Joseph, A Man with Wood-shavings at His Feet:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT I feel a certain kinship with Joseph.  From time to time I make things with wood.  Wood has a character of it's own.  Everyone who has worked with wood knows that pine is much softer than oak.  Since I don't know how long ago, tool makers have realized that the long, straight, strong fibers that make up the "grain" in hickory make it ideal for tool handles.  With the power tools that I From an article by Rev. Jack Barr use, I can make a cut, or drill a hole, in less than a minute that would have taken Joseph hours to accomplish.  Even with modern tools, though, one must respect the wood.  I can think of a few projects I've worked on, where I was not merely working on the wood but with it.  There is a sense of partnering with God.  God made that tree.  He created its kind.  He is the giver and sustainer of the life that allowed the seed to become the log.  The marks of falleness--the universal condition in this world-are embedded in the wood.  Drought effected the rate of growth and therefore the pattern of the grain, rot leaves its mark, and the tunnels of invading insects reminds the worker that life is not safe.  Evil is not only out there; through Adam it invaded us all.  Now it is my privilege--it's not to much to say it is my responsibility to take this which my Lord has provided and make something useful of it.  Joseph had to be a man of great patience.  A beam for the flat roof of a house had to be formed from a tree that he might cut down himself.  His handsaw was likely not as sharp as mine.  Converting round to square was accomplished by muscle and skill.  To make a yoke that is easy (pleasant or comfortable) requires that one not only consider the nature of the wood, but the needs of the one who would bear the yoke.   We often speak of reading between the lines.  In the case of Joseph, there is a lot of space between the few lines that are written about him.  I'm not sure we can fill those spaces--certainly not with the kind of authoritative words that are in the lines themselves--but it is worth some time spent thinking. On the Sunday before Christmas we'll be looking at Joseph.  I hope you'll join us, if not in person then by recording.   With a wish for the best of Christmases, it's Something To Think About, from the Covington Bible Church.

Herod's ilk lives on:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT There is a noble attempt to focus all the Christmas  energy that has erupted around us in lights and greenery, back on the real story of Christmas--the incarnation of Christ.  I am heartily in favor of the effort.  Our just completed Live Nativity at CBC is one such effort. Thirty-two years after His birth Jesus said that He had come to seek and save the Lost.  (Luke 19:10)  This morning I was reminded that both then and now  "the lost" are in abundance.  The ugly stain on the Christmas story is Herod's murder of all the little boys in Bethlehem.  Scholars argue about the numbers.  Suffice to say that Bethlehem was just a small town, but I hasten to add the death of any innocent children is a tragedy.  (Matthew 2:16-23)  Herod's murder of the innocents was totally in character.  Brother-in-laws, sons, and wives, were all victims of Herod's murderous, suspicious, jealous rage. It has been reported that Uncle Jang Song Thaek was executed for "corruption, drug use, gambling, womanizing and leading a 'dissolute and depraved life.'"  Not likely.  Somehow he found himself in the way of his beloved nephew's ambitions.      His ilk lives on. Dennis Rodman's buddy, Kim Jung Un, just had his Uncle killed.  The North Korean dictator saw some threat in Uncle Jang Song Thaek.  The Herod's, Stalins, Hitlers, Saddam Husseins,  and Uns of the world know how to deal with competition--real or imagined--eliminate it.   Because there are more of us, and because news travels farther and faster in our day than in Herod's, we hear about more evil.   Murderous leaders still plot and kill. Innocent babies are still killed for no good reason. Populations still cower in fear under the sandal, boot, or elevator shoe of cruel tyrants.   More than ever this world needs Jesus! With a wish for the best of Christmases, it's Something To Think About, from the Covington Bible Church.

The Answer is a Child:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT Alex, C. J., & McGuire are ready to play their roles in the Live Nativity.  CBC is preparing them to be World-changers! The news is full of political conflict.  The Democrat leadership in the Senate, butting heads with the Republican forces in the House has become daily news.  Add to that threatened vetoes and the periodic racket various special interests make, throw in some international posturing for good measure, and we have quite a spectacle.  What ought to really concern us, however, is what has become all too mundane in the seats of power.  Granted the scandalous does serve to give us a magnified view of what goes on everyday, but too often the titillating headlines divert our attention from--even make us calloused to--the day by day operation of government, which far too often would be seen as scandalous, if we weren't so used to it.  On a human level, I recommend integrity over over charm, and honesty over image, but looking higher, I am reminded of a promise that came to ancient Judah, at a time of corruption in the seat of power.  ". . . a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. . . . [He will] uphold it with justice and righteousness. . . ." (Isaiah 9:6-7, NASB95) Ultimately the answer is a child! With a wish for the best of Christmases, it's Something To Think About, from the Covington Bible Church.          This will be my first Christmas without my mom.  Mom made hundreds of  little angels, like the one on the left.  They are literally around the world.  I don't have any handwork for you, but on our website, covingtonbblechurch.com, you can find recordings of messages, including some recent messages on thanksgiving, and there is a lot of information about the One Who came to earth to be our Savior,covingtonbiblechurch.com.  Click on "Life's most important question."

In The Fullness of Time:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT Galatians 4:4 says when the time was full Christ came.  He didn't come before, because it was not yet, "the fullness of time."  To delay was impossible because the time was right for God the Son to take on human flesh.  God does not rush, and He is never late.  He acts when the time is right.   Out of all the things that we do at Covington Bible Church, the one event that comes nearest to involving everyone in our congregation--the nail drivers, recruiters, goat wranglers, cookie bakers, costume sewers, advertisers, organizers, cd labelers, scene setter-uppers, "go-fers," wire and light stringers, greeters, teachers, actors, hosts, and (breathe deep) many more--is the Live Nativity.  Most of the work to make the Live Nativity happen has already taken place.  Now we are waiting on the weather.  We are scheduled to have three nights of visitors at our event.  I can't remember the last time I have seen a "100% chance of rain" prediction.  That's the forecast I just saw fortomorrow night.   When does God send rain, and when does He bless little churches with totally gorgeous weather like we had for last year's Live Nativity?  I think those things happen at the same time as Christ came, in the fullness of time.   I'm not nearly arrogant or foolish enough to try to explain why God does things, when He does.  Reading the end of Romans 11 will kind of humble you that way  I do know that several conversations that I have had, including a couple with myself, have already revealed that working on the Live Nativity has been a great blessing.  We have been motivated to pray.  We have been able to offer a love-gift to our Lord.  I continue to pray that God will grant us the opportunity to share the message of the incarnation with our community.  There is absolutely a 100% chance that God will remain in control over the next seventy-two hours.  I confess, some of the conversations I have had with myself have been about trying to treat God like a Divine pop-machine--deposit my change in prayer, and demand the result I want.  The problem is, this Live Nativity is all about the coming of the One Who said "Pray like this: . . . Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  He followed that example when He prayed, ". . . nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."   Lord, I'll be honest with you.  I don't want it to rain.  I want us to be able to take guests through our Live Nativity event.  But, Lord, thank You for helping me to be honest with me.  You do things in the fullness of time.  I'm 100% sure that whatever the time is full for You to do will be best.  So even more than I want good weather, I want a good heart--a heart good enough to yield to You. Amen With a wish for the best of Christmases, it's Something To Think About from the Covington Bible Church.

Thinking About Christmas:

Last night at Prayer Meeting, our prayer list was populated by a lot of bad news--cancer, death, just plain meanness, and family breakdown.  Magnifying that view of badness was news this morning, that someone had done some minor vandalism on the set-up for our Live Nativity.  If we aren't careful the parade of the ugly will make us calloused to the pain out there in our world and the impact it has on us.  We'll just settle into the "It's always like that." syndrome.  We'll thicken our skins, keep our heads down, lock our doors, trudge on, and, worst of all, conclude that those responses--wise though they may be--constitute the answer.

