Advent is the season of the year leading up to Christmas. The word advent itself means “arrival” or “an appearing or coming into place.” Christians often speak of Christ’s “first advent” and “second advent”; that is, His first and second comings to earth. (Got Questions)

Right away we encounter what I call a moment of need to know. During Advent we are waiting and preparing for the arrival of Jesus Christ…Simply put…His birth. In the secular world it is referred to most often as The Christmas Story. Most everyone knows the story, I have a problem with calling it The Christmas Story. To me it is the written account of God’s gift to a struggling world. There is another word we read when studying this event…The Incarnation, it is a term used by theologians to indicate that Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh.The word incarnation means “the act of being made flesh.” I believe that we don’t realize the enormity of “the arrival”, we are distracted by the decorations, gifts and secular traditions, which we refer to as “tis the season”. Christ came among us in this way, the Son of God was to be like us… What does that really mean? You have heard it said, or even had someone say to you “you should have to walk in my shoes”. Understand this…Jesus was like us there is ample proof of his humanity. Biblical support for Jesus’ humanity is extensive. We read he had and was subject to life’s basic needs. The Gospels report Jesus’ human needs including sleep, food, protection from the elements and Jesus was capable of the full range of human emotions. Joy, sorrow, anger. He walked in our shoes…literally. During His time with us HE referred to himself as a man and even after the crucifixion the humanity of Jesus was never questioned. The point is we sometimes get distracted by “The Season” and the burden of theological reasoning. Remember this word…Incarnation. Advent is more than an event on the church calendar… It is the time we as the church prepare for the brith of Christ…  Now add this word… Incarnation… Once again I don’t believe that all of us fully understand the enormity of what has taken place. God literally came among His people…I am overwhelmed by this. Praise God!

Life is Good

jk

Last Sunday we welcomed in the Advent Season… The “Pew” blog, to be published tomorrow, I will share with you some thoughts about this Christian season of preparing for the birth of Christ. Please join us in the “Pew”. Some early thoughts…

Four Themes of Advent

• Hope: The first theme of advent is hope. …
• Peace: The second week of advent focuses on peace. …
• Love: In week three, we celebrate love. …
• Joy: The theme of the last week of advent is joy — how fitting is that!

 These themes of Advent are represented by the Advent Wreath’s candles.   

 The four candles of the Advent wreath specifically symbolize the Christian concepts of hope, peace, joy and love, with these candles being lit subsequently throughout each week of the Advent season.

jk

 

Been quite on the porch which I attribute to the holiday, change in the weather and the election being over. But if you listen, read a little more, you can always find a good “ponder” in the bushes. Well, I found one…and in my mind it is a good one. As best as I can understand the Government of Mexico is suing various gun manufacturing companies here in the US for damages caused by the smuggling of weapons into their country. The case has made its way to Supreme Court of The United States. Now my reply would be to Mexico ok…let’s counter sue for all the illegal immigrants they are allowing to travel through their country into the us and don’t forget the drugs being smuggled into the US by the drug Cartels in Mexico. Now when you ponder this a bit… this has to be one heck of a stupid idea. These companies (gun) are in the business of making these weapons…but they are not smuggling them into Mexico…the other term would be “the business of gun running.” Now I will admit that there was at one time a suggestion that Hillary and company were running a gun running operation at one time. Remember Benghazi? Now to be fair the verdict on this matter is still being disputed. Now I will present to you the Ponder of this week on the Back Porch… Now how I got here, I really don’t know… 2 Amendment Rights

How many of you have ever heard of “The Battle of Athens? Ah…I forget and left out the folks of Etowah. Here is the skinny on that…

The Battle of Athens was a rebellion led by citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States, against the local government in August 1946. The citizens, including some World War II veterans, accused the local officials of predatory policing, police brutality, political corruption, and voter intimidation.

Gun Manufacturing companies have been sued by various people and groups for years here in the US. Anti Gun Groups want to ban all guns and have sought to dismantle the Second Amendment for a long time. So goggle The Battle of Athens, the best example of why we have a Second Amendment.

Ponder that awhile!

Kurt

Holidays are always hard for me to write about. The one we have celebrated this week is one of the top ones that brings families together… coming home for the holidays is a familiar refrain. With all the food, family customs and Christmas hype it is not hard to overlook that it has a history and meaning that transcends centuries. The American holiday of Thanksgiving in some ways, while celebrated differently most likely has its roots in the Jewish tradition of giving thanks to God. Some information I have gleaned suggests that some historians believe that the early pilgrims got that idea from the Biblical festival Sukkot. It is written that the pilgrims lived in exile for a decade among the Sephardic Jews in Holland, before coming to the New World. The Pilgrims were devout Calvinists and Puritans and I am sure they observed many of the Jewish festivals and holidays of that time, they regarded themselves as the new Israel. They would have been familiar with Sukkot, the Jews journey to their promised land and the Jewish custom of such festivals, giving thanks to God for what they had and what God had done for them. So it is not that hard to understand, that these Pilgrims on a journey to their “Promised Land”, upon arriving there and settling there would incorporate the holiday of Thanksgiving as the way to remember and thank God for all they had. Thus Sukkot became a model for them. I always get nervous when I write or speak of others customs, not wanting to be disrespectful or inaccurate in my discourse. This below is from gotquestions.org 

“The Feast of Tabernacles takes place on the 15th of the Hebrew month Tishri. This was the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar and usually occurs in late September to mid-October. The feast begins five days after the Day of Atonement and at the time the fall harvest had just been completed. It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God’s continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness.”

There is an undeniable likeness in the appearance of this Jewish tradition and the Christian celebration of Thanksgiving but some Jewish writers do not fully agree with what others have written. Having written that let me share this with you. Consider the the last part of that quote from Got Questions… “It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God’s continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness.” That is the original intent of this our celebration…thanking God for what we have and the assurance of God’s provision and protection as we go forward.

In closing this weeks blog… Difference Between The Difference… The answer is..…Commonality 

Life is Good

jk

It seems like it was just yesterday that “turkey day” was happening. Time does get by and the years get shorter every day that goes by. Time and age are no respecter of person and for me no matter what science and medicine says the days that have been allotted to us by God… only God knows. We are all in that book and it takes me back to what has become my favorite saying…it is what it is. I thought it might be worth a ponder to spend a little time around this “holiday thing”. The United States federal government recognizes 12 holidays: 11 federal holidays
These are:
New Year’s Day…  Martin Luther King Jr. Day… President’s Day…  Memorial Day…  Juneteenth National Independence Day…  Independence Day… Labor Day… Columbus Day…  Veterans’ Day… Thanksgiving Day… Christmas Day.

Add this one to the list…Inauguration Day…
This holiday is observed every four years on January 20, or January 21 if January 20 falls on a Sunday. It’s only observed by government employees in Washington, D.C. and the border counties of Maryland and Virginia.

People in general love holidays…family, fun, food, day off from work, overtime if you work and I am sorry to say some use the holidays to just raise hell. Some holidays have a religious background, some recognize historical events and other pay homage to those who gave all so that we might celebrate these special days. Now I don’t want to drag this out because tomorrow is a holiday…Thanksgiving to be exact… and one peculiarity that has crept in over the years… it seems some people need the day before to get ready for a day off and the day after to adjust to coming back to work and some just leave early to leave early…? My ponder for this holiday is simple… Make God, Family and the community of believers part of your day… and please pray for those whom Thanksgiving Day… and in reality any holiday is just another day because they don’t have the ability to make it any different…Ponder That…

Kurt

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

“9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Oh the wisdom of Solomon. The books of the Bible believed to be written by Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs but I also must note that there are those that say otherwise. Regardless of that we can all agree that Ecclesiastes is a powerful collection of wisdom as well as is Psalms which also is a source of great comfort to many. Putting all else aside the wisdom contained in that book and in psalms also is well worth the read. I mulled over this week scriptural selection but found it to not only be appropriate but a collection of many thoughts much needed in today’s world. We are divided, seriously divided, to the point where reason has left the table of discussion. Civility is not present in our discourse with each other. I did a lot of research on bible, church and christian behavior pertaining to what does the bible and God’s word say about this discord among His people? I could fill this blog with pages of scriptural references but to be honest and blunt about this subject, not everyone is a christian, of which with all honesty, there are some who while claiming to be, travel another road. So I find myself many times talking to an empty room. Sometimes we overwhelm people with what I call The Christian List of Do and Do not, and in most instances the do nots outnumber the dos. This week I will not overwhelm you with scripture…  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 is short and to the point but it has one other virtue…It is just good old common sense and worth repeating…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

“9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

We need to come together for the nation, for the world and because God desires it.

Life Can Be Good

jk

There are some conversations  that just are not worth having. Welcome to the “the porch”. This is a place where we are free to ponder most anything. The rules here are simple…we ponder most anything but do not expect a solution. We believe that there are certain times that we need to get stuff off our minds and chests… I like that ole saying “it is what it is.” My grandfather many years ago gave me some advice that I practice every day. When you are faced with an issue that requires a decision always go with the one you can live best with. You can always change your mind but misery costs more than it is worth. The number one conversation that I believe is not worth having is this transgender thing. You can ponder on it, even step it up a notch and mull over it… “it is what it is.” If I step away from pondering this trans thing and rely on common sense, even go as far as to consider Science as a neutral arbitrator, wait, I do have to consider the Creator who has provided us with this dilemma… God made all things and that includes Man and Woman… Is God real? If you can’t accept that, then this is one of those conversations that aren’t worth having, ponder on that awhile. I don’t wish to be harsh but my faith and in this instance Science proves my point. You can do whatever you want…add, take away and even believe but the fact is your DNA does not alter how wonderfully you were made. So nuff said…To put it crudely… “if your swinging  this gender thing is a mind thing.”

Kurt

I have had this on the desk for awhile now and things have changed. The Methodist church did not split, it ruptured…losing churches, people and whatever influence it may have at the table… so to speak. I have evolved in some respects, evolved in political speak means I was wrong about some things, I have changed my mind. Stay by all means…Accept the spiritual hopscotch…never! Open Doors, Open Minds, Open Hearts…As my God has commanded me I shall do my best to do just that… I will obey my God with all my heart and mind and I will never pass an opportunity to defend the scripture… the word of God… so that some for the connivence of personal, cultural or agenda driven issues prevail over His word. I would also remind you that this particular subject is not exclusive to the Methodist Church. Many other denominations have gone down this same road. 

  The following is an excerpt from that Blog, of 2015:

“Experience has taught me that the act of avoidance is akin to blissful ignorance. Wake up! This elephant is not going to go away. There is a debate that encompasses the whole of the United Methodist Church, is divisive at its very utterance and is quietly destroying the faith. It is particularly disturbing because the leadership of our denomination is itself spinning in the wind in hopes that enough dust will cover a subject that draws lines quicker than a room full of architects with pencils and drawing tables.” Here is the link to that blog if you wish to read it.

https://fromthepewblog.com/2015/03/22/the-elephant-in-the-pew/

The usual path to such issues that impact the doctrine and the Discipline of the United Methodist Church follow a set pattern of procedures that allows opinions from those in the pew, on committees, church councils and others sources of input and hopefully prayer…lots of it. I left the “church” shortly thereafter because I found the issue so compelling that it interfered with good judgement but most of all with a Christian attitude of love and tolerance. Covid a few years later put the issue on hold…or you might say exasperated all sides involved in this. There was one thing that I found odd…the almost total silence from the pew concerning this issue. What was the issue that caused me to leave? From the past blog:

“The subject of discussion is Homosexuality, Same Sex Marriage and what the church believes to be the correct path forward. Like the Israelites we too have been wandering in the wilderness, for at least forty years, and having our faith questioned. For us there seems to be no Mosses and the Promised Land is hidden from view behind trees of words.”

So I was gone for awhile but not out of church. First lesson I learned is that my haste to act was wrong and I in a way had abandon my faith just as John Mark abruptly left Paul and Barnabas after they had arrived at Perga on that first mission trip. I also learned that there was a need for fellowship, it is a big part of the christian community, which I have now come to refer to as the community of faith. Denominations and doctrine do not sustain faith and I might add convenience should not be a factor in our response to God’s call in our life. 

After returning to the Methodist Church a few years ago and having time being away from the arguments of doctrine, committees and the uncertainty of direction the church would go, I now view this Elephant In The Pew differently. As United Methodists we must not abandon our church that is no longer a valid action. When I look back and reassess, I discover I had as the saying goes “the wrong end of the stick”. The first problem was I had to find peace with was my lack of biblical understanding. Notice I said understanding, not knowledge.You see as confusing as this might be I needed wisdom… and that comes only from God. You work hard you can acquire knowledge but lady wisdom is found only in God…it is a divine gift. These next twelve words have encouraged a million words or more.

Leviticus 18:22 – Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 

The next thing I have learned is that the lack of leadership from those in positions of influence and power in the United Methodist Church were busy pretending that there was no elephant in the room and it was my opinion that they preferred to keep it out of the “pew”. Most Pastors do not like unhappy folks in the pew…that type of atmosphere tends to encourage divisions among the congregation, upsets the DS and draws the attention of the Conference, not in a good way. I am just a Layman, I have served over the years on various committees, did chair the Church Council at one time and taught Sunday School. I mention this only as a point of reference that I at one time felt I knew the views in the pew of these hot button topics. The other reason being that I was looking in the wrong places…pointing with the wrong end of the stick. This headline caught my attention…. Methodist Leaders say ‘rebellion and dysfunction’ over LGBT issues splitting the denomination. (Jon Brown June 9, 2022 Fox News) Still no news from the “The Pew” the leadership act as if we know nothing. 

Now about that stick… everyone likes to play with numbers so here is what I believe. This is not a numbers game, this is about those who would pervert the scripture to advance their own Ungodly agenda. Gay Rights, LGBT and all the baggage that comes with it is squandering the ability of the faithful to share the word…Jesus Christ is the Son of The Living God…in whom, through whom, there is Forgiveness and Salvation…Life Everlasting. We of the faith are overlooking one important command…

Matthew 22:37-40 

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

So my final words to you on this subject would be to understand these points of thought. Consider not leaving the Methodist Church over the “rebellion and dysfunction” that keeps us from being Christ Like in our behavior. The God we serve is a God of Restoration, not Condemnation. Let’s get on telling the good news and never fall back from our responsibility of speaking out about those things and behaviors that separate us from our God, welcoming all to His Table. Would like to hear an AMEN from the Pew. 

PS…Another’s Salvation is in God’s hands only… Try to love and be there for all people… Leave Judgement to God

Life is Good

jk

Well as I started my usual research path I knew from the first inquiry that I would need my dictionary close at hand. There is a very different meaning to what is referred to as Social Justice  compared to the view the Bible presents as Christian Justice, guess it is how you view it. First word that had me reaching for the dictionary was “egalitarianism.” For this discourse I will define it as a doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. Now it is my belief that there is an often common view that it is a case of the rich exploiting poor and is at times a force that causes division among people as we let emotions overcome judgement as to the root cause. When it becomes the cause of the social justice warriors and cultural expediency we find these “buzz words”: “income redistribution,” “property redistribution,” and “equality of outcome ” which in turn promotes a platform that transforms itself  into political, social, economic and civil rights agendas. It also brings to the forefront another factor that we are hearing about more and more each day. The darling of the social justice warriors “redistribution of wealth.” Nuff said, let’s move on to the Christian view with Biblical insight and guidance.

What is the Christian view of social justice? Christians believe that we serve a God of Justice. Deuteronomy 32:4. He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Within the biblical view are these descriptions which are meant to depict these avenues of needed justice… we should care for the fatherless, the widow and those people who the scripture refers to as a foreigner, exile, and alien. These folks have no way to fend for themselves and usually have no support system. Other points to be considered… This from Jesus… He makes known to his followers, Matthew 25:40  And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Also consider…“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27) So we do have an obligation and for christian believers a Godly and moral responsibility to care for those less fortunate. We all realize that there are none among us that are without sin. Sin is never a solitary thing, it affects all those around us and places us circumstances of great challenges. God in his wisdom and mercy has made provisions in the old and new covenants to care for these outcasts of society. God knows that, due to the fall, there will be widows, fatherless and sojourners in society, and He made provisions in the old and new covenants to care for these outcasts of society.You might say God put his stamp of approval on such actions by commanding us to go among the people and bring the gospel message to even the outcasts of society. 

Now to wrap all this together and up consider these points. The Bible and christian assessment of justice is much different than that of society. Our path is much more aimed at the individual than society in general and is fortified by this scripture…Matthew 22:39  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ In this society today we christians find ourselves replaced or at least demoted to government and society and cultural changes… there is very little love in programs and agendas…Only the Mercy,Grace and Love of God through Jesus Christ can heal the suffering of sin and earthly trials. Christ is our Savior and only at His returning will God’s love and justice prevail.

Life is Good…God is Justice

jk

It is done, stick a fork in it and move on…but there are those who refuse to do just that. It is an every four year sickness that affects millions or more Americans. Actually the total vote count till now that were effected by this time around is 148,559,203 and there is no shot you can take for it. I have heard that there is a Jack Daniels that recommends at least four shots every four years starting about August and lasting through November 5th, also while it won’t stop it , I have been told it will help you through it. Now I have been mulling this thing over and I believe I have found something that is worthy of a good Ponder. Oh , you didn’t ask but a Mulling is a close relative of pondering. With that in mind let’s ponder on this four year thing. 

“The 2024 presidential election was the second most expensive since at least 1998. In total, $5.5 billion dollars was spent on the race by presidential candidates, political parties and independent interest groups trying to influence federal elections, according to Open Secrets. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $2.2 billion less than the 2020 race, the most expensive on record. When congressional races are factored in, the cost of 2024 campaigns jumps to $15.9 billion.

In 2024, Democrats spent about $6.7 billion, Republicans spent about $7.6 billion, and third-party candidates, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spent a little more than $500 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s more than 2.5 times as much as any third-party candidate since 2000, when third-party candidates spent nearly $197 million.”

(PBS. Nov 5, 2024 6:50 PM EST) 

This was an exercise in improbability, most of us would most likely say “only in the movies” In the Presidential race one candidate had been convicted of numerous felonies and was awaiting sentencing. The other was in the early stages of dementia, which I must add most people thought he had gone on past that. So to sum this up…many thought one of them should be in prison, the other one in an institution. Then to add to the seriousness of this every four year thing They try to shoot the felon and they replaced the other guy…oh don’t worry about him,  they figured he wouldn’t know but wouldn’t you know it…his wife told him. He got mad about it. Now the guy they shot, I hear he is ok…He was within earshot…he got mad too. I could write much more but I got to get back to my ponder. For those of you who read this…Ponder This…

This four year thing cost 15.9 Billion  Dollars … that would do a lot of good for a lot of people.