Memorize & Ponder for Sunday Dec 28, 2014
The Emmanuel Energy – God With Us
Matthew 1:22-23 (NRSV)
All this took place to fulfill
what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call him Emmanuel,
which means, ‘God is with us.’”
Throughout 2014, the Christian community at Brentwood Presbyterian Church is getting to know Jesus, the Christ, in a refreshing and transformative way. We invite you to listen for what the Spirit is saying in the text, then question how those insights might change the ways you see things and act in the world. Share your thoughts during the week on the meaning the Spirit creates for you in this text by posting a comment on our website – brentwoodpc.ca.
A Provocative Pondering
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us provoke one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together … (Hebrews 10:23-25a)
Modern science tells us that we are made up of energy. Christians believe that energy is made up of dynamic vibrations that come together in meaningful relationships. It is the energy of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God given to the world to generate blessing throughout the creation.
At Christmas, that energy came together in the person of Jesus, who God sent to be the Christ, the Messiah. He inaugurated the reign of God, a flow of influences that brings love into everything that we do.
This is the Emmanuel energy, the energy of God with us.
But God created us to be covenant partners. God gave us freedom of choice in our relationships – with God, with others, and with ourselves.
We have become experienced and adept at using our choice to disrupt the flow of love. But the Spirit continually invites us to see things differently, to recognize the presence and paths of God’s love, to choose to live in the energy of God that we see most clearly in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the Christ.
Next year, we will begin to follow the work and witness of the apostle Paul, founder of and pastor to many of the earliest Christian churches. We will be blessed his profound and provocative conviction that he was called to live every ounce of energy he had in and for Christ.
Ponder this week what it would mean for you to see yourself living in Christ and drawing on his energy to be present in the world.