Surviving the Darkness

Colorado Springs, Colorado

This leaf is rather stubborn.  It has resisted the effects of nature and continues to cling to this branch.

Many of us find it difficult to endure winter except for one thing: We know that after December 21 the days will grow longer leading to the warmer days of Spring and Summer..

Why is winter difficult?

"If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." Psalm 139:11-12 English Standard Version

You might feel that darkness is consuming your life.  

There are different experiences of darkness. Maybe for you the darkness is that of depression. Maybe it's anxiety. Maybe it's fear. You might find it difficult to give your darkness a name.

It is tempting to retreat deeper into the darkness. Even though we might not like the darkness it's what we know and we can't see what life would be like with less depression, anxiety and fear.

The psalmist reminds us that God dwells in darkness. The darkness is as light to God. As you battle depression, anxiety and fear you can be sure that God dwells with you and is your light in the midst of darkness.

Like this leaf, God's Spirit holds on to us during difficult days. That's how we survive the darkness.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

In the Presence of Wisdom

Colorado Springs, Colorado

My grandparents always had their Christmas tree flocked. Once the flocked tree was set up in their home they not only placed white lights on the tree, they had another light that shined color on the tree from the floor. Maybe some of you have a similar memory of Christmases past.

God put his own flocking on creation in Colorado Springs this week. Everything was covered by hoarfrost. 

The Old English word, "hoar," is related to growing old. Hoarfrost makes everything look like it's growing gray hair. Though hoarfrost may be beautiful, many people view gray hair as a curse.

Why do we Americans have such a negative opinion of growing old? Many cultures value the elderly. Our culture sees them as a financial liability. This is not a godly attitude.

"Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old." Job 12:12 New Living Translation

My mom is 83 and recovering from hip replacement surgery. I was privileged to spend time with her earlier this month. Since I live out of state I don't see mom as much as I ought. Nor do I call her as much as I should.

Yes it's hard to watch your parents grow older, but it's good to be in their presence. Mom and I didn't do much but watch the Food Network and sports. We talked about life and recovery. My hair--what little I have--is turning gray like mom's. We could even share stories about joint replacements.

Though there are changes in mom's life, she has a wisdom and understanding that I don't have, and maybe never will. And mom, I know I don't call enough and tell you that I care, but I love you. And thanks for sharing a few days with your baby.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

A World of White

Colorado Springs, Colorado

It's easy to get lost in a world of white.

When I took this picture, Colorado Springs was covered in frozen fog. Those who drove in the fog probably didn't appreciate their commute, but the frost was spectacular. It created a world of white.

"All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine." Revelation 3:5 New Living Translation

The beauty of the frost that covered the plants and trees is an amazing picture of what waits for those of us who remain faithful in Christ. These white garments are a picture of something we have yet to experience. They symbolize eternity. They never fade, grow dingy or deteriorate.

The art of staying faithful to Christ is not something we bring to the table, it is the work of God's Spirit. When we consider our lives in this broken and fallen world, a world that mocks the cross, it is easy to give up, and without the Holy Spirit we probably would.

The promise that our names will remain in God's Book of Life is based on this work of his Spirit. As we remain connect to Christ through his Word we need not be afraid that God will erased our names. Our names are written with his blood.

These garments are the clothing of Christ. As such Jesus declares before his Father that we belong to him. There is no reason for us to stand in fear of God. His Son has clothed us in his righteousness so that we might stand before God now and for eternity.

This work of Christ in our lives is a world of white and it's easy to get lost in a world of white, not in fearful way, but in a state of wonderment.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Cloaked With Christ

Keeping me warm during these winter months is this overcoat that I've owned since my days in Nebraska. Fortunately it was rather big when I bought it 30 years ago.

The servants and the guards were standing around a fire they had built and were warming themselves because it was cold. Peter was standing there, too, and warming himself with the others. John 18:18 God's Word to the Nations

Maybe Peter wished he had a warmer coat this night. You know the story. Three times he denies Jesus. At the end of his denial he weeps bitterly over his behavior. If he'd only brought a coat he could a stood somewhere else...or could he?

Being close to the fire was great, but he also wanted to be a tad bit closer to his Savior following the betrayal by Judas. He was scared. He was anxious. Maybe, just maybe, if he could be a little closer to Jesus he wouldn't be so anxious and scared.

