Happy New Year

"You Must Be Born Again" (John 3:16)

  I admit to having a love hate relationship with snow. When I am at home, or looking out the window of my office,a s I am now, it is very beautiful. I love watching it. I admit the absence of snow last year made winter seem, well, anticlimactic. Asa  child I loved running in the snow, diving into it, making forts and snowballs.

  Of course that's because my parents drove me everywhere and my dad shoveled the snow.  Once that became my job, snow became less a blessing and more of a curse. Now I have to go out in the cold, shovel the drive way, walk the dog, try to drive on slippery snowy slushy roads.  As my son and I were shoveling the driveway out the other day, we were talking about how fleeting the beauty of snow is.  I am proud to have passed on my legacy to him, as well as my snow shovel.

  There is one thing I do still love about snow.  I love how it overs everything in purity. It doesn't matter what toys the kids or pets have left in the yard. Or how many branches are in the backyard. It doesn't even matter if there are some leaves I never got to raking up. Once the snow falls everything is clean, beautiful and pure. Of course there is only one problem with that. Once the snow melts the debris is still there. The toys, branches and leaves haven't gone away. They've only been covered up.

  Often that's how we treat the debris in our lives. That debris could be sin. Or a wrong done to us. It could be resentment, or bitterness. And we act as if we cover it up it will be gone. If we act like everything is OK, maybe it is. If no one discovers my sin, maybe it didn't happen. Or at the very least, I got away with it.

  It never quite works out that way does it. Sin, and hurt, and resentment have away of rising to the surface. Just because we cover up the debris in our lives, doesn't make it go away.  It will always resurface. The only we to keep this from happening is to get rid of the debris.

  That's why, as we begin a new year, I hope you will keep the verse at the top of the page close to your heart.  That's the newness Jesus offers. When we invite Him into our lives we are Born Again. Hear that, please. Not just given a "do over" or another chance. But actually made clean.  All the debris in our lives can be swept away. We can be new.  be forewarned, nowhere does Jesus promise that this is easy, only that it's possible with Him.

  I pray that this New Year brings you a New Hope in the love of Jesus Christ. May you be made new and the debris cleaned from your life.  From behalf of all of us at Trinity, we wish you a most Blessed, and Happy New Year.

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><

It's Christmas?!

"but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" (Luke 2:10-12)

   Do you have all your shopping done yet? Do you have all your baking done? Is everything ready?  You've probably heard something close to that over the past few weeks.  Are you ready for Christmas?  I know someone, who hen I call them, that is their greeting me. Are you ready for Christmas?

  And on one level there is nothing wrong with that is there? After all the church has been int eh season of Advent. And what is Advent but the season of preparation, getting ready for the celebration of the birth of our Savior?  Is there anything wrong with asking folks if they are ready?

    Perhaps not. But let's be honest. Most of the time when we re asked, or are asking these questions, our minds are far from spiritual things. We are asking about gifts, decorations cookies and candies, pies and getting the house clean for our guests and relatives.

   And the truth is we are never really ready are we? There is always one more gift to pick up. One more thing to do or clean. One more card to write, one more person to visit.  Often when people ask us these questions they fill us more with guilt than with joy. We feel as if we've lowered the bar for Christmas. We aren't ready. We wonder if we'll ever be truly ready for Christmas.

   If that's you, let em let you in on a little secret. Whether you are ready or not, Christmas is coming. You can't stop it. Christmas doesn't care if your cookies are baked. It doesn't care if your carpet gets vacuumed. It doesn't care that all your Christmas cards didn't get written. Christmas will come on Dec. 25th as it always has.

   I don't know about you, but there is something comforting in knowing Christmas  doesn't depend on me or my circumstances. Whether had a good year or a bad one, Christmas will come. Whether I'm spiritually ready or not, Christmas will come.  it's not an excuse to not prepare ourselves. Nor am I suggesting we ever do away with our festivities. Obviously the more prepared we are the more we enjoy the season.

  My point is simply this. Christmas doesn't depend on us. It depends on Jesus. His love for us goes beyond our circumstances. His love and joy come to us, sometimes in spite of our circumstances. Sometimes he surprises us with joy, even when we aren't looking for it.

  So catch  your breath. Don't worry if everything isn't ready. Enjoy the coming of Christmas and a Savior who continues to come even when we aren't ready. 

Merry Christmas,
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones

Rejoice?

"Can anything separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:35-39 NLT)

     There are times in life when we come up against an evil so great, tragedy so unthinkable, that words fail us.  They seem inadequate in the face of such unimaginable pain. So it has been for most of us as watched the events unfold around the tragedy in Newtown Connecticut. It quickly went from being their tragedy to being our tragedy. We all grieved, and will continue to grieve for the loss of life. Small towns are supposed to be safe. Children are supposed to be OK. We all know how it works. Those are the rules. What do we do when the rules are suddenly shattered?

     As a pastor, father, grandfather I found myself wondering what would I do if I were in that town and had to lead worship that next Sunday.  Not just any Sunday. An Advent Sunday. Not just any Advent Sunday, but the Sunday we light that odd pink candle. The one that stands for ....joy.  What do you sing on such an Advent Sunday? Did any voices rise singing, Rejoice, Rejoice? "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?" "Joy To The World?"

   I don't know that any did. Or could. I certainly could not fault them if the candles were not lit and the carols not sung. But I hope they did. I pray that at least one voice sang, one candle of joy was lit. While it may seem impossible to celebrate Christmas in the light of such tragedy, I pray they will. For it was for just such tragedies that Jesus came.

  Christmas reminds us in that on the darkest of nights in the midst of a broken, sin shattered , tear stained world the cry of a baby pierced the darkness.  He did not wait until all was right in the world to come, He came to make the world right. Christmas reminds us God hasn't forgotten us and that all will be redeemed in time.  The virgin birth of Jesus reminds us that hope and joy can come in the most impossible or situations. Even in times like these.

  The cry of the Christ child began to silence all the evil in the world. It is a reminder that evil will not win, that it cannot defeat the love of God. One day evil will be silenced forever.  As surely as the darkness is repelled when we light the Candle of Joy, so will the light of Jesus end the darkness of our world. And we will rejoice.

  Christmas reminds us that Jesus is our Emmanuel. He is with us. It is natural, I suppose, when one hears of such tragedy to wonder where was God? Our Scripture reminds us He was there in the school with His arms around every child. He was there next to every teacher. He is there and weeps with every parent and grandparent and friend who lost someone. Our God is not some dispassionate deity who watches from a distance. No, at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Emmanuel, God is with us. As our Scripture reminds us it doesn't mean we will not have incredible pain and loss in life. It does mean we are not alone. God does hear, and loves us.

  We have joy because Christmas in its own way reminds us of our true home in heaven. This evil world is not our home, nor is it the home of these children. They gather around the throne of God and for those who have faith in Christ, they will see them again.

  It is for this reason we should, even in our darkest moments, light the candle of joy. It's why we should sing "Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel has Come To Ransom Captive Israel".  So light the candle and sing the carols. And this year let us do it for those who cannot.

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones

The Real Church

"For Just As The Body Is One And Has Many Members, And All Are Members Of The Body, So It Is With Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12)

     Have you ever had a caricature done of yourself?  You know, those portraits they do at amusement parks and fairs? A Caricature is usually marked by having a large head and will focus on some prominent feature of a person.  They are overblown in order to embody the person. If someone is known for having slightly larger than normal ears, they are given the ears of Dumbo in the drawing. If you have a prominent jaw it will become four times as large.

  These Caricature can be so popular they actually form the predominate image we have of that person. When Jimmy Carter was in office  he was commonly drawn with a huge smile. That smile became, at the time, synonymous with the person. Jay Leno, wouldn't be Jay Leno if he isn't portrayed with that prominent Jaw.

  I've never had a caricature done of myself, and I'm sure I never will.  Those caricatures are rarely flattering. They often magnify one's worse feature.  I've never seen the value in paying someone to make fun of me.

  Today's Scripture reminds us that the church is the body of Christ.  As we read through this chapter it also becomes clear  this isn't a metaphor or a simile.  Jesus actually sees the church as His body and it's expected to operate that way.

  We may be familiar with this passage or at least the term "The Body Of Christ".  I fear though that many of us when we hear this term have in our heads not a body but a Caricature. We think of the church and we allow a part of the body to take preeminence . It's the feature the church is known by.  For many that's the pastor. Or a popular teacher or leader in the church. Someone who is "on stage" quite a bit. Someone everyone knows.

