Logos: Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

I read this yesterday in God is Closer than you Think by John Ortberg - he was writing about the incarnation:

Now he wasn't just helping them. Now he was one of them. From this day forward he wasn't just on their island; he was in their skin. First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died. Now they were in it together.

From the moment Adam and Eve left the garden, God has been working in our lives to bring us back to who we are created to be. God has always been there, but the incarnation changed the game. With the incarnation, Christ was not only divine, Christ (and therefore God) was also human. 

We say that God is with us, among us. True. But God has been one of us. Consider today what a difference that makes.

Into Our Hands

In his sermon late last month, Joe asked us to consider why God didn't call a "son" (a descendant) of David to be the Messiah.  Think about that -- God had been calling people to do God's work all throughout time.  It was what was expected by the Jews, who were watching for a Messiah. Even so, that wasn't what God did.

God gave his only begotten son to be the Messiah.  God didn't just entrust the work to be done to a human:  God gave his son into the hands of a human -- into the hands of a son of David.  That was an incredible risk to take.  It required incredible love for us.

Joe went on to compare what God did -- placing his son in the hands of humans -- to what we say at funerals:  into God's hands we give the life of our loved one.  It's wrenching and terrifying, and it's an incredible risk to take, and yet we believe.

Perhaps we believe because we have been believed in.  Perhaps we can trust God because God has trusted us.  Perhaps we can expect eternal life for those we love because God became human.

Incarnation

Post #1,997 (just in case you've been counting).

I was reading blogs this evening and ran across one I have never seen before called Barefoot and Laughing.  The author's latest post is called Incarnation.

Kirsten, the author, was diagnosed with melanoma during seminary.  In this post, she talks about resurrection -- how when she has a good medical report, she feels resurrected.  At this point, on Christmas Day, however, she writes about incarnation.

Incarnation -- the embodiment of God in some earthly form. 

I most often think -- in fact, I think I have only considered incarnation to be the birth of Christ in human form.  Jesus, completely human and completely divine.

Her blog post considers something different.  God in us.  God, as Holy Spirit, inhabits us.  Different, of course, from the birth of Christ.  Still, though, God is with us, among us, in us, part of us, dwelling in us.  We are Holy Ground.  And that Ground may be muddy and not very beautiful.  We have parts of ourselves we are willing to share with anyone, and parts of ourselves that we would rather hide, not sharing.  There are parts of ourselves that are presentable, beautiful, lovable.  And then there are parts of ourselves that are ugly, sinful, and worthy only of disdain.  God dwells in all places.  He lives among us, in the beautiful and the ugly.  He inhabits both the lovable and the places of scorn. 

Because we have been rescued by a loving God, we have been re-created.  We have been transformed.  Even the parts of ourselves that we would never claim are claimed by God.  Inhabited by God.  What was ugly is made beautiful by God's presence.  What we hate about ourselves is made lovable by the love of God. 

Every corner, even the most dark, is inhabited by God.

Him there is no darkness at all;
The night and the day are both alike
The lamb is the Light of the city of God
Shine in my heart Lord Jesus.
(Refrain from "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"