Daily Dose of the Word of God - James 1: 17-18

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco  0:00 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Friday, December 6, and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco. It’s the season of Advent and this week in worship, we’re reflecting on the story of the wise men, who came from afar to worship Jesus and bring him gifts. Our scripture today comes from James 1:17-18

Erin Pacheco  0:37 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Erin Pacheco  0:59 

Whether you’ve got all your Christmas shopping done already, or you haven’t even started, most of us will be giving and receiving gifts of some kind this season. James reminds us that the best gifts come from God. Like a Father, who delights in giving good gits to his children, God our Creator is the source of everything good in our lives. And that is true no matter what season we find ourselves in. James is writing to people who are facing persecution and hardship, and he points them to keep looking for the goodness of God in their lives — the gifts that God keeps giving them. Because while circumstances change, God does not. And his light can break through the deepest darkness. 

Erin Pacheco  1:51 

This Sunday, many of us are bringing a special offering into worship. We’re calling it our first fruits — like the sacrifices God’s people brought to the temple in ancient times, the first of the harvest or the best of the flock. Firstfruits are tangible offerings of trust and gratitude.   I love that James kind of turns that around and says that we — we who have received the gospel, we who are born again into new life through Christ and the Spirit – we are God’s firstfruits. The first taste of the new world that God is birthing into creation, through the work of Christ. So I invite you, today, to look for the gifts that God is giving to you. Let’s look for the small acts of kindness, the little moments of beauty, as reminders of God’s goodness in every season. And, especially in this season of Advent, let’s look to Jesus himself, the greatest gift of all, and for ways to share that gift with those around us,   

Erin Pacheco 3:13  

Let’s pray. God, thank you for each gift you give. For your generosity, and the way you delight to surprise us. Open our eyes today to see you. Open our hands and hearts to offer whatever we have back to you, and to those around us. Thank you for life, thank you for grace, thank you for Jesus. Amen.