Speaking Of Life 4009 | Practicing Christ in the Kitchen
Greg Williams

In the summer of 1642, a young disabled veteran named Nicolas Herman took vows to join a religious community in Paris. He described himself as a “great awkward fellow who broke everything,” and was acutely aware of his humble, flawed stature.

He took the religious title Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, or Brother Lawrence as he’s widely known. He joined the monastery and was given a task to perform, and he did what he was asked. But he was soon seen to be a man of wisdom and he became sought by many visitors for spiritual counsel. Over time, even famous thinkers and powerful church leaders came to listen to him.

But they had to go to the kitchen to find him. Brother Lawrence washed the dishes.

This giant in the spiritual wisdom tradition, this sought-after guide in faith, was the cook who spent his days in the kitchen steam, among the pots and pans. And that was the key, he practiced the presence of Christ there in the smallest of tasks. Every plate he washed, every dish he prepared, he did so as if Jesus were right there with him.

One of his most famous quotes describes this:

“The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.”

Brother Lawrence washed dishes until his health no longer allowed it and then he became a sandal-maker. And that was his life; though he was one of the wisest of men at that time, he never left the kitchen or the workbench. Shortly after he died his letters were compiled into the enduring classic Practicing the Presence of Christ, and it’s been read and reread by millions of people.

Brother Lawrence’s story reminds us that God works through people we might never expect. And it helps us see how God uses every part of the body. As Paul wrote:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)

The body of Christ—interconnected, mutually supportive—needs every part to be whole. If this back kitchen cook had been ignored because of his humble position, we would have missed out on his message and edification for the whole body.

Brother Lawrence, like so many forgotten, “insignificant” people, turned out to be a light that shines through the centuries. May we continue to shine the light of Christ in whatever we are called or asked to do. 

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4008 | No Comparisons
Michelle Fleming

Comparison is a trap that is so easy to fall into. It’s a cheap and easy ego boost to notice when we are bigger, better, faster, stronger than someone else we know. It can also be brutal, when we come across someone who effortlessly exceeds our abilities.

Human beings tend to compare themselves whether we know it or not. We compare our appearance, our intelligence, our personalities, and our perceived success. Comparing yourself with other people leads to dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem. The issue with comparison is that we are our own point of reference.

The wonderful truth is that we are made in God’s image. Our identity is not based on our performance or how we measure up to others. God created each one of us as his unique beloved child, with our own talents and gifts. Notice how Paul addressed this in his letter to the believers in Corinth.

God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful. … All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
I Corinthians 12:4-11 (The Message)

And this is why comparing ourselves doesn’t make sense, because God isn’t holding out on any of us. He created you uniquely, on purpose, with a purpose. Each person has been given spiritual gifts that are intended to reveal God to others, and God decides how every person can best reveal the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the world.

Comparing yourself to others, or trying to be like someone else is ignoring the special gifting God has given you, and robbing the world of those gifts. In fellowship with one another, we reflect God’s love and glory into the world around us. And everyone benefits.

May you embrace your unique gifts from God as you share the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with the people in your world.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4007 | God’s Whistle
Greg Williams

I can still hear dad’s whistle or mom’s call from the back porch when it was time to come home from spending the day outside. It’s a sound from a simpler time—when we worked and played outside until the sunset and were back out in the morning to watch it rise. That sound always meant it was time to come home.

Every child who hears that call knows which home to go to. We recognized the call because we knew who was making the call.

I see a similarity in the book of Isaiah. Here I see God calling to his children—not only reminding them where they are from, but whose they are. Reinforcing that they are part of his story.

Note Isaiah’s words in chapter 43:

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV)

You are mine, he says, and I will always be with you—even walking through fire with you. And when you go out on your own… Notice this next part when he says he will whistle them home…

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
Isaiah 43:5-7 (ESV)

Israel did not stay true to God’s covenant and was carted away from home. They came to exile in Babylon. There they settled and became somewhat comfortable in exile. But true to his word, God called them to remember who he was, who they were in him, and to leave Babylon and come home.

Like a parent’s voice that reminds us who we are and where we’re from, God reminds them of their story. He whistles for them to come home.

Do you hear the echoes in this story? This is creation itself—he created you, he formed you. Then the next story—”when you pass through the waters, I will be with you,”—this is the exodus story.

God is reminding them who they are and calling them back home from the four corners of the earth.

Has God called to you like this? He is whistling you home. He’s calling you to come out of this disorienting, scattered world and return home to your story. Back to the story, he’s writing for you.

He’s calling you to be who you truly are—the beloved royal child of God. It’s time to respond to the whistle and come home.

This is Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4006 | Already a Good New Year
Cara Garrity

This week, we are blessed to celebrate the coming of another year with fireworks, parties, and cheers of “goodbye” to 2021 and “hello” to 2022. At the start of a new year, many people use the opportunity to take stock in their lives. They make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, save money, and stop procrastinating. There is nothing inherently wrong with making a New Year’s resolution, however, have you ever noticed that resolutions are often focused on self-improvement?

Why do we often base our New Year’s resolution on things we do not like about ourselves or things we think will make us whole? Why, when reflecting on our lives, do we tend to look at what we do not have versus what we have?

The truth is, God wants something different and better for us. While we do actively participate in the work to become more like Christ, our Triune God invites us to be focused on the blessings we have already received and how we are being transformed by the goodness of God.  Paul writes:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 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 through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:3-6

The reality is that if we are in Christ, we have already been blessed beyond imagination. It is God’s pleasure to bless his children and he does not withhold his best from us. What would happen if we made our New Year’s resolution in light of what we have received in Christ? What if we saw ourselves as overflowing with blessings? What if we saw ourselves as already chosen and adopted in Christ?

For this new year, I challenge us to rest in the truth of what God says about humanity. Through Jesus Christ, we are holy and blameless in his sight. I pray that we will experience every spiritual blessing in Christ, no matter what this year has in store.

I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4005 | Just Like Mom Used to Make
Greg Williams

One of the sweet memories I have of my college days was the care packages I got from my mom. I would show up at the student mail counter and get that much-anticipated box filled with fudge, no-bake cookies, a loving note, new socks, and a surprise or two—just a touch of home. As a young college student, I didn’t realize how important this kind of interaction was. My mom was connecting me with my family and the story I came from—the disorienting experience of young adulthood was relieved for a moment. This is who you are—not just words, but they gave me a taste and feel of home. 

We can only guess, but the young prophet Samuel may have felt the same way. The high priest’s sons, who were supposed to be learning the arts of the temple, were distracted and sin-addicted. Samuel, at a young age, was already doing some of the priest work, as we see in this brief touching account of his mother’s visit: 

Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
1 Samuel 2:18-19 (ESV)

Samuel’s mother Hannah had prayed for a child for decades. When Samuel was finally born, she dedicated him to the Lord—to live at the temple and assist the priest. She visited once a year and brought him the “care package” of a new robe she made for him every year. She only saw him once and she had to guess carefully how much he grew that year. 

Hannah joins the great tradition of biblical women—powerful elegant ladies who are vital to the narrative of the gospel. In the ancient world where women were often disregarded, these heroic females stood out as examples of courage and rugged love.

Hannah knows that her boy is destined for great things and serves in the very presence of God, but she also knows he’s her boy. That he needs the touch of home and that God only calls real-life, momma-needing people to bring in his kingdom. 

Has God ever used someone—be it your mother or someone else—to remind you of your frailty, but also to remind you that he cares about you? That he cares about your need for comfort and your need for love? Does he use those who can see right through us and yet still love us, like mom does? This “for-us,” unconditional Godly love is what our amazing Triune God wants for us all, and finds unique ways to provide—often through unexpected care packages.

May you experience the care packages he sends your way.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4004 | The Witness of Christmas Music
Heber Ticas

Can you imagine the Christmas season without Christmas carols? The music of Christmas is one of my favorite parts of the season. And I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like Christmas music because it is virtually impossible to avoid as Christmas approaches.

In fact, I would imagine, if you never went to church and never looked at a calendar, you will still know when Christmas was close. Even in its commercialized ways, Christmas music has a way of announcing to the world that something exciting and celebratory is coming. As Christmas day approaches, the airwaves become saturated with the distinctive sounds of carols and music that pave the way for celebration. You can hardly turn on the radio without being greeted by some familiar Christmas jingle. And in the Church, music takes a deafening turn during the Advent season to usher in the celebration of the birth of Jesus. What an amazing witness Christmas music provides to the entire world of the coming of Jesus Christ, her rightful King.

Admittedly, some Christmas songs are better than others and not all reflect in their lyrics an accurate portrayal of what Christmas is all about. Some songs have nothing to do with Jesus. But this does not stop the witness that something in our world is about to change. The change in music anticipates the change that Christmas is bringing.

Did you know that this witness in music was also part of the first Christmas celebration? The Gospel of Luke in the first two chapters makes this very clear. There are five songs, two by men, two by women, and one by a host of heavenly angels. Each in their own way anticipates and announces the coming of Jesus. The witness is clear. When Jesus breaks in, worship breaks out.

Here is one song sang by Mary, as she awaits to give birth to Jesus:

With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
He cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
Luke 1:46-50 (CEV)

Mary’s song anticipates and celebrates the wonderful changes that are coming with Jesus’ birth—changes for her, her people, and the whole world. We too can lift up our voices in praise and worship, joining with Mary, the angels, and others, as we witness in song to each other, and to the world, the glorious good news of the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.

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Speaking Of Life 4003 | The Myth of Instancy
Greg Williams

Most of us remember the dial-up internet of the past—and by past, we don’t mean very long ago, maybe a couple of decades ago. The website scrolled down the page at an incredibly slow pace. It was so frustrating to use, most of us kind of ignored the internet. 

And good luck if anyone answered the phone and shut you down—you had to redial and start the whole thing over! 

Now the target speed for a website download is two seconds. Information goes from our living room to a satellite and across the world as fast as light fills a room. We live in an instantaneous world. We can watch thousands of tv shows, several 24-hour news programs, and millions of hours of bad movies with just a click on a remote.  

Unfortunately, it’s too easy to take this instantaneous attitude into our spiritual lives. We tend to think that Christlikeness will follow conversion, like some kind of simple equation. It’s almost like we want to download the character of Christ into our lives, and if it doesn’t happen right away there’s something wrong. 

We might look at famous passages like this and see immediate spiritual gratification: 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:4-6 (ESV)

A look at the language here helps us out: 

 “Rejoice in the Lord always… do not worry about anything…” These phrases are a grammatical construct called the present imperative. They point to prolonged habit, discipline—or as one theologian called it “a long obedience in the same direction.” 

In other words, it takes time. The shifting and shaping into Christ-centered maturity doesn’t happen immediately. They aren’t meant to. The power of the Holy Spirit works in amazing and surprising ways, but so often it is the slow erosion and reshaping of day after day and year after year. Learning, relearning, and going deeper.

The point is, we don’t want to let the myth of instancy dictate the way we pursue Christ. Let’s stay in step with the Spirit, trusting that he will get us where we need to be, even if the journey is long.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life. 

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Speaking Of Life 4002 | The Sunrise of Peace
Michelle Fleming

One of my favorite sunrise experiences was on a beach in Florida. As I looked across the Atlantic Ocean, there was just a faint glimmer of light on the watery horizon. It started as a small pinpoint of light, and then as if by magic, it grew, painting the sky with pink, yellow, and orange. As the light became brighter, the seabirds seemed to wake up and come to life. A new day had started, and I was there to see it.

One thing I really appreciate about the sunrise each day is the gentleness of how the sun rises. It’s not like a switch is flipped and the full light of day floods our homes, startling us out of our sleep. The sun rises slowly, peacefully, urging us to have hope for this new day.

Maybe you’ve had a special sunrise experience, too. Sunrise is a familiar metaphor, one often used to show the start of something new. In the Bible, the priest Zechariah recognized a “sunrise” moment when his son, John the Baptist, was born. If you remember the story, the elderly Zechariah couldn’t speak until John was born because he doubted the angel’s announcement that he and his likewise elderly wife Elizabeth would have a child.

When John was born, Zechariah prophesied about this child’s role in making people ready for the “mighty savior” Jesus, who would come through King David’s descendants:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:76-79 (NRSV)

John the Baptist would make the people ready for the glory of God with us through Jesus’ arrival. God showed his mercy by gently moving people toward the possibility that true worship could be more than following the legalistic customs of the day.

Just as the sunrise begins slowly, with just a glimmer, so John the Baptist was that glimmer of God’s mercy and peace to those who were without hope, sitting “in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

The next time you’re awake for a sunrise, think of God’s gentle mercy that moves all of us toward the way of peace and hope. Watch with patience for that glimmer of light on the horizon, see the pinks and yellows grow, and notice how the birds lift their morning songs of praise.

Let us remember the hope of Jesus’ ultimate return and recognize God’s gentle, peaceful guidance each day.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4001 | Hope is the Final Word
Greg Williams

When we think of passages to read for Christmas, we usually don’t flip straight to Jeremiah. The “weeping prophet” spent most of his career watching Israel be brutally and violently cleansed by Babylon. He was imprisoned, kidnapped, and left in a cistern to die. Not the kind of thing that usually shows up in the kids’ Christmas pageant!

Yet that is where the Advent readings start this year, with a frustrated prophet watching his home burn all around him. Right in the middle of Jeremiah, chapters 30-33, is the strangest collection of songs of hope, surrounded on every side by proclamations of judgment and lament.

Jeremiah writes:

“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”
Jeremiah 33:15 (ESV)

Jeremiah spent most of his career – forty years or so – delivering bad news. He’d rebuked the people and warned them over and over of God’s wrath to come. He’d written, spoken, and even done some memorable street theater in some parts to get them to turn around. And it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

But it’s here, in the middle of all this, that he brings a message of hope. He brings the message that this harshness, this brokenness all around them will not have the final word. They are in pain and danger now, but tragedy is not the bedrock of the universe. That bedrock is hope.

Jeremiah prophesies about the future day, and the harmony of Jerusalem. In this message of hope from the Lord, Jeremiah also speaks of the righteous branch that sprouts from David’s line. It’s unsure if he even had a dim idea that he was describing Christ, but he too must have been encouraged by this message of hope which speaks of the Lord, our Righteous Savior.

Jeremiah’s message fits perfectly in our advent readings! We see the prophecy, centuries away from the event, of that righteous branch who would one day show us God’s heart. And we still find encouragement today, even right in the middle of our own personal pain and tragedy, that all of the tears are temporary, and that our great hope is the final Word—Jesus.

May God bless your season of Advent with his hope.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 3052 | Royal Flush
Cara Garrity

If you know anything about the game of poker, you are probably familiar with what is called, a “Royal Flush.” A Royal Flush is made up of the ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace cards that are all the same suit. What’s significant about this hand is that if you are ever so lucky as to have it, you are guaranteed to win…well, unless you were foolish enough to fold. But why would you fold when you are holding a Royal Flush. It’s the “king” of all hands and no matter what anyone else is holding or even if they try to cheat, you can’t lose.

So, if someone is holding a Royal Flush it’s pretty obvious what they should do. They should go “ALL IN”. Meaning, they should put everything they have in the pot because there is no chance of losing. The only reason you wouldn’t go “ALL IN” is because you don’t know what a Royal Flush is. Can you imagine how foolish you would feel if you folded only to learn later that
you couldn’t lose?

Permit me to make an unrefined metaphor: Jesus is our Royal Flush. When we know who Jesus is, we will know we can’t lose. No matter who is betting against you, you can trust Jesus gets the final word of victory.

It might be a crude analogy, but it does point to the reality the last book in the Bible makes. Picture with me a high-stakes poker game while hearing these words from the Book of Revelation:

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,
and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:5-7 (NRSV)

Jesus being proclaimed as Lord of lords and King of kings is a “Royal Flush” proclamation indeed. Those who put their complete trust in his hands should always be confident to go “all in” with no fear of loss.

Sure, the poker analogy can break down in many ways seeing that nothing compares to the one who is has been crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. But don’t let that bluff you into believing that Jesus is anything less than your sovereign and sufficient King. With Jesus, you always win.

I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

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