Sounds like a downer until you think about it

For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.

-1 Peter 1:24-25

At first reading, Peter sounds like he's giving us a reminder of our own mortality. But think further.

Yes, grass and flowers wither - and they must be. Without withering, renewal cannot take place. The glory of renewal would never be known.

God's word is his promise - accept him, and you, too, will see the ultimate renewal in the proper time. And that's a great word.

(Photo from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, the Word

Words of comfort in a world we only visit - strangers in a strange land.

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 of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger. "

-Luke
2:8-12

* * *

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. ...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

-John
1:1-2,14

* * *

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

-Matthew
11:28

Words to consider on this, the day we recognize and celebrate the great gift open to all. Have a glorious Christmas season.

Running with the word

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

For more than 20 years, I’ve been a dedicated distance runner. On any given Saturday morning, I’ll likely cover 10 miles or more. And for every mile, every yard, God is with me every step. As Hebrews noted, the word of God is active.

Prayer is always a part of my running routine. I’ve had some of my most personal conversations with God while pounding pavement on the streets or enjoying tree-covered trails. The scenery can vary – from watching the sun rise over Sydney Harbor to receiving quizzical stares on Chinese sidewalks to seeing a beautiful rainbow in Columbia, Mo. – but God’s active presence is always at hand.

If you run long enough, it’s not hard to wind up with a trophy or two. Mine sit on a shelf at home. The real prize, though, is God’s company. As sweat pours, as dirt grinds underfoot, God is not sitting on a shelf with manmade trophies. He goes with me.

Like many runners, I have a small mp3 player/FM tuner. Most of the time, it’s tuned to my daily NPR dose of news and current events – which often trigger prayers – but in the last few years, for Lent, I’ve downloaded recordings of books of the Bible from the local public library’s Web site and listened to the active word of God while running those miles.

For fellow stroke survivors, regardless of your level of physical ability, listening to God's active, living word might be just the encouragement you need.