JR. Forasteros - December 16, 2018
Don't Forget to Rejoice!
Ironically, too often in the midst of our preparation to celebrate Christmas, we forget to actually celebrate. The same is true of our work for justice - we burn out or get overwhelmed. The third Sunday of Advent reminds us this work belongs ultimately to God, not us. So we need to take time to pause and rejoice that God is faithful!
From Series: "Raise Your Voice"
Advent is a season of preparation... and proclamation! How can we be a people who stands up for God's peace, justice and love in our world? In this series, we'll draw from Kathy Khang's book, the Old Testament prophets and Mary's journey to Bethlehem.
More Messages From JR. Forasteros...
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What does it feel like when God is angry at you?
Off the cuff, you might wonder if hitting more red lights than usual is a sign of God’s wrath. But more seriously, when we hit hard times, it’s easy to feel like we made someone up there mad. When we get sick, or when we have one of those weeks, months or years when it’s one thing after another, we want to blame bad karma or say the universe is against us or question what we’ve done to make God mad at us.
It doesn’t help that, whenever tragedy strikes, there are plenty of pundits who want to make sure we know God’s to blame.
Every natural disaster, every national tragedy, you can find at least a few crazy Christians trying to explain how and why we’ve angered God so God threw a hurricane or tornado or airplane at us.
And in times of personal tragedy, that happens too. Well-meaning people put a gentle hand on our shoulder and ask if we are right with the Lord, implying that we’re probably not, and that’s why this is happening to us.
Is that what it looks like when God gets angry?
Well… no. Like all the best lies, this one has a grain of truth in it
But the idea that God is essentially Thor, throwing lightning bolts at those who cross him is just plain wrong. Understanding God like that makes us afraid, and it actually keeps us from responding correctly to God’s anger.
Let’s talk about what it looks like when God gets angry, and how we can respond to that anger. Because God’s anger – like every other aspect of God – arises from God’s love, a perfect love that casts out fear. And ultimately, God’s anger is about life and hope.
