I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

“They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” by Peter Scholtes (1938–2009) comes to mind when I hear this scripture. The words remind us of the bonds that we have as a Christian. We work, walk, pray and celebrate together in one spirit. But how do we get there? Is it just random chance that we all gather in one place occasionally on any given Sunday? How do we as disciples of God show others our love?

Being part of a congregation sometimes isn’t easy. We forget that others may not see things as we do. We let the differences of our fellow man get in the way of the care and love that we have for them. We forget that we are ALL standing in the dark just as the shepherds did when Jesus was born. Watchful, anticipating danger, but not the angelic announcement of the arrival of the Messiah!

If you look around the sanctuary on Sunday, you will see in our congregation people from all different places in life. Not the geographical places, although that is also true, but the life situations that shape us as individuals. We gather in worship, Bible studies, youth and Sunday school not because it is mandated by the state or even because we all live in the same neighborhood. No, we gather as diverse individuals guided by God to be part of a community of love. We show those that are looking that God is with us by the love we have for others in our congregation. We use the differences of our talents to bring the shining light that accompanied the angels celebrating Jesus’ birth. The simple act of gathering as a congregation and spending time listening to scripture is pleasing to God. But the care, love and the forgiveness that we show one another is when, as I imagine, God looks at us nods, smiles and thinks “Ah, today they get it”.

Written by Pam Couture, who has served as elder, deacon and on many committees at Heritage.
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
“I am most passionate about Christian education and enjoy wondering with the 3yr old through kindergarteners every Sunday in Children’s Chapel.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

March, 1954, my father died. I was eleven. This event marked a divide in my life that, in my unresolved grief, I have judged the before and after. Before I was content, knew little of life, valued the time I spent with a traveling father, remember sitting on his lap as he read the Sunday comic strips to my brother and me. As I look back on the before all was at peace with the world.
Of course, you might say! You were only eleven.

That doesn’t negate the bad that happened…My father’s first heart attack, moving four times, forging new friends with each move, fear of starting school, seeing our first dog killed as he ran in front of a bus. But the lasting memories aren’t those. The lasting memories seem more formative…Living next to my grandparents, my first-grade teacher, daddy bringing gifts at the return from each long trip.

Sometime after his death I read A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall. I, too, wanted to be like Peter Marshall. I wanted to serve the church, help others, understand the Gospel better, have what seemed a wonderful life of service.

A call? It took twenty years to answer. Twenty years marked an intense personal struggle. Twenty years marked intense questions of faith. Twenty years marked wandering away and back again. Twenty years marked indecision. Death scared me.

Now, at seventy-six I wish I could say all was well. I mean I am a minister of the Gospel, the Good News, of Jesus Christ. After all, a minister is supposed to have answers. A minister is supposed to know God. A minister is supposed to have faith without questions. Isn’t he or she?
Twenty years marked just the beginning of questions, of realization that pet answers may not be true, of questions and questioning. Twenty years marked the beginning of the intense struggle any minister who is true with him or herself can testify, of wondering. Wondering marks beginning of feeling separated. Wondering, however, seems inevitable.

But twenty years also marked the beginning of Christ’s coming back again and again. Twenty years also marked renewed assurance over and over. Twenty years marked Christ coming again and again.

This season of Advent marks the celebrating of waiting for Christ to come. It is the time we need the assurance Romans speaks of, the waiting for the reality of being God’s own through Jesus Christ.

Advent marks the beginning of being called back again and again, the beginning of Christ coming over and over, the beginning of the realization that we are God’s even when we feel separated and lost. Advent marks the season of the assurance nothing can separate us “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus or Lord.” Not doubt, wandering, questioning, the daily struggles of faith and life, different opinions and interpretations, worldly views, nor death. For Christ Jesus, our Lord, is coming. Again and again. We are renewed again and again.

Written by Rev. Cuyler V. Smith
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
The mission and outreach programs of the church that meet the New Testament imperative to “feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners,” etc.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

One of the first Bible stories I learned as a young child is the story of Noah and his Ark. Who could forget such an angry God, such a blessed family, or such a legendary dove? The premise of the story is very simple; we all know it. God had become angry on account of the sins of man and regretted his creation of man. His solution was to cleanse the earth of all humans, with the exception of Noah’s family. The sins of man were too grievous to be rectified, so instead, God almost erased mankind, giving us a chance to start over, to do better. We got a second chance, barely. Fast forward a few thousand years, and mankind is once again sinful. History seems to have repeated itself. However, this time, God decides to do things a little differently. He decides to sacrifice his only Son rather than force mankind to start over again. Why? We discussed this question briefly in Sunday School a few weeks ago, but since that small conversation, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this obvious contradiction in God’s behavior. Why would He change completely and choose forgiveness (at the cost of his son) over justice when humans were the ones at fault? The only answer I can come up with is love: unconditional love for humans, for our potential, for our faults, for our insecurities, for our past, and for our future.

John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much, he gave us his only Son. His Son wasn’t sent to condemn us, but to save us. We can have eternal life through him. He is for us. His purpose is us. Jesus was sent to earth as a direct result of God’s love for mankind, despite our disobedience and sinfulness. While he was here, Jesus did a lot of amazing things, but the most important thing he did is unconditionally love people. No one was exempt from grace and redemption through Jesus Christ. He loves each and every one of us so much that he suffered excruciating pain, pain we can’t even imagine, to pay for our sins, our white lies, our road rage, our bad days. He died for our worst qualities. This leads me to ask myself, if Jesus died for the worst parts of me, why is it so difficult to try and follow in his footsteps sometimes? Why can’t I love others with even a fraction of the strength and dedication of Jesus’ love? Because I’m human. We all are. We’ll make mistakes (maybe even twice). We’ll do the wrong thing. We’ll sin. But this is what God sacrificed his only son for. This is what God loves us for, our humanity. No human will ever be perfect except the one who walked this earth so many years ago. And that’s okay because God loves us enough to take care of us anyway. A once-vengeful God (the one who scared four year old me with stories of justice and anger and destruction towards sinners) transformed into a forgiving and loving God who sacrificed his child for each of us specifically. He will never give up on us, and, if one thing’s for sure, he’ll never stop loving us. I pray that in this Advent season, God reminds us to love Him, love ourselves, and love each other. Unconditionally.

Written by Katerina Massengale
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I’m passionate about is our youth group. I cherish having a loving, caring, and supportive group of people willing to help me grow as a person and as a child of God.

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

I make lists. I suspect most people do, at least to some extent. Grocery lists, list of food and recipes for a special meal, daily “to-do” lists, and my “big-projects-for-this-year” list are my favorites. Lists keep us on track, help us focus on the things that are most important in the busy-ness of our lives. They serve to filter out the noise, the distractions; you know, all the outside influences, special interests, gadgets, devices that seek out and demand our attention. Lists help us order how we spend our time and energy. They help us organize our thinking and they help us keep our priorities in focus.

An article on time management entitled “The Unimportance of Practically Everything” (Greg McKeown, May 29, 2012, Harvard Business Review) recently caught my attention. The title is a rephrasing of a quote from leadership authority, John Maxwell: “You can’t overestimate the unimportance of practically everything”. The article describes an intelligent, driven executive who was constantly distracted by having multiple conversations going at any given time on Twitter, Gmail, Facebook and other forms of social media. While these activities may have served some useful purpose, they kept the executive from getting to the most important and rewarding parts of his job. Ultimately the cumulative effect of the distractions had a negative impact on his quality of life. The article goes on to illustrate the relationships between activity and reward and the importance of distinguishing the “trivial many” from the “vital few”. More than just providing background and explanation, the author also gave a useful “First, Do This” course of action.

Make a simple action list:
1) write down your top six priorities
2) cross off the bottom five
3) put your top priority in a highly visible place
4) schedule time to work on your priority every day
5) every time something calls your attention away from your priority, make note of that distraction.

As I read Greg McKeon’s review, I couldn’t help but wonder if, in some way, he was writing a case study of Matthew 22, vs. 36-40. If you read chapter 22 you see that the Sadducees and Pharisees are trying to entangle Jesus, distract him, trip him up with their questioning. But you can almost hear in the tone of his reply, Jesus telling them “Stop focusing on the trivial! You can’t overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. I’m trying to tell you, here is what is important…..”. Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases verses 36-40 this way:

“Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?” Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

In other words, distinguish the “trivial many” from the “vital few” and focus your attention on the vital few.

The Christmas season is prime time for making lists. I think most of us are conditioned from an early age to “make your wish list for Santa” and as adults we often rely on our lists of gifts to give, events to attend, Christmas cards to send, and other tasks or activities that will help to ensure that our most important seasonal traditions aren’t overlooked. This Advent Season, as you prepare for Christ’s birth, consider how you can distinguish the trivial, the distracters of the season from what is vital, the priorities. Perhaps, to start, make a simple action list where “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” are at the top then only include items on that list if they, in some way, reflect, can hang from these priorities.

Written by Ken Loud
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
“I’m passionate about our Connections Sunday School class and curriculum. Our readings and discussions influence my thoughts and actions throughout the week and help me connect Sunday to the other 6 days. Come join us! You’ll be glad you did.”

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior and son of God, I have to remember that we all are children of God. Does God love me? Yes, he does. Does God love my enemies? Yes, he does. It is amazing that God chooses each of us to be his child and that he loves us unconditionally. Unconditionally. Forever and ever. No matter what we do. So what does he expect of us? He expects that, through our relationship with Christ, we have a responsibility to all of God’s children, and just like we love and care for our own families, so should we love and care for all of God’s children. If we profess to love God, then we should act like it. As the apostle John says, “if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” Simple to understand but oh so hard to do.

I have been struggling in the last few months to remember this idea that we are ALL God’s children. It is very easy to love the loveable but so much harder to love those who have different views from me. So when I see or hear someone exhibit behavior that I find offensive, I struggle to not jump to anger. And in that moment right before I might say something I will regret, I hear Jesus’s command to “love one another”. I need to remember that, as a Christian, God expects for me to take this opportunity to bring love and positivity to His child instead of condemnation. Thankfully, God has a funny sense of humor and reminds me daily that I’m a sinner, too, so I pray that I can be more Christ-like and that my brothers and sisters may experience the love, peace, and understanding that comes with God’s grace. Essentially, my hope is that by showing love to others, I can show that God is love.

So as I reflect on the Advent season of Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy, I know that the greatest of these themes is love. Be kind always. Do good. Love one another. It really is that simple.

Written by Karen Payne
What am I passionate about at Heritage? I’m passionate about Hope Circle and Santa’s Caravan. If you want to see the love for/of God in action, please join us working with Santa’s Caravan…there’s a place for you.

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Three years ago, my life was marked by getting ready. We had just found out we were expecting our first child, and were thrilled to share the news of it with our Merry Christmas message to friends and family. In the months that followed, we prepared for this wonderful change. I was continually amazed at how my body changed and prepared to grow life within me, one that moved around when the organ played in worship and began to kick not long after. It was clear something special was happening. There were practical preparations, too – creating a baby registry of what we needed, and some things we wanted, putting together a crib and organizing a nursery, going to childbirth classes, reading books about what to expect and more. All of these things were good and helpful, but I remember still not feeling quite ready or prepared. As my due date came near at the beginning of the following summer, I was nervous, not quite sure what things were going to be life.

Remarkable changes can bring about a healthy anxiety for the future – especially when you know something is coming that is going to radically change your life. Truth be told, this is the same kind of anticipation we should have in Advent, because we believe that Jesus can and will change our lives.

John the Baptist, using the words of Isaiah, calls us to make ourselves ready because the time is almost here. As people of faith, we should be on the edge of our seats, excited to hear and see the story unfold yet again. We should also be up and moving, making and preparing a way – both in our homes and in our lives, for this good news to truly sink in. Advent is our “nesting” period, the time in which we are on the look-out for big changes. It might serve us well to be a little anxious about it if we remember how transforming and worldchanging God’s presence truly is. Advent should make us a bit uneasy, as signs of new life spring forth.

But, in the words of countless angelic messengers, do not fear. The amazing news of the season will be good. In fact, it is so good we can’t fully prepare for it. New parents can do all of those steps to get ready for a baby, but in the end, nothing can fully prepare you for that moment when you hold a little bundle wrapped in cloth for the first time. In that moment, all the anxieties and worries you had seem to melt away – and you are left with love. THIS is the moment we are preparing for in Advent – that time when we see that little child wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, and are overwhelmed with love. May we not only take steps to get ready for that moment, but also make space in our loves to experience it when it comes.

Written by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” They shall be called, “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD”; and you shall be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”

Following the defeat of the Babylonian Empire by the Persians in 538 BC, Cyrus the Great freed the Israelites from the captivity brought about by King Nebuchadnezzar. This scripture instructs them to pass through the gates of Babylon, return home and restore Zion to its rightful glory. All interfering difficulties were to be removed: the road to Jerusalem (about 900 miles long) was to be made safe, and the temple, the city walls and the rest of the city were to be rebuilt. What a job! However, all of this was in anticipation for the promised arrival of the Messiah, the “Savior” promised by God in verse 11. Though they didn’t know it at the time, they had over 540 years to prepare for Christ’s birth. Today we try to cram everything into less than a month.

Isn’t life wonderful when we have something amazing planned, and we are looking forward to it? Even if we have much to organize and coordinate, if we are truly excited about our upcoming event, the implementation of our plans can be enjoyable. However, many of us spend the time before Christmas stressing about all we have to do. There is no fun or excitement involved. One year my father even “cancelled” Christmas because of the amount anxiety my mom was experiencing! We are so worried about not disappointing others that we end up disappointing God. All God wants, I believe, is for us to be joyful because he sent Christ to live among us. We only need to prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus!

Acknowledge the true purpose of our Christmas celebration. As trite as it may be, remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Try to keep this important point in mind when you get bogged down by complexities. I suggest that you examine your plans and see if you can simplify, or even eliminate, anything. I remember the first year we decided to NOT have “the big meal” at Jim’s sister’s home on Christmas Eve. We ordered take-out pizza and wings, and we started a new holiday tradition. Since our close relatives are spread miles apart, one year visiting everyone became so confusing that Jim and I just went to Key West for a week. Now we don’t try to see everyone every year. Recently, I started sending Christmas cards to only those I won’t see in person or on Facebook. And guess what? All is fine.

This scripture forecasts a lot of work to be done, but it also predicts glorious times in the future. Jesus is coming! He is our salvation! Let us be joyful and celebrate!

Written by Merle Henry, who has served as elder, deacon and HPW moderator at Heritage.
She is passionate about our music program, works in our Clothing Closet and enjoys studying the Bible.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

In the 1962 classic, Gypsy, Baby June’s newsboys start the show proclaiming “Extra! Extra! Hey look at the headlines! Historical news is being made! Extra! Extra! They’re drawing a red line – around the biggest scoop of the decade! A barrel of charm; a fabulous thrill. The biggest little headline in vaudeville. Presenting . . . in person . . . that 3 foot 3 bundle of dynamite . . . . baby . . . June!”

It is a scene full of energy, light and excitement, as the newsboys peak the audience’s interest and make sure everyone is paying attention to the main attraction. Without the right messengers, Baby June would not become the star she was meant to be, even with the persistence of her overbearing stage mom.

The season of Advent urges us to pay attention to God’s messengers, from the angels to the prophets, and dial into a greater awareness of their message. It isn’t easy to do. There are tens of thousands of messages that surround us each and every day. From phone calls to text messages to e-mails to Facebook to Snapchat, we are bombarded. Ads fill our mailboxes declaring the best deals of the season, and commercials on tv and radio vie for our dollars. Family, friends, school, work, and even church are full of invitations for special holiday events, filling our calendars with things that are “important.” Add in Christmas gift wish lists and other to-dos and we can easily be overwhelmed by it all, lost in a sea of sound.

Isaiah, though, calls us to listen this season to the messengers who announce peace, good news and salvation. In the midst of holiday chaos, in the stresses and challenges of our lives, their voices still rise in song, proclaiming hope to all the nations. For these messengers, it is plain to see – God is coming. Comfort is on the way. Redemption will be found.

So take some time this season and listen – whether it’s a Christmas carol playing in the background as you do your grocery shopping, the laughter of a child or conversation with a dear friend, or even a rare moment of silence and stillness, pay attention for the good news that surrounds us and reminds us of the reason for our celebration to begin with.

If we do that, then maybe we can become messengers of good news, too. Perhaps we could even rewrite Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics for Advent:
“Extra! Extra! Hey look at the headlines! Historical news is being made!
Extra! Extra! They’re drawing a red line – around the biggest scoop of the decade!
The Savior has come; redemption is near. The greatest piece of news of this and every year!
Presenting . . . in person . . . God incarnate in the manger . . . baby . . . Jesus!”

May we remember this breaking news as we count down the days to Christmas, and celebrate those messengers who help remind us of it along the way.

Written by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Growing up, my dreams revolved around cockpits and airplanes, takeoffs and landings. No doubts about the future gripped me as a boy: I would grow up to fly airplanes in the military. That certainty gave life structure and purpose, even at an early age.

God had other plans.

At age 14, I suffered a seizure while watching TV. Two years later, it happened again. The doctors figured out what caused the seizures. They prescribed medicine that worked. Compared to others with problems that defy easy solutions, my struggles were minor and relatively insignificant. Life went on.

The medicine meant that the seizures never recurred – but they did end my dreams of becoming a pilot. Where once I’d been certain of the future, now I felt unsure, with no clear idea of how my life would unfold. I drifted, buffeted by events beyond my ability to understand or control.

I’d been raised in the church, but faith ranked low on the priority list by the time of college. How could Christianity help me find my way in life? How could faith help pay the bills? After a few years of floating, I discovered a career as a journalist. It enthralled me. I poured my energies into work, eager to make my way in the world.

Years passed of long hours at work, propelled by the kind of selfish ambition that Christ cautions against. Sure, a medical problem had derailed my plans, but I’d reacted – eventually – by blazing a new path. That brought a sense of pride, but a gnawing sense of emptiness grew and grew. Had I been too quick to chalk up success at work to my grit, hard work and determination? Had I taken my eyes off something larger? Had I really done this on my own?

Only in retrospect would I appreciate that God had been in charge all along. Only after reconnecting with a community of faith would I understand that he had set me on a path that paid the bills and brought satisfaction. More importantly, God had provided me with a loving wife and three wonderful children.

Sometimes we can seem alone, adrift, lost in a fog of confusion or hurt, struggling to see the way forward. I felt that way for years after a medical problem grounded my dream of flying. Ultimately I realized, by studying Scripture in community, that I’m not really in charge, and that a sense of peace and purpose is available only when we relinquish the illusion of control and place our faith in God.

A beleaguered Jewish community heard similar encouragement to focus on God hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

Writing seven centuries before the angel Gabriel visited the virgin Mary, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a voice in the desert who would urge people like a beacon to “prepare the way for the Lord” and “make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

Those references were to John the Baptist urging people to focus on a savior whose arrival was imminent. They remind us as Christmas approaches of where our focus should be: On Jesus Christ, our savior. Only by focusing and re-focusing on him can we shed anxiety, no matter the turbulence of our lives, to cloak ourselves in “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” as the apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians. By studying the word of God, we hear Jesus ask, as he does in Matthew, “Who … by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Let’s listen, more than 2,000 years later, to the prophet Isaiah’s encouraging words of a forthcoming savior, to his message of hope even when times seem bleak.

Isaiah was in one respect telling the Jewish people that a messiah was on the way to offer salvation. In another respect, he is speaking to us across time and space, urging us to take our eyes off of ourselves, off of selfish or sinful pursuits, and focus instead on our savior, who alone can forgive us as we forgive others, and provide meaning and purpose and salvation.

“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,” Isaiah writes, “and all mankind together will see it.”

Written by Mark Bixler
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
“I’m passionate about learning and teaching in a Sunday School and other small groups.”