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Well, as promised on the first day of this semester, I’ve now finished reflecting on my first blessing of Christmas break—the reading of Luke, and I told you back then that I also wanted to share my second blessing of Christmas break—the reading of “Messiah,” the contemporary adaptation of “The Desire of Ages.” I’ve changed my mind because I just “did the math” and there aren’t enough days left in the semester to do one chapter a day and finish by May! So, starting Monday I’m going back to my old way of sharing my musings on a piece of Scripture each day and just encourage you to take a look at this amazing book.

I would like to at least share the first lesson I gained from “Messiah,” and the idea of prioritization in my life. In the Preface it references this quote from “The Desire of Ages,” from which “Messiah” was written. “It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of Christ….” (don’t panic, a few pages after this Ellen says, “Let the hour of worship be short” so I’m not so concerned with 60 minutes as I am with regularity of my focused time with Jesus!) I can so easily get distracted by the world and its ways that I forget that “this world is not my home.” I can get so busy being like the world that I forget that though I am to be “IN” the world, I am called to not “OF” the world.” I can get so focused on saving the planet (which by the way can be a good thing) that I forget that God is going to make it all new once we’ve all had a chance to be saved ourselves, and that’s a better thing. I’ll continue to recycle and be environmentally responsible but I won’t let saving the earth distract me from saving the people on this earth and then get a new world thrown in, fixed by God Himself! I can get so consumed with material things that I forget about spiritual things. I can get so consumed with professional success that I forget about spiritual success. It really WOULD do me well to spend some time each day with Jesus SO THAT I don’t get my priorities all jumbled up and get distracted by the temporal at the expense of the eternal.

That blessing came to me over Christmas break as I read “Messiah,” and I offer it to you as a tool for your spiritual journey. It would take 87 days to read a chapter a day (and the chapters are really quite short!) to finish the book. It was such a blessing to me so I encourage you, if you need some focus for your spiritual life, to take a journey through the life of Jesus and see what happens when you give Him some “thoughtful time” each day contemplating His life.

Have a blessed day as we take this journey with Him,

Pastor Rich

Quote for the day: “The Bible is the story of two gardens, Eden and Gethsemane. In the first, Adam took a fall. In the second Jesus took a stand.”

PS Winter break today so no classes, but we’ll still have our Sabbath programming options for you.

PPS Family Worship- 7:30pm in the Atrium. Come and be blessed with some great causal fellowship, praise and worship. Dress is casual; bring a blanket (and maybe even a pillow!)

PPPS Afterglo- will be a part of Family Worship tonight in the Atrium.