Yet he was alone and uncovered at the fire. There was no warmth being closer to Jesus on this night.

Maybe this is the way that you feel today. Maybe you feel exposed to the cold, bitter winter of life. Even being closer to Jesus hasn't helped. Like Peter it has only reminded you of your unworthiness to stand in his presence.

When we feel the bitter cold of winter we must move to Jesus on his cross. He had no coat, no clothing to give him warmth as he neared death. The coldness of the cross fell deep on Jesus. He was exposed to the winter of sin so that he might cover you with forgiveness and life.

This gift of forgiveness is your true clothing. It is the coat that would cover Peter for his denial and it is the coat that covers you no matter how you have disappointed God. Your heavenly Father sees you clothed in Jesus' righteousness.

You are cloaked with Christ.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

To Such Belongs the Kingdom

I actually wear this hat in public.That shouldn't surprise those of you who know me, yet I have to admit if you stare at this hat long enough it's kind of creepy. Maybe that's why people keep their distance from me when I'm wearing it.

This is not the only hat in my closet. Since I don't have much in the way of "natural" protection on the top of my head I find that I wear hats more often than I use to. I even wear them in my house when the temperatures plummet outside.

The world is cold place and children experience this coldness in alarming ways.

Children shoot children in our schools.

Other children are sold into slavery.

Still other children suffer all sorts of abuse.

We think about children at Christmas.  They sit on Santa's lap, they sing of Jesus in our Christmas pageants, and stare in wonder at the lights on the Christmas tree, yet they often take the brunt of the coldness of this world.

"When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." Mark 10:14 New Living Translation

Oh that we would have the heart of Jesus and value children. We adults are the hats that keep our children from experiencing the coldness of the world. Our tender embraces, words of kindness and kissing of boo boos are the blessings of Jesus for children today.

We might look as goofy as this duck hat to others as we stand for children, but it's our calling from God.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Yoke of Rest

I'm not a fan of wearing ties, so a couple of years ago I challenged myself to wear a tie to work everyday. It was a difficult test, but I made it most days.

A tie feels like a yoke, and we're yoked to a lot of stuff.

We're yoked to our jobs.

We're yoked to our debts.

We're yoked to our families.

Not all of these yokes are bad, but they all come with burdens, even being yoked to our families. We are burdened with the faith of our children, the finances of our household and the upkeep of our homes. Sometimes this family yoke is too difficult to bear.

Then we hear the words of Jesus.

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Mat 11:29 NLT)

Freedom is not about throwing off every yoke that strangles our lives, but knowing to whom we are truly yoked.  Christ has placed his yoke on us and with his yoke we find rest. Through the yoke of Christ there is rest in our families, peace from our debts and encouragement in our work.

Christ has placed his yoke on you. May you find in his yoke the peace that you've been looking for.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Colors of Christmas

The colors we wear at Christmas are significant because of the lack of color this time of year.

Color is dependent on light. This time of year we experience the lack of color with the lack of light, so we decorate our homes with color that reflects the light of brighter days.

"Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ."  Philippians 1:27 God's Word to the Nations

The light in our homes and churches grows brighter as we approach Christmas and as the days grow deeper in darkness...and this is how it should be.

We have been lit with the love of God.  We shine because he has shined on us by entering our world that had been darkened by sin. We reflect the light of Christ in this dark world. This is our calling.

Like the varied colors of Christmas each one of us reflects the light of Christ in a different way. Each one of us has been gifted to shine with a different hue. As such the Church looks like a house decorated for Christmas, a house where there are multiple colors lighting the darkness of night.

You are an important reflector of God's light. The color which you bring to the world and to the Christian community is needed.

The church doesn't shine as brightly nor as colorfully without you.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Depth of Joy

This third week in Advent is about joy. Christmas jewelry reflects this spirit of joy.

The Third Sunday in Advent is called Gaudete Sunday which in Latin means rejoice. The Advent candle is pink, setting it apart from the other three candles which are either blue or purple. 

Though the Advent season is a preparatory season like Lent, this Sunday reminds us of the great joy that is ours because God has done something about our human condition.

Yet my gut tells me that you're probably not feeling a great deal of joy right now. A few of you have finished your Christmas shopping, purchased the food for your feast and put up all your decorations. You are in the minority as evidenced by the lack of parking spaces at the mall, the panicked grocery shoppers and houses wanting of Christmas lights.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11 English Standard Version

Our joy is not dependent on a specific time of year or the circumstances of life.  

It might be that the majority of us like this time of year and that there is a joy that we experience now that is often missing at other times of the year. That is not true for all of us.  

Some of us will celebrate Christmas without a loved one for the first time...or the tenth.

Some of us have no one with whom we'll celebrate Christmas this year.

Some of us didn't have the money to buy gifts for the people we love and we feel shame.

The joy that comes with the Christ Child is connected to the cross of that Child. He bore your shame, he will never leave you and his gift is eternal life. Joy is deeper than being happy. Joy resides at the core of our being even when there seems to be no reason to celebrate.

Joy is the gift of this Child born for you.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Crazy as Christmas Socks

What other holiday than Christmas encourages companies to make crazy socks for a profit? Granted, there are some of you who wear Christmas socks all year, not so much because you like the socks but because you like Christmas. For most of us, they remain in the dresser until December.

For some people the message of the cross is similar to Christmas socks.

"The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God's power to us who are being saved." 1 Corinthians 1:18 God's Word to the Nations

You and I look forward to Christmas because it leads to the story of the cross and the empty tomb. We believe that the baby born in Bethlehem was not just a cute baby born in poor circumstances. We confess that this baby is the world's Savior. He is the one who forgives our transgressions against God and others.

Unfortunately, for many people this message is like Christmas socks; something to laugh at. To many it is pure nonsense to think that God would enter our human habitation by taking on our flesh, and that this God would forgive the world for its transgressions. It is foolishness to many.

However, this foolishness brings us life. It orders our lives and our universe. It is a message that we cannot live without no matter what others think.

So again this year, we will sing "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night" even when others think we're as crazy as Christmas stockings because this message is our life.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Feet Set on Solid Ground

So far this Advent we've meditated on getting ready for Christmas by cleaning and decorating our homes. Now, in this third week in Advent, we turn our attention to our personal attire as we dress for Christmas.

After my foot surgery in April I don't take my feet for granted. However, I don't understand all the attention people give to shoes. I have two basic types of shoes and only one or two pair in each category. There are  shoes I wear to work and there are shoes I don't wear to work. That's it.

There appear to be two kinds of people as well: those who purchase shoes as some devour antacids, and others (like me) who don't buy shoes until they can feel the rocks through the soles.

It doesn't matter into which category you fall, everyone understands the importance of feet. Even the psalmist understood their importance.

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." Psalm 40:2 New Living Translation

It doesn't matter what kind of shoes we're wearing if we're stuck in he mud of sin and despair.

Maybe you've had the same experience I've had. You're walking through mud and your shoes get stuck. It doesn't matter if you're wearing tennis shoes or boots, mud can consume them.

The mud of sin has consumed our lives, yet it is Christ who chose to dwell in the mud with us and set our feet on solid ground. Though we still see the mud and sometimes get stuck in it, God in his mercy pulls us out.

Today, you might feel stuck in the mire of life. It might feel like you're going nowhere. You have a God who has pulled you out of the mud and he sets your feet on the solid ground of his love.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

"Ho, Ho, Ho"

I'm not against Santa, but I purposefully placed him next to the crèche. Granted, he wouldn't have stood up had he not been leaning on the stable, however, Santa Claus and his spirit of giving must be placed in the context of the crèche.

Santa gives based on our goodness.

God gives based on his goodness.

"For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8 English Standard Version

The story of Santa has developed into a story about our human nature that sees love as conditional. Our human nature keeps a list of naughty and nice things that others have done to us. According to our humanness, we love others based on which side of the list has the most check marks.

God's love for us is based on his goodness toward us. He gives us his Son when we don't deserve the gift.  He grants us forgiveness when we deserve his punishment. He lifts our head when we deserve to wallow in shame.

God's gift of his Son is pure grace for you and me. When we understand this gift we can truly laugh with Santa a gut busting, hardy "ho, ho, ho."

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

"Joy to the World"

Our family fireplace is unusable this time of year. Hanging from the mantle, and too close to the fire, are stockings for each member of our family. This year we add a stocking for our newest grandson, Nolan.

I think my wife, Janice, enjoys buying stocking stuffers more than anything else. We've had clown noses, magic wands and candy galore fill our stockings. Opening the gifts in our stockings is a time of laughter and pictures in our pajamas.

Joy is a gift of Christmas.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11 English Standard Version

Christmas reminds us that joy is not something we conjure up, create or manufacture. It is a gift that God hands to us when he places his Son in manger. Joy is the gift that God gives us when he draws us into his presence through this gift of his Son.

There are many things that will rob us of joy. Family strife, unsatisfying work and battles with depression are a few aspects of life that would plunder us of joy.

The gift of joy transcends life experiences and is rooted in God, not in us. That's why it's a gift. It is a gift that God once again pours upon his people when we hear the words that a Savior has been born, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

T'is the Season for Nostalgia

Nothing makes us feel more nostalgic than Christmas. Our nostalgia is often pictured in the miniature cities that we set up around our homes. These towns are made of city halls, train stations and drug stores. We probably never lived in a town like this, but we can imagine that we did.

These miniature cities possess the power to take us back to our childhood where we might remember things a little better than they really were...and that's okay.

Through the baby, God has dealt with the failures of our past. These failures have met their end in Jesus.

"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25 English Standard Version

Why does God emphasize the fact that he is the one who will not remember our sins? It is because you and I have this great capacity to remember sins, ours and others. God has the ability to forgive and forget.

Through the mercy of Christ on his cross God doesn't remember your sins. The ability to look back at the past, both recent and distant, and remember them with more fondness than deserved comes from the mercy of God in Christ.

The miniature cities that we place in our homes have the power not only to help us embrace the fact of forgiveness, but to look forward to the fulfillment of God's promise. God has a place prepared for us with him.

We can't imagine the beauty of that place.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Power of Snow

As I sit to write this blog our nation is in a deep freeze. From the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast, even reaching down into the southern states, we're in the grip of winter. It's so cold here in Colorado Springs that you can't make a snowman.

For many of us the story of Frosty the Snowman is an important part of our preparation for Christmas. To be honest with you, I'm much more interested in making a snowman than listening to the story of Frosty. I'm sorry. I really don't mean to offend anyone, but I've never been all that interested in a talking snowman.

However, I love snow, even in this extreme cold. I love the way it crunches under my feet and how it covers all the garbage with which we litter God's creation. Snow is a wonderful picture of grace.

"'Come now, let's settle this,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.'" Isaiah 1:18 New Living Translation

The mercy of Christ that declares our crimson lives white as snow is an amazing power. You and I know how crimson are our sins. We live with their reality from day-to-day, yet through Jesus we are forgiven.

You are forgiven. Today God sees you as white as snow through the blood of his Son.

Interesting isn't it? What declares us white as snow is marked by its crimson flow.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Most Important Ornaments

Today we add a Christmas tree ornament to our decorations as we near our celebration of Jesus' birth.

Christmas tree ornaments come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Those that have the most value were probably made by our children or grandchildren. Our family Christmas tree is graced with ornaments made by our children when they were in grade school. They're not made with expensive materials, nor are they the most beautiful, yet they are priceless.

"Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3 New Living Translation

I wish that I would have taken this verse to heart much earlier in my life. Like many people, I was too busy trying to make a name for myself. It's not that I completely blew it as a father, but I wasted time.

Christmas reminds us that children are an undeserved reward from the Lord. They are gifts of grace even if they fill their diapers, spill milk or break your heart.  

I have also discovered that there is good news in parenting even when you children are adults. They are still gifts from the hand of God.

This Christmas, when you place your children's ornaments on the tree, thank God for their presence in your life. If your children have left home you might even consider giving them a phone call.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

For the Rudolphs of Life

 Did you know that  Rudolph wasn't added to Santa's sleigh until 1939?

34-yer-old Robert May, an employee of Montgomery Wards, authored the story. As a child May knew what it meant to be the brunt of jokes since he was picked on for his small stature. At the time that he wrote the story his young wife was dying of cancer.

