Christmas Grace

Here are the lyrics to our Advent Theme Song: Christmas Grace.

Grace comes down at Christmas

God to whom we pray

Always keeps his promises

This is Christmas Grace

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Grace comes down at Christmas

Do not be afraid

You on whom God's favor rests

This is Christmas Grace

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Grace comes down at Christmas

Grace comes every day

It's new every morning

This is Christmas Grace

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Grace comes down at Christmas

No one turned away

Jesus welcomes every heart

This is Christmas Grace

• • •

Grace comes down at Christmas

Christ prepares our way

He'll return to take us home

This is Christmas Grace

• • •

Grace comes down at Christmas

Grace comes every day

It's new every morning

This is Christmas Grace

• • •

Grace comes down at Christmas

Grace comes every day

It's new every morning

This is Christmas...

This is Christmas...

This is Christmas...

Grace.

© 2005 Tim Irwin

Advent Preview

Here I am sitting at my desk on the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. Our Pre-School was not in session today, so it was a quiet day in more ways than one.

I'm trying to get over a pretty decent case of bronchitis. I was able to preach Sunday, but only mouthed the words to the worship songs. That's difficult for me to do; I mean I really wanted to sing... but I also wanted to preach, and Sunday was one of those days I had to choose which one I wanted to do more.

Sunday begins Advent 2008. I love this time of year. This year's Advent Theme at Aloha Church of God is Christmas Grace.

Here's the plan:

1st Sunday of Advent - November 30 - Christmas Grace Means God Keeps His Promises
2nd Sunday of Advent - December 7 - Christmas Grace Means God Is On Our Side
3rd Sunday of Advent - December 14 - Christmas Grace Means God Makes Room for Us
4th Sunday of Advent - December 21 - Christmas Grace Means God Won't Forget Us
Christmas Eve - Christmas Grace Means God Isn't Afraid of a Mess

If you need some grace this Christmas, why not join us? There's plenty to go around.

365: Romans 4, 5 and 6 (Day 326)

People cannot do any work that will make them right with God. (Romans 4:4 - NCV)

O Lord our God, grant us the grace to desire Thee with our whole heart; that so desiring we may seek and find Thee; and so finding Thee may love Thee; and loving Thee, may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed us. Amen. [1]

During these few days before Thanksgiving 2008, I find it necessary to once again thank God for his saving work in my life. Coming from a holiness movement background, it is always tempting to fall into the thinking that says my behavior earns me right relationship with God. Today I am reminded that my best behaviors are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) before a perfect God.

God, help me remember that holiness is about loving you so much that if affects who I am, which in turn affects how I act. You don't love me any less when I leave my Bible unread for a few days, and you don't love me any more just because I spend extra time in prayer. John wrote that I love because you loved me first (1 John 4:19). As your love pours into my life, may it flow back to you. May your love for me be increased in how I love your children.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. [2]

[1] Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), as printed in Harry Emerson Fosdick, The Meaning of Prayer (New York: The International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations, 1915), 3.

[2] The Book of Common Prayer, "The Holy Eucharist: Rite One" (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), 323.

That's Just Plain Wrong!

In my last post, I attributed a quote from 2 Corinthians 3:3 to Jesus. Picture me knocking at my scalp, uttering the words: Hello? Is anybody home?

I went back and fixed it, but thought it would be prudent to own up to my mistake. Obviously a quote from 2 Corinthians would have come from... Jehoshaphat.

Okay, just seeing if you were paying attention.

You Can't Make this Stuff Up

Yesterday, we talked about some of the metaphors for the church's relationship to the kingdom. Paul wrote that we are letters... written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God (2 Corinthians 3:3). Our lives are letters and people are reading them. We could say the church is a window through which people look to see what the kingdom is like. The church is a witness testifying to the realities of the kingdom, a lens bringing into focus the truths of the kingdom, or a headline that makes others want to read the whole story of the kingdom.

As I was researching the headline idea, I Googled headline and came across this story. It was too good not to use, but at the same time I wasn't about to spend too much time there. So here's the scoop. If this story is true, apparently a young man was pulled over by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for erratic driving. Fearful of the probable results from a breathalyzer, he proceeded to eat his underpants in the hope the cotton fabric would absorb enough alcohol to lower his score.

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Did it work?, you ask.

Here's the kicker. Charges were dismissed because his blood alcohol level registered at .08, the legal limit. That means one of two things: 1) He wasn't legally drunk, so he ate his underpants for nothing, or... 2) IT WORKED!!!

Mind you, I found a Google image that fit my needs. I make no claims for the veracity of the story, except Who would make up something like this?

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But you know, someone eating his own underpants really wasn't the point of the story. People who are disconnected from God are looking at us to see if being connected to God makes any difference in who we are, or in how we live, and they're making a judgment about whether or not they should get connected, too.

Question: When people read the headline that is your life, are they excited to read the rest of the story?

Voting in Oregon

Almost every blogger I've read today has something to say about last night's election results. Some are obviously very happy about the outcome, and others are less enthusiastic, but everyone has been polite.

My thoughts are more random, and not nearly as profound:

• This was my first time to vote in Oregon. I didn't have enough identification to get an Oregon driver's license (until I've actually had a utility bill mailed to my home address), but I had enough to convince the state I should be able to vote.


• I've never voted anywhere that didn't have voting machines of one form or another. I just drove up and handed my ballot to a guy in the parking lot. Very simple, very easy. Of course, for all I know the guy put my ballot in a dumpster with a thousand others and it's already sitting in a recycling bin somewhere. Probably not.


• After I handed over my ballot, I wonder if the guy noticed my Pennsylvania license plate as I drove away.


• It feels good to participate in the political process. I'm glad I voted.


• 1 Timothy 2:2 -- [Pray] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all goodliness and holiness.
• The above verse means that if you vote for the loser, that does not give you license to whine for four years.

So, what are your thoughts on the subject, Hobson?

Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel!

Paul wrote that, as the church, we are a letter from Christ . . . written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. (2 Corinthians 3:3 -- NLT) The church and the kingdom are not the same thing. The church is a window to the kingdom. In other words, people look through the window of the church to see what the kingdom is like.

We could take the metaphor many other directions. The church is a witness bearing testimony regarding the kingdom. The church is a headline that entices people to read the whole story about the kingdom. The church is the URL that links people to the kingdom.

This Sunday, we're going to examine the church as the coming attractions of God's kingdom. After seeing us, will people want to tune in for more? Join us this Sunday: Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel!