Weston Park Baptist Church

he seasons of the heart are not always the sunny summer months or the extravagant colours of the spring season. There are also the coldness of winter and the melancholy of autumn. The winter of Psalm 39 speaks from the winter blast of sickness, disappointment, and length of years. The tenor of the psalmist is one of absence and distance from God where are you in my pain and suffering? Such questions also rise up in our own hearts in such wintry spiritual seasons. Will we maintain our faith and hope in God or do we turn away in frustration and anger? How will we travel in our own cold epochs of the heart?

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As we begin a new year we look to our God who has been our dwelling place throughout the generations. God is our true home (not the house or apartment where we live.) The invitation is to keep looking to God through all of the ups and downs of life - the times of joyful presence and painful absence. As we live in this manner we are able to live "with a wise heart (v12) and to know God's guidance in the everyday of our lives.

God is a near God. He continually reveals himself to us in surprising ways both through his creation and in his word. It may be in a newly formed star in the night sky, a baby born in a manger, or three strangers showing up at your front door bearing gifts. The key for us is how do we respond to these moments in time? Do we have receptive hearts that are buoyed up with faith? Or do our hearts become calloused by the blows of life so that there is no longer a spark of receptivity? In our present narrative the Magi demonstrate responsive hearts of faith while Herods heart is as hard as stone. As we close out this year and begin a new one may we have pliable hearts that are responsive to the Spirits touch.

The angel's message to Joseph (as recorded in Matthew's Gospel) centres on the two names of his newborn child: Jesus and Emmanuel. The name 'Jesus' means 'God saves' because 'he will save his people from their sins'. The second name 'Emmanuel' translates as 'God-is-with-us' referencing Jesus' mission as God's representative to humanity. Together these names point to the solidarity of Jesus with humankind. Jesus is to become the face of God to humanity through his redemptive action of love, suffering and resurrection life.

Praise in challenging times is not always easy. The human overcast hangs heavy and blocks out much of the sun's rays. Yet the call to praise persists and asks us to lift our eyes above the darkness of the cloudbanks. Such was the case for doubting Zechariah. Will he (and we) raise our spirits high to perceive God's new work of transformation in the coming Messiah? Will we allow God's nearness to overcome our pessimistic and skeptical hearts as we strive towards the new humanity of God's blessed kingdom?

The story of Advent is the story of Gods love for humankind. God comes to us in Jesus so that we might live close to him forever. May we recognize God as a close God a near God. May we open our hearts to him in this Advent season.

The message of the incarnation of Christ comes to us in a variety of texts including the Gospel nativity stories as well as texts from the Epistles. Today we begin with a Pauline text from Philippians which simply reminds us that, God is near (Philippians 4:5). In this passage we are encouraged to live in joy, peace and gratitude all because Jesus is near to us in time and space. Jesus is near therefore we do not have to live in fear or be controlled by our anxious hearts. Rather, we are able to live with tranquil and quiet hearts because Jesus is near to us in every situation we face.

The writer of Deuteronomy invites us to remember Gods blessings in our lives remember and not forget. In my mind this is a needed exhortation because frequently we do forget all the blessings we have received from God. Instead, we focus on the problems we are facing in the moment or we become distracted by the busyness (and projects) we are running in the present. The invitation from the sacred text is to remember and reflect upon Gods goodness that we experience in our day to day. In the prosperous or challenging times do not lose sight of the truth that we are sheltered in Gods hands and he will see us through to the completion of our days.

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