Advent: The Kingdom Come
By Sydney Gautier
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” (Luke 2:13-14)
These words in Luke 2 were the words that the angels proclaimed to the shepherds around Jerusalem when Jesus was born. They now knew that their King had come and the Savior of the world was now on earth. Shepherds weren’t high on the social ladder. They were looked down upon, and they were outcasts of society, but God wanted to make sure that the people who were hurting and downcast knew that there was hope. I would imagine if I was a shepherd watching all these angels flood the sky proclaiming this message, I would be quite startled and a little freaked out. But, Barry told us how the shepherds reacted. As soon as the angels went to heaven the shepherds said to one another, “let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which in the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15). They headed out humming the song the angels had been singing, praising the Lord. Through the birth of Christ, God’s glory was poured forth and his peace had come!
The birth of Jesus is the greatest revelation of the glory of God that ever took place.
The birth of Jesus brought more glory to God than anything else we could imagine. When Jesus came to earth, God’s kingdom was inaugurated. Before then, he had ruled from afar and looked down on earth from heaven. But then in Jerusalem that night, the Kingdom finally came to earth, and when Jesus came, he brought peace with him. However, for him to bring us peace, he had to be the victim of pain, destruction, and death. Victoriously, he overcame all of those things.
Jesus provides peace with God.
In Romans 5:1 it said, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Barry talked about how this means that God has declared us to be just in his sight because on the cross Jesus took upon himself all of our sins and the punishment that we deserve. So by faith in Chirst, God gives us the righteousness of Jesus. This is something I struggle with often. So many times in my life I am tempted to believe I have to work my way to God, to do something to earn righteousness. But this is not true, because justification comes through faith alone. It always seems crazy, but he does this because Jesus already paid the price for our sins and now we can have peace with God.
Jesus provides peace with ourselves.
This peace of God that comes through justification has also freed us from fear, guilt, and shame that can easily overtake us when we are struggling. I struggle with anxiety and overthinking everything in my life. It’s difficult for me to remember that I am forgiven by God, and I need to be able to forgive myself as well. And instead of taking my anxieties to God, I often want to sit and stew in all my worry, trying to find a way to fix it myself, but God loves us and wants to guard our hearts and minds if we would just let him. In letting God guard our hearts, we will be able to find peace with ourselves.
Jesus provides us peace with other people.
In Romans 12:18 Paul writes, “if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Sometimes this can be hard. It can be hard when we feel like others are being hard to get along with or when someone does something that hurts us. But when we become amazed with God’s forgiveness and the peace that Jesus brings, we can be in a place to joyfully extend that forgiveness and peace to others.
The peace that Jesus brings is available to all today by faith is Jesus Christ. Receive this peace and rest in it, taking all your anxieties and worries to the Lord.
Share a Meal
By Micha Kandal
Everyone remembers middle school. Character building began, and we all got to discover what the word awkward meant in its purest form. The most important socializing and status building happened in a giant room with designated lines and different chairs for the different classes or cliques. This place was the lunchroom.
We might not put much thought into those faint middle school memories, but this was most likely the first place we actually “gathered” and shared in our community over a meal. The importance of this gathering goes so much deeper than the gossip or drama that was being discussed. It was a daily opportunity to come together, be present together, and encourage one another. This is pretty deep for 7th graders, but I think the basic fundamental act of eating and gathering together stems from this time in life.
Today, the only time I hear the word gather seems to be when someone writes it in really pretty calligraphy and designates it as their Facebook cover photo or when we begin talking and prepping for the holidays. This nonchalant view of the word gather completely strips it of its deepest meaning. To come together or celebrate each other. To sympathize or rejoice. These actions are all best experienced in the company of others. Gathering and meal sharing is so ritualistic everywhere, not just in American culture. For big celebrations like weddings or holidays to memorials and remembrances of loved ones, to the daily evening dinner.
