Christmas Eve, 2020 – If Ever We Needed a Holy Night…

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter
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Advent: The Invasion – Ode to Joy!

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I don’t know about you, but I love positive stories that are counter-intuitive or even, to some extent, counter-cultural. I must not be alone in this, since stories where the hero overcomes incredible odds to achieve his/her goal are quite popular.

One story I love is around composer Ludwig van Beethoven (my favorite) and his 9th Symphony. One remarkable aspect of this, his last completed symphony, is that he was one of the first composers to include chorale music in his symphony. For this, he borrowed (and modified) a poem written in 1785 by Friedrich Schiller called “Ode to Joy.” Another incredible aspect of this story is that by the time Beethoven completed the symphony and first performed it, in 1824, he was almost completely deaf. This would seem to be the greatest curse a professional composer and musician could endure, to lose the sense you counted on the most. And yet, without being able to hear a note of it, he completed one of the most beloved pieces of music of all time. And central to it is the “Ode to Joy”. Savor the taste of the delicious, counter-intuitive irony of this. How could he be joyful when composing music he couldn’t hear?! Here are some of words from Beethoven’s version of the song:

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, burning with fervor,
heavenly being, your sanctuary!
Your magic brings together
what custom has sternly divided.
All men shall become brothers,
wherever your gentle wings hover.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, “Ode to Joy”

To carry this a bit further, in the initial performance, on May 7, 1824, in Vienna, Beethoven desperately wanted to conduct. However, since he couldn’t hear and would therefore be unable to keep the tempo, the orchestra used their own director (Michael Umlauf) to stand behind Beethoven and actually conduct–the performers were instructed to ignore Beethoven’s direction and follow only Umlauf’s baton). When the performance completed, Beethoven was several bars behind, so he was still “conducting”. Caroline Unger, who sang the contralto part, went up to Beethoven, stopped his conducting, and turned him around to face the audience, who was giving him the first of five standing ovations, which included many people waving handkerchiefs or their hands in the air since Beethoven couldn’t hear their applause.

Joy in the midst of tragic yet heartwarming circumstances… Joy from overcoming…

A German workers’ movement started a tradition of performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on New Year’s Even in 1918, timing the start of the performance at 11:00 pm so the finale would carry the audience, uplifted on a wave of joy, into the the new year. This tradition has spread elsewhere in the world as well, as far as Japan.

In 1907, the pastor Henry van Dyke took the melody one step further and wrote the hymn, “Joyful, Joyful, we adore thee”, which includes such celebratory passages as:

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee
God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee
Op’ning to the Sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
fill us with the light of day

Henry van Dyke, “Joyful, Joyful, we adore thee”

And it all started with a composer who couldn’t hear the music he was writing, at least not in the same way you and I would hear it.

Or how about this one, which starts off in the unlikeliest of ways? On a dark and starry night in a small town in the middle of nowhere, the King of kings and Creator or the universe steps down from his throne of glory to be born as a baby to a poor teenage mother who got pregnant out of wedlock. He was born in a filthy barn, wrapped in a dirty rag, and laid in a feeding trough for animals.

If it were up to me, this is not how I would stage the initial invasion against the powerful forces of darkness and evil in this world. There is no way this would work!

And yet…

It has worked! This poor little child survived despite brutal attempts to kill him as an infant. He grew up, and even though he had no formal training, he became the greatest theologian the world has ever known. And so much more than that!

This man that none of us should ever have heard of 2000 years later still offers His friendship to us. He knows that all of us have fallen short of the perfection God intended for us, but instead of condemning us, He has taken the punishment for each and every one of us that we deserve for our failures.

He died so that we (anyone who calls on His name) can live!

If that’s not a cause for the greatest celebration each of us can muster, I don’t know what is!

If you ponder what this means, how can you feel anything but joy?!

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV, emphasis added)

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV, emphasis added)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
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Advent: The Invasion – Prince of Peace?

