Bearing God

December 21, 2014 Luke 1:26-38 Bearing God Year B This is the Sunday before Christmas. This is the time when scripture comes to earth, the prophecy becomes real. This is my favorite scripture as it talks about how Mary bought the gift of salvation into the world. This is a story of how Mary and Elizabeth, two women talk about how to change the world. Just their acts of giving birth, will change politics, economics, and even the destiny of the world. There is a lot to this story – there is the promise of God, there is the discussion of Mary and Elizabeth. Today I want to focus on the message of the angel. Whenever an angel comes to deliver a message from heaven, the first thing that he says is Fear not – he is always going to tell us something that is out of our realm of understanding. In this case Mary will give birth to a son. But how is that possible, if I am a virgin. The angel says that all things are possible with God. God will not be everything that we ask, but if it is in God’s will it will happen, whether it is impossible or not. Angels always protect, guide, announce, and instruct us to fulfill Gods will. This is a good day to focus on the angel’s lesson….. The Angel's Lesson Illustration Information Title The Angel's Lesson Author Unknown Reference received from a friend on the Internet Submitted By Ellen Klinke Submitted On March 13, 2006 Last Modified March 13, 2006 Labels • Acceptance • Choice • Conversion • Grace • Love • Trusting God He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the ground. All of the Garden's inhabitants paused to witness the event. Hawks hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and watched. "You will love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way. You will obey me, universe. For you were designed to do so. You will reflect my glory, skies, for that is how you were created. But this one will be like me. This one will be able to choose." All were silent as the Creator reached into himself and removed something yet unseen. A seed. "It's called 'choice.' The seed of choice." Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form. An angel spoke, "But what if he..." "What if he chooses not to love?" the Creator finished. "Come, I will show you." Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into the realm of tomorrow. "There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet and the bitter." The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous love. Voluntary devotion. Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness and marveled at the warmth. "Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is your greatest creation." "Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A stench enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and proclaimed, "What is it?" The Creator spoke only one word: "Selfishness." The angel stood speechless as they passed through centuries of repugnance. Never had he seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten loyalties. Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely labyrinths. "This is the result of choice?" the angel asked. "Yes." "They will forget you?" "Yes." Yes." "They will reject you?" "Yes." "They will never come back?" "Some will. Most won't." "What will it take to make them listen?" The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the future, until he stood by a tree. A tree that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even then he could smell the hay that would surround him. With another step into the future, he paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler on a bald hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood was strong. Soon it would be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be mounted on the stony brow of another hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear. "Will you go down there?" the angel asked. "I will." "Is there no other way?" "There is not." "Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier to not give the choice?" "It would," the Creator spoke slowly. "But to remove the choice is to remove the love." He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind. Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought by killing this false one. Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. Speechless. Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't leave. "I will stay," she said softly, "I will stay." All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command. "It must be done...," he said, and withdrew. But as he stepped in time, he heard the cry that he would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony. The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful..." The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love." They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked earnestly at the clay creation. A monsoon of love swelled up within him. He had died for the creation before he had made him. God's form bent over the sculptured face and breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks fleshened. A finger moved. And an eye opened. But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped. Perhaps it was the wind that said it first. Perhaps what the star saw that moment is what has made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it: It looks like... it appears to so much like... it is him!" The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He was looking inside--at the soul. "It's eternal!" gasped another. Within the man, God has placed a divine seed. A seed of his self (a seed of choice). The God of might had created earth's mightiest... And the One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return. Now it's our choice. Those who give messages from heaven are angels. Those who spread the good news on earth are called evangels. Ev- good – angel message. Let us in this season be evangels that spread the good news of Christ to all those in the world! Extra illustrations…….. An Extraordinary Gift Wade Burton tells about a man who was riding a bus from Chicago to Miami. He had a stop-over in Atlanta. While he was sitting at a lunch counter, a woman came out of the ladies' rest room carrying a tiny baby. She asked the man, "Will you hold my baby for me, I left my purse in the rest room." He did. But as the woman neared the front door of the bus station, she darted out into the crowded street and was immediately lost in the crowd. The man couldn't believe his eyes. He rushed to the door to call the woman, but could not see her. What should he do? Put the baby down and run? When calmness settled in he went to the Traveler's Aid booth and they soon found the real mother. The woman who had left him holding the baby was not the baby's mother. She had taken the child, perhaps to satisfy a motherly urge to hold a child. The man breathed a sigh of relief when the real mother was found. After all, what was he to do with a baby? In a way each of us is in the same situation as this gentleman. We are left with the question, "What will we do with the baby?" Have we really come to terms with the fact that this baby is not simply extraordinarily gifted, but that he is himself a gift from the heart of God? King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.eSermons.com A Jewish comedian tells about a Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg many years ago who was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort on Cape Cod - one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, "Sorry, no room. The hotel is full." The Jewish lady said, "But your sign says that you have vacancies." The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, "You know that we do not admit Jews. Now if you will try the other side of town . . . " Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeably and said, "I'll have you know I converted to your religion." The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?" Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem." "Very good," replied the hotel clerk. "tell me more." Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born in a manger." "That's right ," said the hotel clerk. "Why was he born in a manger?" Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because a jerk like you in the hotel wouldn't give a Jewish lady a room for the night!" King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com CHRISTMAS SURVEY What do people believe about the birth of Christ? A few days ago Newsweek Magazine conducted a poll asking some questions about Christ and His birth.* Here are some of the results: 67% - believe that the entire story of Christmas is historically accurate 24% - believe the story of Christmas is a theological invention If Jesus had never born, people believed there would be: 63% - less charity 61% - less kindness 59% - less personal happiness 58% - less tolerance 47% - more war (16% say less, 26% say the same) 38% - less religious divisions (21% say more, 26% say the same) Maybe you think "everyone in my church believes the right things". Well, maybe, but maybe not. Hopefully you are reaching people who believe the wrong things too. SOURCE: Brian Mavis, SermonCentral.com. Citation: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6653824/site/newsweek/ * For this NEWSWEEK Poll, Princeton Survey Research Associates interviewed by telephone 1,009 adults, aged 18 and older on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3. The margin of error Billy Graham says: “As an evangelist, I have often felt too far spent to minister from the pulpit to men and women who have filled stadiums to hear a message from the Lord. Yet again and again my weakness has vanished, and my strength has been renewed. I have been filled with God’s power not only in my soul but physically. On many occasions, God has become especially real, and has sent His unseen angelic visitors to touch my body to let me be His messenger for heaven, speaking as a dying man to dying men.”

What did you get for Christmas?

Rev. Harriette Cross Englewood-Rust United Methodist Church December 28, 2014 What did you Get for Christmas? Matthew 1-11 Year B Sermon Opener –Surprise, It's Christmas! The greatest thing about Christmas morning is the surprises. When else in life do you get to pile 10, 20, 30, 40 sometimes 50 surprises all together and sit for an hour enjoying each of them? One after another, surprise after surprise. Christmas Morning is wonderful in that way. I can remember still today the way I felt as a child, the amazement, the astonishment of Christmas morning. ( Leonard Sweet – Christmas Surpise) Every year I am always blessed with some very special gifts. And this year was not different, I received some gifts that I really appreciated. I think that the one that will stick out the most, will be the ticket that I got from the Brookfield police department for running a stop light. It took not one, but two police cars with flashing lights to pull me over, in the end the officer gave me a warning, but even the warning ticket was $35. I was also blessed to spend Christmas day here at church, and to see more than 100 people come here for good food and fellowship. We had to have at least 25 other people who volunteered in the community. I hope that we continue to this as a tradition, because there is a definite need in the community. Christmas is all about giving and receiving gifts. It is not about the physical things that we receive. It is about what they represent to us. Gift for Nicolas Cage When the actor Nicolas Cage was a young boy, his father gave him a little Pinocchio for Christmas. Being a boy, he was a little rough with it, and broke its head off. So his father suggested they bury Pinocchio. The next morning, on the very place where they had buried Pinocchio, was a large wooden sculpture of Pinocchio. The next day he went about burying his matchbox cars, toy planes, a castle, even his GI Joe doll hoping, they too would transform into something larger. Although they didn't, to this day Nicolas Cage says that his little Pinocchio gift was one of the best gifts he had received, because it gave him the gifts of imagination, hope and inspiration. And these continue to help him through life and in his career as an actor. As I told the children, the best gift that we received for Christmas is the gift of Jesus Christ. In our two texts Paul comments on the real Christmas gift by saying "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal "life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Then after writing to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 9:15) about their generosity in response to God's generosity to them in Christ he simply concludes with, "Thanks be to God his indescribable gift!" The art of gift giving and gift receiving is an important theological issue in the Bible and in real life. The Apostle Paul uses for the word "gift", "charisma." The "charisma" was a totally free and unearned gift which the army sometimes received. On special occasions, for instance on his birthday, or on his accession to the throne, or the anniversary of it, an emperor handed out a free gift of money to the army. It had not been earned; it was a present; it was simply a gift of the emperor's kindness and grace. So Paul says, "Our sin has earned us death. If we got the pay we had earned it would be death. It is death that is due to us as a right." Then Paul goes on to say, "But what we have received (from God) is a free gift, a "charisma"; we did not earn it; We did not deserve it. What we have earned is eternal death, but out of his grace God has given us the gift of eternal life, a really indescribable gift." Jesus in our New Testament reading (Matthew 7:7-29) asks his hearers, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Would you? I wouldn't. "Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake?" Would you? I don't think so. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" The point is, if we who are evil, know how to give good gifts to loved ones, which we do at Christmas and at other times, then God, who defines Himself as love, certainly knows how to and will give us good gifts also. The Psalmist in our Old Testament reading (Psalms 84:11) says in the Living Bible Translation, "No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right." God's nature is to give us good gifts. (taken from C Thomas Hilton – real Christmas gifts) We know how to give good gifts, we also know how to receive good gifts. God loves us, God knows us from the inside out, God knows what it is that we need. Jesus is a gift to each of us, -but that gift comes alive and becomes something greater in the world. Let this be a season of putting our gifts to use and making them a part of the world. Think about your spiritual gifts, be thankful, and use them. Amen. Extra illustration…… Chuck Swindoll writes, "surprises come in many forms and guises: some good, some borderline amazing, some awful, some tragic, some hilarious. But there's one thing we can usually say -- surprises aren't boring." Surprises are woven through the very fabric of all our lives. They await each one of us at unexpected and unpredictable junctures. I like the story about a professor who sat at his desk one evening working on the next day's lectures. His housekeeper had laid that days mail and papers at his desk and he began to shuffle through them discarding most to the wastebasket. He then noticed a magazine, which was not even addressed to him but delivered to his office by mistake. It fell open to an article titled "The Needs of the Congo Mission". Casually he began to read when he was suddenly consumed by these words: "The need is great here. We have no one to work the northern province of Gabon in the central Congo. And it is my prayer as I write this article that God will lay His hand on one - one on whom, already, the Master's eyes have been cast - that he or she shall be called to this place to help us." Professor Albert Schweitzer closed the magazine and wrote in his diary: "My search is over." He gave himself to the Congo. That little article, hidden in a periodical intended for someone else, was placed by accident in Schweitzer's mailbox. By chance he noticed the title. It leaped out at him. Chance? Nope. It was one of God's surprises. This morning we focus on one of the greatest surprises that ever there was placed by accident in Schweitzer's mailbox. By chance he noticed the title. It leaped out at him. Chance? Nope. It was one of God's surprises. This morning we focus on one of the greatest surprises that ever there was, the surprise that took place when an angel by the name of Gabriel appeared to a young teenager by the name of Mary…

The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us

Rev. Harriette Cross Englewood-Rust United Methodist Church December 14, 2014 Isaiah 61:1-11 Year B The Spirit of the Lord is upon us The debate continues – do we say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? People continue to say that we have strayed away from the true meaning of Christmas. They say that we have taken Jesus out of Christmas. And then there is the endless discussion of how xmas is the world’s way of x-ing Christ out of Christmas. You do know that the x is the greek letter chi- the first letter of Christos. And as far as taking Christ our of Christmas. I don’t know if Jesus was ever in Christmas. The historical Christ was born in the spring. Cultures all over the world celebrate December as a turning point . December 25th is an old Roman holiday. It is not a matter of taking Christ out of Christmas, but it is a way of putting Christ in Christmas. The point is for us to remember God’s promise to bring change. We have to put flesh on the prophecy in Isaiah 61 – the spirit of the lord is upon me to feed the hungry, to free the captives and to preach good news. That is God’s promise to the righteous victims. God recognizes that we live in an unjust system – there are those who suffer just because of where they are. God promises to raise up a righteous leader to change the system. Today is solidarity day – many people are marching to say that #blacklives matter I think that we have to remember the prophecy that God is going to send a person to act on behalf of God. I am still listening for he voice of God in this situation. I think that the prophecy of Isaiah still applies for today. Who is speaking in this situation and who is leading with God’s authority. This whole story is unfolding and yet to emerge. God is in the season of advent and Christ himself must be our leader. Once again it is not a matter of God being taken out of the movement, but God must be put in it. I went to see the new movie – Exodus – God and King. And of course it did not go exactly as the book says it was. It was a strange movie. But I have found that every movie has at least one good line. In this movie – Moses has led the Hebrews across the red sea and they are in the desert. One of them says to Moses – We are not slaves any more. And Moses responds, you may not be a slave anymore, but you are still not free. That is us today. Freedom is a process. We have to discover there God is in the process, where the world is,and where we are. It is a process to go from Hebrews to Isrealites – those who struggle with God and prove victorious. This particular issue is not an us and them matter, the police are part of our families and our community. There are many people right here in this community that profit from injustice. We mourn the loss of Demario Baily, who was a student across the street at Johnson Prep. The principal said that there should be marshal law all throughout the south side. What does that mean? And where is God in that solution? What does God want us to do in this situation. We have to put Christ in the situation. Once again we have to put Christ in Christmas. We have to be Christ for the world. THE GIFT OF THE SKATES So how do we recognize His authority in our lives? How do we express our faith and our love to Him? By committing ourselves to His mission. Jesus doesn’t say anything about saving sinners and getting them into heaven. The primary priority of his mission is to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” So why do we do what we do? Not just because it’s a good thing but because Jesus is the mashach, the Messiah. The way we recognize His Messiahship is that we give ourselves to him and his mission. Elizabeth English tells the story of Christmas 1949 when she and her husband Herman locked the doors to their small town appliance store at 11 PM. They were dead tired and had sold out of everything including record players, bicycles, dollhouses and games. They had only one lay away package left and the person never came for it. The next morning, Elizabeth, Herman and their 12 year old son Tom woke up and opened their gifts. But it just wasn’t the same. Tom was growing up and all he asked for was clothes and a few games. His childish exuberance of past years was gone. As soon as breakfast was over, Tom went next door to play, Herman mumbled that he was going back to sleep and Elizabeth found herself cleaning up the aftermath of breakfast and the opened gifts. And the holiday doldrums set in. It began to sleet with snow mixed in and the wind rattled the windows. Suddenly, she had a feeling hit her that she should go on a walk. "That's crazy," she thought, looking out the window and she fought it for an hour but finally gave in. She told her husband she was going to walk to the store. "That was crazy," he said, but she put on her coat, gloves and scarf and went anyway. She shivered as she tucked her hands in her pocket. When she got to the store, she was surprised to see two small boys, exclaiming, "There she is. See, I told you she would come." They were half-frozen and one of the boy’s face was wet with tears. "What are you children doing here? You should be home on a day like this!" They were poorly dressed with no hats or gloves and shoes that barely fit. "We’ve been waiting for you. My little brother Jimmy didn’t get any Christmas gifts and we want to buy skates. We have $3, see." It broke Elizabeth’s heart to tell them that they had sold out of everything. But then the layaway package came to mind. "Wait a minute" as she went to the shelf praying that they would be the right size. And miracle upon miracle, they were. They were a perfect fit. When they handed the money over, Elizabeth refused to take it, and she was rewarded with awe and wonder and joy in the boy’s eyes when they realized she was giving them the skates. "Now take that money and get some gloves!" she said. Then she said to the boys, "How lucky you were that I came." "I knew you would come," the older boy said. "How?" "I asked Jesus to send you." And upon hearing that tingles went down Elizabeth’s spine. God had planned this. As they waved goodbye, she turned home to a brighter Christmas than she had left. Family and friends soon arrived, and we had a delicious diner and a wonderful time. But the one thng that made that Christmas really joyous was the one thing which makes every Christmas wonderful--Jesus was there. (From a sermon by Tim Smith, Good News to the Poor, 10/19/2009) Christ is in the world when Christians are present in the world.when Jesus said that spirit of the Lord is upon me – he was empowered to be the messiah, and he did the work of the messiah. The spirit is upon us to preach good news, the feed the hungry and to free the captives. If you want to put Christ in Christmas we have to reach the oppressed, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, and the mourners – the righteous victims. This is the 3rd week of advent – we light the pink candle – the candle of joy. the documentary on recent studies in happiness, called "Happy" and available on Netflix Canada -- probably also Netflix America) says recent studies indicate that all of us have our own baseline of happiness (that is pretty constant throughout our life, and is the happiness quotient we normally return to after spikes of ecstasy or drops of sorrow), and that this personal baseline or happiness quotient is determined 50 % by genetics, only 10 % by circumstance or situation (like money, status, job, possessions, health, etc -- in other words, all the things we strive for, to make ourselves happy), and 40 % by activities we choose that help create contentment and happiness (like exercise, walking, healthy living, charity, meditation, etc) we put Christ in the world by what we do. Where can joy be found? What does justice look like in this world? 2832 Where Is Happiness? Not in Unbelief—Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.” Not in Pleasure—Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: “The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone.” Not in Money—Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.” Not in Position and Fame—Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.” Not in Military Glory—Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.” Where then is happiness found?—the answer is simple, in Christ alone. —The Bible Friend Our joy is in Christ, and in Christ alone. Putting Christ in Christmas is not in lights, baby Jesus, singing or putting money in the red kettle. The true spirit of Jesus, the messiah came forth to serve the righteous victims. To feed the hungry, to free the captives, to preach good news to the poor. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us this year – we have to work to put Christ in Christmas! Amen. Extra illustrations…… Merry Xmas For years folks have complained about that "XMAS" abbreviation. They shout, "Keep Christ in Christmas," decrying the commercialization of the whole season as much as the use of "X." Half of the complaint is valid. No one would deny that the season has been taken over by the wizards of mass marketing in their quest to be the first-est with the most-est. Most of us remember the not too distant past when Christmas advertising began on the day after Thanksgiving. Now we get it in late September. I am told that buyers for the major retail chains begin their search for Christmas merchandise in February and March. There is no question as to the over-commercialization of Christmas. As to the other part of the complaint...the X...there is less validity. To the English-speaking world, X is simply the twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet. But to the Greeks, the ones in whose language the New Testament was written, those diagonally-crossed lines are the letter "Chi," the first letter in the name "Christos," the Messiah. Through the years it has been an acceptable abbreviation for Christ. If you look at the lecture notes I took years ago in seminary, you will see it all over the place. To backtrack a moment, I am less than accurate when I say that "X" to us is only a letter of the alphabet. Any math student would happily correct me. In algebra, it represents an unknown: 2+3=X...3x3=X. But in Christianity X represents someone you do know. David E. Leininger, Adapted from “Merry Xmas” _________________________ Principal Rainy, of whom a child once remarked that she believed he went to Heaven every night because he was so happy every day, once used a fine metaphor about a Christian’s joy. “Joy,” he said, “is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there.” These words have been made into a popular chorus. Our attention is often directed to the two shortest verses in the Bible noting that “Jesus wept” is the shorter of the two. But in the Greek we find this “shortest” verse has three words whereas the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (“Rejoice evermore”) has only two. However, one surely can see the lovely connection between the two verses. The Christian’s joy flows from the sympathy and grace of their Saviour. Jesus wept—we rejoice evermore. —Daily Readings God’s Daring Plan Once upon a time – or before time, actually before there were clocks or calendars or Christmas trees – God was all there was. No one knows anything about that time because no one was there to know it, but somewhere in the middle of that time before time, God decided to make a world. So God made a world – this world – and filled it with the most astonishing things: with humpback whales that sing and white-striped skunks that stink and birds with more colour on them than a box of Crayola crayons! The list is way too long to go into here, but let’s just say that at the end when God stood back and looked at it all - God was pleased. Only something was missing. Everything he had made was interesting and it all fitted together really well, only there was nothing in the world that looked exactly like him. So he got busy making his signature piece, something made in his own image, so that anyone who looked at it would know who the artist was. So God decided to make two things, which were alike but different, and both reflections of him – a man and a woman who could keep him and each other company. Flesh was what he made them out of – flesh and blood – extremely flexible and warm to touch. God watched his two creatures stretch and yawn, laugh and run. And he liked nothing more than walking with them in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the evening. It almost broke God’s heart when they got together behind his back, did the one thing he had asked them not to do and then hid from him – from him! Things were different after that. God still loved the human creatures best of all, but the attraction was not mutual. Human beings had other things on their minds. It was not long before most human beings forgot all about him. Without God, they got into so much trouble that it almost killed him to see what they were doing to each other. God shouted to them from the sidelines, using every means he could think of, including floods, famines, and messengers. But they didn’t seem to hear. Babies were the exception to this sad state of affairs. Babies did not go to war. They never made horrible speeches, or littered, or refused to play with each other. They depended on other people for everything necessary to their lives. Almost everyone seemed to love them and that gave God an idea. Why not create himself as a baby and come to earth to sort everything out? He tried the idea out on his angels in heaven and at first they were all quiet. Finally the senior archangel stepped forward to speak for all of them. He told God how much they would worry about him. People could do anything they wanted to him, and there would be no escape for him if things went wrong. Could he at least create himself as a magical baby with special powers? It would not take much – just the power to become invisible, maybe, or the power to hurl bolts of lightning if the need arose. The baby idea was a stroke of genius, the angel said, it really was, but it lacked adequate safety features. God thanked the angels for their concern but said ‘no’, he thought he would like to be a regular baby. How else could he gain the trust of his creatures? How else could he persuade them that he knew their lives inside and out, unless he lived a life like theirs? It was indeed a daring plan, but once the angels saw that God was dead set on it, they broke into spontaneous applause. At this, God turned around and left the room, shedding his robes as he went. The angels watched as his midnight blue robes fell to the floor, so that all the stars on it collapsed in a heap. Then a strange thing happened. Where the robes had fallen, the floor melted and opened up to reveal a scrubby brown pasture speckled with sheep and – right in the middle of them – a bunch of shepherds sitting round a camp fire. It was hard to say who was more startled, the shepherds or the angels, but as the shepherds looked up at them, the angels pushed their senior member to the edge of the hole. Looking down at the human beings who were all trying to hide behind each other, the angel said in as gentle a voice as he could muster, ‘do no be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a saviour who is Messiah, the Lord.’ And away up the hill from the direction of town came the sound of a newborn baby’s cry. As I look at the scriptures for Sunday, I am thinking about the gift of joy. What does that mean in, to, for our time? What does joy taste like? What does joy look like? What does joy feel like? Can we touch joy? HOw does it touch us, transform us, heal us? Any thoughts would be welcome.