We gather around a table and we share a meal because this setting and place instantly unifies us. I think this happens through prayer especially. We bless the hands that made the food. We are creating a space to invite Jesus to the table. As we are slightly disengaged from our busy day, we are all on the same level, eating the same food, simply just existing in the same place. Jesus is there. Through the conversations had and the questions asked. This is so easily taken for granted. It almost seems like second nature to me, to prepare a meal and eat it in the company of my current Netflix show. This is the new norm. Sometimes not even thinking about the gratitude that should come with each and every meal.
There is a big opportunity we miss when we treat meals, particularly dinner, like a “to-do list” item. Conversations are being missed and moments of connection and genuine community building are just pushed aside. There is so much more we can add to our days! So much we are missing, just because we are so accustomed to our rituals of Netflix or eating at separate times. Life is busy, families have schedules to balance, and roommates live separate lives.
However, each day, we have the opportunity to invite one another to the table. To genuine conversation. Parents invest in their kids’ lives each time they ask about school. Roommates are able to invest in each other when they share the same kitchen, preparing the same meal. All of these moments that so easily slip by us can become incredible spontaneous moments of grace, redemption, and joy. So, as we near the holidays, I invite you to invite those closest to you to the table. Whether the table is a dorm room couch or a family table that seats 12, take advantage of the present. Take advantage of being able to text or call those you live in community with and share a meal.
Advent: Actively Waiting - Sermon Highlight
By Sydney Gautier
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake. Mark 13:33-37
One thing I am absolutely terrible at is waiting. My husband would be the first to agree with me on that. I hate it. Waiting for dinner to be ready, waiting to hear back after a job interview, waiting for a score on a test . . . I do not do it well. It’s probably because I can be so impatient, and also because I hate the feeling of not knowing. The feeling after an interview; the interview is over, but now you’re stuck in this in-between time where you’re waiting to hear from the potential employer but you don’t know when that will be…or what they will say. The struggle. Or on a larger scale, Barry talked about how we wait for oppression to end, for hate to end, for pain to end.
This past Sunday at New Circle, Barry kicked off the Christmas season by starting a series on Advent, a season of waiting, to help us focus on Christ. But like we already established, waiting isn’t easy. Advent is an invitation to wait to empathize with those who were waiting for the birth of the Messiah. In the passage above, Mark 13, the people who were hearing Jesus’ words were oppressed, and they were waiting for freedom, for someone to save them. They expected a military ruler, however, Jesus came and did so much more. He conquered sin and death and redeemed us, but waiting for this was hard.
We live in a time called, “the already, but not yet.” It means that Jesus is already and will continue to be victorious, sin and death have been conquered, but this hasn’t been fully realized because we are still waiting for the second coming. Life is still hard because we’re hanging in that in-between time. Jesus already came, but now we are waiting for his return. And during this “already but not yet” time, life will get harder before it gets easier. But as we wait, we can rest in the fact that God will intervene, making all things new.
Barry talked about how Advent is an invitation to live our lives actively (not passively) waiting for the second coming. He described passive waiting as someone waiting during the spring for the water to get warm enough to fish. Active waiting would be someone in their boat, fishing pole in hand, reeling in their line hoping to catch a fish. In our faith, we can sometimes find ourselves doing more passive waiting than active waiting, but God says from the throne, “Behold, I am making all things new. (Revelation 21:5) Barry pointed out that this has already been done, but it hasn’t fully happened yet. What’s really awesome is that God involves us in making all things new, He gives us roles to play. So during advent, we are invited to be more active in our waiting, using our gifts and passions to glorify God, to worship the Lord and share the gospel with others. We are not to just sit back and wait and watch from a distance, but to take part in this incredible story. What can you do this week to be active in this season of waiting?
A Word Study in Feasts
By Evan Johnson
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners…”
- Isaiah 61:1
“We know that when good fortune favors two such men it stands to reason we deserve it, too.”
- Fiddler on the Roof
As we near the most festive time of the year, different cultures from around the globe will be celebrating holidays that surround the winter solstice in different ways. Feasting has been a part of human cultures forever. The Vikings did it. The Hebrews did it. The Romans did it. Everybody loves to come together in celebration and not just eat, but feast.
For Israel, though, feasting and celebration were often stirred out of God’s mercy. We can see this in the evolution of the word basar throughout the Old Testament. It’s a Hebrew word that refers to four things: flesh (animal or human), humanity’s frailty, the passing on of generations from father to son, and good news. These four things have almost nothing in common on the surface, but if we look at them more closely, we can see a line of God’s gospel moving throughout these events.
Let’s break down the different meanings.
Basar - Animal Flesh
Farming and pasture care was a big part of Israel’s society, especially since they began their nationhood as a largely nomadic people. As a shepherd or as a cattle herder, you know which animals are your best. This is why there are so many laws about animal husbandry. That’s who Israel was, and in Leviticus 25, God outlines a time in which Israel is meant to just enjoy the work that they have done for the past 49 years. This time was known as Jubilee, and it included much feasting.
Basar - Passing on of generations
Whenever someone has a child, it’s a joyous celebration. We see this when the promised child of Isaac is born Genesis. This isn’t new today. People still celebrate at the birth of a child. In an incredibly nomadic culture, a birth was one of the most exciting events that could happen in that community. The other was a marriage, which also involved much feasting.
Basar - Human Frailty
We’ve talked about the greatness that’s tied to this word basar, but what about when it refers to our frailty? Since it is still a word for flesh, it’s still a perfect indicator of the carnal nature of humanity. Since animal flesh needed to be cut in order to save Israel from their fleshly sins, the word basar is still connected to the reason for the sacrifice: human frailty.
Basar - Good News
However, there’s always good news. The word basar constantly means good news throughout the Old Testament. It means good tidings, be it for a new born son or for bringing the good news of a Deliverer to Israel as in Isaiah 61:1:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners…
Though our flesh may fail, there is hope in the sacrifice that Jesus offered on the cross. He his flesh in place of our flesh, so that we could be reborn.
This is good news. This may sound like a stretch of the imagination when it comes to the word basar, but the common thread is there: we feast because we’re happy.
As we move into the most festive time of the year, reflect on why you are feasting. Take a look around at the family that God has given you and celebrate with them the good food and the good grace that he has given you.
Enjoy what God has given you to enjoy.
Insensitivity and Thanksgiving: Sermon Response
By Sydney Gautier
When I think of Thanksgiving, I think about house-hopping from Joe’s family to mine. Two Thanksgiving meals in one day means way too much turkey and mashed potatoes—and probably too much pie (if that’s possible). However, in the midst of the house-hopping, food, and family chaos, the actual giving thanks part of Thanksgiving can get lost. It even happens in the regular busyness of everyday life, so just like Barry, I would say that I also struggle with thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is worship.
Thanksgiving is a day set aside to give thanks to God for all he has blessed us with. It serves as a reminder to believers that thanksgiving is to be a regular rhythm in our lives. In Psalm 95, we get a picture of someone who is truly celebrating what thanksgiving looks like, and they don’t need pie, turkey, or mashed potatoes. In Psalm 95:1-2 we see that thanksgiving is worship, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” This is a person who is truly thankful, calling for us to worship God for all he has done.
Insensitivity hinders thanksgiving.
A grateful heart sounds great, but when everything seems to be going wrong, it can be difficult to be a thankful person. In the middle of what seems like a disaster, our natural reaction is not to give thanks and worship. It’s easier to feel hopeless, weak, and powerless. This can cause us to isolate ourselves. We can become callous and insensitive. The psalmist points to this reality with the Israelites in Psalm 95:6-8, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seem my work.” They had seen the creations of God and the miracles he had performed—and so have we, but with a hardened heart, we miss it all. I can think of many times during my life when everything seemed to be going wrong, and while I was busy feeling sorry for myself, I missed all the goodness of God that was right in front of me. Our hope here is that God is the softener of hearts!
We need to tear our hearts before Him.
Barry told us that God is the softener of our hearts, but the next question is how? In Joel 2:13 it says, “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” So how do we tear our hearts? We look to God and repent for the hardness and insensitivity of our hearts. We confess our sins to God and spill our hearts out to Him. We tear our hearts before Him and be honest with Him.
When we tear our hearts before God, we see healing begin. With a softened heart, it’s so much easier to give thanks and worship. Instead of immediately noticing all of the things that seem to be going wrong in our lives, we look to God and can be thankful knowing that He is faithful and good. We can be thankful because we know He is working, and He is making all things new. With a softened heart we see all of God’s handiwork, and we rejoice and give thanks for all that he has done for us.
Can We (Really) All Just Get Along?
By Amy Rager
It would seem that if a group of people built their ideology upon the same, infallible book that the members of the group would all pretty much believe the same thing. And yet we all know a multitude of other Bible-believing Christians who make us want to hide under a rock. There are folks who love God and live for Christ holding viewpoints that baffle us.
Disagreements over God’s intent and desires have divided Christians since the days of Paul. The problem is not new but its resolution is still pressing. Here’s why:
We are called to unity. Before Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, he prayed these words over his disciples: I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word (that’s us!), that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Jesus knew we would need each other. He knew that the world’s acceptance of him as its’ Savior would be influenced by our unity.
Human nature says, “Divide. Distance yourself from what you don’t understand. Get ahead by clinging to the powerful. Those who don’t agree with you must be dumb. Surround yourself with those just like you.” The Spirit within us says, “Unite. Love. Give grace. Draw those in who may hurt you. Give of yourself. Everyone is made in the image of God. No one is past redemption.’
The question of our day seems to be: can we coexist together in a meaningful way while having different points of view? What a testimony it will be if the church can raise her voice and say, “Yes! Look at us! There is something that can unite and it is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”
But how? How can a Christian of color have unity with a believer who denies the continued existence of racism? How can a proponent of gun control and a gun rights activist within the same church get along? How can someone who believes that part of the answer to crime control is eliminating immigration embrace their illegal immigrant brother or sister in Christ?
I’m going to be really honest for a second and say that I don’t have the answer. A problem this big is far above my pay-grade. But I do have hope. Our God will accomplish what he desires. As we wait on him, we must act. Will it be messy? Sure. But, ‘hope does not put us to shame.’ With that disclaimer, here are some steps to consider for promoting God-glorifying unity within the church:
1) Pray fervently and first The Bible calls us ministers of reconciliation. However, the kind of humility and strength that fosters unity comes only from God. Faithful attempts at unity are our responsibility, but we are at God’s mercy for the results. Plead with him. Pray to God that he would give you discernment and compassion. Pray that he would prepare the person(s) you are struggling with relationally for a meaningful journey toward unity. Jesus prayed for our unity; it seems fitting we should pray for it as well. Verses for inspiration: James 3:18, Philippians 4:7, Proverbs 16:7, Psalm 29:11
2) Listen as an invested sibling Being a part of the same family means actively investing in one another’s well-being. Don’t make assumptions about your sister’s viewpoint or experience—ask her about it. Don’t judge your brother from a mile away or let bitterness brew in your heart—have the difficult conversation. Show them you care by your presence, and seek to understand. Compassionate listening is empowering, and giving validity to someone’s experience builds bridges. This does not mean, however, that you have to agree with or tolerate their statement. Verses for inspiration: 1 John 4:20, Romans 12:5 & 10, 1 Timothy 5:1-2
3) Rebuke humbly Deception is dangerous. Sin is oppressive. After prayer and conversation, if you still feel they are deceived or walking in sin it is your obligation to offer humble rebuke. As people who are capable of being deceived, we correct respectfully. For their good and restoration, we point them back to the ways God intends. We don’t let someone we love remain in error. Verses for inspiration: Romans 12:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:26, 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Proverbs 17:17
4) Rinse and repeat The process doesn’t end. Even if unity was restored, it will be challenged again soon enough. Persevere. Stay committed to your brothers and sisters in Christ. ‘He who began a good work in (your fellow Christian) will be faithful to complete it.’ Don’t give up on unity within the church, the rewards are too great and the command is too strong.
