It is quite popular now for brides and grooms to send out a note card or trinket which proclaims the message, “Save the Date!”.  Some of them are clever, some practical, most bear a picture of the couple.  I particularly like the ones that aren’t knick-knacks.  I am trying to pare down the collection of doo-dads I’ve accumulated through the years.  I really don’t need another refrigerator magnet!  But the reminder to mark my calendar ahead of time is definitely appreciated.  In a small way these announcements are much like a prophecy.  They proclaim “Sally and John are getting married on May 1st!” and when the invitation to join them on that special day arrives, it agrees with the first proclamation.  When you are seated in the sanctuary and watching the couple exchange vows that announcement you received those many months ago finally comes to pass.  And of course, it’s a happy occasion to see it take place.
            The prophets of Israel had the official role of making announcements to the people of God.  The priests and scribes who organized the Old Testament books placed prophets in two categories.  The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel were called “Major Prophets” (because of the length of their scrolls/books) and the rest were called “Minor Prophets”.  Twelve of the Minor Prophets have their own book and others like Nathan (2 Sam. 7:1-17 for example) appear in stories throughout the Old Testament.  Moses, Elijah and Elisha are the exceptions to this general rule.  The importance of prophets continues across the pages of the New Testament but they are no longer categorized as they were in the past.  The first and most important New Testament prophet is John the Baptist.  A careful reading of his biography (Lk. 1:5-25; 57-80) proves that he actually followed in his father’s footsteps.
            Elizabeth and Zechariah, John’s parents, initially faced their elderly years without a child.  It is not hard to imagine the suffering Elizabeth endured (inwardly or outwardly) with this stigma or the sorrow Zechariah must have felt with no heir to carry on the family line.  But everything changes with a miraculous promise from God (Lk. 1:16-17).    While doubt seems to overrule Zechariah’s faith, God is faithful to stir life in Elizabeth’s womb and a child is born to them.  As a result of Zechariah’s lack of faith he is left speechless until the day the child is to be named.  After inscribing the God’s chosen name of “John” on a tablet (to the astonishment of the family and friends who have gathered for the occasion), the Lord opens Zechariah’s vocal chords and gives Zechariah a prophecy to share with the group surrounding him.  Zechariah first praises God (a good thing to do when you haven’t spoken for 9 months!) and then proceeds in the tradition of the prophets before him by extolling the great things God has done and is about to do (Lk. 1:67-79).  Two figures are prominent in this proclamation.  The first is the Messiah.  The second is Zechariah’s son, whom he says will be “the prophet of the Most High” and who will prepare the way for the Messiah’s appearance in accordance with the prophecies of Isaiah (9:2; Lk. 1:78), Jeremiah (31:34; Lk. 1:77), Ezekiel (29:21; Lk. 1:69) and Micah (7:20; Lk. 7:22).
            Of particular note is the title and description Zechariah uses to describe the Messiah.  He is called the “Horn of Salvation” which is easy to skip over in this day and age as we no longer understand how important that image was to those who first heard it.  One writer noted, “The phrase horn of salvation is a reference to Christ.  The word horn throughout the Old Testament was a symbol of strength, power and might.  The Messiah is called the horn or the Mighty One of Salvation because He alone possesses the might, the strength, and the power to save”.  Zechariah’s prophecy notes that many prophets have spoken these words in past eras (Lk. 1:70), but it is now that God has accomplished them, literally God has completed them (Lk. 1:68).  Through the lineage of David, God has brought forth the promise first uttered by Samuel to David concerning his kingdom and those who would succeed him on the throne (2 Sam. 7:8-16).
            For Zechariah the imagery in the term “horn of salvation” led directly to the altar in the Temple of the Courtyard.  At each corner of the altar where the sacrifices were burned were horns (Ex. 27:1-2).  Not only did the all-consuming sacrificial fire demonstrate God’s power, strength and might, the horns did too.  The symbols reminded those bringing the sacrifices that they needed a Savior to destroy the sin those sacrifices represented.  How often do we remember the power, strength and might it took for Jesus the Messiah to destroy our sin?  Perhaps it is most evident to us at Easter as our focus is obviously directed to the Cross and the Resurrection.  Maybe when we see an animal with horns now it will remind us of this title and in turn the tremendous power, strength, and might it took for Jesus to conquer sin.  I know that I will never be looking at an animal’s horns in the same way again.  How about you?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of  7/31/2016          

            Do you have a memorable high-school teacher?  One of mine was Eva Broussard.  Eva was the ceramics teacher and she loved her job.  Her hands (and clothes) always had clay on them!  When Eva scooped out a lump of clay from the large garbage can where it was kept, slapped it down on the table and pushed it with the heel of her hand, it was hard to imagine what that brown blob was going to look like.  But once all the air bubbles were removed from the clay, she would then waltz over to one of the kick-wheels, smack the clay down one more time and lightly sprinkle it with water before turning on the wheel.  With just the right amount of strength and gentleness she would push, pull and tease the clay into a dish.  I would watch amazed at how easy she made it look and I quickly came to believe that any lump of clay in her hands- no matter how shapeless or lifeless it appeared to be- had the potential to become something beautiful.
            It is easy to see why God the Father is called a Potter in the Book of Isaiah.  Whether it is in reference to the world itself (Gen. 1: 1-2 etc.) or the nation of Israel as His people (Ps. 95:1-7; Is. 43:1), the Father has taken “lumps of clay” and fashioned them into something beautiful.  The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “But now O Lord, You are our Father.  We are the clay, and You are our Potter.  And all of us are the work of Your hand.” (Is. 64:8).  This is not only an Old Testament concept.  Paul proclaimed to the Ephesians that they were God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10) and He told the Philippians the same (Phil. 1:6).  God first fashioned the nation of Israel to represent Him to the ancient world (Is. 49:6; Ac. 13:46-48).  Today He has expanded that to include the church (Phil. 2:14-16).  And while He is certainly working in the corporate sense, He also shapes and molds each one of us to be more and more like His Son through the inner workings of His Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17-18).
            The steps a potter takes to produce a pot is very much like the way God works in us to produce a life that brings glory to Him.  First the potter must prepare the clay and remove any excess water from it.  The potter does this by kneading the clay like bread dough which removes any air bubbles in the clay.  If they were to remain, they would expand and explode when the pot is baked in the kiln.  So out they must go!  The Holy Spirit works in us the same way, kneading and shaping us so that the sin we are so often tempted by and struggle with is replaced with His fruit (Rom. 2:1-2; Gal. 5:22; Heb. 13:20-21) and a desire to please God instead of ourselves (Jn. 14:15; Eph. 6:5-7; 1 Thes. 4:1).
            Secondly the potter places the clay on the wheel and with pressure and gentle guidance from his hands helps the shape and purpose of the vessel to be revealed.  Will it be a bowl?  A mug?  A vase?  The potter determines that as the wheel turns and the clay spins around.  How does the Lord shape and mold us?  He speaks to us through the pages of the Bible (Ps. 119:105).  His Word tells us what we should and should not be doing (Ps. 19: 7-14; 119:9-16; Amos 5:14-15: Js. 1: 26-27; 4:17; 2 Tim. 3:16).  We learn about faith from the lives of the people there (Take the life of Joseph for example- Gen. 37-50) and receive instruction from the Prophets (Is. 40:28-31; Hos. 6:3) and Apostles (Jn. 21:24-25; 2 Pet. 1:12-21), and most importantly from Jesus Himself (Mt. 5; Jn. 14:23-24).  The Potter can also mold us through fellow believers (1 Cor. 12:4-31; Eph. 5:15-21; 1 Thes. 5:11).  They encourage us, challenge us, and if they truly love us, even correct us when they see us straying from God’s path (Mt. 18:15-18).  His Spirit also molds us to be more like Jesus if we are willing to yield to Him just like the clay yields to the potter’s hands as he forms the pot (Jn. 14:16-17; 25-26).
            Lastly the potter allows the clay to dry and then applies a glaze over the pot before it is fired.  When the pot comes out of the kiln, what once looked like a dull coat of paint has been transformed into a piece of art.  The fire has brought out wonderful colors which enhance the natural beauty of the pot’s shape.  No one likes to go through trials or struggles but they actually enhance us and help us to become more like Christ (2 Cor. 4:7-14; Js, 1:1-3).  Through them we first understand the trial Jesus undertook in paying for our sin (1 Jn. 1:5-7), but our struggles can also help us to help others who may face the same thing (Rom. 15:1-7) and helping them through those struggles brings glory to God (Heb. 13:1-6).
