that there’s more going on in God’s world than meets the eye.

Here’s what I mean. In winter, there is plenty of life, but much of it is below the surface. It’s invisible, at least in large measure. That hibernating bear may appear to us to be sleeping, but he is very much alive!

Some seasons of our spiritual lives feel very wintry, if you will allow me to apply that same term. Maybe it feels like a long time since we really saw God working or moving in tangible ways. Maybe we don’t feel as passionate or motivated to worship (or pray, or study, or share the gospel) like we have at other times. Maybe we aren’t sensing our purpose or mission with the clarity or urgency that we desire. Or maybe we’re struggling simply to find the joy in Christ that we once knew. For the human soul, such wintry seasons can be exceptionally trying. But, when we find ourselves in one of those places, you and I can remind ourselves that we are in very good company.

What was it like for Noah to wait decades for rain, not really even sure what he was waiting for? What was it like for falsely-accused Joseph, forsaken by his brothers and now forgotten by his friends, to languish in prison? What was it like for God’s people, without any new word from the Lord for 400 years, to try to hold onto some shred of hope?

Sooner or later, spiritually wintry seasons happen to all of us. They are part of our growth in grace. They help us let go of earthly comforts, and they help us cling more tightly to the only One who can grant us the security for which we long. Even in our questioning and uncertainty, we’re learning to trust our God. I don’t have to tell you that this is not an easy leg of our journey.

Wintry seasons also help us learn to love more fully. In the long nights, we learn (albeit slowly) to love God with more of our whole selves. We also learn to love others more sincerely. We would not learn these critical lessons if every season of our lives felt as easy-breezy as a summer vacation at our favorite beach. What I want you to see is that spiritually wintry seasons are not sinister plots by God to rob us of life’s pleasures, but they in fact lie at the very heart of all of the best things that He is accomplishing in us. We may feel like we’re stuck in some sort of spiritual hibernation, but we can rest assured that every follower of Christ – everyone who is “in Christ” – is always very much alive! Our life comes from the Vine – from the Head of the body – and He is very much alive and well!

If you’re interested in reading further, I’ll offer just a few simple suggestions to help you make the most of a spiritually wintry season …

1. Write down your thoughts. All of them. As you put pen to paper, you’ll have more insight into what God may be doing in you right now.

2. Tell God about all your wintry feelings. Admittedly, you’re not giving Him any new information, but I think you’ll find it helpful to know that He is aware of what you’re feeling (or not feeling) right now.

3. Share your wintry feelings with a trusted friend. I can almost guarantee you that your friend will be able to relate to you on this subject. This will deepen your relationship, and it will make your load feel a little lighter.

4. Pay attention to your physical health. Don’t forget that God has made us body, soul, and spirit. We can’t neglect any part of us and expect positive results. The start of new year – it’s five days away – is a great time to initiate and nurture a new healthy habit. (For me, I’m drinking more water than ever before, flavored with a little lemon when possible, and I’ve nearly forsaken the habitual Diet Cokes.)

5. Read and pray the Psalms. Say the words out loud. Use God’s hymnal to speak words of praise even if you’re not feeling it at the moment. Sometimes our feelings follow our having done the right thing – and giving praise to God is always the right thing.

6. Confess any unforgiveness that may be trapped inside you. That person who wounded you – do your best to let it go. The Lord knows all about it. In the end, you can trust Him to administer perfect justice. By the way, aren’t you glad that Jesus came to give us grace and not just justice?

7. Even if it’s cold outside, get out and take a long walk. Do it regularly. As you walk, look around carefully. Even in the dead of winter, you will see signs of life that you hadn’t noticed before, and this will bring nourishing light to your soul.

Wintry feelings may abound for you right now, but God’s got this. He is Lord of every season. He is faithful, and good, and here.

Pastor Charles

“How can this be?”