Made Together: God in Community
By Sydney Gautier
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)
When we gather in community, we declare who God is.
Most of the time when I think about gathering together in community, I think about getting to spend time with people I enjoy being around. I look forward to seeing my friends at church on Sunday and community group during the week. I love grabbing coffee with people I don’t get to see often and catching up with family during the holidays. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not the main reason for community either. God exists in community. He exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—three in one, all individual but always together in community with one another. That means that, when we gather together in community with one another, we are declaring who God is.
We are wired to be part of community.
As God was creating the universe, we see him saying over and over in Genesis, “it is good.” But then, Jonathan pointed out in chapter 2 verse 18 of Genesis it says, “The Lord God said, ‘it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ Up until this point, “it was good,” but since we are created in God’s image, and God exists together as the trinity, we are wired to exist in community. God gave Adam a helper, Eve, so that he would not be alone.
Community is our aspiration.
At New Circle, we say that community is our aspiration. Jonathan reminded us that this isn’t just because we like hanging out with each other. By being in community, we are declaring who God is and embracing who He has wired us to be. However, when we try to isolate ourselves, we push against who God made us to be. Jonathan said, “Coming together as a family is critical for our spiritual growth and an opportunity to declare God to a world that needs him.” He gave us three ways to do this: to think about gathering differently, to embrace family as our identity, and to rejoice in the Gospel that brings us together.
“God exists in an eternal relationship with the Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a relational being, He creates us as relational beings to represent Him to all of Creation.” (Brad House)
Ordinary People: Work as Worship
Highlights by Sydney Gautier
Work should lead to worship.
When Barry first said this, it sounded strange to me. I’ve worked as a waitress, a hostess, a substitute teacher, an ice cream scooper, and even a carousel attendant. I can’t say that any of those felt like acts of worship, but as strange as it sounds, God cared about my ice cream scooping and the carousel attending. He cares about the way I work in these incredibly mundane jobs. I should, too.
God ordained work.
There was work in the garden of Eden before there was sin. Adam and Eve worked in the garden before they sinned, so it’s important to remember that work isn’t a punishment. Work is good. God even works every day to sustain His creation and make all things new. Jesus worked too. “My father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). God called us to be workers as well. He would not have done so unless it was good for us. He has called us to be teachers and construction workers and baristas and ice cream scoopers because he is a good father and knows what is best for us.
We are to work as living sacrifices.
God wants us to be totally dedicated and devoted to Him in our work. Paul puts it this way, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men...You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24). For me, this would mean scooping ice cream as if Jesus was the one I would be handing the cone to. Or setting a table as if Jesus was the one that was about to sit down and eat. If this is the way I would go about my work, my attitude would be completely different. I would go from being indifferent to being vigilant and engaged.
Extraordinary things happen when ordinary people do ordinary things with gospel intentionality.
What would happen if we went to work with this mindset everyday? A lot of the time, for me anyways, work can feel mundane and ordinary. Gospel intentionality changes this, though. We can use work as an act of worship. The gospel allows us to treat the people we work with differently because God’s glorification is the end goal. We are able to love the boss who is constantly breathing down our neck. We can show patience to the co-worker who has a hard time following directions. When we succeed at a project, we give the glory to God and are able to be grateful to him.
Barry calculated that over our lifetimes, each of us will work on average 80,000 hours. That’s over 9 years of our lives that could be transformed from an act of weariness to an act of worship.