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

OK, so I’m a week behind unpacking the symbolism of the advent candles, but I’m working on God’s time and there was something more pressing I felt like I needed to post before I started into advent. So the second advent candle symbolizes–you guessed it–peace. Hundreds of years before Jesus’ invasion into the darkness of this world, Isaiah prophesied about Him in this way:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV, emphasis added)

This notion of peace, and of Jesus being the Prince of Peace, may seem straightforward, but maybe also a little bit out of place in today’s world, so I thought it would be worth diving into it a little deeper.

To begin with, it may be hard for us who speak English to remember that the Bible was not originally written in our mother tongue (after all, don’t God and Jesus speak like King James??). The First (Old) Testament was, of course, originally spoken and then written in Hebrew. The word for peace in Hebrew is shalom, a word we have undoubtedly heard. The nuances of shalom, though, run much deeper than the way we usually think of peace, which is generally and basically interpreted as the absence of war, or at least a freedom from being disturbed.

Is that what we are experiencing today? In our country? In the world? Or even at the individual level–do you feel at peace?

I suspect I know the answer to all of these questions.

Or what are we to make of Jesus being referred to as the Prince of Peace? Look at what Jesus says about himself relative to peace:

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Jesus, in Luke 12:51-53

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn“ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”

Jesus, in Matthew 10:34-36

This all seems pretty confusing. What I have found helpful in grappling with all this is to think back to the nuances of shalom. More than just an absence of conflict, it refers to wholeness or completeness. It hints at the way God meant for things to be, with our lives interwoven and interconnected with God and creation, everything working together for good.

Last week, I introduced the comparison of Christmas to an invasion story. This makes me think back to another famous invasion–D-Day (June 6, 1944), when the Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to try to gain a foothold on Hitler’s “Fortress Europe”. It was such a massive and dangerous undertaking that its success was far from guaranteed. However, once it did succeed, an Allied victory in Europe was almost a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, it took almost a year before Germany surrendered. And that time between invasion and V-E Day was dark and bloody. Nevertheless, at the end of it all, peace prevailed.

Perhaps we find ourselves in a similar state, in the time between invasion (Christ’s birth) and victory, when Jesus will come back to set all things right. Setting all things right sounds a lot like a return to shalom, the way it was in Eden before the fall, when Adam and Eve had God as their best friend.

So even though Jesus doesn’t seem to be focused on bringing peace to the world as we know it in the way we would think of it–putting an end to wars once and for all–with a bigger picture view, we can probably see that God has a plan for peace to prevail, when Jesus returns to usher in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Is that it then? We have to wait for Jesus’ Second Coming to experience shalom?

No, not at all.

This is where it gets very cool, but also very hard for non-believers to understand. Even though Jesus never promised to give us an absence of conflict (peace) in this life, He did–and still does–offer us wholeness (shalom)! How is this possible? Through continuous prayer–in other words, by conversation with God. By being in relationship with Him. He will give us what we need to be whole and complete, if we ask Him and let Him. This is the way the Apostle Paul describes it:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV, emphasis added)

In this light, I am pleased to wish you shalom, the peace of God that transcends all understanding, throughout the remainder of this Christmas season, into 2021, and beyond! I hope we are all able to give focused attention to the Prince of Shalom as we prepare to celebrate His birth!

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Advent: The Invasion – Hope

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

The gift of hope is most precious in the bleakest of times. The evergreen leaves in a traditional Advent wreath are meant to symbolize the hope of eternal life that Jesus brought to the darkness of this world. One of the Advent candles also represents hope. So let’s explore this notion of hope as it pertains to this season of Advent, leading into Christmas.

The word “advent” means the arrival of something significant. Based on numerous prophesies as well as important writings in the Hebrew (Old) Testament, the people of God were waiting with great anticipation for Him to send His glorious promised Messiah, who would light up the darkness and eradicate evil. Nobody really knew what to expect exactly, but they were expecting something. This was their only hope.

And this is when the invasion took place.

Of course, it looked nothing like what anyone thought it would be. Many expected a mighty warrior king, a ferocious leader who would conquer their oppressors once and for all, reuniting the people of Israel reminiscent of the glory days under the great King David.

But what they got was a baby.

Although seemingly harmless and innocent, this was an intensely aggressive move by God, to send his Son to be born in a filthy feeding trough in a backwater town far away from the center of civilization in Rome. A most unlikely path to victory.

But Satan himself recognized the danger Jesus’ birth brought to his kingdom of darkness–working through King Herod, he tried desperately to locate and destroy the Christ child before He could grow up and defeat death and sin through His death on the cross and return to life three days later.

Now, as much as I love Christmas songs, there’s a part of me that thinks they should be more…well, fierce. This is not a polite, kind story; it’s a war movie. In Christmas plays, we dress our young ones as cute, adorable angels. But every time in Scripture that an angel appears to a human, the first words out of their mouths are, “Don’t be afraid.” This leads me to believe they must be terrifying to behold, since they seem to scare the hell out of anyone who sees them. God sent his version of the Navy SEALs to escort His Son as they began their invasion of earth to defeat Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

So instead of nice, peaceful Christmas carols, the soundtrack for the Advent season should be majestic and powerful, something you would hear in a movie when the forces of good begin turning the tide of a hopeless battle so they can eventually triumph over the forces of evil.

To give a little more context, things had been going from terrible to worse for the people of God. Israel had long since divided into Israel and Judah, and both kingdoms had been conquered and ceased to exist as sovereign nations. Many of the Hebrew people had been dispersed. Those who remained in the land once known as Israel were oppressed by the brutal Roman Empire. And they hadn’t heard from God for hundreds of years.

Yet they managed to cling to a flickering candle of hope that God would send His Messiah to set all things right. Generation after generation, this didn’t happen, but they never lost that thread of hope, no matter how miniscule and tenuous it had become. They trusted God.

And God came to the rescue by invading earth at Christmas. It may not have been what most people were expecting, but it turns out to be the only path to victory, to salvation. A plan so awesome and incredible that only God could have dreamed it up.

What should we take away from this? Here are some thoughts to summarize:

  1. Christmas is an invasion story.
  2. Never give up hoping in God. No matter how bleak, no matter how dark, He can and will always come through.
  3. Sometimes (often? most of the time?) God rewards our hope in ways that don’t look like He’s answering our prayers. The Hebrews longed for a conquering king, but instead they got a baby. But that baby turned out to be a King like no other, one who could rescue them (and us!) from sin and death for eternity.
  4. Don’t mess with angels. They are probably much more like Navy SEALs than they are like pudgy little kids in flowing white robes.
  5. Someone needs to create a Christmas soundtrack that sounds more like majestic and epic invasion music than anything hitting the airwaves right now. I’m just sayin’….

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

I Peter 1:3-6 (NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Roman 12:9-12 (NIV)
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Prowling Around Like a Roaring Lion Looking for Someone to Devour

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I have a confession to make: I am concerned for the future of America. I can’t give details about why I am concerned without turning this into a political rant, which God has led me to believe I am not allowed to do here–he planted on my heart to use this space to spread His words of hope and encouragement, not divisiveness. But why I’m concerned is beside the point of this post anyway.

The point is that I am a hypocrite for having this concern, whether or not it’s rational, because:

  1. I have previously posted here about not worrying about the future, leaving it in God’s good hands, and
  2. I have also posted here regarding my sense that God cares more about the Kingdom of Heaven and saving souls than He does about any particular country, even the good ol’ USA

I still believe these things, very firmly. I’m just being transparent here and sharing my struggle.

I would never say that I believe God causes bad things to happen to us, but when bad things happen to because of the fallen world and the current broken state of humanity, I do believe that God will use those bad things to help others. Never waste a good crisis is what I say at work when we have an opportunity to grow because things have gotten really fouled up.

Anyway, said another way: because I have this concern for the future–a concern I’m not supposed to have–I feel that God has put it on my heart to be honest and share it here in case it may help someone out there (whether immediately or sometime in the future, I probably don’t get to know). So just like I’ve heard some of my favorite pastors say, I’m writing these things to myself as much as to anyone who might be reading this.

Let me summarize my concern in a non-political way by simply stating that there have been some very odd things going on in America since Election Day on November 3. Things that make me think of this warning from the Apostle Peter:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Or this saying from King Solomon:

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

Proverbs 28:15 (NIV)

But upon further reflection, I realize that neither of the major political parties here in the US have a corner in the market on goodness and righteousness. And also, most Democrats and most Republicans are not evil and want what’s best for our country. We just can’t seem to agree on what those things are or how best to achieve them.

