JR. Forasteros - April 23, 2017

Wall-E

Strangers in a Strange Land

Much sci-fi is about the promise of a pain-free life. But Wall-E points out that a pain-free life might not actually lead to our flourishing. Peter opens his letter to suffering Christians by reframing how they understand the pain they’re experiencing. He invites them to see their pain as an invitation into Jesus’ crucifixion. He illustrates how God works through pain to make us whole.

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached that point in my holiday season where I’m just about out of holiday cheer. The other day, I was talking with my wife, Amanda, about a couple of possible events we had coming up. I asked her, “What do you have going on this date and this date?” and before I could even tell her what I was asking about, she said, “Say no. Say we’re busy.”

We walk a delicate balance every year on this road to Christmas: we’re in nearly constant movement between preparation and celebration, back and forth from parties to shopping to pageants to decorating. And it can get so exhausting that we sort of lose the reason for all this in the midst of it.

So let’s take a big, deep breath.

We need a chance to come together and rejoice. We need to celebrate together. Whether it’s the party plans we’ve got to get to later or the real work of justice we know God is calling us to as a part of our Advent journey, we need to stop and remember that everything we’re doing is in response to the God who has already accomplished the work of saving us.

Join us Sunday as we pause to rejoice in the midst of our preparation!

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