The Light

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://encounterchurch.org/messages] 

It’s me and my husband’s first Christmas with a baby—and let’s just say, things are a lot more complicated than they were last year. Seriously—last weekend our Honda was loaded with a Pack ‘n Play, Jumperoo, diaper bag, portable infant seat, spare clothes, blankets… you get the picture. We are blessed to have most of our family living in West Michigan, but that means that we are expected to see all of them on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. When all is said and done, we will have attended four separate celebrations in 48 hours. With an almost-6-month-old baby. Talk about logistical chaos.

But we do consider ourselves blessed this Christmas season, as neither of us have experienced great fear or darkness in our lives. I can only imagine that along with all of the joy that this season brings, there is also pain that is unearthed at Christmas for those who have lost loved ones in recent years. For many others, the holidays in Michigan signify colder weather and homeless shelters that cannot accommodate their needs. Still others are dealing with the pain of broken relationships, and Christmas is a reminder of the lingering wounds that just won’t heal.

Many are not convinced that this is the most wonderful time of the year due to their circumstances, but Gospel writer John disagrees. It is the most wonderful time of the year, not because of family celebrations or twinkle lights or gifts, but because God broke into our world of darkness and sent His Light. John 1:4-5 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

These are some of the first words in John’s Gospel. In order to more fully understand their meaning, Pastor Dirk told us a little bit more about who John was and what he had experienced in his lifetime. John was the last living disciple of Jesus, mostly because Jesus had asked him to watch over his mother Mary after he died. As Mary’s caretaker, John had a front-row seat for all of the stories about Jesus; he probably spent the majority of his later life recounting Jesus’s days with Mary. John likely had a very thorough understanding of Jesus’s life, and because of this was able to perfect his “elevator pitch” about Jesus and Christianity.

In addition to his comprehensive knowledge of Jesus, John lived through the persecution of Christians—many of whom were his friends and family. He experienced persecution himself, at one time being boiled alive in hot oil, and eventually exiled to the Island of Patmos. John lived in a time of darkness and fear, but he knew that Jesus came to earth as the Light to shine in the darkness, and that nothing could overcome that light.

John continues in verses 9-12, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Christ came to earth for everyone—not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles and for the Romans, too. Those who received Christ and fully believed in Him, not just believed that He was the Son of God, were welcomed into His family. And the same goes for us today; If you believe in His name and the power of His light over darkness, then you are welcomed into God’s family as His child. That is the true gift of Christmas—that God sent His Son, the Light of the World, into a broken earth and invites us into that light to become His beloved children.

So this Christmas season, when you find yourself busy amidst logistical chaos, or burdened with broken relationships and loss, remember that the darkness will never overcome the Light. Christ came to earth to save us from ourselves, from our sin and shame—and that even though our circumstances might seem bleak, we have hope in an eternal God who shines His Light into the darkness. And that darkness will not overcome the light. Not then, not now, not ever. 

[Megan Stephenson is a proud new mom to her five-month-old son August and spends her days trying to figure out how to take care of her tiny human. She also works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. Megan loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]

Doubt at Christmastime

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

While fairy tales are often thought of as being primarily for children, some of us adults love them too. There’s something about the magic, the dramatic stories, the happily ever afters that resonate with us long past our childhood years. Real life is so rarely like a fairy tale that it’s nice to escape to a land where we can believe good will overcome evil and the endings will get tied up with a pretty red bow.

Photo Credit: Haitao Zeng

The Christmas story has little in common with fairy tales. As we read the story recorded in Luke 1, it’s easy to let our familiarity with it overshadow the extraordinary nature of what’s actually taking place. Our main characters didn’t grow up in castles or own diamond-studded tiaras. Instead, Mary was a normal teenager who was engaged to a normal man named Joseph, and then the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and turned her future into a shape she never would have expected. 

First Gabriel told Mary she was "highly favored," and "Mary was greatly troubled and wondered what kind of greeting this must be" (Luke 1:29). Gabriel went on to tell her she had found favor with God and would give birth to a son. Not only was she going to have a baby, but that baby would be God-made-man, come to save the world. Having grown up in a Jewish household, Mary likely would have heard the prophecies foretelling the coming Messiah. As the enormity of what the angel was telling her sank in, Mary may have felt confused, ill-equipped, and scared. Her first response was a practical question about how this would happen considering she was a virgin, which at first glance seems very similar to Zechariah’s question earlier in the chapter.

