The Year of God's Favor

January 26, 2024 Luke 4:14-21 The Year of God’s Favor 3rd Sunday of Epiphany Year C Prelude Greeting A Call to Plenty Leader: We continue our worship series on the economy of Jesus. Six stone jars in which water was turned to wine at the beginning of his ministry was a sign and symbol of the transformation of the community into abundant life. But this takes understanding our purpose–not as those who simply take care of “our own,” but those who especially are called to alleviate suffering in this world, bringing the kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven. Today we hear Jesus lay out his purposeful plans clearly–the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of freedom for the oppressed. “Abundance” (sing refrain only) See music assets in your downloads God’s abundance is for all, no one is left outside, kin-dom come, all people one in trust and love abide. In this world of striving, we feel the yearn to earn. The world measures our worth in those earnings. But Jesus had different ideas. Where they sought answers to life’s uncertainties, he showed us how to live into God’s calling with conviction and integrity. When we feel our own resources are lacking, we can view our lives and practices again from the economy of Jesus. Let us pray: God of Purpose and Prophetic Hope, we come to you today, having made space on our calendars to seek your wisdom and clarity for our lives. In the midst of our discernment, remind us of your plans for us: plans for goodness and not harm, plans overflowing with hope for the future. Show us the actions we can take to ensure this hopeful future for all people. Amen. Song All Things Bright and Beautiful UMH147 A Sermon for all Ages Leader: Welcome, children! We are so glad you are here [and for those joining us through the screen, welcome to you, too]. Remember these six big stone jars from last week? We are talking about the generosity of Jesus and these BIG jars represent how BIG the heart of Jesus is for each one of us. He wanted everyone to have plenty of everything they need, and now it is up to us to keep helping him do that. If you could fill these jars with anything, what would it be? Hot chocolate? Jelly? Gatorade??? [let them respond] Wow. Those are great ideas. And I hope you get jarfuls of whatever you want. Jesus, however, told people that what we should do is fill the world with what everyone else besides us needs, especially if they don’t have enough food or clothing or help or love. He said this was his “purpose.” Do you know what “purpose” is? [let them respond, if they can] Purpose is when we think about what we want to accomplish in our lives, in this world. Jesus’ had a plan and a purpose that was very clear. He said we should take the advice of Isaiah (one of his favorite scriptures) and make sure people were cared for and respected and loved. And especially when they didn’t have things that they need, we should be sure to share what we have with them. We have our own “six stone jars” for each week! [maybe this week they are already on the chancel somewhere and you just need to bring over the second one] These are our piggy banks so we can practice the economy of Jesus. The first one had words of hope in it, affirmations that we gave away to make sure others felt loved and seen. Let’s see what the second one has in it… [lift it and shake it gently] Oh, here is another note on it [open a note that has been taped to the piggy bank]. “Dear children. Thank you for multiplying hope and affirmation last week! Remember that instead of putting things in this piggy bank, they are filled with the gifts you already have that you can give away. You see, in my economy, we don’t keep things locked up all the time just filling our banks with more and more and more. We look at what we already have, and the fun is in figuring out how to give it away! Always yours, Jesus.” Oooo, I can’t wait to see what is in this one! [open it and take out the set of two notecards for each child] Let’s see what these say. Looks like there are two cards for each of you. One says “I loved this toy, but now I want to pass that love to you! Enjoy!” I see… we are going to find a toy this week that we loved to play with once-upon-a-time and gift it to someone else! And here is another one: “I used to be able to wear this, but I’ve grown and can’t fit in it anymore. I left the warmth of love in it, and I hope you’ll feel like it is a hug from me.” This will be so fun to find something to share with someone who may not have a toy or piece of clothing that would make them feel special. And don’t worry if you can’t find something right away in your closet or toy box. These cards work anytime! I can’t wait to hear what happens when you give away all of this goodness! Let’s pray a repeat-after-me prayer, and then we’ll go [instructions per usual for your church]. Dear Jesus… [children repeat, etc.] thank you for showing us… how to to share… thank you for showing us… how to to care… help us to know… that there is no doubt… the gifts that you give us… can never run out… there’s so much in store… that we’ll give it away… making sure there’s enough… for ALL every day… Amen…   Water into wine Phenopthalien Sodium bicardonate Acetic acid Responsive Reading Psalm 19 UMH 750 Passing of the Peace (don’t print words) Leader: Just as our worth as humans is not dependent on the bottom line of our bank accounts, our relationships are not dependent upon the earning of favors and the limitations of “quid pro quo.” The peace of Christ has no limits, and we get more just by giving it. So may jar-fulls of peace be with you today. People: And also with you. Leader: You are invited to pass the “plethora of peace” among you, remembering to pass it to those joining us remotely. Scripture Luke 4:14-21 Sermon The Year of God’s Favor At the time of George Washington’s second inauguration, congress set the date for March 4th. Because of travel in the winter, it was difficult to do it any sooner. By the 1930’s, horse travel was no longer a consideration. The date was changed to January 20th at noon. This time in between the election and the inauguration allowed the new administration to have enough time to put together an administration, but to shorten the time in between, when neither administration was in charge. The Opening Moments of Jesus’ Ministry Every four years the new president of the United States gives his inaugural address. In it, he articulates his program or his plan of action for his term of office. See if you recognize the President who made the following remarks: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." - Abraham Lincoln, 1865. "This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." - John F Kennedy, 1960. Today's Scripture is Luke's version of the opening moments of Jesus' public ministry. We might call this his inaugural sermon. Mickey Anders, Jesus' Mission and Ours Luke is good at telling the story of how this man Jesus becomes the messiah. Once the hope of the world becomes an adult, in order to begin his ministry, he must first listen to the spirit of God, and them find what it means for him. He is baptized by his cousin, John. During that time, the spirit of God speaks to him and tells him that he is on the right path. After baptism, he goes off alone in the woods to listen for the spirit. When he returns to society, the spirit leads him to go back home, to his synagogue to not only find the source of the spirit, but also to proclaim the spirit to others. The spirit is a key character in Luke’s telling of the story of the messiah. We will be reading from Luke all year, I will encourage you to look for the work of the spirit in each story. Where does the spirit lead Jesus? As we listen in on the story, where does the spirit lead each of us? When Jesus goes into the temple – he reads from the book of Isaiah. But he also gives his first sermon – one of the shortest sermons, but also one of the most prolific. The scripture says that the spirit calls us to help the the blind to see, the death to hear, to free the captive and to proclaim the year of the Lord. Jesus Sermon – This scripture has been fulfilled right here today. The spirit was at work in so many ways just in that one sentence. This Scripture has been fulfilled right here today. The spirit is at work in the senses – in sight, hearing, and speaking. The spirit was at work in that congregation, within Jesus, and within anyone who sees, hears, or proclaims those words. The spirit is at work today in us, and this scripture get fulfilled in each of our lives. Now each of us is challenged to find how the spirit is at work in our lives, and to think of how the spirit encourages each of us to do the work of the spirit for others. How does the spirit help you to find meaning and purpose in your day, that way it gave meaning to Jesus? From that day forward, Jesus became very clear about what he must do, and he spent the rest of his life doing it – declaring the year of the Lord’s favor to everyone. When we look at the life around us, what do we see, what so we hear, what needs to be said, who needs to be free? Sermon Opener - Good News - Luke 4:14-21 The story is told of a Franciscan monk in Australia assigned to be the guide and "gofer" to Mother Teresa when she visited New South Wales. Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar never had the opportunity to say one word to Mother Teresa. There were always other people for her to meet. Finally, her tour was over, and she was due to fly to New Guinea. In desperation, the Franciscan friar spoke to Mother Teresa: If I pay my own fare to New Guinea, can I sit next to you on the plane so I can talk to you and learn from you? Mother Teresa looked at him. “You have enough money to pay airfare to New Guinea?” she asked. Yes, he replied eagerly. “Then give that money to the poor,” she said. “You'll learn more from that than anything I can tell you.” Mother Teresa understood that Jesus’ ministry was to the poor and she made it hers as well. She knew that they more than anyone else needed good news. On a Saturday morning, in Nazareth, the town gathered in the synagogue to listen to Jesus read and teach. It was no big surprise. He was well known in the area; it was his hometown. He was raised there. They wanted to learn from him. So when he read from the Isaiah scroll, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor” everyone understood these words to be the words of Isaiah. It is how that prophet from long ago defined his ministry. When Jesus finished that reading he handed the scroll to the attendant and sat down. In that day you sat in the Moses Seat to teach to the people. Today preachers stand in a pulpit. So all eyes were on Jesus, waiting for him to begin his teaching… Francis of Assisi gave us a wonderful prayer to help us to find meaning in our day Prayer Our Father, each day is a little life, each night a tiny death; help us to live with faith and hope and love. Lift our duty above drudgery; let not our strength fail, or the vision fade, in the heat and burden of the day. O God, make us patient and pitiful one with another in the fret and jar of life, remembering that each fights a hard fight and walks a lonely way. Forgive us, Lord, if we hurt our fellow souls; teach us a gentler tone, a sweeter charity of words, and a more healing touch. Sustain us, O God, when we must face sorrow; give us courage for the day and hope for the morrow. Day unto day may we lay hold of thy hand and look up into thy face, whatever befall, until our work is finished and the day is done. Amen. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226 The spirit is alive and well today, and still telling us what to do. We just have to listen, with Jesus as our guide. As we go forward in our year – how do we listen? Let us pray…… Song In Christ there is no East or West UMH 548 Prayers of the People Leader: In the economy of Jesus, we are purposeful with our investments. Rather than maximizing returns, we focus on maximizing goodness in the world. We share from our abundance with those in need, seeking out the people and places in this community in need of support that we can gratefully provide. Leader: Each week of this series we will be focusing on naming gifts of abundance we have received in the week, instances where we have seen the abundance of Christ at work in the world, and we will ask for the wisdom and strength to change so that abundance is more available to all. There are notecards in the pews/seats and, if you wish to do so, you are invited in the pause between these petitions to write your observations and we will add them to the six stone jars as a sign of thanksgiving and commitment. In this pause, O God, we ponder the many gifts you have given us. Our gratitude seems never enough for the plenty you provide. We call to mind the gifts of creation, of relationships, of sustenance. [pause] In this pause, Christ Jesus, we ponder the ways your love is still at work in the world. Our awe and wonder at the goodness of others is profound. We call to mind acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. [pause] In this pause, Holy Spirit, we come asking you for strength. The temptation to live by the economics of not-enough is so strong in us. We ask for revelation in our thinking and doing, so that we might live with purpose in our plans. [pause] Loving God, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit, we are yours. We bring to you now the concerns of our day, of our communities, knowing that already you are present, already you are working to bring about comfort and healing. Today we pray for…. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to Offering Offertory Prayer Faithful God, who calls us to follow and empowers us by your Spirit, we bring these gifts to you in gratitude and hope. May they be used to proclaim good news, set the oppressed free, and bring sight to the blind. Transform our offerings into acts of love and justice that reflect the mission of Jesus in this world. In his holy name, we pray. Amen. (Luke 4:14-21) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The jars are full in the Kin-dom of God. The plans are full of the purpose we need and the purpose we are called to embody in the world. We are transformed in the economy of Jesus, bearing the witness of dividends of grace. We have heard the call to invest our interest in the transformation of our communities. And so we go, doing likewise in the world, with the help of God, the guidance of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen. Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction May the Holy Spirit bless you with inspiration to recognize and pay attention to all the ways the Word of God springs to life around you in the familiar rhythms and customs of your day, so that you may find and bring God’s love, peace, and hope wherever you go. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024. Additional Illustrations Took a walk in the neighborhood, when it was late winter, not quite warm outside, but certainly much better than it was. There were two little girls selling lemonade in order to buy a present for their mother. He realized that he had left his wallet at home, so said that he would be right back. He turned to walk the block back home, heard footsteps running behind him, a little voice said mister, you don’t have to pay for it, the lemonade is free. Walking had exhausted him, he told her that he didn’t want any lemonade. Jesus reminds us that God’s grace is free, don’t have to pay for it, reject the good news, because it is too much work. Free – means at no cost to you. Freedom from sin, sickness, poverty, and death. Martin Buber, the great Jewish theolologian had his house invaded by Nazi’s – asked if he had any subversive reading material – went to the shelf and handed him the bible Epiphany: The Joy of Fulfillment - Luke 4:14-21 I've read some books where it seemed the author had no purpose in writing. When that's the case, I'm glad if I can discover it early, so I don't invest too much time in a meaningless search. In some instances, however, I've been slow to recognize the problem, perhaps because I've been looking so earnestly for the author's point that I didn't realize he was without one. No such charge can be made against Luke, the Greek physician who gave us the Gospel which bears his name. He knew why he was writing, and he was obviously excited about his assignment. In a sense, you and I can feel that we are eavesdropping when we read this Gospel. Luke addresses himself, in the opening paragraph, to someone named Theophilus. We don't know who this was. Some say he was a friendly Roman official who had only a disorganized knowledge of the faith, to whom Luke wanted to give more basic instruction. Others say that this is only a general term to refer to all who "love God" or "are loved by God" -- the two ways the name "Theophilus" is translated. However that may be, we are sure that Luke's Gospel speaks to us and that the purposes which he meant for the unknown Theophilus are being fulfilled in us as well. Luke explains that others have "done their best" to write reports of the things they knew, from eyewitnesses, about the life of Jesus. We don't know how many such books or tracts were available in the first century. With the kind of impact the gospel was making on so many lives, it was natural that anyone who knew anything about Jesus either first- or secondhand -- would want to tell others their version of the story. The best and most significant of these accounts survived, perhaps simply because God meant it to be so. But from the human side we can see a reason, too: no doubt the most beloved books were copied and recopied for sharing. We know as much by the fragments which remain to this day in such relative abundance. But Luke has his own reason for telling the story…. ___________________________ Act As If You Do Love In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity _______________ The Pearl of Great Price I remember the story of Theophane the Monk. He was traveling along a path one day and ran into a young man. He asked the young man where he was going. The young man replied, "I am looking for the pearl of great price." Theophane said calmly, "Well, look no more. I have it." Theophane produced the pearl of great price. The young man was in pure delight to see and find what he was looking for. Then Theophane said, "Here, take it." And he gave the young man the pearl of great price. The young man was delighted and danced for awhile and then sat under a tree to contemplate. "The pearl of great price! I have it! But is it better to have it or to have the ability to give it away like Theophane the Monk? How long will this question rob me of my joy?" God calls us to live on the edge, not with ancient word recited and unlived, but with a living word to be given away in us and recited in the rituals of daily life. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World, CSS Publishing Company _________________ ___________________________________________ Turning Everything Upside Down Jesus' message is for us, too. His plan of ministry is our plan of ministry. If we truly seek to be Christ like, we must try to do as he did, live as he lived, spread the good news in the way that he called us to share the good news. And we do try. We seek to do all the things listed by Isaiah that Jesus shares here. But, I must admit my own guilt - my ministry is more comfortable than challenging. Sure, you are a challenging bunch of people - Yes, I'm still in the midst of my first year of ministry here. Sure, we've faced grief and loss as a congregation. Yes, I'm busy with meetings left and right. But when, I must ask myself, was the last time I brought the good news to the poor? Perhaps only through a can dropped off for Salvation Army collections. Is that what Jesus is getting at? I can't say yes without kidding you and myself. When was the last time I proclaimed release to the captives? When did I help the blind to see? Have I freed those who are oppressed? Who is oppressed today? At best, I have tried to proclaim the year of God's favor - but how can I convince people of God's favor when they are poor, captive, blind, and oppressed? Jesus says he comes to turn everything upside down, and confuse everyone's expectations of how things are supposed to be. Those who are captive find release, even when we still seek to hold them guilty. Those who are oppressed are freed, even when it means we must give up our role too often as oppressors. Those who are poor receive God's good news, even when it means we must share from our abundance, even when we want the good news all for ourselves. Jesus challenges us to a radical ministry that defies the normal order. Can we do it? Beth Quick, The Mission, the Vision ___________________________ Turning Everything Upside Down Jesus' message is for us, too. His plan of ministry is our plan of ministry. If we truly seek to be Christ like, we must try to do as he did, live as he lived, spread the good news in the way that he called us to share the good news. And we do try. We seek to do all the things listed by Isaiah that Jesus shares here. But, I must admit my own guilt - my ministry is more comfortable than challenging. Sure, you are a challenging bunch of people - Yes, I'm still in the midst of my first year of ministry here. Sure, we've faced grief and loss as a congregation. Yes, I'm busy with meetings left and right. But when, I must ask myself, was the last time I brought the good news to the poor? Perhaps only through a can dropped off for Salvation Army collections. Is that what Jesus is getting at? I can't say yes without kidding you and myself. When was the last time I proclaimed release to the captives? When did I help the blind to see? Have I freed those who are oppressed? Who is oppressed today? At best, I have tried to proclaim the year of God's favor - but how can I convince people of God's favor when they are poor, captive, blind, and oppressed? Jesus says he comes to turn everything upside down, and confuse everyone's expectations of how things are supposed to be. Those who are captive find release, even when we still seek to hold them guilty. Those who are oppressed are freed, even when it means we must give up our role too often as oppressors. Those who are poor receive God's good news, even when it means we must share from our abundance, even when we want the good news all for ourselves. Jesus challenges us to a radical ministry that defies the normal order. Can we do it? Beth Quick, The Mission, the Vision ___________________________

Grace, Salvation, Hope

December 24, 2024 Christmas Eve Year C Titus 2:11-14 Grace, Salvation, Hope Prelude Christmas Greeting Lighting of the Christ Candle Reader One: Beloved, today we welcome the Christ Child, the fulfillment of our joy, as we proclaim with the prophet Isaiah, “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Congregation: Christ our joy has come near. Emmanuel, God with us, has come to dwell with us as a tiny baby. “His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7). Reader Two: We light this candle as a sign of Christ coming to dwell with us, to live in the neighborhood of vulnerable humanity as a vulnerable child. May the light of Christ warm our hearts and light our way as we share the joy of God’s salvation wherever we go. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Light the center candle of the Advent wreath Words to Gather us Together A child has been born for us, whose name is called: Wonderful Counselor— Good Shepherd, Deliverer, Lamb of God, The Word; Mighty God— First and Last, Author of Life, Morning Star, The Light; Everlasting Father— Bread of Life, Resurrection and Life, Light of the World, The Vine; Prince of Peace— Chief Cornerstone, Lord of lords, King of kings, The Way. He is Immanuel. God with us! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Opening Prayer (Titus 2) Grace of God, you have brought salvation to all, by the giving of yourself. In your sacrifice of love, you have redeemed us. May we live lives that glorify you, as we celebrate your birth into this world. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Hymn Sing We Now of Christmas (verses 1-4) UMH 237 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) Hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem UMH 230 A Christmas Message: Grace, Salvation, Hope So we all know that Christmas is gifting time. We all have a whole theology of gifting – a belief system about giving gifts. Some of us spend months planning on just the right gift for the right person, some of us like to shop for gifts at the store, some of us like to make gifts from the heart. Some of us want people to open the gift right in front of them, others want the gift to be a surprise. Gift givng has not always been a part of the celebration of the birth of Christ. As a matter of fact, it is a relatively recent development. Truth is, America has a complicated history with Christmas, going back to the Puritans, who despised it and considered the celebration un-Christian. The concern that Christmas distracted from religious piety continued even after Puritans faded away. In 1827, an Episcopal bishop lamented that the devil had stolen Christmas "and converted it into a day of worldly festivity, shooting, and swearing." Christmas began to gain popularity when it was transformed into a domestic celebration, after the publication of Clement Clarke Moore's Visitfrom St. Nicholas and Thomas Nast's drawings in Harper's Weekly that created the image of a white-bearded Santa who gave gifts to children. The new emphasis lessened religious leaders' worries that the holiday would be given over to drinking and shooting and swearing, but it introduced another concern: commercialism. And, we have been battling that ever since with a notable lackof success and to the great relief of the nation's retailers who do their best business of the year just prior to Christmas. In the midst of our urge to give gifts, it is important for us to remember that the most important gifts don’t come from the store. They come from the heart. The story is told (by author Brian Joseph) about a five-year-old boy who unwrapped his gifts of Christmas morning. His mother let him play with them for a while, and then asked which one he would like to give away to a poorer child who needed a gift. “None of them,” the boy told her. The mother sat down with him and explained that the power of a gift was in its sharing. Helping other people was an important part of the holiday spirit. This was a hard sell, but the boy agreed to share one of his gifts. His mother let him think about it until the next day. This was a hard choice. There was a book, a toy flute, a Popeye book bag, and a toy dump truck with doors that opened. Finally, he chose the flute, and he and his mother took it to the Salvation Army, where they would make sure it got to a child who could use it. “How will they know it is for a child?” the boy asked his mother. She told him he would write a note and tape it to the gift. His note said: “Please be sure to give this to a kid who doesn’t have a lot of toys.” The next year they did the same thing, and then the next. It became a familiar part of their Christmas tradition. Some years, the decision was really hard. The year that he anguished over the gifts, and finally decided to give up a game of checkers, his mother came in later with a piece of cardboard and some bottle caps. They made a new checkers game out of those, and played on that all year. One year, his mother was out of work for part of the year, and there wasn’t much money for gifts. His mother told him that he didn’t have to give a gift away that year. He was excited at first, and then he told his mother that he wanted to give a gift away. He put his new football in the Salvation Army box. When he grew up, he talked to his mother about this tradition, and how it seemed strange that he had to give a gift away, since they were so poor themselves. His mother just looked at him as if he hadn’t learned much over the years. After some years passed, he became a dad himself, and his own son was now five. His son asked him what had been his favorite gift when he was a child. By now, he had learned a few things, but he still struggled to explain to his young son that his best gifts never came in a box. He told his son about the childhood tradition, and his son asked if he still did that. Yes, he said, he had done it every Christmas for over thirty years. The next day, the dad chose a new sweater, wrote a note on the box, and got ready to deliver it. As he was heading out the door, his young son asked if he could come, too. The father waited in the car for his son to get ready, wondering what in the world was taking so long. Finally the little boy came out the door, holding his new playdough set. “Dad,” he asked, “can you help me write a note?” (Found on www.katinkahesselink.net.) Is there a gift you can use this Christmas? Not a coffeemaker, a sweater, or a game, but a deeper gift? Has this past year held some sorrows for you? Are you looking for a gift of peace? Understanding? Some of you lost loved ones this year, and you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through Christmas. Some of you separated from a partner, and are feeling the loss keenly. Some of you faced serious illness. Some of you have health concerns, and are praying for your health to be restored. Some of you have loved ones who won’t be here next Christmas, and you’re savoring their presence this Christmas, in all its bittersweet-ness. For all of those things, God offers us the gift of hope, through the life-changing, world-transforming, soul-lifting gift of Jesus. This is the season of gifts, but our biggest and brightest and best gift is found in a manger, not under a tree or at a store. That is our gift in the birth of Jesus. For that stunning gift, ready to be opened, ready to be given away, thanks be to God. Amen. Usually on Christmas Eve we look at the scripture in Luke about the birth of Jesus, and we focus on the gifts that we bring to Jesus. This year I thought I would shake things up a little bit. I have never preached from the book of Titus. But I thought that it had an important message for us. Titus is more than a birth story, it tells the story of Jesus after his life, death and resurrection. It focuses more on the second coming of Christ, and not the first. Titus talks about the gifts that we receive from Christ, not the gifts that we give. Titus reminds us that God gives us the best gifts of all. God has a way of giving us things that we didn’t realize that we needed, but we are so grateful to have. The gifts that God gives us have a way of affecting every aspect of our lives. The book of Titus is a very short book, but it contains the entire message of the new testament in a few short chapters. Tonight I want to focus on three very special gifts that God gives us through Christ – grace, salvation and hope. Grace is more important to us than the air we breathe. It is God’s grace that allows us to move freely in life, it is god’s grace that makes the burden of life easy to bare, it is god’s grace that allows us to move forward, it is God’s grace that allows us to start afresh each day, it is God’s grace that supports us in our darkest moments. Grace is that gift that you can enjoy, when you didn’t realize that it was available and you didn’t realize that you needed to get through every moment in life. Salvation means more than just Christ saving us from our sins. It means more that us claiming Jesus as our Lord. Salvation is the confidence to live in God’s love in every moment. It is looking for the light in every situation and being willing to follow the light no matter how dark the situation. It is an assurance that God loves and supports you. It is an assurance that God will always be there for you. Salvation is a moment in time, but it is also a lifestyle. It is looking for God in every situation and finding God. Salvation is living in God’s presence and knowing that our lives will never be the same. Just yesterday, I had a pastor who said that he was expecting Christmas to be about celebrations, and parties, and gifts and special services. He was not expecting to hear the news of two friends who died of cancer recently. How do we deal with bad news, just before Christmas. By taking a deep breath, holding still, and knowing that our faith helps us to deal with the situation much better than if we had not faith. That is the gift of salvation. Titus talks about a lot of gifts that Christ’s presence brings us. But the most important – is hope. A young minister graphically described his involvement in an urban studies program which took him to the streets of San Francisco. One day he and several other ministers were instructed to put on worn-out shoes and old clothes and get into the line for free lunch at Saint Anthony’s Dining Rooms. The ministers moved along the line, exchanging nods with those who had to live for real the life the ministers were temporarily sharing. The ministers watched as the homeless people responded to each other, told stories, and scraped leftovers from others’ plates into little plastic bags to have something to eat for supper. Then, as the homeless people faded into the alleys and porticos of the city to return to their status as the lost and lonely, the ministers pulled off their dirty, ragged clothes and rejoined their instructors who had been involved in the same experience. The meaning of the Christmas Event is most sharply defined at this point. We cannot discredit those who change from their identification with the poor and resume their middle-class life. Most of us wouldn’t deign to dress down even one time. Today we celebrate the day of the birth of our Lord. The good news is the fact that our Lord stayed after the birth and will come to us again. So be it. The message of Titus, is that Jesus did not come to be with us just for one night. Jesus is here to stay. Jesus will be with us each and every day of our lives. Jesus is a gift that just keeps going. When we have hope in the Christ to come – we look to the future, and we realize that the best is yet to come. When we have hope, the gift keeps on giving. We have more to look forward to. When we have grace, salvation, and hope – every day is a gift from God. Christmas is a time of gifting others, but it is a time of receiving the wonderful gift of life in Christ. We need the grace of God that has appeared in Jesus, because here’s the deal… • The GIFT that is Jesus is not a gift you receive and put on your shelf. • The GIFT that is Jesus is not a gift you use when you simply feel stuck or on major holidays like Christmas. • The GIFT that is Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving all year, for all the years that have been and are to come. • The GIFT that is Jesus not only saves us but changes us and transforms us. If you could receive the most wonderful gift this Christmas – what would it be? If you could receive a gift that would change the trajectory of your life and what would it be? This year let us focus on the gifts that God gives us, that we use everyday, but sometimes take for granted. Grace, salvation and hope. Even in times when it doesn’t feel like it, there are always there. Titus says that the grace of God appeared to give salvation to all people. Sometimes the greatest gifts of life, just appear to us when we least expect them. Joy sneaks in as you pour a cup of coffee, watching the sunlight hit your favorite tree, your sight and you usher joy away because you are not ready for her. Your house is not as it should be for such a distinguished guest, but joy cares nothing for your messy home, your book balance, or your waistline, you see. Joy is supposed to slither in the cracks of our imperfect life, that is how joy works. (Donna Ashworth). Let grace, salvation and hope slither in with the joy. Let us pray….. Christmas Prayers of the People (See Insert) God of our Salvation, we come to you on this wondrous night to gather in praise, to lift up your name with friend, family, and stranger. In the beginning, your creative work began with a word, and tonight, your creation continues with the Word made flesh. On this holiest of nights, we join the everlasting chorus saying: Glory to God on highest! Great is your name in all the earth! Like Mary, we ponder these things in our hearts, and wonder how you could love us so much as to actually become one of us, one with us. We remember these stories this evening that remind us of your steadfast love, that affirm that you have never, and will never, give up on your children. Thank you for your steadfast presence in our lives! And yet, even on this night on which we celebrate the fulfillment of love, we recognize that there are many who are still waiting for fulfillment: the fulfillment of adequate food and shelter… the fulfillment of peace and the end of violence… the fulfillment of reprieve from the fierce grip of grief… the fulfillment of a restoration of a broken relationship… the fulfillment of a renewing of heart, mind, or body… the fulfillment of healing from a chronic illness… the fulfillment of an end to substance abuse… Giving God, give us the courage to do your work in the world and to share the peace coming to us in the manger this evening. We pray this night especially for those who have traveled to be here… for those who have lost loved ones in the past year… for those who struggle with mental illness… for those who fight alcoholism’s onslaught… for those who will be traveling in the coming days and weeks… for those who work on Christmas: especially medical workers, police, and emergency personnel… for those who cannot make it home for Christmas… hear us we pray, O God, Restore us and make your face to shine that we might be saved. In all that we do and in all that we are, send your Spirit to send us forward with the majesty of this night and to share the grace we find with everyone we encounter. Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY Lord’s Prayer Offertory Prayer Glorious God, as the shepherds rejoiced at the angel's news, we too bring our offerings with joy. Bless these gifts, that they may spread your good news of great joy to all people. Use them to bring peace, justice, and hope to our community and beyond. In this season of Advent, may our giving reflect the light of Christ, and may we be your instruments of love and generosity. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. (Luke 2:1-14) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Communion This text is used by the pastor while the congregation uses A Service of Word and Table II (UMH 13–15) or III (UMH 15–16) or one of the musical settings (UMH 17–25). The pastor stands behind the Lord's table. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty (almighty God), creator of heaven and earth. You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets. In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The pastor may lower hands. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor may raise hands. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected. As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread. As your Word became flesh, born of woman, on that night long ago, so, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." The pastor may raise hands. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The pastor may raise hands. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God ), now and for ever. Amen. Passing the Light “Silent Night, Holy Night UMH 239 Benediction (Isaiah 9, Titus 2) In darkness we arrived. In light we now leave. Though once we stumbled, we now walk with confidence. Rise up and go, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. May the light of Christ lead us forevermore. The Story continues………. Illustrations: To paraphrase one of William Barclay's memorable sayings, when we see Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, or forgiving the reprobate, we cannot help but think to ourselves, "So this is what God is like." The epistle to Titus reminds him, and us, that the Christ has promised to stay always. The grace of God that first appeared in Bethlehem continues to “teach us” as we wait for the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (vv. 12-13). The grace appears in the nativity of our Lord. It stays with us as a teacher. It will return to us in glory. On the night of the performance the school auditorium was filled with family, friends, and other well-wishers who looked forward to the annual Christmas play. As the curtain was drawn back from the stage the audience initially beheld Joseph leading a donkey across the stage, with Mary astride. The narrator told the story of how Caesar Augustus had ordered a census of the whole world, and it was necessary for Joseph to travel with Mary, his pregnant wife, to Bethlehem to register. Upon their arrival the couple looked for a place to stay but could find no room in the local inn. As the play continued, Caitlin’s parents wondered where their daughter was. Based on what she had said, they were sure that she would have the role of Mary or one of the shepherds, but so far she had not been present on stage. Then the narrator spoke of the birth of Jesus and with this a brilliant star arose over the stable to mark the spot of Jesus’ birth. Caitlin was carrying the star above her head. Wherever Mary went with Jesus in her arms, Caitlin followed behind; the star never left Jesus. When the play concluded all in attendance and the participants gathered in the cafeteria for a celebration of cookies, cake, and beverages. Caitlin asked her parents, “Did you enjoy the play?” Her parents responded, “We loved it; it was great!” Her father continued, “Caitlin you told us that you had one of the leading roles but we noticed that you carried the star. We thought you might be Mary or possibly one of the shepherds or magi.” Caitlin responded, “I had the most important role. It was my task as the star to lead others to Jesus. There could not be any more important task and privilege in the entire world.” "The grace of God has appeared ... training us ... to await our blessed hope." Tonight we Pause. Waiting, listening for the sound of the One who is coming; who bridges heaven and earth and reclaims us. Is he coming -- as he said he would? Will he join us in our Christmas Pause? Will we see his footprints or those of another? "Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded...." The grace of God has appeared and trained us ... to await our blessed hope, to await the One who gave himself for us to redeem us -- to return to us our worth. Christmas Pause. All I want for Christmas this year is grace — just grace. The story of Christmas is, after all, at its heart, a story of grace. The coming of Jesus Christ into our world is the affirmation of God's unmerited favor to us. Look again at that little New Testament "postcard" (it's hardly long enough to be called something as high falutin as an "epistle") to Titus: "For the grace of God that brings salvation ... Jesus ... has appeared to all..." (Titus 2:11). Grace — the essence of Christmas. Grace — that is what I want for Christmas this year ... grace. You, too? I want to be a grace-giver, too, because I know that will begin to make this world more the place that the gracious God who sent us Jesus wants it to be. Oh, and Merry Christmas. It does feel good to say it. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, by David E. Leininger That is really important. It answers that most basic question that every person asks. From the moment we are born, we begin to look out at the world that surrounds us and ask, "What is all of that out there? What is it all about? How does it relate to me? And, how should I relate to it?" The answer we come up with to that basic question will do more than anything else to determine the shape of our lives. And the answer is not always easy to guess. The world around us gives mixed signals. People come up with lots of different answers. As a result, people live lots of different kinds of lives. But Christians believe that, in the coming of Jesus, that greater reality which is present in all of the little realities that bump up against us, did something special to make us able to know that God loves us, and that God loves everybody, and that life is a good gift given to us by God. Think about the love of the ones who love you most. Then, think about a love even bigger than that coming from the one who gives you life and comes to meet you in every new day of life. That is grace. Learn to believe that and to live as if it is true and that belief will make a big difference in your life. That is why the text goes on to say, "Grace has appeared, bringing salvation." Salvation means a lot more than many people think it means. It means more than having your guilt atoned for so that you can go to heaven after you die, wonderful as that is. It also means being set free from the power of fear and greed and hate and indifference and all of the other things that can mess up our lives and generate all of that guilt. It means being liberated for a life of freedom and purpose and love. If you learn to live trusting God's love, God will enable you to live in love. That interaction will become a lifelong process of having your life shaped and fulfilled by God. It is a very complex process because it works itself out differently in the life of every person. But it is also a very simple process because it is always a working out of the impact of God's love on your life. Think of a message that brought you the news of a new possibility that changed your life, a college scholarship, a new job, acceptance of a marriage proposal. Then think of another new possibility many times better than any of these. That is salvation. The text goes on, "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all." - "For all!" God loves everybody just like God loves you and God wants fullness of life for everybody just as God wants fullness of life for you. As you grow in love and learn to love as God loves, you will learn to love others as you love yourself and to want fullness of life for all others just as you want it for yourself. That love will be a part of what shapes your life. It will generate in you a commitment to justice and well-being for all people and it will also generate in you a compulsion to share with others the good news that is shaping your life, the good news that the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all. Think of the thing that stirs up the greatest commitment within you, love for your country, love for your family, love for life. Christ hopes to stir up in you just that kind of commitment to the salvation of the world. That will indeed reshape our lives. "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly...." Yes. God works in our lives to make us into the very best people we can be. That is part of the process of the salvation that Jesus came to bring into our lives. The apostle links the living of "sober, upright, and godly lives" to "awaiting our blessed hope, the epiphany of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." If life is to have purpose, we must have a vision of the final goal. Once a Sunday school teacher tried to explain to her class how they should play the game of life. One puzzled child asked, "How can we play the game when we don’t know where the goal posts are?" In the light of epiphany we know where the goal posts are. We know that the future belongs to Christ, that his ultimate triumph is certain, and that we share in that triumph. Thus the light of epiphany transfigures even the night of death. When our pilgrimage on earth is over and we must step into the shadows "black as the night from pole to pole," they are shadows of good things to come, the unsearchable riches that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man has imagined. Then we shall know in its full glory the life that is clear and clean and good. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Good News For All Seasons, by T. A. Kantonen First make the tree good, says our Lord, and then the fruit will be good. To be put right with God through his own saving action means that the tree is made good. The relationship with God, broken by sin, has been restored. That little branch of humanity, your life, has been grafted into God’s life so that the power of his Spirit can flow into it to produce fruit that pleases God. Our own determination to turn over a new leaf is never enough. A businessman may find, upon taking inventory, that he is bankrupt. But he cannot simply say, "Let bygones be bygones, from now on I shall do better." The creditors too have something to say. The mistakes and failures of the past must be rectified. The "good news" of the gospel is that God has done just that for us. He has wiped the slate clean. We have hope for the future because the sins of the past are forgiven. We have a genuinely fresh start and power for a genuinely new life. Thus our Lord says, "Go and sin no more," only after he has said, "Your sins are forgiven." First the Gabe, as the Germans express it, then the Aufgabe, first the gift of forgiveness, then the task of living the good life. A television commercial advertising a soft drink says, "Sprite is what you want the world to be - clear and clean and good." Whether or not Sprite deserves such praise, certainly that is what we want the world - and our own lives - to be, clear and clean and good. And it is precisely in these terms that the apostle describes what the coming of Christ means to us. The apostle uses the word epiphaneia, the original for our word epiphany, to describe both the first and the second coming of Christ. He tells us, "the grace of God has made its epiphany for the salvation of all men," and now we are "awaiting our blessed hope, the epiphany of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Epiphany means appearance, becoming visible, the coming into view of what was hidden. Thus when Luke portrays a storm on the Mediterranean Sea and an impending shipwreck, he says that the ship was driven by a strong wind and "neither sun nor stars made an epiphany for many a day" (Acts 27:20). But throughout scripture, both the Old Testament and the New, the appearance of light is used as a symbol for the coming of the Messiah. In the word of prophecy, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord will be seen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1-2). When the New Testament announces the fulfillment of the prophecy, it likens the coming of the Messiah to the glory of daybreak, "the dayspring from on high has visited us to give light (literally, to make an epiphany) to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Luke 1:78-79). The epiphany of Christ makes life clear and clean and good. We cannot live normal lives in darkness. Admiral Peary, the discoverer of the North Pole, said that the greatest obstacle in his Arctic exploration was not the cold but the darkness. The continual absence of sunlight depressed the spirits of the explorers. We have some experience of that. An extended period of overcast days begins to get on our nerves. We wonder how long a person can stay in complete darkness without losing his sanity. Primitive men feared darkness, for they imagined that the ghosts of the dead prowl about at night and vampires lurk to suck their blood while they were asleep. We have not outgrown this dread of the dark. Our fears and anxieties beset us in the stillness of the night. Anyone who has tossed sleepless through the night knows what the Psalmist had in mind when he prayed, "My soul waits for thee as those who watch for the morning." And he can appreciate the prophetic description of the coming of the Messiah, "The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." All of us have received presents that made us wonder why we got them. Like the present I got from my mom 15 years ago: an extension cord and a very large pair of women’s underwear. That was a little confusing. Five years ago my dad gave us a rice-cooker. No confusion there—we were expected to use it whenever he came for dinner. Not every gift comes with a “why?” But some do. When a young man asks his girlfriend’s parents to coffee? There’s a why. When you receive an abrupt text that reads, “You’re welcome!” you’ve received a gift that came with a why. And if a gift comes with a why, you better know it.

