Merry Christmas!

May you and yours find hope and peace with God through his love, grace, and mercy found in Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Adding our love to His,

Mark & Brenda Ray

Peace

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

Peace. We bring this word out every year at this time and place it upon our greeting cards, but I find the idea of "peace on earth" to be a bit allusive for most of the year. Other than at Christmas time, perhaps we associate the word with pacifists and protestors. They own the word for most of the year, and we get to borrow it during the month of December!

It wasn't too many years ago that I remember having a discussion at a small group on the subject of "Peace and the Christian". The conversation was anything but peaceful! I am usually amazed at how discussing peace among believers can become so contentious. It is an infuriating subject for some. I once heard a man say "We are not called to peace but to justice!" I kind of thought they were one in the same, but for some reason, this man was more interested in doling out "justice" than he was "peace".

Of course, his idea of justice was to give to people what they deserved -- or at least what he thought they deserved! I -- for one -- am glad that God did not dole out what we deserved when he entered time as a babe in Bethlehem! When the incarnation of the Father came to earth, he brought peace -- and that peace is his idea of justice! Why does the idea of peace disturb us so much? Perhaps it is because there is something in the nature of man that is conflicted with God, conflicted with others, and conflicted with self.

Admittedly, I am not living at peace with myself lately. There are a lot of things whirling around in my head in regards to my state of being unsettled and the loss I feel in having left "home". Of course, I was amused the other day when I turned to Romans 12:18 and read this: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." The words "if it is possible" and "as far as it depends on you" struck me as particularly interesting. Since I didn't like the NIV translation of this verse, I did the usual search of a bunch of other translations to see which one made me feel better (yes, I am being cheeky here). The New Century Version put it this way: "Do your best to live at peace with everyone." That sounds nice.

The NIV translation stuck in my head, though, prodding me to take a deeper look. Could it be that peace isn't always possible? Paul's choice of words hint at the notion that peace with everyone may simply not be possible. Most of us have probably felt the sting of broken relationships through the years and still carry with us a lingering sense of disappointment or even regret. Even in the pages of the scriptures, we find stories of those godly men and women who went their separate ways because peace, for them in that moment, was allusive. I've realized that since peace must be dependent upon all parties involved, when someone chooses not to live in peace, there is very little we can do about it. We must simply "wipe the dust from our feet" and move on with love and forgiveness in our hearts.

While I cannot be responsible for the choices of others, I am responsible for my own decisions and actions. I believe there is something in Christ that calls us to work for peace, following his example of humility and selflessness to bring reconciliation. While I cannot resolve world conflicts from Cherry Street, I can strive to live at peace with my neighbor and love those in my proximity, serving them as the Prince of Peace did. There is enough conflict, alienation, and strife found in every square mile of the globe. Christ calls us to a different way of living.

The good news is that "as much as it depends on me" doesn't really apply to the peace we have with God. Fortunately for me, the peace I have with God is his gift -- one I gladly receive and am reminded of as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The nativity reminds me that his birth equals our new birth. Just as the shepherds who first received the news of the birth of Christ were terrified by the appearance of the angel, I would be terrified with the notion that my peace with God was dependent on my ability to acheive it. Thank God it isn't.

He is our peace!

"For he himself is our peace..." (Ephesians 2:14).

Book Recommendation

A Brethren Witness for the 21st Century by Brian H. Moore

For a few years now, I have been enjoying my conversations with Brian H. Moore, pastor of the St. James Brethren Church in St. James, Maryland. We share a common faith heritage which has grown into a friendship over the past couple of years. We have known the very real and practical love of God from Brian and his wife, Amanda through their friendship as well as their hospitality. They openned their home to us for a few months when we returned from Ireland needing a place to live, and we are grateful for the witness of their lives.

I care a great deal about the church, and I am concerned about the gap that exists between church culture and the rest of the world. Particularly, I have been interested in conversation regarding how the Brethren, people of the Anabaptist/Pietist tradition, can have a positive witness in these changing times. As the chasm between church and culture widens, what does the life and witness of the local Brethren congregation look like? Do we carry a unique message that resonates with the needs of post-modern society? Brian seeks to answer these questions in his new book A Brethren Witness for the 21st Century: A Search for Identity and Cultural Relevance. I am pleased to recommend his book to you.

In the first three chapters, Brian helps the reader to understand how Brethren thought and practice developed through the centuries by asking tough questions about our 20th century identity confusion and reflecting back on our origins in Germany and Colonial America. He clearly lays out the Brethren understanding of Scripture and authority as well as bringing to the reader an understanding of how anabaptism and pietism, persecution and war shaped the early Brethren.

In particular, chapters four through seven caught my curiosity as Brian explored four very distinct themes in Brethren thought that resonate with the post-modern society we find ourselves in. These themes include: authentic community, simplicity, peace, and the cost of following Christ.

Regarding Authentic Community: "No document, book or pamphlet can describe the Brethren; one must live the community experience in order to understand. A Brethren witness for the 21st century implies, then, an invitation: come walk with us. This is, if you please, our 'pre-evangelism', how we introduce people to Jesus Christ who lives in and through the community." (p.40). For the early Brethren, the church was not simply a gathering but a community. In our age of disconnectedness and isolation, the need for authentic community (not just a church service) is very real. Discipleship is not mere education but is an invitation for others to "do life with us" and be part of the community.

