By Pastor Ed Grant

 

About 23 years ago while serving a mission congregation in Middletown, New York, we decided to raise funds for missions, the youth, and for our building fund. (We were meeting in a drafty barn at the time.)

 

Pooling our talents we produced six different cards and sold them in packs of twelve. While the artistic among us drew the covers, collated, and packed the large baggies with cards and envelopes, I was responsible for the poetry and the greetings.

 

As the rest of the world puts the Christmas decorations
away for another year and considers how to address the
credit card debt, God’s people continue to bask in the afterglow of Christmas, in the fresh joy of the heavenly 
Father’s love, and in the continual hope inspired by the
Spirit’s presence in and among us. This contrast finds expression in the poem. 

 

“Joy from the Ash Heap”
Words without voices, notes without tunes,

Songs from a world by its struggles consumed;
Lonely though many, empty with much,
Aching for friendship yet fearful of touch,
Wanting a reason to trust. Light pierces darkness – shadows take flight.
Heaven has sent us a herald this night!
Words borne by voices, clear and so sweet;
Melodies ringing, choirs repeat: God sends His own Prince of Peace! 
Praise in the highest, sing all the earth!
Praise the One born now bestowing new birth!
Love fills the vacant, life floods the heart,
Heavenly hope to the waiting imparts; Spirit reviving each part.

E. Grant, 1995

PS: I’ll gladly share copies of the other poems to all who request them.

Recently, I shared a strange picture I believe the Lord gave me as I prepared the sermon. It was an ugly picture of a garbage dump mounded high with decaying food, discarded household items, and clothing, a silent scene except for the sound of squawking seagulls circling overhead. It is an eyesore to all traveling the adjacent highway and the source of a terrible odor for all who live nearby. Day after day trucks ascend Mount Trashmore, adding fresh refuse to its ever-expanding girth.

 

Eventually the trash will be covered with dirt and planted with grass—every so often a flame burning the methane gas produced by the decaying refuse.

 

I understood this as a picture of sin and its dreadful effects. Whether it is buried, burned, or dumped into the ocean, it remains a constant source of pollution. Here’s the reason: We are completely helpless to clean up or remove the mess sin creates!

 

The second picture that came to me was a large cross standing over Mount Trashmore. The crucified and risen Son of God has paid in full the penalty for sin, setting free those willing to bring their sins to Him. God assures us in His Word
of His ability to completely remove sin by describing three things He does with our sins: He separates us from them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); He throws them behind His back (Isaiah 38:17) and He remembers them no more (Isaiah 43:25).

 

How liberating and how important it is to remind ourselves of what God has done with our sins so we can confidently confront the lies of the evil one who will continue to accuse us, desperately attempting to undermine the priceless gift of
forgiveness we received through Jesus. As the songwriter Carmen once said: “When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.”

 

Pastor Ed Grant