Longest Night Service 2022

First United Methodist Church of Wilmington Longest Night Service December 22, 2022 Service adapted from The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew With commentary by Harriette Cross Blue Christmas: A Service of Reflection for the Longest Night [This service was used at The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu, HI. The service is available by arrangement with the cathedral's Provost, The Very Rev. Timothy W. Sexton. Churches wishing to use this service in whole or in part should acknowledge the source with this or a similar attribution: "The 'Blue Christmas' service used today/tonight is based on an order developed and used at The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu Hawaii." For additional commentary and notes on the service, click here.] ________________________________________ Call to Worship Word was God. All things were made by God, and without God nothing came to be. What came to be through God was life, and this life was the light of the world. People: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Welcome To participate in this service you are encouraged the light a candle to create safe space. You can also have a bible in order to read along. Most importantly have the presence of God with all that you do….. I want to start with a single candle – a single candle to light the darkness. Today is December 22nd – the day after the dawn of winter. Today has the same amount of daylight and nighttime as yesterday. But little did we know that this night would be so much more bleaker than last night. The temperature dropped like 40 degrees in 15 minutes. The wind is howling and through the night conditions will only get worse. I say a prayer for anyone who is out in this weather. It will indeed be a long night. Anyone out tonight will indeed be counting every moment until the sun arrives tomorrow at 7:15 am. This single candle will not do very much to warm things up, or even give them enough light to see their way. This candle represents Jesus Christ. The hope of the world, the lord of salvation, the way, the truth, and the light. This single light shines brighter than the sun – gives warmth not just for us, but for everyone. Just as the storm will not pass anytime soon – sometimes neither will our issues. It is a process. Jesus doesn’t promise instant gratification – but neither does this service. This service is designed to give us a calm place to be honest with ourselves and our feelings. Christmastime is not always the most wonderful time of the year. We are running ourselves ragged doing for others, things are not coming together as we want them to, there is strains in our family, we are dealing with anxiety, not to mention jobs ending at the beginning of the year, unexpected news from the doctor, there are situations that we do not want to face. There are a million reasons to be sad and dark. I do not have any advice – now we can sit and contemplate, listen to songs, here words of inspiration, focus on the single candle. We can be reminded that in the bleak midwinter to search for light, hope, peace, wellbeing, love. It is there. We have lost sight of it in the midst of struggle. We can just sit in this safe space, God does the rest. Psalm 22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. In you, our ancestors trusted. They trusted and you delivered them. It was you who brought me from the womb, you who kept me safe on my mother's breast. Since my mother bore me, you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. God does not despise the affliction of the afflicted. God does not hide from me. When I cry to God, God hears me. Thanks be to God. Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; * I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; * he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; * he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; * for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; * thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, * and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Litany of Remembrance (The first candle is lighted.) Officiant: We light this first candle to remember those whom we have loved and lost. We pause to remember clearly, their faces, their voices, their bodies. We embrace and give thanks for the memories that bind them to us in this season of expectation, when all Creation waits for the Light. All: We remember them with love. May God's eternal love surround them. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here, until the son of God appear Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, 0 Israel. A period of silent reflection The second candle is lighted. Officiant: We light this second candle to remember the pain of loss: loss of relationships, loss of trust, loss of jobs, loss of health, loss of faith, the loss of joy. We acknowledge and embrace the pain of the past, O God, and we offer it to You, asking that into our wounded hearts and open hands You will place the gift of peace, shalom. All: We remember that through You all things are possible. Refresh, restore, renew us, 0 God, and lead us into Your future. O come thou Wisdom from on high, who orderest all things mightily To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, 0 Israel. A period of silent reflection The third candle is lighted. Officiant: We light this third candle to remember ourselves this Christmas time. We pause and remember the past weeks, months, and for some of us years, that have been heavy with our burdens. We accept and lay before you, God, the sharpness of memory, the sadness and grief, the hurt and fear, the anger and pain. We accept and lay before you the ways we feel we have fallen short, and the times we have spent blaming ourselves, and you, for all that we have suffered. We accept and lay before you the time we have walked alone, in darkness; and in knowledge of our own mortality. All: We remember that though we have journeyed far, and that, while lost, we may have turned away from the light, the light itself has not failed. We remember that though winter be upon us and though the night be dark, with the turning of the Wheel the dawn will come, and dawn defeats the darkness. O come thou day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by thy advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. A period of silent reflection The fourth candle is lighted. Officiant: We light this fourth candle to remember faith, the gift of light and hope that God offers to us in the stories of Hanukkah and of Christmas, which both also began in abandonment, insecurity, and humbleness, in a time of war and in a poor stable. We remember that the loving God who kept the light shining in the temple and who came to share this life with us promises us comfort and peace. All: We remember the One who shares our burdens, who shows us the way to the Light, and who journeys with us into all our tomorrows. O come desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind Bid then our sad, divisions cease, and be thyself our King of Peace Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. A period of silent reflection We light a fifth candle for your – for your concerns and prayers The Prayers of the People (All stand.) Leader: God of wisdom, we come to you this Christmas Season tired, in turmoil, and in pain. As the nights have grown longer, so has darkness grown and wrapped itself around our hearts. In this season of longest night, we ask your healing blessings upon all that we carry in our hearts -- sorrow we fear may never end, wounds we cannot even put into words. Lord, hear our prayer, All: And in Your merciful love, answer. Leader: God of mercy and compassion, there are those among us who are grieving over what might have been. Death or loss or terrible hurt has changed our experience of Christmas. We remember that once it was a special day for us, too, but someone or something precious has gone away from us in this life. We have lost a beloved, a job, a goal, a cause, a dream. We find ourselves adrift and alone. We are weary from the journey, and we have found no room at the inn. We come to you seeking rest, and peace, and shelter from the storm. Lord, hear our prayer. All: And in Your merciful love, answer. Leader: God of grace, in the spirit of the season, grant us all that we need to comfort us as we journey through this Christmas season. We ask that you shelter and sustain all those of us, both here and throughout the world, who wander or want or weep or are heavy laden, that we may be lifted up in courage and journey on in Thy peace. Lord, hear our prayer. All: And in Your merciful love, answer. Leader: God of love, in this Christmas Season we embrace and offer up to you all that used to be which is now lost to us, and cannot be again. With celebration all around us, memories of what was, and fears of what may be, weigh heavy on our hearts. Please hold us close in your embrace, be near to us this night, until the light returns and morning comes. Lord, hear our prayer, All: And in Your merciful love, answer. Officiant: Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give thine angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for thy love's sake. Amen. For us in the Midwest at the 41 latitude – it has been getting dark at 4:30 since late November. We have gotten used to it by now. I couldn’t imagine living in Alaska in certain places where there has been total darkness since November and it wont get light again until late January. I couldn’t fathom total darkness for months with no hope of seeing the sun. There are a lot of people who live like this everyday – even when the sun shines. They struggle. The darkness is not outside, it is inside. Inside of their spirit, minds and souls. All of us experience the dark night of the soul, those times when we just can’ t let the sunshine in. We use scripture and church songs in this service, but the service is intended to help you look at them in a different way. During this service I hope that you see hope in the story of jesus – coming as God with us. The story of Jesus celebrates God born of a woman, living in a family, experiencing challenges, yet never forgetting the divine light inside of him. He was able to spread that light. Third Reading: Luke 2:1-7 (All sit.) Offering of Light Officiant: One legend we celebrate in this season tells how a few brave fighters, defending their temple, had only enough oil to light the sacred lamp for one day, but it burned eight days until relief arrived. Another legend tells how in a little hill town a homeless couple with tax problems took shelter in a stable among the animals and gave birth to a light that would change the world. Let us pray. All: Gentle God of love, help us reach out together for the light of faith, for renewal and recovery and a new day coming. Grant that hope may come to rest in our hearts, and let it go forth with us into the darkness, this night and in the nights to come, until we see the dawn. Officiant: Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O God; give us light in the night season; and by your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night. Amen. . Psalm 121 (All read together.) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber; behold, the God that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon at night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil and shall sustain thy soul. He shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore. Prayer (All stand) Offciant: Let us pray. All: Almighty God, we thank you for your constant love and for the blessings of this day. We know that even when we cannot see or feel you, still you are there. Help us to remember you and to listen for your voice in the words of family, friends, and strangers. Kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you reveal yourself in the world and in our lives. Let the light of your holy Spirit shine like these candles in the darkness, lighting the way for all who feel despairing, lost, or forgotten, and grant that it may come to dwell so deeply in our hearts that when we leave this phtce it may shine on, for us and for those we meet along the way. Amen. When we sing Silent Night, we picture the night as a peaceful night – warm, snow falling peacefully, we are enjoying the beauty of winter. Sometimes like tonight in reality the snow is not our friend. The wind hits our face and obstructs our view. Sometimes in the storm we are forced to take shelter, sit and wait for the storm to pass. We struggle for answers. Sometimes the night is silent and says nothing. Take a moment, feel the cold, hear the wind, wait for God Focus on the silent night….. Hymn (Tune: Stille nacht) (Sung by all, standing.) Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav'nly hosts sing alleluia; Christ, the Savior, is born! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. The purpose of this service is to step away from the carols, the Christmas lights, the expectations, the plans, the traditions. Hear the songs in a new light, here the Christ story from a different perspective. Accept where you are, how you feel. What ever comes up for you this season, it is okay. God comes to us as we are, not as we should be. There is nothing to wait for – just be present. Tomorrow we will get one ore minute of sunshine. Every storm runs its course. Next week we are expecting 50 degree weather at the first of January. Christmas is a bittersweet moment. We are celebrating the return of light, but it will not be not be normal sunshine until February. This is the first day of winter, but it will only get colder. More than likely it will still be freezing, we are expecting a long bleak winter. Find God in the moment – celebrate the dark and the light. Celebrate the change in the seasons. We get the chance to see God as human through Jesus. The single candle – it lights the night, it lights the world. What are your prayers, hopes, needs. What are you listening for through out the long night? Concluding Prayers (Remain standing.) Officiant: Let us pray. All: Another day will come, 0 God. I know not what it may bring forth, but make me ready, God, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, help me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of thy Peace. Amen. Officiant: O God, support us all the day long in this troubled life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then Lord, in thy mercy, grant us safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen. Blessing and Dismissal Officiant: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace, both now and forever more. Amen. Officiant: The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you. People may greet one another in the name of the Lord. ________________________________________ Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, 229 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, HI 96813; 808-524-2822; saintandrewscathedral.net