Looking to the Stars

January 5, 2025 Isaiah 60:1-6 Year C Looking to the Stars Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Children of God, we enter the new year as we ended the last: gathered together for worship! We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The prophet Isaiah calls to us from deep in the past: “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The magi followed a star to find a small child who is the Light of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. So, let us receive the call of Isaiah and follow the example of the magi as we begin this new year turning our faces to God whose glory shows up among us as a vulnerable child, a poor carpenter, and a foot-washing servant who is the salvation of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light today and every day. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Opening Prayer With joy, Loving God, we tune our hearts and minds to praise, for you have carried us through the past year, and now open to us the whole of 2025. You bring light into the world. You bless us and our children. You fill us with food and rejoice in all who hope in your steadfast love. Accept our joyful offering of thanksgiving! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song We Three Kings UMH254 A Sermon for all Ages How many of you are afraid of the dark? (Let them answer.) Are you afraid to sleep with the light off? Don’t be embarrassed to admit it! It will be our little secret, just between you and me. What is it that scares you about the dark? (Let them answer.) Maybe it’s the way an ordinary thing in your room like a basketball hoop or a lamp or a large doll can look like a scary monster in the shadows of your vivid imaginations. Maybe it’s the way you lie in the dark and think about something scary you saw on television or in a movie. Maybe it’s the way your house or apartment is quiet when it is dark, which means that you can hear every little noise at night. Maybe you just don’t feel safe because you can’t see, and that is what makes the dark so scary. Well, most people stop being afraid of the dark as they get older, but there is another kind of darkness which scares even grown-ups. I am talking about moral darkness, the darkness of wrong and evil. There is a lot of that darkness in the world, and it is scary because it keeps us from God. Young and old alike, we all must struggle to know and do what is right, to see and follow the light of good amid the darkness of what is bad. Today we celebrate Epiphany and talk about how the light of God appeared in the world when Christ was born and made known to the world. The three wise men who visited the baby Jesus were among the first to see this light, but people had talked about it many centuries before. In fact, an ancient Hebrew prophet named Isaiah had written, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Elsewhere, he had written, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined" (9:2). For all people who were lost in darkness and couldn’t find their way to God, Jesus has come to be their light and show us the way. When you wake up from a bad dream in the middle of the night, think of how happy you are when your mother comes into your room and turns on the light. Then, after you have calmed down, she leaves the light on, and you aren’t scared any more. That’s sort of how we all feel now that Jesus is in the world. The light of goodness and salvation has been turned on in our souls, and we who were walking in darkness have seen the light. We aren’t scared anymore. Whenever you are tempted to do or say something you know is wrong, you are getting ready to enter this moral darkness I am talking about. It isn’t a darkness you can see, like the night is dark; instead, it is a darkness inside which tries to take you away from God. But now we have Jesus Christ to be our light. Whenever we wonder what is the right or wrong thing to do, we have the example of Jesus to show us the right. Learn the stories of His life. Learn the stories He told and the lessons He taught; talk to your parents about Him. The thick darkness which has covered the peoples no longer is quite so thick or scary, because now that Jesus Christ is in the world, we see that our light has come. Amen. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., More Urgent Season, A, by Erskine White Boys and girls, I have a globe with me. What is a globe? That's right. It's a small representation of our earth. Suppose I shine this flashlight on the globe. What would the flashlight represent? That's right. The sun. Throughout history, when people have talked about the world having problems, they have referred to it as a dark world. The Bible calls it that. But the Bible also says that there is light for this dark world. It is a light that came from outside this world, not from inside. It is the light of God's love which shines through Jesus Christ. When all the world lets the light of Jesus shine in, then the darkness of all the problems of hate, war, etc., will disappear. What happens to darkness when you turn on a light? That's right, the darkness disappears. As we start this New Year, let's give thanks for Jesus who is the Light of the World. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Affirmation of Faith “In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all.” (Presbyterian Outlook, Inclusive Language Text of the Confession of 1967) John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer UMH 607 Scripture Isaiah 60:1-6 Sermon Looking to the Stars When we are in need, where does we look for help? Where does our help come from. The bible encourages us to look up look up to the hills, to look up to the sky – because our help comes from God. In times of need, if we look up – we will find God in some of the strangest places. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. The epiphany season is our reminder to look up to look up all the way to the stars for God. Last night as I was looking up at the sky – all four visible planets were out in plain view – this must be a special time indeed. In times of darkness, the first thing we do is look for the light. What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! It is interesting that every culture has some type of light festival. The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. We are reminded that christ is our light that has been sent into the world. God sent Christ, to remind us that God has not forgotten about us and will always send us some type of light. Our scripture reminds us to look up and to look for the light. If you go back to chapter 59 – it is about the darkness in the world. It reminds us that sometimes the world can seem to be a dark place, because of our sin. We can become mired into a life of sin. We forget that we are God’s people. The first words of chapter 60 – are Arise and shine for your light has come. A woman is lying face down on the floor – and God tells her to arise and look up. Even in the darkness, the light has come – sometimes we just don’t see it. I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Where does our help come from – our help comes from God, sometimes we are just not connected to the source. The power is not inside of us – it is inside of God. The prophet instructs us to arise and shine. Sort of like the command ready, aim fire. We don’t just fire. Before we fire, we have to prepare ourselves, we have to make a plan, then we take action. The command for us is to arise then shine. In other words, first we pray, then we look up, then we shine – we let our actions and life be a reflection of God’s actions. It may be dark outside, today is a pretty gloomy day – but God is here – we just have to look and find God. We can find the light all around us – even in the people around us. Light festivals are common for people to look for the light. Light is an important part of our faith – light is a part of Christmas and Easter. Christ is the light in the midst of the darkness. The most moving part of Christmas Eve is the candlelighting, where we turn off the lights, lights candles and stand together in community. Today is not so dramatic, but it is touching none the less. Today we will gather as a community, to celebrate communion. Each person here is a candle lit by God. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. Christ is the light that calls us all together. Christ is the light of the world – a light that all can see. A light that touches us all. A light that brings us all together, and scatters us all. How will you spread the light of christ this year? 2025 – is a good year to be alive, in the holy spirit. This year may you see the light, find the miracles of God in the strangest of places and marvel at the difference the light makes. Arise, Shine, your light has come. Let us pray……. Song Star Child TFWS 2095 Prayer for Times of Change (At the Threshold) God is creating new paths and possibilities, as we prepare for where we are going. Christ is freeing us with newfound love and grace, as we learn from where we have been. The Spirit is revealing new dreams to guide us, as we start our journey home on a new path. We take courage in the assurance that God goes with us; we affirm our call to go where Christ leads; and we trust the Spirit to guide us through the challenging space between, where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Surely, we are not alone. Thanks be to God.