  But Jesus has a much more balanced understanding of the church. Everyone, all of their gifts, are equally important. The church is not just the pastor. The church is all the people who gave money, took time from work, gave up time with others, to pay and pack 500 boxes for Bethlehem on Broad so families will be able to eat this Christmas. It's the people who came this past week and spent untold hours decorating the church so their church family can celebrate Advent. It's the many folks who will bring flowers to shut ins over the holidays. It's the men and women who regularly gather together to pray for our church.

     It's children who lead us in worship, who acolyte, often trembling for the first time.  Its the middle school kids wanting to visit a friend who is sick. It's the Youth who gave up part of their weekend to buy gifts for someone they didn't know. It's meals cooked and pizzas baked for the hungry. It's the people who greet you at church, who often offer the first kind word some have heard all week. It's the band, and our choirs, who come mostly as volunteers to lead us in worship every week. It's instruments played, bells rung, voices raised.

  It's the person who leaves an endowment to the Foundation for sure. But it's also the child who faithfully brings their quarter every week for Sunday School. The amazing thing is the Angels gather in Heaven and rejoice in both equally.

  It's cards made and sent to lift some one's spirits, its a church family that often beats the clergy to someone hospital bed to pray and visit. It's people who join Stephens Ministry and love others often at some incredibly unlovable moments of life.  It's the arms that gather around the grieving widow or those who lead a grief class. It's adults and youth who both lead an education event.  It's you and me.   That's the church.

  If I missed you, and what you have done in the church, in this blog my apologies. Please accept this today as our thank you for being the church. You don't always get the recognition you deserve. But trust me.  God notices. And he rejoices. And we do as well.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones

With Us

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)

  Social Media has become the current culture's Mark Twain.  No, not in terms of wit or good writing. Only a few minutes in any social media proves that wrong. Mark Twain once responded to rumors that he had died by saying "The reports of my demise has been greatly exaggerated" (my paraphrase).

  So it has been with Social Media. I have read reports for a few years that Social Media is on it's way out. Yet it continues, stronger than ever.  Like a living organism it simply evolves into something else when it has run it's course or popularity. We went from MySpace, to Facebook, to Twitter, to Pinterest in a few short years.  When Pinterest proved especially popular with women, new sites for men such as Manteresting and Dartit were created.

  It's obvious that Social Media in some form is here to stay. It may not be what it is right now, but it's not going away any time soon. Trinity has been exploring how to use Social Media not only to stay connected with our church family, but to use it as an outreach to people all over the world. 

  Those discussions have me wondering what is the appeal? How did Social media become so popular so fast?  I believe it's because we are made to be social creatures.  In the Book of Genesis we are told that humanity was created in the image of God, a God who in the Trinity lives in eternal relationship.  We were meant to live in relationship with others. Our souls will be satisfied with nothing less.

  Yet as our society becomes more private, more fractured we have lost the ability to have relationships. Consider how seldom in a week you have actual contact with a human being. Email doesn't count. As families connections begin to dissolve we find ourselves reaching out for someone, anyone. We've substituted "friendships" with people we don't know, or "follow" people under the false assumption we truly know them and they know us.  Some find affirmation not in meaningful relationship but in sheer numbers of friends or followers. Of course in the end these never satisfy the deep longings of our hearts.  I'm not suggesting that Social Media is bad, far from it. I am suggesting that we can't ask it to do more than it was created to do.

   But there is a relationship that can satisfy every longing and desire of our hearts. As we enter into the first week of Advent, let us never forget that the announcement of the Christ child in Matthew comes with the reminder that we shall call Him "Immanuel, which means God is with Us".  Jesus is not a God who stands far away from us, looking at us dispassionately. No. He loves us, walks with us, cares for us. He lives in the midst of every situation of our lives. He draws little children into His lap, walks on water to be with His friends, trods though the valley of the shadow of death with us.

    In the end, this is the relationship we have been looking for. When we draw near to the one who draws near to us, not only do we find our hearts satisfied, but life becomes balanced. We become better at having relationships as our relationships begin to mirror the one we have with Christ.

   As we celebrate Advent, let us never forget the nature of the one we call Immanuel. God is with you. He loves you  and desires to have a deep, meaningful relationship with you. The best way you can celebrate Advent today is to spend some time with Him.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones