When you have children, you pray for them. Sometimes you pray for academic achievement, healthy relationships and spiritual connection with God. You want the best for your kids; the way you pray for them indicates your priorities. In this section of Philippians, we are able to see Paul’s priorities for the church at Philippi. He prays for a unified body. If they are together in mind and spirit, it will mean spiritual health for them. Paul says,

(Philippians 1:10 NIV) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.

Do you see it in the text? Paul understands it necessary for the church to navigate waters of discord and strife. He knows that unity will produce holiness. It will not be easy; but their struggle will be only for a while. He says, “until the day of Christ.” In other words, when Jesus returns, all will be made right. The church will no longer need to strive.

We will look at other passages in the Pauline epistles regarding the day of Christ. We will see this day as central to the New Testament writers. And if it was foremost for them, it should be primary for us. As we continue through the season of Advent, may we learn to anticipate Jesus’s return. May we learn to balance the here and now with the promise of Christ’s return.

This Sunday, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is not Christmas. Advent is the season of anticipation prior to Christmas. We often lose sight of this as we have succumbed to cultural understandings of the holiday season. Yet, we should learn to live in Advent. This year, we will follow the lectionary passages during Advent. This year’s texts point to the second coming of Jesus. We will spend four Sundays considering the urgent and expectant posture of Scripture regarding Jesus’s return.

While various interpretations have confused the matter, Scripture is clear that Jesus will return. This week, we will look at Jesus’s description of his return; next week, we will consider Paul’s writings to the Philippians about Christ’s return. How do we make sense of such a complex issue? When is it going to happen? How will it unfold? What clues do we have in Scripture about it? How are we to respond to Scripture’s teaching?

It would take pages to unpack these questions. I will not attempt such a feat. Yet, I will point to Jesus’s advice to us; we are instructed toward a particular posture. Jesus warns,

(Luke 21:34 NIV) Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

What is Jesus saying? The word dissipation describes a drunken headache, a hangover. Hangovers make it difficult to focus on work or chores. No doubt, the alcohol steals our attention. Jesus understands the impairment of worldly anxieties. He knows that we have the tendency to be tipsy on the cares of this world. They prevent our urgency, our anticipation of Jesus returning. When is the last time you thought about Jesus’s return? I have to admit that His coming does not often receive my focus. I seldom concentrate on Jesus’s promise to return. Yet, Scripture writers put intense emphasis on Jesus’s return. Jesus tells us to

(Luke 21:36 NIV) Be always on the watch, and pray

May we learn to share this anticipation. May we shake off the hangover of worldly anxieties. May we clearly look toward Jesus’s return with expectancy. I hope you will join as we worship in the season of Advent. I pray that our engagement of these texts will enlighten Jesus’s promise and our prayer,

(Revelation 22:20 ESV) “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

As we reflect on this story, we are reminded of our own tendency to walk away from God’s direction. God often calls us to unfavorable places. We resist by ignoring God or even going the other direction. I am not sure how God might be prompting you these days. Perhaps He is calling you to a new vocation or new city. Perhaps he is calling you to greater involvement in a particular ministry. While I cannot determine God’s voice in your life, I am certain that He calls us join Him in His mission. Joining God requires us to submit our way to His way. Jonah was not given a choice in the matter. In time, he was pressed to go God’s route. Perhaps our promptings will not include being swallowed by a fish. Maybe God will urge us in different ways. But God will not acquiesce to our resistance; he will not change His mind. He will not allow us to opt for plan B.

May God give us the strength to heed his calling. May he grant us the joy of walking in His way. May we be unlike Jonah, ready to go with God wherever His mission takes us.

I have not experienced this dynamic. But I could imagine a too-good-to-be-true feeling accompanying such a win. Maybe they will discover that it was a mistake; they will reclaim the prize and life will be as it should. We all have a tendency for skepticism when we get what we do not deserve.

In the final chapter of Genesis, Joseph’s brothers experience this sort of cynicism. While they have experienced tremendous grace and provision, it is hard to believe that Joseph’s forgiveness is permanent. When Jacob dies, they expect justice to prevail. Joseph will finally get even.

(Genesis 50:15 NIV) When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”

They fear Joseph. Unwilling to speak to Joseph face to face, they send a message. Like a teenager breaking up with a boyfriend by sending a text message, they nervously ask Joseph for forgiveness. You might remember the earlier conversation between Joseph and his brothers.

(Genesis 45:5 NIV) And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

Joseph understands his destiny as ordained by God. He is not planning retribution. In fact, their message causes Joseph to weep.

(Genesis 50:17 NIV) When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

The brother’s mistrust was painful. While he offered elaborate exoneration, his brothers doubted the permanence of his grace. They did not get it. They struggled to accept what they did not deserve. Joseph responds as he did earlier.

(Genesis 50:20 NIV) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Many of us struggle to receive God’s grace. Even when we are able to accept what we do not deserve, we secretly wonder if our accounts will be audited. Will God decide to take a closer look and change His mind about us. We are like the brothers in this story. Yet, God’s grace is not temporary. The author of Hebrews reminds us,

(Hebrews 10: 23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

God will not change his mind. Shifting circumstances will not alter His body broken for us nor his blood shed for us. May we learn, like Joseph’s brothers, to live in God’s permanent love for us. May we rest in the reality of his unchanging, undeserved, unconditional and absolute forgiveness.

As we come to the final chapters of Genesis, we are given insight into the lineage of Jacob’s sons. On his deathbed, Jacob blesses his sons and prophesies about their descendants. We are reminded that Genesis is not an isolated story; it is the base for the remaining story of Scripture. It is the foundation for the people of God. The story does not end with the final verse of Genesis; it continues and includes many twists and turns. Eventually, the story includes Jesus’s arrival; His life, death and resurrection is the pinnacle of the story that begins in Genesis.

As we gather at the Table to remember Jesus’s sacrifice for us this week, we are reminded that God was planning His work all the way back in Genesis. We are reminded that our lives are impacted by a larger story. We are included in this story as we live in God’s Kingdom. May we fall in love with God’s story. May we yearn to learn and live in His story. May we consider our role in His story and how our lives impact generations that follow us.

This week’s text leaves us surprised. Jacob is near death and ready to bless his sons. As you may know, it was common practice to bless the oldest son, passing on the family name, land and leadership. Yet Jacob has an alternative plan. As we have seen before, God likes to mix it up; His ways are unpredictable. Join us on Sunday as we walk though Genesis 48 together.

As we reflect on this story, we are reminded that God’s calling cannot be mapped out. We are challenged with a willingness for flexibility. We are often adverse to change, unwilling to carry out ministry in a different way. Maybe God would surprise our methods with new callings. May we consistently be open to God’s surprises. May we be willing to follow him into the unknown, the difficult, the new.

At the core of jealousy is a forgetfulness of what we have been given. We focus on what others have received, neglecting our own gifts. We also use the word envy to describe such behavior. We speak of someone as “green with envy” when they are upset by the fortune of another. We have all felt this way at one time or another. Maybe it was a job promotion for a coworker or a successful test score for a sibling. We are unable to celebrate the good in their life because we are upset that we did not receive. When we harbor such feelings, we fail to be grateful for the gifts that God has given us.

In this week’s story, Joseph’s brothers relocate to Egypt in order to survive the famine. Significant grace is extended and spite of their previous failures. They had sold their brother into slavery; they did not deserve to be rescued. But in this story, they are given another chance to respond. Joseph blesses his brothers with new clothes. Again, they receive what they do not deserve. But they will be tested. Benjamin receives five new garments. As before, favoritism is given to one brother. How will be other brothers respond? Twenty years earlier, they responded with jealousy and sold the privileged brother into slavery. Joseph knows their tendency. He warns them,

(Genesis 45:24 NIV) . . . Don’t quarrel on the way!

It seems kind of crazy that this would be a possibility. They had been given far more than they deserved. Grace has been extended to them. Why would they quarrel? They should be celebrating. But when we stop and think about it, we have all reacted in this way at one time or another. Our tendency is to focus on what we do not have rather than what we have been given. Our tendency is to be jealous of our siblings, our coworkers, our neighbors. This story is a reminder to choose gratefulness over jealousy. It is a reminder that we have been given what we do not deserve. We have no reason to be jealous, to be envious.

As we delve into this week’s story, may we be reminded of our own propensity to focus on what others have received. May we be reminded of the tremendous grace that God has given each of us through Jesus Christ. And may this grace overpower our temptation to focus on what others have received.

It is honest to say that I never run out of work. Many high-profile pastors have struggled with issues of life and time management. Some have neglected their families in light of a “higher” calling. Others have neglected their bodies, failing to exercise and eat right due to hurried schedules. A few weeks ago, Matt and I spent an entire day outlining our job/ministry descriptions. It became clear that we rarely work a 40 hour week; most of our weeks are 55-60 hours. So what takes up all this time? Why are pastors so busy?

While Matt and I serve different roles in this congregation, our work patterns are similar. We spend time preparing sermons or planning worship, leading teams of volunteers in ministry, reading current literature on theology and church life, caring for those who are sick or bereaved, communicating (through church publications or blogs), connecting with the larger Muncie community and spending time in relationship with people. Our work day is not 9-to-5, it is unpredictable and we don’t always have a weekly pattern. Evening meetings and late night emergency calls sometimes interrupt family time and sleep. Indeed, we have to work hard to keep balance in our lives.

While it may be difficult to define the work of a pastor, the primary purpose of our role is to lead this congregation in following the calling of God in our lives. This may involve conversation in a coffee shop, lunch with someone who is struggling, a visit with a hospital patient, connecting with other church leaders in the community or sequestering for prayer and study.

Our work often needs to take place outside of the church office. Because of the fluctuating nature of our work, it is difficult to predict where we may be at any given time on any given day. If you drive to the church office, you may or may not find us there. Nevertheless, I want you to know that your pastoral staff is accessible. Our cell phone numbers are published in the church bulletin; please feel free to call or text us. We will gladly speak with you on the phone or schedule an appointment. Some may feel hesitant about calling; it may seem that your concern or question is insignificant. Therefore, we are providing a staff contact request form in the church office. Please fill free to fill this out to request a contact with Will, Robert, Matt or myself.

Sometimes a 9-to-5 job seems appealing; predictability in schedule offers benefits. However, I love the work that God has called me to. And while I am rarely needed to vacuum or clean windows in the church, I do receive such assignments at home.

In this week’s story, Joseph’s brothers make the trek to Egypt in search of food. When they arrive, Joseph recognizes them, but they don’t know Joseph. Joseph has a plan. He accuses the brothers of espionage. Terrified, they return home only to find the silver (the money used to buy the grain) in their bags. Now they will be accused of robbery. It seems that everything is going wrong. They interpret their misfortune as God’s punishment for selling Joseph into slavery. They are instructed to return with their younger brother, Benjamin. In time, they return because of the severity of the famine.

When they arrive in Egypt (for the second time), they are frightened, uncertain; they fear they will be enslaved or killed. But their treatment is not what they expected.

(Genesis 43:33 NIV) The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment.

They could not believe what was happening. In their minds, they deserved death. They sold Joseph into slavery and God was enacting revenge. You could also make the case that Joseph should have taken his chance for retaliation. However, they are invited to feast, to enjoy the plenty in Egypt.

(Genesis 43:34 NIV) When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Benjamin gets more food, but all the brothers are feasting and drinking freely. This is a beautiful story of grace. The brothers are astonished by such generosity. Their treatment defies fairness. Yet, they receive and are blessed.

As we think about this story, we will come to the Lord’s Table together on Sunday. We are welcomed to a table that we don’t deserve. We have experienced an abundant grace that covers our sins. It is crucial that we live in this grace each day. I hope that you can join us on Sunday as we explore this story and remember together the blood shed for us, the body broken for us.

In our culture, we are often told that we can accomplish whatever we want. We simply need to give it enough energy, focus; if we simply work hard enough, it will be ours. While there is merit in such advice, we may want to rethink how we guide our children.

In this week’s story, Joseph is finally released from prison. His long awaited emancipation comes as a result of dream interpretation skills. His freedom did not come as soon as Joseph may have hoped, but it comes nonetheless. The cupbearer forgot to bring up Joseph’s name on his initial release (Gen. 40:23). Yet when Pharaoh experienced dream problems some two years later, he recalls the event.

(Genesis 41:12 NIV) Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.

Not only did Joseph interpret the dreams, but he nailed it. Maybe he would be able to help Pharaoh. So Joseph is cleaned up and brought before the King. Pharaoh tells Joseph his dream and asked him if he would be able to interpret it. I love Joseph’s response. It may be a clue as to why God would have chosen Joseph. Look at how Joseph responds.

(Genesis 41:16 NIV) “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

This verse is key. Joseph does not strut in, celebrating his ability to interpret dreams. He humbly confesses that he is incapable without God’s assistance. Joseph is reliant on God’s power. Joseph’s dependence on God models the proper posture for you and me. God does incredible things through Joseph. In fact, in one day he goes from a prisoner to second in command in Egypt. One might chalk up the success to Joseph’s ability. Yet the author of Genesis credits his humility and willingness to be used by God.

Pharaoh notices that Joseph has an intense connection with God. He wants someone like this in charge during the prophesied famine. Pharaoh says to Joseph,

(Genesis 41:39 NIV) Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.

I doubt that Pharaoh understood Joseph’s connection with God. Yet he understands that Joseph operates out of a power not his own. He senses Joseph’s ability to remain dependent on God. In a world where self-esteem and self-promotion are valued, may we learn to rely on God. May we learn to exhibit the posture of Joseph. May we confess our inability as we seek God’s ability to do the impossible through us.