Warden's Address at the St. Christopher's New Carrollton January 26, 2025 Annual Meeting

This address was abridged orally on the date of the Annual Meeting due to time constraints. When originally composed, there was no awareness that the several pages of a Rector's report would be offered orally in its entirety'. Thus, my time to fully deliver this was preempted. 

Warden’s Address

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. You will hear from me in part your typical address, as well as a non-typical part. So first, the TYPICAL part.

 I am going to highlight some of the reports for you; you have the reports of ministries that have taken place in the last year in your booklet. I strongly urge you to read them, I strongly urge you to read them, all in their entirety and contemplate what you are reading. [speak to Rector’s final words to congregation; Altar Guild; Bible Study; Christian Care; DOK; Pledge/Treasurer Report; Warden’s Report].

Does anybody know what is the MOST IMPORTANT part of worship, i.e., what is actually the essence of worship?

God called out and created a nation called Israel; He liberated them from Egyptian bondage so that they may go into the wilderness to serve and worship Him.  Ex. 19:5 God says to His people, “if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples…”1/  Jesus tells us in John 9:31 that God does not listen to willful sinners – persons who rebel against Him and His word but, instead, listens to those who worship Him and obeys His will. And Paul writes in Romans 6 that those who obey God walk in the path of righteousness, that is, they are doing what is right in God’s eyes. He is the final judge. The Bible is replete with examples of what happens when we rebel against God and what happens when we obey Him. He says in Amos to those who disobeyed His commandments on a day-to-day basis, that He hated what they called worship because they had chosen to worship their way while living lives of disobedience. He would not accept their worship, He would not hear their praises, because they rang hollow to Him. Jesus would also say in that final night, to those who were closest to Him: if you really love me and the Father, then obey my commandments. When we are intentionally living lives that are contrary to what God’s will is – you know, that will we pray about in the Lord’s prayer – we are not walking in the light of Christ. It is challenging to serve God and walk in His will if we reject His word and choose not to let it dwell richly in us in such a way as to transform us [it is downright impossible]. Many people claim to believe in God, but Jesus says their fruit is what really identifies them. 

Here's the thing – this is what an Annual Meeting must be about – identifying who we have been over the past year, what have we done, how have we been Christ’s disciples -- light in the darkness? This harmonizes with the command at 2 Corinthians13:5 to examine ourselves to see if we are continuing in the faith.

What is keeping us from obeying Jesus’ command to be servants in His Church? In John 13 we find the account of Jesus – Creator of all things seen and unseen, the second Person of the Trinity – God, yes God, we see him take off His outer robe to take the role of a house slave, and quietly with a basin of water and a towel, proceeds to wash the disciples’ feet. Stinky, dirty, filthy feet. The disciples are stunned, and Peter rejects Jesus’ offer out of pride and a bit of chiding of Jesus, whom he addresses as Lord – that a true Lord and Master is not a slave nor should he act like one is what he was implying. When Jesus responded, if you don’t you can have no part with me, Peter says wash my feet, my hands and my head Lord! When Jesus finished, does anyone remember what He says: “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Have you ever really heard these words (re-read v.16-17) If you are being led by God to serve, talk to me or any one of the ministry leaders on the Vestry or to those who provided the reports, and sincerely pray to God and ask Him where He wants you to be active, and then obey Him. Do not let pride keep you from a blessing; if God calls you to serve in an area – notice, I did not say, if you call yourself to serve somewhere -- He is able to provide you with what you need to accomplish the task, as indicated in Exodus 36:2.
                    

Okay, so take a breath... Now here comes the non-typical part. So I’m going to do something a little different. I will ask for those who have been a part of the church of St. Christoper’s for 30 or more years to either stand or raise their hands. If you can keep standing or hands raised, I will ask the same thing of those who have been a part of St. C’s for at least 20 or more years. Okay, and now I will ask those who have been a part of St. Christopher’s for at least 10 or more years to also stand or raise their hands. I invite the remaining members to turn around and look. These persons have been not just a part of the church, but have been the church, servant leaders in the church involved in ministries both internally and externally serving God and His people. Each of those members have actively served in ministry through the years and has provided compelling models of service for us to consider. So: Praise God for you! Thank you for your service and fellowship these many years!!  And now I would like to ask the members of the Vestry who are present here – including our newly elected members to stand. Each and everyone of these members have a history with St. Christopher’s that involve ministries and outreach. For example, Joe B. for YEARS in capital letters has served as a musician and choir director in our church back in the day when he shared leadership with Ms. Ivy. It isn’t just about coming in for a couple of hours on a Sunday and playing the piano or organ – it is about a dedication to practice, to prayer and discernment of what music fits what service and so much more. We have Mercy who has been a member of the Vestry twice now, was on the Vestry that called Pastor Melana, and who has worked internally in ministries, and externally in another house of worship to minister to that church. There’s Justin – I remember when he was in youth group and acolyting and he came to me, to my chagrin, as I had not discerned this about him: he asked if he could do more in the acolyte ministry! After I got over being embarrassed, I was over-joyed and we found together the “more.” And look, he is still serving the church as part of the AV Team and the Vestry, and wherever else help is needed. We have Pius, who came to us through the Ezinne family thank you Ezinnes, and especially Chika, right? Together they have a growing family that he shepherds. He has volunteered to help at events, clean-ups, and is an active, valued member of the Vestry as all of our members are. Ginny, who for 37 years has worshiped with St. Christopher’s; she is also not a first-timer on the Vestry; she has served as a Sunday school teacher, has been involved in numerous activities internally in church and externally within the New Carrollton community as her bio shows. She has years of service experience and wisdom!  Eze – stand up please, I also have had the privilege to watch him grow and mature; he, too, was an Acolyte, who showed new acolytes how to serve, who is a lector, usher, and happy to help wherever needed, and is now a new member of the Vestry. Enefazu has a history that shows a demonstration of service – he serves as Usher, Lector, he is our Emcee for church events like Harvest Thanksgiving, and he leads the AV Team and is a Vestry Member. Olivia: for 34 years she has worshiped at the 8am and 10am services. She has served or assisted in ministries during those times either directly or indirectly – for example, serving on the search committee that called Father Jonathan – back in those days the work of the search committee could last for a couple of years or more – a long commitment; most recently, she was part of the planning and doing for the recent yard sale. Ms. Lara rotated off the Vestry after serving 4 years – 1 year more than is customary. She is also currently out of the country and when she returns plans to rejoin the counters group and learn the ropes so to speak. And Milton Gbonda, also rotates off Vestry this year: he has been involved in at least two confirmation classes teaching and sharing his love of God with the youth; he also serves as lector and Sunday school teacher, and is more than willing to help wherever he can, in addition to being a member of the Vestry. Thank you to all who stood or raised their hands when called.
Did anyone catch what is the running theme here? Yes! These are persons who have acted on God’s inward call to serve Him and His people. Servant leaders Thank you again, everyone, for your service and modeling Christ’s love for God and His people.

     I need to tell you four stories about four women. Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 10:34-39 that His coming to earth and proclaiming the Truth would result in some families and communities being divided over His words, that believers would be shunned by their families and communities because they chose to accept the truth Jesus proclaimed. He is the Truth, right? And Jesus prophetic statement in that Matthew passage would be fulfilled thousands upon thousands of times if not more in these past 2000 years. Some of us have seen or experienced this personally.

I personally know a someone who, as a young woman, experienced such a traumatic season: the loving family she grew up in and the only community she knew and grew up in would come to shun her because she could no longer accept the hypocrisy and false teaching of that religious organization. God, in His providence, would allow the young woman to be an outcast, would lead her in the wilderness where she was exposed to quote – unquote beasts and dangers. Yet it would be in this wilderness experience that she would come to a saving knowledge of the truth. God would send a vision, would bestow on her spiritual gifts that would take her some time to discover in this journey. As she drew closer to God, became immersed in His Word with great passion, He would direct her to a place where she could experience what the psalmist experienced in Psalm 27 that though mother, father, would leave her that God would never leave nor forsake her. *It was God’s forgiveness, the fact that God would save her, foreordaining her before the foundation of the world, His mercy and His grace that would change her life and give her new purpose. Yes, she bore the ‘scars’ of that wilderness but she was so beholden to God and what He had done in her, for her and with her, she could never see herself the same lost way again. She would pray for her family to be released from the bondage and influence of that false religion, and with a fervor teach others the truth, being moved through the Holy Spirit to be like Christ to others –

And she discovered in scripture a mirror in the lives of three women who would come to follow Jesus and they were all named Mary: Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala, and Mary of Bethany.

Mary of Nazareth. She grew up in a typical Jewish family that was strong on what would become the mix of the Mosaic Law and the oral law and tradition which would become known as the Mishnah and Talmud. She grew up in a village called Nazareth located in Galilee, which was several days’ journey from Jerusalem on most days. It was small, poor, and isolated because of where it was located between hills and not very accessible. It was a place where elements of meanness, obscurity and evil doing were characteristic of it. It was a small Jewish village surrounded by Gentiles or non-Jews; there may have been a Roman garrison somewhere in the nearby locale, whose personnel would join in the revelry and immorality. The village was often looked down upon by Judean Jews and even those in other parts of Galilee. It was like Nathanael said to Philip after Philip had met Jesus – son of Joseph from Nazareth per John 1:45-46: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Even though considered as less, the community of Nazareth was very tight. Yet, God would send His angel Gabriel to this seemingly God-forsaken place with news and blessings to be bestowed on a teenage girl named Mary. God had chosen her to be the first person who would be a bearer of Christ; she would fulfill that role both physically and spiritually. She was part of God’s salvific plan for the world, as she relates in her song found in Luke 1. Her parents accepted the intentions of a man named Joseph who wanted to marry their daughter, and per the customs of the time, Mary was not a part of the conversation but was the subject of it. She would become betrothed and go away to visit with an older cousin Elizabeth upon whom God’s favor rested, for she who had been barren for such a long time was now pregnant in her old age – she, too, was part of God’s salvific plan. After 3 months Mary would return home, visibly pregnant. While it is so very common today to see a pregnant teen, in those days such an out of wedlock situation would result in Mary being shunned and/or looked down upon by community –  a HUGE embarrassment to her family who would come just a minute short of disowning her, and as a woman betrothed and found to be pregnant before the actual wedding, the man would be justified in having her stoned to death or otherwise punished under the law. We still see that in some cultures today. Yet, God’s providence to take Mary through that wilderness experience, and who would see to the safety of Mary and Joseph, see to the safe birth and growing up of the Son who came into the world to save it, despite the low esteem of and shunning by the villagers. We know how that story winds up, right?

Then there is Mary of Magdala. The Bible does not go into depth as to how she came to be in the predicament of having seven demons in her doing only God knows what with her and in her as recorded in Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2. As such, she was considered an anathema – cursed by God, and was shunned by her community, despised. But what the Bible does tell us is that she has the foreordained encounter with Jesus who exorcises the demons. She is liberated from the domain of darkness by the Light of the World, and she followed that Light! That forgiveness and liberation would bring her some time later to a tomb in a garden where Jesus was laid, and finding it empty, she is beside herself! She asks “the gardener”, where have you laid my Master? And the man answers, “Mary!” She immediately recognizes the voice of her beloved Savior and falls and worships at His feet.

And we come to Mary of Bethany. This is the same Mary who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and at whose home Jesus would visit and stay on occasion. It is clear enough that Jesus had a strong affection for the small family per John 11. Again, the Bible is silent on Mary’s past, do encounter her in Luke 7 and John 12 in a different setting. Note that according to the passages, Mary of Bethany was recognized by those in her community as a sinful woman. We are not told of her sin, but somewhere along the way, she acquired a jar of very expensive and exotic perfumed oil. It was Jesus’ visit to Bethany to dine at the home of Simon the leper and pharisee where we see her enter into Christ’s presence. Some scholars think that she and her siblings were servants or slaves of Simon who lived on his property. Whatever the case, while Jesus and His disciples were seated at Simon’s table, Mary comes in silently, bringing her jar of perfumed ointment with her. In God’s salvific plan, this Mary also is liberated, delivered from a dark past and forgiven forever, and it is that deep down gratitude within her, stirred by the Holy Spirit, that Mary anoints Christ by pouring out the anointing oil on Him, and washing his feet with her tears and hair.

So what do these stories show us – we who are as broken and sinful as the four women but whom God would use in a powerful way in His providence? All of these women were forgiven profoundly by God, and lived, walked, and breathed that forgiveness so that it became faith in action. They could not sit still, so to speak, and bask in the forgiveness as if they were getting a suntan. No! And that is the message we see throughout scripture – and especially in the New Testament writings of those who have been saved and who are baptized by the Holy Spirit recognize that this call is not something to take lightly. That this forgiveness by Christ has changed them because they understand what that forgiveness cost– that they are liberated, delivered out of a past of deep darkness. They are no longer the person of little value, of shame or shunning, but are instead made children of God and in that bright awareness of who they are, this new identity, they cannot keep still but are compelled by that act of forgiveness and salvation to serve God and His people in ways that they could never have imagined.

So, church at St. Christopher’s, what does our identity look like? Are we motivated by what Jesus has done for us and to us so that serving Him and obeying Him are our deepest desire? Do we exult in what He has done by serving others in His name? As I read to you Matthew 25:14-30, think on this question – with whom do I identify in this passage? –READS—….well done trustworthy slave, you have been faithful with little, so I’m going to appoint you in charge over many things. By your fruits…

The writers of the Gospels and epistles as led by the Holy Spirit all point to the same thing: by our fruits we would be known, not only as a church but individually as members of the church. Have we been called inwardly by God, forgiven of our sins, and so unabashedly grateful to Him that we answer His call to serve with joy in whatever capacity He asks us to serve? – Exodus 36:2 again! A joy that goes far beyond a glandular response? That we find the most joy in serving God and those around us? Do we love our neighbor as Jesus does?  Are we are overwhelmed by Jesus’ forgiveness of and liberation/deliverance from our sins that we give ourselves fully to Him like the four women whose stories I have shared did, or do we stingily hold back? Consider who Christ is. He left His place in heaven, was born into a world that hated Him. The Creator who in His earthly journey, became a slave, an outcast, would bow down on His knees to wash His disciples stinky, dirty feet. Yet, He loved the people of the world so much that He went through unimaginable torture – the One who created those persons who killed Him, suffering an extremely harsh death on a cross to REDEEM US, you and me. Consider that Jesus. Then ask ourselves, am I better than Jesus?

Friends, that is our challenge here, our challenge for 2025, this is the challenge that scripture poses: that we submit to Christ as our Master, that we obey Him and His commands to have hearts full of and trained by God’s Word, that we serve each other in love, that we respect and steward those things God has gifted us with – including His church. Look around you – while we may call this our church and our lives, we do not own them. Psalm 24:1 tells us that God owns all things. 1Corinthians 6 tells us we are not our own – we cannot claim lordship over our lives because we were bought with the blood of Christ.

So not your typical address, yet a critical one. Who are we? What are we doing or not doing? As we go through this clergy transition, God has given us the pause and responsibility of clarifying these things for ourselves. As we go into development stage it will become even more important. So here’s what I am asking us to do: Write down 3 things briefly – like a bullet point or sentence or two about your identity/ who you are, and 3 things about St. Christopher’s identity and who it is. Also, read the ministry reports all the way through.

Can you do that? Can you bring your thoughts next week – don’t have to put your name on it, and we will put them all in a basket, and share these thoughts with one another. Will you do that?

 1/ I would receive a blistering response to the Biblical doctrine of obedience. I was told that this is not something I should say out loud because people with traumatic backgrounds of clergy abuse would be turned off and, worse, would be subjected to relive that trauma. I did not apologize for sharing that scripture and doctrine, but was sympathetic to the person's cry. The person was still living in that bitterness in such a way that psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually, that they have found it hard to forgive God for the pain and trauma. I empathized with the person about their experience, but pray for God to "open the eyes of their heart" to know Him. That all throughout mankind's history there have been evil people who have cast aspersions onto the character of God through so-called religious acts and acts of wickedness in the name of God. The Bible is replete with such examples not only to make us aware that these evil acts are of the devil, and that such evil lies in every heart; God sees and He condemns those unrepentant sinners who dishonor the Name. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 28:3;  Ecclesiastes 9:3; Zechariah 8:17; Proverbs 6:16-19; Matthew 15:19; Hebrews 3:8-12; Revelation 2:18-29.

Letting Go of What We Know to Step Into the Unknown By Faith - Part 1

Have you read Luke chapter 8 recently? What a record of Jesus' ministry! We begin with a reminder of those women who accepted and believed in Jesus, who had found in Him deliverance, healing, and a glimpse of God, followed Him, and provided resources to Him, supporting His ministry. (Because of the targeted mission Jesus was sent to earth to fulfill, his adulthood did not follow the regular path of Jewish males, even though he was the firstborn son. He did not even have his own dwelling - which by age 30 would have been the norm (unless family responsibility required otherwise, of course. see Matthew 8:20.) 

Then Luke's record tells us that Jesus taught the crowds in parables - the one instant being the parable of the sower. This would have been a story that the people of that time didn't have to look up or ask about what it means to sow seeds. Planting, gardening, farming were a common routine and in generations past had found its rhythm and architecture in the Mosaic Law. Luke's account records Jesus' story parable this way: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, he calls out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” This went a little deeper than the common planting experience; I can imagine that some of those hearing Jesus' words were wrinkling their brows, squinting, or whispering the first century expression of "what is he talking about?" So when they were all together the twelve disciples asked for an explanation and Jesus explains that the seed in the story represents the Word of God and how it is received or not received by those hearing it and the consequences of each. 

Jesus is next indicating that those things that are hidden will come to light - a universal law. He follows that by a statement of 'holy' economy: "Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."

As we travel along with Jesus compliments of Luke, Jesus' biological family tries to get His attention and draw Him away from His mission. As noted above, the modern day reader will want to take into context the norms of that day so that you can properly understand this account: Jesus is the eldest son. Joseph, His earthly father, has died. As the eldest son in Jewish culture one is to take on the role of head of household. Therefore, His family is concerned because Jesus does not follow that 'norm' in the way they think He should. His perspective is priestly and divine, but His family does not grasp why Jesus is different - even after all these years. As faithful as Jesus was to the things of the law, Jesus has a higher calling; I can imagine the inner wrestlings of Mary's spirit about this God-man firstborn son. 

Her encounter with the angel Gabriel about 30 years prior rendered a response of joy and gratefulness (Luke 1:26-56). And, perhaps, like us, three decades later after birthing several children, and still feeling the sting of her beloved husband's death, and attempting to negotiate an uneasy and uncertain existence under a burdensome authority of both the religious leadership and Rome, her memory of that amazing day could have become dampened, and the prospect of what she thought her firstborn was and why has become dim. No doubt, like so many others, she was expecting her adult Jesus to rally an army of strong Jewish men and call down the heavenly hosts for the most amazing battle to secure the land from Rome and break their oppression. But look at the men Jesus was collecting around Himself - they did not look like warriors! Her Jesus led a band of fishermen, a tax collector and businessmen, hardly the stuff of soldiers! Her Jesus performed miracles like the prophets of old, yet did not call down fire on the enemies! Her Jesus, whose life was transferred to her womb those many years ago with the promise that He would save His people is going around from town to town bringing up things from the scrolls about the Messiah and His teachings were stirring up the religious authorities! I personally think, too, that the family was ashamed of their son and sibling, and very embarrassed out of ignorance. (Do we, too, lumber under our own vision of Jesus, seeing a Jesus whose role is to bring material blessings and make our lives better by taking away all our difficulties - to defeat our enemies as it were? To listen to His words for inspiration and to feel emotionally elated, to float us with a little sunshine in our miseries, and then go back to the same struggles, weighed down by our sins and cares of this world?) 

As He would often say, Jesus must do the salvific work that His Father has given Him to do, which will require Him to lay aside some of the expectations of His family. Could not the Son of God, creator and sustainer, have provided for his family's needs when it was necessary? He was indeed their Head, but they did not understand how just yet. 

So the family arrives at the place where He is teaching and healing and they summon Him to those earthly tasks of the eldest son: "He was told, 'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.' But He said to them, 'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.'” In my mind's eye I can see the mixture of emotions of Jesus' family members upon hearing his statement: the siblings would have been nonplussed by Jesus' answer, and perhaps angered, or just thrown up their hands over their brother's reply; Mary possibly dismayed by her son's reply. It is worth noting at this point that Luke's accounts are often punctuated by statements of Jesus, the context of which would have been contemporary for first century observers who witnessed them first hand, and perhaps a little differently contextualized by our western minds two thousand years later. Jesus, knowing His time was limited, was teaching about the kingdom of God in the words of the prophets and by the Spirit. He was implicating Himself as the Chosen, the Anointed One foretold by the prophets who would deliver people free from their sins and would usher in a restored kingdom over which He would be king. Jesus was not dismissing His family disrespectfully but rather was sharing the good promise that because of His kingdom work, His biological family and all who accepted Him would become a part of that restored eternal kingdom and experience the true fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Him. And, that they would come to realize with a different set of emotions that they had been dwelling with the Son of the Living God and did not even know it. They had not yet received the gift of faith to understand.

The next event is crossing the lake in a boat. The Sea of Galiliee and its lakes were known for sudden storms and rough waters. Such a 'sudden' storm occurs while they crossed to get to the other side of Lake Gennesaret in the mid-to-upper part of the Sea of Galilee. A tired Jesus is asleep while the disciples man the boat during the crossing; the winds are so strong that they are tossing the boat and causing water to enter into it. The disciples panic and try to wake up Jesus during this crisis, telling Him don't you see what is going on - we're about to lose our lives! Jesus roused from sleep simply commands the winds and the raging waters to stop. Just as suddenly as they came, they left at Jesus' words and all is calm. Then Jesus asks the apostles, "Where is your faith?" 

[Reader, if you have not already figured it out, this chapter in Luke is all about faith in Christ and being enabled by God to step in faith into the unknown. To continue, go to Part 2]   

My Word Does Not Return to Me Empty - part 1 (based on Isaiah 55)

God's message through Isaiah, which we find inherent in the canon of scripture at Isaiah 55, portrays the basis of trust for every believer in God - every follower of Christ. We believe that God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is the only true God, Lord of Lords, Sovereign. We believe that His thoughts cannot compare with our limited, weak minds and way of thinking. We believe that the Bible is God’s authoritative Word written by humans as they were guided to do so by the Holy Spirit – who is the true Author of scripture and empowers it (compare Ephesians 6:17). We believe that based on that truth, that God’s Word is to be obeyed and trusted, that we are to ‘feed’ on it freely and regularly, that it is His revelation of Himself to us, and His own personal testimony. We must believe that His Word will always prove true and will always accomplish what it is intended to do. We believe, that in conjunction with Romans 1:16 and John 6:68 that God’s Word is the gospel of our salvation, and contains the words of eternal life.  We believe that we cannot separate God from His Word and still claim true belief in God. We believe that through Christ we find the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life who deserves our obedience. We believe that we are called to repentance and are in need of that kind of Savior, and that our living in obedience encompasses not just rituals, but submission to God that is done willingly and wholly. We believe that God will fulfill all His promises, and we believe that we must seek God while He can be found, i.e., He will not strive with mankind’s rebellion forever.

What God’s Word Tells us – the Harmony and Faithfulness of Scripture in God’s Salvation Plan. Bible students will recall that the law for Israel given to Moses had as its basis or its foundational tenets, the Ten Words or Ten Commandments. On that covenant foundation, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob exposited or expounded on that foundation - provided legal context and constructs found in the book of Leviticus and further exposited in Deuteronomy and Exodus. Civil laws – showing them how to conduct one’s life in the presence of a Holy God, harmonized with ceremonial laws of worship - so that an Israelite's daily life was shaped by worship acceptable to God – which is obedience to God and His Law. God's Law through Moses would underscore for the Israelite that God is Holy, has the sole right of Sovereignty, not just of the Israelite but of the entire world. The Law would set them apart as a sacred people, sanctified (set apart) by God for His use and for His Glory (see Leviticus 20:8, and Deuteronomy 28:1, 9-10). 

The Law would fulfill God's Word to Abraham (Genesis 12). The Law would also point out the need for a Savior, revealing the sin to which all of mankind is born due to Adam's fall in the Garden. (Romans 3:20) Thus the ceremonial laws were centered on confession of sin and repentance, on forgiveness of sin, on learning humility since God redeemed them at great cost - by blood - to become His people (i.e., they were bought or ransomed through a sacrifice of firstborns in Egypt – the tenth plague – which forced Pharoah’s temporary concession to God’s will and liberated the nation of Israel from bondage, combined with the sacrifice of a firstborn lamb, the blood of which believers slathered on the doors of their homes to save them as the angel of death passed through the land. See this aspect of the Abrahamic promise in Genesis 15 and Exodus 11 and 12). Bible students know that God’s laws and the worship structured by it which was given to the redeemed nation of Israel and contained for us in the Bible’s Old Testament prefigures the salvation that all peoples would be given access to – not just the Hebrew only; Bible students likewise know that the Law is fulfilled in Jesus.

The all-encompassing Law from God to His people Israel recognizes a ceremonial year and a calendar year; the calendar year was synced to the agricultural cycle that Israel would follow in the land flowing with milk and honey. Their labor in this new and bountiful land was to contrast 400 years of slavery toiling for Egyptian authorities. In their promised land - the land God arranged for their habitation which was to originally encompass much of the geography along the Great Sea (Mediterranean) through to Syria and the Euphrates River, east to beyond the Jordan River and Dead Sea over the mountains of Edom and to the edge of the Eastern Desert, and south to Sinai - in this expansive land the nation was to experience a broad freedom that would be guided by the guardrails of God’s law.

Their obedience to God's agricultural laws would ensure a land that would produce well and satisfy the needs of the people, and fulfill the promise of bountiful. Thus, the calendar new year began with Nisan to recall their liberation from Egypt. This would be our calendar's March to April time period. Passover is the hallmark of that time. The Israelite would begin the harvest for barley and flax - staples in everyday life and in their worship ceremonies. These also involved the time of Unleavened Bread (Passover) and the 'firstfruits' offerings and celebrations. Israel was to remember and celebrate the Passover to recall that their very lives were purchased by God by blood. The next harvest would be the wheat harvest in Sivan - which corresponds to our May-June. The Festival of Weeks or Pentecost was the focus during this time; it was celebrated seven weeks and a day following Passover and would include a wave offering - a rite that involved bread baked with leaven that represented Israel's awareness of their sins, and to seek God's forgiveness. Then from June to about September the people would continue in their stewardship of their land and farming in advance of the rainy season in the autumn.

Part of the end of the growing season ceremony was the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles that occurred within the calendar month of Tishri - our September to October. Israel would live in tents during that week to recall their wandering in the wilderness of Sinai following their liberation from Egypt, and how they had learned lessons, received the Law and learn daily reliance on the God of their forefathers – from whom they had been estranged and were re-discovering in a new way. 

The festival would harken the beginning of the ceremonial new year. This was one of the most holy ceremonial seasons. Although the Israelites were given opportunities through personal sacrificial offerings throughout the year to seek forgiveness for sin and to center their focus on God, to engage in rites of purification before their Holy God, the holy Day of Atonement was to be a national observation. All of Israel would come before God after preparation and purification rituals through the structure of the priesthood that was anointed and appointed to be intercessors between the people and God, and would as individuals and as a nation ritually seek God's solemn forgiveness. A scapegoat would be utilized to signify God's forgiveness where the sins of the people are ritually placed on the goat and sent away out into the wilderness (see the full details at Leviticus 16). The Rosh Hashanah – the beginning of the ceremonial new year, would be cemented by that Day of Atonement - a time when the people as one nation that had been called out and brought in to God’s presence to be made God’s representative kingdom - were to return to God and repent of their sins. The sobering festival was to give the nation the opportunity, again, to recognize that they were subject to not just a merciful God, but also a Holy God, and to effect a kind of holiness according to God’s standards in their standing before God. 

God is serious about worship - whether it is ceremonial in nature or the daily worship of Him through our daily obedience. When the nation and the people obeyed the laws, God's plentiful mercy, security, and prosperity would be theirs. He would honor His own Word to their forefathers, would fulfill those promises found in His law. When they would choose disobedience persistently in their daily lives, the people would experience a time that God told them would be the result of their distancing themselves from God or leaving Him for false supports. Their lands would suffer, their families would suffer because their sinfulness disrupted the harmony God had established for them – the result would be national chaos. By the time Isaiah was given the prophecies from God that are found in the book named for him, the nation had degraded in every way possible because of their rebellion against God and the Law that He had given them for their well-being. God's words in Deuteronomy 26:16-19, and chapters 27 through 30 would be fulfilled beyond their imagination. God's Word does not return to Him empty. 

The key highlight of Isaiah's prophecy, to those who would believe, was the promise of one from the seed of Jesse (father to King David) who would be anointed and appointed by God as the Savior and a once-for-all-time atoning sacrifice for all of mankind - both the Jew and the Gentile. In part 2 this will be explored. [postscript: due to what was being heard, part 2 became focused on Mary; see "About Mary"]

Of note:  There are similarities with the Church liturgical year to the ceremonial year of the Law. The season of Advent is the beginning of the Church's new year liturgically or ceremonially. It is during this time that God's people are exhorted to return to Him and prepare their hearts for God's great blessing - the One who would be both the Atonement sacrifice and the scapegoat for sin. Because the worship significance of this season has been obscured by commercialism and self-absorption that creeps into our daily lives, believers are invited to use this time to re-set spiritually. We would be wise to see the correlation of God’s provision for the Israel nation through the holy season in their new year and its chief ceremony - the Day of Atonement - a coming together of God's people in a call of active seeking of God and active repentance. It can also be for us such a time of restoration and a renewal of our vows to worship God with our whole hearts, our whole minds, and our whole souls. The ceremony of the solemn Day of Atonement called for a certain  'busyness' of the people to prepare for it, where the focus was always to be both spiritual and involve physical activity, centered on the goal of drawing closer to God and recognizing our need for a Savior. The focus was not on the busyness, not on the foods and feasts, but rather on the One who had ordained a time for the people to exult in God's provision of forgiveness of their sins.

When was the last time we saw Advent as that kind of season? How can the principles of the Law for forgiveness of sins help us to understand the approach to and worship of God during this time of year? The world's view of Advent and of Christmas has moved so far beyond the message of God's Word that it has nearly if not completely blotted out the need to seek God and to anticipate the coming of Christ. It has become more about seeking pleasures for self, and following the deceptive belief that we deserve prosperity. It has become a time to concentrate on the biggest sale of the season so that we can out-gift one another. It has become a time of demanding certain treats and gifts – at any cost. The season has a veneer of 'hope', while rejecting the God of hope and the One upon whom true hope is placed. There is very little humility and holiness attached to the season as the world celebrates it. It cannot fully grasp the significance of the 'season of redemption' – a term which it commercially lollies about and about which the world strips of any semblance to God’s true redemption plan. The world lacks understanding of the critical link of Christ’s coming to the covenant nation of Israel. The world diminishes God’s greatest gift to humankind and instead reduces that gift to a helpless babe in a manger without any dimension or connection to the portrait of salvation in God’s Word. The world detaches itself from the whole counsel of God’s Word about this gift of Jesus and all that is embodied in Him. The world makes the celebration of the coming of Christ as meaningless and empty to God as were the sacrifices of the Hebrew nation that had abandoned their one true God and supplanted Him with false supports (Isaiah 5; Amos 5)

We'll look in subsequent messages at God's thoughts -His Word, along with the significance of the virgin birth, Mary's and Joseph's part in God's salvific plan, the ‘wise’ men, Herod, and our own place within this holy account.    

About Mary (continuation of My Word Does Not Return to Me Empty)

 Part 2 – The Virgin  : About Mary

Luke 1:26-38 - God’s timing of His Word and fulfillment of promises. One of the greatest dramas in the whole of account of human history – The Incarnation. The mystery of ages begins to be revealed. God in flesh, to live among us and be with us – we His human creatures made by Him in His own image. Ensuring the fulfillment of prophecy by being the fulfillment. God’s love embodied in the Savior He appointed to reconcile us to Himself, Christ the Lord, the Messiah of God.

So, let us start with the specific prophecy of Isaiah 7:13-14. The prophecy tells us that “a virgin will conceive and bear a Son and his name will be called Immanuel (God with us).” God has said of Himself that for Him, nothing is impossible.

For a Jewish person learned in the Mosaic Law this concept was an oxymoron – a contradiction or in the very least, a paradox of what was known. The Law identified God’s holiness in the purity of virginity. The Law in and of itself did not support a virgin or an unmarried woman being made pregnant and simultaneously finding favor with God. Those women upon whom God’s mighty hand had removed their shame of a barren womb and caused them to become pregnant were all married – Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Leah; and in the first century, notably Elizabeth. They were not virgins. And yet, God said in Isaiah that His plan would involve a virgin who bore a son, that this would be an essential hallmark of His salvation plan, of God’s imminent action in the world. Even while this prophecy was paradoxical, God had provided every reason for mankind to trust Him and His Word (compare Exodus 14:31; Deuteronomy 1:31-33; Psalm 119; Proverbs 3; 1 Chronicle 5:20) 

Nor did the Law discuss alternative options for a virgin birth – primarily because pregnancy was to be the potential result of honorable marriage in the Jewish civil/moral/ceremonial laws and customs. Any proven indication that a young woman and man had violated that law could subject each of them to the consequences of breaking that solemn law – the extreme consequence being death by stoning (see this sobering message at Deuteronomy 22). Marriage was a divine institution of God, something holy; God took seriously violation of that holy act. The challenge presented by this paradoxical prophecy – as with other prophecies humans have tried to understand with our limited capacities and even more limited faith – could result in persons not believing in it. And did. It would be one of those points of stumbling that would be associated with the identity of the Messiah (Isaiah 8:14; Romans 9:33).

Traveling 800 years later to the account at Luke 1. The Bible account does not indicate that time lapsed between the angel Gabriel’s announcement of God’s plan and Mary/Miriam’s saying yes, i.e., she did not say “Hmmm, I must give this some heavy thought; return later and I will let you know what I decide.” Let’s look at Mary’s person and character – she was not born a prophetess. As a female, her presence at the temple would be with the other females in what was called the Ezrat HaNashim – the court of the women, located in the outer forecourt. They did not worship alongside the men. She had no certification of worship leadership, she was no religious savant, she carried no other designation or activity that would have elevated her status within her society and community. She was no princess, nor anyone born to wealth – just the very opposite. She lived in the common, poor circumstances of village folk within a political framework that fostered policies to keep her and others poor. She was simply one of hundreds of ordinary Jewish girls in their teens; thus, to the world, Mary was an obscure ‘nobody’. Mary had been shaped by Jewish law and traditions – as had others of her peers, and recognized her place within the community where she hoped to eventually become a married woman and contribute to the ongoing growth of that community through her own childbearing. Her heart shaped by faith was opened to God because she knew His character as repeatedly told to her in the stories of her people’s history. 

Based on what God has revealed of Himself and of His purpose, one can firmly believe that when God spoke the prophecy in Isaiah 7, He had already ordained or predestined Mary’s role in His salvific plan from before the foundation of the world. What transpired at Luke 1:26-38 was a fulfillment of that part of God’s plan formed from before time.

Now, without a doubt, there are Bible scholars and others who will not agree with that position. Perhaps some of those same scholars also promote the idea that there were two Isaiahs attached to the book of Isaiah. After all, they may say, the prophecy does not identify the virgin by the name ‘Mary’ specifically – which may fuel their ‘logic argument”. If so, that is a weak argument that falls apart quickly. While some may at God’s discretion, not every prophecy names the individual or individuals involved. The prophecy at Isaiah 7 says that the child’s name would be Immanuel – God with us - but at God’s discretion, leaves off the familiar name for the child – Jesus – which is a form of Joshua/Yeshua meaning God is salvation – which was a common enough name (as well as some derivative thereof) for a Jewish male. A closer look at the name “Immanuel” reveals a deeper punctuation of God’s salvation plan by indicating that when this foretold One arrived on the scene, He would be God living among them – that He would be fully God and fully man. The child to be born and live as a human is also referred to as Anointed within the other prophecies that speak of Him, and is called the Son of David or seed of Jesse. Nor does the prophecy at Isaiah 40:3 name John, son of Zechariah, as the one preparing the way for the Lord (we know him as John the Baptizer; in Hebrew his name would be Yohanan, which means “Yahweh has been gracious”). 

Another path of human logic about Mary and the prophecy at Isaiah 7 is the presumption of the possibility that perhaps God may have asked other young women candidates to carry out the plan and only Mary said yes, thus solving the riddle, suggesting that Mary was one of a pool of candidates who were interviewed for that role. They may say, after all - this is a legitimate point of view based on human experience and human reason. It is a procedure that is often used; even when we were kids playing and chose team members, we considered the benefits of so-and-so versus the other, and chose who we thought would help us be winners. At various times of year, humans choose political leaders to represent them and operationalize policies we agree with. Or, as an employer, when we search for a special person to fill an essential position or role in our business, we analyze resumes, interview candidates until we find whom we perceive to be the right fit. 

But, what would such a lottery approach tell us about God’s plan of salvation? Does it not suggest that His plan could possibly hinge on the ‘luck of the draw’, that Mary was God’s best guess for the person who would carry Jesus into the world as very human, yet very God? That God was hoping that the right candidate would step up to the plate? That Mary was but one of a pool of optimal candidates who could potentially fit the bill? 

Thanks and praise to God that He created us with minds that think, that analyze, that imagine things and seek answers. That He gives us the ability to think outside the box and let us see new possibilities. That He has created us in His image, and is the Creator God who gives us minds and abilities to reason and create novel things with our minds and hands. Lord, like any other gift you provide to us, we pray that we will use these gifts of open-mindedness, of analytical thinking and probing, of questioning and of seeking answers, of reasoning out, talking through paradoxes – all in ways that honor you, and which feed true worship and thanksgiving to you (see Philippians 4:8-9; Psalm 25:4-5; Psalm 51:6; Psalm 119:5-6; , 66-67; Psalm 143:10).  Help us to reason with the mind of Christ that God the Holy Spirit strives to create within us (see 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; Romans 11:33-12:3). Help us remember that we must take care that our thoughts harmonize with the tenet of scripture so that we are not misled to believe faith-eroding concepts. Remind us that when we come to difficult passages to interpret scripture with scripture, i.e., the Spirit-wrapped and infused Word of God by the Holy Spirit and the understanding He gives, and not rely on our own understanding. (compare Psalm 111:7, 10; Psalms 119:4, 15, 27, 33-34; 2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-18; Genesis 40:8; Proverbs 3:5-8; Daniel 2:30; Luke 24:13-27; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21) 

Some lean into their own interpretations possibly because they see God’s Word as being too rigid and find some pleasure in human reasoning when it comes to doctrine (compare Isaiah 5:21,24; Isaiah 9:8-10; Isaiah 28:13; and Isaiah 29:13-14). 

(Interestingly there is a version of the Bible in publication called the New Life Version, which seems to have tampered with the language at Luke 1:28 to imply Mary was the winning candidate among other women. It is the only version that I’ve found so far that has done this.) 

If we are believing in the sureness of God’s salvation, we are trusting God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – even when we don’t immediately or fully understand His Word. We can trust Him as the Eternal One before whom is all of time, and who existed before time was created. We can be assured by what the ‘God-breathed’ scripture tells us, that God had already settled before the foundation of the world how the salvation plan would be executed, and how God’s long-held plan harmonizes with the rest of scripture in the Old and New Testament, that is, His Gospel and Word. Thus, we can have confidence in believing that the person Mary had already been determined by God as part of His plan from before time (compare Ephesians 1:3-4; Acts 4:27-28; Romans 8:29-30). 

The unadulterated language of Luke 1:28 states plainly that God had chosen her – that she had been pre-determined as part of God’s plan. (compare to God’s predestination or the fore-ordination of God’s King in His over-arching salvation plan, versus human supposition at 1 Samuel 16:1-13) The verses at 28-38 indicate a girl who, by grace, had learned already to develop a strong belief in Yahweh, to believe in His Word and promises. Her mind and heart had been shaped by the word, acts, and promises of God. Through a learned faith in the only true God and the Spirit’s work in her, she was able to say yes. She believed in the Providence of God. She trusted Him. She had a healthy innocence about her – based in the belief that her life was in the hands of the Almighty Elohim, El Shaddai, Yahweh Tzebaot, Adonai. She believed the messenger of God and was humbled by God’s unmerited favor upon her, and she obeyed. She could not possibly understand all of the ramifications of her ‘yes’, no more than we could have foreseen all that God would be doing in our lives when we said yes to His call on us – in that way we can identify with Mary because just as God had determined from before time how Mary would be a part of His salvation plan, from before time God had called us to be a part of that salvific drama (recall the reading at Ephesians 1). 

[In the Bible book of Revelation, chapter 12, we receive a high-level vision of God shepherding and shaping time, circumstance, events and historical markers to bring forth His salvific plan. Again, in this glimpse into God’s eternal workings, nothing is left to chance or supposition, nor can the enemy supplant God’s salvific will. (The ‘woman’ is Israel with whom God’s covenant relation existed; Israel would bring forth/’give birth’ to the promised Savior and Messiah, through whom God’s salvific plan would be operationalized and executed).]

To take the view that the identity of the young woman who would carry within her body the Son of God would be left to chance is not only out of harmony with all else to be known about God, it also casts a shadow on God’s promises – painting them with a dependence on human response to make them come true. 

As with any part of scripture that is hard to understand, we must always petition the Father to have the Holy Spirit enlighten us – since He is the true author of scripture. (see John 16:13-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)