Time to Celebrate?

Zephaniah 3:14-20 December 15, 2024 3rd Sunday of Advent Year C Time to Celebrate ? Prelude Greeting Lighting of the Advent Candle Reader One: No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kin-dom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). With joy you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us. Congregation: Faced with the troubles and the suffering of the world, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world, and we will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing that God’s love might flow through us and flood our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy. Reader Two: We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbors that in sharing our vulnerable lives we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation together. Light the third (pink/rose) candle of the Advent wreath. Call to Worship L: Good friends, Rejoice. God is with you. P: Even though we are imperfect and too often have turned our backs on God, still God is with us. L: God's love is forever. You are beloved. P: Even when we behave in ways which are contrary to what God would have us do. L: God forgives and loves you and seeks your well-being. P: Praise be to God for such wondrous love. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer Mighty God, in the face of challenges and difficulties, we turn to you. In the midst of great joy and deep appreciation, we turn to you. In this season of anticipation, we eagerly watch and actively wait for the gift of Jesus. Renew in us the ability to focus on you in these days which get so hectic. For some, we’re finishing the semester, for many, we’re wrapping up the calendar year, and for others, we anticipate a time of vacation. In the midst of it all, help us breathe deeply, slow our pace, and hear your still, small voice. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Hail to the Lord’s Anointed UMH 203 A Sermon for all Ages Title: "God's Special Clean-Up Day". (AI generated) Story: • Introduction: Imagine your room is really messy with toys all over the floor, dirty clothes, and maybe even some old food crumbs. It's a big mess! But what happens when your mom says it's "clean-up day"? You pick up the mess and put things away, right? • Zephaniah's Message: Today we're going to learn about a special "clean-up day" that God wants to do in our hearts. A long time ago, there was a prophet named Zephaniah who told people that God was going to come and clean up all the bad things in their lives, like being mean to others, not listening to their parents, or forgetting to say thank you. • "The Day of the Lord": This special clean-up day is called "The Day of the Lord". It's like when you clean your room, you throw away the trash and keep the good things. God wants to throw away all the bad things in our hearts and keep the good things like kindness, love, and sharing. • Repentance: But before God can clean up our hearts, we need to do something important called "repenting." That means saying sorry for the things we've done wrong and asking God to help us be better. • God's Love: Even though God is going to clean up the bad things, he still loves us very much. Just like when you clean your room, your mom still loves you, right? God wants to make our hearts clean so that he can be really happy with us. Activities: • "Clean-Up" Game: Have the kids pretend to clean up a messy room, picking up "bad things" like anger, selfishness, and putting them in a pretend trash can. • "Clean Heart" Drawing: Give the kids paper and crayons to draw a picture of a heart and decorate it with happy things that show a clean heart. • Prayer Time: Ask the kids to pray and ask God to help them clean up the bad things in their hearts and let him fill them with love. Prayer of confession Great God, as we prepare to behold the birth of Jesus again, we are mindful of how we have failed to receive the fullness of that gift. The story points us to your glory, yet we struggle to join in the song of praise and thanksgiving. We are distracted and confused, so fo- cused on things of little significance we overlook the good news of great joy that you have prepared. Tell us again that the Savior is born. Tell us again that we are for- given. Tell us again that our lives can be abundant in faith, hope and love because of what you have given us in Jesus Christ. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Assurance of pardon The angel tells Joseph that the child forming in Mary’s womb is to be named Jesus. “Call him Jesus,” the angel says, “For he will save the peo- ple from their sins.” From his birth through his resurrection, from age to age, Jesus is about salvation. This is good news! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Passing of the Peace Scripture Zephaniah 3:14-20 Prayer for illumination Gracious God, illumine these words by your Spirit that we might hear what you would have us hear and be who you would us be, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Sermon Time to Celebrate? So last night was the Merry Mary Christmas at the Mar Theater in town. It was a packed house – many people from town and even many from church that gathered for an amazing Christmas concert. Diane Oswald’s son was a part of the band, and he has an amazing voice as he song the Grinch song. There were several artist who sang the songs of the season. Some of the songs were classics, some modern, popular songs that we are all familiar with, some new, there was even an original song – but they were all about the joy of Christmas. I don’t know about anyone else, but for me, it is just not Christmas until we start the singing. Music has a way of touching the spirit, of setting the mood, of getting us out of our seats. Neitchze – was a philosopher with a very pessimistic view on life – he said Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music life would be a mistake.” He’s right! The joy of Christmas is all in the music. Today is the third Sunday of the advent candle – pink Sunday. The Sunday where we celebrate even though we still live in the darkness of winter. Listening to music reminds us that our savior is coming and things will be okay. In the meantime keep a song in our hearts. One Mom says that when her children first received a video of Walt Disney’s Cinderella, they watched it almost nonstop for three days. Since it was warm outside, the family kept their windows open. Their neighbors were having their roof re-shingled by three burly men. As the Mom went out to get the mail one afternoon, she heard a roofer singing, “. . . put it together and what do you get?” From the other side of the house came a chorus of two more husky voices: “Bibbidi bobbidi, bibbidi