On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14

 ⁷Thus says the Lord:
 Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
  and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
 proclaim, give praise, and say,
  “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.”
 ⁸See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
  and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.
 ⁹With weeping they shall come,
  and with consolations I will lead them back,
 I will let them walk by brooks of water,
  in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

 ¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
  and declare it in the coastlands far away;
 say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him,
  and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.”
 ¹¹For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
  and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
 ¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
  and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
 over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
  and over the young of the flock and the herd;
 their life shall become like a watered garden,
  and they shall never languish again.
 ¹³Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
  and the young men and the old shall be merry.
 I will turn their mourning into joy,
  I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
 ¹⁴I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
  and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
 says the Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 147:12-20

 ¹²Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;
  praise your God, O Zion,
 ¹³who has strengthened the bars of your gates
  and has blessed your children within you.
 ¹⁴God has established peace on your borders
  and satisfies you with the finest wheat.
 ¹⁵God sends out a command to the earth,
  a word that runs very swiftly. 
 ¹⁶God gives snow like wool,
  scattering frost like ashes.
 ¹⁷God scatters hail like bread crumbs.
  Who can stand against God’s cold?
 ¹⁸The Lord sends forth the word and melts them;
  the wind blows, and the waters flow.
 ¹⁹God declares the word to Jacob,
  statutes and judgments to Israel.
 ²⁰The Lord has not done so to any other nation;
  they do not know God’s judgments. Hallelujah!

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Gospel: John 1:[1-9] 10-18

 [¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
  ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.]
  ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
  ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

SERMON

Prayer:  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and Redeemer.

         The Christmas season follows the Advent season.  It is two weeks long and carries us through Epiphany, the day we remember the arrival of the wise men. Next week we enter the Epiphany season when we hear about the life of Christ.  That’s a bit confusing but “epiphany” means a new revelation or understanding.  The coming of the wise men celebrated on January 6, includes the Gentiles in the Christmas story — that was revolutionary.  The life of Christ was also revolutionary, an epiphany.  He healed, taught new ideas, and broke religious rules to the astonishment of people and powers. The significance of Christ’s incarnation as a baby is our text today.  We are in the Christmas season, second week. 

         During the Christmas season we tend to focus on the events of Jesus’ childhood. Last week we looked at the experience with Simeon and Anna in the temple at the circumcision of Jesus.  We could also look at the flight to Egypt, the murder of the innocents, or Jesus in the temple at age 12.  But all these events that come from Jesus’ early childhood are not recorded in the Gospel of Mark.  So our text today is going to draw from the Gospel of John, rather than Mark.  We are not going to focus on the events of Jesus birth.  We are going to ponder the impact of his incarnation, his coming, on our lives as we enter 2021 and reflect on 2020.

First.  Incarnation testifies to the reality of a personal being, God, the creator, who does not stay afar observing us but who enters our world and is personally involved with life. 

         Christianity is unique becauseGod comes to us, we do not climb to God.  God was with us in 2020 and will come to us in 2021.  It may be in inconspicuous ways that we may not recognize but he was here. Even as the world did not recognize the babe of Bethlehem, we may have to look to see the hand of God in our life.   Unlike “the Force” of Star Wars, God is not an impersonal energy, guiding life’s events.  We are not an accident.  God is personal and comes to us.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.”

         Some believe Jesus became the Messiah at his baptism, rather like accepting a job.  The Holy Spirit descended like a dove and Jesus took on his role as Messiah.  He was a good man who pleased God and so was chosen.  Or perhaps Jesus had a good body God took over and worked through him.  Either way, a godly man or a manly God, it is hard to relate to him.  We know we are not perfect. His godliness overshadows his humanness. Christmas season reminds us that Jesus was true man.

         We confess that Jesus is true God and true Man. Incarnation is the word we use to share about a God/man mystery that makes Jesus “touchable” and is seen as a helpless baby. “The Word” that was at creation, who made everything, who sustains our life and is our light, who is God, became real human. 

         Christmas, a time for celebrating his childhood, helps us see Jesus as true man. The Christmas season reminds us that Jesus understands all aspects of life. He understands our struggling teenagers, our babies helpless in ICU units, our elderly feeling forgotten, and even the angst of being a hormone driven young adult.  Our God did not just come down to do a job, salvation, but entered humanity and goes with us into 2021.  If leprosy did not drive him away, then Covid certainly will not. We do not perfect ourselves and climb up to God, trying to deserve his love, but he comes to us to reveal himself through all we are about to experience this year.  Our Lord understands our human dilemmas and is not just the power source to solve them but also the compassionate, empathizing God who walks with us.

         The challenge:  As we enter 2021, let us reflect on our concept of God.  Do we think of God as being distance and impersonal or do we see God present, personal, and relevant daily.  Perhaps there is something that we are keeping in a closet in our heart because of guilt, because of fear, because we were so stupid, because we were so abused, because we were soooo human.  The Christmas story reminds us that the Word who created us, walked through all phases of life responding in all those situations we are challenged by and is not repulsed, not driven away by our human sinfulness.  The eternal became mortal testifying to a perspective that is broader and more eternal, not impersonal or bias, not distant and analytical but a true union of God and man.

Second.  The incarnation calls for belief in a personal God who created and identifies but it also testifies of a God who wants to have relationship with us.

            ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept    him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave       power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of        the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God

The purpose of incarnation is not just God “doing his thing,” executing his plan, but his heart’s desire is that we might believe.  If the goal of faith is to believe that God is real then all paths lead to Rome and all faiths are equally acceptable as all believe there is a God and people just choose the flavor of Kool-Aid they will drink, as youth say.  Incarnation is about more than proof of reality but creates grounds for relationship.

         This relationship is not something that is not forced upon us, a marriage set up by parents or a means to social acceptability.  Relationship with Christ is a gift we choose to receive, we choose to invest in.  Like all relationships, it is a struggle to “hang in there” on the down days.  Life does not always unfold the way we would like.  (Do I hear an “amen” to that?)  Jesus gives the “power” to become children.  Relating to God is not accidental but intentional and we need more than human strength to do it.

         So as we enter 2021, how are we intentionally growing our relationship with a God who incarnated to be with us?  Are we choosing the relationship or does it just kind of happen when we see a sunset or have a good day?  How will we grow this relationship in 2021?  Relationships are not just automatic; they are intentional and need work to thrive.

         Incarnation testifies to a personal being, God, who created heaven and earth who comes to us.  We are not an accident and relationship is not accidental.

Third.  Incarnation testifies to truth and grace.

            ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came     through Jesus Christ. 

The incarnation of Jesus draws us into a confrontation with the reality of this world.  Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai.  We call it “the Law.”  The Commandments are 10 universals by which life works best.  We will be happier if we do not go around killing others.  All cultures have rules about murder.  If we build happiness in our marriages, we will be happier than continually shifting partners in uncommitted relationships.  Slander and mistruth help no one.  Resting one day a week and honoring parents when possible also lead to a balanced life.  Of course, keeping God most important – is most important!

         These laws, these guidelines are ideals and life does not happen nor are we be able to force life to be the way we think best, no matter how many civil laws we pass.  We have seen demonstrations and destructions this year that make our head hang.  We have seen mass bombings and terrorism in the name of finding a better tomorrow – we grieve.  In spite our best efforts to mask and distance, disease claims lives at times we would not choose.  One more day with our loved one, we beg.

         The incarnation, the coming of God in human form and entering in relationship with us shows a Messiah who healed, who taught love of enemy, who encouraged going the extra mile.  Those responses do not come naturally.  We are naturally self centered and selfish.  Choosing relationship is choosing to believe there is truth bigger than my perspective.  Forgiveness will bring a better world as we let God handle vengeance.  Being in relationship to Jesus and confronting our self-centeredness makes us realize our need for grace.  “By grace we are saved through faith.”  We do not become good enough to deserve relationship to a God who wants to relate to us.  We must humble ourselves, accept his gift and acknowledge his way – that takes grace.  Grace and truth came in Jesus Christ.

         As we enter 2021 and as we use these two weeks to shift from Christmas celebration to surprising truths found in the life of Christ, we realize that the incarnation, the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, means God has come to us to be with us in 2021.  It means he wants to be in relationship with us as we face and handle our various challenges.  And it means he will be leading us into deeper truth that we experience by his grace.  God incarnated in Jesus and lives in us that we might be more like Christ.  It is a journey, not a sudden one-day experience but he will be faithfully beside us, guiding us, and speaking to us in 2021.  Praise his name!

First Reading: Isaiah 61:10–62:3

 ¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
  my whole being shall exult in my God;
 for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
  he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
 as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
  and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
 ¹¹For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
  and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
 so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
  to spring up before all the nations.