When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced that Zechariah’s wife would have a baby, Zechariah had some questions just as Mary did. The way he presented his question was different though. “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well in years” (Luke 1: 18). Zechariah went to practicality with a doubt that this could actually come to be, whereas Mary’s question was a simple “How?” She didn’t stay in her doubt, either. Instead of wallowing in it, she allowed it to push her to ask questions, while also accepting she was unlikely to come to a complete understanding of what was truly happening. Even as she questioned, she stayed open to the possibilities of what God was going to do. 

After the angel explained a bit more, Mary replied with acceptance. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Next Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and as she traveled, perhaps the reality of what was happening began to take hold. It would have been easy for Mary to arrive at Elizabeth’s house and begin explaining all about how afraid she was and how none of this was according to the plan she had for her life. Instead, Mary worshiped, singing a beautiful song praising God for who he is and how he had seen fit to use her according to his plan. 

When our own stories become full of unexpected, confusing, and even painful experiences, we often begin to question God. From Mary we learn that questioning God isn’t necessarily bad, if our intention is to continue to seek him and truly discover what he has for us. The Christmas season is supposed to be filled with joy and delight, but it doesn’t always turn out like we want it to. In these difficult seasons, we have the choice to sit in our doubt and turn away from God with it, or to take our doubt back to God. In our least fairy tale-like times, we can respond like Mary and ask God to remind us who he is, and that because of the gift of Jesus all eventually shall be made well.

[Brianna DeWitt is a Christmas enthusiast. She believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

When It Seems Like God Lied

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

There are many promises throughout the Bible.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

In our best moments, these verses likely come as a source of deep comfort. When we’re in the middle of difficult times though, having these verses offered as solutions to our problems can be frustrating or even annoying. Does losing a job seem like a plan to prosper us? Do illnesses, failed classes, divorces, cruel bosses, or financial ruin seem like giving us a hope and a future? There are times when God’s promises feel more like lies than truth.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Francis

Isaiah was the prophet who spoke to King Ahaz when his country of Judah was in a messy situation, being attacked by various kingdoms. But instead of listening to Isaiah’s words from God and trusting God to provide, he took matters into his own hands. Ahaz used money set aside apart for God to strike a deal with another nation, even though he had specifically been told not to. His disobedience and lack of trust put in motion the events that would eventually lead to the nation of Judah being exiled. 

It’s easy to scoff at King Ahaz for not believing God would come through, but one of the things that’s difficult for me about the Bible is that all the stories are so close together. We read the story of Isaiah prophesying to King Ahaz about a baby who will set everything right, and we flip a few hundred pages later and read the story of the baby’s arrival. What we miss is all those years in between, when the world seemed to be crumbling and God seemed to be silent. Anyone who originally heard the prophecy, or heard about it from a family member or friend, was long dead by the time the prophecy was fulfilled. Entire generations lived and died in the 700 years between when Isaiah foretold the baby's coming and when the baby was actually born.

But just because the people couldn’t see it doesn’t mean God wasn’t working.

In the Christmas story we find the hope of God’s kept promises, despite what we may be seeing or feeling in our own lives right now. We might feel forsaken, or like God’s plans are actually harming us, or that he’s completely ignoring the desires of our heart despite our delighting in him. There is nothing easy or simple about feeling that way, and we don’t have to pretend like we’re not--God is big enough to handle our frustrations and angst about what’s happening in our lives. At the same time, we can trust his promises. They may not come true in any way we can see today or tomorrow or thirty years from now, but his vision extends far beyond the span of our lives. Henri Nouwen once wrote, “Hope is trusting that something will be fulfilled, but fulfilled according the promises and not just according to our wishes. Hope is always open-ended.” 

The same God who sent his own son as the fulfillment of a 700-year-old promise is working now to fulfill the promises he’s made to us in his word. While not a traditional Christmas song, the words to Elevation Worship’s “Your Promises” are so fitting:

Doesn’t matter what I feelDoesn’t matter what I seeMy hope will always beIn your promises to me

In whatever situations we find ourselves in this Christmas season, may the story of God’s kept promises provide hope we can cling to when we need it most, and eyes to see the ways he is already at work. 

[Brianna DeWitt is a Christmas enthusiast. She believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

Christmas is All Around

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

If I had written the book of Matthew, I would not have started it with a genealogy. A long list of hard to pronounce names is hardly an effective way to suck people into a story. Most of the time, I skip right over it. As we’ve been learning in this message series though, the people in Jesus’ family line have interesting stories of their own, and if we skip over them, we miss out on a lot. Jesus wasn’t born out of nowhere--his backstory and family tree are very important. From long before Mary gave birth to Jesus, God was at work, crafting everything together the way he wanted in order to bring Jesus into the world at a specific time and place to fulfill his purpose. Christmas was all around long before anyone else knew there would ever be a holiday to celebrate. 

Photo Credit: Flickr User regan76, Creative Commons

The book of Ruth starts out rather bleak. There’s a famine, so Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons move to Moab in hopes of finding a better life there. Then Elimelek dies, and after a while, both sons do too, leaving behind their wives. Naomi decides she’s had enough and moves back to the land of Judah. In a bright moment in an otherwise pretty dark story so far, her daughter-in-law Ruth insists on staying with her, saying, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Life isn’t easy for them when they return though, and Naomi changes her name to Mara, meaning “bitter.” 


When we’re reading this story, it’s tempting to rush to the next chapter to find out what happens next--and in fact, Naomi and Ruth do get happy plot twists. But they didn’t know that when they returned to Judah. They couldn’t flip ahead to see how their stories would end; they had to live them, just like we do. 

It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day details of living, especially this time of year, as we scurry to make lists, buy presents, show up at the parties on time, and try to enjoy it all as well. Added into the mix are the bigger emotions holidays and the end of the year bring about--maybe it’s sorrow at losing someone we love, regret over a bad decision, or disappointment when things didn’t turn out like we had hoped. When we’re plodding through the middle of our stories, trying to simply keep moving from one day to the next and get some presents under the tree, it can be hard to see God at work. Like Naomi, we may feel bitter, not seeing how a famine, losing family members, and multiple moves could somehow be a part of something bigger. We may want to look ahead, to see what’s coming next, to get ourselves prepared for the bad stuff and breath a sigh of relief and excitement at all of the good to come. 


While we can’t look ahead at our own lives, we do have the rest of Ruth and Naomi’s story at least. Ruth ends up marrying Boaz, the “kinsman-redeemer” of Naomi’s family. They all become part of the lineage of the greatest redeemer, Jesus. Throughout Naomi and Ruth’s trials, Christmas was already all around--God truly was at work, prepping for Christmas years and years in advance. In the same way, God is at work in our lives as well, preparing beginnings and middles and endings to stories we may not even be aware of yet. 

As we prepare for Christmas next week, may we be able to see and appreciate the ways that God is at work all around us. 


[Brianna DeWitt is a Christmas enthusiast. She believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

Redemption is Coming

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

The book of Ruth starts off with Naomi and Elimelek moving out of Bethlehem to Moab to escape a famine. It’s made to sound like this was a temporary plan, yet we discover they lived there for about ten years--and though they escaped the famine, things didn’t go very well for the family in Moab. First, Elimelek died, then the two sons got married and they both died as well, leaving behind Orpah and Ruth as widows. 

With nothing else to do, Naomi moved back to Bethlehem. The idea of moving back “soon” did not come in the timeframe Naomi expected, nor did it look like she probably thought it would. When she moved to Moab, Naomi likely would not have guessed that her husband and both her sons would die there, and instead of returning to Moab with them, she returned with only her daughter-in-law--a Moabite foreigner. Rather understandably, I think, these events leave her bitter, wondering where God is and whether he even sees her. 

But, as Naomi finds out, her story was not done yet.

Ruth went and gathered in the fields, and Boaz showed her much kindness. Though we don’t know how much, some amount of time passed before Naomi made her plan of how Ruth would be taken care of after Naomi passed. 

When Ruth eventually went to Boaz, he had a choice. He could have refused Ruth’s suggestion of marrying her and therefore redeeming her and Naomi, he could have completely bypassed the closer relative who could have married Ruth and married her right away, or he could have consulted the closer relative and then followed through with his commitment to marry Ruth--which is what he did. It wasn’t the quickest or most convenient way, but the desired outcome was achieved: Ruth and Naomi were redeemed. 

The story ends with the women of the town saying to Naomi, “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.” 

God was there. He saw Naomi, and he provided just what she needed--a redeemer. 

Which is just what we need, too. 

Ruth and Boaz’s son is Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David...whose descendants became the line of Jesus. Our redeemer. 

This season of Advent, of looking forward to Christmas, is a reminder of our own redemption. The book of Ruth is not the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Christmas, but it’s a beautiful picture of how all the books in the Bible fit together to create the broader story that’s at work. Already in the Old Testament, we see this theme: Redemption is coming. It may take longer than we expect or like, and it may look different than we anticipated. But it is coming. 

That’s the promise of Christmas, of the baby born in a manger--redemption is not only possible, it is coming. For those like Naomi, who find themselves weary and doubting, it is coming. For those who find themselves joyous and hopeful, it is coming. In ways big and small, expected and surprising: Redemption is coming. 

[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She loves Christmas and can be found spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear. You can read more of her musings on her own blog or follow her on Twitter @bwitt722.]