bobbidi, bibbidi, bobbidi boo!” Personally, I can attest to the importance of keeping a song in our hearts. Long ago, annual conference was always at Northern Illinois University – and the first this we would do when we gather was have a worship service. The bishop would start out with a message. I didn’t want to be there at annual conference, I was in a terrible mood. All throughout the bishop’s sermon I sat frowning with my hands folded – I wanted him to know that I was unhappy. And he noticed that I was upset. After his sermon – we song one of the great hymns of the church, I don’t even remember what it was. I just know that I got so caught up in singing the song, that I forgot to be angry. In singing that song my whole mood changed, my experience of life changed, and I was able to fully be a part of annual conference and to be happy that I was there. Throughout this advent season, we have been looking at the promises of the lesser prophets. Many of these lessons we don’t get any other time of the year. The prophet of the day is Zephaniah. He was a nephew of King Hezekiah. His prophecy was during the reign of his cousin, Josiah. Josiah was one of the good kings he encouraged everyone to return to the ways of God. Things had declined in the nation so much, things were out of hand and there seemed to be no rules of conduct. People were looking for change, but all they saw was darkness. Zephaniah’s message was similar to what we heard last week from Micah. Be careful what you ask for – God’s presence means judgement for all of us. In order for things to get better there has to be judgement. But the good news is that God’s presence also brings mercy, grace, peace, love. Things will get better, but that is God’s doing not ours. Zephaniah’s advice to us – if you want things to get better then sing, rejoice, Praise God. He tells us to start singing, even in the darkness. Rev. Roy T. Lloyd tells a story that takes place in the midst of the Great Depression when a family of three Mom, Dad, and little six year old Peter had absolutely no money for store bought presents. Nevertheless, they were very inventive in celebrating Christmas. They decided to make pictures of the presents they would like to give one another if money were no object. So they drew pictures or cut out pictures from catalogs and magazines. They put the pictures into boxes, stuck some old bows on them, and put them under a scraggly Christmas tree. On Christmas morning the tree was heaped with riches. The gifts were only pictures, to be sure, but they were symbols of Christmas giving. There was a shiny new car for Dad and a red motor boat, some golf clubs, a new suit, some sweaters, and an all weather coat. Mom found her dream house and a diamond necklace, dresses, coats, and a vacation cruise. Most of the make believe presents were for little Pete. There were pictures of a camping tent, a new bicycle, a pedal car, and all kinds of toys and games. Now, of course, Mom and Dad didn’t expect anything from little Pete. But Pete, with a squeal of delight, crawled under the tree and pulled out a gift he had prepared all by himself. He handed his present to his parents with a smile and they opened it. They found a picture-gift more precious than all the others. It was drawn with first grade crayons. It was a picture of three people standing together with big smiles on their faces. They had their arms around each other. And under the picture, little Pete had printed a single word “us.” The light dawned and tears of joy filled the eyes of the parents because they realized that, in years to come, they may be able to give some of those Christmas presents they had only imagined, but they could never give a present more precious than the one they had received that year the gift of love they had for each other. (4) That is a story that must be told at Christmas. If that doesn’t make you heart sing, nothing will. Our lives are filled with love. God sings over us. And we sing of the wonders of Christmas. It begins with love. So do we sing because we are happy, or are we happy because we sing? Have you noticed that we all don’t sing the same songs? Every generation seems to have it own style of music. Driving home from church one Sunday, a father turned the radio to a country station. “How can you stand that stuff?” complained his 16-year-old son. “It’s all sad stuff about dogs and pickup trucks and bar rooms and broken hearts.” Knowing his son preferred rather loud rock music, the dad asked, “Well, what’s your music about?” “That’s the beauty of it,” the son said. “You just don’t know!” That is how many people feel about contemporary music – the lyrics are much simpler and less inventive. Last night I sat next to Sandy Hobbs, who gave wonderful commentary on the songs that were sung at the Christmas concert. Most of the songs she thought were wonderfully done. There were a few songs that she had never heard of, and one song – she commented that she could have done without – it made no sense to her. With every age and generation, words change, the tempo changes, even our response to the song changes. But when we sing sacred music – the topic that we sing about does not change. – We sing about God with us, we sing about our savior coming, we sing about the joy of God’s love. David Devine told a revealing story in the Washington Post sometime back. It was about a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved tee shirt and a baseball cap who emerged from a subway station in Washington one Friday evening. He positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. From a small case, the young man removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money. Then he swiveled his case to face the people who passed by, and began to play. “In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed 6 great classical pieces, 1097 people passed by. Almost all of them on their way to work in mid-level Government jobs. No one knew that the violinist was one of the world’s leading classical musicians, Joshua Bell. Bell is an acclaimed virtuoso, who fills concert halls. One composer said of him: ‘He plays like a god.’” On this Friday morning Bell played on one of the most valuable violins ever made a Stradivari valued at $3.5 million. The train station provided good acoustics for Bell’s performance. His beautiful music filled the morning air. “A reporter stood observing and recording the event. In the first 3 minutes, 63 people walked past without seeming to notice the virtuoso. Then a man stopped, looked and quickly walked on. Across the 45 minutes Joshua Bell played, 7 people stopped to listen for at least a minute. 27 people gave money. Usually, in concert, Bell gets paid $1000 per minute. This day, in total, he received $32.17. At the end of each piece, there was no applause just silent indifference. The master musician was ignored. People walked past musical glory without giving it a second glance. “Except for two people. A postal worker named John described as a ‘smallish man with a baldish head.’ John had learned the violin as a youth. He recognized the quality of Joshua Bell’s performance and stood enjoying it from the distance. And then there was a demographer named Stacy. Stacy had seen Bell in concert 3 weeks before. She recognized him. And here he was, the international virtuoso, sawing away, begging for money. She had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, she wasn’t about to miss it. Stacy positioned herself 3 meters away from Bell, front row, center. She had a huge grin on her face. The grin, and Stacy, remained planted in that spot until the end. Stacy told the reporter: ‘It was the most astonishing thing I’ve ever seen in Washington. Joshua Bell was standing there playing in rush hour, and people were not stopping, not even looking, and some were flipping quarters at him! Quarters! I was thinking, Omigosh, what kind of a city do I live in that this could happen?’” (5) One of the world’s great musicians playing on the street for coins. Only a few recognized him. It sounds somewhat familiar. Only a few recognized Christ in the stable of Bethlehem. Some star-struck shepherds, some magi from the East and a humble carpenter and his bride-to-be. But not many. And yet that event turned the world upside down. It was enough to start the whole world singing. And why shouldn’t it? Why shouldn’t all creation sing? And why shouldn’t we sing? After all, the God of all creation the God of the moon and the stars and the wind and the waves sings over us. Can you hear it? Listen closely. It is the song of everlasting love, hope peace and joy. It is the song of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, we still live in some dark times. And now it is about the get even colder. Let us follow Zephaniah’s advice and sing of Christ presence coming into the world. Gavin Ellis says that growing up he had a piano teacher who belonged to a musical society. This society did something quite interesting. They would make a point of listening for the song of angels on Christmas Eve. They believed that the angels rejoiced and celebrated each Christmas in honor of Christ . . . and so they would listen very closely at night on Christmas Eve. They would listen to the dogs bark. They would listen to the wind through the trees. They would listen to the things going on around them in the world . . . in creation to see if they could hear angel song. What would this angel song sound like? It would sound perfect. They listened for harmony and perfect pitch in the sounds of nature. It’s a strange thing to do; it’s kind of an odd way to spend Christmas Eve. But that’s what this piano teacher and his friends did. “There’s a romantic notion to what they did,” says Gavin Ellis, but he wondered to himself how many of them actually believed that angels were singing and how many of them were a part of the group because they just thought it would be neat if angels really did sing. How many of them believed, Gavin Ellis wondered, and how many of them just hoped? (2) Some people believe; others merely hope. Still, this is the testimony of Zephaniah: God sings over us. There is a carol that comes to mind when I think of God singing. This carol was written in 1962, only forty-seven years ago. It is the little carol, “Do You See What I see?” It begins like this: “Do see what I see, said the night wind to the little lamb?” The story of the song is very simple. It begins with the night wind, and the night wind sees what Christmas is all about. So the night wind tells the little lamb, and then the little lamb sees what Christmas is all about, and goes to the shepherd boy. The little shepherd boy sees the meaning of Christmas, and he goes to the mighty king and he says to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know?” Then the mighty king says to everyone, everywhere, in a deep, gruff voice, “Listen to what I say.” Then the king makes this announcement to his kingdom: “A child, a child, will bring you goodness and light.” (3) Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? If we listen closely maybe we will hear the voice of God singing over us. Now you may wonder why we sing at Christmas time. And you may wonder why in the world would God sing over us? Let us pray….. Song Come Thou Long Expected Jesus UMH 196 Prayers of the People (Just print the title) Come, Lord Jesus. Bring your presence; bring your peace; bring your light. Comfort the sick, soothe the sorrowful, bind up the wounded. Calm our spirits. Ease our burdens. Mend our hearts. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring your justice; bring your righteousness; bring your goodness. Reorder our priorities. Direct our efforts. Strengthen our resolve. Break down walls. Dismantle oppression. Overthrow tyrants. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring your love; bring your compassion; bring your mercy. Heal our divisions. Seek out the lost. Restore the guilt-ridden. Widen our embrace. Teach us generosity. Show us how to forgive. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring your passions; bring your fire; bring your stead- fastness. Inspire our witness. Motivate our mission. Energize your church. Open our minds. Extend our hands. Overcome our lethargy. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring your hope; your tenderness; your promise. Build up our common life. Hold us in our frustrations. Brighten our dark- ness. Release us. Renew us. Redeem us. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus, hear our cries; hear our whispers; hear our prayers. Now, with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray as Jesus taught, saying, “Our Father …”. (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment John the Baptist (as we know him) had not gotten the message about this being “Rejoice” Sunday. In Luke 3, John’s pointed preaching pushed hard against those who believed their connection to Abraham would provide a safe route around the mayhem which was coming. Those who were in the crowd wanted John to answer their question: “What should we do?” John’s instructions are clear! Share from your abundance! Give your second coat to someone without a coat. Feed the hungry. Two thousand years later, we still ask: “What should we do?” And the answer continues to ring out. Share from your abundance! Do you have more than one coat? Do you have more food than you can possibly eat? Friends, when we DO THIS, then it’s time to rejoice! Let us share our financial support, AND let us share from our abundance to encourage those who are without. Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all good gifts, thank you for this opportunity to respond to the teaching of John. Thank you for these gifts, filling the offering trays today. May we now be eager to respond to the needs of those around us. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Those on Facebook Advent invites each of us into a new way of living in a world to which the kin-dom of God has come and is yet coming. Go, now, blessed with the gift of togetherness, for it is only in being truly present with God and one another that we live as followers of the coming Messiah. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2024. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Let us go trusting in Jesus Christ, the one who is surely coming. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the com- panionship of the Holy Spirit be with you and abide with you today and always. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Additional Illustrations The songs encouraged by the prophet are quite different from the songs of our age. So much of the contemporary literature composed for the symphony orchestras is dissonant, discordant, and harsh sounding. Composers have always been wary of imitating models from other periods lest they be regarded as being uncreative and lacking in originality. In the search for new expressions, the composers reflect the times in which we live. They portray for us the confusion and incongruities of our age by creating music that grates both on our ears and our emotions. It is no small secret that the conductors of great symphony orchestras of our land have considerable difficulty with their boards of directors when they include too many of the contemporary works in their scheduled concerts. The same observations can be made about the popular music of the day. The complaints about the loud harsh music that is electrically amplified are not simply from an older generation that is out of sync with the younger. The questions are raised about music that it is totally unwholesome for the ears and may impair the hearing of young people at an early date. However, the more serious complaints are about music that also reflects a lack of morality and expresses only the more primitive passions of people. Besides complaining about loudness, the repetition, and the lack of artistry, one critic asked, “Why don’t the songs have an ending?” The answer is that bad music has no soul to reflect a genuine and positive hope. A Special Song One certainly cannot characterize all contemporary music, popular or classical, as decadent or lacking in soul. There is much contemporary composition that is commendable. However, it is important to note that the prophet who called for a song from God’s people did not look for them to express their sense of depression and lack of hope. He encouraged a song that would express divine hope in the midst of human confusion and terror. Martin Rinkart was such a hymn writer. Born in the latter part of the sixteenth century in Eilenburg, Germany, he received theological training and held several positions before returning to his home town as archdeacon. He served in that city for some thirty years, most of that time being during the Thirty Years War. Because Eilenburg was a walled city, people from miles around sought refuge there. The overcrowding resulted in famine and pestilence. One pastor left and two died, leaving Rinkart to minister alone. He read burial services for as many as forty and fifty persons in one day. His wife succumbed to the pestilence, and he survived an illness. Rinkart received little support from the town authorities, and eventually was even harassed by them. Totally exhausted he went to his grave, December 8, 1649. What he bequeathed to us was not only his untiring example of unselfishness but his great hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God.” In the midst of great tragedy and suffering he could offer the song of promise encouraged by the prophet. A New Song In the Advent Season it is customary for the Christian Church to sing the “Magnificat,” the Song of Mary. The Evangelist Luke placed this song on the lips of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, when she visited her relative, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. The song celebrates how God turns everything upside down and makes everything right. Johann Sebastian Bach interpreted this great hymn in the beautiful cantata “The Magnificat.” The one who gave real meaning to Mary’s song was our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises of mercy which God had spoken to the patriarchs, to Abraham and his posterity. By his humble and impoverished birth Jesus gave hope to the world. The life, death, and resurrection of the One born in the ignoble conditions of Bethlehem assured the world that God is always present working to give us hope and make our hearts glad. The world will be singing Christmas carols lustily again this year. The carols have been ringing out in McDonald’s and Burger King since the first of December. The Christmas music expands and grows yearly to be the largest repertoire devoted to one subject in all the world. People want their songs to bring them joy in the season meant to create joy. Yet many of those songs are ditties with no message of hope or promise. The song of promise the prophet teaches us is one we can sing when there is nothing to be joyful about. The song of promise does not fall flat when a season ends. The song of promise does not fade when the Christmas trees are taken down and the holly and tinsel are removed. This is a song of real promise. The song of which the prophet wrote is the song the Holy Spirit impresses on our hearts to celebrate the goodness of God. The song holds out hope and gladness for us as we realize, in the prophet’s word, that God daily “renews” God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. CSS Publishing Company, The Presence in the Promise, by Harry N. Huxhold A little boy was sitting at the table in the kitchen looking gloomy and sour: he had just been punished. Suddenly, he asked his mother, "God can do anything He wants, can't He?" To which the mother replied, "Of course." Then the boy asked rhetorically "God doesn't have any parents, does He?" Have you ever felt that way? Probably. At some time or another, we have all felt terribly hemmed in and beaten down by our supposedly loving parents. To Zephaniah, it was clear that what a person or a nation believes about God will largely determine their conduct. If God is seen as a kindly old grandfather in the sky who