In the Christmas story, despite her being for us an overwhelmingly positive example of trust in God, Mary is understandably perplexed (Luke 1:34). Mary “has not known a man,” yet Gabriel has just announced that she will give birth to a son. If you’re familiar with the story, then you know that Mary receives an immediate explanation, as the angel goes on to describe the miraculous conception of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But I don’t have to tell you how many times in life our thoughts of “How can this be?” have to linger without any resolution whatsoever. Even in the case of Mary, when she and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the temple just a few weeks later, we are reminded that this will not be an easy road – for her or for Joseph. In Simeon’s prophecy (Luke 2:35), Mary is told of the sorrows that are coming along her path: “A sword will pierce through your own soul.” Flowing specifically from her relationship to Christ, Mary will have to suffer some intense personal pain. For her, there will be more than one “How can this be?” along the way, and many of them will feel very unresolved.

The same will be true for us, friends. Our “How can this be?” times are coming. Perhaps you’re there today.

Let’s face it. Were it the will of God, He could resolve every one of our doubts instantaneously. But that’s not how the Lord sovereignly operates. The Apostle Paul reminds the church in every generation (Philippians 1:29): “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” When we think of suffering, we often think first of suffering physically. But I’m convinced that many of our toughest and most excruciating battles are fought between our ears. Having to endure such inner pain while still pressing forward – even in the face of serious spiritual doubts – is an important dimension of our growth in grace. God uses all of it for our good and for His glory.

Think about how marvelously rich are the lessons which we learn in the deepest valleys! Our God could sustain us on the mountaintop forever, but He does not. He allows us to sink, like Peter, that we may taste our own profound weakness – as well as the strength that comes only from Him when we are at our lowest. He teaches us to trust Him in all things, and this makes perfect sense, because trust is the native language of a loving relationship. When a relationship is healthy and vibrant, we trust the person whom we love.

Not only that, but the spiritual strength which we so desperately need usually comes to us when we find ourselves in situations well beyond our control. We must never forget the basic nature of the Christian life: “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Certainly our omnipotent God could resolve all of our inner longings and all of our deepest distresses – in the blink of an eye in fact – but He loves us far too much for that. He wants us to know Him more passionately than we could ever have imagined. He cherishes our relationship with Him, on every level, and He prizes our intimacy with Himself far more than some miraculous quick fix of all our problems could ever accomplish.

Fast forward from Christ’s birth to Good Friday. John is alone among the evangelists in telling us that, as Christ is literally dying, his mother Mary is “standing by the cross of Jesus” (John 19:25). I can’t even imagine the emotional and psychological trauma that Mary had to endure as that promised sword pierced her soul that day.

If you and I choose to “stand by the cross of Jesus” for the long haul, it will not happen without a great deal of anguish in our souls as well. In our Savior’s own words (Matthew 16:24): “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” And I’m here to tell you that much of our personal cross-bearing will bring with it some temporal uncertainty … some seasonal uncertainty … and even some long-term uncertainty. Doubts are an important part of the Christian life. Don’t waste them!

Would God really be God if you and I could fully understand Him? You see, the nagging doubts of Christmas are the nagging doubts of life. Don’t let your fickle heart convince you that there’s something wrong with you because there are things you simply don’t understand about the will and ways of God. That’s entirely normal. That’s entirely human. That’s entirely to be expected.

You and I are walking a journey by faith – and not by sight.

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.’”

Journey on.

Pastor Charles

You’re likely familiar with the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge from 1843. Each year, the holiday classic penned by Charles Dickens is welcomed by many of us like an old friend. We know the story inside and out, and we’re well acquainted with Jacob Marley and the three ghosts. In the allegory, each successive Christmas Eve visitor brings Mr. Scrooge one step closer to understanding the error of his ways.
 
My fear for all of us is that this Christmas season will come and go, and that we will have missed its main message. That would be a tragedy if ever there were one.
 
So that we don’t miss the moment, and since my mind has already been transported to jolly old England, I think that I’ll share with you some of my favorite seasonal quotes from C.S. Lewis …
 
“The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of earth – the very thing the whole story has been about.”
 
“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this. Just as every natural event is the manifestation at a particular place and moment of Nature’s total character, so every particular Christian miracle manifests at a particular place and moment the character and significance of the Incarnation.”
 
“Once in our world, a Stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
 
And, in his famous Mere Christianity, I contend that Mr. Lewis summed up the good news of Christmas in a single sentence: “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
 
Friends, this is the message of Christmas that I don’t want us to miss! It is significant. It is powerful. It is central. It is saving. Who cares about the eggnog and the colored lights and the music and the mistletoe if we miss the most important part of it all? THE WORD BECAME FLESH (John 1:14).
 
