Author Archives: Brook Fonceca

A Community of Hope: Week 1 of Christmas Advent 2012

Leave a reply

For this year’s Advent series, we will look at the themes of Advent, hope, peace, joy, love, and Christ, through the lens of community. As I read through the prophecies of the coming of Israel’s Messiah and the stories of the birth of Jesus they all refer to, are addressed to, or are the object of people groups, communities. In Matthew’s gospel account of the birth of Jesus he tells how an angel announced to Joseph that he should name Mary’s baby Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins, and also that this child will also bear the name Emmanuel, meaning God is with us. (Matthew 1:18-25) This reminds me that Jesus came, first and foremost, to deliver and redeem a people for the glory of God and to be citizens of his kingdom.

 

Now, why should this community be known as a community of hope? Hope is a hallmark of the people of God. From the time of Abraham, through Moses and the prophets, the people of God held in their hearts a hope of a saving king, establishing freedom and prosperity for them and their future generations. After the advent of Jesus the church bore this same hallmark, except now they had received their salvation and were waiting for Jesus’ second advent and subsequent resurrection of the righteous for the inhabiting of the New Jerusalem. 

 

Christmas provides the opportunity to look back to the nativity story, reconnecting to the hope that Jesus was and is. The great thing is that we get to continue to pass forward this hope, a hope that Jesus still saves a people from their sin, validating this community by living among them through his Holy Spirit, who is the promise of eternal life. This community of hope is not a closed community, but open and expanding as those who hear the message of hope, receive the gift of salvation, and gather together with the people of God, start the cycle over again, proclaiming the message of hope.

 

May your hearts be filled with the hope of Jesus as you gather with his people this Christmas season and beyond.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Following the Wholehearted Example of Children

Leave a reply

Last Wednesday I was at Cub Scouts with my son who is nearly seven years old. The Cub Master asked the group of boys what holiday is next. My son’s hand shot up, and he was called on. He answered Christmas. The Cub Master in good form replied, “Yes, Christmas is coming soon, but there is still one more holiday before that one.” My son then answered Thanksgiving. The Cub Master, expecting a specific answer, asked, “What happens at Thanksgiving?” My son answered, “We thank God.” Cub Master, “Wow! That’s right! And, what else do we do?” My son, “Eat good food!” This last answer was the segue the Cub Master was looking for to make an announcement. If you can’t tell, my heart was bursting with pride and beaming with gratitude. He caught the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

 

Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 

I am always amazed at the innocent imitation of children. With their limited context they simply do what they see and hear. In the above passage, Paul is instructing the Ephesians to be like children in this way, imitating God by following Jesus’ example. In the wholeheartedness of children is the willingness to love unreservedly. As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s look to love one another like children, imitating the ways of Jesus, and may our gratitude be as genuine as the thanks is of little ones we care for.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

 

Weekly Encouragement for November 18, 2012

Leave a reply

Praise: The Gateway to Gratitude

In preparation for this Sunday’s Thanksgiving Together worship gathering, I felt that
we need to have the opportunity to express exuberant praise to God. This thought
came to me as I was taking mental inventory of many of the popular “thanksgiving”
songs. They generally have a slow to moderate tempo and express deep heartfelt gratitude,
which is entirely appropriate. But, think about it. When we receive a gift or experience a
blessing, our first response is usually one of excitement and, for lack of a better word,
praise. We extol the gift; we exalt the giver; we blurt out excited thank you’s. Then as we settle down a bit, thankfulness settles into our heart, and we’re
able to articulate our gratitude. It is a God given process.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100)

Each of the above stanzas of this Psalm begins with praise and conclude with an articulation of
what we can be thankful for.

I hope this is helpful for you as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Praise: The Gateway to Gratitude

Leave a reply

In preparation for this Sunday’s Thanksgiving Together worship gathering at VLC, I felt that we need to have the opportunity to express exuberant praise to God. This thought came to me as I was taking mental inventory of many of the popular “thanksgiving” songs. They generally have a slow to moderate tempo and express deep heartfelt gratitude, which is entirely appropriate. But, think about it. When we receive a gift or experience a blessing, our first response is usually one of excitement and, for lack of a better word, praise. We extol the gift; we exalt the giver; we blurt out excited thank you’s. Then as we settle down a bit, thankfulness settles into our heart, and we’re able to articulate our gratitude. It is a God given process.

 

  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
  Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

  

  Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.  (Psalm 100)

 

Each of the above stanzas of this Psalm begin with praise and conclude with an articulation of what we can be thankful for. 

 

I hope this is helpful for you as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Thankfulness: An Issue of Perspective

Leave a reply

Earlier this week I commented to some friends that the Lord has me on a journey toward thankfulness. I believe this stems from becoming distracted from the things that matter most, finding satisfaction in the Lord, family, friends, and basic necessities, all of which I have in abundance. Really, I lost perspective. 

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)

 

In the Bible, when referring to the gates it was often understood as the place of decisions and governance. The courts referred to the presence of the king. When our perspective is misaligned from the Lord, it is hard to give him praise. Allow me to slightly change the emphasis of the first two lines of the above passage. 

 

If we enter his gates with thanksgiving, then we will enter his courts with praise.

 

If we choose gratitude in the midst and through out our daily lives, then the joy we find in praising God is not far off. How to choose gratitude is as unique as the individual. For me, I had to abandon the things that distracted me from being present in the moment with those who are most important to me. For you it may be different, but if your goal is to regain a sense of gratitude, then God’s faithfulness will meet you along the way.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Taking Time

Leave a reply

Every year when the end of Daylight Savings Time comes, I remember one Sunday about 25 years ago. We forgot to change our clocks back one hour the evening before and subsequently showed up to church an hour early. The pastor of our church was praying in the sanctuary in preparation for the upcoming gathering. He was not surprised that someone showed up early, but with a smile he invited us to join him in prayer. My dad graciously said, “Thanks, Pastor Mike, but I think I’ll take my son out to breakfast.” I don’t remember where we went or what we talked about, but what I do remember is that my dad, when given the gift of extra time, thought about spending it with me. There would have been nothing wrong about staying and praying, (I actually thought we were going to be in trouble if we didn’t.) but my dad found it equally valuable to hang out with his son.

 

Israel, listen! Our God is the Lord! Only the Lord!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

 

As I have said on many occasions, we love God best when we love others well. On that morning, my dad demonstrated that the first church we are to care for is our family. And, yes, we did come back for the worship gathering. And, no, we didn’t get in trouble.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

God and Trash

Leave a reply

But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. And God chose what the world considers low- class and low- life-what is considered to be nothing-to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. So no human being can brag in God’s presence. 

(1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

 

I’ve heard a quote a few times in the last few months that goes something like this.

“When God wants to reveal something new, he usually uses a trash heap as his canvas.” 

 

A few things have brought this back to my attention: conversations, experiences, and Advent (yes, I’m already thinking about Christmas). My experience in general is that we want God to show up in some magnificent fashion or speak to us through someone we deem as special. But what I’ve learned lately is that God can be found in the least likely places and situations. It is easy to say that when God shows up in power, it is nothing of us that we could brag about. But our hearts betray us, thinking I must be special to get that kind of response from God. But when we discover God in the “trash heaps” of our lives, we are humbled that he would even care to show up. Lately I’ve been finding God in my “trash heaps.” And, not by anything worthy I’ve done, except that I keep looking, believing, and hoping that God again would meet me, transforming my brokenness into something beautiful. 

 

In reference to Advent, we must always remember that Jesus came to us in the most meager of ways, and it changed the world forever.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

 

Help a Brother or Sister Out

Leave a reply

Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are important when they aren’t, they’re fooling themselves. Each person should test their own work and be happy with doing a good job and not compare themselves with others. Each person will have to carry their own load.  (Galatians 6:1-5)

 

I was encouraged by what the children at VLC will learn in Kids’ Church this Sunday – how to care for someone in need, especially those who are close to you. The passage above is the basis of their lesson. 

 

It is easy for us to be absorbed in our own little worlds and fail to look across the street, across the church aisle, or even across the dinner table. This weekend, I will be examining my heart as to how I can be a help for those in need near me. I pray we all can hear God’s heart for our brother or sister, and that our hearts will be changed, so that we will reach out in love, bearing one another’s burden.

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Grace to Live

Leave a reply

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14)

 

This is one of my favorite passages in the Scriptures. When I was younger, I would use it to straighten myself out. I read it singularly, telling myself that if I really loved Jesus, I wouldn’t do stupid things. But as I read it this morning, I realized that Paul wrote it in the plural. He is basically rephrasing Jesus’ “love God by loving others” teaching. (Mark 12:30-31) The point of living “self- controlled, upright and godly lives” is not to make sure we keep a clean record, but rather to keep in mind that when we sin, we sin against someone and are not walking in love. Jesus didn’t give himself for our salvation to make a society of goody-two-shoes, but a community of lovers, “eager to do what is good.” We love God best when we love others well. The grace for salvation we received from Jesus and his people is extended and embodied as we choose to love as his people empowered by his grace. “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Grace to Forgive

Leave a reply

Here’s a thought. When we forgive, we do so by faith, extending grace to the one we forgive. What if we are the one seeking forgiveness? We, too, can extend grace to help bring reconciliation. The way I see it is that grace is only ever a free gift. In humility, we can give the gift or ourselves, with openness of heart and willingness to change, bridging the gap to make a way for forgiveness to flow.

 

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

 

Grace and peace,

Brook