From Pastor Andrew’s Desk

 

 Greetings FCCBers!

I hope you have had a great week and that your Christmas shopping is all done :). First a couple of reminders for you:

Haddad Goodbye
In our service this Sunday we will be celebrating the ministry of Mike Haddad. He will share about his time here and also about his next step as the lead pastor of Derby Community Church in Derby, VT. I also will share some words about Mike and his ministry. Then we will take a time to pray for Mike, Norma, Isabelle and Teddy and “send” them to Vermont in prayer. After the service in the FLC we’ll have the opportunity to thank and encourage Mike and Norma and express how they have blessed us over the last two and a half years of ministry here in Boxford. I hope you can be with us in this important Sunday in the life of our church community! 

Also, put on your calendar December 18th. That Sunday we’ll have a Christmas Carol Sing-along from 3:15-4:10 pm followed by a Town Bonfire by the Library. Boxford’s ‘Grand Illumination’ is from 5:00 to 6:00 pm with a reception at the Holyoke French House. This is truly a “can’t miss event” this Christmas season!

This Sunday we will continue our look at the Gospel of Luke. Last Sunday we ended with Zechariah unable to speak due to his unbelief after hearing the angel’s pronouncement that they will have a baby. In verse 57 we see that the time had come for Elizabeth to have a child and they had a son. In verse 58 …
 “her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy and they shared in her joy.” 

There is just about nothing as joyful as sharing our good times (weddings, births, etc.) with friends and family particularly during the holiday season.  Celebrating joyous occasions together is one of the most underrated areas of being a Christian. So often people think that the church can be a dour, boring place. Certainly we have our moments. But when we walk with the Lord and His people, we find special moments deeply encouraging and full of celebration. Think back on your journey with the Lord.  Take a minute and write down some of your favorite times of celebration! Then thank God for these moments of joy. It’s always good to remember God’s faithfulness in our lives as we look back on those “memory markers” of celebration.

Jewish tradition for Jewish baby boys calls for circumcision eight days after birth as well as the official naming of the baby. Fascinating that in v. 59 it literally states that they “were going to name him after his father Zechariah.” In this culture, sons nearly always took the names of their father, therefore, Zechariah, Jr. How often people have ideas of what we should do specific situations. One of my favorite adages about this dynamic is that “God has a plan for your life and so does everyone else.”
If Elizabeth had just listened to the crowd she would have disobeyed God’s commands by saying something like, “I guess you’re right, his name is Zechariah,” even though in her “heart of hearts” she would have known the name was to be John! It’s so hard to let people down or to stand up for what we know to be true about God’s direction for us. Yet, in this moment, Elizabeth spoke up in confidence and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They respond,
 “there is no one amongst your relatives who has that name” (v. 61).

The crowd implies she is making no sense and perhaps causes Elizabeth to second guess herself. It’s never easy to feel this way. Elizabeth must have felt very alone in this moment, feeling misunderstood. This can be common in the life of the believer. We all want to fit in and be accepted. Yet, as we follow the Lord, we can be led to do things we never expected, in His way and in His timing. The Bible often implores us “do not be dismayed.”

Then the crowd approaches Zechariah who was not able to speak at the time, also, most likely deaf. They wanted to confirm with him that Elizabeth was a little bit delusional with this whole “John” thing. But then Zechariah does something utterly shocking – he confirms in writing that

 “his name is John” (v. 63).

A good man standing up for his wife! Interestingly, right after Zechariah wrote this his nine months of silence ended and his

 “tongue set free, and began to speak, praising God.” (v. 64).

Sometimes God needs to discipline us for our good. We literally need to hit the sidelines for a bit. But remember – the “Lord disciplines those he loves” (Hebrews). Zechariah had to hit the sidelines, but during that time, he was being prepared to praise God more on the back end of the discipline. He had a lot of time to reflect, prepare and he was ready! Maybe the Lord has you in a season of discipline. If so, remember that this is not punitive but is for your good and the lives of others! Zechariah’s praising led to the multitude praising the Lord in verses 65-66.

Verses 67-80 describe Zechariah’s song… please take a moment and read it, enjoy it and reflect on it as it points to the mission of Christ and John the Baptist!

Look forward to seeing you this Sunday for another joyous Advent Sunday!

Blessings,

Pastor Andrew