Now, back to the classic tale of Dickens. How does it all turn out? Quite thankfully, the Scrooge at the end of the story is not the same man as the Scrooge of the “Bah! Humbug!” He is a different person. He’s been transformed. For Ebenezer, everything has been made new, and he sees everything around him with entirely new eyes. Like all good literature, A Christmas Carol is a story of redemption. Isn’t it fascinating how many different instruments God uses to beckon our hearts to give serious consideration to those things which are of eternal worth?
 
Regarding the new Mr. Scrooge, in the words of Dickens: “He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough in the good old world.” Would that such goodness describe each one of us, not a goodness emanating from ourselves – but the very goodness of Jesus lived in us, through us, and in spite of us. In Christ’s own words: “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18).
 
You and I will never begin to live – to truly live – until we have been redeemed by the finished sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Cross connects the manger to the empty tomb! We must trust in Christ, and in Christ alone. To know and experience life in all its fullness, you and I must be transformed from the inside out. If the saving message of Christ’s gospel hasn’t yet made us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), then we haven’t been listening with listening ears. It’s time for us to repent, and to – like Scrooge – walk in an entirely different direction. Jesus didn’t mince any words: “You must be born again” (John 3:7). We ignore His gracious yet direct words to our peril.
 
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
 
Hark!
 
Pastor Charles

I know that this is supposed to be the time of year when we focus on decking the halls and other fun stuff. But, today, something much more serious is on my mind. I really hate to refer you to this video, but I must. I think it serves as a vivid reminder that something is deeply broken in America. Please take a couple of minutes to watch to the end:

In what have typically been regarded as the highest strata in public life, particularly in academia, we have been robbed blind. While no one was guarding the goods, the Grinch has come and stolen what mattered most: the truth.

These universities are considered the elite among the elite. Can you even imagine a university president having difficulty condemning what would be obviously immoral if the question were posed in regard to African Americans or immigrants or members of the LGBT+ community. Here was the simple question asked by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik: “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university’s] code of conduct?”

Not one of the three presidents gave a clear “yes” in answer to that question. Not one. There appears to be no room in the inn for any clear distinction between right and wrong. Like you, I’m quite sure, I could hardly believe what I was seeing and hearing.

It appears that “tolerance” has led to anything but.

Under the banner of moral relativism, you see, every standard is up for grabs. When there’s no prevailing higher authority in place within a society, the collective morality devolves to the lowest common denominator – and we’re beginning to see just how low that can go.

Specifically, I think that we have a couple of “relativisms” on the loose right now in America. One I would call “Society Says Relativism.” This is when we allow unchecked government, media, and the entertainment industry (among other key players) to define morality. Next thing we know, we’re swimming in a stinky soup. The other form of relativism I would label “Because I Said So Relativism.” This kind might be even worse, because it allows for each one of us to determine ultimate moral standards, with no accountability whatsoever. It’s subjectivism on steroids, and we seem to be drowning in this too.

That’s what I think we’re observing in this video. Largely because of morally bankrupt politics, in my opinion, these key leaders refuse to issue a clear moral standard for their campuses. In fact, they appear to me to be offended that anyone would expect them to do so. Never mind that we’ve been sending and entrusting to them our brightest and our best students for years, if not generations, in the hopes that those students would enjoy the finest education on earth.

In a remarkably powerful and profound way, however, I do believe that all of this relates clearly to Christmas.

Our Lord Jesus came to this world to save us from morally bankrupt darkness (John 1:1-5). You and I are not to be angry at these academicians. Our petty anger would profit us nothing. Instead, this is our call to prayer. We ought to recognize the vastness of the spiritual black hole which is all around us, and we ought to cry out to God to bring to our land the revival of grace and truth which only He can send (John 1:14). Everybody needs Jesus, including us.

As you read these verses in John’s Gospel, I urge you not to miss that hope that is found in Verse 5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That promised light includes true wisdom, moral excellence, and knowledge of the ways and will of God. Faith in Christ opens the door for us to receive all of these immense blessings.

This Christmas season, let’s give the gift of Jesus to as many as we can. As we do, let’s keep front-and-center in our hearts and minds the fact that Christ loves the most unlikely candidates. Let every heart prepare Him room!

Pastor Charles

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Or so they say. After all these years in pastoral ministry, I can tell you that the holiday season is a bona fide rough patch for many of the people with whom we interact on a daily basis. Said differently, “Merry” is not the universal mood as Christmas fast approaches.

And you and I, within the smorgasbord of emotions that mark these holidays that are upon us, have been called to love. We’ve been called to love deeply. We’ve been called to love like Jesus.

Colder and darker days are a contributing factor. So are unrealistic and unmet Norman Rockwellian expectations. Add to that enhanced awareness of loneliness and isolation. Then mix in financial pressure and insecurity. And we can all expect a heaping holiday helping of stress. For many, it becomes the perfect recipe for a pervasive sense of loss.

So here we are. Will we love? Christ has shown us the way. Our Messiah was “moved with compassion” when He encountered the harassed, the helpless, the lost, the sick, the hungry, the outcast, and the sorrowful (e.g., Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). Lord, stir our hearts to love in action!

This will require us to sacrifice our own comfort. It’s much easier to pretend that everybody’s happy this time of year. But that’s not love. To love will mean that we, as best we can, choose to enter into the pain of our sisters and brothers and fellow image-bearers. We’ll have to ask some gracious questions. We’ll have to listen intently. We’ll have to dial down the judgment, and we’ll have to dial up the mercy. We may have to learn how to be a real friend.

Recently I’ve been captivated by a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “Every heart has its secret sorrows, which the world knows not, and oftentimes we call a man cold, when he is only sad.” Wow. That thought arrests me. I’ve studied Longfellow enough to know that he arrived at that knowledge, as do we all, via his own particular journey of loss and grief. In our affliction, God’s Spirit comforts us so that we learn to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).

The distance between a person’s life and what I know about that person’s life may be a million miles. When I look out across my congregation, it would be wise of me to assume that there’s some pain in every pew. Within your sphere of influence, the same goes for you. The season of Christmas is our opportunity to love those whose sense of loss is so debilitating that they can’t even give voice to their sorrows.

Sometimes Merry meets Malaise. Sometimes Merry mingles with Malaise. Sometimes Malaise sends Merry packing. Sometimes Malaise drives Merry to the train station and whisks her far, far away.

But our high calling remains unchanged. We’re to love in an incarnational kind of way – moving right into the messiness of the human condition that is all around us. After all, we serve the Christ who – moved by infinite love – stepped right into our broken world.

Pastor Charles

Yesterday I experienced a stint in the emergency room. For all of us, I believe, those are the moments that remind us just how fragile we really are. There in the waiting room, I recalled the poignant words of James … “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes … you ought to say, ‘if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”

“If the Lord wills.” I think that’s the part that you and I are most likely to forget. We tend to make our plans as if our plans are, by nature, His plans. Then, along comes life to remind us that the Bible was true all along.

So it is with thanksgiving. We are to give thanks for whatever comes our way (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we read that verse, and take it in, we realize the connection between the will of God and our giving of thanks. Thanksgiving is always the right thing to do. It is always God’s will for us to be His thankful people. The temporal circumstances of our lives are not the main thrust of thanksgiving, but God is.

So, how do we give thanks in life’s most difficult seasons? When our moment of imprisonment comes, literal or figurative, how do we sing hymns of praise like Paul and Silas? When our fate is uncertain under a tremendous weight of injustice or unfairness, like so many of our Christian forefathers and foremothers have endured, how do we stay the course of faith with a grateful heart? When God doesn’t seem to be working on our behalf, and when our lives feel shattered by overwhelming grief, how do we bring ourselves even to utter, “Thank You, God.”? These questions lie at the center point of our walk with Christ.

If you’ll let me, I’ll share with you here what’s bubbling up in my soul today …

T – Take just a moment to think about how good the Lord has been. By now, He has a track record on our behalf. We have tasted His mercies. We have witnessed His deliverance. We have known firsthand His “working all things for our good” – even some circumstances in which, for us, no hope remained.

H – He, and He alone, is writing my story. I may not understand this particular chapter, but it’s part of a grand design that’s nothing less than perfect for me. Even when I can’t understand what He’s doing, I can trust Him, fully.

A – Ask Him to show you exactly what you need to know. That’s part of the way in which we “pray without ceasing.” For me, sometimes at least, that means giving up my insistence to know the details regarding the next ten steps that I will take. God’s Word will always be enough for me to know that I can take one more step in the direction of following Christ.

N – Never waste a tear. Perhaps this is one of those seasons for you. It’s not particularly cheerful or full of obvious good fruit. That’s exactly where our Lord does His best work in us. That’s where He matures us. That’s where He transforms us. That’s where He longs to draw us closer than ever to His “precious, bleeding side.” I believe that one day soon, here or in eternity, you will thank Him for this season.

K – Kindness is always God’s nature. “Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That’s who God is, and who He will always be. You and I are not leaning on thin air right now, but we are leaning on His everlasting arms.

S – Satan couldn’t stop the empty tomb! In history’s most startling example of the forces of darkness unleashed in their fury against the forces of light, we’re left with no doubt about which forces ultimately prevail. The same Jesus who died and rose for us is praying for us in this very hour. He has not left us, nor will He ever.

I pray that these truths are a blessing to you today, no matter what you’re up against. If we will but look around, we will see evidence of God’s faithfulness even in our most difficult circumstances. I remember the words of William Cowper (1774): “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face!”

Sweet Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with thanksgiving! For us, may it be not just a meal, or even a holiday, but a lifetime of humble praise.

Pastor Charles

We all need someone to show us the way. Someone who’s been traveling the road a little longer than we, who’s become accustomed to the strange and sometimes unpredictable nature of the road itself. Someone who’s aware of the high points along the way, making possible their gorgeous vistas for all to enjoy. And someone who’s also familiar with the low points that are coming when we round the next bend, where the floodwaters often rise and where tears have been known to flow.

Discipleship is not tremendously complicated. In fact, Christ showed us its beautiful simplicity when He chose twelve unremarkable fellows to be apostles. These guys weren’t particularly wise in the eyes of the world, but they would change the course of history, because Jesus would show them what life was all about. He would live with them, and journey with them. Eat with them. Laugh with them. Cry with them.

Christ would be for those men love wrapped in human flesh. That would include affirmation and encouragement, and it would also include honest challenge and rebuke when the time was right. They wouldn’t always understand the purposes behind Christ’s every move, but He would never be for them anything other than the faithful friend that each of them desperately needed.

Sometimes, when our world feels upside down, we need someone older and wiser to remind us that “this too shall pass.” We might not believe it when they say it, but we still need to hear it. Because it’s still a fact. An older mom can restore the sanity of a mom with two toddlers still in tow. An older husband can save the marriage of a strapping young dude with a roving eye.

Sometimes, age has nothing to do with it. We just need a friend. A shoulder to lean on. An understanding heart. A listening ear. Someone to celebrate with us the most seemingly trivial milestone. Or someone to weep simply because we’re weeping.

And we always need someone whom we can count on to tell us the truth. The absolute truth. Such founts of integrity may be few and far between. We can’t even measure their value. When it comes to matters of faith, we never get too smart to be reminded of the first and most foundational truths we ever learned. Those reworked lessons, when we need them again, are often the most impactful – as we don’t often realize the spiritual truth from which we’ve subtly wandered.

May the Lord rescue us from the Lone Ranger syndrome! You and I were never meant to go it alone. That’s not how we’re wired. In fact, propping up some prideful notion of autonomy is how we finagle ourselves into the worst kinds of trouble. Honestly, you and I are finaglers at heart. That’s why we need each other all along the way.

The Bible says that “a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When I’m holding on by a thread, that’s the kind of thread that I want to be holding. A thread of human friendship, but a thread that’s nothing short of a divine entanglement. When the strongest of gale force winds come howling, such friendship may get frazzled and frayed, but it can hold in the fiercest of storms.

Like we have been so deeply loved, we ought to love one another to death. In Christ, the honor and privilege are ours to love each other all the way home. “Greater love has no one than this.”

Pastor Charles