Regarding Simplicity: "...cutting out or cutting back will not, of itself, create the sense of wholeness or unification in life. One must also have a rationale behind the 'downsizing' of activity. True simplicity is about 'one thing'; what is the one thing one is seeking by attempting to streamline one's life? Is it simply to eliminate 'the sound and fury'? It could still signify nothing. The Brethren witness points to a purpose beyond one's self in seeking simplicity: 'Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...'" (p.49). Seeking simplicity simply to better one's own life is nothing radically new or different. The Brethren understanding of simplicity not only challenges the lifestyle of consummerism (of consuming and being consumed) but also disentangles our complications of Scripture, faith, and life.

Regarding Peace: "The Amish response [to the schoolhouse tragedy] is not indicative of how our justice system ought to operate. It is not indicative of how national policy ought to be formulated. It is, like Jesus' and Paul's teaching on the subject (e.g., MT 5:38-48; RO 12:19-21), a clear expression of personal ethics and personal responses. It is the way of peace in human relations. It is 'the better way taught by Jesus'...it is a call to live peaceably in a terrorized world." (p.58). It is not just nations who are at war. There is such an increase of interpersonal war and the loss of relationship that leads to increased isolation. Our witness for peace begins in our homes, our churches, and with our neighbors. Global peace gets the attention, but the need for restored relationships and loving your neighbor is stronger than ever.

Regarding the Cost of Discipleship: "We live in the 'comfort zone'. We assume that comfort is our right! If something makes us uncomfortable, we protest in some manner, perhaps silently by simply walking away, seeking some more comfortable place and experience. While our spiritual forebearers thought suffering was normal, we today consider it abnormal. Which do you think is a cultural value in contrast to a biblical value?" (p.63). I once heard Brian preach a sermon in which he identified comfort as "a god of the age". This god may be unknowingly worshipped in our churches, and our devotion to this god strips us of our desire or ability to follow Christ into the uncomfortable places, creating our bubble of comfort that keeps us isolated from the world around us. Brian goes on to say, "While the environment discourages suffering in any form, our heredity as Brethren, seeking to follow Christ, encourages us to be faithful in all things to the One who gave his all for us all."

I am delighted with Brian's offering, and I think it is a little jewel. If you are interested in getting a copy for yourself, they are available for $7. You can contact Brian directly at pastormo@myactv.net.

The Journey

Jesus of the Culture War

* * *

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read "Jesus Called. He Wants His Name Back". I chuckled to myself and pressumed that both the sticker and the car belonged to some fella trying to make an anti-Christian statement...that is until I saw his little fish decal in the window and came to the conclusion that both he and his car must be sanctified! Personally, I don't like to advertise my faith on my car. My driving wouldn't always give the best impression of the Prince of Peace!

It seems that almost everyone in Denver is using the bumper of their car to get some sort of message across. These valiant culture warriors are taking the "good fight of the faith" to the city streets and busy highways by sticking clever little slogans to the rear end of their car to provoke the thoughts of those stuck behind them in traffic. This, however, does not go unanswered by those in our community who counter with pithy little comments deriding people of faith or promoting their own humanistic alternative. Subaru's are almost sure to be carrying a pro-Obama or anti-Bush message, while trucks seem to sport their support of the Denver Bronco's or Bass Pro Shop. You can learn a lot about the person in the lane beside you by what he or she glues to their bumper...

With Christmas coming closer, the culture wars in America always seem to heat up a bit. There isn't hardly a day that goes by that I don't hear a story about an athiest group suing to prevent a nativity going up in a public square or a Christian group suing to get a plastic Jesus in a courthouse rotunda. There seems to me to be a lot of effort being made to dominate the culture. I'm just not so convinced that followers of Christ should be striving toward that end!

I'm not at all convinced that the King of kings is concerned about whether or not a plastic, illuminated image of himself as a baby will be permitted in the town park. I am also not satisfied that our efforts must go towards ensuring that symbols of our faith should be found in the halls of our government, but I am certain that the followers of Christ should concern themselves with the message of Christ!

I am also concerned about how easy it is for us to be sucked into these culture wars. It is easy for people of faith to feel like the "foundations of our faith" are being attacked when we hear about the lawsuits and other attempts to strip "Christ" from "Christ"mas in the public arena. But I find these cultural wars to be very unfortunate. All they really accomplish is to widen the divide and make enemies -- and I can't really see the spirit of Jesus in that.

There is no real "witness" gained by saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". The real witness comes as we love and serve our neighbors in the spirit of Christ...a spirit that neither leads us to dominate the culture or create a sub-culture. Don't get me wrong...I say "Merry Christmas", and I've placed a nativity in the living room of our home, because I believe the message of Christmas is found in the gift of Jesus. If people are to see that "he is the reason for the season", it will come from the way we live as the followers of Christ and not by the prominence of our plastic, illuminated statuary.

Because of Jesus, I need to guard my heart and ensure that I am not an active participant in a culture war that makes unnecessary enemies in the process. I don't want to miss the "good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10) because I am stressed about all the people trying to get rid of the good news. Everybody loses in a war.