Hearing the Music

Mercies Along the Way

From various perspectives, life is a journey. We move from one place to another; we grow from one stage to another. Regardless of the shape, direction, or duration of our journey, we need to remember that “here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). In Christ, we all walk together “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (11:10).
 
As part of our journey to the eternal city, my family and I have moved many times due to my calling as a pastor and church planter. Seventeen months and one week ago, we moved again, this time from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to Grand Rapids so that I could pursue theological studies at the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (PRTS) and, Lord willing, establish a Reformed theological seminary for Central America.
 
As you can imagine, this move brought significant changes for us—not just a new city but a new country, climate, language, and culture. Lucas and Manuel had never been to school before. Lucas came without knowing a word of English. On his first day of school, he asked if we would come back to pick him up at some point. And Manuel faced some challenges adjusting to some aspects of the culture at school. These situations gave us new opportunities for conversations under the light of God’s Word that we had not had before with them.
 
Amid these changes and challenges, we rejoiced in one of the prayers God answered when we arrived: finding a church that we would love and where we would feel loved. Christ Church, you have been a blessing to us; you have been our family. Ely’s closest friends in Grand Rapids are from church, and the number continues to grow. Manuel enjoys spending time with the other teenagers and getting involved in church activities. Lucas looks forward to his Sunday class and playing with his friends in the church playground. We’ve loved visiting several of your homes and having some of you visiting our apartment. We’ve shared prayer requests and prayed for each other, and we’ve been welcomed and tried to welcome others as well. We’ve laughed and cried together in several situations. Home is where family is. And you have made us feel at home.
 
So many mercies in this journey, and even unexpectedly mild Michigan winters! Yet perhaps the greatest blessing has been seeing how God weaves our individual journeys into His larger story.
 
In this season of Advent, let us pause and reflect on the journey of our Lord Jesus. This Sunday, let us worship together the triune God as we meditate on the baptism of the Son (Mark 1:9-11), to whom the Father said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” What a comfort to know that we follow the One who, through His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, perfectly pleased the Father on our behalf.
 
Rejoice!

Dawn on our Darkness

The title of our Advent series is "Dawn on our Darkness", a line taken from the hymn Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning. It captures this frequent Advent theme of light breaking into our darkness. One of the verses often associated with Advent puts it this way, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone (Isaiah 9:2)." 

As we make our way toward Christmas this year, I have been acutely aware of how desperate we are as a people to have light break into our lives. From health struggles to heart struggles, darkness threatens a stranglehold in our lives. Whether it is the self sabotage of allowing created things to become greater than our creator, or the invasive corruption of a world crumbling around us, we find ourselves groping in darkness, longing for light.

This is why the message of the Gospel writers is so staggering! As we heard Sunday, Mark's opening line, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God" is more than just an easy on-ramp into telling the story of Jesus. Rather, it is a bold infusion of light into a world cowering in the darkness of Roman Imperialism. It is a proclamation to counter the "gospel" of the would-be son of god, Caesar Augustus, with the declaration that the real Son of God has come, not bringing more taxes, slavery and crosses, but with the intent to go to THE CROSS himself to truly set his people free. When Luke tells the story, he introduces us to the angels, these majestic heavenly creatures who live in the presence of the Almighty, who burst on the scene with this message, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10–11)." A light shines in the darkness.

We all know the darkness is real -- health, relational strife, financial hardship, loneliness, depression, besetting sin, controlling idolatries, creational decay and the list goes on. But Advent reminds us that true Light always dispels darkness (cf. Jn. 1:5)!

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you (Isaiah 60:1).

Traveling Music

Will you be traveling for the holidays? Don’t forget music. Travel is sometimes sunny, sometimes weary, and music passes time, adjusts the outlook. Every road trip needs a little music—a playlist, perhaps, made up of all the songs you want more of, the songs that will keep you moving in the right direction.

If life is a journey, what songs are you singing along the way? 

Maybe, already as a child, you started collecting songs to travel through life with. I did. Some of my earliest memories include music. One of the first melodies I remember singing was “The Birds Upon the Treetops.” (I sang that one into a tape recorder so my Opa and Oma, so far away, could hear my little voice.) Then there was “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” (That one still comes to mind now and then in the checkout lane at Meijer, or while driving.) Over the years, other favorites emerged: “This Is My Father’s World” while teaching my kids and while hiking. “Praise to the Lord the Almighty” at each of their baptisms. These all are treasures still.

There’s another song that’s accompanied me through life so far. The tune changed a couple of times over the decades, but the words haven’t. They never will. Based on Psalm 118:24, “This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made” first left my lips as a chirpy Sunday school song. Later, gathered with other high schoolers serious about voice, the lyrics repeated, this time as a glorious chorale. We offered “This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made,” a gift floating perfectly over the balcony at a church wedding. Later still, another rendition at another wedding—my wedding.   

What began as that chirpy, childhood song is now the anthem of my life. This is the day that the Lord has made. The truth applies easily to the joy-filled days. But on the weary days—of defeat and disappointment—Psalm 118’s song is a weapon, fighting to fix my gaze on the Handler of my days. The words remind that because He authored today and every day, there is joy to be found in His sovereignty and deep care. Therefore I can sing on as I travel life’s road. He is the God who sees, and He is with me. He is for me. He is with you, and He is for you.

Other melodies have drifted and departed over the years. Some worth singing, many probably not. The ones on repeat are the scripture songs, my faithful travel companions. 

What songs are you carrying along through life? What is your anthem? We’re journeying Home, Christian. Sing on.



Photo by I'M ZION on Unsplash