Remembering John

December 14, 2025 Third Sunday of Advent Matthew 11:2-11 Year A Remembering John Prelude Greetings Lighting the Advent Candle First Reader: In the midst of our waiting and longing for God to make the world right again, we cling to the truth that God has saved, God is saving, and God will save. So today, we join our voices with the prophet Isaiah, who calls us to live in the joy of the truth of God’s salvation. All: We choose to believe that the day is coming when “the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). Second Reader: We light this candle of joy as a sign of the Truth that sets us free to live in joy as we wait and work for the day when all creation will flourish together. Light the third candle (pink) of the Advent wreath. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Call to Worship One: Rejoice! We’re halfway through this season of preparation! Many: Why is that important? One: We’re anticipating the coming of Jesus, celebrating because our lives can model the joy of connection to God’s Beloved, our Redeemer! Many: Isaiah proclaims, “Be strong! Fear not! God will come to save you!” One: As God’s people, we gather, sing, and drink in the gladness. Many: Today, we look for the signs. See how the land, the animals, and all God’s people celebrate God and the Holy Way which is coming! ALL: Let’s sing aloud! (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Beloved, we come now seeking to recognize moments of delight when we feel connected to you. We bring our fragmented hearts filled with good cheer, gentle reverence, and utter amazement; we share our secret hopes, dependable comforts, and cozy moments of advent peace. Rise up within us as we cherish the divinity of all that is good. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maria Mankin) Song Angels From the Realm of Glory UMH 220 A Sermon for all Ages So speaking of God moments when God comes to us in unexpected ways- I found this cool children’s time while doing my sermon research this week. I liked it, but it called for a bag of chocolate coins in foil. I decided that there was no way I would be able to find them by Sunday. But I went to the chamber of commerce Christmas party and what was on the table – lots of gold coins, the nobody wanted to take home. So I took that as my sign. There was a young man name Nicholas, who lived in the land of Myra. He loved Jesus with all of his heart, and he tried to do as much good as he could in life. Unfortunately at that time it was not safe to be a Christian. The emperor outlawed kind acts and put Nicholas in jail. Luckily there was another emperor, Constantine who loved Jesus as much as Nicholas. Not only did Constantine free Nicholas – he made him bishop of Myra. Now that Nicholas was free, he could continue doing good. There were three sisters who wanted to get married, but couldn’t pay the fees. Nicholas provided. When people were starving he have food. When people were poor, he gave money for basic needs. Nicholas sound familiar – Saint Nicholas – we know as Saint Nick. Nicholas is an example that we can follow this time of year. Give money, but doing acts of kindness – volunteering, helping each other, sending notes of love, eye out for ways to help others. Nicholas is our example then so it Jesus. Personal Testimony Scripture Matthew 11:2-11 Sermon Remembering John Think about how many of us have ordered something online and waited eagerly for it to arrive. You track the package. You imagine what it will look like. You expect it to come in a certain box, a certain size. Then it arrives—and at first glance, it looks wrong. The box is smaller than expected. Or dented. Or wrapped differently. For a moment, you wonder: Is this even what I ordered? It is not what you expected, and inevitably, your high expectations turn into disappointment. Well in some ways the bible is just like amazon, or in the olden days like a catalog company. The bible tells us of all of these wonderful stories of how God worked miracles, how people were rescued from danger, the bible even tells of all of these promises of people living in peace, a world where everyone has a chance to live in happiness and experience love. And then you listen to the news and hear of one more mass shooting where someone has been shot, or of elderly people being beaten and robbed in their own houses – and you are disappointing, God is not living up to what God promised. If only one person could come along and fix it – that person would be a savior, a messiah, or maybe even superman. You know, if you read the Hebrew bible, - this messiah is alluded to, but there is no set description of the messiah – because there was no set belief in someone coming to save the world. There were just a bunch of rumors and expectations of what this person would be when they came into the world. – by Jesus day, all of these expectations has grown. People were expecting the messiah to solve all of their problems. Matthew 11:2-11 is all about the expectations of a messiah in a world in desparate need of saving. In the interest of time I want to focus on just two lessons from this story. First, this story gives honor to the ministry of John the Baptist. We hear his story every advent. He was Jesus cousin, born six months before him. When Jesus disappeared from the scene for 30 years, John stayed with his people – gathering them at the water, helping them to take responsibility for their sin and turn their lives to God. Eventually John is imprisoned and killed for telling the truth to power. Only after John is killed does Jesus take over his ministry. In this story – Jesus visits John in prison. And John asks the question on all of our minds – are you the one or should we be looking for someone else. Why are you convinced the Jesus is the one? Imagine a friend coming up to you and asking – how can you be sure that Jesus is the one? What have you seen and felt in your own life that makes you so sure? Advent is our time to really sit down and come up with an answer to that question. Is Jesus the messiah or our we still waiting for someone else? Advent is also a time of expectations. How does one person line up with are expectations? All of us are different and all of us have different needs. And all of us have different expectations of what the messiah should be doing. If Jesus spent his time living up to all of our expectations, then when would he have time to be in ministry? I am just asking a question. Jesus answer to John is an answer to us all – I don’t have to live into expectations, because I am the messiah. My actions and my life speak for itself. – he says the blind see, the deaf hear, the poor are fed, - what more are you expecting. He even says a new beatitude – blessed are those who are not thrown off from their faith because of me. A Place of Dreams There was once a woman who was disappointed, who was disillusioned, who was depressed. She wanted a good world, a peaceful world, and she wanted to be a good person. But the newspaper and television showed her how far we were from such a reality. So she decided to go shopping. She went to the mall and wandered into a new store - where the person behind the counter looked strangely like Jesus. Gathering up her courage she went up to the counter and asked, "Are you Jesus?" "Well, yes, I am," the man answered. "Do you work here?" "Actually," Jesus responded, "I own the store. You are free to wander up and down the aisles, see what it is I sell, and then make a list of what you want. When you are finished, come back here, and we'll see what we can do for you." So, the woman did just that. And what she saw thrilled her. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air. She wrote furiously and finally approached the counter, handing a long list to Jesus. He skimmed the paper, and then smiling at her said, "No problem." Reaching under the counter, he grabbed some packets and laid them out on the counter. Confused, she asked, "What are these?" Jesus replied: "These are seed packets. You see, this is a catalogue store." Surprised the woman blurted out, "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No," Jesus gently responded. "This is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. Then you plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said, deeply disappointed in Jesus. Then she turned around and left the store without buying anything. Adapted by Susan R. Andrews, as told in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, F. and M. Brussat, editors (New York: Scribner, 1996), p. 359. __________________________________ Advent is our time to plant seeds of hope, knowing that God will water them and make them grow. What seeds are you planting? Our expectations point us to the places where God spirit can enter into the world in love. Look. Listen. Where mercy is practiced. Where the broken are restored. Where the poor hear good news. Where love shows up in unexpected places. The kingdom of God is already among us—and still coming. Good News for the Waiting Church Jesus honors John because John stayed faithful to his calling—even in the dark. And Jesus honors us when we keep pointing toward hope, even when answers feel incomplete. Advent reminds us that God often arrives not with fireworks, but with healing hands. Not with force, but with compassion. Not with certainty, but with presence. So rejoice—not because everything is finished, but because God is faithful in the waiting. The One who is coming is the One who has come and the One who is still at work among us. Let us pray…… Song Lo How Ere A Rose is Blooming UMH 216 Prayer God who approaches: you gather the ignored, so you can accomplish the unexpected for a world which no longer cares; with bread broken into pieces, you restore your shattered creation; as you let go of your Child, our emptiness is filled with immeasurable grace. Ever-new, always-scarred Jesus of the forgotten: through you, those whose voices are silenced hear the whispers of angels on hillsides and in shelters; by you, those who are knocked over lead the way into your kingdom; with you, those who wander in shadows are clasped tight in your love. Breath of Advent: you pour the promises of the Word into the shy and silent so they can carol of grace; you stretch out your hand to all in despair’s exile, to place them on the holy way of hope; you gather up the scraps of our scattered fears, to build a new crib for a refugee family. Come, God in Community, Holy in One, come to us, as we pray together saying…. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment The prophet Isaiah uses word pictures to draw us in and fill us with eager anticipation for what is not yet. Isaiah 35 poetically sings, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.” (If you can, show this image.) That’s the expectation of what happens when “the ransomed of the Lord shall return…everlasting joy shall be upon their heads…and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). Sharing our gifts, our tithes and our offerings provides opportunity for us to step into this picture, and join the celebration. Come! Bring your best gifts! Let the joy of the Lord explode in this place! Prayer of Thanksgiving Creator God, Receive these tokens of our praise, given with joyful hearts. Open us to rejoice in the giving and the sharing of this offering. Help us serve you and your beloved world with these gifts and with all we are and all we have. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer God, lead us from this time of prayer and reflection with dancing! Allow the joy within each one of us to shine upon those who suffer. Let our light be magnified by your grace each and every day! Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maria Mankin) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Advent people, go now in the blessing of God’s joy, confident that the day we await is close at hand and ready to cooperate with God in building the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2025. Timing Is Everything I was reading about steamships. It was a wonderful article in which the author said that the dream of a self-propelled ship had been a dream of humankind for hundreds of years. Then one day the time came when it was theoretically possible, but it was still not practically possible. The dream was kept alive for another hundred years or so by inventors and experimenters, some of whom were considered to be eccentric. Later on people looked back and said of them, they were just ahead of their time. Then the times changed. The next person to come along wasRobert Fulton. It was not so much that Fulton invented the steamboat, but that he just happened to be there when the time was right. As the author wrote, "The inventor's eminence may be more a trick of chronology than anything else, due to being active at the very moment when fruition was possible." It's a wonderful statement. It tells you that timing is everything. That's what we learn from the Bible. Look at our lesson for this morning. The disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus, and ask, "Are you the one, or do we look for another?" It is a critical question for John. John has preached that the time has come. The Messiah, he said, is about to appear, so repent, get ready, put your lives in order. He has devoted his whole life to the belief that the time has come. But he is in prison now. He is about to lose his head. So he sends his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one that we have been waiting for, or do we still look for somebody else?" Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ___________________________________ Who Jesus Really Is I don't know where life may be defeating you this Advent. I don't know how Jesus may be disappointing you this Advent. But I would suggest to you this Advent that any disillusionment you feel may not necessarily be a bad thing. For what is disillusionment if not, literally, the loss of an illusion? And, in the long run, it is never a bad thing to lose the lies we have mistaken for the truth. Did Jesus fail to come when you rubbed the lantern? Then perhaps Jesus is not a genie. Did Jesus fail to punish your enemies? Then perhaps Jesus is not a cop. Did Jesus fail to make everything run smoothly? Then perhaps Jesus is not a mechanic. Over and over again, our disappointments draw us deeper and deeper into who Jesus really is ... and what Jesus really does. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com __________________________________________ Only Jesus An anonymous author made this striking comparison: "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men, who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from him. Jesus wrote no poetry but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus composed no music still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth. His unique contribution to humanity is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not accomplish that. Nor art. Nor literature. Nor music. Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin. He alone can speak peace to the human heart, strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead." David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com _____________________________________ Matthew 11:2-11 – Time to Unpack Advent is an intentional season of “preparedness.” We think of Advent as a “journey,” to use Oprah Winfrey’s favorite word. We think of Advent as a progressive path we take in order to arrive at a destination — the sleepy village of Bethlehem. Preparing. Making plans. Charting a way. Scouting and scoping the landscape. Assessing and overcoming obstacles to avoid or override. Sounds like life as usual. Sounds like something we can get our heads and hands and hearts around. Sounds like something we can get down and get done. But wait a minute! Advent is not our journey. We are NOT in charge. Advent is not a journey we make, a journey we prepare for, a road that we navigate. No, Advent is the journey GOD makes. Advent isn’t a trip we prepare to go on. Advent is the time we prepare for God’s trip to