Advent: The Christ Candle

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Steve LaMotte

*A week or so late, but I wanted to post.*

Over the past four weeks, we have been in the season of Advent. Advent is not a countdown to Christmas, but a season of waiting, expectation, and self-examination as we await the return of Christ. As we gather tonight and light the Christ Candle, we move into the season of Christmas. We are reminded in Luke

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”[1]

There are many reasons to come and worship on Christmas Eve. The lights, the candles, communion, a heartwarming story, family, friends, the music. Christmas Eve has all the feels.

The birth of Christ is more than nostalgic feelings. On Christmas Eve we proclaim, like the angels, that God’s redemption is here in Jesus. The challenge for us tonight is to take the approach of the shepherds who said: “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see.”

As we light the Christ Candle, let us continue to seek Christ. Let us see for ourselves and make personal the presence of Jesus in our lives. Let us shine the light of Christ for the world to see and experience God’s love for themselves.

Let Us Pray:

God of all Creation, we open our hearts to you this evening. Help us to hear anew the Good News that you are for us and not against us. Strengthen us for the journey to seek you with all of our hearts. Help us to shine the light of Christ wherever you lead us. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

[1]The New International Version(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Lk 2:8–15.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent: Peace

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

Through our Advent Journey, we have practiced a rhythm of watching and waiting by looking at God’s faithfulness, God’s love, and the joy that God brings us. This morning we light the fourth candle, the Candle of Peace. Our scripture is from Micah 5:2-5

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.


5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses. [1]

 We live in a frantic world. A world full of anxiety and worry. Even as we approach Christmas, many of us are filled with stress about the details of Christmas gatherings, managing your finances, the prospects of seeing certain relatives, or the reality of a holiday without a loved one. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year can quickly become The Most Stressful Time of the Year.

Micah tells about a coming leader who will “be our peace even when the Assyrians invade our lands.” Sometimes, it is easy to miss this in hearing the text, but if the Assyrians are invading, then there will be destruction, there will be death, and there will be suffering. The Word of God says that “When” this happens that this leader will be our peace. Our strength. Our security.

When your job lets you go; when you begin life without a loved one; when your finances don’t seem to match up; when that relative reminds you that you’re not doing something right; and when your faith seems to be doing somersaults- Jesus will be our peace. The prophet Isaiah reminds us:

And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.[2]

 

Let us Pray:

Almighty God,
In these troubled times, help us to find our security and our protection in the shadow of your wings. Send the presence of your Spirit in our lives that we might be filled with peace in the midst of life’s storms.  We ask these things in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

[1]The New International Version(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mic 5:2–5.

[2]The New International Version(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Is 9:6.

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Joy- The Third Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

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(A brief reading I wrote for worship this past Sunday as we lit the third Advent Candle)

Advent Week 3: Joy

 On the first week of Advent, we lit the candle of Faith as we put our trust in God that God will make good on his promise to redeem the earth. Last week, we were reminded of God’s love for the world. This morning we light the third candle, the Candle of Joy. Our scripture is from Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
The Lord is near.
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We live in a world of anxiety and fear. We worry about things like violence in our communities, chronic illness, economic instability, marital failure, injustice, and so many other things. Watching or reading the news does nothing to help in these matters as they only seem to peddle fear to the anxious. We can become consumed and overwhelmed by the circumstances in which we have no control.

God invites us to take a different path. Rather than living in anxiety and worry, we are invited to find joy in the many gifts that God has placed in our lives. We can live in joy because, as Paul says, The Lord is near.

On this third Sunday of Advent, we light the pink candle and we choose to live in defiance of the powers and principalities that attempt to cripple us with fear. We choose to REJOICE and to live in JOY because God has come near through Jesus.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God- we come this morning with many things in our hearts. Help us to focus on one thing, your love that is present with us through Jesus Christ. Help us to root our lives in this reality and to live in JOY throughout our lives. And may your peace that passes all understanding be with us now and forever. Amen.

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LOVE: Week Two of Advent

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

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We are in the second week of Advent. Last week, we lit the candle of Hope as we heard that Jesus’ return brings us hope in the midst of despair. This morning, we hear from the prophet Malachi:

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Imagine this scenario: An 8-year-old​ boy wearing jeans and going outside to play. We all know what will happen, right? The jeans that he has on will come back with grass stains and covered in dirt. The boys loving parents will take the jeans and treat them with stain remover and wash the jeans so that they are wearable. Of course, the boy will continue to get the jeans covered in stains and the loving parents will continue to clean the jeans.

The prophet Malachi tells us that God will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. A refiner’s fire would melt metal and cause the impurities to rise to the top to be skimmed off. The launderer would use lye soap to remove stains and to whiten fabric. Like the boy whose parents continue to clean his jeans, God’s love works in our lives to refine and purify us so that we can stand in God’s presence.

Why does God do this? God refines and purifies us because God loves us. The Gospel of John records:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This morning we light the second candle, the Candle of Love, remember that God loves us and sent Jesus to us so that we might experience that love. This morning, and in the mornings to come, let us choose to experience the love and God and to share that love with those we meet.

Let us pray:

Loving God, as we light the second candle on our advent wreath, help us to live in love by living in you. May your LOVE always be on our mind, our lips, and our hearts. Amen.

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A Long Day With Postive Results

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

Yesterday (11/19), Caleb received his long-awaited hearing test at Children’s Hospital​ of Pennsylvania (CHOP). Knowing that he has microtia of his right ear, and concerned that he has diminished hearing in his “good” ear because of fluid, we had been anxious to have this appointment and to begin mapping out what the future might look like when it comes to Caleb’s hearing.

When I say it was a long day, that is the feedback from Andrea because I stayed home with the other kids! Caleb’s day began at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. but quickly was delayed because he was coughing and sounding congested (even though his lungs are clear). This hearing test, a Sedated ABR, required Caleb to be sedated. Through some consultation with other doctors, they decided that they could move forward with the procedure with some changes to the sedation- which would push back the procedure until 1:00 p.m.

Since there is sedation involved, there is also fasting involved. This meant that Caleb, who had not eaten since dinner time the night before, was going to have to fast for another five hours. Maybe more importantly, this meant that Andrea would have to continue to go without food. Have you seen the Snickers commercial with Betty White???? Well, then, you get the idea.

Ultimately, Caleb had the hearing test and Andrea had a really good conversation with the doctors there. We had some good results.

1. Caleb has full hearing in his good ear. Let me say that again- Caleb has full hearing in his good ear!

When we first saw his file from China, there was no guarantee that he had​ any hearing in his good ear. Our prayer was that his good ear would be fully functional. Over the last six months, it has become increasingly clear that he can hear pretty well. This was good to hear! Praise God for healing and provision because one good ear is better than none!

2. We have options for hearing aids​ but don’t need to make a decision today. Caleb is developing his speech by leaps and bounds (which is indicative of his hearing ability). We have to remember that he has only been in America and English speakers for about six months. His vocabulary and enunciation are​ really good when you keep that (along with being hard of hearing) in mind. We have a lot of reading and research to do on our own to see what will best help Caleb.

The day at the doctors reminded us of some other things about Caleb. He is an amazingly happy and patient little boy. We are daily amazed at the love and the kindness that he shares with our family and with others. As we approach Thanksgiving Day, we are thankful to God for Caleb, for the healing that has already taken place in his life and how he completes our family!

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Orchard Midweek Podcast: EP 001

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

I have the honor of working with Ben Wilcox at Orchard Church. He is our Worship/Youth Pastor- and all around good guy. We’ve been talking about recording a podcast as a resource to our church and greater community since August of 2018. We finally recorded the first episode and released it through the Orchard Church page and on iTunes.

We have some plans to do plenty more episodes, perhaps 2 a month right now. We want to be able to go a little deeper in response to the Sunday message (especially if we go weekly) and be able to tell the stories of how God is moving in our community. We have a list of people we want to interview who have incredible ministries in Kent County and throughout Delaware (and beyond!).

But for now- we have Episode 001. Subscribe to the Orchard Church Podcast and you’ll get content as soon as it is live. Leave us some love on iTunes or Spotify as well!

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God Said Yes

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

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I’m leading a Bible study this Fall on the book of Ephesians. We’re just a week into it, but Paul’s writings are so rich and vivid as he talks about our place in the family of God. He writes,

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship for through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will…When you believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 1:4-5, 13-14

When we adopted Malachi and Caleb (two different adoptions), we had the opportunity to look over the files of different children to see if they were a fit for our family. It is a gut-wrenching process of saying “yes” and “no” to a variety of scenarios.

When we made the decision to adopt Malachi and Caleb, our yes to them was not yet known by them. While there is a lot of paperwork to do when we said yes, there is also a deposit. There is a financial transaction that takes place guaranteeing that the child agreed upon is the child that will join our family as well as guaranteeing that we will come and give him a new life.

Both Malachi and Caleb lived as orphans for several months each without knowing that they had been adopted- without knowing that we had said YES! to them. I believe that this is our experience before we encounter Christ. God said Yes! to us before the foundations of the world; God put a seal, the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our adoption. Until we have that encounter with Christ, we live as orphans- without a name, a family, or a future.

As you read this, give thanks that God has already said yes to you. Claim the new name and family that a relationship with God offers us.

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Album Review: Palms (Thrice)

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

Thrice_Palms

I remember hearing about Thrice for the first time in 2007/8 with the release of The Alchemy Index Vol. 1 and 2. I thought that album was incredible in to be split into different sounds to match the elements. While I liked the album, and gathered more albums in my collection, they weren’t a band that I played over and over again.

That changed with the 2016 release of To Be Everywhere is To Be Nowhere. Thrice was coming off a hiatus where frontman Dustin Kensrue spent time writing solo material and was one of the worship leaders at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill campuses. TBEITBN was charged with spiritual themes as well as socially conscious themes throughout, which have always been part of Thrice’s music.

With Palms, Thrice serves up 10 songs that continue their maturity, intensity, and thoughtful lyrics. Still plenty of heaviness in the music, Palms also includes a piano ballad and a harp adding to the musical pallete. There are some interesting themes present in Palms:

Doubt:

In the song, The Grey, Thrice sings about moving away from of a black and white understanding of the world. Kensrue sings

And my hands are open, reaching out- I’m learning how to live with doubt- I’m learning how to live with doubt- I’m learning how to lean into the grey. Cause I’ve had enough of black and white- I’ll find another way- and I will lean into the grey.

In A Branch In The River the listener envisions holding onto a tree branch in the midst of a rushing river. They are encouraged to

Let go, and let yourself be carried away. Let go of all your certainty; let go, and let yourself be carried to me.”

The songs makes me think of Kensrue’s time as a worship pastor as Mars Hill. Churches can be very black and white- even to our own detrimant. We find comfort in being certain. I believe that part of faith is knowing that we don’t have all the answers. It would be a lot easier if life was black and white- but faith is faith because we lean in the grey.

Using Your Voice

The song The Dark seems to be a song about speaking up for those without a voice and/or acting on behalf of those in need as well as speaking against those who abuse power. We can choose to live “in the dark” and plead ignorance about what is going on around us the plights of people in our community and world. Kensrue and Thrice sing

“We’re not gonna stop ’cause we’ve seen a world worth fighting for. Ready of not- together we’re kicking down the door. And we’re not gonna sit in the dark anymore.”

Redemption:

Hold Up The Light is the most anthemic song on the album. The song takes place in the midst of darkness. Kensrue tells of the power of the light to cut through the darkness and the cold. We live in a tiring time, but we’re told to

“try and raise your lamps a little higher. Hold up the light- hold up the light- hold up the light ’til the world is won.”

The song, I believe, is a song longing for redemption. That even though the night is long, cold, and dark- the dawn is just about the break through when the darkness is pushed back. The song concludes:

Darkness above, but we’re dreaming of the new dawn when love burns this night away.

Palms is a continuation of TBEITBN thematically and with a continually evolving sound. It has been in constant rotation since getting it last week. It will continue to stand out in Thrice’s celebrated catalogue.

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A Long Overdue Update on Caleb

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

Wow- time flies. The last update I wrote about Caleb was back in May when we were still six days from returning to America. It’s been a busy summer. At one point (May through August 1), our family had been some place other than home for 41 out of 85 days.

But enough about us, you’re probably reading this to know more about Caleb.

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Caleb joined our family on May 14th and we arrived back in America on May 25th. He has been quick to assimilate into our family and as “one of the kids.” Part of the reason for the quick assimilation is that he is very happy, fun-loving, and “goes with the flow.” What better kid could you ask for in a fourth child?

You may have read in earlier post, but Caleb was born with a condition called Hemifacial Microsomia that left the right side of his face not quite fully formed. He does not have an outer ear or an ear canal- which has led to hearing (and speech) issues. We’ve been told that this is a physical condition while Caleb was in utero rather than a genetic condition.

This past week, Andrea has been up to CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania) in Philadelphia twice for two full days of test and specialist. This week, Caleb has seen Cardiologist, Plastic Surgery (Cranial-Facial), Genetics, as well as ultra-sounds and x-rays. He had previously seen an audiologist and an ENT. The test have all turned out well and allow Caleb to have a tube placed in his good ear on Monday (August 13) to drain some chronic fluid. This is exciting because it will allow him to have a more accurate hearing test in several weeks- which we expect to lead to a hearing aid.

Caleb has handled all the doctors appointments like a champ. He was calm and sat through an EKG. He played with the doctor’s light and examined their eyes and mouth. He got to spend a lot of quality time with Andrea. (Andrea really likes traveling with Caleb because he LOVES food- and eats anything. This allowed Andrea to take Caleb to Panera today for lunch.)

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There is so much I could share with you. Like how his smile lights up a room; how he gives kisses when it is time for bed; like how he ran away from us and did a cannonball into the pool (he doesn’t know how to swim); or how he loves getting piggy-back rides from his sisters; or how he enjoys playing with Malachi.

At this point, what really needs to be said is “thank-you!” Many of you prayed for us and for Caleb during this process. When we agreed to adopt Caleb, we were unsure if he had significant hearing loss and what his physical condition would be like. But we felt God nudging us to say “yes!” We invited you to pray for physical and emotional healing in his life. We can only give Jesus praise for the ways in which he has adapted and begun the attachment process. We continue to pray that he will keep growing and loving life!

 

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This is America: Are We Listening

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Steve LaMotte

I’ve been watching the video for Childish Gambino’s (or as Cardi B wonders, is it Donald Glover?) song “This is America.” It is an important commentary on the America that our African American brothers and sisters experience that is different from my experience as a white American. The differences of privilege makes it necessary for me to listen to the experiences of others so that I might be able to stand beside and walk with my neighbors.

There are a lot of interpretations of what Gambino is trying to communicate in the video and there are many places on the internet to find those thoughts. A couple really stand out.

1. Treatment of Guns vs. Victims: Notice that the two times guns are used in the video, Gambino’s character gives them to a man who takes great care of them, wrapping them in a cloth/towel to protect versus the way the man killed by the gun is drug offscreen. There are those who are quick to cherish our guns (things) while disregarding victims/marginalized (people).

2. Distractions vs. Injustice: The dancing in the video, especially in groups, looks like any number of pop song dance routines. It really doesn’t fit the tone of the video- which is intentional. Look in the background of the video. There is chaos happening all around. The dancing takes our attention away from the injustices and chaos being portrayed. The news cycle has trained our minds to do this.

A great example of this is the recent news story that the hurricane is Puerto Rico killed over 4,000 people rather than the official 64 listed by the government. TV news stations greatly ignored this story and instead chose to focus on the racist remarks by Roseanne Barr that got her fired and her sitcom cancelled. (Read the analysis here)

Oh yeah, Puerto Rico still needs power. (Flint, MI still doesn’t have clean drinking water).

As Christians, and especially a white Christian, it is imperative to listen to our brothers and sisters, and the experiences that they have and are having. We cannot discount what they go through because it does not line up with our experience or because it is something we cannot relate to.

Watch the video. Listen to what it says through the medium of art/music. Where are there injustices happening that we too quickly gloss over through distractions?

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