John's Epistle           

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice!

I am amazed at how often I hear the words, "God is good!" answered by the words "All the time!" by people in so many different places. The first time I heard that call and response was when I visited St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church, the mostly African-American congregation east of Fair Park on IH 30. It was how their pastor at the time, Rev. Zan W. Holmes, greeted the church every Sunday morning, and it was truly amazing to hear them respond with such a resounding voice.

Following the initial greeting, Pastor Holmes would invariably say, "All the time!" and the chorus of voices would respond, "God is good!" Now, it seems, I can't say those first words around anyone who knows Zan-or even people who don't-without hearing the same response.

The thing I like best about that call and response is the way it was repeated without regard to what was going on in the life of the church. You were as likely to hear them at a funeral as you were to hear them on Easter Sunday. And there's something helpful for all of us in that example: As people of faith, we hold fast to the hope we find in Christ, regardless of the circumstances of our lives.

In other words, we do not rejoice only in times of blessing. Instead, we begin to trust that God is blessing us, even when it doesn't seem that way.

This is a difficult thing to do. In some years, it is easier than others. 2010 has been an exceptionally difficult year for many of the people I know and love.

And yet, I believe that God is still with them, watching over them and strengthening them in their times of weakness and even despair.

Christmas has become for so many of us a time associated with stress and suffering. How is it that this time that God has given us to celebrate can be for so many just more of the same they receive throughout the year?

Perhaps the answer lies in what we have done to the season of Advent. Instead of thinking of it as a time to prepare our hearts for Christ, we have allowed it to become a time of being completely overwhelmed by activity and additional financial stress!

Maybe we could decide together that we'll focus more on our spiritual lives. Maybe we could decide that what gets done will get done and the rest ... well, we can just let it go. Maybe we could honor each other more by giving to the poor than by trying to find just the "perfect gift."

And maybe-just maybe-we can find a way to rejoice in the midst of all the madness around us.

My good and dear Christian friends, rejoice, for all God has done and continues to do, in and through us.

Grace and peace,

Pastor John