Advent: Stories of Joy

 

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Many things have contributed to moments of happiness in my life—learning to water ski, a birthday party for my 16th birthday, Jeanne agreeing to go on a date with me 36+ years ago, the bishop calling to ask me to take the lead pastor position at McAllen FUMC. Yet, all of those happy moments were fleeting, short lived—because happiness is based on happenings. Once the happening is done and over with, the happiness begins to fade. Joy is different, enduring. So, how do we get “joy” in our lives?

In today’s reading from Jeremiah, the prophet is telling the people in captivity in Babylon that God is going to bring them home. Not only will God bring them home, but they will come home with joy. While Jeremiah speaks to a specific people in a specific situation in a specific time of history, the message is universal—for us as well. God long to bring us out of captivity and fill us with joy. Captivity? Us?! Yes… We become captive to fears, to expectations of others, to traditions, and even to our possessions—we find ourselves owned by what we “have” rather than owning what we have. We can be captive to many different things, and these words in Jeremiah speak of freedom…speak of coming back from captivity, coming back with joy.

What is the source of joy for us? God broke into this world through the birth of his son, Jesus. God brought forgiveness, healing, hope, and peace through Jesus—through his life and teachings, through his death and resurrection. God poured out the Spirit on all who would come to God in faith, trusting in God, believing in God’s goodness and grace. And, God preserved the story of all of that in Scripture for us to return to again and again.  Because of those ancient happenings in the world, because of the promises of Scripture, all people everywhere can have and hold on to the joy God longs to pour into our lives.

So, God is the source of our joy. While happiness comes to us briefly from external experiences and circumstances, joy springs from within…and remains with us whether the external circumstances bring happiness or not. What is joy? Joy is the deep, enduring contentment God pours into us, a contentment that grows out of the assurance we have in God and God’s promises.

On this third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, we remember and celebrate the joy that comes into the world through Jesus beginning with that first Christmas. We can have that joy today when we latch onto, hold onto the provision and promises of God’s mighty acts in history. When we do that, we can begin to know joy…a joy that endures times of darkness and pain, a joy that supports us and buoys us regardless of the happenstances of life.

This is the joy that Jesus brings to us, and this is God’s Good News for us today. Amen!

Sunday, December 14, 2025
Advent: Stories of Joy
Watch/Listen to the sermon: HERE
(And if you want to experience the joy of our children’s Christmas program, watch HERE.)

El Sufrimiento - Nuevo lanzamiento

¡Buenos días desde el sur de Texas!

Muchas gracias a quienes leyeron mi primer libro sobre el sufrimiento. Este nuevo libro invita a nuevas conversaciones, debates más amplios e investigaciones más profundas para dar vida al libro de Job y examinar por qué sufrimos y cómo lidiar con el sufrimiento, tanto el nuestro como el de los demás.

El Sufrimiento - Conversaciones antiguas y contemporáneas (disponible aquí)

Este libro aborda preguntas reales y ofrece respuestas reales.

• Si Dios es bueno y todopoderoso, ¿por qué sufrimos?
• ¿Podemos evitar el sufrimiento?
• ¿Cómo afronto el sufrimiento?
• ¿Hay algún bien en el sufrimiento?
• ¿Cuándo triunfa el sufrimiento?

Estas preguntas y otras más nos rondan la mente mientras lidiamos con enfermedades y lesiones, injusticias, relaciones rotas, agitación social y diversas dificultades en nuestras vidas. En esta obra, escuchamos a Job, Jesús y otros hablar sobre los problemas del sufrimiento... y llegamos a la conclusión de que tenemos una comprensión mucho más clara del sufrimiento y de qué hacer con él en nuestras vidas.

Compra este libro para ti o como regalo para alguien que esté pasando por un momento difícil.

¡Gracias por considerarlo! Le deseo todo lo mejor en esta temporada y en el Año Nuevo. Que Dios los bendiga...

Jon

-- 
Jon A Herrin
Autor, Educador, Teólogo
Author, Educator, Theologian
www.jonherrinwriter.com

New Release - December 2025

 

Finally! It's here! - ¡Por fin! Está aquí...

English: https://tinyurl.com/ypxd2awh

Español: https://tinyurl.com/4mknnzaf

AfterWords: Advent—Stories of Peace

 

Zechariah 9:9-10

The prophet Zechariah foresees that one who would come “lowly and riding on a donkey” would also come proclaiming “peace to the nations.” On this Sunday of Peace in the Advent season, we are reminded of the peace we crave in this world.

In the winter of 1914, what would become known as “World War I” had begun. This horrific war that played out with the most destructive weapons known until that time would claim over 20,000,000 lives. But, before the dreadful end, something amazing happened that first Christmas of the war. Letters, journal, diaries and more help us peace together what today is called the “Christmas Truce.” Spontaneously, in over 140 areas along the Western front of the war, over 100,000 soldiers laid down their arms on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They met in the middle of the no-man’s land of the battlefields, they sang Christmas hymns and carols together across the open spaces, and in at least one setting, Germans and British soldiers set up stakes in the ground as goals…and played soccer together. The generals and commanders of the armies were horrified and ordered that their troops never do such a thing again, ever. And, as far as we know, never again has the peace of the season been allowed on a battlefield.

We need peace not just as an end to war but as calm for the storms of our lives. Many of us crave peace in broken relationships, in painful situations, in the emotional torments in our hearts and minds. Sharon Beuttiger tells her story of finding peace. After discovering a large and growing tumor in her brain, she became consumed with worry—for her two children, for her husband, for her life. As she turned to God in prayer, God reminded her of the promise of Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” God affirmed His care for her children, her husband, and her…no matter what. While she awaits surgery on the tumor, she waits in peace rather than in fear.

The peace Isaiah mentions and that Zechariah talks about is “shalom”—the peace of God. In fact, Shalom does not mean just “peace” as we often think of it today. Shalom also includes contentment, wholeness, welfare, health, a sense of ease. So, yes, God’s shalom is bigger than our “peace.” Jesus, the prince of peace, was born into the pax Romana—the Roman peace that endured for 200 years ensuring relative safety and free trade. But, it was a heavy, oppressive peace that killed anyone who threatened it or was perceived to be a threat to it. How different God’s shalom is from the pax Romana! The Roman peace was imposed from without, forced on all. The shalom of God comes from within…a gift offered to all who will receive it.

During the Season of Advent, God reminds us that this peace is available to us. Whatever storm of life we may face, whatever battles we are caught up in, whatever may be robbing us of sleep or filling us with worry, God longs to pour peace, shalom, into our lives. Let us receive the peace, the shalom, that God offers us in this season as we remember the coming of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Sunday, December 7, 2025
Advent: Stories of Peace
Watch/Listen: HERE

Advent 2025: Stories of Hope

 

Isaiah 9:1-7

“I hope it rains!” “I hope it doesn’t rain….”
“I hope we have pizza tonight!” “I hope we don’t have pizza again….”

Hope. The word has been cheapened, weakened, made into nothing more than a suggestion of a passing fancy, a trivial wish. Hope in Scripture is such tame thing. Hope in Scripture has vigor and power and moves us forward.

In today’s reading, we hear the words that Isaiah speaks to the people of Israel. The words reveal the reality of their lives—they walk in darkness. The words reveal their earnest need and desire—peace. And then the words reveal all will change with the coming of the One—“unto you a child is born.”

This One would bring light to their darkness…a darkness that grows out of centuries of unrest and tumult. The Egyptians, the Assyrians, and others had made the land their battlefield. Dreams had been dashed, families had been shattered—and the people groped about in the resulting darkness. But light was coming, breaking in to shine into their lives.

This One would bring peace into their war-torn lives. The boots of war and the blood-stained clothes would all be fuel for the fire…and war would be no more. No longer would families have to hide their sons to save them from war. No longer would the harvest be crushed under the boots of invading or passing armies. Peace was coming, a lasting peace.

This One would be “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” He would not be a one-and-done story like David. Rather, his reign would last forever.

These words instilled hope—true, biblical hope—in the lives of the hearers. In Isaiah 40:31, we hear these word: Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…. In other translations, we hear: “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.” Which is it? Both. The Hebrew word we translate as “hope” refers to “expectant waiting”—looking forward to something that will happen. In the New Testament, the confidence of God’s goodness and the certainty of God’s continued action in our lives and in the world are added to the Old Testament understanding.

Hope for us is this: An expectant waiting that grows out of our confidence in the goodness of God and God’s continued work in our lives. As Christians, we must be a people of hope. As one writer remarked, a Christian without hope is no Christian at all.

During this Advent season, may we hear the words of Isaiah in our own situations. We, too, walk in darkness at times and earnestly yearn for the light of God to shine into our darkness. Our darkness is revealed in anxieties, fears, and uncertainties…depression, doubt, lack of direction. We long for light in our darkness. We, too, know the pain of battles in our lives, and we long for the peace that only God can bring. We battle and war in the work-place, in the home, in our communities, with our families…we battle with ourselves, struggling to win over destructive habits and divisive attitudes. We long for God to bring peace to all our situations.

The One who was born 2,000 years ago brings light and peace to us. May we begin this Advent season filled with true hope—an expectant waiting for our good God to act in our lives, in our world. May God’s light and peace come to you during this Advent season as we move closer to the manger in Bethlehem…and may God rule in your life forever and ever. Amen.

Sunday, November 30, 2025
Advent: Stories of Hope
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Parables of Jesus – All In

 

Matthew 13:44-46

As we come to the end of our series on Parables, Jesus gives us a doublet—two parables that are related…yet oh so different! We recall that Jesus takes something common and ordinary in a parable and infuses new meaning and a deeper understanding.

Both of these parables are about the “kingdom of heaven.” Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” because he writes primarily to or for Jewish Christians…something he reveals by his many quotations from the Jewish Scriptures/Old Testament. Because this is his audience, he is by tradition reluctant to even write the word “God” because God is so respected, so he uses a common literary device—the metonym. Just as we might say, “Washington is certainly keeping life interesting these days” in reference to our federal government, so Matthew uses “kingdom of heaven” in place of “kingdom of God.” Now, on to the parables!

The first parable opens with “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure….” Someone stumbles upon the treasure…realizes they want this in their life, they have to have it…and they sell out everything to have this treasure. The treasure is the kingdom of heaven or the reign of God in their lives. The treasure includes the peace, wisdom, grace, and love of God. Determined to have this, the person who makes the discovery sells out and goes “all in.”

Going “all in” looks different in different people’s lives. “All in” is not about t-shirts, bumper stickers, hairstyles, or affected speech. When we look in the Gospels, being “all in” for some means leaving their nets and family, for some it means selling everything they have and giving their wealth to the poor, and for some it means walking away from being with Jesus to go home and tell their community about the goodness of God. While there are no hard and fast rules for what “all in” looks like on the outside, we do know that Jesus makes it clear to us what going “all in” is about: Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” We let go of our self-centeredness, recognize that we have to live today, and learn from Jesus. That is how we go “all in.”

The second parable is a bit trickier. In fact, most people miss it. They’ll say, “Yeah, the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl.” But, that’s not what Jesus says. He says, “…the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant….” And that changes everything. Four other times in “kingdom of heaven” parables, Jesus compares the kingdom to a person—to a man, a landowner, a king, a farmer. Every time he does this, that person represents God. Every time. So, why would we presume Jesus is doing something different here? The merchant is God. And God goes looking for the pearl of great value. In the Old Testament (Malachi and Zachariah), the people of God, the “saints of God,” are compared to jewels, so does it not make sense that the pearl stands for us? God finds us—and God lets go of everything. God leaves heaven, lets go of omniscience and omnipotence, and allows himself to be born as a frail human in a dingy manger—God goes “all in” for us.

In effect, these parables are mirror images of each other. In one, we are moving towards God…even stumble upon God. In the other, God is moving towards us. In fact, while we’re stumbling around looking for life and purpose and meaning, God has already gone “all in” for us…determined to have us.

What a beautiful way to come to a close for this sermon series as we move towards Advent. Even in the parables, we are reminded of the best news of all: God’s love for us and God’s action on our behalf. May we go “all in” for the God who has gone “all in” for us. Amen.

Sunday, November 23, 2025
“Parables: ‘All In”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Parables of Jesus – Faithful & Wise

 

Matthew 24:32-25

Today’s parable comes about in a different way in that it is part of a larger discourse—the “Olivet Discourse” that we find fills chaps. 24 & 25 of Matthew. His disciples have heard about the end of the Temple, and they ask Jesus to tell them more about the “end of the age.”

Jesus begins with descriptions rivaling the Old Testament prophets or John’s visions from the Revelation—famines, earthquakes, persecution, “the abomination that causes desolation,” false prophets, and more. Then Jesus tells the parable (“lesson”) of the fig tree. Jesus uses the fig tree—one of the last trees to get its sap up after the cold of winter. Just as the fig tree is late in budding, so the coming of the “end of the age” will be late in coming. But, Jesus indicates we’re to keep our eyes open for that time.

Jesus then tells three parables in a row to drive his own point home. He tells the parable of the ten virgins (or bridesmaids), the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and goats. The first focuses on the five wise and five foolish virgins. The second considers three servants who have the opportunity of make the most of their time…and one is fearful, unimaginative, and overly careful—and suffers for this behavior. Finally, the sheep and the goats actually relates to the “end times,” to a time of judgement. Those who do the good work of feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned are received into the Kingdom…and those who do not are “cursed,” expelled from Kingdom.

Interestingly, in Jesus’ response to his disciples’ questions about the “end of the age,” Jesus talks very much about the here-and-now. This long discourse shows us that we find our place at the end of time through how we live today. While some in modern Christian culture have thought of “professing their faith” as assuring their place in the future reign of God, as a sort of ‘fire insurance,’ Jesus teaches us that our place in the future is assured by how we live today. Living faithfully and wisely now means we don’t have to worry about our place with God in the future. Or, in other words, a profession of faith without a life that reflects that faith is useless.

Today, Jesus does assure us once again that this life and this world is not the end. Something more awaits us…a world set right, a world of justice and goodness and God. But, we do not need to sit around thinking about that. Rather, Jesus tells us to live today…to live faithful and wise lives. That “eternal life” of the Gospels, that “life to the full” Jesus talks about—these are not some far-off, future realities. They are the realities we begin living now…today.

Sunday, November 16, 2025
“Parables: Faithful and Wise”
Watch/Listen: HERE