Chris Yaw

I am a Christ Lover

  • O, Magnify!

    O, Magnify!

     

    Was it the first time you held a baby?
    Was it getting that dream job?
    Was it getting that all clear from the doctor?

    Your moment of elation, unbridled and unadulterated joy - and what did you do?

    When that moment, that feeling, that fulfillment came to the pregnant mother Mary in the Bible, she let loose with a song that remains with us 2,000 years later.

    It's called Mary's Magnificat, Latin for magnify.

    It's because that's what we want to do on those rare moments, those lifetime milestones, when we've won, we've hit it, we've scored.

    The Magnificat is a calculated response, an intentional expression that invites participation.

    What's your magnificat?

    How would you articulate that joy, that wondrous elation, as a way to remember God's Good gifts, form us into a more thankful people, and testify to the world of God's goodness?

    I'm curious - and would love to hear your Magnificat!
  • Field Day at the Jordan

    Field Day at the Jordan

     


    John, the Baptist would have a field day today!

    John was the guy who called everybody out to the river to repent,​ enraged at an unjust system in which everyone was culpable

    We can hear him today, screaming over the fact that​ 80% of â€‹American wealth is controlled by 1% of the people​, 43% of Americans can't afford ​an unexpected $400 bill.​ Affordable medical care is perilously out of reach for â€‹too many people, who are literally dying in the clutches of a broken system.

    ​And did you notice that John's outrage exonerates no one​? 

    If you have two coats, give one away, two shirts? Give one away!

    Want to change the system? Change yourself!

    Don't be satisfied with â€‹a status quo that just assumes poverty and suffering for no small amount of people!

    But work on yourself, It works on the system, because what we've got, clearly isn't working​.

    John's call to action inspires us to be alert to our surroundings, especially the suffering of others, and to do something, no matter how small to alleviate it. In this season of quiet preparation and soul searching, may John's message speak to us anew and inspire us to follow his example.
  • Painting for Jesus

    Painting for Jesus

     


    The most important job in any house painting project is to prepare the surface.

    There's often sanding, scrubbing, filling in, and scraping off.

    Because if you don't do this right, the paint won't stick. 

    This Sunday we'll meet John, the Baptist, and a quote from the prophet Isaiah about valleys being filled in and mountains being made low. 

    John's job, of course, is to prepare the surface, the canvas, the landscape for the message of Jesus, so that it will stick. 

    John is concerned with setting the stage, making it most conducive for people to absorb the message of Jesus.

    And this begs the question from you and me, what are the conditions, what's the canvas and landscape of our lives, and how are we making it conducive to absorbing the message of Jesus? 

    In other words, what do we need to do to prepare ourselves so that the message sticks? 

    What needs to be sanded, scraped, scrubbed , or filled in? 

    The temptation is to get so caught up in our holiday shopping, cooking, cleaning, in preparation, that we lose the opportunity to use the holiday like we could: 

    As a chance to draw closer to Jesus, listening for his voice, using free time for devotion, self-reflection, and service to others. 

    What do we need to do to make the paint stick? 
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    ADDRESS

    St. David's Episcopal Church, 16200 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076 USA

    EMAIL

    chris@stdavidssf.org

    TELEPHONE

    +011 248-557-5430