            While the plain bisque pot which comes off the wheel may look nice, it isn’t useful because without a glaze it is porous.  Any liquid put into that pot will be absorbed by it.  But a glazed pot is useful for a number of things.  The Lord brings us through “the fire” to make us useful vessels for His glory.  And He will help us to discover what we are useful for if we are willing to serve.  Most importantly as that beautifully finished and useful piece of pottery we reflect the One who made us (Rom. 8:28-29) in a world that truly needs to see Him (Rom. 10:14-15). 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 7/24/2016

             Dimitri scanned the stadium.  Its beautiful white Pentellic marble glistened in the sun.  The seats were packed with spectators from Athens and every region of Greece.  To his right Julius was nervously pacing.  Yesterday he was boasting about the “glory of his name” but it was obvious today that he would not live up to his bragging.  To his left Nikko was going through his pre-race paces.  Now there would be some competition.  He was fast off the block.  But Dimitri believed he was faster.  It was time to concentrate on his race and not the others.  Once again he scanned the stadium.  But this time it was to survey the course.  As he did so, he ran the race in his mind: At the start be quick off the block and keep a steady rhythm into the first turn.  First turn- take it easy and glide into the second turn.  Far stretch- begin to accelerate to mid-point and then turn on the speed.  Final turn pump legs and arms until the lungs beg to burst open wide just as you cross the finish line, then decrease slowly so that the air can fill the lungs again and the body can relax.  It was time to step into the block and as he did so, Dimitri looked toward the goal.  From that point on, it was the only thing he could see.
            I am not an athlete and I’ve never competed in any type of sport but with the summer Olympics just around the corner I am thinking a lot about the time I stood in the ancient Olympic stadium in Athens and gazed upon the course my imaginary Dimitri would have run.  Although I don’t exactly know what it takes to become an Olympic athlete, I do know about setting goals.  Stephen Covey in the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ranked setting goals as the second most important habit a person can develop (preceded only by being “proactive”).  The essence of this principle is not simple goals such as “Today I’d like to get the closet cleaned out” or the garage reorganized.  It is not even an altruistic goal such as “I’m going to volunteer at the food pantry” or I’m going to finish all my work on time.  The question Covey poses is “What do you want your life to look like when it’s over?”  How do you want to be remembered?  For the believer there should be only one answer to that question and it’s based on the goal you set your sights on as you run this race we call “Life”.
            The author of Hebrews had a race in mind when he penned the first three verses of Hebrews 12.  He paints for us a picture of a “great cloud of witnesses” and urges us to put off anything that holds us back in order to run the race with all the strength and stamina we will need to complete it.  He gives us the key on how to do this.  It is by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” who is the model and ideal of how the race should not only be run, but won.  It seems curious that Jesus should be mentioned here; just after that glorious list of faithful believers in chapter 11.  Weren’t they inspiration enough?  It is quite a list!  Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, those who passed through the Red Sea, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jepthah, David, Samuel, the prophets and many unnamed martyrs.  It seems to me that any one of them alone would be enough of a standard that I would easily fall short.  But they are not the ideal.  That status belongs to Jesus alone.
            Jesus is designated as the “author” and “perfecter” of faith.  These words are not only significant titles, they have very significant meanings.  As author, Jesus is the “originator, founder, leader or chief”.  While we could say He is the “one who wrote the book” on faith, this word carries even more weight as it also means that Jesus’ life testifies to the benefits of living the life of faith.  Heb. 12:2 tells us that after enduring the cross, Jesus “sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”, the reward of His complete obedience to the Father’s will.  Jesus is also the “perfecter” of faith.  A teleiotes (tee-lee-oh-tace) is a “finisher, completer, particularly one who reaches a goal so as to win the prize”.  It is used only once in Scripture- here in Heb. 12:2!  The grammar of this passage indicates that Jesus is called this in light of the aforementioned list.  While many of the faithful greats listed in chapter 11 lived a life of faith that is truly inspirational (and encouraging since many of them had some pretty low moments of faith as well!), Jesus is the supreme model.  We are told to fix our eyes upon Him- a metaphor drawn from the foot race of the ancient Olympics- that is to set our eyes on a distant object and look steadfastly and intently toward it without any regard to what lies around us as we run the race.  While the others may be good examples, Jesus is better and it’s Him we are to emulate and aspire to.  He is the key to winning our race.
            I confess I often get side-tracked and consumed with smaller goals and the “stuff” that’s happening on the sidelines of life.  When I recognize that I’ve taken my eyes off the goal I ask myself that sobering question, “How do you want to be remembered?”  When my race is done, I want people to say, “She ran the race just like Jesus.”  What do you want them to say about you?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 7/17/2016

             When I was first assigned to Capernaum, my fellow soldiers chided, “You’ll rot away to nothing in that sleepy Galilean town!”  But it didn’t take long for me to realize that would never be true.  Though small, Capernaum was a busy place!  Between the soldiers of my cohort and the extended fishing families, plus the trade route not too far from us, there was never a dull moment in Capernaum.  I settled right in and when I wasn’t called out on duty, I was often intrigued by the religious practices of the common folk.  Worshipping only one god?  What a difference from the plethora of gods in the suspicious pantheon of Roman deity (a system of faith I admit I did not believe).  The more I talked to the local leaders of this religion, the more attracted to it I became, but it seemed to me that something was missing.  Still when the desire to erect a place of worship rose among them, I was eager to help out.  Being a centurion does have its financial perks.  Life was good in Capernaum.  Sunny days, temperate weather, and very little conflict, until one of my favored servants took ill.  It seemed there was nothing we could do and the boy would die.  Then I heard about the teacher who was staying in town.  He’d been teaching and healing and the town was electric with the accounts.  I came to believe that this was the missing piece I’d been looking for.   He was Someone greater than myself who could command life and give it as well.  Perhaps He could heal my servant.  I believed He could so I sent Him a message…
            Capernaum is one of the places in Israel that you can visit and see the pages of Scripture come alive.  The synagogue that remains there now is from the 4th century A. D. but buried directly underneath its foundation is the foundation of a synagogue that would have been there when Jesus ministered in Capernaum.  Surrounding the synagogue one can see the basalt walls of the homes where fishermen, soldiers and several other walks of life raised their families and ran their businesses.  From all accounts life in Capernaum appears to have been quite pleasant even with the Roman soldiers in such close proximity.  The Roman army was divided into legions (6,000 men) which were subsequently divided into cohorts (1,000 men).  Each cohort had 100 centurions who oversaw 100 men each.  Centurions had a very positive reputation.  They were often highly intelligent, well-paid and dedicated, typically staying in the army past the expected 20 year stint.  In Luke 7:1-10 we are introduced to one of those centurions.  He is recognized as a man who is sympathetic to the Jewish faith having “loved Israel” by building the synagogue (v. 5).  He is not the only centurion in Scripture to receive a favorable review (see Mt. 27:47-54; Ac. 10:1-48; 27:27-44, particularly v. 43).
            While the first paragraph may be imaginary, the events which unfold in the first 10 verses of Luke 7 reveal that this centurion (who remains anonymous) was a man who was both smart and sensitive.  He cares deeply about his servant.  The Greek indicates he was a young boy who in a permanent position of servitude, but the concern of his master seems to imply he was “like part of the family”.  The Greek also indicates that his illness was life-threatening, especially since the word for “heal” is one that means “to save the life, rescue, bring to safety, and preserve”; not your typical “get well” wish which we toss at folks who have a cold.  The small town feel of Capernaum comes through in the rapid manner in which messages are sent and received in this story.  The synagogue elders call upon Jesus to ask Him to help the servant on behalf of their benefactor (vv. 3-4).  The centurion recognizes that Jesus is not obligated to visit the home of someone outside of His religious “community” so to speak; that is why would a Jewish healer feel the need to come to the home of a Roman soldier (v. 6).   But for the sake of his beloved servant, the centurion hopes Jesus will just say the word, and all will be well (v.7).  Jesus then commends him for his faith-faith that should be evident in Israel but isn’t (v. 9).
