God's Footprints

Did you know that the carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" was written by Phillip Brooks when he visited Bethlehem? In 1865 when he was 30 years old, on Christmas Eve he rode out to Bethlehem, where he saw shepherds in the fields and looked down in the starlight at the little town of Bethlehem and the scene had changed little.
Twice now I have been privileged to go there. Every time I return, I still see the shepherds. But now there are cars and trucks and modern conveniences all around. You are invited to enter the Church of the Nativity, but you must stoop over to go into the front door. Then you enter the church and go down stairs where there is a special spot in the grotto where a star adorns the floor. There they say the Christ child was born.
Many people talk and visit until they come to this special place. Then they are silent and there is a wonderful transformation. Many kneel and touch or kiss the special place. Some grown men even have tears in their eyes, and all the sounds of the centuries suddenly stop. Here is something sacred. It is almost as though you know a special presence. The people that you are standing with are touched by not only the sacredness of the place, but the look of your face and the reverence in your heart.
It is rumored that when you leave that special place, you begin in a unique way to walk in God's footprints. Maybe today, we need to stop and look closely for "God's footprints." There we will find new ways of loving and caring for one another.

Holy Week Prayer

Holy God, just as Your presence came in a special way in Bethlehem, let it also come to us right now wherever we are. Let us be changed by all we find of the Glory of God and then let us be bold when we walk in the footprints of Your Son in this world today. In His Holy name we pray. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. I pray God’s richest blessing on you this Holy Week. May the peace and joy of knowing the Lamb of God fill your hearts for the coming day. Join me next week for another Mid-week Epistle.

Silence

Have you even been in a big house late in the evening, just as the sun was going down, and it was quiet and peaceful? You were not afraid because it was not dark and frightening, but you seem to find a wonderful sense of peace.
One of the great gifts from God is silence. And the longer I live I am beginning to find that silence reveals itself in a thousand expressible forms. In the Holy Land it comes in the quiet of dawn at the Sea of Galilee, in the noiseless aspiration of the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane as they point toward the sky; in the stealthy descent of night on the shepherd plains of Bethlehem, in the silent changing of the season; and in the falling moonlight trickling down into the night like the rain of silence.
Even with all these wonderful moments, they cannot touch the greatest silence of all. This is the silence of the inner soul.
It is here that God comes to us and offers us His loving company. He laughs with us as we tell Him of the comical events of our lives and when we begin to open ourselves to the pain and struggles we live with on a daily basis, He listens quietly and encourages us with a love so deep and abiding that somehow we know everything will be alright because we do have the depth of His love surrounding us daily.
Listen, do you hear the silence? God is there waiting for you to come and share life with Him. Even the Scripture affirms that as it tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10)

Mid-week Prayer

Loving Father, we are the type of people that have lived at such a fast pace that we do not take the time to listen to the silence of our souls. Perhaps we fear we might find that you are truly calling us to come into Your grace and be filled with a new life. Or maybe we might find You truly do love us so much that this tiny child in a manger will come to remind us of a love that forgives our deepest sins and offers us new hope. Come to us in the silence as we wait with all our hearts. In the blessed name of the Christ Child we pray. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Christmas is just around the corner. The birth of Christ will be heralded throughout the world. Songs will be sung, packages opened, families gathered, and we will all suddenly be filled with a new spirit. Let it be one that will not only carry your through the holidays, but it will be a blessing for the remainder of your lifetime. See you next week on the Mid-week Epistle

One or Both?

I once read that there are two ways of spreading light. One is to be the candle and the other is to be the mirror that reflects it.
To a Christian, this can become a way of life. You are the light of Christ to not only the world, but to the person sitting next to you at work. How are you willing that light to shine through you?
Before long the whole room begins to reflect what you witness. If you don't believe it, try smiling at someone who seems downcast in their heart. If you smile long enough, they will change their own expression. Go ahead, try it! Be God's light - bright and reflected.

Mid-week Prayer

Loving God, thank you for the light of Christ that you gave to my heart today. Let it shine to others and make this whole world bright with Your love. In Christ name we pray. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. This is the season of many sounds, but what do you hear in the silence. We will see next week.

Explanation!

A young child once asked his father why fire trucks were painted red. The father was not sure, but he was a quick thinker so he gave this reason.
"Well, fire trucks have four wheels and eight men, and four and eight are twelve. There are twelve inches in a foot. A foot is a ruler. Queen Elizabeth is a ruler. And Queen Elizabeth is the largest ship on the seven seas. Seas have fish, fish have fins, the Fins fought the Russians. The Russians are red. Fire trucks are always rushin' around therefore, fire trucks are always red."
Now, if you think that is wild, you ought to hear some of the excuses people use trying to explain how life is treating them. They have an answer for everything and a reason for why they are they way they are.
God's love needs no reason. It simply is! That is the greatest reason of all.

Mid-week Prayer

Almighty God, we are in the season of Advent. This is a time in which those of the Christian faith rejoice over the birth of the Christ child. Some people who do not understand the depth of Your love, simply explain the Gospel away as a good story or a time to give each other presents. Let us come this night with a new spirit of wonderment and realize that You have come to us in a Spirit of Redemption. We praise You for the depth of Your love. Amen!

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join us again next week for another Mid-week Epistle