By Pastor Don Schatz

Count On It

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link

“The Word of the Lord is Right and true: he is faithful in all he does.”
Psalm 33:4 New International Version

Virtual Reality goggles and the worlds they take you too are fun.  One can sit in a rocking chair, put up one’s feet, and enjoy a roller coaster ride to the edge of space and back.  There is a series on Netflix right now that uses a Virtual Reality headset as a means for one’s consciousness to travel into the future and inhabit an actual copy of themselves.

What is real?  What is reality?  How do you decide?  It seems to me that one test is whether or not we can trust the person, idea or teaching.  Can we trust that version of ‘reality’?   Throughout Scripture, God’s people encounter ideas and even religious systems that seem real.  But they aren’t.  They encounter people who seem real in their sincerity, but they are not.  They encounter philosophical systems that purport to point them to what is real, helpful, life-giving and life-fulfilling.  You guessed it, they do the very opposite.

St. Paul complimented the Berean Christians.  They tested whether or not what Paul told them was true by comparing it to Scripture.  Peter encouraged his readers to test the spirits in order to determine the reality of a teaching, of a spiritual movement attempting to influence the people of God.

Advent is a season of re-focusing on what is true about the Christmas story.  It is a time of embracing the reality of the wonder of the Christ Child.  The Advent walk finds us remembering to Trust the Lord.  Trust the glory of his love, and his promise to never leave us, never forsake us, never to betray our trust.

Christmas is ‘Virtual’ if it is not focused on Christ.  We are ‘Virtual’ if we are not focused on Christ.  He is Real.  He is faithful.  His Love is certain.  His coming was for you.  His coming today in Word and Sacrament is for you.  And you don’t even need expensive goggles to see and experience the reality of Jesus our Lord!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado