This is a conflation of a couple of Christmas meditations I wrote in my 'paper journal' back in the day (20 years ago and more. . .), and a partial re-post of what I posted here a few years back. . .
-------------------------
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel - 'God With Us'."
- The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23
(ref. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 7:14)
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
- The Gospel According to John, chapter 1, verse 14
"In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets
at many times and in various ways;
But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. . ."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1-2
"For we do not have a High Priest who is unable
to sympathize with us in our weakness. . ."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 15
I recall a sermon I heard once, in which the preacher made the point that, in the Incarnation God, who is greater than the Universe, willingly confined Himself in human flesh. The One who created the Universe, who called it into being and sustains it by His merciful love, emptied Himself of his infinite Divine prerogatives and lived among us, as one of us, knowing, in His own body, our finitude, our weakness. It's as though I, in my compassion for worm-kind, became a worm, to live as a worm among the worms, to understand in my own life and experience, what worm-hood is like. Except that God taking on human flesh is a bigger existential 'leap' than me becoming a worm; I already know what it's like to live in a body, for one example. . .
So then - God is no longer remote from us; He has come to us - God is with us. He's One of Us (I think of the Joan Osborne song from the 90s; she asked a better question than perhaps she knew. . .)
How differently would we understand our lives if we were more consciously aware of this foundational truth - God is with us.
How differently would we relate to our minor trials (or our major ones, for that matter) if we knew - really knew - that God is with us.
How different would our sins look to us if we really understood that God is with us?
What a privilege, what an awesome possibility is laid before us - God has become one of us, that we might become like God. And yet how little do we - do I - take hold of it and venture so bold as to live by means of God's grace?
And then this -
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all -
how will He not also graciously give us all things?"
- The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 32
God didn't have to send His Son, the Eternal Word, to be incarnate, but he did. And if He did that, what won't he do for us? Can I even grasp what this - the Incarnation - means, in terms of how God wants to relate to me? With what gracious favor, what kindliness, what gratuitous, extravagant, profligate love, He regards me/us? The 'plans He has for [us], plans for good and not for evil, to give [us] a future and a hope?' (ref. Jeremiah 29:11)
It reminds me of what CS Lewis said in 'The Weight of Glory' - "We muck about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us." We just don't get it. . .
**********
O God, have mercy on us; help us to see clearly, and to know, really know, the lavishness of your love for us. Let it change us, purify us, make us holy, make us more like you created us to be in the beginning, to be your presence in the world, to shine as lights in the darkness. . .
Showing posts with label incarnation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label incarnation. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Sunday, December 25, 2016
The Visitor From Beyond. . .
This Christmas, I'm re-posting a favorite old cartoon of mine, with a really cute take on the Incarnation. . .
If the SETI folks only knew. . .
Thursday, December 25, 2014
God With Us; or, He Loves Us, He Really Loves Us. . .
This is a conflation of a couple of Christmas meditations I wrote in my 'paper journal' back in the day (20 years ago and more. . .), and a partial re-post of what I posted here a few years back. . .
-------------------------
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel - 'God With Us'."
- The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23
(ref. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 7:14)
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
- The Gospel According to John, chapter 1, verse 14
"In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets
at many times and in various ways;
But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. . ."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1-2
I recall a sermon I heard once, in which the preacher made the point that, in the Incarnation God, who is greater than the Universe, willingly confined Himself in human flesh. The One who created the Universe, who called it into being and sustains it by His merciful love, emptied Himself of his infinite Divine prerogatives and lived among us, as one of us, knowing in His own body our finitude, our weakness. It's as though I, in my compassion for worm-kind, became a worm, to live as a worm among the worms, to understand in my own life and experience, what worm-hood is like. Except that God taking on human flesh is a bigger existential 'leap' than me becoming a worm; I already know what it's like to live in a body, for one example. . .
So then - God is no longer remote from us; He has come to us - God is with us. He's One of Us (I think of the Joan Osborne song from the 90s; she asked a better question than perhaps she knew. . .)
How differently would we understand our lives if we were more consciously aware of this foundational truth - God is with us.
How differently would we relate to our minor trials (or our major ones, for that matter) if we knew - really knew - that God is with us.
How different would our sins look to us if we really understood that God is with us?
What a privilege, what an awesome possibility is laid before us - God has become one of us, that we might become like God. And yet how little do we - do I - take hold of it and venture so bold as to live by means of God's grace?
And then this -
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all -
how will He not also graciously give us all things?"
- The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 32
God didn't have to send His Son, the Eternal Word, to be incarnate, but he did. And if He did that, what won't he do for us? Can I even grasp what this - the Incarnation - means, in terms of how God wants to relate to me? With what gracious favor, what kindliness, what gratuitous, extravagant, profligate love, He regards me/us? The 'plans He has for us, plans for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope?' (ref. Jeremiah 29:11)
It reminds me of what CS Lewis said in 'The Weight of Glory' - "We muck about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us." We just don't get it. . .
**********
O God, have mercy on us; help us to see clearly, and to know, really know, the lavishness of your love for us. Let it change us, purify us, make us holy, make us more like you created us to be in the beginning, to be your presence in the world, to shine as lights in the darkness. . .
-------------------------
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel - 'God With Us'."
- The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23
(ref. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 7:14)
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
- The Gospel According to John, chapter 1, verse 14
"In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets
at many times and in various ways;
But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. . ."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1-2
I recall a sermon I heard once, in which the preacher made the point that, in the Incarnation God, who is greater than the Universe, willingly confined Himself in human flesh. The One who created the Universe, who called it into being and sustains it by His merciful love, emptied Himself of his infinite Divine prerogatives and lived among us, as one of us, knowing in His own body our finitude, our weakness. It's as though I, in my compassion for worm-kind, became a worm, to live as a worm among the worms, to understand in my own life and experience, what worm-hood is like. Except that God taking on human flesh is a bigger existential 'leap' than me becoming a worm; I already know what it's like to live in a body, for one example. . .
So then - God is no longer remote from us; He has come to us - God is with us. He's One of Us (I think of the Joan Osborne song from the 90s; she asked a better question than perhaps she knew. . .)
How differently would we understand our lives if we were more consciously aware of this foundational truth - God is with us.
How differently would we relate to our minor trials (or our major ones, for that matter) if we knew - really knew - that God is with us.
How different would our sins look to us if we really understood that God is with us?
What a privilege, what an awesome possibility is laid before us - God has become one of us, that we might become like God. And yet how little do we - do I - take hold of it and venture so bold as to live by means of God's grace?
And then this -
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all -
how will He not also graciously give us all things?"
- The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 32
God didn't have to send His Son, the Eternal Word, to be incarnate, but he did. And if He did that, what won't he do for us? Can I even grasp what this - the Incarnation - means, in terms of how God wants to relate to me? With what gracious favor, what kindliness, what gratuitous, extravagant, profligate love, He regards me/us? The 'plans He has for us, plans for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope?' (ref. Jeremiah 29:11)
It reminds me of what CS Lewis said in 'The Weight of Glory' - "We muck about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us." We just don't get it. . .
**********
O God, have mercy on us; help us to see clearly, and to know, really know, the lavishness of your love for us. Let it change us, purify us, make us holy, make us more like you created us to be in the beginning, to be your presence in the world, to shine as lights in the darkness. . .
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Incarnation
"He became what we are, that we might become what He is."
- St. Athanasius (4th cent.)
-------------------------
"For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 15
"Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
- The Gospel According to St. Matthew, chapter 5, verse 48
- St. Athanasius (4th cent.)
-------------------------
"For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin."
- The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 15
"Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
- The Gospel According to St. Matthew, chapter 5, verse 48
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Theotokos and Me. . .
It being Christmas time, and all (I know it's still Advent for a couple more days, but Advent does point toward Christmas, after all), and Christmas marking, at its most basic level, the Incarnation of the Word of God (OK, that would technically be the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th, but work with me here. . .), several thoughts, of a Theological nature are swirling around in my head. Perhaps you'll find one or two of them interesting (or, you know, perhaps not. . .)
'Theotokos' is a Greek word meaning, literally, 'God-bearer', and it refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary; in Catholic circles, it's almost always rendered as 'Mother of God' (I'm not sure how my Greek Orthodox friends render it into English; for all I know, they just say 'theotokos', and figure they know what it means).
Theotokos is a 'theological' word, born out of the Christological controversies of the 4th/5th centuries AD; the idea is to be utterly clear that Jesus, the 'fruit of Mary's womb', was the bearer of a divine nature, along with the human one he shares with us. There were those who preferred the term 'Christotokos' - 'mother of Christ' - but that came to be regarded as tantamount to a denial of Christ's divinity (back in the 4th-century Byzantine Empire, they took their theology seriously).
It's hard not to have a certain sympathy for the folks who would have some reservations about a term like 'Mother of God'. I mean, Mary, this teenaged Jewish girl, could hardly be said to have any kind of 'ontological priority' over the Creator and Sustainer of All Things. God, who is Before All Things, can hardly be said to have come into being in Mary's womb. And yet, Jesus, who was 'born of a woman' (and, more to the point, this particular woman), was certainly God, incarnate in human flesh, and in that sense, 'Mother of God' is precisely what she was.
-------------------------
OK, enough woolly theology, at least for now. I have been through my own journey relative to the Blessed Virgin, in the course of my Christian life (I gave an account of my spiritual journey here, more than six years ago). I didn't grow up Catholic, so 'Marian stuff' isn't 'in my bones' the way it is for 'cradle Catholics'. In general, my Evangelical/charismatic teenaged self was as suspicious of Marian piety as most Protestants are. Basically, "what's up with the 'Mary stuff'? Isn't Jesus enough for you?" And I was exposed to all the more hard-edged stuff about pagan goddesses and fertility rites, etc, etc, etc.
When I undertook to be received into the Catholic Church myself, Mary was probably the biggest obstacle that I had to overcome on my way through the door. I just didn't get what the 'Big Deal' was. Honestly, at least at first, I more-or-less 'punted' on the whole 'Mary question'. I had no problem with the Catholic Church as such, and so, if the Catholic Church told me I had to accept those doctrines, well, then, I would, if only as an act of trust in the Church herself, even if I didn't really understand them. And I prayed that, as I 'lived through' my newfound Catholic faith in the coming years, that God would give me understanding. And even some of my Protestant friends would point out that Scripture itself calls her 'blessed'.
And for several years, that's where I stood, relative to the Blessed Virgin, the Theotokos. . .
-------------------------
For several years, starting around the time I turned 30, I wrote annual meditations on Christmas, Advent and/or the Incarnation. In the course of one of those, on the Incarnation, it dawned on me: Jesus was The Word Made Flesh, God Himself in Human Flesh. "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every way as we have been, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus' humanity makes possible for us an incredibly intimate and sympathetic relationship with the God of the Universe. And the human nature that Jesus took on, he got from Mary. She is, if you will, the Vessel of the Incarnation. And suddenly, I understood a little better.
Much is made of Mary's example of saying 'yes' to God (or, as Scripture would have it, "be it done to me according to your word"), even when she couldn't possibly have understood what-all was hanging on her answer. And amen, I should be so ready to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my own life.
But sometimes I smile. Being adopted, for many years I had no idea where, in human terms, I had come from. The shape of my nose, the color and texture of my hair, the general shape and size of my body, the wacky way my fourth toe curls under my third - how did all these things come to me? And when I met my birth-parents, I knew.
So, sometimes, I think of Jesus and Mary, and I think, "Oh, he got his divinity from His Father's side; his humanity comes from His mother." And that makes sense. . .
'Theotokos' is a Greek word meaning, literally, 'God-bearer', and it refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary; in Catholic circles, it's almost always rendered as 'Mother of God' (I'm not sure how my Greek Orthodox friends render it into English; for all I know, they just say 'theotokos', and figure they know what it means).
Theotokos is a 'theological' word, born out of the Christological controversies of the 4th/5th centuries AD; the idea is to be utterly clear that Jesus, the 'fruit of Mary's womb', was the bearer of a divine nature, along with the human one he shares with us. There were those who preferred the term 'Christotokos' - 'mother of Christ' - but that came to be regarded as tantamount to a denial of Christ's divinity (back in the 4th-century Byzantine Empire, they took their theology seriously).
It's hard not to have a certain sympathy for the folks who would have some reservations about a term like 'Mother of God'. I mean, Mary, this teenaged Jewish girl, could hardly be said to have any kind of 'ontological priority' over the Creator and Sustainer of All Things. God, who is Before All Things, can hardly be said to have come into being in Mary's womb. And yet, Jesus, who was 'born of a woman' (and, more to the point, this particular woman), was certainly God, incarnate in human flesh, and in that sense, 'Mother of God' is precisely what she was.
-------------------------
OK, enough woolly theology, at least for now. I have been through my own journey relative to the Blessed Virgin, in the course of my Christian life (I gave an account of my spiritual journey here, more than six years ago). I didn't grow up Catholic, so 'Marian stuff' isn't 'in my bones' the way it is for 'cradle Catholics'. In general, my Evangelical/charismatic teenaged self was as suspicious of Marian piety as most Protestants are. Basically, "what's up with the 'Mary stuff'? Isn't Jesus enough for you?" And I was exposed to all the more hard-edged stuff about pagan goddesses and fertility rites, etc, etc, etc.
When I undertook to be received into the Catholic Church myself, Mary was probably the biggest obstacle that I had to overcome on my way through the door. I just didn't get what the 'Big Deal' was. Honestly, at least at first, I more-or-less 'punted' on the whole 'Mary question'. I had no problem with the Catholic Church as such, and so, if the Catholic Church told me I had to accept those doctrines, well, then, I would, if only as an act of trust in the Church herself, even if I didn't really understand them. And I prayed that, as I 'lived through' my newfound Catholic faith in the coming years, that God would give me understanding. And even some of my Protestant friends would point out that Scripture itself calls her 'blessed'.
And for several years, that's where I stood, relative to the Blessed Virgin, the Theotokos. . .
-------------------------
For several years, starting around the time I turned 30, I wrote annual meditations on Christmas, Advent and/or the Incarnation. In the course of one of those, on the Incarnation, it dawned on me: Jesus was The Word Made Flesh, God Himself in Human Flesh. "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every way as we have been, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus' humanity makes possible for us an incredibly intimate and sympathetic relationship with the God of the Universe. And the human nature that Jesus took on, he got from Mary. She is, if you will, the Vessel of the Incarnation. And suddenly, I understood a little better.
Much is made of Mary's example of saying 'yes' to God (or, as Scripture would have it, "be it done to me according to your word"), even when she couldn't possibly have understood what-all was hanging on her answer. And amen, I should be so ready to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my own life.
But sometimes I smile. Being adopted, for many years I had no idea where, in human terms, I had come from. The shape of my nose, the color and texture of my hair, the general shape and size of my body, the wacky way my fourth toe curls under my third - how did all these things come to me? And when I met my birth-parents, I knew.
So, sometimes, I think of Jesus and Mary, and I think, "Oh, he got his divinity from His Father's side; his humanity comes from His mother." And that makes sense. . .
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Truth Is Out There. . .
Since it's Epiphany. . .
I think that this cartoon has an interesting/cute/clever take on the Incarnation, and how we 'moderns' think of the Universe, and our place in it. What do you think?
I think that this cartoon has an interesting/cute/clever take on the Incarnation, and how we 'moderns' think of the Universe, and our place in it. What do you think?
*************************
Sunday, December 25, 2011
God With Us
This is from a Christmas meditation I wrote in my 'paper journal' back in 1987 (and yes, it does strike me the tiniest bit oddly to think that 24 years ago, I was 7 years married, the father of three children, and writing theological meditations in my journal. . .)
-------------------------
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel - 'God With Us'."
- The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23
(ref. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 7:14)
God is no longer remote from us; He has come to us - God is with us.
How differently would we understand our lives if we were more consciously aware of this foundational truth - God is with us.
How differently would we relate to our minor trials (or our major ones, for that matter) if we knew - really knew - that God is with us.
How different would our sins look to us if we really understood that God is with us?
What a privilege, what an awesome possibility is laid before us - God has become one of us, that we might become like God. And yet how little do we - do I - take hold of it and venture so bold as to live by means of God's grace?
O God, have mercy on us; help us to take hold of what you've laid before us, to take on more of your divinity, as you've taken on our humanity. Make us holy, as you are holy, and help us to live more truly as your presence in the world. . .
-------------------------
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel - 'God With Us'."
- The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23
(ref. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 7:14)
God is no longer remote from us; He has come to us - God is with us.
How differently would we understand our lives if we were more consciously aware of this foundational truth - God is with us.
How differently would we relate to our minor trials (or our major ones, for that matter) if we knew - really knew - that God is with us.
How different would our sins look to us if we really understood that God is with us?
What a privilege, what an awesome possibility is laid before us - God has become one of us, that we might become like God. And yet how little do we - do I - take hold of it and venture so bold as to live by means of God's grace?
O God, have mercy on us; help us to take hold of what you've laid before us, to take on more of your divinity, as you've taken on our humanity. Make us holy, as you are holy, and help us to live more truly as your presence in the world. . .
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Good Is the Flesh
For Christmas, another re-post, from four years ago, of one of my favorite poems. I hope you like it as much as I do. . .
-------------------------
Good Is the Flesh (by Brian Wren)
Good is the flesh that the Word has become
Good is the birthing, the milk in the breast,
Good is the feeding, caressing and rest,
Good is the body for knowing the world,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body for knowing the world,
Sensing the sunlight, the tug of the ground,
Feeling, perceiving, within and around,
Good is the body, from cradle to grave,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body, from cradle to grave,
Growing and aging; arousing, impaired
Happy in clothing, or lovingly bared,
Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh.
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh,
Longing in all, as in Jesus to dwell,
Glad of embracing and tasting and smell,
Good is the body, for good and for God,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
-------------------------
I love this poem because it is so ‘incarnational’. It bespeaks God, in Christ, taking on human flesh – that life in the body is good, and the dignity of human bodily life is only enhanced by God taking it on Himself. Through the Incarnation, God takes our embodied-ness, and fills it with Himself. No longer is He remote from us; His knowledge of us is not merely that of ‘Creator on High’ – He has walked in our world as one of us, hungered and thirsted, stubbed His toe, and ultimately, died.
Good is the flesh, indeed. It is not merely that God created human flesh, although it has a dignity that inheres simply to that, and in His image, no less. But even more, the Word became flesh. Emmanuel – God with us. Awesome.
-------------------------
Good Is the Flesh (by Brian Wren)
Good is the flesh that the Word has become
Good is the birthing, the milk in the breast,
Good is the feeding, caressing and rest,
Good is the body for knowing the world,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body for knowing the world,
Sensing the sunlight, the tug of the ground,
Feeling, perceiving, within and around,
Good is the body, from cradle to grave,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body, from cradle to grave,
Growing and aging; arousing, impaired
Happy in clothing, or lovingly bared,
Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh.
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh,
Longing in all, as in Jesus to dwell,
Glad of embracing and tasting and smell,
Good is the body, for good and for God,
Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
-------------------------
I love this poem because it is so ‘incarnational’. It bespeaks God, in Christ, taking on human flesh – that life in the body is good, and the dignity of human bodily life is only enhanced by God taking it on Himself. Through the Incarnation, God takes our embodied-ness, and fills it with Himself. No longer is He remote from us; His knowledge of us is not merely that of ‘Creator on High’ – He has walked in our world as one of us, hungered and thirsted, stubbed His toe, and ultimately, died.
Good is the flesh, indeed. It is not merely that God created human flesh, although it has a dignity that inheres simply to that, and in His image, no less. But even more, the Word became flesh. Emmanuel – God with us. Awesome.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Final Word
As we have for the past few years, our community again this year marked the Advent/Christmas season with a presentation of 'Nine Lessons and Carols', and ensemble of nine Advent/Christmas themed Scripture readings, each one paired with a musical piece. As we did last year, our family sang one of the carols. This time, we sang Michael Card's The Final Word, in conjunction with John 1:1-14 on the theme of 'The Incarnation of the Word of God'. . .
-------------------------
The Final Word by Michael Card
You and me, we use so very many clumsy words;
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father's wisdom wanted to communicate His love
He spoke it in on final perfect Word.
CHORUS:
He spoke the Incarnation, and then so was born the Son.
His final Word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed, and make a Way divine.
And so was born the baby Who would die to make it mine.
And so the Father's fondest Thought took on flesh and bone.
He spoke the living luminous Word; at once His will was done.
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final Word.
CHORUS
And so the Light became alive, and Manna became Man.
Eternity stepped into time, so we could understand.
CHORUS
-------------------------
(And we brought down the house when 8M stepped up to the mike for his solo on the last line of the final chorus. Because yeah, it was just that cute.)
I love this song, in part because (as I mentioned last year, pertaining to a different song) it makes the connection between the Incarnation and the Passion - between the Baby in the manger, and the Cross and Resurrection, which is a large part of the whole point of the Incarnation.
It also captures the sense of Jesus' kenosis, His self-emptying, in taking on human flesh and blood - 'eternity stepped into time'. Or, as one of the early church Fathers said, a manger in a stable contained the One who held the Universe in His hand. . .
Because of Christmas - because of the Incarnation - our humanity is filled to its fullest, and our dignity as made in the Image of God can be restored. All because God is With Us.
And I wish a richly blessed Christmas to all my family and friends. . .
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