            The deep faith of the centurion is evident in the manner by which he addresses Jesus- Lord.  The word kurios is derived from the root word meaning power and might.  It was always used to refer to someone who was a superior as in a master or owner.  The centurion certainly knows the significance of this term and even expresses it in verse 8.  He recognizes that Jesus is Master over the physical world since He has already healed many of the residents of Capernaum.  If an earthly centurion can direct the movements of 100 men, then The Master/Lord can direct the illness of a young slave.  The question for us is do we see Jesus in the same way?  Do we recognize that He has the right to direct the components of our life because He is the One who has rescued us from sin?  How often do we make decisions based on what we want or desire without consulting with The Master as to what He wants and desires?  If we cannot view Him in the same way as the centurion, then we are no better off than the men that sought out Jesus on the centurion’s behalf.  Is Jesus your Lord?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 7/10/2016
 

            I think one of the worst games ever invented is that gift-giving game in which you get a number to choose a gift from a grab bag.  Everyone has contributed a small gift and they are usually quite nice.  But if someone who has a number that comes after yours likes the gift you chose, they can “steal” it from you and you must choose from the pile again.  It seems that every time I’ve played that game I’ve either chosen something that is “awful” for me, or something I love and it gets taken away and then I get something “awful” when I have to choose again!  The last time that happened to me I decided I’d never play that game again.  And I haven’t!  Really!  What do you do with those unwanted things?  Thankfully this is not the only way to receive gifts in this world.  And I must say I’ve been the recipient of some wonderful gifts through the years!  One of those amazing gifts sent me to Greece in the “Footsteps of Paul” and to the city of Corinth; a city whose believers struggled with their pagan roots and the powerful influence it had on them, yet were willing to give out of their abundance to fellow believers who were struggling many miles away in Jerusalem.
            Paul makes note of their generosity in 2 Corinthians 9 as he reminds them it’s time to send the gift along.  The apostle notes their gift has inspired other churches in Macedonia to do the same.  In a tactful (and somewhat humorous) way (see v. 5), Paul encourages the Corinthians to be prepared to hand it over when he comes to visit so that he can bring it to the saints in Jerusalem.  “Don’t have second thoughts,” Paul seems to be saying.  Holding on to what you have never produces anything more than what it already is.  But for those who give bountifully, the same returns to them (v. 6).  Paul also says that they should not give to look good in front of each other or because everyone else is.  Rather they should give as they feel God would want them to give and take joy in doing so (v. 7) quoting Ex. 25:2 as his source.  It is really God who gives you the ability to both give and receive Paul writes in verse 8 and when He scatters “seed” everyone benefits (v.9).
            In verses 10 through 15 Paul states the “He who supplies seed (v. 10) to the sower and bread for food” will enable their gift to multiply and produce a harvest of thanksgiving.  While the term seed originally was used only of plants, it grew to figuratively be applied to offspring.  It represented both what was sown (the actual seed) and what was produced (fruit).  In this passage God has not only planted the seed with their forthcoming gift, He has also produced the fruit from it (v. 11).  If God is the One who supplies both the seed and harvest, then all the more reason to give freely.  The word haplotes is used here in a moral sense, meaning one’s giving should not be tainted with an ulterior motive.  One’s giving should be sincere, helpful and benevolent with no expectation of return.  Giving this way is a diakonia (dee-a-coi-knee-a; where we get our word deacon from), a ministry or service (Ac. 11:29; Rom. 15:13; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:1, 13; 11:8; Rev. 2:19) and involves compassionate love toward the needy (v. 12).  As a result of this ministry of giving, the recipients will have a reason to thank God (v. 13) and also to pray for the Corinthians noting they have been God’s vehicle of grace (v. 14).
            Most importantly the “indescribable gift” of God is the foundation of all giving.  Quite the tongue twister in Greek, anekdiegetos, denotes something that is hard to describe or something where there are no words to adequately express what it is.  Amazingly, this is the only time this word is used in the entire New Testament!  The word gift is used to describe something given which is truly gratuitous in nature.  It is freely given with no expectation of return.  Of course Paul is referring to Christ as this “unexplainable, completely free gift” of God.  Many of us can quote John 3:16 with this in mind.  But do we take the time to think about what that really means?  That God would send His Son, His only Son, to take the punishment we deserved, so that we might regain the relationship we once had in the Garden with Him is quite amazing considering this gift was given without any expectation of anything in return (Rom. 5:6-11, 15-17).  It is with this in mind that Paul challenges the Corinthians to give liberally.  Simply put Paul is saying, “Give as liberally as Christ gave His life for you” (Phil. 2:3-8).
            How do you give?  Do you give begrudgingly?  Do you give for recognition?  Do you only give what you have to and not beyond that predetermined amount?  Our giving should always be reviewed in light of what Christ gave for us.  When I look back over the times I’ve received an unexpected and generous gift it reminds me of the greatest gift I’ve ever received thanks to my “Indescribable Gift”.  I pray I will be found giving in the same manner as Him (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:1-2).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.   
Week of 7/3/2016