Romans 16.25-27

How do you say goodbye in a letter? Most times, when you end a letter, you end it with a signature. In common practice, the end of a letter points to the sender.
For Paul, this is not enough.  He ends the letter of Romans with a soaring doxology to God. Paul signs off by giving the glory to God.
For Paul the glory of God is foremost.  His mission seeks not to bring himself into focus.  His mission magnifies "the only wise God, through Jesus Christ" (Rom 16.27).
May our lives magnify and glorify God in Christ!

Isaiah 40.1-11 - Make Straight the Pathway

Today is John the Baptist Sunday (Mark 1, Isaiah 40 - my invention, you won't find it on the liturgical calendar).  Can't believe it's that time of year again.  You can't get to Jesus without his crazy, straight-shooting cousin John.  John is such an interesting guy - hippie clothes, eating bugs, down buy the river.
Yet John's ministry was an enactment of the scriptures. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."  John literally went to the wilderness to make the path back to Jerusalem straight.  but he didn't straighten out the road.  He straightened out the people. The people recommitted to God, pledging themselves to God's justice and forgiveness in a fallen age.
Let us go down to the river. To (re)enact our baptism.  To recommit ourselves to God, repenting and living into the coming Kingdom.  When we go down to the water, the Holy Spirit will come to us!