Oxford Dictionaries named “selfie” the word of the year for 2013. Smart phones and tablets have made it easy for individuals to snap pictures of themselves and to send these pictures to friends and post them on social-media sites. (But you already know this.) Scripture tells us that God has filled the world with selfies, so to speak, as each one of us reflects God’s image. At Christmas we celebrate something even greater. In Jesus, God became fully human and lived among us. LinC looks at the Incarnation and how it changed the world forever. We’ll also talk about how we are called to reflect God in all that we do. Key Scriptures: Job 9:32-35; Luke 1:26-38; John 14:1-14.
The end of 2013 is upon us and the New Year awaits. Our culture has long looked to the new year as an opportunity to change, to grow, and to do things differently. For Christians, turning the page on the calendar represents another 365 days to work toward an even closer relationship with God through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship, and Bible study. Another practice we might consider is fasting. Fasting has a long and rich history in Christianity. And while we often associate fasting with abstaining from food and drink, a fast also could involve refraining from playing video games or watching television or shopping. Next week we’ll look at the tradition of fasting and consider what fasts we might commit to in 2014.
