Pastor Smith's exhortation 12/20/11

As we approach the Christmas season (that's right: it is not yet the Christmas season) and focus once again upon the incarnation of God the Son, we are once again reminded that in his becoming flesh, truly human, our God affirmed and sanctified our creaturliness and all that goes with it. God the Son did not come and take a position somehow distinct from the rest of humanity, nor did he seek to rise above all of humanity in order to look down upon all of the rest of us who are but mere mortals. When John says that "the Word became flesh," that is exactly what he meant. God became a man. Unfathomable but true. And with that he took upon himself genuine human callings. He was a male who took up the calling to show us men what being male really means. He took up the calling of a child who had the necessity of growing, learning, and maturing. He took up the calling of a carpenter, probably even building things for that wicked overlord, Herod, just as Israel did for Pharaoh back in the day. He knew the frustrations of dealing with stubborn and even recalcitrant people; just look at his relationship with his own disciples, some of whom seemed never to learn and one of whom betrayed him. Ultimately he took upon himself the calling to give himself in death for his bride, showing us what it means to be a true husband. Jesus' participation with us in our humanity is the affirmation of all our creaturely callings. In Christ we hear the Father's benediction pronounced over us as we are faithful where he has placed us: "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." As we faithfully do the work where he puts us--as children, students, husbands and wives, parents, unmarried, CEO's, mechanics, IT guys, and on and on--God is pleased. Jesus took on creation so that he might transform it in his own calling. We now who are in Christ do the same things. We are bits of creation in Christ who have been given the Spirit who forms and fills the creation so that we too might transform the creation in our bodies and through the work of our hands, imaging our God. Your calling is a worthy one as a Christian no matter your present station. The only thing that God requires of you is faithfulness. Stay faithful where you are.

Blessings,
Pastor