Monthly Archives: December 2012

First Sunday after Christmas: Jesus is MISSING

Readings

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Psalm 148

Colossians 3:12-17

Luke 2:41-52

Devotion

Peace be with you!

DISCLAIMER: You have to forgive me: my children have four legs and bark at anyone who comes over. That being said, my illustration is what I know as a mother.

I was doing my morning routine when I realized my second oldest pup, Ava, was nowhere to be found. After checking her usual hiding places (the bed, the couch, the kitchen corner, the four dog beds, and outside), I called my step-dad, Kim, and made sure he did not take her with him to go to the grocery store, as she likes to go for car rides. Nope, Ava should be somewhere in the house. I searched her usual hiding place five more times as I began to panic. Then suddenly after an hour of searching, Ava walked out from under the bed as if she just heard me calling her. I was so glad to see her.

Mary and Joseph were good Jewish parents. Each year Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover (Luke 2:41-42). Mary and Joseph were good Jewish parents who taught their son the Torah. Since Jerusalem is central to the Jewish traditions, Mary and Joseph take Jesus there yearly. Jerusalem is central to the Gospel of Luke, because the temple is there and is where God dwells.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph traveled as a community with their friends and family members to and from Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph had left Jerusalem with the group and were heading home when they realized Jesus was not with the group as they had assumed (Luke 2:43-44a). With haste, Mary and Joseph searched desperately among their friends and family member for Jesus, and when he was nowhere to be found they turned around for Jerusalem (Luke 2:44b-45). I am sure any parent can relate to Mary and Joseph’s panic. As parents, it is your job to keep track of your children, to protect them, to feed and clothe them, and so much more. It is a tough job. If that is not enough pressure, Mary and Joseph just happen to be raising God’s only begotten son. So when Jesus goes missing, it is a big deal.

Mary and Joseph rushed back to Jerusalem as if their lives depended on it. I mean what would God do to them for loosing his son? Or is he laughing because they think Jesus is missing? For three days, Mary and Joseph panic about their missing son as they traveled back.

Mary and Joseph get to the temple in Jerusalem and see Jesus listening to the teachers and asking the questions (Luke 2:46). Mary, like any mother in her situation, is beside herself. She has been traveling for three days in sheer panic, and he is fine. And when she asks why he stayed behind, Jesus answers, “Why were you searching for me? How did you not know I would be in my father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Mary and Jesus have different definitions of what it means to be missing. For Mary, Jesus was missing because they could not physically find him. He should have been among their friends and family going back to Nazareth. But he was not with the group: he was missing. For Jesus, Mary and Joseph are missing the point: he was where he was supposed to be – with his heavenly father. Mary and Joseph do not understand their family includes the heavenly father who calls Jesus as his own.

Jesus is true to his calling, even at a young age. He understands his place in the world is with God the Father, the one true Lord. According to the Gospel of Luke, the temple is where God dwells and is where you go to be with him. So if Jesus wants to spend time with his heavenly father, he has go to the temple. Mary did not understand the significance of Jesus’ question back to her. The readers at the temple understand at a young age Jesus is answering his calling from God the Father.

We often forget that children are also called to serve the Lord. We think children are too young to serve an important role in the church and the world. Yet, it is the children who  beg a visiting friend or family member to come see them in the Christmas pageant at church. It is the children who run to altar to be blessed during Communion. It is the children who go to the front to hear the good news. It is the children who remind us to pray before meals. We, adults, have a lot to learn. Where does our excitement go? Are we too conservative? Are we too polite? Are we too afraid of what others think? Are we too self conscious?

God calls each one of us differently to tell the good news of Jesus Christ. Our ministries may look different and have different goals, but they all point to the same thing: the forgiveness and grace of Jesus. Maybe we should start answering our calls as Jesus does and stop worrying what others think. You may not understand the grand scheme of the objective, but that will be worked out in the end. Be eager, like Jesus, to serve God the Father.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for finding what is missing. Help us to come to answer our call to spread the good news of Jesus Christ with eagerness and without fear. Remind us that what is missing is not always lost – it just may not be where we expect it to be. Thank you for calling us to spread the good news. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is missing in your life? What seems misplaced?

2. How do you answer your call to serve God the Father by spreading the good news?

Christmas Eve/Day: NEWS PRESS: Angels Sing Praises

Readings

Isaiah 9:2-7

Psalm 96

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Christmas. It’s the one day out of the year where there is peace in the world – or so you hope. Since my brother and I are older, we allow Mom a few extra hours of sleep before we mingle  over and start eyeing the beautiful arranged gifts under the Christmas tree. We gather around the kitchen table in our pajamas around ten to eat breakfast before we open presents. Mom usually prepares an egg casserole the night before to bake in the morning. Then, the madness begins. Mom tries to allow one of us to hand out the gifts, but we never do it in the right order and therefore she takes over. Kim, our step-dad, usually throws the first Christmas paper ball at someone. The six dogs sniff out their Christmas gifts and begin tearing  at the paper. By end of the opening of gifts, the floor is covered with Christmas paper. The order my mom  worked so hard to arrange the night before is out the window as Christmas paper balls fly from four directions.  Noisily, six dogs bark with us as we sing Christmas carols. Chaos is more our Christmas style.

Was it really peaceful when Jesus was born as we depict in all our Church manger scenes? Imagine being Mary. I would have sent a servant ahead to reserve a hotel room and to alert the local midwives I was coming, if I could not talk Joseph into staying home. Who cares about Emperor Augustus’ decree that all men have to be registered in their hometowns? Mary could have been thinking, “I am having God’s son, and I am due any day now. I just got home from visiting Elizabeth for three months. I have arranged for one of the best midwives that we could afford to deliver the baby. Do you think I am in any shape to ride on back of a donkey?”

The same government that kills Jesus on the cross has Mary and Joseph travelling from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea to be registered (Luke 2:4) for the census. The Roman government is front and center in Luke’s birth narrative of Jesus’ birth. Luke’s readers recognize the Roman government as a threat to Christianity and the Messiah.

For whatever reason, Mary and Joseph did not send a servant ahead to reserve a hotel room and to alert the local midwives they were coming. No one was prepared to welcome Jesus into the world. When Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem, there are no vacant rooms anywhere.

Far from home, Mary and Joseph are homeless as they have travelled to fulfill Emperor Augustus’ decree. Jesus is born homeless in a manger where animals lived, ate, and cleaned and relieved themselves. It is a far stretch from where Mary imagined having God’s son, the Messiah.

However, the manger aligns the Messiah with those who suffer and go without noticed. The manger is warm with fresh hay, and the animals are feasting elsewhere.  The manger is far from home for Mary and Joseph, yet it is where they become family. The manger is not the place where a king should be born; yet this is where Jesus enters the world. The harsh reality is what greets Jesus when he is born. Jesus is born into a world where hunger, homelessness, jobless, little opportunity, and [whatever “it” is] you face on a daily basis are the reality.

Yet Jesus’ birth does not go unnoticed. The angels sing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14 NRSV)God notices sweet baby Jesus is born and sends angels to sing praises and to tell the shepherds (Luke 2:13-15). The shepherds, who are ordinary people, are the first individuals to greet Jesus into the world. The people who Jesus will dwell with and will lift up in his final days come to lift him up at his birth.

The chaos my family is accustomed to is not too far off from the reality of Jesus’ birth. Although it may not be the conventional to think of Christmas as chaos, Jesus did not come into the world in a conventional way – born to a virgin in a manger greeted by ordinary people. Our family Christmas chaos lifts up our love for each other and for the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, just as the shepherds lift up Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having Jesus come to us quietly and meeting us in ordinarily places. Help us to keep Christmas just an ordinary day in the world. Remind us to sing praises to you for you have sent the Messiah into the world to lift us, the ordinary people, up. Thank you for allowing us to welcome Jesus, the Messiah, into the world in our everyday lives. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What preparations have you made for Jesus’ birth?

2. How are you greeting Jesus into the world this Christmas?

3. If Jesus were born tonight, where would he be born? What would the circumstances be?

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Mary’s Radical Song

Readings

Micah 5:2-5a

Psalm 80:1-7

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-55

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Life can be overwhelming at times. Your boss gives you not enough time to finish the biggest project in your career. Your wife is diagnosed with breast cancer just as you loose your job along with the health insurance. Your daughter is raped in her college dorm. Your son is deaf and is hit by a school bus on his way to work. Or [whatever “it” is] that is going on in your life. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary get the most overwhelming news in their lives by the angel Gabriel that God has plans for them.

