December 12

Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,

Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Chaff is a protective cover in which seeds live and grow. You remove the chaff or husk to get at the edible kernels of corn and other seeds. In the Bible chaff is an image of the rough, outer, egoic covering of a person that is hiding one’s tender, inner life. When he announces Jesus’ arrival, John the Baptist says, “Here comes one who will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” At first glance that reads like a frightening threat, like a line intended to “scare us straight.” But I don’t think it’s a threat at all, I read it like a longed for intervention in which Jesus offers to take that which is hanging us up and eliminate it from our lives. What is keeping you from being connected to God and everyone around you in unmitigated love? What facade or thin exterior is hiding your shy True Self? Is it your need to be well thought of, or your need to be right, or your need to have more of something, or your displeasure with the state of the world or your family or your neighborhood? During Advent season we prepare for the arrival of the One who will graciously take our chaff and get rid of it for us. What do you want to give to Jesus, so that he can put it on the burn pile and you can be free to love more fully?

Come join us this Saturday morning for the Greening of the Church from 9:00a.m. - Noon. We’ll decorate the church for Christmas then welcome the community to Good Shepherd on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. for our annual Lessons and Carols service. Come join us! Bring a friend!  All are welcome.

Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!

Love is all,

Hendree+