From the Rector’s Desk

Once there was a carpenter

who fixed broken things

by nailing them to two pieces of wood.

Christians believe the most significant event in human history was when God became a man. It is no wonder that people think Christians are a little crazy. Who in their right minds could believe that God actually became a human being? But the Incarnation is the center of the Christian faith.

It is sometimes very hard to imagine an infinite God becoming finite, doing things, living life.

To think that God thought about things, smelled things, ate things -- to think that God actually lived and died as a human being -- to think that God took baths, preferred desserts to salad, played games, asked questions C some of these are harder to imagine than others. But, again, it is the idea that God became a genuine human being that is at the center of the Christian faith.

Other religions hope their god to be forgiving, but other religions look at forgiveness as a divine choice without any need for such an odd, messy, inconceivable idea such as their god taking on human flesh, living a human life, dying a human death. But our faith shouts aloud, for since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection. God became a man, and as a man died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to sit at the Father’s right hand. In Jesus, God is united with humanity. In Jesus the divine becomes human and the human becomes divine. It is not just that God decided to let us off the hook. Rather, the Christian faith claims that salvation is found in God and Man becoming One. God and Man at table are sat down.

Were we to spend our entire lives trying to fathom the consequences of the Incarnation, we would never reach the bottom. In the Incarnation, God is not diminished, but creation is elevated. In the Incarnation, God is not diminished, but humanity is sanctified. The Christian faith does not fear that the impure things of the world will corrupt the pure things of heaven. Rather, the Holiness of God is transforming the world. Whatever the Holy God does is Holy. Just as Midas’ touch made all things become gold, so whatever the Holy God touches becomes Holy. Once the Holy God became one with creation, the creation can never be the same again. Once the Holy God became one with us, we can never be the same either.

The presence of God transforms death into life, despair into hope, purposelessness into vocation. If God is with us, we are surrounded and touched by the infinite, the eternal, and the holy. If God is with us, we sinners become saints. Our work becomes ministry. To serve the Lord is not to do church work C but to do any work in which God is present. Thus the call to let us go forth to love and serve the Lord expects a joyful and willing response: Thanks be to God!

The Lord be with you!

Rick +