The angel Gabriel visits Zechariah, a priest, about Elizabeth, his wife, having a baby, which he has a hard time believing because they are both old (Luke 1:16-25). It is overwhelming news for Zechariah, because Elizabeth barren and having a baby as an old lady is even harder and dangerous. When she does have a child, Elizabeth sings the Lord praises (Luke 1:24-25).

Elizabeth and Zechariah are not the only people the angel Gabriel gives overwhelming news to. The angel Gabriel visits Mary who is engaged to Joseph and is a virgin and tells her she is with child (Luke 1:32). Mary gets confused because she should not be able to have a baby yet. The angel Gabriel tells Mary God has looked upon her with favor and made her with child through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

Mary decides to go visit Elizabeth and Zechariah when she hears the news (Luke 1:39-40). As soon as Mary sees her, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumps for joy and Elizabeth shouts with joy that the Lord has blessed them both (Luke 1:41-45). Elizabeth’s son (John the Baptist) will lead the way for Mary’s son (Jesus). The two women will be forever bond together.

Mary answers Elizabeth’s praises by singing God praises for blessing her. Mary understands God could have chosen a more suitable woman to be the mother to his son: someone married, older, wiser, richer, etc. To the world, Mary is young girl who is not married yet from a poor family with little consequence. God’s son should be born in royalty with all the power in the world. Yet Mary will be remembered by future generations (Luke 1:48b) for being the mother of God’s son. For this, Mary sings God’s praises – not because God gives her an easy life but because he gives her a reason to live out her faith.

We have a lot to learn from Mary. Many times when God gives us overwhelming news we run, hide, duck our heads, scream at the closest person to us, throw things, give up, etc. The last thing we do is praise God. Even with the overwhelming news, Mary sings God praises for blessing her with the greatest gift.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Elizabeth and Mary a reason to live out their faith. Help us to have to their wisdom to sing you praises during overwhelming times. Give us the courage to be strong in our faith. Thank you for the many blessing in our lives. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Who do you visit when you get overwhelming news?

2. How will you be remembered?

3. When do you sing God praises?

Third Sunday of Advent: Radical Salvation

Readings

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Darkness has entered our children and has left its mark. Children have come home silent and despaired – evil has taken away their innocence. Parents have rushed home to give hugs and kisses to their children. Other parents wail laments for their children who will never come home again – let alone wake Christmas morning to open their gifts. Words escape us. Nothing we say will bring back the  sense of safety for our children or our own sense of safety. Nothing we say will give the children back their innocence, because they face Satan today. Nothing we say…

Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? The joy in our children is replaced by horrid images that most adults have yet to see. Their innocence was taken from them. Joy is the last thing on our minds.

People are making the pilgrim to the wilderness to see John the Baptist. Others have gone and heard him preach and have told others to go experience his teachings. In today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist seems to be taking questions from the crowd. John the Baptist has started talking about the end of the world – how God will cut away the bad oats from the good ones. The crowd asks, “What then should we do?” (Luke 3:10 NRSV). John the Baptist puts it in simply: share, be fair, and be honest.

The wilderness has come to us as we try to put things back together, yet nothing will bring back the twenty children that were killed. Their parents’ joy was stolen from them in that fatal act. So let’s share and be fair and honest about our feelings. Friday was a dark day worldwide. The twenty children died too soon. The children left behind fear going back to school tomorrow, because their sense of safety is lost in the darkness. The children’s joy and innocent was stolen. Bitterness has replaced the joy of the season, and it is cruel. We are wondering in the wilderness.

The tax collectors ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). You have to understand the tax collectors and the soldiers are daily reminders to the Jews of the Roman Empire. These individuals understand they are view as a threat to the common people. To the tax collectors, John the Baptist says to only collect what the Roman officials tell them too (Luke 3:13). We know from Mark and Matthew Jesus told his disciples to give to Caesar what is due to him and to give to God what belongs to him (Mark 12:17; Matthew 22:21). It is important to be fair by only taking from the people what is owed in order to ensure they can still provide for their family and help friends in need.

Even if you are not a parent, your heart is breaking. No one is asking us to pay higher taxes today, but friends and family need our time and energy. John the Baptist calls us to help those in need. Although words may not come easily, your presence is what is needed during this time of despair. One lady in a Cerebral Palsy support group has a daughter that attends Sandy Hook Elementary. Throughout the weekend, I have been passing along helpful links, like A Prayer of Lament, and hat to say to your children. I sent her anything that would give her words in amidst so many questions and so much fear. With no children of my own, my detachment from the tragedy – not by much – allowed me the ability to gather resources to share with the mother and others. I became rich in my time and energy, and I felt called to give to those in need.

The soldiers ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). To the soldiers, John the Baptist says, “Do not extort from anyone by threats or false accusations, and be satisfied with your wages.” (Luke 3:14 NRSV).  The soldiers are to be fair to the people – do not punish them anymore than necessary and to protect them from false accusations whether than waving around their power to get what they want.

In amidst the heartache, people want someone to be held responsible for the twenty  children killed. Some people are calling for stronger gun control laws; others want every teacher to have a gun in the classroom; others say it would have happened no matter what. There is no simple answer. No matter what changes are made in the future those eleven children are not coming home.

What should we do now? Parents who have lost their children need our support more than anything. They do not need answers to all their questions or solutions. They do not need to hear God needed more angels. They need hugs, a listening ear, comfort and compassion, love and support, and someone to wipe their tears. These parents have tons of raw emotions. Making room for their wailing laments is our job.

John the Baptist and Jesus both understand the roles of the tax collectors and the soldiers. Under the Roman Empire, the tax collectors and the soldiers are able to be liaisons between the people and the government officials. The empire has a role in the people’s lives. John the Baptist is instructing the tax collectors and the soldiers to be fair and considerate to the common people.

Who are the parents’ liaisons? Who is going to listen to their fears? Who is going to prevent this from ever happening again? Where will survivors go from here? Who is going to lift up these children? John the Baptist understands the tax collectors and the soldiers have important roles in our lives. The soldiers are commission to keep us safe, even today. Soldiers come in different forms – police, firemen, teachers, counselors, mediators, judgers, lawyers, parents, and many more. These are the people who are commission to keep us safe. Our soldiers were attacked Friday by the evil, and now we need to lift them up in prayer and to stand by them as they weep. We need to be their soldiers in this time. To borrow a phrase from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: We are to be God’s hands and feet to those who need consoling.

The crowd starts to question if John the Baptist is the Messiah that they are waiting for (Luke 3:15). John the Baptist shoots the crowd down by stating that one more powerful than him will come. “John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’” (Luke 3:16-17; NRSV). The Messiah will be more powerful than John the Baptist; he will baptize with the Holy Spirit, not just water; he will separate those who believe from the darkness and cut away those who follow Satan; he will destroy the world and lift up those who believe.

As we reflect on the events of this past Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, we find ourselves in the wilderness wondering when the Messiah will return to overcome Satan once and for all. Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? I invite you to light a candle in your window. Let it be a sign that the Holy Spirit burns within us, and an invitation for others to welcome Jesus Christ into their hearts. That is the joy baptism gives us, even in this dark world!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending John the Baptist to point us towards Jesus Christ, your son. Guide us in the wilderness as we look for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Shine your light from within us and let others be drawn to your magnificent light. Thank you for sending John the Baptist to set a fire in our hearts. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is John the Baptist calling you to do?

2. Write a press release about Jesus Christ and salvation. What would John the Baptist’s Twitter feed look like announcing the coming Messiah?

3. In the wilderness, what should we do?

Second Sunday of Advent: John the Baptist, the Radical

Readings

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Radicals: Individuals who make nonsense claims in the name of change and social advancements. Their ideas are way out there, based on the norm of the day, and they insist on pushing the envelope.

Each generation has its own radicals. Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses called for radical changes within the Catholic Church. The beloved Martin Luther King, Jr. pushed for equality for African Americans. His “I Have a Dream” speech rings true in our minds today, but during the Civil Rights Movement, King was speaking against the “normal.”  Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple Inc., was a radical for dreaming that every family be able to have a personal computer one day. He dreamed this in the 1980’s, when computers were as big as rooms.

And then there is John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading with the proclamation of salvation for all. John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord, so that everyone can experience God’s salvation. The wilderness has negative connotations in the Bible as a place that is barren and lonely, but it also has positive connotations as a place people go when change is about to happen. God has a new plan for his people that pushes the envelope on the “normal” way things are done. The fact that John the Baptist is the wilderness draws attention away from the Jewish temples and synagogues and into the unknown. The wilderness is a forbidden place where people wander around aimlessly and in confusion. Yet God sends John the Baptist out into the wilderness with a new message for his people: salvation for all.

John the Baptist in the wilderness is calling people to experience God, to get to know him, to be in a relationship with God, and to repent of their sins for the chance of a lifetime – a chance to experience salvation. Honestly, you have to admit that if John the Baptist was a traditional priest like his father, he would gone unnoticed. The high priests probably would have imprisoned him for going against their traditional teachings. But John the Baptist is in our face calling us into the wilderness to experience God: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:4b-6 NRSV, italics added for emphasis). John the Baptist says to us, “Make way for the Lord. The lame will walk, the poor will be fed, and the sinner will be forgiven. All who repent will be able to experience salvation.” Jesus Christ is coming; he wants to enter our hearts and fill us with joy and happiness, if we let him.

John the Baptist’s radical message is not just for those along the Jordon River two thousand years ago; it is for us today as well. Salvation is for all people, no matter their age, skin color, number of tattoos and piercings, education, cash flow, etc. John the Baptist says Jesus Christ, the Messiah, meets us where we are in our lives, either high on a mountain or deep in a cavern. Jesus is coming. Are you ready?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for preparing our hearts to meet Jesus. Help us to repent of our sins and prepare the way of the Lord.  Thank you for Jesus’ salvation. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What do you need to repent of this Advent season?

2. How have you seen God use barren places in your life to bring change and renewal?

First Sunday of Advent: Radical Time

Readings

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Thessalonians 3:3-19

Luke 21:25-36

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In the twenty-first century, we are inundated with “signs” telling us what to think, what to do, how to act and dress, and [whatever “it” is] that is our sights. The

Signs found using Google Images. Messages do not necessary represent opinions of God the Healer.

Signs found using Google Images. Messages do not necessary represent opinions of God the Healer.

sun rises in the east alerting us to a new day; radio personalities inform of the day’s weather and news; our significant others leave us notes of their love or notes reminding us of the schedule for the day; we drive to work and see billboards advertising local businesses and services; we get to work and find emails informing us of upcoming projects; later, we watch our favorite television shows on our computers and tablets. Signs inform us what is going on in the world.

The Christmas festivities are now in full swing. You just have to step into Wal-Mart to be greeted with a cardboard Santa informing you Christmas is just twenty-three days away. As you walk pass the jewelry department, you read: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” And if your kids happen to be with you, you are dragged to the toy department accompanied by begging and whining for the latest toys. According to Wal-Mart or [whatever department store you go to], Christmas is about buying gifts.

Jesus tells us about the sign of the end of time: earth will pass away (Luke 21:25-26) and the Son of Man will come in a cloud (Luke 21:27a NRSV). In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a few friends have asked if the end of time is coming. Although I am sure more destruction will happen before the end, it is important to remember that when that day comes, it will bring hope with it. We are looking towards the beginning of the end as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,  and as we look towards the second coming of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus comes, he brings hope with him.

The destructive power of natural disasters, such as forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, can leave communities devastated and in hopeless states of minds. A friend and I were discussing how dependent we are on electricity – from lights and heat to paying bills online and keeping touch with friends and family around the world. Much of our daily activities are dependent on electricity and we often do not realize this is true until it is gone. It scares me to think about not having electricity for a week, because I have to charge my electric wheelchair every few days. Otherwise, I am stuck relying on others to push me around in my manual wheelchair.

Yet Jesus says this world will pass away before the end of time will happen. We have to lose everything that surrounds our lives before we can stand in front of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. We must lose our comfort zone before we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. As natural destruction happens, we keep our eyes on Jesus, because destruction means new life. The world may fall apart, but Jesus’ words of promise will always mean something to us – new life in the wake of destruction.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the signs leading us to your kingdom at the end of time. Help us to keep strong as the earth falls away. Remind us that your word will never stop having power. Lead us to your kingdom.  Thank you for new life after destruction as you have promised. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What signs lead you in your life?

2. How have you experience new life after destruction?