It’s the day after Christmas, the skies are a classic SF overcast, my stomach is still full from a night of feasting, and it’s great to be home. I hope you had a wonderful day resting, eating, traveling, or whatever you were up to. I’m particularly thankful for family and friends, and the huge blessing it is to be free to simply be together.
- One: Some good friends introduced us to the music of Sara Groves, and her songwriting, themes, and sound are powerful and inspiring. And right now, you can download her latest album Fireflies And Songs for just five bucks.
- Two: As we celebrate Christmas, one of the most striking words that comes to mind is “Immanuel,” meaning “With us, GOD.” At our church community gathering earlier in December, we were reading through the full lyrics of the song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and we were struck by the depth of the words. Just this week, I got to the section in New Testament Theology where he discusses the connection between the Gospels and the Old Testament. He made a profound connection (for me) between the beginning and end of the gospel of Matthew: “We also see a theme that frames the entire book of Matthew. Jesus is Immanuel – God with us (Matt. 1:23) – and the book concludes with Jesus’ words, ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ All that the OT teaches about God being with his people is fulfilled in Jesus as Immanuel.” (Schreiner, 73)
- Three: Any Bible software geeks out there? Logos is running their Christmas Specials through the end of the year. Some pretty good stuff in there.
- Four: My friend Leslie Kim has a timely thought about joy in the midst of chaos, in which she concludes, “joy overcomes the chaos, putting the flotsam and jetsam of my life in perspective. Peace, joy, blessedness reign.”
Indeed, may joy reign in your life as 2009 comes to a close.