So what are we to do? It is our civic duty as followers of Christ who are also citizens of an earthly kingdom to stand up against evil and injustice of all kinds. But we can’t know the hearts of the leaders of our cities, states, and the country, so how can we tell if what they are doing is well-intended or to feed their own voracious appetite for never-enough power?

We really can’t. We can pray for that discernment, but I think it’s very difficult for us to put our own notions about a politician or political party aside, so how can I trust whether the “answer” I receive is from God or really just an apparition generated from my own frame of reference? I don’t have a good answer for that.

I imagine that followers of Christ have struggled with this very question as 13 fledgling colonies considered rebelling against the mighty British Empire over 200 years ago, or as this young country staggered toward the bitter division that turned into the Civil War. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we are at another such pivotal point in our country’s story, just musing aloud (sort of) that I am probably not the first person to have grappled with this.

Maybe this is enough for now: that we leave it in God’s hands by:

  1. Praying for our leaders at all levels of government, regardless of whether or not we voted for them, that they would lead in selfless and godly ways, earnestly seeking the good of others above themselves;
  2. Asking for God’s forgiveness for not trusting Him enough to hold our future in His hands; and
  3. Praying for peace, both inside ourselves (so we can quit yanking the problems out of God’s hands only moments after turning them over to him!) and across our nation (so we don’t destroy our great country from within, which is certainly a conceivable tactic of the evil one).

We can take this suggestion from Peter, earlier in his first letter:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:12-17 (NIV)

Simple, right? Just live good lives! Simple, maybe, but certainly not easy. But God never promised it would be easy, only that He would help us.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to leave a comment, even if you disagree with me. I was told recently by someone I care for deeply and respect tremendously that I don’t like to hear differing points of view. I hope this isn’t the case, but if it is, I pray that God will forgive me and help me heal in that way–and maybe He will use one of you to help me with that! Maybe He already has.

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Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

“Now is the winter of our discontent…”

William Shakespeare, from Richard III

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV, emphasis added)

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Apostle Peter, I Peter 1:3-5 (MSG)

2020 has been a year to remember, and a year to forget. Something we should all remember, though, as we head into Thanksgiving week is that there are still blessings all around. We may have to look a little harder than we normally do, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

God has built into our human hearts a longing for something that transcends us. This ultimately points us to heaven and to God himself, but for now, beauty can also stir in us a sense that life is worth living, and that there is more to come. Earthly beauty is an appetizer for the bountiful feast that awaits us in eternity.

So look for it. It’s waiting to be found.

Maybe you find the sound of children playing annoying, all that shouting and boundless energy–but listen to the bubbling joy of laughter not yet weighed down by the burdens of grown-up responsibilities. Maybe you squint when the sun gets in your eyes, but (as long as you’re not driving!) take a moment to close your eyes and turn your face up toward the sun–see the color of your eyelids, feel the warmth on your face. Watch the way sunlight delicately plays with objects around you–sparkles, shimmers, shadows. Or maybe you’ve never appreciated loved ones so much as when it’s difficult or even impossible to gather with them, as it is this year. Cherish each fleeting moment.

God gave us all these things, and so much more.

To a great extent, we can choose to be miserable, to focus on anything and everything that is going wrong, and make this a winter of our discontent. Or we can choose to find the many blessings God sprinkles along our journeys and be thankful to Him.

Looking at the Bible verses I mentioned above, especially Philippians 4:11-13 and Habakkuk 3:17-18, there’s a certain defiance that I find inspiring, and it’s a good reminder, too. Paul and Habakkuk are not waiting for the situation to improve before they praise God. I really love the word “yet” in the passage from Habakkuk; the world is falling apart and my life stinks, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. This pattern of thinking becomes self-fulfilling: when you are thankful to God in spite of your circumstances, He will give you eyes to see that they are not as bad as you might think at the moment. Or He will make them better. Or both!

A posture of gratitude leads to peace that surpasses all understanding, and it leads to inexpressible joy.

So which do you choose? Discontent or thanksgiving?

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New Heaven & New Earth: Restoration of Awesomeness!

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

With darkness closing in all around us, everywhere in the world (just check the news, if you can stand it), it’s hard not to think we are in the end times. Having said that, though, I’m confident there have been many people since the time of Christ who have thought the world could end any moment. I’ve read that this was a common sentiment during World War I, and then again during World War II, and many times since (with many nefarious characters cast in the role of Anti-Christ), yet here we still are. So I’m not going to pick a date as some sort of worthless prediction as to when the world as we know it comes to an end. Instead, I’ll say something in which I am completely certain: it will happen in God’s good timing. Just like everything else He does, which always dances beyond the edge of our understanding, and which can often be frustrating to us.

So what are we to do in the meantime? Allow God to work in us and through us so He can shape us into new creations, to be the people He knows we will be in the New Heaven and New Earth. Be a part of bringing His Kingdom to earth. Reflect his glory and love and beauty to everyone who could see it (which excludes nasty Facebook posts or tweets!), regardless of how we feel about them. Resist the darkness. Better yet, chase away the darkness by reflecting God’s light into it (not to repeat least week’s post…).

We live in the tension between the now–in the midst of all the hatred and vitriol and endless manifestations of evil and brokenness–and the not yet–when beauty and love and all things grand and glorious by Kingdom standards will be restored, made new. It’s so easy for me, and for all of us, I think, to become so consumed with the pressing issues of the “now” that we lose sight of our hope, our final destination, our eternity in peaceful and loving relationship with God and in fellowship with all believers throughout history.

It is when we hang onto that hope that God takes us by our hand and allows us to rise a little bit above our circumstances and catch glimpses of the New Heaven and New Earth that are being shaped all around us, just beyond our normal range of vision. These are our finest moments, a thread of gold woven throughout our journeys.

OK, I have to admit a rather silly tendency of mine to illustrate this point. I’m a big hockey fan, and more specifically, an avid fan of the Colorado Avalanche. But as much as I would like to be able to watch every game, in order to stay on friendly terms with my wife, I sometimes have to record the game to watch after she goes to bed (or falls asleep on the couch!). However, sometimes before I can even start watching the game, I’ll get a notification on my phone with the game’s final score and before I can look away, I see the score. And here’s the confession: if it’s a good and close score, sometimes I’ll still watch the game. The funny thing is that even though I know the outcome of the game, I’ll still cringe when the other team scores or something else bad happens. Seems silly, right? I know how it turns out, so why should I worry about a little setback along the way?

So here’s the deal: it’s just like this when we get lost in the setbacks of daily life and forget the hope and joy of the final outcome, when God completes His work of restoring creation to its original perfect state, and brings us along with Him. That’s even better than a Colorado Avalanche win!

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

The Apostle John, in Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV)

Sounds perfect to me! I plan to remember this passage when my “now” struggles overwhelm my “not yet” hopes. How about you? What verse or other inspiration can you try to conjure up when this happens to you? Leave a comment to let me know!

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Honoring Those Who Have Served

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

God bless all of you who have served to preserve the freedom we all enjoy in this great nation, and God bless America.

I especially would like to honor my father-in-law and friend, David J. Little, USN (Ret). Thank you for your service.

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Sun and Moon, Son and Us

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NIV)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16

The moon has sailed across the night sky, capturing imagination and dreams, since the dawn of our species. On some evenings, when the moon seems close and full, it gracefully brightens the darkness with its silvery glow. But it wasn’t until the Greek Philosopher Anaxagoras (500 BC-428 BC) came along that humanity learned that the moon was not a source of light itself. He discovered that the moon simply reflects the light of the sun.

In the same way, we ourselves have no ability of our own to be the light in the darkness, as Jesus commanded us to be near the start of His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. Yet, just like the moon reflects the light of the sun to illuminate a dark night, we have the opportunity to reflect the Light of the Son into the darkness of this world.

Sometimes the moon stubbornly lingers for an hour or two past dawn, but in the glistening sunlight, it is only faintly visible, a ghostly whisper of the beacon that had split the darkness the previous evening. Light is lighter in the darkness.