us. Advent is the time we ready ourselves to RECEIVE God. The God who, against all reason and for our redemption, is making a journey TOWARDS us. This week’s gospel text reminds us just how long God had been preparing for this journey. Before the baby Jesus was even born, God had arranged for the ideal advance man, the perfect prophet to be conceived and born and nurtured to adulthood. Generations before John the Baptist there were other prophets whom God provided with selected slices of insight, like a freeze-framed GPS map. Moses and Isaiah, Malachi and Daniel: all provided peeks at the pathway God was paving… Pay Better Attention Annie Dillard tells of the pastor whose pulpit prayer included some wonderful petitions for the betterment of life in this world. Then, before signing off, he included these words: "But thou knowest, O God, that we ask for these same things Sunday after Sunday. So we confess to you our discouragement that so little progress is made." Said Annie: "His prayer was so painfully honest that I knew I had finally found a preacher who knows God." Frankly, I do not know why....if God is truly in charge....that things do not go better or happen faster. But when John raised a similar question to Jesus ("If you're the one, tell us what we're missing"), Jesus said: "Look again. Look closer. Pay better attention. Things are happening." Which, apparently, was good enough for John. And, most days, is good enough for me. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ________________________________ When Jesus tells John's people what to look for, it's not big, grandiose stuff. As concerns signs of the kingdom, Jesus points to people who couldn't see much, seeing more...people who couldn't climb out of bed in the morning, playing Ring Around the Rosie in the town square...Previously untouchable lepers kissing their wives and hugging their children....and the poor, hearing a good sermon for a change. And I suppose if you're blind, lame, poor or your skin used to be all scales and scabs, that's big time stuff. But can you build a kingdom on it? Apparently, Jesus thinks you can. He doesn't care whether it's "big time stuff" or not. As concerns the kingdom, it breaks through in little ways. But it breaks through. As if to illustrate his point, he talks about a seed that nobody can see growing. But it's in there. I mean, it's already in there. You aren't going to see it come to maturity all at once. In the version we sang last Sunday: "First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn shall appear." No, you may not see it. But neither are you going to be able to stop it. It's like that dandelion that finds a crack in the asphalt. Or creates a crack in the asphalt. Not only does it have presence, but there is an inevitability to its appearance. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com

What are you Waiting for?

December 11, 2016 Third Sunday of Advent What are you waiting for? Matthew 11:2-11 I was hoping to take this week and next week off, but then I realized that if I didn’t preach today, then I would miss my only time this year to wear my pink dress. So here I am. And as you know we are having a little problem with the heat, so make point and move on, so that we don’t have to be here too long in the cold. And today to the point is that we are here to celebrate joy. The four lessons of advent are hope, peace, joy and love. Today we remember joy. I don’t know about you, but I am having a little trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. The commercials are going full blast, and everyone has their lights up, and the Christmas trees are up, but for some reason, I am just not feeling it. I guess the good news is that joy and Christmas spirit are two different things. When we sing Joy to the world – that is not an invitation to have fun at a party, it is a call to new life. A life that only comes from Christ. Joy only comes when you have been in the midst of your darkest hour, and you realize that things are getting better, not because anything that you did, but because of God’s grace. We lite the pink candle today – to symbolize that we can see the lite at the end of the tunnel, we have been dark for two Sundays,andtoday weget a little bit lighter. But then next Sunday – we are back where we started from in the darkness. It Doesn’t Get Any Better In 1964 my boyhood home burned. We were on our way to spend Christmas with my mother and father, and the word reached us that the flames had engulfed most of the home, although the structure was standing. When we arrived at Texarkana, it was late in the afternoon, and the December sun was already toward the horizon. I entered the house with a cousin to inspect the damage and became aware of the fact that it was difficult to see. I said to her, "I think I shall wait and come back in the morning, when the light will be better." I shall never forget her reply: "Bill," she said, "it doesn't get any better!" At first I did not know what she meant; only later I realized that the fire had brought to the inside panes of the windows a kind of smoke and resin film which very effectively shut out most of the light, even when the sun was shining brightly. Those words have been burned into my consciousness ever since: "Bill, it doesn't get any better." I have thought of the times in my life when circumstances would not and did not get any better, at least on their own terms, and I have thought of the times in the lives of friends and loved ones where this was true. How is it possible to have faith when things do not get better? Blessed is he that taketh no offense when things do not get better. John dies in the prison, and we can understand his struggle. William B. Oglesby, Jr., Pastoral Care Issues In The Pulpit, Anthology - edited by Gregory J. Johanson, CSS Publishing Co., Inc. That musthave been how John the Baptist felt when he was in prison locked up for speaking the truth. Last week I didn’t preach from the gospel story. But in the story –John the Baptist was running around the wilderness in his loincloth telling everyone to repent for the Lord is near. Even all of the politicians came to him to be saved, and John says who invited you brood of vipers. He spoke of another coming after him that would do greater things. Well this week, John the Baptist is sitting in prison. He talked to much truth, and the king put him in jail, and is about to kill him. John is starting to wonder if all of his talk wasworth it. Was speaking to truth really worth going to jail for? So he sends one of his disciples to speak with his cousin. And he asks a question that is still relavant to us today. Are you the one,the messiah or should I be waiting for someone else. Are you the messiah or should I be looking for someone else. We still ask that question a lot. We asked that question of Obama, we asked that question of Hillary Clinton, we asked that question of Donald Trump. Are you the one that is gonna save us, or should we be waiting for someone else. We keep asking the question and no matter what they do or don’t do- we feel that they have failed. They did not make a difference in our lives at all. And we like John sit in our prison feeling despondent and discouraged. When the Real World Rears Its Head Why in the world did John the Baptist question if Jesus was the one? Maybe he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is. Maybe that will help. Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables, and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting. She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes of the previous meeting like they were Holy Scripture. She listened intently to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth, you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly. Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that is. She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to wonder.... John B. Jamison, Time's Up!, CSS Publishing Company. Jesus handles the situation in a great way. He doesn’t really answerJohn – he tells his disciples to report what they saw. They saw lives changed. They saw blind people able to see, deaf people here,dead people rise and poor people get some good news. Barbara Brown Taylor says "People who were blind to the love loose in the world have received their sight; people who were paralyzed with fear are limber with hope; people who were deaf from want of good news are singing hymns. In other words the proof is not in who Jesus says he is, it is in what he is able to do for others. But I think Jesus teaches another important lesson. He says Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me. In other words – don’t put your trust in any man, not even me. But trust in God. No man is going to save you, not even Jesus. We tend to get discouraged, even by Jesus. We get upset when Jesus does not save that loved one, or pay that bill, or prevent that circumstance. We all have asked Jesus are you the one, or should I be waiting for another. We have to remember that Jesus does not come to save us from circumstances,Jesus came to being us salvation for our soul. And sometimes it is our circumstances that help us to appreciate our salvation. A Place of Dreams There was once a woman who was disappointed, who was disillusioned, who was depressed. She wanted a good world, a peaceful world, and she wanted to be a good person. But the newspaper and television showed her how far we were from such a reality. So she decided to go shopping. She went to the mall and wandered into a new store - where the person behind the counter looked strangely like Jesus. Gathering up her courage she went up to the counter and asked, "Are you Jesus?" "Well, yes, I am," the man answered. "Do you work here?" "Actually," Jesus responded, "I own the store. You are free to wander up and down the aisles, see what it is I sell, and then make a list of what you want. When you are finished, come back here, and we'll see what we can do for you." So, the woman did just that. And what she saw thrilled her. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air. She wrote furiously and finally approached the counter, handing a long list to Jesus. He skimmed the paper, and then smiling at her said, "No problem." Reaching under the counter, he grabbed some packets and laid them out on the counter. Confused, she asked, "What are these?" Jesus replied: "These are seed packets. You see, this is a catalogue store." Surprised the woman blurted out, "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No," Jesus gently responded. "This is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. Then you plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said, deeply disappointed in Jesus. Then she turned around and left the store without buying anything. Adapted by Susan R. Andrews, as told in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, F. and M. Brussat, editors (New York: Scribner, 1996), p. 359. The joy that we remember today is the joy of salvation. The joy of transformation. When we are able to change ourselves – we have the power to change the world. This Christmas season, be the one someone else is waiting for. Serve others,give them hope, show them peace,be the joy that you are seeking. Are you the one for which we are waiting, or should we wait for another? Amen. Extra illustrations……. It Takes Time for Truth to be Accepted On December 6, 1865, just months after the Civil War ended, the 13th amendment outlawing slavery was ratified and became of the law of the land. But that didn't mean every state approved the ratification of the amendment. Mississippi's state legislature, for example, was dominated by whites bitter over the defeat of the Confederacy, and they rejected the measure. 130 years passed before Mississippi took action. By 1995 Mississippi was the only state in the Union that had not approved the ratification of the 13th amendment. Finally, on Thursday, February 16, 1995, the Mississippi Senate voted unanimously to outlaw slavery by approving the ratification of the 13th amendment to the Constitution. Senator Hillman Frazier, a member of the Mississippi's Legislature's Black Caucus, said, "I think it's very important for us to show the world that we have finally put the past behind us." Just as there was a delay in some states ratifying an end to slavery in the United States, so there is often a delay accepting the presence God's kingdom coming ever new here and now. Advent is a reminder we must never stop trying, never stop hoping, never stop preparing for the in-breaking of God's kingdom either into our own hearts or in our community. God's kingdom will one day hold sway over the entire world. When that day comes, my prayer is we will be prepared for its glory. Author unknown. Source: Faith Lutheran in Akron Ohio. Advent III To review the Ratification of Constitutional Amendments http://www.usconstitution.net/constamrat.html#Am13Full of Fear The world is full of fears, and most of us, if we are honest about it, are forced to admit that there have been times in our lives when we were afraid - I don't mean a little bit scared. No, I'm talking about those times when we were truly, knee-knocking, scared spitless. We may or may not have been in a life-threatening situation, but we can all remember a moment frozen in time when we were gripped by an all-encompassing fear, a fear that blinded us to everything else around us. I bring all this up because I have heard other pastors preach on this text from the Gospel of Matthew before. And in some of those sermons, John the Baptist took a lot of heat from the preacher for his "lack of vision." I think a terrible injustice has been done here. You see, it is my belief that John the Baptist was in the grip of the kind of fear we've been talking about. Wouldn't you be afraid if you were alone in a cold, dark, damp prison cell, not knowing what's going to happen next, but keenly aware of the animosity your captor feels for you? Johnny Dean, Are You the One? When the Real World Rears Its Head Why in the world did John the Baptist question if Jesus was the one? Maybe he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is. Maybe that will help. Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables, and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting. She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes of the previous meeting like they were Holy Scripture. She listened intently to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth, you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly. Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that is. She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to wonder.... John B. Jamison, Time's Up!, CSS Publishing Company. And best and most miraculous of all, tell John that this is not the work of one lonely Messiah but the work of God, carried out by all who believe, and there is no end in sight. Tell him I am the one, if you must, but tell him also that yes, he should look for another, and another, and another. Tell him to search every face for the face of God and not get tripped up on me, because what is happening here is bigger than any of us. What is coming to pass is as big as the Kingdom of God."(4) One Hasidic story tells of a pious Jew who asked his rabbi, "For about forty years I have opened the door for Elijah every Seder night, waiting for him to come, but he never does. What is the reason?" The rabbi answered, "In your neighborhood there lives a very poor family with many children. Call on the man and propose to him that you and your family celebrate the next Passover at his house, and for this purpose provide him and his whole family with everything necessary for the eight days of Passover. Then on the Seder night Elijah will certainly come." The man did as the rabbi told him, but after Passover he came back and claimed that again he had waited in vain to see Elijah. The rabbi answered, "I know very well that Elijah came on the Seder night to the house of your poor neighbor. But of course you could not see him." And the rabbi held a mirror before the face of the man and said, "Look, this was Elijah's face that night."