—adapted from Prayer for Times of Change, The United Church of Canada Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment After all the flurry of gift-giving and gift-receiving throughout the month of December and the many appeals for “end of year giving”, on this first Sunday of a new year, do you feel exhausted by the requests for support? If so, I invite you to bring to mind both the story of the magi who travelled miles to bring gifts to Jesus, and the text in Ephesians 1, which lifts up the ways in which God has destined us for adoption as his children. Because of Jesus Christ, we’ve been given an inheritance! Because we’re claimed by God as God’s own beloved children, we have already received the promised Holy Spirit as a promise of the full inheritance we are to receive. When we stop to realize what God gives us: not only Jesus as our Lord, life-leader, and teacher, and the Holy Spirit to inspire us day by day, but adoption as God’s own beloved ones (!) our response becomes profound gratitude! Let’s begin 2025 with a recognition of being claimed and named by God, which prompts us to generosity. With delight, let’s start this new year with a financial gift of support for this congregation and for the ministries we share every year, including (name one or two ___________________). You can make your gift (list the ways people can give). Prayer of Thanksgiving As adopted children of every age, we offer you our thanks, Holy God. You’ve claimed us, named us, and called us into relationship with you. Thank you! Now we ask you to accept these gifts of gratitude, multiply them for service, and help us use them to strengthen your Realm here on earth. AMEN Star Words New Year’s Communion Christ invites to this table all who are ready to move beyond the limitations of the past, all who are eager to move into the “new thing” that God is doing in our midst, all who are willing to let go of the pain that’s gone. [sung by all] This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that’s gone… And so this is an open invitation to come and receive the bread that will sustain us as we embark on this new calendar year. All are invited to receive the sweetness of the cup as a sign of God’s promise of abundant possibilities. All are invited to this meal, for all are forgiven their past regrets and invited into God’s grace-filled future! Praise to the Living God! The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts in this new day. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. Presider: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Creator and Renewer of all life. Time and again you seek us out, breathing again the breath of life into the deflated places our lives. And so, we come to your table again to praise you and taste yet again what your steadfast love can do… Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, fed the hungry and ate with those others considered unworthy. Through him, faith and hope were born again for so many… On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks for you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And so, as we remember these words and acts of Jesus, we offer our own lives, leaving behind what we do not need, seeking new paths full of risen life in you. As followers of Christ, we proclaim and live out this holy mystery: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, so that we may be for the world the body of Christ, breaking ourselves open to your future. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever! Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Children of God, go forth into the world and join God’s work. May the God of all times and places continue to guide you here and now; may the Holy Spirit that swept over the waters of creation continue to give you strength; and may the light of Christ, through who all things came into being, continue to shine through each of you until we are all gathered together again. Go in peace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tommy Carrico) Community Time – Joys and concerns Benediction Beloved, go from this place carrying the blessing of the Light who has come among so that the love of the Christ child may shine within you, casting rays of good news wherever you go. Amen. Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Additional Illustrations I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Thomas H. Troeger once said this: "To undomesticate God, to see God in places where we are convinced God would never be, is to be able to hope and believe again." Isaiah saw into the future when it would dawn on the nations how great was the God of the Hebrews. And when it dawned on them, they would not keep themselves from pouring out their praise and presents in adoration and worship. The wise men knew that this was the King of kings when Jesus was born, and they could not but search for him, crossing a dangerous desert to find him and worship him. It dawned on them, and they responded. Has it dawned on us yet? Dr. Leonard Sweet, president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, mentions in his book Quantum Spirituality something that sports journalist George Plimpton had written. Mr. Plimpton had written about a "mysterious component" in an athlete's life. He said that when this component is added to an athlete's natural ability, it gives a player "a kind of boost, like an afterburner kicking in, a psychic energy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts." He called it the "X Factor" and called it a combination of "adrenaline, intelligence, confidence, concentration, and discipline." The "X Factor." Dr. Sweet then went on himself to say this:For Christians the difference between an ordinary community and an extraordinary, life-producing organism is one word: Christ. Christ is the "X Factor," the "Inner Power" that transforms an assemblage of individuals into a synergic [sic] community of healing and love. (From Quantum Spirituality, p. 137) A synergetic community of healing and love is one in which everyone is working together cooperatively with God and with one another. This happens through the Spirit of Christ revealed to us by our loving God. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. Darkness is never easily dispelled. The Israelites could have said, "We've heard that before!" At another place and another time they had heard: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them has light shined" (Isaiah 9:2). That promise seemed like a quick fix before the darkness returned; and we know the feeling. We have heard these promises at Advent and Christmas, year after year. Does anything really change? We must ask, have we ever really listened to the promises? It says you must "lift up your eyes and look around" (v. 4a) All the light in the world is no help if you don't lift up your eyes and take a look around. It is a matter of vision, of discernment. What Isaiah saw was a glorious restoration for Jerusalem, a great homecoming for the Jews, a great ingathering of the Gentiles. But the reality did not always seem to match the promise. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). In Isaiah's view, God's good rule has been made flesh in the weakest of human creation, a baby. It is his birth and his Kingdom we celebrate on this eve of Christmas. The story is told of an aspiring young author who was given the opportunity to read a fiction story he had written before a famous author. The plot of the young aspiring writer's story involved the only son of a poor widow who lived in a little cabin in Pennsylvania. The story went something like this: One day the son decided to go to New York to make his way in life. As he got ready to leave, his mother hugged him and said to him: "Son, if you ever get into trouble, come home, and as you come over the hill, look toward home. You will always find a light burning in the window, and I will be waiting to welcome you." The young writer described what happened to the young man with words that produced images of the dark side of humanity. The young man went to prison, and upon his release decided to head home. The boy hitchhiked his way back to Pennsylvania. As he climbed the final hill and started toward home, he saw the outline of a small cottage in the distance. He was filled with hope. But something was wrong, there was no light burning in the window! At this point, the renowned author jumped to his feet and shouted at the aspiring author, "You young upstart! Put that light back."1 The "light" which Isaiah wrote about has not and will not ever go out. For it is the light of God's glory, revealed in Jesus Christ. It is this "light" that we celebrate tonight! He is Isaiah's first light and our "Everlasting Light." Amen! What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. In today's lesson Isaiah pictures Jerusalem (Zion) as a woman prostrate on the ground at the beginning of the New Year covenant renewal celebration. Zion is bidden to rise and see what the Lord is doing and will do in her midst. Perhaps this is the Lord's word for us as well. Arise, wake up from the nightmares in the world around us. The demons in our own darkness will not prevail. With the Magi from the East, look for the brilliant star. "Lift up your eyes and see" (v. 4). Let the true Light overcome our midnight anxiety. But, we have to look up for the Light. We can't discover the Light by hiding beneath the covers of self-protection and fear. The Magi looked up, saw the light, and followed it to a manger, the birthplace of a king. It wasn't an easy journey. They faced all the hazards of a long journey across the wilderness. They faced the evil of treacherous King Herod. Yet they persisted, in faith, proceeding onward, following wherever the light might lead them. This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. It is like a children’s story that author James Thurber once wrote titled, “The White Deer.” “The White Deer” is about a beautiful princess who had been transformed by a witch into a white deer. A king named King Clode and his three sons (Thag and Gallow, the hunters, and Jorn, the poet) are out hunting game and they come upon this white deer and they raise their bows to slay it. Just before they shoot, however, the deer is changed back into the princess. King Clode and his sons take this beautiful princess home with them but she is unable to remember anything about her past including who she is. It is finally discovered that the only thing that will cause the princess to regain her memory is the unconditional love of a young man. In order to determine who this young man will be--Thag, Gallow and Jorn are each given perilous tasks to perform. It is Jorn the poet who ultimately wins the princess’ hand. He gives her the kind of love that allows her to remember where she came from and who she is. (3) My friends, is this not what God has called us to do for a fallen world? By His grace we are to show the world the unfailing love of God at work in our lives so that the world may truly see where it came from and why it exists. All people are God’s children. God is no respecter of persons. God, however, does select individual persons and groups of persons for particular tasks. That does not mean that God loves us more than He loves anyone else. It means simply that we are fortunate enough to be participants in the greatest adventure in this world. Our calling is to show the world the love of Jesus Christ in such a way that persons are drawn to him and find light for their lives. Professor Harold DeWolf, in his book The Religious Revolt Against Reason, tells of an experience he had as a young man. He went swimming at midnight one night with a friend in the Atlantic Ocean at Massachusetts Bay. He said the water was full of phosphorescent light. Every dip of his hand in the water produced something like “a circle of flashing gems and every breaker looked like a cascade of fireworks.” To ride the waves they went out some distance from the shore. Then turning toward land DeWolf was gripped by a strange fear. The lights from the shore no longer shone. So he looked up to the sky to get his bearings. But the sky was like the water--full of the spectacular confusion of the northern lights. “No star was visible. Then panic overtook him, for in all that glittering display there was no fixed reality. He could not tell the way to shore. He started back with a helpless terror engulfing him.” (4) He learned that, with no fixed star to guide him, it was almost impossible to chart out his course. Thank God we have a star to follow. It is the same star that guided the magi long ago. It is the light of Christ. Christ, who is a dependable guide, whose love never fails. Perhaps you’ve heard of the passenger sitting relaxed on an airplane. A man appeared with a parachute. The man asked the passenger, “Would you like to join me?” “No, thank you,” said the passenger, “I’m very happy where I am.” The reply came back from the man with the parachute, “Do as you like, but I should tell you, I’m the pilot.” I don’t know about you, but if I saw a man on a plane carrying a parachute who invited me to go with him who turned out to be the pilot, I believe I would take that as a sign that I need to move. In 1992 California educator Dr. Norvel Young took his family to the Olympics in Spain. It was exciting for them to see the best athletes from the nations of the world compete in gymnastics, diving, water polo, and track and field. Most of all, Dr. Young was thrilled to see the love and goodwill exhibited between outstanding representatives of the many nations. It's a small world after all, says Dr. Young, and the Olympics are an example of goodwill and hard work. As they entered the stadium for the closing ceremonies, Dr. Young and his family were given a packet of items, including a flashlight. After a thrilling program, including the best of Spain in every area, such as music by Placido Domingo, all the lights were extinguished. A hush moved over the vast audience; then a shout of "Ah!" The entire stadium was lighted as thousands of spectators turned on their individual flashlights. From darkness to light not because one person flipped a switch on some giant stadium floodlights, but because each member of the audience did their part by turning on their tiny, individual lights. It was a poignant and powerful moment one Dr. Young says he will never forget. He compares it to Neil Diamond concerts he has attended, when Diamond begins to sing in his gravelly voice, "Turn on your heart lights." And one by one, people in the audience turn on different kinds of small lights whatever they have with them flashlights, candles, lighters. By the end of the song, the darkness in the auditorium has been dispelled, and light is glowing warmly everywhere. (4) And that is our purpose in the new year. As Jesus said to us, "No one lights a candle and puts in under a bushel, but on a lampstand . . ." (Matthew 5:15) We are to move boldly into this new year, because the light of Christ floods our hearts, giving us hope and wholeness. And then we are to shine our light so that others may know that the light of Christ still shines into our world. The darkness has not overcome it. A student was crossing the campus of a college on a cold, rainy day, raining cats and dogs. He saw the college president walking across the campus. The student asked the president what he was doing out so early on a rainy Sunday morning. The president said, "I'm going to church." The student asked, "What made you decide to go to a church on a day like this?" The president said, "I didn't decide to go to church today. I made the decision many years ago." What discipline means is that you will do those things that you should do even if you don't feel like doing them. People say you ought to be honest about your feelings. I believe that. Your feelings are a part of you, and you ought to take your feelings seriously. But there is more to you than your feelings. There are also your hopes, your aspirations, your dreams, your visions, your responsibilities and your obligations, and there is now, because of the gospel proclaimed to you, a new life that is being offered to you. That is a part of your life, too. You ought to be as honest about those things as you are about your feelings. It is like John Wesley, who went to Peter Bohler and complained he couldn't preach grace because he said he had never experienced it. Bohler told him, "Preach it until you do experience it." There's a story about a man who had experienced a seven-year series of setbacks in business and in his love life. Every decision that he made, every relationship that he had, seemed to end in failure. One evening as he was walking home he saw a bright spotlight on the porch of a previously abandoned home. As he approached the house, he noticed that the light was illuminating a sign advertising the presence of a fortune-teller. "Fantastic futures forecast inside," he read. So, thinking that nothing else seemed to offer any hope, he walked through the door. The fortune-teller placed her hands on the crystal ball on the table between them. As she did so, a frown spread across her face as she predicted, "The next seven years will be just like the past seven ... filled with despair, unhappiness, and disappointment." "Oh, no," said the young man. Still clinging to a tiny spark of hope, he asked timidly, "Then what?" "You'll get used to it," responded the fortune-teller. Her porch light was on, all right! But there was no hope in that home. Isaiah's message, God's Epiphany message, to all God's children, shines brightly tonight. The good news here is that God's true light of everlasting hope has already come into our midst. The light of Christ has arisen upon us. The glory of the Lord has appeared to us and shines upon us this very Epiphany day. This is the light that led the wise men to the Bethlehem manger. This is the light that inspired them to bring gifts of gold and frankincense to God's baby, God's own Son. This is the light that "proclaims the praise of the Lord" to all the world, to you and me (Isaiah 60:6). This is the light that shines from the cross and ascends from the empty tomb. So what? What can we do to overcome the darkness that is descending on our darkening world? Wrong question, folks! The right question — the Epiphany question — is what has God already done, is doing and has promised to continue doing to overcome that darkness? And the answer — God's Epiphany answer — is, "Here is Jesus, my Son, my very self, my forever and promised light of love." So what? So that "you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice" (Isaiah 60:5). So that in and through God's Epiphany light shining above and within you "nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:3). God's light shining above and within is contagious. That light that guides our journey through darkness will gather others along the way.