grace notes

Philippians 4:4-7 The Message (MSG)
4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as
clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with
them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to
arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and
praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together
for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when
Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Advent Blessings from Salem Staff –
As Salem leaders met for prayer, encouragement, and planning this morning
we were particularly touched by Eugene Peterson's Biblical version of
Philippians 4: 4-7 above.


How many of us actually revel in God and what God has done/is doing in the
world? Certainly that is what we should be about as we anticipate
celebrating the birth of Christ once again.

Whether the end of the world is near as some predict/worry or we are
simply marking the close of another calendar year, we should be ready.
The Master is about to arrive! The call is to bathe Christ's arrival in
prayer, trusting our own concerns to the Lord as we center on Christ
Jesus.

I like the image of Christ displacing worry at the center of our lives.
Headlines in the papers and magazines and on the internet are far from
calming as nations clash and threats of financial ruin and natural
disasters install fear in the calmest believers. So much is out of our
control.

Yet into the uncertainty and chaos comes a tiny babe – hope personified.
This hope above all displaces the hurt and fear and worry that seems to
close in around us. This hope alone brings a redeemer to displace and
disempower sin. This hope displaces the hunger in our lives for more and
more and gives what satisfies to fill the believer with good, lasting
truth.

Indeed Christ will soon be here. Let us open our hearts and homes wide
and revel in God's great gift to all humankind! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Carla Vanatta, Associate in Ministry
Salem Lutheran Church, Sycamore, IL