will simply wink at things done wrong, then there is no reason for anyone to make any change. If God is seen as impotent in the face of the all the other gods that can be worshiped, there is no reason to make any change. If God is seen as not being there at all, there is certainly no reason for anyone to make any change. But Zephaniah knew that none of these pictures was accurate, and so he was called to preach what he knew to be the truth. There will come a day. This last question may be the most relevant of all. A lot of people today seem to look upon the God question as a dead issue. They may still give casual assent to the concept as an interesting mental artifact brought over from the past, but see little utility in it for their own living. The stance of such persons is, at best, much like that of the little girl who wanted to know where God was. When told that God was everywhere she wanted to know if he was in the house, in her bedroom, behind the dresser, even under the bed on which she was being put to sleep. After having been assured that God was in all those places, she was later overheard saying an interesting and very candid prayer. "God," she was saying, "I know you are everywhere. I know you are in the house. I know you are in this room. I know you are behind that dresser and under this bed. But, God, if you move you’ll scare me to death." Several studies have shown, for instance, that persons who identify themselves as Christians and church members are more harshly judgmental and punitive in their attitudes toward social offenders than are persons who make no claims to such identity. The parallel to Jesus’ description of the self-righteous Pharisee is so close as to be truly shocking. We should be grateful to Harvard’s Professor Gordon Allport, however, for having done a study that shows that the Christians and church members who have seriously internalized the faith are more inclined to be compassionate and non-punitive in their attitudes than are persons who do not claim to be Christians or church members. A few years ago a group of junior high school students was given a test of musical terms. Here were some of their answers: 1. Music sung by two people at the same time is called a duel,” one young man wrote. Then he added, “I know what a sextet is but I had rather not say. 2. A xylophone is an instrument used mainly to illustrate the letter X, answered someone else. 3. Dirges are music written to be played at sad, sad occa¬sions . . . such as funerals, weddings, and the like. [Did they play a dirge at your wedding?] 4. Here’s one I like: What’s a refrain? Refrain means "don’t do it!" A refrain in music is the part you better not try to sing. 5. A virtuoso is a musician with real high morals. 6. Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music . . . Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died from this. 7. Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was rather large!” Regardless of our age or our vocation, most of us have a kind of music we can relate to. right! 1. Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies (Pantheon, 1998), pp. 47 50. Cited by W. Gregory Pope, http://www.crescenthillbaptistchurch.org/oldsite/sermon 9 25 05.htm. 2. (http://www.day1.net/index.php5?view=transcripts&tid=90). 3. Cited by Edward F. Markquart, http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/christmas_do_you_see.htm. 4. http://pastorgavinellis.blogspot.com/2005/11/luke 28 15 from silence came music.html. 5. John Mark Ministries. http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/20684.htm. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Dynamic Preaching Sermons Fourth Quarter 2009, by King Duncan "Hum," went the phone. She had put me on hold for what seemed like the hundredth time. I had a cold which made me even more irritated. I was at the end of my rope - angry, disgusted, and stressed to what I thought was the limit. I was beginning to forget the reason I had phoned. Suddenly out of the background from the "hold" position of the telephone system of this mammoth mortgage corporation came some music. This was the ultimate insult. They were trying to calm an irate customer with "elevator music." Only it wasn't "elevator music." It was a Christmas carol. I listened as a secular mortgage company telephone system played: "Silent night, Holy night. All is calm; all is bright." I was laughing by the time the supervisor came to the phone. Music centered in God can do that. It can be a reminder of who you are. My sin of impatience became a laughing matter in the light of the coming Messiah. By the way, the supervisor could not answer my questions, but she told me that I could call her back. Music can soothe the savage beast in all of us. God-centered music can keep us close to God when we reach the breaking point. A gospel musician was away from home singing and inspiring people with his music. The phone rang. It was for him. The news was bad. His wife who was pregnant had lost the baby. "The baby is dead," he was told. That's staggering news. He started for home. A few days later his wife died. He had sung the gospel of comfort to many, but he could not find comfort anywhere. Friends and relatives tried in vain to help him with his grief, but it was all to no avail. He went to God in prayer ... and expressed his need in music. From his sorrow, Thomas A. Dorsey wrote the spiritual: Precious Lord, take my handLead me on, let me stand;I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.Through the storm, through the night,Lead me on to the light.Take my hand, precious Lord,Lead me home. Music centered in God can calm the violent darkness in all of us. Such music is the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Through the storm, through the light, Lead me on to the light ..." John the Baptist along with Zephaniah and all the prophets were voices crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." John and Zephaniah are vivid reminders of the remnant seeking the glory of God in everything. Our hopes and expectations can rise above the maddening crowd: "Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand." Sing aloud, O Daughter of Zion; Shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem. C.S.S. Publishing Company, PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS, by Ron Lavin Christmas cards, which once were sent to wish others peace on earth, goodwill, and blessings of the season, are now serving more commercial purposes. I love the story about an apartment building in New York City. It was early in December when all the residents awoke to find a greeting card taped to the outside of their apartment doors. The cards read, "Merry Christmas from the custodial staff." "Well, isn't that nice," one of the new residents thought to herself. "What a lovely, caring staff we have at our service." Then she promptly forgot all about the card. A week later, she came home from work to find another card taped to her door. This one said, "Merry Christmas from the custodial staff. Second notice." The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally "Rejoicing Sunday," as we remember and give thanks for God's great gifts to us. Imagine Zechariah and the people of God celebrating, and God is there in their very midst. All are singing and dancing in the streets, and God is singing louder than anyone else. There is rejoicing because the people have been forgiven. They were imprisoned in sin, but all is forgiven and their sentence is commuted. God is their salvation. God has come into their midst to save them. Zephaniah speaks in past, present, and future tenses. His words are fulfilled in the coming of Christ. He also points us to Christ's coming again. Christ is in our midst now, of that we can be assured. There will be a time still to come, when we will have our final homecoming with God. That will be the greatest celebration of all. Fear. One day in hot July, a farmer sat on the porch of his shack, smoking his corncob pipe. Along came a stranger from the city who asked, “How’s your cotton coming?” “Ain’t got none,” he replied. “Didn’t plant none. ’Fraid of the boll weevil.” “Well, how’s your corn?” “Didn’t plant none. ’Fraid o’ drought.” “How about your potato garden?” “Ain’t got none. Scairt o’ tater bugs.” The city stranger finally asked, “Well, what did you plant?” The farmer answered, “Nothin’, I just played it safe."1 Some of us are fearful of action because there may be some¬thing out there in life that we are not prepared to meet, so we play it safe and do nothing. Paralysis grips us. Sing! Shout! Rejoice! Exult! Why? because your Lord is King. The picture is that of the enthronement of a mighty king. It is a king who is triumphant, who "has turned away your enemies" (v. 15a). This king is enthroned in the midst of the people. He has a mighty presence among them; therefore, they do not need to fear disaster any more (v. 15b). On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory ... He has the power to remove disaster (v. 18) and to deal with all oppressors (v. 19a). During the spring of their senior year, seminary students begin the parish interview process in preparation for their first call as pastor. At one seminary, seniors are asked by a professor to respond to two specific questions. The first question is: What expectations do lay persons have for their next pastor? Seniors are overwhelmed by their own responses, which include the following: visionary leader, dynamic preacher (interpreted as entertaining and brief), excellent administrator, caring counselor, frequent visitor, fabulous fund-raiser, great with youth and children and elderly, super evangelist (interpreted as recruit new members to help meet the budget), young but experienced, twenty-four-hour crisis availability, and willing to accept less than the recommended minimum compensation package. Seniors are stunned. After class, one told her professor, "They anticipate that I will be a Messiah." Great anticipation, but neither realistic or achievable. The second question for these seminary students is: What do you expect from parishioners in your first congregation? Their answers are theologically articulate and conceptually sound. They focus on the theme of living out one's baptism as a member of the priesthood of believers. Now that's a theological mouthful! Students often expect their future parishioners to assume eagerly and willingly the actions of early Christians as evangelists, stewards, visitors of the sick and troubled, administrators, and teachers. Bible and prayer groups would abound. In their ideal congregation, parishioners would want their pastor to be a theologian-in-residence. They would hear the Word of God with joy and share the sacrament with zeal and excitement. They would be active in both member care and community outreach. They would bring an inclusive, open, and global perspective to ministry. Wow! If parishioners are anticipating the Messiah, seminarians are anticipating doing ministry in the Messianic Kingdom of Glory. his promise is for us today. It is just as real today as it was for Zephaniah 2,600 years ago. The Lord speaks to us, saying, "I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise" (v. 19). So, then, do not let your hands grow weak. Learn from the collective experience of God's people. The Lord your God is in your midst and has promised to deliver you. That's a fact. That's reason to rejoice. Here is Zephaniah's "anticipation proclamation." Here is the good news of Advent. Christ has come. Christ is coming. Christ will come again." CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, Where Is God In All This, by Tony Everett

Be the Boss of Christmas

December 17, 2017 Isaiah 61:1-11 Be the Boss of Christmas Third Sunday of Advent Children’s Sermon Light the third candle of joy – what is joy. Best joy is a surprise when you are not expecting it, when look for it, don’t find it – sneaks up on you – see joy, give joy to someone else. Isaiah 61Common English Bible (CEB) Joyful proclamations 61 The LORD God’s spirit is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for Zion’s mourners, to give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the LORD to glorify himself. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past. 5 Foreigners will stay and shepherd your sheep, and strangers will be your farmers and vinedressers. 6 You will be called The Priests of the LORD; Ministers of Our God, they will say about you. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and fatten[a] yourself on their riches. 7 Instead of shame, their[b] portion will be double; instead of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share. They will possess a double portion in their land; everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and dishonesty.[c] I will faithfully give them their wage, and make with them an enduring covenant. 9 Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them will recognize that they are a people blessed by the LORD. 10 I surely rejoice in the LORD; my heart is joyful because of my God, because he has clothed me with clothes of victory, wrapped me in a robe of righteousness like a bridegroom in a priestly crown, and like a bride adorned in jewelry. 11 As the earth puts out its growth, and as a garden grows its seeds, so the LORD God will grow righteousness and praise before all the nations. Footnotes: a. Isaiah 61:6 Heb uncertain b. Isaiah 61:7 Or your c. Isaiah 61:8 Heb manuscripts, LXX, Syr, Tg; MT robbery with an entirely burned offering Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible We all know that if you want to send a letter to Santa that you send it to the North Pole. I used to look forward to the post office keeping all of those letters and letting people come in and answer those letters and the post office would deliver the packages to children for free. Today the only post office that continues the program is the main post office in downtown Chicago. But suppose you had a serious problem and you needed to get a letter to God, where would you send it. The post office in Jerusalem reports that they get countless letters that have been addressed to God. They get so many letters, they don’t know what to do with them. One day, one of the post office employees opened one of these letters. It was a request for $250 in order to get a much needed operation. The employee shows the letter to his colleagues, and being that he was a good jew and went to synagogue every week, he told all of his colleagues – they were the people of God and God was depending on them to help the needy, so they had an obligation to help this person who asked God for help. His colleagues were luke warm on being religious, so they were luke warm in responding to the letter. He was only able to collect $198 from them. Thinking that was better than nothing, he sent it to the person in need with a letter signed God. The clerk was superexcited when he saw that the person sent a thank you note. The note said, thank you God for coming through when I needed you, but next time you send help, do not use the post office, they are a bunch of crooks. I know that you sent the full $250, but when I opened the envelope it only contained $198. The crooks at the post office stole the rest. It is important for us to realize – that we are indeed the people of God- called to serve those in need. This week I wanted us to stay with the prophecy in Isaiah. Someone gets up and announces that the spirit of the Lord is upon me to help those in need. Physical need as well as Spiritual needs. But the person can only meet those needs with the Lord’s help and the Lord’s favor. This prophecy of the one whom God sends helping others goes back to an earlier prophecy if Isaiah 42-51. This prophecy speaks of a leader chosen by God stepping up and saving the people, but sacrificing himself. This person is called the suffering servant. They call this person the messiah – the one sent by God. Isaiah 61 says that this person has been anointed by God and appointed by God to help those who are not able to help themselves. If you fast forward a few thousand years – if you read Luke 4 – Jesus stands in front of the synagogue and announces these exact words – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. This are the first words in his ministry – that he is the one they have been waiting for, he is the Lord’s anointed – the messiah. The time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Today there are more than 2.2 billion people who consider themselves followers of this brave soul who stood up and fulfilled the prophecy, that is one third of all of the people on the planet. Today more than 1.6 billion people all over the world celebrate Christmas. Christmas is the most commonly celebrated holiday in the world. Many of the people who celebrate Christmas are not even Christian, but they love the holiday. I went to Thailand at the end of January, my tour guide told me to not be surprised when I still found Christmas decorations up in a primarily Buddhist country. Over 60% of all of our Christmas decorations come from one area in China. I am told that you will find Christmas decorations up all year in the Phillipines. Many people who have never seen a heavy set pale man with white hair and a beard – love Santa Claus. And they are very clear what Christmas means. But the story of Christmas does not start in a manger in Nazareth. It starts with a vision of a roman Emporer. In 300 - the emporer Constantine was not a really religious person, but his mother was a Christian. One day he is in battle and he prayed to Jesus to help him win. He promised that if he won, then he would make the whole roman empire Christian. He saw a vision that the greek letters chi and ro appeared on the sun- the first letters of Christ. He took that to mean that Christ was with him. He won the battle. In order to get the masses of people to become Christian, he took holidays that they already celebrated and made them Christian. Christmas was a secular holiday, before it become a church holiday. People celebrated the winter solstice with family time and feasting and gift giving. And all of the things we associate with Christmas. Mary named her baby Joshua – meaning God saves. The Romans named her baby Jesus. As a matter of fact, Mary’s name is Miriam. Her baby was probably born sometime between the spring and before the fall. We like to say that Jesus is the reason for the season. But in reality the winter solstice is the reason for the season. There are 24 different holidays from 7 different religions celebrated between November and January. The winter solstice is not a joke, it really affects our spirit. The church went along with the reclaiming of the holiday, because they felt it was a perfect chance for the gentiles to learn about the prophecy of Jesus the messiah. And apparently they were right. Cultures all over the world have embraced that story of a couple in Nazareth giving birth to a child in a lonely manger. Stories of that baby growing up and declaring that the spirit of the Lord was upon him have shown up in so many unexpected places. There are stories of missionaries telling tribes deep in South America about Jesus – and they exclaimed that they met that man – who came to their village to tell them that the spirit was upon him to help the needy. They had their own religious practices – but they had to follow that man. Historians have found evidence of a mysterious man traveling to the native Americans – telling them that the spirit of the Lord was upon him to help others. So when they hear the story of Jesus – they respond – they know this man. They are more than happy to follow his lead and continue his work. Leonard Sweet – a pastor says that in our lives there are actually 3 advents – the spirit of the Lord comes into the world 3 times. First at the first Christmas as a baby, second as a messiah that we recognize in our hearts, and one day he will return. So every year it is important for us to prepare for Jesus to come into our hearts in a new way, with a better understanding. Jesus comes into the world when we are able to follow his lead. We all know