Tag: matthew

Embodiment of Faith

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nativity
By Georges de La Tour – Sammyday (2010-10-23), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18953221

Writing to new Christians, in what today is southern Turkey, the Apostle Paul summed up the central miracle and mystery which began with Jesus’ birth: “In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”( Colossians 1:19) For the duration of his earthly life, Jesus was God with us.( Matthew 1:23) Through faith we can still experience him as such, but this relationship is difficult for those who have never encountered anyone sincerely seeking to embody Christ’s teachings in daily life. It is our calling to help make the Christmas miracle real for them.

I have a magnetic cling which reads “Keep Christ in Christmas.” I keep it on my refrigerator where it serves as a reminder to myself rather than an admonishment to others. If Christ is to remain in Christmas – or indeed become a part of Christmas for those who have not encountered him – then he must be born again and again in the hearts of his followers. The fullness of God may not dwell in us, but it must flow through us collectively as Christ’s Church. I am reminded of the words of St. Theresa of Avila:

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

St. Theresa of Avila

With the passing of years, I am ever more convinced that the essence of Christmas lies within each of us. It is not to be found in the exchange of gifts, the sounds of carols, or the hanging of lights and greens, but rather in the quiet birth of God’s Spirit into each of our hearts. It is this which gives joy and peace, this embodiment of God’s Word which births hope into the world.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Advent, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

Clothed With Christ

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“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

clothed in christ

When a Moravian pastor officiates at Holy Communion he or she often wears a specially made white robe (surplice). Its flowing white design with wide sleeves calls to mind the white robes in the book of Revelation. Its purpose is to remind worshipers of heaven and to show that the pastor is representing Christ when administering the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion. The ritual of robing reminds pastors that they, together with all baptized believers, are to “clothe themselves with Christ.”

In offering himself as a willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of all humanity, Jesus fulfilled the demands of righteous justice while embodying divine grace. Clothing ourselves with Christ means that, in spite of our sinful nature we are able to approach God without fear of rejection, trusting in God’s forgiveness of sin through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of Jesus. A hymn in the Moravian liturgy for burial expresses this well:

The Savior’s blood and righteousness, my beauty is, my glorious dress; thus well-arrayed I need not fear when in his presence I appear.

Because our lives, our souls, have been redeemed by God, we are free to respond by choosing a new focus for our lives. We clothe ourselves with Christ as disciples of the Lord. Our goal should be to become just a bit more Jesus-like each day. Therefore …

  • We exhibit love for others, even those with whom we vehemently disagree, because “God is love,” and “Whoever does not love does not know God,” (I John 4:8)
  • Knowing ourselves to be less than perfect and in need of God’s forgiveness, we forgive others’ sins, as we trust God will forgive our sins. (Matthew 6:12)
  • Similarly, we refrain from judgment for that is God’s task. The Apostle James echoes our Savior’s teaching when he writes: “So who then, are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12)
  • In speaking with others, we choose our words carefully knowing that “a harsh word stirs up anger,” and that only a “perverse person spreads strife” through gossip. (Proverbs 15:1, 16:28)
  • Whatever material goods God has entrusted to us as individuals or a congregation, we invest to build up the Kingdom of God and help draw others closer to Christ for we know that one day we will have to account for our stewardship. (Matthew 25:29-30)

As we continue deeper into the New Year, resolve to clothe yourself with Christ.