how the light gets in

Tag: Church of the Nativity

• Healing Notes

  Posted at 12:53 pm by How the Light Gets In, on November 8, 2022

  Three years ago, I was deciding between two options: Pain or Paralysis.

  Which one would you choose?

  Option 1 meant debilitating pain, lots of meds, laying on the couch in the fetal position trying not to take too deep a breath because you don’t want to wake up the pain monster inside, and filling your calendar with one doctor/therapy/acupuncture appointment after another.

  Option 2 meant surgeons going into your abdomen to pull out 8 tiny metal coils left behind from a previous surgery. You should know this surgery had a 97% chance of paralyzing your left leg.

  So, which one would you choose?

  I didn’t go with either of those.

  Instead, 3 years ago today, I walked away from those options and walked into a room at church.

  Opening the door, I was greeted with equal parts sunlight and hope. 

  Lavish and Crazy. Three years later, I stand by those words with a whole bunch of awe and gratitude and “what the heck” mixed in.

  I experienced a miracle – a full, miraculous healing.

  It doesn’t make sense to me either. To be honest, it feels uneven in this wonky world to have been healed when I see and love so many others that I want healed.

  Still, the past 365 days of living, breathing, walking, loving, cooking, driving, celebrating, listening, crying, lighting candles, singing, watching, grieving, yelling, praying, laughing, cleaning, traveling, hiking, sleeping, waking up, hugging, writing, learning, cheering, consoling, baking have felt like a lavish and crazy, what the heck kind of gift.

  We’ve learned a lot together over the years, haven’t we? We’ve learned about waiting and trusting and hope.

  I wonder what your healing looks like. Have you brought it to Jesus yet?

  One thing I’ve learned about hope and healing this year is to live IN expectation, not with expectation.

  My own expectations with my own timetable and my limited vision have held me back.

  Living IN the promise of God, believing He works in the abundantly more kind of way pushes me out in the wild wind of hope, up on my tippy toes, searching the horizon.

  In Mark 5:34, Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

  In Luke 7:50, He says, “Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace.”

  Then, in Luke 17:19 “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.”  

  And again, in Mark 10:52 “Go, your faith has healed you.”

  In each of these stories; Jesus has just healed someone and then told them to go and live life because their faith had healed them.  

  The back stories are all different.  The woman in the Gospel of Mark suffered from bleeding for a dozen years.  In the Gospel of Luke, a known adulteress barges into a dinner hoping for a blank slate from Jesus.  Later in Mark, we hear of a blind beggar seeking sight.  And in Luke, the group of lepers asking for healing.  

  The approach in each situation is vastly different.  The hemorrhagic woman quietly touches the edge of Jesus cloak.  The blind beggar screams out repeatedly in front of everyone.  The adulteress walks right into a house full of her biggest critics.  And the lepers, a big ol’ group of them, approach Jesus as one. 

  How would you approach Jesus for healing?  

  Why would you approach Jesus for healing?  

  Why don’t you approach Jesus for healing?  

  RUN OFF TO MEET JESUS. TELL HIM THE PROBLEM. ASK HIM WHY HE DIDN’T COME SOONER, WHY HE ALLOWED THAT AWFUL THING TO HAPPEN. AND THEN BE PREPARED FOR A SURPRISING RESPONSE. I CAN’T PREDICT WHAT THE RESPONSE WILL BE, FOR THE VERY GOOD REASON THAT IT IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS A SURPRISE. BUT I DO KNOW THE SHAPE IT WILL TAKE. JESUS WILL MEET YOUR PROBLEM WITH SOME NEW PART OF GOD’S FUTURE THAT CAN AND WILL BURST INTO YOUR PRESENT TIME, INTO THE MESS AND GRIEF, WITH GOOD NEWS, WITH HOPE, WITH NEW POSSIBILITIES. – N.T. WRIGHT

  Happy Anniversary to all of us.

  Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged Church of the Nativity, healing, HOPE, How the Light Gets In, Jesus, Miracle, NT Wright, Pain, stories

• Compass in the Chaos

  Posted at 4:18 pm by How the Light Gets In, on March 19, 2020

  Where the heck are we right now? What is going on?

  I feel a little lost in all the Coronavirus updates and state mandated restrictions and empty grocery shelves. It’s all so disorienting.

  How are you?

  Since you can’t be student, boss, employee, non-teacher, hostess, room-parent, coach… how are you?

  It’s weird and slow. 

  I know. I feel it too. Right now, I want to sit next to you (virtually) and offer you a compass in the chaos.

  Because I’ve been here before.

  From 2016-2019, we were swirling in a medical mess and I felt lost in a sort of wilderness. Just like you now, I wasn’t able to be all the things I’d signed up for like coach, room mom, hostess, tennis player, volunteer, etc.

  My calendar was wiped clean of every layer of identity I’d wrapped myself up in. They were all taken without asking my permission. 

  As you read this; COVID-19 has wiped your calendar clean. And you didn’t get a say. We’re back to basics with no clear path of what lies ahead. So, what next?

  First, let’s get our bearings. Friends, we are IN the wilderness.

  And, I can tell you from experience and from reading lots of scripture, the wilderness is where God does His thing.

  This is where He works.

  Behold, I am doing a new thing;
  now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
  I will make a way in the wilderness
  and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:19

  

  Rachel Held Evans wrote “…some of Scripture’s most momentous events occur not at the start of a journey, nor at the destination, but in between, in the wilderness.” Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again

  We are IN BETWEEN right now.

  And God is in it with us offering “a way.” In all this uncertainty and pandemonium, why not, WHY NOT invite God into it and ask for direction.

  How does this work in real life, like right now? Well, if you were lost in the literal wilderness; you would keep your eyes open for signs to point you in the right direction. Same applies to you and God in the metaphorical wilderness. Really.

  Here are a few “signs” in the wilderness to point you in the right direction: Read the Jesus Calling Devotional, sign up for a reading plan on the Holy Bible App, follow Aussie Dave or Priscilla Shirer or Bianca Olthoff or Bishop Jakes on Instagram, listen to 95.1 Shine-FM, look up She Reads Truth and join the community, tune in to mass on Church of the Nativity’s website.

  We’re feeling a little lost right now but we have a God who loves to show up IN the wilderness in remarkable ways. He’s full of promise and hope and relief.

  Point the compass His way, ask Him for help and TAKE NOTES! {You might not be able to see God in the moment but being able to look back at what you asked for can be a powerful way to see He was working all along.}

  Just yesterday, I was journaling about my worry with the news of even more closings and my anxiety over my daily routine being swallowed up with the needs of all the kids home now. The “Jesus Calling “reading for March 18 was from Matthew.

  “Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” – Matt 6:34

  I’ve seen it before. I know I’ll see it again and again. You might be lost but you are not alone.

  Let God be your compass in the chaos.

  Posted in March 2020, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged 95.1 Shine FM, aussiedave, Bianca Olthoff, Church of the Nativity, compass in the chaos, coronavirus, covid-19, Holy Bible App, How the Light Gets In, Isaiah 43:18-19, Jesus Calling, Matthew 6:34, priscilla shirer, Rachel Held Evans, She Reads Truth, Wilderness

• CHRISTMAS – Day 25

  Posted at 2:09 pm by How the Light Gets In, on December 25, 2019

  Merry Christmas

  You did it. WE did it! Hooray for us! 24 days of reading God’s word. 24 days of devoting a little time to learning God’s voice. I’m so proud of you and me!

  Take a moment to scroll all the way back to Day One. Grab a piece of paper and a pencil and jot down the websites, books, Instagram accounts, Music, Photography, Email subscriptions, Apps, Artists, Podcasts, Places, People, Recipes.

  Then, take note of what struck you most – was it the beauty, the pain, the encouragement, the community?

  Finally, we should list all the scripture from the posts. The Bible still blows my mind with all those words written so long ago and somehow still very alive and so powerful.

  You know what ALLLLL this tells me?

  GOD

  WILL

  STOP

  AT

  NOTHING.

  God will stop at nothing to get YOUR attention.

  These 24 days have just been a glimpse of how relentless God is trying to grab your attention.

  Christmas gives us the sweetest example of this. Immanuel is God with us.

  Jesus IS God with us.

  But wait, the story doesn’t end here. There’s Good News! Jesus wasn’t just born, end of story. Jesus lived a life full of friendship and story telling and healing and teaching and loving. There’s more to learn. Jesus didn’t just live for you and me. He also died for you and me.

  Today we celebrate His birth but there’s so much more.

  And hey, if you’re reading this you’re alive too which means God’s not done with you. Your story with Him might just be beginning. Or maybe you go way back. Either way, keep walking with Jesus. Read His Word. Learn His voice. Look for Him.

  Remember how we started this journey with Gods word as a “lamp for our feet”? Today let’s celebrate because the light is here. Jesus – God with us – is here “to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:79)

  Thank you for being with me this Advent. You have made it so special for me.

  One last song Reckless Love

  Posted in DECEMBER 2019 | 0 Comments | Tagged 1 John 1:5, 1 John 1:5-7, 1 John 5:14, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 5:6, 100 Days to Brave, 2 Corinthians 1:6-7, 2 Kings 20, Acts 2:28, Advent, Ann Voskamp, Annie F Downs, Christmas, Church of the Nativity, Colossians 1:9-10, Cory Asbury, Elevation Worship, Ephesians 5:13, Exodus 33:14, Genesis 28:15, Hooray, How the Light Gets In, Isaiah 40:3-5, Isaiah 43:18-19, Jenna Mace Photography, Jesus, Jesus Calling, Job 42:5, John 11:38, Joshua 1:9, Journal, Luke 1:3-4, Luke 1:79, Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 28:66, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 27:14, Romans 15:13, Romans 15:4-5, Wonder, Zephaniah 3:17

• Day 15

  Posted at 10:46 am by How the Light Gets In, on December 15, 2019

  Sunday mornings have always meant scarfing down Cheerios, screaming for the other shoe and piling in the car to get to church. Always. 

  Before I go further, you may have been hurt by someone at a church. I know.

  I’m sorry. So sorry.

  Jesus had it right and humans mess things up. 

  For me, going to mass sets a rhythm to the week –  a rhythm of ritual and tradition in a community of believers and hopers.

  Remember on Day 13, when Ezra was reading scripture to the people? Thousands of years later, we’re doing the same thing every Sunday. It just feels sacred.

  We sing songs (not like yo momma’s church though) at Nativity. And those prayers set to music always make me cry.

  Here are some bits from the Readings for today:

  Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,  he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

  Psalm 146:6-10 “He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them – He remains faithful forever.“

  James 5:7-10 “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

  Matthew 11:2-11 “…more than a prophet, he is the one of whom scripture was written.”

  And if you want to give church a try… join here Church of the Nativity

  If you ever want someone to sit with, I’ll save you a seat.

  Posted in DECEMBER 2019 | 0 Comments | Tagged Advent, Church of the Nativity, How the Light Gets In, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11, Psalm 146:6-10

• Miracles

  Posted at 1:03 pm by How the Light Gets In, on August 22, 2019

  

  August 2016

  His fever was at 104 for 3 days straight. His cough had gotten worse. But when Joseph looked up at me and his eyes were crossed; we went to the ER. Joseph (then 7 years old) would stay in the hospital for a week and then leave with a tube coming out of his chest and a battle ahead. The next 365 days we spent traveling up and down Charles Street for medical appointments – Spinal taps, MRI’s, MRA, MRV, bloodwork, Ophthalmology visits… His brain was swollen, messing up his cranial nerve and crossing his eyes. His white blood cell count was through the roof. He’d lost 14 pounds, was working through brain fog and we kept going. An MRI revealed Joseph had 11 lesions on his brain. My boys brain was presented during Grand Rounds in neurology and they “couldn’t figure him out.” That’s when we switched to The Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia (CHOP).

  August 2017

  Pediatric MS or Spinal Cord Cancer. That’s what Jason and I were told. “Joseph either has Pediatric MS or a sneaky Spinal Cord Cancer. We’ve ordered a spinal tap, MRI and bloodwork to confirm and we’ll move forward from there. We’ll be in touch with the results.”

  Let’s take a breath from the story for a moment and jump to present time. The message series at Church right now is “Ordinary Everyday Miracles.”

  https://www.churchnativity.com/messages/ordinary-everyday-miracles/

  August marks the beginning of our own Miracle. And if I didn’t write about it, well, I wouldn’t be me and you wouldn’t know about it. The alignment of this series at Church plus the anniversary of our miracle is enough prompting for me to start typing.

  Week One of the series, we looked at the story of the Healing of the Paralytic (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+2%3A1-12&version=NABRE). Then in Week 2, we read the Calming of Sea (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+4%3A35-41&version=NABRE And this past week, we go to the Miracle of Loaves and Fishes (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+14%3A13-21&version=NABRE

  Okay, here’s the overview Father White gave us and I love it. Looking at these 3 miracles, we see a progression for the Apostles (Jesus’ closest friends). At first, they get to witness a miracle. Then, in the Calming of the Sea, they are in the midst of the miracle. Next, the Apostles get to participate in the miracle of feeding thousands of people off 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

  Hearing all the different ways the Apostles had access to MIRACLES that happened right in front of them, for them, by them was beautiful because Jesus is offering so many ways to see him.

  Reading all the different ways the Apostles reacted TO miracles with Jesus RIGHT NEXT TO THEM gives me hope. Matthew 14 verse 15 says they were irritated, verse 26 says they were terrified and didn’t recognize. In Luke 8 verse 24, they were freaking out, forgetting Jesus was with them. In Luke 9 verse 13, the Apostles were straight up sarcastic.

  I don’t know where you stand with God or miracles. But, the fact that the Apostles fear and sarcasm and forgetfulness is written in the Bible reads like gracious encouragement from a big God. Doesn’t it? It’s as if God is saying, “Look, these ding dongs were right next to my Son and still didn’t get it. And they still freaked out. It’s ok. You will too. And, I love you.”

  

  Our Miracle

  Back to the story of our miracle… Terrified? Sarcastic? Freaking out? All of it. We were promised test results and an action plan in 2 days. But instead of 48 hours, we waited 2 weeks.

  The doctor called to say, “Mrs. Smithberger, I apologize for the delay but we just had to make sure. There’s no medical explanation for this but Joseph doesn’t have anything. The 11 lesions, gone. His white blood cell count, normal. The swelling on his brain, gone. Even the marker for Lymes, gone. I had to go to hematology, oncology, ophthalmology, neurology to verify. There is no medical explanation for this.”

  This ding dong was crying.

  There is no medical explanation for our miracle. I still poke Joseph from time to time. I don’t want to forget.

  

  The gift of being in and going through something hard can be that you develop a new way to see things. Looking back and writing, for me, keeps my eyes open as I move forward.

  Don’t miss your miracles.

  You’re a ding dong too and God will stop at nothing to get your attention. And if you get freaked out, scared, doubtful – keep looking. You might be witnessing, in the midst of or participating in a miracle of your own. Look back, look ahead – God is there.

  Posted in AUGUST 2019, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged Church of the Nativity, How the Light Gets In, Jenna Mace Photography, Mark 2:1-12, Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 14:13-21, Miracle