Our Light Has Come

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington December 24, 2022 Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-20 Year A Prelude Welcome (We start with a single candle to light the darkness) Advent Hymn Lighting of the Advent and Christ Candle Tonight in order to dispel the cold and darkness outside, we light a single candle – this candle makes all of the difference in the world. And now we light the candles of hope, joy, peace and love. As we gather in the light, all of us here have been affected by loss. All of us have empty seats around the table. All of us are missing those people in our lives who taught us the traditions of Christmas, all of us are trying to carry on in spite of the loss of treasured memories. So as we begin this service – I want to light these candles- to represent those who we hold our heart and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Let us begin our worship now…. Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 96) Leader: Welcome to this wondrous night, as we await the Coming One! People: We’ve come to worship the Lord, and welcome the Christ child. Leader: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice…(pause) And listen! People: The fields rejoice! The trees of the forest sing for joy! Leader: The Lord is coming to judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with full truth! People: Let’s lift our voices as we praise God. (choir or cong. song like “People, Look East”, CH #142 or #136, “Christians All, Your Lord is Coming”) Hymn Angels We Have Heard on High UMH 238 Prayer Mighty God, After weeks of active waiting, the time is NOW! Thank you for the gift you give in the coming of your beloved one. We’re full of joy, and eager to praise you. Help us let go of the bustle and busy-ness of packages and performances, so we might focus on the wonder and joy of Christ’s coming. Open our eyes and our hearts to welcome “God-with-us” once more. AMEN” Chancel Choir Scripture Luke 2:1-20 Praise Ringers Christmas Message Our Light Has Come All that we celebrate tonight – everything that we do starts with just one light. Since the sun set about 30 minutes ago, if we didn’t have light we would be sitting in the darkness and it would be pretty hard to do anything. But the most important light for us is the light of Christ. Jesus is the light of the world. We all know that light is pretty important for our faith and our life. Pastor Don Jones points out three every important functions of light. Light helps us to see what is hidden in the dark, it helps us to measure time, and it lights up a pathway for us to see. The carpet and furniture in my house looks really good until you turn the light on. The light will show the spots in the carpet and it will show the dust and flaws in my furniture and will, in general, show me where I need to clean. A prominent pastor in the Valley shared his past one day in Bible study. He referred to the passage in John 3:19-21. Before he came to Jesus as Lord he would visit bars in the area to drink his troubles away. One bar in particular was his favorite because it was cool, dark, and generally very quiet. Along with the alcohol he could get a cheese burger. It was cooked on a griddle that gave it a special flavoring. The grease combined with a thick slice of cheese on a butter bun made it a fantastic lunch. After he came to Christ he would frequent the same bar and get that burger, but instead of alcohol he would get a coke. He would visit with some of the people he knew a share with them his new found relationship in Christ. One Saturday he decided to take his wife to get one of the famous hamburgers. When they arrived he noticed that the normally darkened windows were cleaned of the dark shading. They walked in and discovered the inside well lit. He asked the owner and the owner explained they were doing some remodeling. He also asked if he and his wife would like two cheese burgers and two cokes. Pastor said yes and went to his usual table. As they sat and visited he began to notice the condition of the bar. He could now see the dirt and grime on the floor. He also noticed that the tables were not particularly clean. In the light he could see the cook’s area and noticed that the grill had not been cleaned of anything for what looked like months. He saw dead cock roaches on the floor. The place literally was disgusting in the light. In the darkness he had noticed nothing but the light revealed all of the filth in the place. When the burgers arrived he was no longer hungry and as he lifted the glass to his lips he noticed that the bottom had not been cleaned. It had what looked like a crusted milk ring at the bottom. Needless to say he politely paid his bill, said goodbye. He left never to return. Had anything changed from all those years before? Not really, but the light revealed a filthy, sticky, cock roach infested, disgusting place. The light revealed all of the filth. The light found in Jesus came into the world so we might see our filth. Light is also used as a standard of measure. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. A light year is the distance light travels in a year. It is use on sci-fi movies but also used in astronomy to measure the immense distances of the universe. From what I understand light is a very accurate unit of measure. It takes light from the sun 8 minutes to travel to earth – it’s travel is so predictable, that we not only do we depend on it, we set our clocks by it. Anyone who has traveled at night, knows that light is very effective at lighting a path for us. Without it we would not be able to see where we are going whether we are traveling by car or by foot. Jesus, does that same for each of us. The light of Jesus helps us to see things about ourselves and others the need to be fixed. The light of Christ gives us a sense of direction , and the light of Jesus will light our path to a good life. Tonight we will see light from many different sources – the Christmas lights on the tree, the lights overhead, the light of the candles – all of them have different power sources. But have you noticed that the effects of darkness are the same. There is darkness outside, there is darkness in our hearts, there is darkness in the hatred and violence in the world. Darkness has a tendency to rob us of our energy, our purpose, our ability to move around and do things. That is why our single candle is so important. The Light in the Manger Never Goes Out On The Protestant Hour sometime back, the Rev. Harry H. Pritchett, Jr., told about the worst nativity pageant he could ever remember. It was at the church where he grew up. The youth group was staging a manger scene. Pritchett was chosen to play Joseph and his future wife, Allison, was chosen to play Mary. They did their parts with seriousness and commitment, looking as pious as possible. And then it came time for the shepherds to enter. The choir was singing “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night,” and some of their fellow young people dressed in flannel bathrobes and toweled head gear proceeded to the altar steps. Young Pritchett and Allison both managed to gaze solemnly at the straw which contained a naked light bulb. But then one of the shepherds broke the sacred spell. With his back to the congregation, he said in a very loud whisper for all the cast to hear, “Well, Joe, when you gonna pass out cigars?” The spell of that occasion was not simply broken by his remark, it exploded. The Mary and Joseph cover was completely destroyed as it became impossible to hold back the bursts of laughter. The chief angel, standing on a chair behind them was the worst. She shook so hard that she fell off her chair and simply rolled over on the floor, holding her stomach. The strains of “Silent Night” and “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” were hardly sufficient to cover the uncontrolled snorts of the main characters. Their much upset but good sported youth advisor said, “The only thing that didn’t go to pieces was the light bulb in the manger, it never went out.” Harry Pritchett thought to himself later, that’s a nice image- the light in the manger never goes out regardless of any mess we may make of things. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com When we look at the nativity story – there is so much for us to see. We see the hope of his mother that the world would improve for every one, we see the determination of his parents to provide a safe space, we see how cruel the world can be as they could only find a stable to stay in, we see ordinary witness of the shepherd who stopped their jobs to witness this event. The angels saw the glory of the moment. The light of the world had come to make the world a better place. It all starts with one single light – but tonight in this Christmas moment it has the potential to spread to so many people. There was a story in the news a few years ago about a lady in Hanover Park who was concerned because she had to scale back her decorations. She has won all types of awards for her light decorations. But now she was limited because her condo association said that there was a limit to the number of cords that could be plugged in public places. The story caught my attention because I wondered how her cords would be plugged up in a public place. Were the cords across the sidewalk because she had plugged them in the nieghbors outlets? Or did she run them across the street to use someone elses outlet. How could the cords be a problem? But you know that is the fascinating thing about Christmas lights, they are pretty, they light of the night, they can truly light the way for Christ to come to that house – but they are useless without the cords. They have no ability to shine on their own – they have to be plugged into some power source. Without the cords – Christmas can be pretty dark. For Christmas, we are the lights and Jesus Christ is the power source. I think that this Christmas, we need to run our extension cords across as many public byways as possible. We want people to trip on us. When they see the light of Christ in us, maybe they will realize that they live in darkness – and they need to get plugged in too. The world needs Christmas – but the world needs Christians to celebrate Christmas. Not just inside here – but in the world where everyone can see us. It starts with a single light – That single light is Jesus. But when we are all connected to the power source – people all over the world and in space can see the light of God. Jesus is the light of the world – but we are his Christmas lights – in the coming days let us stay connected to our power source, be kind, and spread the light! Amen Prayer of Hope, Peace, Love, Joy God of bright and shining stars, we come this evening with the reminiscences of the story in our hearts. All around us are symbols and reminders of the miraculous Birth. The candles shed their glowing light helping us to remember the many ways in which you have brightened our lives and offered light to our journey In this world in which your holy land is in such turmoil, shed your light anew, that your healing Love may bring Peace and Hope to people in conflict. Be a presence to those who refuse to believe in you; who see your word through the church as a tradition, but see very little impact in their daily lives. Let the Light of Jesus Christ penetrate that darkness of alienation and bring Hope and Peace to all your people. May the light of the stars which sparkled in those dark skies, again illuminate our lives, guiding, healing, leading us to you. As we gather in this time and place, hearing the story of the birth, remind us again that you are born continually in our lives. In gratitude we offer our praise and our love to you. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer UMH 894 Special Music Moment for Stewardship (don’t print) Luke tells, in oh-so-familiar words- the story of the shepherds on the day Jesus was born. Long ago, Bing Crosby sang “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, including the verse: Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know? in your palace warm, mighty king. Do you know what I know? A Child, a child, shivers in the cold Let us bring him silver and gold, Let us bring him silver and gold.” Tonight’s the night we remember the shepherds going to see the newborn child. And it’s the night for us to share our silver and gold. Our offering tonight will go bring about God’s plan for our community. It will provide a beacon of light for others around us. Your gifts support this mission. With joy, let us bring our offering. Offertory Doxology Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy God, thank you for the gift of this Child, born to set us free. Thank you for this opportunity to remember the Child as we share our silver and gold. Please receive these gifts, and help each of us rejoice in knowing they will be used to fulfill your mission. AMEN Invitation to Communion (do not print the words) In the wonder of this night, surrounded by deep darkness, we open our hearts to God’s love, in the words of a prayer: Living God, you dwell in clouds and thick darkness. We lift our eyes to the night sky and sense depth and fullness beyond our grasp. You freed your children from Egyptian bondage under the security of nightfall. When you were born, the star came in the night heavens. A black man carried your cross. You made your pure sacrifice of love in the midday darkness. Rain falls from black clouds. Babies grow in uterine shadows. Prophets speak in ebony voices. Treasures of darkness! Help us receive them … and help us receive these gifts of bread and cup as riches from you. AMEN (taken from CH#332) All are invited to breathe in the wonder and take in the taste of these emblems, remembering Jesus. Holy Communion UMH 9 Praying After Communion Passing the Light Silent Night UMH 239 Benediction “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king!” Proclaim the good news of Christ’s birth to all the world. May the grace, hope, peace and love of God the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Children’s Sermon As the children gather ask them if they know the Christmas story. If they do, ask them what their favorite part of the story is. If you have a tight schedule you might want to skip this, but it is a chance to hear where they are with the story and it might change how you do the next part! Well, I have a story about the Christmas story. I think that most of us know the Christmas story, but did you ever think about how that story got to us? I was thinking about that because I was listening to a song called “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The song starts with the wind whispering to a lamb, the lamb tells the shepherd, the shepherd tells the king and the king tells everyone! The message is that Christ is born! As I was listening to the song I started thinking about the story of Jesus, and I realized that the song is probably not that far off. OK, OK, in the actual story there isn’t a talking sheep, but think about the story that we hear at Christmas. Mary and Joseph know what’s going on because an angel told them – that’s kind of like the wind whispering to you. The angels also told the shepherds who came to see. Later on there were thee wise men, or maybe kings who heard about Jesus somehow and came following the light of a star! So there is just this handful of people who know what is really happening in that little stable in Bethlehem, and they all manage to keep it quiet for a long time. We don’t really hear much about Jesus as a child, but then Jesus’ story gets really interesting! More people hear about Jesus as a teacher and healer, they tell their friends and neighbors, who tell their friends and neighbors. The word of God spreads far and wide, churches spring up in the far corners of the world, books are written, songs are written, there are paintings and sculptures made, plays are performed, people are feed, baptized, blessed with God’s Word all over the word and throughout the centuries of time. And it all started with an angel telling people to “Come and see.” So, this Christmas, I encourage you to invite some one to come and see. It doesn’t have to be today, or tomorrow, or even this month. But be like those angels and shepherds, the friends and neighbors – invite someone to “come and see!” Emmanuel, God with us, thank you for coming to us. Additional illustrations The Reflection of the Light Frederick Buechner tells in one of his sermons about some useful advice he once received from a young ship's officer aboard a British freighter. It was night; the ship was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the officer had been peering into the darkness, looking for the lights of the other ships. He told Buechner that the way to see lights on the horizon is not to look straight at the horizon, but to look just above the horizon. You can see the lights better, he told Buechner, when you do not try to look at them directly. "Since then," writes Buechner, "I have learned that it is also the way to see other things." Just so, Luke moves our gaze from the light on the horizon to the places just above, below, and off to one side. We are told of the light which filled the world that night, but we do not really see it. We see instead the reflection of that light on the faces and in the hearts of those who were present. Thomas G. Long, Something Is About to Happen, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. First, light reveals what was hidden in the dark. We would have never found our way in the dark had it not been for that ever so small light. Amazing, in the midst of all that darkness that one lamp in the window of the house led the way. The light Jesus does the same for us today. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Through Jesus Christ, the light of the world, we have a path to follow. He is our Light. Like Tom in the bar, let the Light, Jesus, show you the way. If you have not accepted\or followed Jesus as Lord of your life and would like to tonight, follow me in this simple prayer

The Light of Christ

December 25, 2022 Christmas Day John 1:1-14 Year A Prelude Lighting of the Christ Candle Welcome Call to Worship L: Rejoice! Happy Christmas to everyone! P: Happy Christmas to you also! L: Christ our Savior is born. P: God’s Light is poured into the world. L: O Come, let us celebrate this wonderful gift. P: Let us praise God with shouts of joy and singing! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song O Come All Ye Faithful UMH 234 Children’s Sermon OBJECTS SUGGESTED: Candles, a flashlight, picture of a lighthouse, a sunrise, a sunset. Today we celebrate Christmas Day, the day our Savior, Jesus Christ was born. When we remember the Christmas story we think about how the shepherds in the field were visited by an angel and told about the birth of Jesus and “the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). And we remember how the wise men followed a star until they came to the place where Jesus was born. We get the idea that both the shepherds and the wise men saw a bright light. Today let’s talk about light. It comes from many sources. Can you name a few? Here are some ideas. During the Christmas season we see light coming from advent candles. If we need to find something that is in an unlighted space or if we walk outside after dark a flashlight is a good source of light. We have electric lights in our home to light the space around our dining table or near the chair where we read. A lighthouse is another source of light. It helps boats out on the water find their way and often marks the areas of rocks and danger. Then, there is the beautiful natural light that comes from the sun. The sun gives us special gifts of light in the morning, at sunrise, and when we are getting ready to go to sleep, at sunset. In the Bible we read about John the Baptist who told everyone that “The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world” (1:9). He was talking about Jesus. Jesus is the most important, true source of our light. It is the kind of light that warms us from the inside and feels like love. The light that comes from Jesus helps us find our way and from it we learn how to honor God and how to treat others with love. This is a big idea – that Jesus would give us light that would light us on the inside and shine out so that others could see our love. Merry Christmas. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2007, Richard Niell Donovan Huh. That’s a funny Christmas story. Let’s see here, I brought a Nativity set to help me tell the story, but I’m not sure that any of these pieces are in the story that I just read. (Take the pieces out of the nativity scene as you mention them.) I didn’t hear about wise men, or shepherds. There wasn’t an angel, either. Mary and Joseph weren’t there. I didn’t even hear about a baby! Well, I guess I brought the wrong things to tell the story today . . . wait, let’s read a little further in the story. (Read John 1:6-14) Did you hear that? The Word of God became flesh and lived among us! That sounds like a baby to me! Let’s put the baby back then. When we talk about the Word of God we often think of stories. Well, before we had so many books people had to remember stories so that they wouldn’t get lost. And babies need people to remember them so that they can get food and be taken care of and not get lost, so let’s put Mary and Joseph back. What good is a story if it doesn’t get told? That’s the best way to learn a story, right? To hear someone tell it and then tell it back? Just like the angels told the story with their song! And who did they tell? A story needs to be heard, right? That’s right, they told the shepherds. So I guess we should put the angel and the shepherds back, too! Alright, now all the people here know the story, but they all live here. What this story needs is someone to help spread it around. I wonder who we could find to come hear the story and then take it with them? The wise men! That’s it! Three people from a far away land who came to see and hear and who will take the story with them to their homes. Look! Out Nativity set is complete again! And you thought that this wasn’t a Christmas story! Word of God, teach us the stories of our faith, be always on lips and always burning in our hearts. Be with as we hear the story again and again, and give us the courage to tell the story again and again. Amen May God’s Word shine a light into your life today and always. ~GB Prayer The celebration of Christmas has just begun. Even though many of us have gone through the gift giving and receiving, have feasted with family and friends, there is yet another gift which has been given. You, O Loving God, have wrapped the gift of your Son Jesus Christ around our lives. The light of your love through him is shining brightly. It is not a harsh light, but a multitude of bright colors that remind us of the wondrous ways you love us. Open our hearts and spirits as we hear the words of your holy scriptures, and the beautiful music. Bring us to you with such joy that it will seem as though our feet aren’t even touching ground. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Passing the Peace Hymn What Child is This? UMH 219 Scripture John 1:1-14 Sermon The Light of Christ [Note: Written by Rev. Russell N. Gallimore, from the Viewpoint of the Innkeeper. To be given from memory. Possible props: a stool; a manger before which to kneel at end of story] Would you allow me to be personal? I have an unusual story to tell, and I delight in telling it. My work brings me into contact with many people. In fact, I deal with all kinds of people from the humblest country folk to the highest officials. But the event I most vividly recall happened at one of the year's peak seasons. Our country's leader had felt that additional taxes were needed for us to meet our budget, so he had urged all local citizens to have their names registered at the polls, so they could be duly taxed. Of course, this meant many thousands had to make their way across the countryside to the city which represented their political interests. I recall the weather...still cool...although the fresh smell of spring was in the air. Grass was even good enough for limited grazing on the nearby hillsides. And the days...rather pleasant, but I must admit the nights were somewhat chilly. But one night in particular stands out in my memory. It seems that the crowds had been unusually large that day. And many had come by seeking lodging for the night, as they lived at too great a distant to return home for bedtime. Already I had turned dozens away to seek shelter elsewhere. [If stool is used, sit here] Exhausted, I had dozed off at the register's counter when I was awakened by a gentle "tap-tap-tapping" on the counter-top. "Coming to" with a start, I made out the figure of a young couple, standing in the lingering shadows of the lamp light. "May I help you?" I asked, [jumping-up and off of stool]. As the young man stood by his pretty companion, he began to speak in a low, trembling voice: "Do you have room for....?" "Room!" I blurted bluntly. "No! No!" There's no room here. You should have come earlier, or at least sent me word. You'll have to go elsewhere!" Plopping back down on my stool [sit on stool], I was prepared to continue my nap, when, much to my surprise, the young man spoke again: "But Sir, you're got to have room!” Angrily I jumped up and shouted at him [arise from stool], "I don't have to have anything. I've already told you I can't take care of you, so beat it! I've gotta get some rest!" But patiently and kindly he responded, "Sir, please…my wife is “expecting” a baby right away. We’ve tried everywhere. All the rooms are full. Can’t you give her someplace? Please?” Looking closer, I noticed that the young man spoke the truth about his wife, and then I began to really feel sorry for them. I thought for a moment [scratching my head], then I said, “Well, you do need a place to stay. If you’re not too choosy, I believe I can provide something for you. Come with me!” So I led them to a cobweb-covered cattle-cave nearby. It wasn’t the best of surroundings, I must confess, but it did offer some shelter from the cold and some privacy. Though I considered it the meagerest of offerings, the man was overjoyed and couldn’t stop thanking me for my kindness. I told him he could settle up with me the next morning. I left and went back to my stool and soon forgot all about them as I dozed off into dreamland. Lost in the midst of dream castles in my peaceful slumber, I was again awakened, this time rudely, by a rather loud “Rap-rap-rapping” at the door. Jumping up and hastily pacing to the door, I was greeted by three sheepherders. They apologized profusely for stirring me from my sleep. It was rather obvious from the start that they weren’t interested in a room. Then they went on to explain why they had come, the best I recall, they told this fantastic story: "Sir," they said, "we were watching over our flocks out on the hillsides nearby, when 'Lo, an angel of the Lord appeared unto us, and the glory of the Lord shone around us, and we were really afraid. And then the angel said to us, ‘Don't be afraid, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.’ Each of us looked at the other in amazement and wondered if the angel knew what he were talking about, when he continued: ‘Now listen to me, men: this shall be a sign for you Look! Yonder in the East...there in the East is a brightly shining star; follow that star and you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ He had no more than finished, sir, when suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’ Immediately we rejoiced at the sight of the star. So we said to one another, 'Let's go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known unto us.' And so we came with haste, sir, following the star, and you know, its light appears to fall over your place here. So we...well. . .we wondered if you could tell us anything about the Christ-child?" It seemed like a fantastic story to me at first. I couldn’t recall anything about a baby connected to my business…after all, I wasn’t running a hospital, much less a maternity ward. But they insisted I must know something. Since they seemed so intent no finding out more, I quickly recalled the guests I had bedded down for the night. And then it dawned on me…I had led a couple who were expecting an addition to the family to the cattle-cave. “Oh, yes!” I exclaimed, “Maybe I do know something about the baby. Come with me!” Excitedly, I led them to the meager place, and lo and behold! We exclaimed in unison, ‘It’s a baby crying!’ Rushing in, we found it just as the shepherds had said, a newborn babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger [move toward manger, if used as a prop]. Then the shepherds, one by one, knelt down beside the manger in such a humble manner. I can’t really explain what happened to me after that, but somehow I was touched and moved to kneel beside that manger, too! [Kneeling while speaking] Not only had a baby been born near my place of business, but strangely, I felt this babe had also been born in my heart! [Arising] Oh, incidentally, I never did settle up with that couple for the night’s lodging. I just felt I had been more than repaid with the unsearchable riches of Christ! That’s my story. How often it comes to mind! Just think! I almost had no room for the Christ! And as I have reflected on that across the years, it seems to me something of a parable of the human predicament: so often people exclude the Christ from the inn of their hearts! How about you? Have you made room for the Christ? [Turn toward the congregation and begin to move away from manger] Oh, one other thing…I think I forgot to introduce myself. I’m the innkeeper! ChristianGlobe Networks, Viewpoint of the Innkeeper, by Russell N. Gallimore As a matter of fact, all of us are innkeepers for the baby Jesus. It is our job to not only make room in our hearts, but to make room in our relationships, in our activities in our world the Spirit if Christ. Merry Christmas. Song Go Tell it on the Mountain UMH 251 Prayer It is interesting, O God of Miracles and Light, that we think of Christmas Day as the final destination for the journey on which we have embarked. We are bathed in that light on this day and reminded that this journey has now begun. For once the light has been given, it cannot be hidden.....it pours out of those whom it has touched. Send us forth into this world in service to the Light. Healing and Comforting God, we have spoken aloud and within our hearts the names of people and situations which need your loving touch. For all the situations in our world this day, where there is warfare, oppression, strife, all the hideous ways in which your beloved people can suffer, God , please lay your hand of healing love on them. Help them to feel your powerful presence with them, guiding and strengthening. These things which we have spoken with our lips and our hearts we offer in confidence of your eternal love and in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment John’s Gospel opens with poetic words, familiar to many of us. What does this mean: “the Word became flesh…and we have seen his glory”? We see, in Jesus, the love of God in human form. When we see God’s generosity, sharing Jesus with the world, we know in our own spirit the desire to follow it. So, today, our joy in the birth of Jesus and our gratitude for the gift of his life, gives us incentive to reflect that joy and gratitude in our own giving. On this last Sunday of 2022, know your giving will allow us to _____________ (be specific!). And, it will encourage you to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with generosity and gratitude. Let us share our Christmas Day gifts, giving thanks for the Word made flesh. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, Thank you for the abundance of gifts you provide to each of your beloved children. Today please receive this offering as one way we show our love for you after seeing the glory of your Word made flesh. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Celebration of Christ's Birth Heaven sings: sing of creation and life; sing of love and light. Earth sings: join the chorus, tell the story of salvation. Let all welcome the Messiah. Sun and moon proclaim the message of divine light. Ocean waves tell of life-giving water. Forests rustle with Spirit-filled wind. Field and vineyard give fruit for a heavenly feast. All peoples marvel at what they see and hear. Join with all of creation in praise. Sing of God's deeds of power and grace. For Jesus Christ is born this day: the One who was foretold by the prophets, and promised in ages past; the One who would triumph over death, and bring us life; the One who would forgive our sin, and heal our wounds; the One who would show us the kingdom of God, and how we might live. Born to set us free … Born to give us life ...Born as a gift ... Heaven sings and earth rejoices: Jesus Christ is born. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Community Time Benediction When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among others, To make music in the heart. Go in hope, peace, joy, and love…to spread the beauty of Christmas. (“The Work of Christmas” by Howard Thurman) Additional Illustrations

Mary's Hope for the World

December 11, 2022 Luke 1:46-55 Mary’s Hope for the World Year A Third Sunday of Advent Opening Song Welcome Advent Hymn Lighting of the Advent Candle CALL TO WORSHIP One: Our souls magnify the Lord. Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior! All: We come today with eager hope, awaiting God’s new revelation. One: The mighty One has done great things! God’s mercy covers generations. All: We come today with ready peace, trusting with anticipation. One: The One who lifted up the lowly And filled the hungry, dwells with us. All: We come today with fervent joy, we worship with great expectation. (Inspired by Luke 1:46b-55, The Magnificat) (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) INVOCATION God of Mary, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Rahab— God of us all, your children here and your children afar— We enter this moment of worship with eager anticipation. We know that even before a child would come to lead the way, You were leading our way. From the valleys of the shadows of death to the tables in the presence of enemies, you have never left us nor forsaken us. You rod and your staff have guided us. Guide us now, O God. Make your presence known as we worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) Song Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming UMH 216 Children’s Sermon Object suggested: Magnifying glass and objects that would be interesting to view when magnified such as a leaf, blade of grass, print in a book, a bug. It is fun to look at ordinary things through a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass makes an object appear larger. We can see details we didn’t know were there. A magnifying glass helps us get a closer look at things. Let’s take some time to see what we can discover. See how the print in this book gets larger as you pull the magnifying glass away from the page? Look at your fingernails and hands through the magnifying glass. Do you see anything that surprises you? (Provide various objects that would interest children.) The word “magnify” has two meanings. It means to make things larger, as when we look through a magnifying glass, and it also means to “praise” or “give thanks.” In the Bible, as we read about the birth of Jesus, we learn that Mary felt joy because she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus and she gave thanks to God. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (1:46). “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…” (1:47). The joy that Mary felt, as she prepared for the arrival of Jesus, is available to us as we celebrate his birth. Tonight, Christmas Eve, we have the opportunity to praise God and give thanks for his love. We “magnify the Lord” as we sing Christmas carols, read from the Bible, light candles, pray, and listen to the story of the birth of Jesus. Take a closer look at God’s love that is offered to us through the Christ child. “Magnify the Lord.” Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 35, Luke 1, Matthew 11) Upside-down God, you announce your coming with exciting news: the hungry will eat their fill, the oppressed will dance in newfound freedom; you proclaim your mission with hard news: the well fed will go hungry, the powerful will lose their status. We find ourselves squirming as we acknowledge our participation in structures that oppress and marginalize. Help us accept and proclaim the coming of your Son as truly good news. Give us the courage to set aside our privilege, and help bring about this upside-down world, where everyone can sing together for joy. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Words of Assurance (Isaiah 35) The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Waters shall break forth in the wilderness. The burning sand shall become a pool. The God who can transform the dry lands can also transform the desert of our lives. Abundant forgiveness is ours from the God who turns sorrow and sighing into joy and gladness. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Passing the Peace of Christ (Isaiah 35) The coming of Christ turns the world upside down. For folks who are quite content with things as they are, this may not feel like good news! But a greater vision lies before us—God’s vision of real life for all. Comfort one another with these words of encouragement: “Be strong, do not fear.” Respond in kind with these words of hope: “God will come and save you.” Scripture And Responsive Reading Luke 1:46-55 UMH 199 Sermon Mary’s Hope for the World Have you ever imagined that your life was a Broadway musical? And you are just going about your everyday life, say washing the dishes and all of a sudden, you just break out in a song? I bet you think that it would never happen – perhaps you are saying that there is nothing worth singing about in your life, or perhaps you are not that dramatic, or maybe you think that you are not that good of a singer. What if I told you that you do it every week. We come to church, we listen to scripture, we pray, we take it all in, and what do we do – we sing about it. We even stand up and sing songs that we all know (most of the time). We sing about whatever the lesson is for the day. So you see, being a Christian is a lot like starring in a Broadway musical. You probably never realized that the book of Luke is actually written as a musical. Luke loves for his main characters to burst out in song, praising God and celebrating the good things that God has done for them. There is the book of psalms – which are songs of faith for every occasion in life. In the first two chapters of Luke, there are 4 important songs that are critical to our faith. Today, we focus on the Song of Mary. Imagine the scene – Mary has been visited by an angel and told that she will bear a son – this son is the answer to the prayers of the nation. The angel tells her that she does not have to bear the child alone – because she has a cousin (or perhaps an aunt) Elizabeth who also has a special pregnancy. She needs to get a way and process all of this, so she decides to visit Elizabeth. When she arrives, Elizabeth and the unborn baby celebrate Mary. And right on cue – Mary breaks out in the song – My soul magnifies the Lord. She says that she is blessed and special because God has showed her mercy – God will provide for those in need. Before Jesus gives the sermon on the mount and says blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be fed. His Mother said He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away. Now some say Mary was just singing the words of a hymn that she would have known by heart, some say that this song was an impromptu response to the joy of the moment. We are not sure where Luke got this song – but we do know that the broadway moment continues today – not only when we sing, but as we live out our faith and follow her son jesus in everything that we do. Through this song of Mary we feel her expressing her faith and vision, and asking the right questions. In an old biography of Francis of Assisi, the story is told of a night he spent in the castle of an Italian nobleman. The host was curious as to the secret of Francis' remarkable vitality, so he arranged to have Francis spend the night in the chamber adjacent to his own. As soon as they retired, the nobleman watched to see what Francis would do, and it turned out to be quite simple. He knelt by his bed and prayed over and over again, "O Lord, who art thou, and who am I? Who art thou and who am I? Who art thou and who am I?" The biographer concludes that this is one of the clues of Francis' greatness. All his life he continued to ask the right questions, he never tired of trying to penetrate ever more deeply into the core of our existence. After all, the God-question and self-question are the ultimate realities. If we would grow in spiritual intensity, here are two frontiers on which the Magnificat is built. I love St Francis’ questions to God – Who are you and who am I. Advent is our season for asking the same questions. This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. You know, at the time of her conversation with Gabriel, Mary didn’t think of herself as the mother of God. There are a lot of misconceptions about Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say where to worship Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are to pray to Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say she was perfect or sinless. Nowhere does it say that she was God or even co-equal with God. What is so special about Mary is, she was so un-special. God took an ordinary, run of the mill, teenage, peasant girl and used her in an unbelievably extraordinary way. At the time of the conversation, not only was Mary Unspecial, she was also unlikely. But that is why she is singing – God has turned everything upside down. For once – the little guy wins and finds favor with God. The people who were lost in the dessert are now redeemed, those who were exiles are now favored children of God, God is not only the defender of the poor and vulnerable – God gives them justice and gifts. Brayden was about nine years old when he came to the church after school program. He was staying with his grandma who had to work until 6. The principal recommended that he come to the program so that he would be alone at home. Everything changed when he walked in. In Sunday School he would ask questions that were not appropriate for children. He would terrorize the girls in the class by pulling their chairs from under him. The teachers were always on edge with him. The staff would have special meeting, just to talk about what to do with him. Unlike a lot of the children he was there every week. When he saw the staff on the street, he would point them out. He even introduced his Sunday school teacher to his grandma who worked at the local grocery store. One lesson before Christmas, the class was talking about home – they were talking about where they were going to celebrate Christmas. When it came Brayden’s turn he could not talk about the place where he felt the spirit of love. First he said that he had lived a lot of different places. Then he was asked where he felt the most secure. Matter of factly, Brayden said – right here in my church. The person that the teacher felt was the least likely to get the message – understood the best. God comes to us in the least likely people, in the least likely places and the least expected places. – and when he does – we break out in song – or at least Luke’s characters do. Mary’s song is just the beginning of Luke’s story. There are at least 40 songs of faith in the book of Luke. For Luke, when we sing – we are invited into a triangle with God. We are called to live a life of service to bring about a balanced world for all. Just as the birth of the messiah came through the life of an ordinary unspecial young woman, miracles happen every day. When we get together and sing – the world changes. On Christmas Day a small manger scene sat on a table just inside the doorway to a neatly kept home. People hurried past it all day. They barely noticed tiny figures gathered around the infant tucked in the straw. In the morning children raced by it on their way to the Christmas tree. At noon, arriving guests pushed past it to get to the dining room. One accidentally knocked over a shepherd as he took off his winter coat. Later in the afternoon a well-fed group of adults and children moved somewhat slowly by the manger again as they drifted from the dining room back to the living room. Almost none of them stopped to look at the manger. In fact, none of them even noticed it, except two. An elderly woman, walking with a cane, paused in front of the scene. Gently she set the shepherd back in an upright position. Then she looked at the Christ child in the middle of all the figures. As she stood there, she became aware of her small grandson standing by her side. As the voices drifted in from the living room, the two continued to look at the manger scene. At length a smile spread across the woman's face and the child took her hand. In the midst of a day filled with so much busyness, food and opening, the two of them quietly received God's gift. Today we come face to face with a mind-boggling, bumfuzzling, unlikely idea and story. It's a story that is almost incomprehensible in its simplicity and truth. It's a story that is, in itself, a gift. It's a gift wrapped with the most exquisite paper imaginable, a bundle of swaddling clothes. This gift was left for each of us, under the tree of life nearly 2,000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate today. This gift has been offered to everyone. Some have left their packages unclaimed. Others have graciously accepted the gift and carry it around everywhere they go. Unfortunately, they've failed to begin unwrapping and discovering the hidden splendor and grace of God's love. The packages are all alike: in each one is a scroll addressed to us individually, on which is written, "I love you!" and it's signed God. Although it seems like such an Unlikely Gift, born in such an Unlikely Place, to such Unlikely Parents and for such an Unlikely Purpose, it’s really the work of God. All you have to do is reach out and accept the gift which God has for you? Don't leave it under the tree. Find the gift in Mary’s story and her song. Now it is time for us to stand and sing the finale! Amen. Song I want to Walk as a Child of the Light UMH 206 Prayer Lord of delight and surprises, you come to us each day with opportunity, love, support. You pour your blessings on us, reminding us of your compassionate presence with us. Help us to be people of loving service. Help us to see the ways in which you enter our lives and enable us to serve you by serving your people. As we have come to you this day, bringing our concerns for healing and hope, remind us that you are with us all and that your healing mercies are given. Give us the courage to be faithful stewards of your creation and bring us together with one another in celebration and service. Lift us up, bring us forward, give us peace. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook God forth with great expectation Waiting for God’s mercy to fill us Wait for the God’s grace to surround us Wait for God’s child to lead us And in that waiting, May God bless and keep you May God’s face shine upon you May God be gracious to you And give you peace. Amen ( United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Mia McClain) Community Time Benediction Let the love of God flow into your hearts. Believe in the power of God to change your life. Behold the goodness of God in creation and in others. Be at peace and celebrate God’s good news. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) Bruce Larson tells a beautiful and true Christmas story that appeared sometime back in the Denver Post. It seems, a week or so before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation about a needy family facing a bleak Christmas. One young father decided to do something about it. He and his son set out in the family pickup to cut down a fresh evergreen and deliver it to this needy family. They ran into a rock slide and a boulder hit the truck. It was totally wrecked. The windshield was smashed and while the father wasn't hurt, the young boy was cut by the glass and bleeding severely. They tried to wave down a passing motorist to help, but to no avail. Finally, after over two hundred cars had whizzed by, one stopped. The couple in the car took care of the injured boy, returned the two to their home, and then went on. The father and son never got the names of their two ministering angels. I'm sure it was a little bit of Christmas miracle, because in a week's time the truck was repaired and the boy's injury healed. On Christmas Eve, the pastor asked this same man if he'd deliver a basket of food and toys to the needy family he'd set out to bring the tree to earlier. He loaded up his truck and drove to the address he was given and rang the doorbell. Who should answer the door but the couple who'd stopped to help him on the highway just weeks before? (2) Life does not always work out quite that neatly. But the story does point to what Mary teaches us. Life IS Hard but in the midst of all the hardship the world can throw our way, God Is Good. An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. It's right under your nose, so don’t miss it like the editor of that paper did when the Wright brothers made their first flight. In the year 1870 the Methodists in Indiana were having their Annual Conference. At one point, the president of the college where they were meeting said, "I think we live in a very exciting age." The presiding bishop said "What do you see in our future?" The college president responded, "I believe we are coming into a time of great inventions. I believe, for example, that men will fly through the air like birds." The Bishop was indignant and said, "That's heresy! The Bible says that flight is reserved for the angels. We will have no more such talk here." After the Annual Conference was over, the bishop, whose name was Wright, went home to his two small sons, Orville and Wilbur. And, of course, you know what they did to their father's vision.(1) You probably remember that when they were older, the Wright brothers, had a bicycle shop, which was the source of their income for their experiments in flight. They had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft. Finally on December 17, 1903, on the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what no one had never done before. They actually flew under engine power! Elated, they wired their sister Katherine, "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Their sister was so excited, she ran down the street, shoved the telegram with the news scoop of the century, into the hands of the city editor of the local paper. He read it carefully, smiled and said, "Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas!" And the next day, buried on page 16, underneath the obituaries, was this notice: "Local bicycle merchants to spend holidays at home." Can you believe it? One of the major events of the twentieth century, and the editor completely missed it, even though it was right under his own nose! (2) Why? Because at the time it seemed so unlikely. The Christmas is about the Unlikely as well

Prophecy of the Messiah

December 4, 2022 2nd Sunday of Advent Year A Isaiah 11:1-10 Prophecy of the Messiah Opening Song Welcome Advent Song Comfort O Comfort by Sally Ahner Lighting of the Advent Candles Call to Worship (Say together in one voice) Beloved people of God, welcome to worship at First United Methodist Church. On this second Sunday in Advent (the season of preparation for the birth of Jesus), we focus on God’s desire for all people to live in deep and abiding peace. The prophet Isaiah describes it this way: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid… and a little child shall lead them. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Hail to the Lord’s Anointed UMH 203 Children’s Sermon Has anyone ever made a promise to you? (Show a wedding ring.) Does anyone know what this is? It’s a wedding ring. Why do you think a man and a woman give each other wedding rings when they get married? The wedding ring shows that they are promising to love each other forever and ever. Do you see how the wedding ring goes around forever and ever? So, they’re promising to love each other forever and ever. In the church, when it’s almost Christmas time, we use something that looks like a big ring. Can anyone think of what it is? (Show students the Advent wreath.) This is our Advent wreath. It looks like a big wedding ring, and it goes around forever and forever just like a wedding ring because the Advent wreath reminds us that God has made promises to us, just like a man and a woman make promises to each other when they get married. Can anyone think of some promises God has made to us? During Advent, the time before Christmas, we remember that God promised in the Bible to send Jesus to die for our sins on the cross and to save us. God fulfilled that promise when Jesus was born, lived His life, and then died on the cross. During Advent, we also remember that God promised to send Jesus again one day. Jesus will come down from Heaven and bring everyone who believes in Him back to life. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” We’ll also get our new bodies so that we’ll never die but live with Jesus forever. That’s what God promised us. And we know that God will keep that promise because God is perfect and keeps all of His promises. Closing Prayer Father God, we thank You for sending Jesus to save us, and we thank You for promising to send Jesus back to earth one day so that we can come back to life just like He did. We know that You will keep Your promise because You are a good and perfect God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (Ministry to Children, Stephen Wilson) Call to confession (From Hebrews 4:14-16) In Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist cries, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Let us confess our sins this Advent to prepare for the coming of Christ. Prayer of confession God of the prophets, we confess our lack of preparedness and our tendency to wander away from you and your path. You call us to venture outside our comfortable spaces, yet we hunker down and excuse ourselves from faithful action. Forgive us, God. Call us again. Help us to respond this Advent in faith. Amen. Assurance of pardon (you don’t have to print the words if you don’t have space) Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Responsive Reading Psalm 72 UMH 795 Scripture Isaiah 11:1-10 Sermon Prophecy of the Messiah During the advent season, our underlying themes for the season are always hope, peace, joy and love. The fun part is that we never know which week is which. And everyone has such a different opinion about which week is which. That is because the gospel message has elements of all 4 – not just for advent, but for all of the weeks. Every scripture that we read has a little hope, a little peace, a little joy and a little love. I didn’t even bother to define which week is which – but there seems to be a natural progression. Last week as we talked about the beginning of the book of Isaiah we talked about peace. But I also told you that the major theme of the book of Isaiah was hope. Isaiah was trying to give hope to a people who were afraid. Even today in our world – it is hard to be willing to move forward in life, you need a little hope. Once you have hope, then you can begin the search for peace. Last week in chapter 2, Isaiah encouraged us to turn swords into plowshares and find peace in God. This week we look at chapter 11 – where Isaiah gives this image of a peacable world – where the lamb and the wolf lie down together and the snake does not bite a child. We have all seen that image of these animals living in peace. In real life we all know that animals will never behave like that, it is in the nature of some animals to attack others. It is also not human nature for us to get along. The workforce magazine “Personnel Journal” put together this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3540 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. In that time more than 8000 peace treaties were made--and broken. In all of my years of reading this scripture, it never occurred to me that Isaiah was probably not talking about animal nature at all – but was talking about human nature. There is a tiger within you and me that wants to snarl at people on the other side of the political or ideological fence. There is a wolf within us that re-opens old wounds and past failures even within our own households, just to make sure that even those nearest to us know we haven’t forgotten their failures; maybe forgiven, but not forgotten. There is a cobra within us that lies in wait for people who are different from us, so that we can catch them fulfilling our prejudices about them. There is a bear within us that gives other people only one chance to disappoint us; and if they do, we reject them forever. There is even a little lamb when we become the victim of other peoples violence. And there is even inside of each of us – an inner child that holds onto the innocence of who we really are. There are a lot of different sides of ourselves, there is a lot going on inside of our souls. And sometimes it takes a lot of faith in order to hold it all together. In his book, Christmas Gifts That Always Fit, James W. Moore tells about a man who lived in Athens, Georgia. While waiting for a bus he saw a machine which, for 25 cents, would tell him his name, age, hometown, and other information. He decided to try it. He put in the quarter and the machine said, "You're Bill Jones. You are 35. You live in Athens. You are waiting for the bus to Greenville, South Carolina. It is delayed." He thought that was incredible and decided to try it again, and got the same answer. But the machine told him the bus was delayed a little longer. Then he decided to fool the machine. He went across the street to a store and bought some of those glasses with the mustache and eyebrows. He came back and put in another quarter. The machine said, "Well, it's you again. You are still Bill Jones. You live in Athens. You are 35 years old. You want to go to Greenville, South Carolina. But while you were horsing around, you missed your bus!"3 Sometimes we miss the peace of God. We miss it because we look for it in the wrong way in the wrong place for the wrong kind of peace. We find this peace of God in unexpected ways and in unexpected places for unexpected uses. It is the result of responding to life in Godlike ways. The stories of Isaiah, and the stories of the bible, the stories of advent are intended to help us to remember to find hope, peace joy and love in our own lives. And to pass then on to those who need them. King Duncan, Damon Runyon once wrote a charming story about a man he called Doc Brackett. Doc Brackett was a beloved old physician whose office was open to the poor and needy. He would get up in the middle of the coldest night and ride twenty miles to doctor a sick woman or child or to patch up some fellow who got hurt. Everybody in town knew Doc Brackett’s office over Rice’s clothing store. It was up a narrow flight of stairs. A sign at the foot of the stairs said: DR. BRACKETT, OFFICE UPSTAIRS. Doc Brackett never married. The day he was supposed to marry he got a call to go out into the country and doctor a Mexican child. His bride-to-be was so angry that she cancelled the wedding, but the parents of the Mexican child were very grateful when the child recovered. For forty years, the lame, the halt, and the blind of that town had climbed up and down the stairs to Doc Brackett’s office. He never turned anyone away. Doc Brackett lived to be seventy years of age, and then one day he keeled over on the sofa in his office and died. He had one of the largest funerals ever in those parts. Everyone turned out. The town’s people wanted to erect a nice tombstone for his grave but could not agree what should be engraved on the stone. The matter dragged along and nothing was done. Then one day someone noticed that there was already a proper epitaph over Dr. Brackett’s grave. The parent of the Mexican child that Doc Brackett had saved many years back had worried about him having no tombstone. They had no money to buy a marker, so they simply took the sign from the foot of the stairs at Doc Brackett’s office and stuck it over his grave. Now he had a fitting epitaph. It read simply, DR. BRACKETT, OFFICE UPSTAIRS. During this season of the year we pay homage to the Doc Bracketts of this world and we declare that not only is the world a better place for their efforts but now they reside in a better place as well--Dr. Brackett, Office Upstairs. (4) The God of Hope. You and I are free to choose the attitude with which we confront life. We can believe that there is a five per cent chance of today and tomorrow or we can believe the Good News of Christmas that God is alive and well and at work in our world bringing in a kingdom of love and justice and freedom. We can face the future with fear and foreboding, or we can trust in the God who has sustained us through the years and has promised us that He will never forget us nor forsake us regardless of our situation. We can choose to live in continued darkness, or we can step out into the light of hope and triumph and eternal victory. We can live for ourselves alone, or we can make the world a better place to live for all persons. Doesn’t the Good News of Advent and Christmas change your attitude about life? Doesn’t it make you anticipate that sometime--somewhere--somehow--something good, not evil, is out there waiting to happen in your life? That is the kind of change that takes place when the Christ Child is born anew in our hearts. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love – what needs to happen to live these everyday? Song Come Thou Long Expected Jesus UMH 196 Prayer God of Advent waiting and watching, we have come to you this day with hearts heavy, with concerns for family and friends; for world situations; for struggles in home, community, state, and nation. We feel powerless to affect any changes. So we withdraw into ourselves, quick to criticize and slow to change our own behavior. Today you have called us to prepare ourselves to receive this “shoot” which shall arise from the stump of Jesse. You remind us that this is the one who will bring messages of peace. He will help us to become faithful disciples and servants. But we have much work to do. Our preparation needs to focus on our own attitudes and actions. We need to clean our spiritual houses of the cobwebs of hate, greed, apathy, suspicion. We need to focus more on your absolute love and forgiveness. As we turn our lives to you, offering names and situations in prayers for your healing mercies, help us to remember that our own healing is vital. Enable us to be strong and confident workers for you in this world. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (Print just the Prayer of Thankgiving) For anyone who believes Jesus is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, gentle-spirited man, John the Baptist will open your eyes! John describes Jesus as one who will cut down every tree which does not bear good fruit, to throw it into the fire. Or picture this: Jesus with a winnowing fork, clearing out the mounds of what has been harvested in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. How can we show ourselves to be WHEAT, not chaff? How are we to prepare the way of the Lord? Our actions speak more clearly than whatever words we might offer. As we come to this time of offering, let’s make our gifts speak out loud: we want to follow Jesus, so let our giving declare our desire to be gathered into the granary, not thrown into the fire. Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, Receive these gifts, and put each of us into your service, as we seek to prepare the Way of the Lord in this Advent season. Open our eyes to see, our minds to acknowledge, and our hearts to respond in love to the Powerful One, In whose name we pray, AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Communion UMH 13 Invitation to Communion (Don’t Print) The Lord’s Table provides so many facets: training table, birthing bed, feast… Today, I invite you to focus on this Table as the granary where precious grain is stored. It is here we who are hungry can come to be filled. Here what is valuable may be secured. Here, when we’re afraid or feeling alone, we are assured of the presence of the Savior, who will not leave us comfortless. Look around. No chaff here. Only what (and who) the Lord has claimed as valuable. Breathe in the peace that passes understanding, and come with assurance to share in this abundant feast, for which we give thanks to God. Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Prepare the way of the Lord with your repentance with your forgiveness of others with your ministries of compassion and grace. May God’s grace, Christ’s peace, and the Spirit’s guidance be with you today and always. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Community Time Benediction Prepare for the coming of the Lord! Make way in your hearts for love! Get rid of all anger and fear, for God is about to bring incredible light to the world! Go in peace and confidence as witnesses to God’s love. AMEN (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Isaiah didn't wait around for evidence of hope in order to hope (cf. Romans 8:24-25; Hebrews 11:1). His hope came from a deep and abiding trust in God. And he knew that God would send leaders who would carry on God's message. You and I have the advantage over Isaiah of knowing the ultimate leader, the ultimate shoot off the stump of Jesse: Jesus Christ. And that branch connects us forever with an undying hope, which is foolishness to the wise and life itself to those who give their life to Him. Saint Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome these words: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Only through the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to hope in these days. And to that hope I bear witness to you this morning, and to that hope the Church at its best has always borne witness. You see, it is a sure thing, because we can dare to trust our roots that go deep in the heart of God, roots to which Isaiah pointed, and roots which came to full flower in the face and in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Thanks be to God! CSS Publishing, Hope Beneath the Surface, by Paul E. Robinson Some time ago I read a story in a church newsletter written by a pastor in Tennessee. He told about his congregation's being in a new sanctuary for their first Christmas there. It was going to be a great Advent Sunday. The choir had put in extra time working on their music. He had prepared a sermon on "The Unexpected God." The church was full that Sunday, and the service began with the singing of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Just as the affirmation of faith ended, a boy announced from the back of the church, "Mr. Bob Buford's house is burning down!" Mrs. Buford, who was in the choir, fainted and fell. They revived her, and she and some firemen rushed to the fire. The congregation tried to settle down and continue the service. But suddenly a woman came in and said, "The whole town is burning up!" The preacher pronounced the benediction, and everyone ran out the door. Only one house burned after all. That afternoon the preacher thought about all this, and knew the effort to help a person was more important that the music and the sermon. He remembered too how the first Christmas took place in the midst of human suffering, and how, "When no one was looking, our unexpected God slipped in among us and changed the world forevermore."1 In ages past the prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of the Messiah. He told how he would grow out of the family tree of David, Israel's greatest king. He would not judge by what he saw, but with righteousness he would judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek. And because of him a new time would be ushered in when "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Each of us could offer similar testimony. But you say, “Wait a minute, Preacher. Look at all the beautiful capabilities of human beings. We rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan. We have a United Nations, a Church throughout the world, and the Red Cross.” That’s right. Man is more than a beast, but he is not an angel. Both the wolf and the lamb are within us. What a bundle of contrasts we are! Edward Sanford Martin has described all of us with these words: “Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd; There’s one of us that’s humble, one that’s proud, There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins, There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins.” What are we to do with ourselves, with this bundle of contradictions, with this combination of wolf and lamb? Only through yielding oneself to Jesus Christ can we be fundamentally changed. When we repent of sin and claim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, his Holy Spirit begins to restrain the beast within us and to unleash the angel. Try to imagine a world in which the wolf and the lamb will share the same stall. The leopard and the baby goat will sleep together. A little child will put halters on a lion and a calf and lead them around. The lion will eat straw like the oxen. A little child will reach down into a cobra's den and not be harmed. That's what the world will be like one day, according to Isaiah the prophet. At some future time the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the oceans are with water; then no creature shall harm any other creature if all of God's earth. How often today we speak of a person as a wolf or a lion or a snake or a lamb. And when we dream, we are presented with these very same images today. They are not archaic and old fashioned. On the contrary, they are still with us. They represent the various aspects of the spiritual world with which we must deal. One of the reasons for the conflict and anxiety and misery in us is that we have not learned how to make these warring parts of us get along together. We are part wolf, part snake, part lion, part lamb. Confusion and chaos arise when we are possessed by one and then another part. The Little Child The prophet proclaimed that only as the little child within us is allowed to live, only then can these warring tendencies or archetypes come to harmony, only so. Strange as it may seem, it is not the reasonable adult or the powerful sword-wielding warrior or the judging parent who brings these various parts of us into harmony and cooperation, but rather the child, the little child. This child has the creative power to make us whole and one ... to make the most amazing things happen in what had been an insignificant life before. The whole of creation goes along with that man. This is the mystery and power, a real Christianity. Remember those often repeated and seldom heeded words of Jesus: "Trust me when I tell you that whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it" (Luke 18:17 NAB). When the disciples asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, he placed a little child in their midst and said the same thing (Matthew 18:1-3). Jesus also insisted we must be born again. (John 3:2) He kept repeating the same truth. He was emphasizing that unless you have the courage to find and face the little child within you, the part of you which has been rejected and ignored and despised, unless you face it and let it direct your life, you shall not come to the kingdom of heaven or wholeness. Unless the little child in you is allowed to live, there is no hope that the lion and the lamb, the kid and the bear, the cow and the wolf within each of us can come into harmony. Only so can the snake in each of us be controlled and directed. Eric Berne has gained fame by writing simple and profound books on psychiatry. He maintains that there is within each of us the adult, the parent, and the child. Unless we are able to face all three and deal with them all, we get sick. He goes on to say that it is the child who contains the creative life and power and yet is most often forgotten among modern men. Until we can reach the playful, creative, imaginative child within us, we are dull and unwhole, fragmented and anxious, seeing no meaning or value in life. The Christ Child Another cynic remarked that peace is a moment when nations take time to reload. The stakes are certainly higher than ever. Someone asked Albert Einstein one day what kind of weapons would be used in the third world war. "Well," he answered, "I don’t know . . . but I can tell you what they’ll use in the fourth world war. They’ll use rocks." We would rather not even think about it at Christmas time, but we need to acknowledge the horror of war. Santa is sitting in front of his computer typing the following sentiments: Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through his house . . . . Not a creature was stirring, Except Santa’s mouse. For there at his screen, The old fat man designed The ultimate gift for a tattered mankind. He squirmed and he puzzled as all through the night, He polished the concept to get it just right. The formula worked!! The old guy was wired!! At last, PEACE ON EARTH . . . ! (Then, a message comes on the screen:) Step One. Some assembly required. Father William J. Bausch tells of the man who always has a special feeling each year when he receives his first Christmas card. It reminds him of the lady who lived next door when he was growing up. She was 95 years old. Often he would deliver to her the groceries his mother would buy for her. One day during Christmas he went over to take the groceries and she gave him the usual tip. But he decided not to accept it this time. She insisted that he take it. He sat there for a long time and talked with her. She told him about her early life, their country church, and Christmas. Finally, when he left her house he went across the street to the store. He could buy a lot of candy with the tip she gave him. But then he thought of her and how alone she was. He decided to buy her a Christmas card, and he searched through the cards looking for just the right one. Then he saw it. It had on the front a country church just like the one she had told him about. He bought the card, signed his name to it, and took it back over to her house. When she came to the door, he held it out and said, "Hello, Mrs. Hildebrand. Merry Christmas." She began to cry, thanked him, and wished a Merry Christmas to him. A few weeks later she died in her sleep. Her night-table light was on. On the table there stood the Christmas card he had given her. It had brought some joy into her life.4 We are given the peace of God which comes from living in Godlike ways, sharing the peace of Christ. This unexpected baby brought unexpected peace. I still chuckle over the old golfer who could not imagine what life would be like without his daily round. One day he consulted a spiritualist, asking her if she thought there would be golf courses in heaven. She meditated for a few moments and then said to the old golfer, "I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that heaven is filled with lush, green golf courses with lavish club houses. The bad news is that you are scheduled to tee off on one of those heavenly golf courses tomorrow morning at 9:30!" But Isaiah's vision of justice and peace is much more than some human effort to reorder the society. It is based not only on changing the structures of the society but on changing human hearts so that they will be "full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

Marching to Zion

November 27, 2022 First Sunday of Advent Year A Isaiah 2:1-5 Marching to Zion Opening Song Welcome Advent Song Comfort, O Comfort My People by Sally Ahner Advent Candle lighting Call to Worship (Isaiah 2, Psalm 122) I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord! In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!(United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Song O Come, O Come, Emmanuel UMH 211 Children’s Sermon Come rushing in, pretending to look for lost items or appearing very frazzled… Oh no, I’m late, it’s my turn to talk, where are my things? I’m not ready for this at all…where did I put the…? Oh, hi, kids! Well….I’m sorry. It looks like I can’t find…I’m not sure…you know, I am not very prepared right now. See, it’s my clock’s fault! (Hold up broken clock, or day planner or calendar). Yeah, it doesn’t seem to be working, so I didn’t realize what time it really was, and I didn’t know that… well, I guess I’m just not very ready today. Have you ever felt like something was happening, and you weren’t prepared for it? Maybe you had a test at school you didn’t study for…or a game or performance that you wanted to practice for more. Or you woke up late and felt rushed. What about preparing for visitors? What kinds of things do you have to do if you have a friend coming over, or family visiting for holidays? You probably have to clean your room, make sure you have plenty of snacks, figure out when company will arrive…(allow some child responses) Well, today we are talking about a very special sort of preparation. We are talking about getting ready for Jesus! Now, we are entering the season of Advent…do you know what “Advent” means? It means “coming”, and we are getting ready for the coming of Jesus! A lot of people around this time of year get ready for Christmas, maybe by shopping or decorating or getting busy with baking and wrapping andthings…but in the church, we are getting ready to honor the birth of Jesus. God came to Earth as a baby… the people in that time had been hearing prophecies and predictions about Him, and they were eagerly awaiting the birth of the Messiah. We know that Jesus already came, and we get to celebrate and be grateful for how God kept His promises in that way! But guess what? Jesus is going to come back someday! The Bible tells us that Jesus will return again, and all the sadness will go away and he’ll scoop us up and take us to Heaven! Do you know when that will be? Well…me neither. In fact, no one knows when Jesus will come back again. It might be tomorrow…it might be in a hundred years! But He tells us to be ready…wait…how can we be ready for something if we don’t know when or how it will happen?? Well, we want to prepare our hearts. God is always present with us, and He wants us to be mindful of that presence and live in a way that pleases Him. We should daily be in prayer and study our Bibles. And we can be excited that He will come back again. So as we get ready for Christmas, remember to be thankful for the coming of Jesus. And rejoice in the excitement that we will one day see Him face to face! Children’s Prayer MomentDear God, Thank you for coming to Earth for us Thank you for keeping your promises to save us Help us to live in your presence And know what it means to prepare our hearts for You Thank you for your love We love you, God! Thank you for Jesus. In His name, Amen! (Kristin Schmidt) Confession and Grace We gather together in this season of Advent anticipating hope, praying for peace, attempting to cultivate joy and share love amidst commotion, grief, despair and uncertainty. Moment of silence All: In a world full of hopelessness, We have sometimes forgotten that you are our hope, dear God. Consumed by the chaos of the world, We lean into helplessness instead of your loving embrace. We cling to the stony roads and the bitter rods Felt in days when unborn hope had died; We’ve forgotten that you promised us hope for a future. So, stimulate our memory, dear God. Remind us of that hope you assured us of. Be with us as we cling to it in the midnight hours of waiting. WORDS OF GRACE Let us know that God gives us unmerited hope for a future, peace like a river, joy everlasting, and love. No misstep can separate us from the gifts of God. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Rev. Mia McClain) Responsive Reading Psalm 122 UMH 845 Passing of the Peace Scripture Isaiah 2:1-5 Sermon Marching to Zion Advent always starts upside down and at the ending. There is a popular Facebook post that has been circulating for a few weeks now. Advent is about learning to wait and preparing ourselves. But the post explains, we are not waiting and preparing for Baby Jesus and Christmas. We are waiting and preparing for a better world. We are waiting and preparing for the second coming of Christ. In order to prepare for a better world, we have to get in touch with what needs to change about this one. Because of rumors and the images of films and television. We all have a vision of what the end of the world will look like. It is going to be a terrible time. There are going to be earthquakes, the government is going to fall apart, people are not going to have access to food and essentials. There is going to be a lot of chaos and confusion. And then Jesus comes out of the sky. And then comes the day that we have all been dreading – judgment day – Where we are on one side of the scale and a feather is on the other side, and we get punished for all of the bad things that we have done in life – and we have to beg Jesus to let us into heaven because deep down inside we are a really nice person living in bad circumstances. That is not how it works. That is not what judgement day is all about. God’s judgement is not intended to punish us, it is intended to hold us accountable. And it doesn’t happen at the end of the our lives, or even the end of the world as we know it. It happens in the midst of our lives. In a lot of ways the book of Isaiah is known as the book of judgement. The entire book is a warning of God’s impending doom on the nation if they do not return to the ways of God. People have gotten greedy, self centered. They think that life is about their comfort and not about the wellbeing of all people. Isaiah is reminding them that God is watching them and calling them back to being a kind and caring people who take care of one another. But instead of speaking judgment as a bad thing – Isaiah speaks judgement as a primary source of hope. Isaiah 2 – the beginning of a very long book is a vision of the way things could be. It is a vision of peace, justice and wellbeing. Even us who read it today – know that things will never be this way. It says Jerusalem will be the place where everyone will come to know peace. It is the nature of the wolf to kill the lamb, and yet Isaiah says that the wolf will lie with the lamb, and the weapons of mass destruction will be turned into tools used for feeding people. And then the world will turn back to being a place where God is the center of everything and we love one another. We all know that will never happen. That is about as likely as Jesus coming back to earth and living amongst us a second time. And yet Isaiah tells that story and the people find hope in it. And it is that hope that sustains them. Insert Martin Luther story. I Would Plant an Apple Tree The story is told of the Reformation leader Martin Luther being asked what he would do if he were to discover that the world were coming to an end tomorrow. Luther’s response: “I would plant an apple tree.” It was Luther’s way, I suspect, of asserting that our calling is ever to trust in God’s faithfulness and to seek to be faithful followers of Jesus, day in and day out. Our calling is to embrace the sharp edge of expectant hope, to affirm that, even now, God may well be at work in the world around us. Joel D. Kline, The Sharp Edge of Expectation As Christians – we are told that we are the people who should carry that hope to the rest of the world. And yet where does that hope come from in a world that is so obsessed with violence. So much so, that we spend thousands of dollars on ways to kill others. We all see the stories of the war in Ukraine, and how they are being ravished with weapons of mass destruction. And there have been countless wars before that one. The history of society has been the history of war. The story of Isaiah is told in the backdrop of a violent take over, where their country was being destroyed by opressors. And Isaiah reminds us that in order to find the peace of God, first we have to put down our weapons. And turn them into plowshares. Guns aren’t the only weapons that hurt people. There are many things that we use to tear down others. Monty Python. Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition In Monty Python's sketch, "The Spanish Inquisition," a man is being questioned in a way that surprises him and he says, "Mr. Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition." As if on cue, inquisitors burst into the room and one of them says, "NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise…. Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency…. Our three weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope…. Our four…no… Amongst our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise…. I'll come in again." The inquisitors exit the scene to re-enter and begin the speech again. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. "If the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into" (Matthew 24:43). The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Mary Hinkle Shore, The Element of Surprise How are people being hurt today? What are the weapons besides guns that need to be turned around? How do we hurt others? What weapons do we need to put down? Story In the late 1930’s, Max Schneider, a tenant farmer, was having a tought time of it on the land he farmed in North Dakota. The great depression still had a tight grip on the nations, and farmers ere victoims perpahs as much as anyone in the country. Prices for cash crops had hit rock bottom and for Max and oter farmers, it cost as much to raise the crops as the money they received for harvest. Max countly continue to fee his family. As he and his wife discussed the situation, Max told her what he had hears from other farmers when he was in town. I don’t know if it is true or not, he said, but I hear that scrap dealers are buying up old rusted machinery – in fact, metal of any kind. I thought I would scout around the countryside and collect some of those old rusted pieces we see in the fields and sell the stuff to a dealer – I hear there’s one not too far from here. What in the world do they do with the stuff? His wife wanted to know. I a not sure Max replied after thinking about it for a moment. But I have heard that a lot of that scrap metal is being sold to Japan for war. They need it to make bombs and guns for a war that started in the Far East. His wife thought it was horrible to turn old machinery into bombs. Max agreed, but was willing to sell it if it meant some extra money. They needed it for the kids school clothes. For the next few years, Max roamed all over the county to find scrap iron. He did not make a lot of money, but it did help a little. Years passed, and the kids grew up, went to college, moved out of the house. He stopped selling to Japan when WWII started and they were not allowed to sell to Japan. When they retired they moved to Arizona. While there, they noticed that there were acres and acres of old planes just sitting as if they were in a junk yard. Max got an idea – what if he bought some of those planes and sold them for scrap metal. When he told his wife, she chuckled and asked if he was in the business again. I cant imagine what they would do with scrap metal now. Perhaps they will turn it into innovative farm machinery he said. It is not just a matter of putting our weapons down – how can we turn them into creative ways to help people to live better lives. When we think of Isaiah’s story – we think that it is not possible. When we look at our world – to think that we will never live in peace. And yet Isaiah’s message is that it is possible and that it starts with us. In order for the world to change, first we have to change. Little girl – I Don’t Like This World The door slammed. There was a rush upstairs. The man looked at the clock; it was time for his daughter to be home from school. Fourth grade was not going very well, and from the sound of the slam of the door, it had not improved. He went up to her room and asked about her day. “It was awful,” she said, and then she filled in the details. When she unzipped her backpack at school, her homework was nowhere to be found. Her normally charming teacher snarled at the class. The morning dragged on to lunch, when none of the cafeteria choices looked appetizing. The class went outside to the playground and her best friend decided to play with somebody else. To top it off, a big kid named Kevin had made fun of her on the bus. “It was a rotten day,” she sobbed, and he held her. After about ten minutes, she stopped quivering. He rubbed her back and she blew her nose. One more hug, and then he went downstairs. About a half hour later, he thought it sounded unnaturally quiet, so he sneaked upstairs to see what was happening. To his surprise, she was down on her knees with her hands clasped and her eyes shut, and she was murmuring something. “Honey,” he said, “is everything all right?” “I’m okay, Daddy, I’m just praying.” “That’s good,” he whispered. “What are you praying for?” “Dad, I’ve decided I don’t like this world, so I’m praying for a new one.” Whether she knew it or not, cute as she was, she was rooting herself in thousands of years of Christian tradition. Ever since Jesus appeared among us, Christians have been praying for a whole new world. That’s what lies behind Scripture texts like the one we heard from the twenty-first chapter of Luke. William G. Carter, Praying for a Whole New World, CSS Publishing Company That is what Advent is all about – praying for a new world. Being aware of the chaos and confusion and understanding that just because that is who it is, it doesn’t have to be that way. We are not getting ready for Christmas, we are getting ready for Christ’s reign in our lives and in the world. Judgement is not about punishment, judgement is about justice. Where there is justice, there is peace, where there is peace there will be wellbeing. Shalom only happens when God is the center of everything that we do. We don’t have to fight for God, or create God, or make people do anything different. All we have to do is recognize God in the world around us and stay focused on what God calls us to do for others. If Christ did come back, it could happen, would we even know that he looks like? Probably this advent – there is some work for us to do to get ready for his return. First we have to see the chaos and confusion of the world. We have to get in touch with the needs of the world for a saviour. Second we have to see the vision for how things can be better. Have hope that Christ has the power to make it so. And that Christ will use that power – one day. Every good deed that we do to help others puts us one step closer to Christ and his fulfillment of peace, justice and wellbeing for all people. This advent our them will be the hope of Isaiah. He encourages us to imagine a world of peace and set forward to live in it. We have to have the freedom to imagine that world and the courage to redeem it. This advent as we make our journey up to the house of God – Isaiah vision does include us. In verse 5 Isaiah has instructions for each of us – Come children of Jacob – let us walk in the light of the world. Amen. Song We’ve a Story to Tell the Nations UMH 569 Pastoral Prayer God of love and mercy, thank you for your great gift of your Child, Jesus Christ, who fills us with all that we need. Merciful God, we are fully aware that not all your children are able to bask in joy or peace during this season. We pray for peace within all walls: walls within our own homes, walls that surround each city and town. We pray that during this season of Advent we may usher your promise of salvation into our lives and that we may share the Good News of our Savior with others. We pray that the promise of your birth may be the promise that we live in and share at home, at work and at school. May we be moved to compassion and action in your name. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ who taught us all to pray, saying... (United Methodist Board of Discipleship, Rev. Elizabeth Aguilar) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (only print the prayer) Invitation to the Offering If this Advent is to be about more than going through the motions, then we must get ready for the Prince of Peace in new and radical ways. What can we do to signal our readiness for the coming of Christ into this very place? We can start with a total commitment of our resources and our lives to the cause of God’s peace in the world. When we give our financial gifts to the ministry of this church, the benefits travel widely through the connections of our denomination, but nowhere is the impact greater than in our own hearts. I invite you to use this time of offering as an opportunity to get ready for Christ’s arrival. Offering Prayer (Isaiah 2, Psalm 122, Matthew 24) Thank you, God. Thank you for the wake-up call, reminding us to be ready. Thank you for not giving up on your vision of peace. Thank you for the opportunity to gather each week in your house, that we might encourage one another to stay on your path. And thank you for the opportunity to give these gifts for your ministry, that together we might help the world be ready to receive the Prince of Peace, in whose name we pray. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook As you begin the journey of Advent, remember that you are partners with Christ in bringing in the realm of God, and that in the days of uncertainly as the world is transformed, be watchful and stay awake, remembering that Christ prays for you, and draws you into the very heart of God. May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and may God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remain with you always. Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, Barbara Chaapel) Community Time Benediction Go forth and walk the path of the Lord. Go forth and live as one instructed in the ways of the Lord. Take the weapons of your life and turn them into instruments of peace and justice. Praise be to our God who shows us the way! (United Methodist Board of Discipleship, Randy Clay) Additional Illustrations Keeping Hope Alive At the university there was a piano teacher that was simply and affectionately known as "Herman." One night at a university concert, a distinguished piano player suddenly became ill while performing an extremely difficult piece. No sooner had the artist retired from the stage when Herman rose from his seat in the audience, walked on stage, sat down at the piano and with great mastery completed the performance. Later that evening, at a party, one of the students asked Herman how he was able to perform such a demanding piece so beautifully without notice and with no rehearsal. He replied, "In 1939, when I was a budding young concert pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Putting it mildly, the future looked bleak. But I knew that in order to keep the flicker of hope alive that I might someday play again, I needed to practice every day. I began by fingering a piece from my repertoire on my bare board bed late one night. The next night I added a second piece and soon I was running through my entire repertoire. I did this every night for five years. It so happens that the piece I played tonight at the concert hall was part of that repertoire. That constant practice is what kept my hope alive. Everyday I renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a real piano, and in freedom." Source Unknown Modern Day Perils I will never forget one particular testimony I heard on one particular occasion in the church I served in Atlanta. He was a seminary professor, and he and his family were joining the church. And when it came his turn, he said, “I’m joining this church because those cannons across the street on the grounds of the State Capitol Building are pointed directly at us.” I thought at the time, “That’s a strange answer.” I had never noticed the cannons across the street. And I would look for them the next day, and, sure enough, there they would be, sitting there as mute relics of some war and pointing straight at the stone gothic sanctuary of my church across the street. I would note that, were they loaded, they could blow away the whole narthex. But at that particular moment in that particular Session meeting, I thought to myself, “That’s a strange answer.” “I’m joining this church,” he said, “because those cannons are pointed directly at us.” People join the church for many reasons, but have you ever heard a reason like that? As I got to know this seminary professor, I began to understand why he would join a church because of cannons pointed at it. Holding a Ph.D. from Duke, he was a student of Stanley Hauerwas. If you’ve never read any Hauerwas, I hope you will before you leave this place. Hauerwas has written widely about the modern-day perils of attempting to follow Jesus Christ in this culture. He and others have described Christians in our time as being something like “resident aliens” — faithful colonists in an otherwise hostile, post-Christian, secular society. He has tracked the decline of what he calls “the Constantinian arrangement” between the church and the powers-that-be, and he has asserted — rightly, I think — that that arrangement between the church and the emperor, which got started with Constantine, is breaking down in our time. I know enough about Stanley Hauerwas to have a sense of why a student of his would be intrigued at the thought of joining a church because it sits across the street from a hall of power and has cannons pointed at it. Theodore J. Wardlaw, Ethics and Eschatology Never Give Up Hope In Anne Tyler's novel, “The Amateur Marriage,” we witness a sad series of events. The book's main characters are Michael and Pauline, a pair of World War II-era sweethearts who get married and eventually have three children. But then one day their oldest child, Lindy, just disappears. She runs away from home and promptly falls off the face of the earth. For the first days, weeks, and even months, they watch for her return. They seize on any and every clue as to her whereabouts. The pace, they peer out windows, they listen for a key scratching at the front door's lock, they sit bolt upright each time they think they hear footfalls on the driveway. But Lindy does not return. Over the years, her absence becomes just another part of life. They never finally give up on the idea that they'd see her again, but they stop watching for her. At first they were certain she'd be back soon. They would not have been at all surprised had she walked back through that front door. Years later, though, the surprise flipped: after a while, they would have been surprised if she had come back. Lindy does return eventually, although her mother Pauline never lives to see it. When Lindy shows back up, her father says to her, "Your mother never gave up hope, I could tell." Of course, Pauline had gotten on with life. But she just had a way of glancing out the window that let you know the hope was still there. When she had the chance to take a cruise with a group of friends, she refused. She came up with a dozen excuses but everyone knew that deep down the real reason was that she didn't want to be gone in case Lindy came back. We may not live to see our Lord's return. But as we go through our routines in these days of Noah, we certainly want it to be true that as people look at the shape of our lives, they can say of also us, "Those Christians never give up hope. We can tell." Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations