Have you ever heard this song?

It is sung at our church often around Christmas.

Any time we can grasp our Savior’s humanity, it is humbling. Any time we can lay it against His divinity, it is awe inspiring.

“For the Baby in her womb
He was the Maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move”

We watched our firstborn sing praises to this Baby yesterday at the Christmas concert. And little compares with watching your child worship the God-Man.

If He couldn’t relate, where would we be? If He wasn’t higher, how could we go on?

After a week of global tragedy and personal mistakes, I need a throne of grace I can approach with confidence.

And after a week of global tragedy and personal mistakes, I need a God Who assures us He will come again and make it right.

I need Immanuel. A God so high, He came low.

God with us.

Last time our exiles had just been encouraged: the work they were doing would be worth it. The glory of this temple would exceed Solomon’s.

Suddenly, a new voice: Zechariah.

Zechariah means “The LORD remembers.” I learned from this study that whenever we see LORD in all capitals, it is referring to Covenant Yahweh – Covenant Maker, Covenant Keeper. The Faithful One. The One Who had to seek us out or we would be hopelessly lost.

Let’s see what our prophet has to say and what it has to do with our Covenant Keeper Remembering:

“In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:

‘The LORD was very angry with your forefathers. Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says:

‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.

Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.

Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers?

‘Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to.'”

(Zech 1:1-6)

According to the timeline chart in my Study Bible (pg 1331), the portion from Haggai last week was spoken to our exiles in October 520 B.C. Approximately one month later in November, Zechariah’s new word comes for our exiles.

I wonder why?

Had they not been obeying? Did they not pick back up their tools and work, armed with the knowledge that God’s glory would be greater in this new temple?

Or had they obeyed, but for some reason needed a different, more negative message?

I know I do sometimes. Encouragement can only get me so far in certain situations. The rest of the way? I need the flip side of parenting from my Good Father: discipline.

In this initial section, the focus of our Covenant God’s remembering is the exiles’ forefathers’ disobedience. Which resulted in slavery. He is urging them to be different. To return to Him and He will return to them.

But they were, weren’t they?

Oh, but there is One Who sees our hearts. All the way down to our motivations.

I know God is all about us doing the right thing even when we don’t feel the right thing. But there’s something in that appeal to return to Him.

Like most tender areas, I may not even have to ask. But I will. Just know I’m asking myself, too:

Where do you need to return to Him? Not just in actions, but in First Love ways?

I have been having a couple of weeks where I felt my actions were about 10 steps ahead of my heart. I know that I know He doesn’t want me to stop the right actions.

But my recurring prayer?

Help me. Be love in me and through me.

I personally want a warning. A small bit of fear of all I will miss out on and personal slavery that will result if I haven’t “returned” to Him in my heart.

Because in the end, all I want is Him.

Tonight from 6-8:30 Wichita Parks and Rec is hosting A Night with Santa. Come to Kennedy Plaza for the tree lighting ceremony with Mayor Longwell and the City Council members. Enjoy fireworks over the Arkansas River and carols by the Newman Troubadours and Heartspring Choral Sensations. Then at 6:30, head into Century II for Kids’ Activities. (Admission is free, but donations of non-perishable food items for the Kansas Food Bank are encouraged.) Enjoy Santa, Bingo, Cake Walk, Inflatables, and even a live reindeer!

The 21st and Maize Green Acres Market will have a Holiday Extravaganza this Saturday from 11-3. Meet local vendors, enjoy storewide savings & holiday tastings. “The Holiday Party that’s good for you!”

This Saturday beginning at 9:00 am is the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis. Come to Exploration Place to be part of the largest holiday race series aimed to fight arthritis. Wear a costume, tie jingle bells to your shoelaces, and help find a cure.

The (free) Old Town Square Carriage Rides are happening the next 3 Saturdays from noon to 4 pm. Rides start in front of the Warren Theater in Old Town.

Watermark’s Storytime on Tuesday the 8th at 10:30 will feature a reading from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Plus, a visit from the Grinch.

Illuminations at Botanica is on. Tickets are on sale at Quik Trip or online at botanica.org (or at the door).

Library:

Tonight from 6:30 – 7:00 at Westlink come for a Puppet Show for kids ages 3-8.

Come Friday the 4th at 10:30 a.m. to Rockwell Branch for a Winter Picnic. Bring blankets and enjoy stories, songs, hot chocolate & cookies.

The Winter Used Book Sale is today from 10:30-7:00 at Central Library and tomorrow from 10:30-5:00.

Do you need help enrolling in health insurance? Navigators from the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved will be Central Library Monday December 7th from 11:00 to 2:00. No registration required.

The following course has been approved by KDHE for anyone needing professional development hours: Come to Westlink Saturday, December 5th from 10:30-Noon to learn methods for Stimulating Storytimes. Learn how to keep children engaged while exposing them to early literacy skills and managing behavior in a large group setting.

Have a wonderful weekend!

We spent Thanksgiving week with Dan’s family (love).

And pretty much took pictures only of our nephew

But, seriously

Completely enamored

When Dan’s entire extended family gets together, the church is rented. (Pictured here: Cake Walk for the kids)

New favorite game, Quelf

Your 7 Days?

“I can’t see the nail.”

Our Christmas Tree goes all the way to our basement ceiling. There is no room for an angel or star.

One year Dan goes, “Want to put this nail at the top?”

It is a simple ornament a college friend made as a gift. A nail, some ribbon, a reminder of why He had to come as a Baby.

The first Christmas after our oldest was born, we were listening to music of the season. Dan was holding Caden and I glanced at the two of them.

“Can you imagine putting him on a cross and letting him die?”

I’ll never forget the look my husband gave me: shuddering horror.

In a way it makes the Season less…sweet. To have a nail be the thing that fits the top of our tree. It’s harder to see sitting on the couch; it doesn’t light up the room like a star would.

But in more ways than one, it is fitting. And it makes the coming Gift that much sweeter.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says:

‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.

‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.

‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty.

‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

(Haggai 2:6-9)

Last we hung with our exiles, they were picking back up their tools and getting to work after a month of holy days. He spoke into their fears that the work would never amount to much as this Temple would clearly be less grand than Solomon’s.

Still encouraging their hearts through the prophet, God reminds our exiles Who He is. The Name He uses for Himself, the LORD Almighty, is Jehovah-Sabaoth.

The God of Angel Armies.

What a glorious Name to remember when we’re tempted to fear. All the armies of heaven are at His disposal. The battle is the LORD’s. Even as we join Him in spiritual battle, our weapons are not what the world uses. David defeats Goliath not with sword or spear, but trust in a God Who fights for His people.

And what does this powerful God remind them? He can shake the whole earth: the heavens, the sea, the nations. It all ultimately belongs to Him. Scholars disagree about whether this verse is simply addressing wealth, as He next refers to gold and silver, or the coming Messiah.

I think it’s both.

If Yahweh wanted this Temple rebuild to be full of more opulent jewels than Solomon’s, He could make it happen. But He also promises that the True Treasure, the real Desire of All Nations, will be what ultimately make this House glorious. That is how He can encourage their hearts.

The Temple Jesus learned in as a boy and taught in as a Man was Herod’s rebuild of this Temple. The building our exiles were working on was brought down to the foundations when Herod took over 19 years before Jesus was born. But the temple the Lord walked in was still Zerubbabel’s temple.

When this God of Angel Armies took on flesh and came to live among us, all of heaven had a front row seat to our exiles’ Temple being more glorious than Solomon’s. God was walking around in it with skin on. What gold could compare?

“‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

I like God’s timing. The first Advent was the beginning of this peace. When angels announced to simple shepherds first how God was born a baby. When, suddenly, it didn’t matter how powerful or smart or rich or beautiful you were. God had come to us. No more striving. No more sacrifices. He had come to be the One Answer to a million questions.

A weary world rejoices.

Oh no, we’re not there yet. We who trust in Jesus alone have eternal peace with God. But this world is in limbo between the two Advents: His first coming clothed in humility and His second coming clothed in glory for all to see. That’s when swords will be beaten into peaceful farm equipment and military will no longer be necessary.

This is the kind of vision that can help us endure. Keep us moving forward.

“In this place I will grant My Peace.”

Tomorrow night is Final Friday. See art, hear music, love our city.

We know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday deserve our attention. Support local and shop small this Saturday. Then on Tuesday, partner with one of the many organizations who are seeking to make a difference in this world.

Tomorrow and Saturday is Winter Art Mania. Enjoy free admission to the Wichita Art Museum, along with movies, art making, and gallery exploration.

We know the featured artist at Donut Whole this Saturday night: Aaron Lee Martin. Come for delicious coffee and quality musical entertainment.

Senior Wednesdays is hosting their holiday celebration next Wednesday, December 2nd from 10:30 – 11:30. Come to the Wichita Art Museum to hear about the upcoming spring program from the ten participating Senior Wednesday organizations. Plus enjoy music and a raffle.

Do you need help enrolling in health insurance? Navigators from the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved will be Central Library Monday November 30th from 11:00 to 2:00. No registration required.

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Aldi love

Our new friend

Roasted Acorn Squash. Delish.

Not too proud to admit we’ve been obsessed with crescent rolls lately

Birthday Party for a friend at City Arts. Very cool.

Gifts in the Gallery

Color

Operation Christmas Child. Some cool kids organized this event at our church.

What to send her?

Packing up and praying for sweet kids

I like that the trees take turns with color explosions

Lovely church building

Manual labor

Fishing for leaves

Your 7 Days?

My sweet oldest often jolts me.

We were talking about the nuances of a few holiday activities. I pointed out one was different than another.

He goes, “But it’s still fun. Calm fun.”

Yes. Calm fun.

I often get caught up in the performance lie that if the energy isn’t high or laughter loud, fun isn’t had. Even though that is far from the experience I seek in the majority of my day to day life.

Calm fun. Reading near each other, sincere talks with people we love, board games and cider, laughter with the tinge of sadness so recurrent amidst our cultural climate. Making a Thanksgiving pie in companionable silence. Driving over the river and through the woods while watching the sun set.

I don’t know what your holiday week will look like. I hope it is full of fun: the throw-your-head-back with laughter and light a fire and pray kind.

Goodness knows this world and our souls need both.

“On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:

‘Speak to Zerubbabel…governor of Judah, to Joshua…the high priest, and to the remnant of the people.

Ask them,

‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?

But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD.

‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

(Haggai 2:1-5)

A month and a half after the first, a second word came through Haggai. Remember the people had obeyed God’s first word and “came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God…” (Hag 1:14b)

The fact that they had to “come and begin” points out something good for us to remember: Not all of the returning exiles made their homes in Jerusalem. Many were from other cities, and settled in their respective towns.

They had gathered as one man in Jerusalem the second year back to rebuild the altar and reestablish the celebration of their feasts. But after the discouragement and frustration from the peoples around, they settled back in their cities to work on their own homes.

I like this little piece of information. Mostly because often the internal growth and external service God calls us to is just plain inconvenient.

It is hard to change. It stings to confess sin. It takes real effort to forge new patterns and break old cycles.

It takes energy to invest in others. It requires refocusing vision to fix our eyes on what is Unseen. It takes courage to be humble and refuse the shame and blame cycle and to pray and give and forgive and serve and love from the heart.

He may not be asking us to pack our extra tunic and some food for the road, to kiss our families goodbye and head back to Jerusalem to build indefinitely.

But He is asking us something. Otherwise we wouldn’t still be here.

So what is it for you? I don’t know yours. But I know mine. Often we know our own so well that when someone else barely nudges it, it pierces us.

Let’s have courage and obey. He is worth any inconvenience and will take care of our reputation if we simply let go and let Him.

“Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?”

Don’t you love Him? He knows us so well. Anyone over the age of 70, maybe even our prophet Haggai himself, had seen the glory of Solomon’s previous temple and knew this one paled in comparison.

Yes, He knows when it’s hard to obey. When it seems as though nothing about your baby steps will ever amount to something glorious. In the next section, God has Haggai give our exiles wonderful new reasons to continue.

But today is all about His Presence.

Obviously a month and a half into their obedience they needed a fresh reminder. And probably another kick-start. After all, we are talking about the Seventh Month again, Tishri. They all “came and began” in the sixth month and then headed right into the most holy month with the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

And we know their celebration of the harvest was meager that year.

So one more reminder. To do the next right thing and leave any glory up to Him. One more courageous call to “Be strong…and work.”

Why?

“For I am with you.

My Spirit remains among you.

Do not fear.”