This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ~ Jeremiah 31:33

This year the words from the first chapter of John’s Gospel have been ringing in my ears since early November. That first chapter is called the prologue of John’s Gospel. Usually when I hear this part read, maybe what I notice most is the repetition. John 1:1 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But sometimes, my ear is waiting to arrive at the 1/2 verse summary of who Jesus is and what God does through Jesus in verse 14: “The Word became flesh and lived among us.”

That little Greek phrase, especially the last word, is tricky to translate. “Kai ho logos sarx egeneto” is the phrase: “And the Word became flesh.” That’s the easy part. The tricky word is the Greek word: eskeinosen. In the NRSV it is rendered “lived among us” and in the King James Version: “dwelt among us.” But, in Greek my professor explained that this word literally means “set up a tent” or “tabernacled.” In fact, it was the word that was used to talk about the ornate tent - literally, the tabernacle - where God’s presence would come among the wandering Israelites during their 40 years in the desert.

 The translator of The Message, Eugene Peterson, thought it was worth it to try and impart that image of God’s presence alongside and accompanying God’s people. He phrased those six Greek words: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

 Since the fall of 2021, we’ve been participating in a Minneapolis Area Synod initiative called Faith and Neighboring practices. Deacon, Dean Funk, Kris Swartchick, IP Raul and myself have been attending monthly workshops and occasional retreats. The big goal has been about bringing intentionality to our relationship with the neighborhood. The neighborhood around the church has changed in recent years and in some ways, so has First. So, that’s where the idea for our Bonfire Brats and Bombpops came from this past summer. We want to meet our neighbors. We want to get to know them and we want them to know us because that reflects the kind of mutual care and solidarity that God first showed us through Jesus.

 Last week at council, Deacon Kirsten and Intern Pastor Raul shared some of their findings from the listening project they led throughout the fall. What captured my attention was the deep care that our members at First show both for each other in our church community and for the neighborhood around us, especially through ministries like EveryMeal and NEAR that help keep families from going hungry.

 The season of Advent begins on Sunday, Nov 27th. I’m excited for Advent at First this year because we’ll hear from new and familiar musicians each week. FLCW is cooking up a special Scandinavian Meal after worship on December 18th (there will be a freewill offering for NEAR). Though Christmas Eve is on a Saturday, we have our service scheduled for 4:30 (as in previous years). We’ll also look forward to a Service of Lessons and Carols at 9:30 AM on Christmas Day when we can gather and sing our favorite Christmas hymns together.

 “God moved into the neighborhood” is a confession of faith that reminds me that we have a God who comes to each of us and empowers us with the Spirit. We trust that God is calling us to meet and care for our neighbors, but we also know that God is already there in the neighborhood, working among those we encounter in ways that will surprise and delight.