  

Thinking of the Christmas story, I am reminded of a promise that came to ancient Judah, at a time when there were a lot of things wrong, and the King of Judah was trying all kinds of things to provide protection.  The Prophet Isaiah came with a message.

"Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.. . . a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. . . .  [He will] uphold it with justice and righteousness. . . ." (Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6-7)

 

Ultimately the answer to the evil in this world is a child!

 

With a wish for the best of Christmases,

it's Something To Think About

from the Covington Bible Church.

 

 

  

 

This will be my first Christmas without my mom.  Mom made hundreds of  little angels, like the one on the left.  They are literally around the world.  I don't have any handwork for you, but on our website, covingtonbblechurch.com, you can find recordings of messages, including some recent messages on thanksgiving, and there is a lot of information about the One Who came to earth to be our Savior,covingtonbiblechurch.com.  Click on "Life's most important question."

Give Me Christmas!

A friend of mine tells about the Christmas celebration in a country where he used to live.  "Give me Christmas!"  people will say.  They are requesting a bag of cookies--usually Animal Crackers, with, maybe, a few pieces of candy thrown in.

Before we get our noses out of alignment, looking down them, let's think about the typical American Christmas.  I've been listening to an online Christmas radio station for the past thirty minutes.  If I were to determine what Christmas is based on what I've heard in the last half-an-hour, I'd likely come to about the same conclusion as my friend's former neighbors.  Of course, my bag would be bigger and its contents would cost more.  Christmas is stuff, and a magical mood, both of which our retailers are glad to sell us.

 

While I was listening to the "Christmas" station I was also working on a cd that we'll give to the visitors at our Live Nativity this weekend.  It features the words of Mary Magdalene, as imagined and portrayed by Erika Daly.  In one scene as she stands before the stable and the manger, she says, "This is Christmas."

Indeed.

God has already given us Christmas.  Have you received His greatest of all gifts?

Merry Christmas!

It's STTA.

  

 

 

This will be my first Christmas without my mom.  Mom made hundreds of  little angels, like the one on the left.  They are literally around the world.  I don't have any handwork for you, but on our website, covingtonbblechurch.com, you can find recordings of messages, including some recent messages on thanksgiving, and there is a lot of information about the One Who came to earth to be our Savior,covingtonbiblechurch.com.  Click on "Life's most important question."

Beginning Christmas:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT When I say, "Beginning Christmas," for some of us it is already too late.  You have a closet full of Christmas gifts and maybe a few scars from Black Friday.  You've already started decorating.   For those of us who wanted Thanksgiving to not be only, "Christmas the beginning," we didn't have much time this year.  For me, in particular,Thursday was Thanksgiving, and then just a few days later it was the first Sunday in December--time to be doing the Christmas music, and preaching on a Christmas theme at Covington Bible Church.  Across the top of all my plans for this week, there is a one word reminder--"CHRISTMAS." Whether you started Christmas-ing back in July, or, like me, are working to get up to Yule-speed, let me encourage you to join us for what has become for me an important, and probably favorite part of the Christmas season.  Each year the Covington Bible Church presents a Live Nativity.  You can see pictures and get the detailshere.    I'm inviting you to join us in this Christmas opportunity.  Here are some ways you can participate: Attend.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you are invited to come to Jackson River Sport Complex, between 6:00 and 8:00, and experience the true meaning of Christmas. Participate.  A large portion of the STTA audience is the CBC family.  If you are not already plugged in to the Live Nativity, drop me a line and we'll get you involved. Pray.  Even those of you many miles away from Covington VA, can be an important part of this event.  Last year 1,000 people experienced the true meaning of Christmas with us.  Pray that this event will touch hearts. Give.  I'm not asking for money for us.  We present the Live Nativity as our gift to our community.  I hope the generosity of the CBC family in giving of their time and resources to make this event a reality, will motivate you to give through one of the agencies that is doing good work this time of year.  I'd encourage you to put your church at the top of that list. One way or another, CBC's Live Nativity is a great way to start, or continue, the Christmas Season. Merry Christmas! It's STTA.