(6) Which leads me to one last question: Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Are you the one? Are you the one? Amen! Children’s sermon…… Exegetical Aim: Knowing Jesus is God's promised one who was to come. Props: I do not use any props in the text but a letter with your name on it or other items that identify you may be used. Work them in at the appropriate time. This Children's Sermon must be adapted to fit each person’s family name and vocation if someone other than the minister is giving it. If you are a teacher by vocation bring something that identifies you as a teacher and tie it in to the story. Lesson: Good Morning! I have a question for you this morning. And I am not sure you are going to know the answer to this one. Are you ready? (response)Ok, here goes. Who am I? (the preacher) Yes that's what I do; I am a preacher. How do you know that I am preacher? (response) What does a preacher do? (response) Ok, that's a pretty good answer. But, let me ask my question again, who am I? I mean besides a preacher, Who am I? (Brother Brett) Yes, my name is Brett. Does anyone know my last name or first depending how they know you? (response) My last name is Blair. Brett Blair is my name. How do you know that I am Brett Blair? (response) 'Cause I hang around a bunch of other Blairs. A lady named Cyndi Blair--she's my wife by the way--and a little girl named Hannah Blair--she's my daughter. We are all Blairs. What name do you think is written on our mailbox? (Blair) When I get the mail out of he mailbox who do you think the mail is addressed to? (Blair) Ok, I am a preacher and I am Brett Blair. That much we know. Let me ask you the question one more time, Who am I? Besides a preacher and guy that goes by the name Brett Blair. Who am I? (response) Let me give you a hint: You are one too. (response) You may need to guide them here. We all believe in Jesus Christ. So, Who am I? (a Christian) They may give various synonyms--work them toward the proper title. That's right. I am a Christian. Now comes the real question. How do you know that I am a Christian? (response) Let them work on this for a minute and don't let yourself off the hook too quick What does a Christian do? (response) Application: Who is Jesus? (God's Son) How do you know that he is God's Son? (response) There is this fellow in the Bible who asked that very question. His name was John the Baptist. And he believed in Jesus Christ too. But he didn't get a chance to spend very much time with Jesus. So, he wasn't sure he was God's Son. So he ask a couple of his friends to go talk with him and ask him, "Are you the one, are you God's Son, or should I look for someone else?" Lean forward and whisper loudly with surprise: You know what Jesus said to John? (response) He said, "You go tell John what you have seen and heard me do. When I touch the blind cover your eyes? they can see again uncover your eyes. When I touch the crippled continue touching the appropriate body parts they can walk again. When I touch the sick they are well again. When I touch the deaf they can hear again. The good news of God is being preached to the poor! You go tell John that.How do we know that this little Christmas baby is God's Son? (response) Because when he grew up to be a man he did all these wonderful things. Let’s Pray: Lord, we see all the wonderful things that you did and we know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Amen. Christian Globe, , by Brett Blair

Who is Your Messiah?

James 5: 7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Who is your Messiah?
3rd Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2010
Year A

I have a confession to make. I live in fear of Saturdays. No matter what have planned that day, and I try to do very little on Saturday. All that I can think about all day is getting my sermon done. Actually I am always afraid that something will happen and I will not have time to prepare my sermon, and that the sermon that I did three years will just not work. That is a pastor’s worse fear – that Saturday will come and go, and God will give me nothing to say. And will have to come to church unprepared.
Every Saturday for me is a time of anxious waiting for things to come together and to make sense.
When you think about it, Saturday is a lot like advent. Afterall Saturday is the day between Friday and Sunday. That probably doesn’t mean anything to you – for you Saturday is just another day. But Saturday is the day between Friday and Saturday. Friday – the day Jesus died, and Sunday – the day Jesus rose. Saturday is the day between good Friday and easter Sunday. Saturday is the day with no name, no meaning. Saturday is the day between the promise made and the fulfillment of that promise.
Saturday is the day where all we can do is wait…..

But waiting is not easy for us. We live in a world where everything is getting faster, easier, and quicker. We think we are supposed to have everything right now. In the age of instant coffee, instant television, instant relief from pain – we forget the value of patience. And yet it is in our patience that we learn to most about the nature of God.
Everyday is an unfolding of history and an unfolding of the promise of God. And with each passing day, we are smarter, we understand more and the stories of our lives start to make more and more sense.
One Christmas eve, a squirrel got caught in a families attic. He frantically tried to get out running around like crazy, The more they tried to rescue him, the more frantic he became. Until they set a box next to the attic and waited until things got dark and quiet and the squirrel felt safe enough to climb into the box and to be taken back outside. We have the same patience as that squirrel, when we know that we need to change, we are flailing every way but loose. We fight anyone who get close enough to try. We want to be free – but we are so frantic that every move that we make – seems to put us deeper into bondage. Until we learn to be still and realize that someone bigger than ourselves, someone like God has to come and set us free and make things better.
In our scripture for today – John the Baptist is sitting in prison. He has raised so much sand that he has irritated the King and his family and Herod has arrested him and put him on trial to be be killed. This was not what he expected at all when he signed up to work on behalf of God. He thought he would be rewarded for pointing the way to the messiah – not imprisoned.
I think John the Baptist in prison, is a symbol for us all – we too are imprisoned to our lives, our thoughts, our beliefs, our expectations, our broken dreams. All of those things keep us in bondage to the way things are. We are spending our lives waiting….. and waiting can take its toll on one’s soul and one’s faith. We can become disillusioned about the promises that have been made to us….
How else can you explain Jesus’ biggest proponent becoming Jesus biggest critic. He was disappointed in Jesus. In prison he sends word to Jesus - He ask – are you the messiah – or should I wait for another?
In other words – is this all there is? Or is there something better to come? Because sitting in prison waiting for my life to end – was not what I was waiting for.
The truth is, the Hebrew scriptures talk a lot about the messiah – but no one really knew what that meant, or who he was, or what was really supposed to happen when he came. John’s confusion about whether this was it or not, was the confusion of everyone.
We know the messiah means the Christ, the anointed one. It also means the one who is to come….but what is he supposed to come and do?
Many people voted for President Obama – because they were expecting a change. He promised hope for a better day- something that many of us could believe in.
Two years later many are disappointed. Was Obama really the one, we have waited this long, should we be waiting for another? Did Obama fail to live up to our preconceinved notions – or is it still Saturday – the time between the promise and fulfillment. Is it still advent?
It was not Obama’s promise that our lives would get better, it was God’s Everything happens in God’s time.
Dillusionment is not the same as disappointment. When we are disillusioned that means that we are stripped of our illusions of how things should be, so that we can see clearly how things really are.
John was dillusioned about who the messiah really was and what the messiah is supposed to do. Jesus never answers John’s question about whether he is really the messiah. He says – the blind walk, the prisoners go free, the lame walk. Everything that a messiah is supposed to do, jesus has done – you decide. Jesus has questions of his own. Questions for us – what did you go out into the desert to see? What were you looking for? What was going on in your life to lead you to looking for a messiah, and did you find it in ME or are you still looking?
Jesus tells us that those are questions he cant answer for us, we have to answer them for ourselves.
Did jesus fail to come to us when we rubbed our magic lamp – then perhaps that is because he is not a genie.
Did Jesus fail to punish all of your enemies when you prayed? Then perhaps Jesus is not a cop. Did Jesus fail to make everything run smoothly – then perhaps that is because jesus not mechanic.
It is our disappointments and our disillusionsments about what we expect Jesus to change in our lives – that help us to understand exactly what a messiah is supposed to do for us, but more importantly for the world. A messiah is as a messiah does. Has Jesus done something for you? Or are you still waiting for another? That is a question only you can answer.
The book of James talks about the fulfillment of the promise of God. It addresses a people who were impatient and waiting for Jesus and who started to believe that Jesus was not going to come. James reminds us to be patient. Be patient with ourselves, be patient with life, be patient with one another. Being patient is not idly waiting, but in living responsibly and working faithfully. And waiting expectantly for the one who is to come.

Finally I leave you with a version of chapter 13 of Corinthians for the Christmas season…..
1 CORINTHIANS 13 – - A CHRISTMAS VERSION -
By an unknown author
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights
and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing
gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not
show love, I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I
have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a
myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on
Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table
linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are
there to be in the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in
giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but
giving the gift of love will endure.


The way that you wait for the Christ this year is your choice.
The coming season is all about love – its about loving ourselves, it is about loving others, but most important it is about our choice to love God, whatever that means, whatever that leads us, whatever that brings to our lives.
Advent is our chance to wait for the one who comes……