 ^62:1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
  and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
 until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
  and her salvation like a burning torch.
 ²The nations shall see your vindication,
  and all the kings your glory;
 and you shall be called by a new name
  that the mouth of the Lord will give.
 ³You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
  and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Psalm: Psalm 148

 ¹Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
  praise God in the heights.
 ²Praise the Lord, all you angels;
  sing praise, all you hosts of heaven.
 ³Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
  sing praise, all you shining stars.
 ⁴Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens,
  and you waters above the heavens.
 ⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord,
  who commanded, and they were created,
 ⁶who made them stand fast forever and ever,
  giving them a law that shall not pass away. 
 ⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,
  you sea monsters and all deeps;
 ⁸fire and hail, snow and fog,
  tempestuous wind, doing God’s will;
 ⁹mountains and all hills,
  fruit trees and all cedars;
 ¹⁰wild beasts and all cattle,
  creeping things and flying birds;
 ¹¹sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,
  princes and all rulers of the world;
 ¹²young men and maidens,
  old and | young together. 
 ¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,
  whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven.
 ¹⁴The Lord has raised up strength for the people and praise for all faithful servants,
  the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. Hallelujah! 

Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7

⁴When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. ⁶And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

²²When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, [Joseph and Mary] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
  ²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
 ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
  according to your word;
 ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation,
  ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
 ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
  and for glory to your people Israel.”
  ³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
  ³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
  ³⁹When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

SERMON:

Prayer:  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

         The new calendar year will start with January 1 at the end of this week and we will reflect over the events of this year, bemoaning how hard 2020 was and how we hope not to have another tough year like this one.  Many of us are more than ready to be finished with politics and all its accusations, ready to be finished with Covid 19 and all its restrictions and fear, ready to be rid of financial restrictions from lost jobs, ready for kids to return to school so adults can work…oh my, ready for a change.  Our prayer is that 2021 will be easier than 2020.  I note, though, that our focus of this prayer is on the desire for the events of our life to be less stressful.

         On the other hand, if there is another hand, the liturgical year started November 29, 2020, with Advent, a time of waiting for the fulfillment of promise by God. It does not track life chronologically by events of today but looks through a different lens.  It centers around the anticipation of Jesus, his early childhood, his life, his death, his resurrection and how his reality impacts our life.  Christmas Day celebrates the Incarnation of the Eternal.  Perhaps we could call it the materialization of the Holy so that our physical eyes can see – the unseen.  The Christmas story has not ended.  We have read the preface to the book and now on to the introduction!  I feel like we have stepped into “the transport” circles on the star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Bones, and are being transported to a new world, going to “places where no man has gone before.” 

         None of the people we have met so far in the Christmas story have totally understood what is happening much beyond their present.  Certainly the Romans were looking for a Messiah whom they thought they could kill if they identified him.  Certainly Zechariah and Elizabeth had seen an angel and bore a miracle son they called John and whom they thought would rally their people to return to faith – in what? The law?  Certainly Joseph and Mary had seen angels and knew their baby was of God and would be the Messiah, but the popular belief was that the Messiah would bring salvation from the Romans.  The shepherds, well, they visited and returned to their fields and probably seldom were able to go to worship.  Things are happening within a known setting in irregular ways but how are they understood?

         Today we are being challenged.  Joseph and Mary are “amazed” by what they hear as they bring the baby Jesus along with their two doves to have Jesus circumcised – the eighth day, probably before the arrival of the wise men.  Joseph and Mary are amazed.  How will we be amazed by this message today?

         When Kirk, Spock, and Bones step onto a new planet with new forms of life, they go from the known to a new understanding, in some ways a new revelation.  In a similar way, the story of faith is an unfolding growth in seeing and experiencing life.  One of my favorite Star Trek original episodes involves a visit to a planet where life is based on nitrogen rather than carbon.  It was something like that in my memory.  They discover that the creatures they mistake to be rocks are actually animate and that the “mother” is protecting her rock eggs but they wound her with their lasers.  Once they understand the way the planet works, probably Spock did some sort of mind lock with the creature, they heal the rock being and the episode ends happy ever after.

         Today we have Joseph and Mary holding the baby Jesus as he is circumcised and Simeon and Anna who enter the story with new eyes, speak amazing words.  Why does Luke include this episode in his gospel?  Could it be that Luke wants us to understand that revelation does come just through angels to “key characters in a story” but it also comes to us, ordinary people?  Revelation enters our time and often is cloaked in mystery.  As we grasp it, we are amazed!  Are you ready to be amazed?

         Both Simeon and Anna have been waiting a lifetime for the appearance of “the promised savior.”  We know about waiting.  Stay six feet apart.  Wait for the stimulus check.  Wait for the vaccine.  Wait for the weather broadcasted environmental challenge or wait for the changing of the guard in the presidency.  We wait.  Simeon was an ordinary, righteous man, a common churchgoer like us.  He was not a priest, possibly not that learned but known to be righteous and devout, listening to the Holy Spirit.  He is like me.  He is waiting “for the consolation of Israel.”   Simeon challenges me to ask myself how I wait.  Am I listening to God on Sunday and news the rest of the week, or gossip, or whatever?  Simeon understands that God’s salvation plan will unfold in his lifetime and so he looks for evidence of God working in his world.  When all the events surrounding Simeon are confusing, Simeon looks and listens.

