ADVENT 2019: NAME 1: IMMANUEL

Advent is probably one of my favorite seasons. It's a time for preparation, and anticipation. This year is no different. I decided though to spend my time writing a short devotion that is dedicated to Jesus and the Names that we have given our Savior in the Bible. The First name I chose goes with the candle that we will be lighting today: the PROPHECY name of IMMANUEL. 

Isaiah told King Ahaz to give him a sign. Yet Ahaz would refuse to request a sign, the prophet said that God would give him one anyway. And He did. Isaiah 7:14 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

What I love is the fact that this verse starts with the simple word "Therefore." I love it because it signals the fact that even though we can say "I am (or will) not.." God can and often will say "You can't change my mind. Let me show you what I can do." 

The next part of the verse that is significant is "Will give you a sign." "Signs" were of various kinds. They might be actual miracles performed to attest a Divine commission (Exod. 4:3–9); or judgments of God, significative of his power and justice (Exod. 10:2); or memorials of something in the past (Exod. 13:9, 16); or pledges of something still future. Signs of this last-mentioned kind might be miracles (Judg. 6:36–40; 2 Kings 20:8–11), or prophetic announcements (Exod. 3:12; 1 Sam. 2:34; 2 Kings 19:29). These last would only have the effect of signs on those who witnessed their accomplishment. (1)

Without spending too much time, on Mary, because let's be real, Advent is about preparing our hearts for the coming Messiah, I would be amiss not to mention Mary. Strictly speaking the word means a young woman of marriageable age. Logic demands one of two options. The almah must be either (1) an unmarried immoral woman; or (2) a virgin. The birth of a child by an unmarried woman is so common it could not be a “sign.” For this reason the Greek translators, long before the time of Christ, correctly determined that only the word parthenos (virgin) was a suitable translation for almah in this context. (2)

His name is not a mere appellation, which neither Isaiah’s son nor Jesus Christ bore literally; but what describes His manifested attributes; His character (so Is 9:6). The name in its proper destination was not arbitrary, but characteristic of the individual; sin destroyed the faculty of perceiving the internal being; hence the severance now between the name and the character; in the case of Jesus Christ and many in Scripture, the Holy Ghost has supplied this want [Olshausen].(3) 

While the name has come to mean "God with us," it should be better understood as "WITH US is God!" To you this may not be significant, but in understanding the name as this, we are able to capture the awe, and wonder of the incarnation, and the fact that the God of the universe, the creator of all things created, came to become one with us.

How undeserving are we that the king of the universe would leave His place in the heaven to join us in the human experience. So as we prepare our hearts for the coming Messiah, let us remember we are not deserving of such an experience; and that it is only through God's desire to relate to us and to be in relationship with us that we are given this child. 

Bibliography: *Accessed from Logos Bible Software*

(1) H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Isaiah, vol. 1, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1910), 127.

(2) James E. Smith, The Major Prophets, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992), Is 7:10–16.

(3) Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 437. 

The Journey

As many of you know, since last August I have been on a journey that I never expected to happen. I never expected that I would remotely become an inquiring candidate to pastoral ministry; I never thought that my dream of actually using what I understood about the Bible would become anything more than a lifestyle. 

Yet this journey has been a roller coaster filled with emotions, anxiety and waiting. While I completely understand why my denomination has set forth the requirements for their future pastors to complete; sometimes I do feel like a dog jumping through flaming hoops. This isn't mean to discourage anyone--I will be honest, I have enjoyed every minute of what I have had to go through to become a pastor. This process is as thorough as possible to make sure we aren't licensing or ordaining people who are not truly called to be ministers--this process definitely  makes sure that your heart is ready for ministry as well as making sure that you are in the right place to be an effective minister for the kingdom of God. 

Some of the emotional toll this process takes on you does seem "expensive" when it comes to faith. Over the past 6 months, I have felt every emotion possible; I have been scared to death, I have sat at home and cried; I have felt complete peace and joy; I've been pushed to my limit and I have taken on rolls that I never thought I would. I've learned to say "no" to certain things and "yes" to the best things that I can imagine. 

I've had moments that were completely discouraging; and earlier this week was one of them; I needed two more recommendation letters to arrive at Duke Divinity School and I was at a loss at what to do when a friend stepped up and her father wrote a letter for me; then I needed one more and I had a feeling it wasn't going to get completed and it was updated to "In Process." And boy do I have to tell you...that was a great feeling. Knowing that hopefully tomorrow, January 15, I will finally have all my paperwork in at DDS. 

Then this morning I woke up and saw an email stating that the District Committee Board of Ordination wants me to do one more psychological evaluation and this is scary. Why? Because, in my past, I was labeled with a false diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder and the evaluation that I am being told to take will actually explore the fact that I probably do have a mental/personality disorder. And yes, I did have a diagnosis, but I was also extremely immature and no longer exhibit the criteria for the personality disorder. 

Then we have the current climate the UMC is finding itself in. Our denomination is starting to splinter over the fact that we are having to spell out everything minut detail in the Book of Discipline. The most current manifestation of this is the fact that we, as Methodists, believe that marriage is between a man and a woman; and we don't believe in ordaining homosexuals; and while this is just the tip of the iceberg it is truly the tip and not the entire story. 

Yet despite all of these things that cause me to feel like the dog in the picture above, I can say that it's totally worth it. I am somewhere that most people who knew me in the past can't believe I am at. I guess some people thought that I'd be in jail or given up on Christ by this point--but you see no matter how discouraging or or hard this process can be; no matter how nerve-wracking or even heart breaking at times; it is well pleasing to God. In this process I have been at peace, not because I have the support of my church, which I do and I am grateful for that--but because this process is in place and it's a journey. I have delved deeper into my relationship with God, and with my fellow humans. I have truly had to live out that which I have preached for so long. 

Yes, the Candidacy process probably doesn't make sense to my family and my parents have had a ton of questions--there should be a website or support group for parents whose adult children discern a calling to ministry--and maybe there is, but if not, as good Methodists, maybe we can form a committee (if you are Methodist you will get this), and while it doesn't make sense, I am so grateful for each step of the journey! 

Wow! Never would have known

So this blog started out as a personal page about how I found out about my Jewish roots of faith, and even the Jewish roots of my family heritage. Since launching this page, I have reached 9 countries...there has been over 141 views on the blogs I write. This is very humbling, since this was never intended to be anything more than my personal reflections of my faith.
What makes this interesting to me is that I can't imagine why anyone would want to know what I am thinking, doing or believing. To be honest, I am just a southern girl from North Carolina, with a funny accent, and no dress style at all. I am a former photojournalist, I have a dog named Biscuit and work in the school system here. I play the fiddle, have a best friend in Finland and love the Lion King, lighthouses and Jesus (but not in that order). I pray wearing a tallit, I keep as kosher as possible and listen to rock, oldies,  classical music and Broadway show tunes!
Nothing on this page, should be of any interest to anyone...but for some reason, it is and I LOVE it! I love how I can write and someone out there will +1 my writings, I can rant about something and someone will +1 the rant...
Amazingly, I am touch lives that I will never meet or have met and just don't know they are reading my work. Sometimes I may even have nothing in particular to say...much like this post here...except thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you will continue to come back every chance you get!