Welcome to Our World

Tears are falling
Hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised
We've been waiting
Welcome, Holy Child
Welcome, Holy Child

Hope that you don't
Mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited
Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace
Into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking
Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger
Sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart
Whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured
Flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin
And make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

("Welcome to Our World," Chris Rice)

Unity?!

Unity - what is it?

Is it possible? How?

Oh, the thoughts that have run their course through my mind as of late... modernity, postmodernity, truth, God, Christ, Christianity, priorities, surrender, society, politics, word-deed disconnect, God as a social construct vs. God as Himself, the Church, pain and brokenness, orientation, misplaced focus, existence, HIV/AIDS and a properly Christian approach, love, justice, interpretation of Scripture, do we trying to follow ourselves even though we pretend to be following God?

Maybe I'll unpack some of these here. Maybe.

Peace. Soli Deo Gloria.

It is a difficult thing.

It is a difficult thing, this life is.

It is a difficult thing, to stake one's life upon Christ.

It is a difficult thing.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

Dear Church

Dear Church:

Who are you? Do you even know?

Who brings you into being?

Who gives you life?

Who draws you to himself?

Who comforts you in your pain?

Who lights your darkness and lightens your burden?

Who gives rest to the weary and restores the broken?

Who speaks judgment on the oppressors and justice for the oppressed?

Who grants mercy to the penitent?

Who brings peace in the midst of struggle?

Who leads the blind and heals the lame?

Who warns those who are idle and encourages the timid?

Who helps the weak?

Who leads the fearful?

Who touches the unloved?

Who displays the truth and disputes deceit?

Who brings you to this place?

Who gives you cause to be thankful and reason to be joyful?

Who will take you home?

Dear Church:

Who is this person? Do you even know?

He died to restore you. He rose in God’s mighty power.

In the same way, you also are called to die. God will take care of the rest. You must die.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24.

Teach us, Lord – we need you.