So given the darkness enshrouding our world and (especially) the United States at an ever quickening pace, now is the time more than ever when we as followers of Christ need to reflect God’s Light to those around us. Repay hatred with love and prayer. Don’t post that angry Facebook update or bitter tweet. Respond to vitriol with kindness the way only Jesus could. You may say it’s impossible for us to act only as Jesus could, and that’s definitely true if we are acting on our own. But the good news for us and those around us is that God empowered us with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to treat others just as Jesus did.

So will this be easy? Of course not! But God never promised us an easy life, only that He will be with us to help us.

But imagine how much darkness could be overcome in this volatile political climate if every Christ-follower made a concerted effort this coming week to reflect God’s love and light to even just one person they encountered each day! I’m going to make that my goal for this week. How about you?

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Easier Said Than Done, Two Days Before the Election

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

After my last blog post, one of my three readers said that it sounded nice to hold onto faith over fear, but that it’s easier said than done. I couldn’t agree more! So how do you do it?

You ask for God’s help! A simple prayer, something like, “Help me, Jesus,” is all it takes. You can always add, “I need your help,” or “I need you to take this fear from me.” A few simple words and the Light of the World will step between us and the darkness.

Does this always work? Yes!

But for how long? Well, that depends on you and me. If you’re anything like me, I feel a tremendous sense of peace the moment I hand whatever blech I’m dealing with over to God. But then for reasons I can’t explain and seemingly can’t block, at some point I stomp right on up to Jesus and yank that nastiness back out of His hands. It may be several days, weeks, or months later. Or, sadly, it could be just a few moments later. It’s as if I’m saying, “Sorry, God, turns out I can’t trust you with this after all. Only I can handle it!” It seems ridiculous, I know, when I say it like this, but that’s essentially what I’m doing–what we’re all doing–when we grab it right back from Him.

But here’s some truly amazing news: God’s grace knows no bounds. So as soon as I realize how foolish it was to yank that struggle away from Him, and I skulk sheepishly back to Him and ask Him to take it back, He does. Maybe with a twinkle in His eye, as if saying, “Sure, I’ll take it back for the thousandth time. Are you going to let me keep it this time?” And this is the tug-of-war I play repeatedly with so many facets of my life. It’s part of my journey.

With the 2020 election just two days away in the U.S., I have to admit that this is one of the areas where I have had this back-and-forth with God. Candidly, I am very concerned for the future of this great country if the various important races and initiatives go a certain way. So at times I find myself praying for a particular set of outcomes.

But then this thought has occurred to me: God cares more about furthering His Kingdom more than He does about any particular country. That may seem hard to accept for those of us who believe that America has been blessed as “one nation under God.” But on the other hand, Israel was God’s chosen people, yet it had disappeared from the map from the time the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, or you could say from when the Babylonians destroyed the southern kingdom of Judah (where Jerusalem was) in 586 BC, until it once again became a nation in 1948. For over 2500 years, Israel had ceased to exist! It was part of the Roman Empire when Jesus walked the earth.

So while I believe God cares deeply for you and me, I think He cares more about our spirits and our souls and where we will spend eternity than He does about what happens in the new few days, months, or even years. And if one election outcome or another would lead more Americans–or better yet, more people in the world–into deep relationship with Him, He would undoubtedly choose that outcome over whichever one you or I may be praying for.

At #NewLifeChurch, we are so fortunate to be in the middle of a sermon series on Revelation (and I don’t believe in coincidences, at least not when it comes to God!). Today, Pastor Brady Boyd preached from Revelation 17, which includes these verses:

“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.  They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.  They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Revelation 17:12-14 (NIV, my emphasis added to echo Brady’s)

And then one of the best things Pastor Brady said during his message, which helps bring this blog post home:

“I don’t know of a donkey or an elephant that can save my soul, but I know a Lamb that can!”

Pastor Brady Boyd–November 1, 2020

So no matter what happens in the election on Tuesday, Jesus, the Lamb of God, will triumph. Remembering that and believing it will help us choose faith over fear regarding the future of our country. Even if we have to keep wrestling with God about it, taking it back but then handing it over to him again and again, many times between then and now, the Lamb will win. Thanks be to God!

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