December 2018 The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—765-330-4170 and email address—[email protected]Zion’s 2018 Council Members Elder & President ........................................ Fred Walker Elder & Vice-President ............................... Jody Stanley Secretary ................................................. Barb Hardwick Deacons ................................................. Allen Stallsmith Mike Clamme Tim Stanley Trustees ......................................................... Mark Prout Neil Stroble Max Langdon Treasurer ................................................. Dennis Walker Financial Secretaries .................................Claretta Dutro Nyla Hile Do you remember what it was like to be a kid on Christmas Eve, scarcely able to sleep in anticipation of what the next day would bring? Or do you remember what it was like to prepare for your wedding day, knowing that you were committing your love and loyalty to another person for the rest of your life? Or maybe you remember what it’s like to await a newborn child with anxiety and excitement, with great uncertainty and hope. And then the event happens. Christmas Day comes. The wedding is solemnized. The baby is born. Happiness and awe abound. We long for the moment to last forever. But then everyday reality sets in. The toys received with so much excitement break. The honeymoon ends. The baby poops! (And pees, and spits up, and cries, and screams, etc.) Often, our anticipation of the event outweighs the re- alization. We often have overly-idealistic expectations for our relationships or the events of our lives. And when those expectations aren’t fulfilled, we can get frustrated, anxious, or despondent. Sometimes, to soothe ourselves, we sink into a more-or-less gray apathy. Can you imagine what the anticipation must have been like for Mary and Joseph? In Luke’s Gospel, Gabri- el told Mary straight out that her child “will be great and…will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom (Luke 1:32-33, all CEB).” Imagine the expectations Mary had! Mary was going to give birth to a king! But then strange things began to happen. When Jo- seph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple for their rit- ual purification, a man named Simeon warns them, “This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposi- tion so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too (Luke 2:34-35).” Hearing that must have caused quite a shock. Twelve years later, Jesus creates quite a stir by remain- ing behind at the Temple after Passover, speaking with the teachers. When confronted by his frightened (and probably infuriated!) parents, he nonchalantly responds, “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?”, a statement that flies over their heads (Luke 2:49-50). It gets worse. Jesus infuriates the people of his hometown when he gives his first sermon (Luke 4:14- 30) and disregards his family when they come to see him in the middle of his preaching tour, declaring “My moth- er and brothers are those who listen to God’s word and do it (Luke 8:21).” When a woman tries to compliment his mother, Jesus shrugs it off (Luke 11:28). Jesus also says, outrageously, that he has come not to unite families but to divide them (Luke 12:49-53, 14:26-27, 18:29-30). Jesus also continues to anger the religious leaders—the very people he would want on his side if he was to be king in the normal, earthly way. Despite all this, Gabriel’s words came true. Jesus is a king and came into his kingdom, but not in the way that anyone expected. Gabriel left the means out! Jesus came into his kingdom on the cross, dying the death of an ene- my of the state, with a penitent thief beside him (Luke 23:40-43). The expectations of Jesus as king certainly did not match the anticipation. All his family’s hopes must have been dashed at the cross. But notice what happens after the resurrection. Mary does not sink into apathy, but be- comes one of the earliest members of the church (Acts 1:14). Likewise, Jesus’ brother James becomes one of (continued on next page)
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December 2018 The Pastor s Ponderings...good health. Thanksgiving offering will be given to the Food Pastor’s Report: As written Pantry and the Advent and Christmas offering will
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Transcript
December 2018
The Pastor’s Ponderings
Pastor David’s cell phone—765-330-4170 and email address—[email protected]
Zion’s 2018 Council Members
Elder & President ........................................ Fred Walker
Elder & Vice-President ............................... Jody Stanley