Celtic Devotions: Christmas Losses

Psalm 119:50              My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. 

Christmas can be a hard time for people who have lost their loved ones to death, especially if it occurs during the month of December. I can remember when my own Dad died in December of 2002. It was in the midst of all the preparations for Christmas and my heart sank because of my loss. I saw all of the decorations and listened to all of the carols, but my heart could not experience most of the joy. It was a sad time of year for me and even though years have passed since his death, I still feel part of my grief at Christmas.

However, like the psalmist of old, I also feel the comfort that God offers through His promises. Death does not have the final word and, through the shared hope of faith in Jesus Christ, my losses turn into victories and my grief can be transformed into gladness.

I know that the emptiness of grief is still there, but as time goes by, it is gradually being replaced with a fullness of Christ’s love that can overcome any joylessness that I temporarily feel. He is born within me each Christmas, so I renew and rededicate my life, my loved ones, and also my losses to Him. Jesus is my Comforter and Savior, Hope Bringer and Healer, my Shepherd and Lord.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, some of us are going through sad times and our hearts are heavy because of the losses that we still experience. We know that You weep with us and carry our cares. Help us to place our pain into Your palms and give over our emptiness to Your full embrace. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is a winter scene from John’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. It depicts snow falling on Sauchiehall (socky-hall) Street. A larger version of this “Snow on Sauchie” can be found at the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5251919500_14a1397bf8_b.jpg

Celtic devotions: Bannockburn Day - Psalm 60

Psalm 60:12    With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.

Today is Bannockburn Day in Scotland. On the 24^th June, 1314, the Scots defeated the invading English army at a place called Bannockburn and firmly established their independence. Robert the Bruce was the King of Scots and his fearless leadership won the battle for the outnumbered Scots. Bruce was the military leader who followed in the footsteps of William Wallace (Braveheart).

For ten years after the execution of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce labored hard at getting the Scots ready to win their independence. Just like George Washington centuries later, Bruce lost minor skirmishes but when it came to the one crucial battle of the War for Scottish Independence, he outwitted the English forces at Bannockburn and won the day. Ever since then, the Scots have celebrated the battle and their independence.

On the deciding day of the two day battle, the outnumbered Scots advanced on the English but before they commenced fighting, the whole army knelt in prayer. Edward II, the English king, was reported to have been surprised by this and mockingly said, "They pray for mercy!"

"For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "But from God, not you. These men will conquer or die."

It seems strange to ask God for providence and mercy on the battlefield, and yet when men are faced with the prospect of death in war, prayer is what they often resort to. In Western history, the winning of battles actually helped to expand Christianity. A victory was often interpreted as God’s favor through Christ, no matter how bloodthirsty or gory the battle might have been.

These days, we pray for the safety of our troops and still ask for God’s blessing and guidance in the midst of our wars. We look for justice and peace more than overwhelming victory and the complete annihilation of our enemies. We want Christ’s peace to be truly promoted, as opposed to that militaristic religious righteousness which only festers future divisions and engenders wasteful wars.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we thank You for the liberty and independence that we experience in our lives today. Sadly, we recognize that much of our freedoms were given to us through the battles that our people fought in the past and by the lives that were laid down in defense of our nation. Help us not to take our liberties for granted and remind us to pray for wisdom for our leaders and safety for our troops. In Christ’s Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on John’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of a statue of Robert the Bruce on the field of Bannockburn. You can read more about the battle at the following link: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Bannockburn

Celtic Devotions: Stephen's Sacrifice - Acts 7

Acts 7:60         Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian Church. Initially, he was chosen to be a deacon who looked after the widows and orphans in the faith community. The Holy Spirit inspired Stephen to become a street preacher, which in turn, led to his death by stoning. He was an incredible young man and a zealous servant for Christ. He knew what had to be done and what needed to be preached. He didn’t balk against peer pressure or the religious authorities. Christ’s message had to be broadcast in brave and dauntless ways. If it meant being unpopular, harassed, or persecuted, Stephen didn’t flinch. He was both faithful and fearless at the same time. To him, to live was Christ, and to die was gain.

Sometimes I’ve had to preach an unpopular message which has upset people in church. From time to time, I’ve endured criticism for preaching the Gospel. It would be far easier to give in to cultural pressures and say what people want to hear, but then I would be pandering to my own narcissism and become guilty of leading the people astray.

I’m not perfect and I make mistakes, but I don’t believe that Christ made any mistakes and that the young Christian Church, along with its martyrs like Stephen, was more in tune with Christ’s message than we are today. The world is busy telling us that we need to change or we will die. Christ’s Gospel states that people need to change or they will perish. The two messages are poles apart. If we ever forget that the Church is Christ’s Bride and is not the World’s Partner, we will be in danger of discrediting Christ’s ministry and dishonoring His Way.

So what’s it going to be folks? Will we become so enamored by the world that we will embrace its ways, or will we remain loyal to Christ and preach His message with our lives, no matter how unpopular, unworldly, and unacceptable that might be to our present culture?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are fallible people and imperfect followers. We want to be Your servants and devoted disciples. Challenge us today and change those things in our lives that hinder the impact of Your message upon our choices and deeds. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Poppy Dawn.” If you would like to view a larger image, you can see it online at http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4713447758_ce72edb0f3_b.jpg