Waiting and Anticipating

by Steve LaMotte on Dec 22, 2011 in Devotion | 0 comments

Waiting is never easy. Waiting for Christmas is tortuous as a kid. My sister and I would agonize over our advent countdown and would take every opportunity to snoop through the house to see if we could find our gifts. We never did, until one year.

One Christmas morning- when my sister and I were about eight or nine years old, my sister just wasn’t very excited about her gifts. She opened them, smiled, and said thank-you to mom and dad. There was no paper throwing. No shrieks of joy. What we found out later was that my sister had found our parent’s super secret hiding place a week before Christmas and had opened all her gifts ahead of time before carefully re-wrapping each one so mom and dad wouldn’t find out. My sister’s impatience with Christmas backfired and sapped the joy out of Christmas morning.

Waiting is never easy.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of Ten Virgins. Some were wise and had plenty of oil for their lamps and would be prepared when the bridegroom came to pick them up. The others were foolish and did not have enough oil. The foolish virgins went out to buy more oil and, consequently, missed the arrival of the bridegroom and were shut out of the wedding banquet. Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13).”

Advent is a season of waiting and anticipation. We anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and, we wait for and anticipate when Christ will return. Let’s be honest, people have been waiting for the return of Jesus for nearly 2000 years. Waiting is tough! But we have promises from God that Jesus will return- and when he does that creation will be redeemed and restored. Salvation will be fully realized.

Who are we in the parable? Are we the foolish virgins who were not prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom- therefore missing the wedding banquet? Or are we more like the wise virgins who were prepared and waiting for the bridegroom and welcomed into the wedding banquet?

This Advent and Christmas season, we must consider how we are waiting and anticipating the coming of Christ. Are we living a life that makes the most of our waiting? Will we be ready when Jesus returns? Are we telling others so that they, too, can be ready when Jesus the Bridegroom comes to take his bride, the Church, to the Heavenly banquet?

In Revelation 22:20- Jesus says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.”

Today’s Readings – Psalm 50, 59, 60, 33, Zech 4:1-14, Rev 4:9-5:5, Matt 25:1-13

Steve LaMotte is the pastor of Hope UMC in Dover, Del., and has served as a dean, speaker and several other capacities at camp. He blogs at stevelamotte.blogspot.com. 

Justice > Stuff

by Steve LaMotte on Dec 5, 2011 in Devotion | 0 comments

It’s confession time. I have too much stuff. I have things to organize my stuff. This Christmas, I will get more stuff…and hopefully a few things to fix some of the things I received in previous years. The prophets, including Amos, do not look too kindly on those who have stuff. Especially those who have stuff at the expense of others. Even more so against so called “religious” people who have stuff at the expense of others. This is the message of the prophets. They were concerned (because God is concerned) about the poor, the outcast, and the down-trodden. The prophets spoke out about injustice and longed for the day when God would send the Messiah to redeem, reconcile, and restore humanity and all of creation.

In Amos 6:1-14, the prophet speaks prophetically against the wealthy, the rich, those whose money and possessions allow them to detach themselves from the plight of their neighbors. They have ivory inlaid beds, feast on the finest lamb chops and filet mignon, enjoy fine music while tasting the countries best wine, and have access to perfume and cologne to make themselves smell better. The problem that the prophets have, and God, is that the wealthy ignore the evil of their day and do not grieve the ruin of Joseph. They have become caught up in the pursuit and enjoyment of possessions while ignoring their neighbors.

Our feasting season is already in full swing as we have dined on turkey and every kind of leftovers we can make from them. We will have cookies, cakes, pies, hams, and turkeys- and we’ll likely give and receive gifts. While none of that is, on its own, sinful, the question that Amos might ask us is this: “What are we doing about the evil of our day?” “Are we pursuing justice for our neighbors, widows, and orphans?” “Do we seek economic justice for those impacted by corporate greed?” In the words of Jesus- “Do we love our neighbor like we love ourselves?”

The Christmas season may seem like a strange time to talk about justice, but in reality it is the perfect time. God sent Jesus, as a baby in a manger two thousand years ago to redeem, reconcile, and restore creation through his life, death, and resurrection. As Christians, we are to pick up where Jesus left off. This Christmas, how will you bring justice, reconciliation, redemption, and restoration to the poor, the lonely, the oppressed, the hungry, the sick, the lame, the fatherless, and the widow? Your acts of love and mercy might just be the best Christmas gift yet!

Today’s Readings – Psalm 148-150, 114, 115, Amos 6:1-14, 2 Thess 1:5-12, Luke 1:57-68

Steve LaMotte is the pastor of Hope UMC in Dover, Del., and has served as a dean, speaker and several other capacities at camp.

Lent Reflections – I AM

by Steve LaMotte on Apr 5, 2011 in Lent Reflections | 0 comments

Today’s Scripture Readings
Psalm 88, 91, 92
Jere 11:1-8, 14-20
Rom 6:1-11
John 8:33-47

I always wanted to be an astronaut. There was (and is) something alluring about space. One of my favorite movies as a kid was Space Camp. It’s the story of some teens spending their summer at Space Camp in Alabama when the shuttle they are in accidently launches them into space. If you’ve not seen it, rent it in all its ’80s goodness.

About the time I saw Space Camp, my parents got me a telescope for Christmas. I loved to take the telescope outside and look at the moon and the stars. I came to learn about the speed of light and how the light we see from the stars, in some cases, actually happened thousands of years ago. Light from the sun takes 8.3 minutes to be visible on earth. Light from the nearest galaxy, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, takes 25,000 years to reach earth. So when we look up at the stars we are looking at something that existed years ago.

Jesus says something so inflammatory in chapter 8 of John that the Jews are ready to stone him on the spot. As the Jews try to figure out who Jesus is, they speak of their kinship with Abraham. Jesus, in verse 56 says, “Your Father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The Jews were furious. How could Jesus, who was not even 50 years old, been present for Abraham to see Him? Jesus replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, “I AM.”

Immediately the Jews thought back to Moses and the burning bush. God told Moses, in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM,” meaning “I am who I will be.” Moses learned that day that God is not dependent on any other thing and transcends all of creation. When the Jews heard Jesus say, “I AM” they knew that he was saying that He was present with Abraham. Jesus was present with Moses at the burning bush. Jesus was present with God even before the creation of the universe. Jesus is not just claiming to be eternal, but claiming to be God.

As we journey these forty days of Lent, we reflect on the life of Jesus. We will read through the Gospel accounts at Jesus’ miracles, His teachings, and ultimately His death and resurrection. John reminds us that to reflect on Jesus is to reflect on the One who was before there was time. The Jesus I have encountered in my life is not a finite Jesus- but was with God at creation- and will be with God when all of creation is redeemed.

As the weather gets warmer this spring and you have the opportunity to look up at the night sky, take time to ponder the light that you see. Consider how it takes days, years, even hundreds or thousands of years to reach your eyes. Then remember Jesus, who says “I am the light of the world.” Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, was with God in the beginning- and is the light that shines on the entire world.

Almighty God- this Lenten season, may we receive the Light of Your Son, Jesus Christ in our hearts. May the Light of Your Eternal Son illuminate our lives so that we may walk in Your paths. Help us to point others to Your Light and to Your Life. Amen

Lessons From A Bad Egg

by Steve LaMotte on Jan 26, 2010 in Testimony | 1 comment

By Steve LaMotte

I remember my first time at Church Camp.

I was 13 years old (which, sadly, was 18 years ago) and I was attending One Way Camp and Jummonville in Western Pennsylvania. There were over 100 students 7-12 grade at Camp and it was an awesome experience. One experience stood out from the rest. It came from an unlikely source.

His name was Billy. Billy the Bad Egg. At least that is how he described himself. He was a high school student…and while he described himself as a “Bad Egg,” he was more of a mischevious egg. On Thursday evening, the camp held TNT Night (Talent-N-Testimony Night) where the campers share their talents and testimonies. Billy got up and said something I will never forget.