STATEMENT OF BELIEF

AMEN!

BELIEVE, RECEIVE, AND DON'T DECEIVE

FIFTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

       

The Mass is not supposed to be something limited to 60 minutes or so on the weekend; it is intended to be a “peak experience” that flows outward to cover your whole life. The First Letter of John tells us, “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar . . . .”: To profess your faith only and not live it makes you a hypocrite. As John also said, “This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.” To receive the Body of the Lord and not imitate him is equally dishonest. So the next time you’re at the table of God’s word, remember it’s telling you to live what you believe and what you receive.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35 (202)
“Whoever loves . . . remains in the light.”

Saturday, December 29

VALUE STATEMENT

INCARNATION

“The life of Jesus is not just for his own time and for the time that has come after him, but is for men and women of alltime.  His redeeming work has been available to every member of the human family from the beginning of the world.  This perspective involves what might be called vertical time:  the eternal values breaking into horizontal or chronological time. ... Thus, at each moment of our lives the eternal values that have come into the world through Christ are available to everyone as historical time unfolds.  Our historical lifetime is given us precisely to grow into vertical time, which scripture calls 'eternal life.'" ... The Word of God was always present beyond time.  In the incarnation, he become present in time”

THE HEART OF THE WORLD, Thomas Keating

GOD IS IN CONTROL

Nobody in America feels safe anymore - floods & storms are wiping entire towns off the map; children turning into gunmen opening fire on and murdering the innocent (both physically and emotionally); and a Government that has been removing God from our culture as a nation - what are we to do? 

TURN TO GOD WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS !

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth". (Psalm 145:18 KJV)

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 KJV)

Our world has been rapidly changing for the worst - we need The Lord more now than ever before and need to preach the gospel boldly and without reservation to the lost - OUR HELP AND THE WHOLE WORLD'S HELP COMES FROM GOD!

Today my prayer for us all is that we will find our sense of safety and security in God and God alone - I love you all and pray that the peace of God will rule your hearts in Christ Jesus!

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 KJV)

As crazy as things seem right now we can trust The Lord and even though it may not look like it - HE IS IN CONTROL!

Be blessed today and take some time to hug those you love just a little tighter!

(Romans 15:13)

Pastor Karen Cappuccio began her walk with the Lord at age nineteen. She has a passion to know the Lord in a more intimate way and to walk in a deep relationship with him. Although she was a "closet singer" for quite some time, she began to discover the destiny and calling that God has for her, and she has been worshiping and singing ever since. She has a beautiful prophetic flow in worship and leads the Body of Christ to intimate levels in His presence.

Her husband Philip Cappuccio serves as senior Pastor to Kingdom Life Covenant Church, a full Gospel church located in the heart of Hershey, PA that he and his wife founded in obedience to the word of the Lord back in 2003. In addition, Pastor Philip travels extensively, both here and overseas bringing the word of the Lord in a variety of settings: Conferences; Prophetic Presbyteries; Crusades; Bible Schools. The prophetic burden of his heart is to fulfill his life's mandate: 

Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence…  Acts 28:31

UNITY TRUMPS DISUNITY

The last month has been one of the best months of our 12-year marriage that I can remember.  And the holy part is that it had nothing to do with circumstances. It wasn’t because of a week in Hawaii, a $10,000 check arriving unexpectedly in the mail, or any other outside change.

It’s the result of a shift that God has brought at the deepest level of our core beliefs about marriage.

As the ancient proverb goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

We’ve been pursuing healing, deliverance, restoration, and freedom for many years.  We’ve individually sought personal counseling and many prayer sessions.  But it still hasn’t touched the rift of deepest pain in our marriage.  Cherie and I would both say that most of our marriage is healthy and strong. But a small percentage is incredibly painful – perennial patterns of hurting each other, missing each other’s hearts, and mutual misunderstanding lead to all sorts of problems.Then: a rescue.

Through the help of a couple who has chosen the narrow road in their marriage (Jared and Megan Anderson, thank you) and the ministry of an older and much wiser couple showing us the ancient path (thank you, Tim and Anne Evans), we were led back to God’s design and given an entirely new layer of revelation on what is possible for marriage.

They brought us back to the timeline of the Larger Story.  Our story began in Eden when all was “good” – as it was meant to be; a design that brought life. With the Fall, all hell broke loose and separation from God wreaked havoc and rendered broken almost all that our hearts hold as true, beautiful, and good (The Sacred Romance retells this story in a most compelling way).

Through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus – restoration began.  And we find ourselves partway, in the “not yet”, but headed back to Eden – to the restoration of all things.

