John 1:1-14
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning wasthe Word, andthe Word was with God, andthe Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a mansent from God, whose name wasJohn. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yetthe world did not know him. He came tohis own, andhis own peopledid not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name,he gave the rightto becomechildren of God, who were born, not of bloodnor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The title is misleading, for Christians a Happy New Year begins at the first part of Advent. Let me frame it a different way – my beginning and anticipation in life, the setting of my clock as it were, is not done by the Canadian Revenue Service but by the birth and life of Christ. OK, a little over the top, Happy New Year anyway. I want to close off 2008 and nudge us to 2009 by telling two stories, which I hope will encourage and inspire.
The first story is really simply a quote from Sandy Rosen while speaking at her mother Vi Oshiro’s service this last fall. Manu of us were gathered to give thanks and support Tom and the extended family. Sandy said that her mother was like the light on the porch so you always knew where home was (I’ve probably mangled it but that’s the drift). Oh that others would be called to say that of us when we die. More importantly, this is true of Vi, the light from her life was the light of Christ shining through…may that be true of each of us too… seeing Jesus not us this year.
The second story is set against the gathering clouds of economic uncertainty, international conflict and strife. We enter a year of worry, concern and uncertainty. The second story came to me from a third party recounting how a successful business man left that life of financial security to become a pastor. His new church and calling were offering a salary for less than his previous vocation and not in an adequate salary for the new pastor’s family. This new pastor was a wise and godly man, he put the financial dilemma to the church this way:
“You know you can pay me what you intend to pay me and I and my family can live on faith. Or you can pay me what is hard for you and adequate for my family and the whole church (my family included) can live on faith.”
The Lord is calling us Christians and as a family of churches to pray, discern, reflect, worship and passionately live into what God has for us this year. Our Lord has been faithful and we can depend on Him to be so again and again. We can give Him of our time, money and energy in its most minimalistic form or we can live faithfully, fully and in great anticipation that we will be used by God in ways we never dreamed of in this next year.
You are not supposed to have favourite passages of scripture but basically I do. We started with it and I end with it.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a mansent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name,he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I have one addition this year which governs my hopes and dreams for us…it is in Hebrews 11… that’s for another week.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy