Posts by Nathan Oates (Page 3)
Advent Reflection #12: Never Too Anything
Never Too Anything When God is the writer of your story, you’re never too young, you’re never too late, you’re never too unimportant or too stuck for God to birth something new in your life. When God is the author, you’re never too anything. There’s always room for surprises. Because God is always writing birth stories. The Christmas story is a story of new birth, of God doing a new thing. Whatever new thing God is doing in your life, whether it’s a new…
Advent Reflection #11: Sing
Sing While the world drives and buys and plans and worries and rushes and hurries through these sacred days, holy scripture is erupting in song. Isaiah is singing. The Psalmist is singing. Mary is singing. They are moved by the mystery and the magnitude of this moment. Are you? May you slow down and listen well and join their song. [Inspired by Psalm 96]
Advent Reflection #10: Like a Warrior-Champion
Like a Warrior-Champion The time is near. Can you feel it? A bursting-forth of new life, of fulfillment of ancient prophecy, of cosmic change and geographical shifting, of the realization of a plan established in eternity past… It’s a birth. A whole new reality. This will change the way you sleep and eat and think and live. Forever. And it’s close. Her sounds are changing. She’s bearing down. +++ There’s a moment, in childbirth, when gears shift and sounds change…
Advent Reflection #9: The Struggle is Real
The Struggle is Real We’re spending much of this week of Advent in Psalm 89, which is a long and rich song. We could draw insight from this for a long time. Today, I’ve been thinking through this Psalm in four movements which include two big surprises: Movement 1: verses 1-4 At the start, this song is all about the love and faithfulness of God. Ethan (the writer) says, “I will declare that your love stands firm forever.” Movement 2:…
Advent Reflection #8: Wholly Longing for Wholeness
Wholly Longing for Wholeness It’s complete, this redemption through Jesus. Total. From start to finish. This hope of redemption encompasses emotional realities like shame and fear: those heavy-hitters that often go unnamed by us and unnoticed by others because they’re so close to our core. This hope of redemption also includes the physical, our bodies, as part of “the whole creation” which, it turns out, is not sitting idly by. It is “groaning as in the pains of childbirth right…
Advent Reflection #7: Like Those Who Dreamed
Like Those Who Dreamed The deep need for redemption that Jeremiah laments Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They refuse to return…no one repents… (Jeremiah 8:5 & 6), and the hope for redemption that Isaiah proclaims The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed… (Isaiah 54:6), becomes the redemption that is celebrated by the Psalmist years later: When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were…
Advent Reflection #6: Remember Not Your Shame
Remember Not Your Shame Shame, when you feel it, invites itself to stay. It moves in. Puts its feet up. This will be no brief visit. Disgrace, if you’ve landed there, is even longer-lasting. It’s a darkness from which few ever truly emerge. But what if you could? What if there were a true and sound pathway out of the darkness of shame and disgrace? What if there truly, actually, physically, emotionally, spiritually is such a thing as redemption? In…
Advent Reflection #5: When You Know
When You Know Whenever I read this passage I’m struck by John’s crystal clear understanding: He understands who he’s not: Are you the Christ? No. Are you Elijah? No. The Prophet? No. He understands who he is: He’s just a voice testifying about Jesus, whose “sandals I am not worthy to untie.” And he understands his place in the story. He understands that he’s part of a long line of faithful people who have looked to God in their search…
Advent Reflection #4: Christ Has Made God Known
Christ Has Made God Known Today’s reading, the first 18 verses of John’s gospel, is, in my view, the most important “Christmas” passage in the Bible. John starts his story in the beginning, the very beginning: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. He clearly…
Advent Reflection #3: Christ, the Kiss
Christ, The Kiss The song (Psalm 85) about the past continues with a promise to listen in the future. And this might be a risky promise, a dangerous one to make, depending on the character of the God who is hearing the promise. Is God holy or loving? Righteous or graceful? Both. There is no contradiction, no confusion. There is, instead, this beautiful image of union: Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other (vs. 10). Come, Lord Jesus.
Advent Reflection #2: Again and Again
Again and Again The Sons of Korah sing Psalm 85 while looking in the rear-view mirror. They’re reflecting on where they’ve been, on the road they’ve taken, on the missteps and the catastrophes and the grand vistas and the sun rises. And two things stand out: First, God has restored all that has been broken and lost. Hallelujah! As you review this last year, may you take great comfort in knowing that nothing surrendered to God is wasted. Nothing. Second,…
Advent Reflection #1: Cyrus, God’s Anointed
Our first Advent reading this year is from Isaiah 45:1-7. This is a powerful declaration of one of the primary themes of Christmas: God’s passionate desire to be known by us and to know us. As you read this, take note of all the ways God is making Himself known to His people. Remember that God’s ultimate act to know and be known is the incarnation: His literal coming to earth, in the flesh, as a person like us. There’s…