God will make all things Right

December 7, 2014 God will take care of everything Second Sunday of Advent Year B Isaiah 40:1-11 We start out this morning with one of the most inspirational verses from the bible. 5843 “Comfort Ye” Possibly no Bible chapter has exerted a greater influence on the world’s leaders than Isaiah 40. Handel begins his Messiah with “Comfort ye”; Luther pored over it in the castle at Salzburg; John Brown read it in prison at Harper’s Ferry; Oliver Cromwell went to it for help in time of storm; Daniel Webster read it again and again when he was crushed and broken in spirit; Tennyson called it one of the five great classics in the Old Testament record. —J. H. Bomberger The words of this verse are “Comfort, Comfort you my people. What makes these words more amazing is that God himself is speaking, and God is speaking to all of his angels and to all of us. God is saying that the people have suffered long enough, and it is time for them to know that things will get better. The scholars note that God does not say comfort once, but he says comfort twice. That means that God has spoken comfort for the people, but that God is also saying that anyone who speaks thus forth on God’s behalf must repeat God’s message of comfort. There must be absolute peace from all of the madness, this is a time of comfort. God guarantees comfort through his presence, his word, his people, and as we will see unfold – though his appointed leader with the power to bring this comfort to the people. Now what I find interesting, God’s word is timeless and applies to all situations. The Hebrew word used in Isaiah for comfort is nahum. Nahum also means to repent. But the underlying meaning of nahum is to take a deep breath. What happens when you have been tense for so long – you tend to tense up your muscles and you hold your breath. When you are finally comforted and feel as if things are okay – you take a deep breath. You let the air in. so God could be saying take a deep breath and think about what has been going on, and how you can repent and make things different. Or he is saying make a point to go to someone who is tense, and tell them that it is okay to breathe now – because your pain and suffering will be relieved. Ironically, what has become the slogan of our latest protest sweeping the nation – I can’t breathe. Eric Gardner’s last words as he was choked to death by the New York Police – I cant breathe. There was no relief for him. He never got the chance to live in the promise of God – comfort. And thus we march and protest all over the nation and in many other places in the world. There are those who are protesting even today in church to say that black lives matter. That the justice system does not serve and protect our black men, and the lesser knows stories of our black women. I celebrate that this is a new generation that has gotten involved in the protest. One of my biggest fights with my son growing up was around racism. I would point out how racism was still a part of life in America, and he would argue that we live in a different age, where everyone is treated equal. He and other youth that I would talk to would say that the protest of the 60’s were no longer relevant because the world has changed. And now that they are coming of age and seeing the world as it is, they too realize that the world has not changed. Racism is alive and well. And that we still have reason to protest and demonstrate. Every week, it seems that the plot thickens, and we are reminded of just how insidious injustice for black people really is in America. And as the story unfolds – I have more and more questions. Where is the comfort in this situation? What will it take to bring comfort to the hearts and souls of our people? I cant help but to think about the example that Isaiah brings to this situation. We have lived in a world where there is pain, and discomfort for generations. The hearts and souls of the people even in Isaiah’s time was uneasy. So uneasy that God himself spoke up and said give them comfort. As I said, God promises comfort in several different ways. God’s presence, his word, his people. But the whole point of Isaiah is that God’s promises that a leader will rise up with the power to fix the situation. That God has sent comfort in the form of a leader. God says comfort twice, because he knows that not only will his presence make a difference, but that all those who speak on God’s behalf will do God’s work. As I look at the protest, that is my question, where is our leader – who is speaking and doing the work of God. and I wonder, who will take responsibility for the change? Who will repent? I think that in time we have become weary of leadership, and putting our trust in people. Isaiah says that people are like grass, in time we fade away. God is hesed – constant – steadfast- but people are not. But the good news, the comfort for is that God, God’s word, God’s promise can never be taken away. God’s promise is that there will be comfort – in God’s presence, God’s word and the faith of God’s people. A colleague – Rev. Larry Hilkeman would always remind us that God is here, God’s is always present in our pain and suffering. Often it is God who sheds the first tear, before we are even fully aware of what is going on. God is there at the beginning of the situation, and God will be present in the end. As we approach this advent season, we are in the dark. We are not for sure of what the future holds. But we know who holds the future. We are getting our homes, and our community and our church ready to welcome the King of Glory. Last week we said that the best way to prepare was to acknowledge the awesomeness of God. This week we focus on one of God’s primary characteristics. In today’s world it is also God’s most overlooked characteristic. That is God’s righteousness. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com In our protest, in our lifting up the lives of black people, in those who stand in solidarity – the people of the world are not asking for change, they are announcing that a change has come, they have loosed change in the world, and with that loosing – we will all have to change with it. Justice will prevail, because justice is a basic trait of an unchangeable God. When we see the face of God – the only response there is to be like God, and to live in justice. In shalom. When there is justice, there will be peace, and when there is peace for the people, there will be justice amongst the people, and when I live in a world of justice, I have no choice but to have peace. Comfort. I can breathe easy again. Justice starts with the presence of God. God's Treasure Tom Long asks the question in his book Shepherds and Bathrobes: "Have you ever noticed where God placed his treasure on this earth?" The treasure is not gold, but gospel. Not silver, but good news. Not hard, cold cash, but grace, love, and peace. He points out that God could have left it with the politicians, those who are responsible for collecting taxes, building schools, and passing laws, but God didn't. God could have left this treasure with Zechariah, the high priest, but his unbelief took him out of the picture. Tom Long states that God left the treasure in the least likely of places: in the love, care, and nurture of a first century peasant woman chosen as the "handmaiden of the Lord." God's treasure was left with the most powerless figure in the ancient world. Doesn't that tell you something about God's grace in today's world? John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing Company. This advent we are reminded that God’s appointed leader has already come. Christ is the messiah who comes to change the world. Christ is coming to bring comfort. And as we wait in the world, we have a mission – not to bring comfort – but to speak God’s words of comfort to the people as they move forward. God command us to speak compassionately to the pain. To cry out in the streets, to raise your voice and to shout. Here is the Lord God, coming with strength, with a triumphant art, bringing his reward with him and his payment before him! As the people continue to cry out I cant breathe – God says take a deep breath – you will receive comfort. Let us pray……… God's Special Mission for You Passage: Isaiah 40:1-31 • Lectionary: Advent 2 Item 1 of 2 | Back to Results "... for [God] has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden." (Luke 1:48) You've all heard us speak of Mary in church this Christmas season: do you know what is really so amazing about Mary? (Let them answer) It's not just that she was the mother of Jesus, which is pretty amazing in itself. No, I think the most amazing thing about Mary is that she was such an ordinary person. Mary was just a young teenager when God chose her to be Jesus' mother; in fact, she wasn't much older than some of you. She lived in a small town in a small house with her parents and the rest of her family. Everything about her life was ordinary. The Bible doesn't give any particular reason to explain why Mary was chosen by God. It doesn't say she was especially smart or unusually pretty. It doesn't say she was the bestknown or most popular girl in town. We know she wasn't from a rich or important family; in fact, Mary came from a rather poor and simple family. In other words, Mary was just an average, everyday child ... the kind you play with or go to school with ... a lot like any of us ... a lot like any one of you. Sometimes, we get the wrong idea about the Bible stories we learn in Sunday school. We learn about people like Moses, Samson, Ruth, or Deborah. We hear exciting stories like Daniel in the lion's den or David and Goliath and we think that everyone who does something special for God must be exceptionally strong or brave or bright, and then we think that God couldn't possibly have any use for us since we are all quite ordinary people. Well, the truth is that most of the people in the Bible are not superheroes; most of them are average people like us, with their own strengths and weaknesses. But, it's also true that God had a special mission for every one of them just the same. God's special mission for Mary was to give birth to His only Son, Jesus. He picked an ordinary girl for the job, but Mary had one quality that was very important. She had a spirit which said "yes" when God asked her to do something. What do you think God's special mission is for you? If you imagine that you are God's secret agent, what might your assignment be?