Maybe the reason the story of Rudolph resonates with us is because, we too, can relate to his predicament.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zechariah 9:9 English Standard Version

Our God comes to us not on a mighty steed, but on a donkey. Donkey's may be cute, but they don't necessarily have a great reputation. Donkeys add comic relief to movies and are known for their stubbornness, yet this is the animal upon which our Savior rode into Jerusalem.

Rudolph and the donkey remind us of our broken humanity, and they are a picture of God's grace. Though we often experience ridicule, hardships and pain this side of eternity, we have a God who has declared us to be important.

Santa chose Rudolph.

Jesus chose the donkey.

God chooses you.  

It's all about grace: grace that chooses and grace that transforms the Rudolphs of life.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Front and Center

All Christmas decorating begins and ends with the manger. Without the manger, without the stable, there is no Christmas.

Last week we looked at preparing for Christmas by cleaning house, not our physical homes, but our spiritual dwellings. In this second week in Advent we examine getting ready for Christmas by decorating our homes. What better place to begin than with the crèche.  

Janice and I purchased this crèche from a German craftsman in the small village of Ettal, just outside of Oberammergau. We've decided that it's not only a part of our Christmas decorations, but a permanent fixture in our living room.

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:6-7 King James Version

While our homes are filled with all sorts of Christmas decorations, there was nothing frilly to make the stable feel like a home. There wasn't even a proper place to lay a newborn baby (and I don't suppose the sanitation of the stable was up to hospital standards).

Yet this is how our Savior chose to enter our human history.

The stable and manger are reminders of the humility of the one who comes for us. Just as foreign as the manger is to our Savior, so is the cross. The One who sat enthroned in heaven is laid in a feeding trough and nailed to a cross.

This is how our God comes to us. He comes in humility. So, like Mary and Joseph, we are invited to bend our knees before this gift who comes to us clothed in our human frailty.

This year let the crèche have the place of prominence among your decorations as a reminded of your Lord's humility.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Insidious Nature of Sin

Mildew isn't just ugly, over time it has the power to destroy chalking and grout. The power of mildew has forced me to rip out our shower in our master bath.  Some of you have been in the same boat.

As we bring to a close this first week of Advent and our preparations for Christmas, we address the issue of the insidious nature of sin; sin that acts much like mold. Different heroes of the faith were caught in sin's devious nature.

Abraham pawns his wife off as his sister to save his life.

Samson recklessly exposes the source of his strength.

David lusts after Bathsheba and, not only commits adultery, but murders her husband.

"I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." Psalm 32:5 English Standard Version 

David found that the best way to deal with the insidious nature of sin was to confess it. He does not cover up the fact that he has sinned or make excuses for it. He acknowledged his sin and received God's gracious gift of forgiveness.

This is the only way for us to deal with sin. The resolution to sin's work in our lives is not found on a therapist's couch but in a nail marked cross.

Like mold infecting grout, if we ignore sin's reality, our lives will crumble, but turning to the cross, to the Person who was crucified for us, we find our sin removed and our lives restored.  

God has dealt with the insidious nature of sin...and defeated it for us.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Clinging to Jesus' Knees

Nobody wants to clean the oven by hand. That's why most newer ovens are self-cleaning. Months of pies spilling out of the pan, cheese falling from the nachos and cookies crumbling to the oven bottom makes the task of cleaning the oven difficult and messy.

Add to the difficulty of this task is the fact that most ovens must be cleaned on the knees.

"But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'" Luke 5:8 English Standard Version

Peter, on his knees, grasps the knees of Jesus, at least that is the way I read the story. He asks Jesus to depart from him, yet he holds on to him, and all of this on his knees.

Sin brings us to our knees when we stand in the presence of Jesus. Our good deeds, our righteous acts, are soiled rags compared to Jesus' work, yet it is on our knees that we also hear the words that we are forgiven and loved by this righteous Jesus.

Like Peter we ask Jesus to depart from us while clinging to him with all our might. We know that we are not worthy of his love, yet it is his love that sustains our life.

It is his love that makes it worth getting up in the morning.

It is his love that propels us to deal with our struggling relationships.

It is his love that gives us hope when we contemplate our mortality.

Good things happen on our knees as we cling to Jesus' knees.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Scrubbing the Dishes

Most of my growing up years our family didn't own a dishwasher. That was because we had two dish washers in our house: my sisters (with an occasional substitute in my brother and me). I don't know how my sisters survived.  There were six of us in our family and there were plenty of dishes.

Washing the silverware and plates wasn't too bad, but washing the pots and pans was another story. Washing dishes by hand can be difficult, time consuming work.

Confronting a brother or sister in Christ about their sin is probably the most difficult task in the Christian community; one in which we say, "send someone else, Lord!"

This task is difficult because we know our own brokenness, sin and failings.

This task is difficult because we fear that it might lead to alienation in our relationship with that person.

This task is difficult because we don't want to be wrong in our judgment about another person's behavior.

"My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins." James 5:19-20 New Living Translation

James reminds us that there is great value in compassionately dealing with another person's sin and their wandering from the truth: that person is saved from spiritual death and experiences the gift of forgiveness when they recognize their sin and turn to Jesus.

Yes this is hard work, yet it is work that reflects what this baby was born to do for us. Through the hard work of dying on the cross he has washed us clean of our sin and saved us from spiritual death.

This gift of forgiveness is the gift that he wants to give all who have sinned and fallen short of his glory.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Who Can Stand?

Cleaning doesn't get much more abrasive than powdered cleanser with bleach. It grinds out the grime in sinks and toilets. This cleanser tackles the tough work around the house.

How ironic it is that the tough cleansing of our lives is tackled by a baby.

"But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap." Malachi 3:2 English Standard Version

The one who comes to face our sin, conquer death and captivate Satan comes as a small baby, yet "who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears?"

All of us fall on our knees before this baby. We are prostrate before him because of his power to redeem, rescue and save us.  

The Bible doesn't tell us whether the shepherds knelt before the baby, but we can imagine that they did. Through Matthew we know that later, when the Magi arrived, they bowed before the child.

And so do we. We cannot remain on our feet before the one who bears our sin, the one who saves our lives.

Stronger than any powdered cleanser is this baby born for us.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Power to See

One of the worst jobs around the house is cleaning the windows, not because it is so difficult, but because there are so many to be cleaned, and they need to be cleaned often. Doesn't it seem to be the case that as soon as you clean the windows it rains?

Yet cleaning windows opens up the world outside the walls of our homes. Cleaning the windows is like removing scales from our eyes.

"Immediately, something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again."  Act 9:1 God's Word to the Nations

I can't imagine what Saul (whom we know as Paul) felt when he lifted himself off the Damascus' road and couldn't see. We value our eyesight. The one sense that we fear losing more than any other is that of sight. One minute Paul could see and the next he couldn't.

Then God removes the scales, and Saul sees clearly, yet he sees more than the blue sky, green grass and colored garments. He sees Jesus. He sees him with the eyes of faith. So clearly does he see Jesus that he is willing to die for him.

God's Spirit is in the business of cleansing our eyes that we might see Jesus. Today we see him, not with physical eyes but with the eyes of faith.

Seeing Jesus changes life. It changed the course of Saul's life, and it changes the course of our lives.

Because of God's Spirit, we have the power to see Jesus.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Polished to Shine

One of the few chores that I remember doing as a child was polishing the furniture. There were two reasons I tolerated polishing. First, I liked the smell of furniture polish, and second, I could see instant results. The furniture glowed after a good polishing.

Sin is the dust that covers our ability to shine with God's love. As we consider cleaning house this Advent we need to see what sin does that inhibits our ability to shine

Sin also kept Israel from shining. Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel to arise and shine. As the chosen people of God that is what they were called to do.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1 English Standard Version

Israel could shine because it was God who cleansed her of her unrighteous acts.

It is God who wipes away the dust of our sin. His blood is the polish that makes us shine. He delights in revealing what lies under the layer of sin.

The problem is that we've become comfortable with the dust, and as a result, we don't shine, yet God never tires of polishing our lives.

The evidence of God's heart lies in a manger.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Gentle Cleanser

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for Christmas.We wait for Christ's return. We wait for God to come to us today. And so we prepare for Christ's coming like we prepare for Christmas.

This week we'll spend time cleaning house. Isn't that an important part of preparing for Christmas?

Isaiah asked that God would rend the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1). He pleads for God to cleanse his people, but how does he come? Throughout this week we'll look at different household cleansers, and use them as a picture of God's loving act of cleansing in our lives.

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself." Galatins 6:1 New Living Translation

Murphy's oil soap is a gentle cleanser often used on wood cabinets and other material that can't handle more abrasive cleansers.

We need a gentle cleanser.  

When we ask God to rend the heavens and come down we ask that he do so with gentleness. This gentleness is a mark of the Christian community.

God uses sisters and brothers in Christ to work his cleansing. Why? Because we know our own need for this loving work of cleansing. This cleansing, through the community, is not a point your figure, shape up or get out cleansing, but a restorative balm of healing for those who are straying from the love of Christ.

We're reminded of this gentleness by a baby born in humble means and laid in a manger for us. It is this baby who comes to cleanse us in love.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Broken and Forgiven

Mt. Sherman, Colorado

Gravity works even at high altitude.  

This picture is of the remnants of the Hilltop Mine on Mt Sherman (peak in the background). I can't imagine people working in this mine at such an altitude. How did they move the lumber to build this mine? How did they survive underground?

All that remains now is broken timber.

Brokenness is a part of our lives, similar to the brokenness of the woman who had been caught in adultery.

"Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, 'Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?' 'No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'" John 8:10-11 New Living Translation

We'd like Jesus to stop with the words, "Neither do I." We struggle with his words, "Go and sin no more." Like that's going to happen. However, forgiveness has an amazing influence on our behavior.

Do I think this woman returned to her life of adultery? No, not when her life had been spared through the mercy of Christ.

Do I think that this woman lived a perfect life after this event? No, she remained an imperfect human creature.

This is our daily tension as Christians. We're forgiven and we leave our life of sin, yet we also know that we're not perfect. We live in a daily cycle of remembering that we are broken and knowing that, when we go to bed at night, we'll give thanks for God's forgiveness.

Like Martin Luther in his morning and evening prayer, we begin the day by asking God to keep us from sin and in the evening we pray that he would forgive us...and he does both.

That's our daily walk.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Passing On a Legacy

Leaving a legacy is a popular topic in Christian and non-Christian circles, but it is difficult to determine what that legacy ought to be.  

Whether it was intentional or unintentional, I see the legacy that my mother-in-law left behind when I look at my wife, Janice.  

"I have been young, and now I am old, but I have never seen a righteous person abandoned or his descendants begging for food." Psalm 37:25 God's Word to the Nations

Though this passage doesn't speak directly to a legacy, it does address the issue of righteousness. A right relationship with God is an eternal legacy.

A legacy of righteousness is greater than any physical inheritance. This is the legacy that my mother-in-law left behind. It is the legacy that my father left behind, and I pray that it is the legacy that I leave with my children and grandchildren.

Understand that a legacy of righteousness is different than a legacy of perfection. My father and mother-in-law were not perfect people. They would be the first to admit their imperfections. The Bible states that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), but (and this is a big but) they were declared right with God through the merits of Jesus (Romans 3:24).

As you consider the legacy of your life, may that legacy be characterized by the righteousness of Christ. Your relationship to Christ will make a lasting impact on others.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Singing Our Thanks

Lillian Nickodemus

It saddens me that the anticipation of Black Friday has supplanted the beauty of Thanksgiving. Many commercials have filled the airwaves with the importance of Black Friday, but not near as many about giving thanks to God for our loved ones.

Though it has been more than two year since she joined the Church Triumphant, I still thank God for my mother-in-law whom I miss. I had not celebrated Thanksgiving with her a number of years before she passed away, yet I know that Thanksgiving once again this year will not be same without her at the table in Mt. Angel.

The jokes without punchlines, the songs resonating from the piano, and the expression of "glory" will be missed as always, but most of all, her presence will be missed.

Mom loved to sing.

"In that wonderful day you will sing: 'Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is!'" Isaiah 12:4 New Living Translation

Today is the day to sing. God's mercy is greater than any electronic gadget, perfume or slippers. Mom wasn't afraid to let people see her heart of thankfulness to the Lord for his mercy. She wasn't afraid to sing.

She wasn't afraid to sing ABOUT her Savior.

She wasn't afraid to sing TO her Savior.

As you gather with family and friends today, don't take them for granted, nor simply mention them in a prayer. Listen to them. Laugh with them. You might even cry with them.  In short be present with them. This is our song of praise to God.

A blessed Thanksgiving to all!

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Sensory Overload

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

A trip to Hubbard Glacier is a ride into sensory overload. Notice that there isn't one point of focus for these cruisers peering off the bow of the ship. The woman in the yellow jacket isn't even facing the same direction as the others (though this might have been due to the cold wind).

Viewing God's wisdom displayed by the church puts the unseen world on sensory overload.

"God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." Ephesians 3:10 New Living Translation

This is a difficult passage to understand. We'd be okay with Paul writing that the Christian community displays God's wisdom to the world, but to reveal this wisdom to the "authorities in the heavenly places" is difficult for us to wrap our brains around.

God's way of doing things doesn't make sense to us. It seems like a risk on God's part that a bunch of sinner/saints would make known his wisdom, especially to the heavenly authorities, yet that is how God works.

As the church is engaged in living out her faith in the One who died and rose for her, she reveals both to the visible and invisible world the manifold wisdom of God. It is a wisdom that baffles even the heavenly beings.

By the way, writing as a candidate for the Hair Club, how does the bald man in the middle of this picture not have a hat on?

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Siamese Twins

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

This rock formation in the Garden of the Gods is known as the Siamese Twins. Looking at the top of these rocks you can understand how they got this name.  

However, this not the usual picture people take of these rocks. If you look closely at this picture you will notice that at the bottom and just to the left is an opening in the rocks.  

If you do Google image search of the Garden of the Gods it doesn't take long and you'll view a picture of Pikes Peak through that hole. In fact, when I took this picture above I also to one through that hole, and it hangs in my office.

I took the obligatory picture, then decided that I needed to tell a different story; a story you don't find as often as the iconic one of Pikes Peak.

The story is of inter-relatedness.

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." Ephesians 2:19-21 English Standard Version 

We are joined to each other in Christ's body. God intends that when people look at his church they see a unity flowing out of our relationship to the cornerstone, to Jesus Christ. God also desires that they see the uniqueness of each person who is tied into this cornerstone.

Like Siamese twins, we are joined together that world might see Jesus.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Redemption

Grandson, Nolan

Okay, so I'm a little proud of my grandson, Nolan...well I'm really proud of my son and daughter-in-law. And I can't forget about Nolan's brother, Eli.  

God is a God of redemption.

There is nothing from my past that says I deserve to have the family that I do. I'm not saying that I did everything wrong, but I didn't do everything right either, and I'm not saying that I always did my best.

My family is a place of grace, and I see that grace in my grandsons. They don't know my past. They accept me as their grandpa. Granted, Nolan is a little to young to understand my hugs, yet he allowed me hold him and talk to him for a short time soon after his birth.

"O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption." Psalm 130:7 English Standard Version

Nowhere has this truth been more evident to me than in my family.

For those of you who are grandparents (and others) I invite you to a very special blog, Grandma's Briefs, written by a member of my congregation, Lisa Carpenter. She is an amazing writer and an inspiration to me in writing this blog.  Here is the link to her blog.  Enjoy!

http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Held in His Hands

Grandson, Nolan with His Dad

When I downloaded this picture to my computer I was tempted to delete it, but I'm glad that I didn't. I tried to focus on Nolan's face, but ended up spotlighting Joel's hands. Those hands tell an important story.

Nolan can't put into words what his father's hands are doing, yet he knows their power. They lift him up and make him feel secure. Nolan's response to Joel's hands is one of contentment.

"See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands." Isaiah 49:16 New Living Translation

God reminds the people of Israel that not only does he hold them in his hands but that he has written their name, the name of Israel, on his hands. The context of this verse states that God remembers the ruins of Jerusalem. He doesn't forget their pain because he cannot forget them. Their name is inscribed in his hands.

God cannot forget us. Through our watery rebirth in baptism (John 3:5), our name has been inscribe into God's hands. We are his elect, his church, and the name of his church has been written in blood in his hand.

Joel was not going to let go of Nolan no matter how Nolan felt.  He could cry, squirm or snuggle and Joel was not going to let go.  God never lets go of his people.

We might not be able to put this relationship with God into words, but we know the power of God's hands as they enfold us close to his heart.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.