We were challenged to begin our theology about marriage on God’s design before the Fall.  They invited us to meditate on Genesis 1 and 2 every day for three months in order to let God’s design, God’s desire, and God’s intentions find deep roots in us.

And in Genesis 1 and 2 they helped us unearth a timeless secret.Let US make them in our image… let them rule.

We were made, fashioned and formed, in the image of a Trinitarian God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  A mystery of one God who is also a holy fellowship and community, a Unity of three being One.  And we were given the assignment, and the honor to care for, protect, and graciously rule over all of creation together, man and woman.

In Genesis 2, God takes us right into his creative studio and shows us how he rendered this mystery and holy possibility. First, He draws man from the dust of the earth, from organic compost. Then He does the most intimate and extraordinary act in all creative history (relived countless times every day in maternity wards around our nation and in homes around the world): God “breathed into (Adam’s) nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). God’s spirit fills our mortal bodies with an inextinguishable LIFE from his very own breath (Eccelsiastes 3:20).

It was framed to us this way: “God brings us to life with the intimacy of a kiss.”

And then He goes into this wildly mysterious and nearly preposterous story…. Adam alone is not enough.  Humanity is not yet complete and whole.  Adam is the image of God indeed, as a man.  But not yet as a fellowship.  So Adam falls asleep, a rib is drawn from his side, and woman is created. The “crown of creation”, to quote Captivating.  The completion of the holiest landscape of beauty, wonder, adventure, and life that God could dream up.

The very next sentence contains the secret that Cherie and I have been missing for twelve years. “Therefore,” the text reads.  In other words, “All that I have just shared was prologue for this next idea.”OK, wild and creative Trinity, you have my attention.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united (cleave) to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

A man and a woman become one.  They are united.

Jesus echoes this mystery when the legalist on divorce challenges him.  He avoids the question (and the trap) entirely by going back to this very place in the Story; he cuts to the heart by going back to God’s design, desire, and intention.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate…Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning” (Matthew 19:4-8).

And here is the crux.

Cherie and I are a team. We’ve been trying to fight for the best in each other; hoping that through each other’s love, we each will become more than we ever could have been without the other. But most of our life we tag team.  It’s taking turns – shuttling kids, making decisions out of efficiency, seeking God… but separately.We’ve been missing the biggest point.

Union is what He is after.

In marriage.

And in our relationship with Him.

Unity is the point. Not productivity. Not doing good things for God. Not making good decisions on behalf of our spouse. Unity cultivates increasing intimacy. And intimacy – in marriage with our partner and in union with our God – is the goal and the prize of this story.

And more is available than we have been led to believe. Much, much more.

We have both surrendered our “trump cards” in our marriage.  We have embraced a dream of cultivating our marriage to reflect and embody more of what we see available in the heroic fellowship and union of God Himself, the Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It is not “efficient.”  We’ve had to put the brakes on in a big way.  Punt on many decisions, offload commitments, and slow down.

We’ve had to listen to each other’s heart and pain like never before.

We’ve had to come to the center of how the other is feeling, seeing, and hoping and be with each other in that place.We’ve had to seek God together and on behalf of “we” – this holy union.

And the fruit is already being realized. Joy. Trust. Hope. Kindness. Unity. Strength.

And, God-willing, slowly, one day at a time this “we”, this union, will bring about something new in this world…something dreamed up by our God since before creation, some piece of his promise to a hurting world that “all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well” (Julian of Norwich).

Unity trumps disunity.

What would it look like to unfurl this banner over your marriage and your relationship with God? What’s the next step?  The choices in this decade will set the trajectory for the rest of our lives.

Really good article from John Eldridge and Ransomed Heart Ministries.

CHRISTMAS: TRADITIONS

As a child, part of a good-sized Swedish family, the Big Event was Christmas Eve. Don't know how many of us we were--- my mother was one of five children, all married, all had children, my cousins, some were older enough than me to have their own children, my second cousins..... And we all got together at my grandparents, Mommo and Moppa. (Mother's Mother and Mother's Father in Swedish) 

The amount of food was incredible. Long tables, placed together, filled with traditional Swedish foods, made especially for Christmas. I can still remember what they were called, how they smelled and tasted..... vast quantities. Rice pudding, meatballs (Swedish style),smoked and baked and pickled fishes, different kinds of sausages, vegetable puddings, sweet & sour red cabbage, dilly beans, head cheeses..... breads..... and then the tables full of desserts afterwards. Cookies and pies and cakes and fruit and nuts.....

Course we children wanted to get all that out of the way BECAUSE after the supper, Santa Claus came to the house, and hysterical excitement ensued, as he gave each child one present!!!! 

Not long after that we went home. And awaited Santa's coming during the night, and more presents in the morning! With a traditional Christmas breakfast of "busca kaka" which is hard boiled eggs mashed with butter and spread on flat rye bread. Tons of coffee AND fruit. Delicious!

Traditional Christmas Day Dinner for Swedes.... and Christmas Day is more "laid back" than the Eve, is Ham. And Fixings. 

Childhood memories. If they weren't in my head, I'd think they were somebody else's. Seems like such a LONG time ago. Different era. My grandparents were the last of the Victorians; they had been born in the 1880s, came to this country around 1910. Both long gone now.

As the original Swedish family got overly large and the grandparents got too elderly, we all met in our smaller family groups. With my own husbands and kids, tried working out their family traditions and mine, tried to visit their people and mine. It was relatively easy with my second husband, as his family was also of Swedish descent, so we had the same sort of food & experience expectations. Including going to church. We always went to the midnight service, even at St Peter's when the kids were small, as the oldest loved the music and the youngest stretched out and fell asleep in the pew. 

The last few years have been tough. My dad passed away in 2001. My life completely fell apart. Being at the Haven, every year was different, different women. Usually I had 1-3 to bring to my mother's in Worcester with me (bless her heart, she always welcomes whoever it was). Sometimes I saw my kids and sometimes not. When I moved back to Salem and mom moved there with me, we carried on the Swedish traditions, on a small scale. We'd have the rice pudding, meatballs, smoked salmon, pickled herring, sweet & sour red cabbage, dilly beans, bread.... and then cookies. 

The last Christmas of her life--- didn't know it was to be at the time--- she was in a nursing home for rehab from CHF and I cooked the entire menu as just described, wrapped it up, and my brother, myself & Jack brought it to her room and ate it with her. She was so happy!

Her being gone the next Christmas--- I had no idea what to do. No heart to make the Swedish food, and anyway I'm not Swedish. So I think we had Pizza & Buffalo Wings. It was OK, for that year. Again, each year since has been different. A couple times we were at Carl's, once at Debbie's, and last year at Tom's. My brother spends Christmas Eve with us, stays overnight, and I make Christmas dinner. I don't care to do turkey again so soon after Thanksgiving, I usually do Roast Beef, last year I did the Ham. (Don't usually do pork of any kind--- not kosher--- but Kenny had unexpectedly requested it, and Tom & Joanne were with us, as was Fran. No complaints) 

This year I'm going to modify the Swedish traditions for my brother, myself & my husband-- unexpectedly my brother requested this--- so will make Swedish Meatballs with the light gravy (the meatballs are made with rye bread crumbs, some cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed cardammon) and the gravy is a bit creamy and one of the ingredients is strong black coffee), on Noodles, sweet & sour Red Cabbage, dilly beans, bread, and cookies. 

Maybe we will have the granddaughter over when we bake the cookies--- then I have two children to help with that!!!

We've been to different churches for Christmas Eve. Last year we went to Wesley, in Salem---- it was like a family reunion for me! My son and daughter-in-law came--- we were surprised but pleased to see each other there. And later, we went to my stepson's. 

We've decided to do the same again--- light supper, as described, early, then church at Wesley, then to the stepson's again. Stepdaughter and her daughter will be there too! I'll make cinnamon buns for breakfast on Christmas Day, and Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding for dinner. It will be just the three of us--- my son & daughter-in-law will be seeing their fathers for Christmas, and my oldest  will go to Worcester to be with his father and that family, and maybe the stepchildren will stop by late in the afternoon for coffee & dessert.

And then, thankfully, it will be OVER, for another year.

Briefly- almost everything we cherish about Christmas is PAGAN in origin, just as our roots are. The date was set by the Church centuries ago at the time of Solstice to take away from that pagan energy. Didn't work obviously. Jesus WAS born, probably in the spring- hence the shepards out in the fields with their flocks. AND if He had not died and been risen from death- for us- it wouldn't matter about his birth. 

STOP AND SEE THE FLOWERS

In her memoir Break of Day, the French author Colette recalled a letter her mother wrote to Colette’s husband declining his invitation to visit. “The reason,” she said, “is that my pink cactus is probably going to flower. It’s a very rare plant I’ve been given, and . . . in our climate it flowers only once every four years.” The willingness to place anything on hold is rare these days, especially for the sake of a houseplant. Still, there is much to be said for taking a breath and appreciating the quiet beauty of the present moment and all that is about to “flower.” It is only by paying attention that you will be able to say, as Jesus’ followers did, “We have seen incredible things today.”

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Reflection from St. Anselm: 

“Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation. To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary. God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing would exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.”