"Crazy Faith"

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11

What does it mean to say that Christianity is a "crazy faith?" It means quite simply that our response to God's call on our lives can appear as madness to a world that has become lost. Here is an example. Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. Many people hear that and immediately think of preparation for Christmas as "shopping days left until Christmas." Nothing could be farther from the truth. Christians are called to use this time of preparation to to ready our hearts and minds to receive the ultimate gift - the gift of Christ's birth. Advent and Christmas are about "God with us." Everything else is decoration. Yesterday we talked about the Advent Conspiracy. The four principles (for review) are (1) Worship fully (2) Spend less (3) Give more, and (4) Love all. The most important thing to remember about these principles is that Christmas is a sacred day and should be celebrated in a sacred way. We do not need to worry which stores say "Merry Christmas" and which stores say "Happy Holidays" because the Christmas story is not going to be told by the stores and shopping malls. It will be told by faithful followers of Jesus Christ who hear God's call on their lives and who respond by giving their lives to Jesus. God calls. We respond. And in so doing, we bear witness to God's love in the world.