When Love Takes Flesh: Belonging and Calling

We gathered up the joys and the heaviness of this season and brought them before God—celebrating recognitions in our community, the winter solstice and its longer light, the kindness of full pantry shelves, and the faithful service at Hope House. We also held the hard: new cancer diagnoses, fragile health, long miles to travel, the ache of distance from family, and the pressure so many of us feel to “keep the magic alive.” We asked God to help us be present—to one another and to God—more than we’re present to the hustle. From there, we talked about Love becoming flesh: not just in Bethlehem, but right here among us.

I shared the story behind O Holy Night and why singing “the slave is our brother” still matters. In Matthew, birth stories and lineages function like credentials—ways of saying, “God is at work here.” But today, many are not convinced by miracles or institutional labels. So the question presses in: what makes Jesus and his people believable now?

Paul gives us a starting place: “called and set apart,” but not first to a job—called to belong. Our first vocation is identity: belonging to Christ and to each other, and letting the Spirit shape a life marked by self‑giving love. That lens reframes Matthew’s story too. God authenticates Jesus not through dominance, but through a vulnerable birth, a scandalous pregnancy, a frightened couple, and Joseph’s risky yes. Joseph chooses relationship over reputation. That’s the kind of love that takes on flesh.

So what authenticates us today? Not polish, not programs, not perfect arguments. A people who feed instead of hoarding, welcome instead of excluding, repent instead of defending, and show up instead of disappointing. People may question our theology, they may not trust institutions—but they still recognize love when it stands in front of them. When love takes on flesh in us, it leaves evidence behind, and that evidence makes the good news believable. That’s why we come to the Table—all invited, all welcomed—so we can be filled with Christ’s life and spill it out into the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Called to belong before doing Our first calling is not a role but a relationship. Belonging to Christ and to one another grounds our identity, and everything else flows from there. Let your decisions about work, service, and gifts be shaped by who you already are in Jesus—not by anxiety to prove yourself. Start with belonging, then discern the doing. [47:38]
• 2. Love takes flesh in risk God authenticated Jesus through vulnerability: a scandalous pregnancy and Joseph’s risky obedience. Real love will always ask us to choose presence over safety and relationship over image. Faith grows not in certainty but in the courage to say yes when we don’t fully understand. That’s how love becomes visible. [53:28]
• 3. Our credentials are embodied compassion In a skeptical age, credibility isn’t won by slogans but by practices. When we feed instead of hoarding, welcome instead of excluding, and repent instead of defending, people sense Jesus among us. Let your life be a readable sign that grace is real—tangible, steady, and costly. That is a witness the world can feel. [54:44]
• 4. People recognize love, not polish Arguments can be dismissed and institutions distrusted, but love that shows up is hard to ignore. Consistency, humility, and presence outlast cleverness; they form a kind of holy proof. Keep showing up where it hurts and where it heals—love will speak for itself. [55:39]
• 5. Tell good news with your life When love takes on flesh, it leaves evidence behind—changed habits, reconciled relationships, fuller tables. The invitation is to “go and tell,” not only with words but with the shape of our days. Let your rhythms of mercy, justice, and welcome preach Christ before your mouth even opens. That’s a gospel people can trust. [56:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:40] - Joys: Solstice, Service, Recognitions
• [23:01] - Intercessions: Healing and Travel
• [27:50] - Presence over Hustle; Away from Home
• [30:32] - Offering and Song
• [37:36] - O Holy Night’s Abolitionist Roots
• [40:20] - New Year Devotional Invitation
• [42:26] - Ancient Credentials; Matthew’s Birth Story
• [44:15] - Calling Culture vs Paul’s Vision
• [46:56] - Called to Belong; Identity First
• [48:54] - Genealogy, Family Habits, Belonging
• [52:10] - God’s Vulnerable Authentication in Jesus
• [54:44] - Church’s Credentials: Love Embodied
• [59:45] - Confession, Communion, and Sending
• [73:24] - Christmas Eve Eve Invite and Benediction

1. In Romans 1:1-7, what specific words are used to describe calling? Who is “called,” and what are they called to?
2. In Matthew 1:18-25, what risks and costs did Joseph face if he stayed with Mary? List what is in the story.
3. In John 1:14, what images show God’s love moving toward us? How does the language point to presence, not distance?
4. What modern “credentials” do people often look for, and what was named as more believable today than miracles or labels? [43:14]

1. “Called to belong” comes before “called to do.” How might belonging to Christ and to one another become the root identity that shapes every other calling? [46:56]
2. Joseph chose relationship over reputation. In today’s culture of image and platform, what does that kind of choice reveal about the heart of real love? [53:51]
3. If love is authenticated through vulnerability (a scandalous pregnancy, a frightened couple, a risky yes), what does that teach about the way God works and the kind of people God forms? [52:10]
4. If people can distrust institutions yet still recognize embodied love, what practices make the good news “feel” trustworthy in everyday life? [55:39]

1. Belonging before doing: Where are you feeling pressure to prove yourself right now? What would it look like to make your next decision from the peace of “I belong to Christ” rather than the anxiety of performance? [47:38]
2. Risky love like Joseph: Where might God be inviting you to choose relationship over reputation this week—at home, work, or online? What is one brave, concrete yes you can offer? [53:51]
3. Embodied credentials: Pick one this week—feed instead of hoarding, welcome instead of excluding, repent instead of defending, or show up instead of disappointing. What exact action will you take, for whom, and by when? [54:44]
4. Presence over hustle: The season can turn us into task machines. What is one thing you will subtract to make room for presence, and one simple way you’ll practice being with God and others? [27:50]
5. People recognize love, not polish: Where do you tend to hide behind polish—clever words, tight schedules, neat answers? What would it look like to simply show up and be consistent there this week? [55:39]
6. Tell good news with your life: Think about your daily rhythms—meals, commutes, messages, money. What is one rhythm you can reshape in January so that mercy, justice, or welcome is built into your week? [56:22]
7. “The slave is our brother”: Where can you practice solidarity with someone who is overlooked or excluded—listening, standing with, giving, advocating? Name one step and invite someone to do it with you. [38:41]