         Do I hear the voice of skepticism, that little voice whispering in your ear – right???  Good enough for Bible characters but not for me.  Does God rrrreeeaaallllyy speak today?  Does God speak to ordinary people like us today?  My answer is yes.  We call it inspiration.  There are those “aha” moments as we wrestle with the direction of life, do I marry him or her – is there another, is this the right job or is there another, which major to choose in college, or even which gift to buy at Christmas – suddenly the “light dawns,” as we say, and we know in our gut which way to go.  God speaks through nature, through music, through friends, through Scripture and through experience as he journeys with us.  He speaks into reality but does not contradict himself.  Like Simeon we wait for God’s truth to become real in our life and we receive God’s revelation. But we only understand partially, seeing through a glass dimly.

         Let us not forget Anna, a widow of many years, perhaps as much as sixty, who also was an ordinary person, waiting for God to speak. She also committed her time to prayer and fasting. Many years of waiting for an answer!  Wow, we have trouble waiting through commercials.  Prayer and fasting imply to me that her actions were congruent with her desire to live faithfully.  She was not passive but active.  A deep skepticism has settled on us these days, I believe.  All the political indecision and medical indecision can lead to a futile resignation and sense that – what will be, will be, “que sera”.   The news media has lost credibility and the intense campaign to get us to be vaccinated resonates as “the lady doth protest too much.”  So, let us do a little mental check on our spiritual disciplines that help us actively listen for God’s voice. Spiritual disciplines often involve habits of reading Scripture, journaling, prayer, fasting, meditation, fellowship and even stewardship.  We may be willing to receive a revelation but is our cell phone charged, our antenna connected?  Anna was an ordinary person like us, listening and investing energy in her relationship with God through prayer and fasting.  How are we investing as we wait?

         Revelation amazes us as we are challenged to see the future in new ways that we don’t really grasp.  Kirk and Spock had never thought of life being organized with rock beings.  They don’t really understand what that means and are amazed.  Joseph and Mary listen to Simeon and are equally amazed.  What did his prophecy mean about that little baby, so helpless in their arms?  What is the implication for their lives?  Revelation is cloaked in mystery, in the future, in the unknown, taking us to “places no man has ever gone.”

         “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of     many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Hmmm.  I would be hesitant to say this has truly been fulfilled and how but again I see “revelation” at work.  The Christ child will reveal “the inner thoughts of many.”  Simeon and Anna cause me to reflect on if I am listening as an ordinary person and how I am listening.  Simeon’s words cut deep into my heart.  Am I listening and acting like I do to the evening news broadcast, a bit passively and critically and doubtfully, or am I listening with faith that the unseen, that which I don’t understand, that which leaves me out of control – is possible.  Revelation reveals if I listen with human ears or spiritual ears.  The mystery of revelation calls me to faith in a God who is acting in history – yours and mine, who acts for my good whether today or in the future, and who holds the whole world in his hands even if we don’t see and understand.  Revelation amazed Joseph and Mary and amazes me because I don’t understand and I am called to trust God.

         Revelation is not necessarily about predicting a happy-ever-after ending and often acts as “a sword that pierces our soul.”  We are afraid to hear we will die.  We are afraid when our candidate loses.  We may have questions about the unknown of the new vaccine. Yes, I want to go to heaven.  Yes, I want the Romans conquered.  Yes, I want the Messiah but hearing what that looks like is more challenging.  My inner thoughts and desires are revealed and I am challenged to trust God.

         Revelation amazes us as we step into new territory.  Revelation amazes us as we realize our selfishness and must bow to the God who knows and leads.  But revelation also leads us to praise and to speak to others.  Anna could not be quiet when she met the Christ child in the temple.  Her prayers and fasting had been answered!  God is acting into the future in ways like a baby that she could not understand but Anna sees the bigger picture, not the baby from God but the God in the baby.  Anna bursts into praise.

         Today we have gone where no man had ever gone before.  Ordinary people like Simeon and Anna who were waiting for God faithfully, saw a baby brought for an ordinary circumcision.  Ordinary people doing ordinary actions but revelation is seeing the extraordinary, seeing the hand of God in the ordinary events of our lives.  He is not defeated by Rome.  He is not defeated by poverty.  He is not defeated by our lack of understanding.  God is active in our world today and THAT, my dear friends, is grounds for praise and sharing.  May you see with the eyes of your heart this week and may you find time to practice spiritual disciplines and listen to a God who reveals to ordinary people like us, his mysterious love.  Blessings.