that there is holy Christmas within the church, and there is a secular Christmas in the world. A lot of us get mad when we see Xmas – saying that is the world trying to x Christ our of Christmas. Not realizing that in Greek, X is the first letter of Christ. It is the first letter of Constantine’s vision that the spirit of Christ would spread throughout the world. On facebook a priest talked about whether we should say merry Christmas or happy holidays. I appreciated the fact that he said that Jesus probably does not really care which one we say. Christmas is a perfect opportunity for us to introduce Christ to a whole new generation of people. It is our chance to tell the story of the prophecy fulfilled, of God coming into our lives as a little baby and spreading joy, it is a perfect road to lead them to God’s love in a way that they can understand. I think that it is nice for us to remember advent and preparing our spirits – but it is so much more important for us to get out in the world to be the boss of Christmas. That is why we sing Christmas carols – if someone who never heard of Christ can come to church and hear a familiar song – we have a chance to tell them about a man named Jesus, who was anointed and appointed to bring peace to the land. So I have a challenge for us this year – let us all be the boss of Christmas. If we believe in the story, let us not be afraid to tell the story. If we follow that strange man – let the spirit of the lord be upon us. I have flyers out there that are going to go in the recycling bin. Take one, invite someone to come to hear the story and to feel the spirit on Christmas eve. There was a lady who waited until Christmas eve to send out her Christmas cards. She was in such a hurry to get them out, she didn’t even read them. Until after she sent them. The card said – expect a gift from me soon. 49 of her friends were expecting a gift from her. That gift is the spirit of the Lord, the lord’s favor, and a man , a man named Jesus who came to save the world. Amen. Extra illustrations…. Extending Christ’s Love Some of you may be familiar with a story Fred Craddock once told about Dr. Oswald Golter. Dr. Golter was a missionary to China more than 60 years ago. After World War II he was asked to leave that country. So his missionary society wired him a ticket and Dr. Golter made his way to India to catch a ship home to America. While he was there he noticed that there were many Jews living in the area--in attics and sheds and barns. They were there because India was one of the few countries in the world that welcomed the Jews following the War. And Dr. Golter was excited to see them and went around and greeted them. It was Christmastime and he said to them “Merry Christmas to you!” And they said “We’re Jews.” “Well, I know,” said Dr. Golter, “but Merry Christmas anyway.” “I tell you,” they responded, “we’re Jews. We don’t mark Christmas.” “I know” he said, “but if you did, what would you want for Christmas?” “Well if we did,” they replied, “then we probably would want some fine German pastries.” So Dr. Golter found a shop that sold fine German pastries, cashed in his ticket home and bought up boxes and boxes of pastry. He took it back to the barns and attics and sheds and handed it out to the Jews saying, “Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas.” That story was told in the presence of Dr. Golter years later at a seminary where he was invited to speak. As he got up to the microphone a young seminarian stood up and said to Dr. Golter, “I can’t believe you did that. Those people aren’t Christians. They don’t even believe in Jesus Christ!” Dr. Golter nodded his head and said, “I know.” Then he added, “But I do. I do.” King Duncan, www.Sermons.com Did you catch that? Jesus left off the part about “the day of vengeance of our God . . .” Do you suppose that was an accident or could this be part of his mission to correct how humanity sees God? Could this have anything to do with the fact that Jesus taught us to call God “Daddy”? Unless you had a very warped father which does sometimes happen it’s very difficult to reconcile “Daddy” and “the vengeance of God.” Could it be that Christ’s coming was partially for the purpose of resetting our understanding of who God is? I heard about two children who were talking about the Bible. One of them was quite upset about some of the atrocities that are found in the Old Testament. The other of them, a little girl, thought for a moment and then said, “Those things must have happened before God became a Christian.” Well, in a sense, that’s true. How can you fear the vengeance of God who wraps Himself up in a babe in a manger? Our lesson for this third Sunday of Advent is from Isaiah, but our understanding of this passage is from Christ himself. We are living in the year of the Lord’s favor. We are living in the light of the star of Bethlehem. The message of Advent and Christmas is and will always be Good News for the poor, for the disadvantaged, for the marginalized, for the oppressed, for the captive in short for all humankind. A new thing came into the world with Jesus. Welcome, my friend, to the year of the Lord’s favor. And somehow, there comes a time when we know that the stories of the Bible are no more incredible than the stories of ourselves, or the stories of our fates, or the stories of our successes and failures. Either God is who he claims to be: the Creator of the Universe who won't let our world destroy itself; Father of the hopeless and the helpless and the harmless; Lover of the best that's in us, and even of our worst . . . Either God is that, as the Bible says, or we're left to other gods who are far less kind, and far more cruel. And here's the leap of faith. The angels shout the messages in the skies. But they leave it up to the shepherds to decide what to do with it. And so with us. Everyone celebrates Christmas. But not everyone celebrates it in the same way. And wherever we find ourselves connected to God in all of this, the Spirit has flown our hearts over the hurdle of unbelief, and false belief, and even misbelief, and we've found our way to Bethlehem. Harry Emerson Fosdick once said that a person's best memories, when life is closing, will be those memories of moments when we said yes to God. Maybe they'll never write a song about it, like they did when Armstrong stepped out on the surface of the moon. But my guess is that if those best memories come to you, the music in your own heart will sound an awful lot like Christmas carols. I read recently about a woman who had waited till the last minute to send Christmas cards. She rushed into a store and bought a package of 50 cards without really looking at them. Still in a big hurry she addressed 49 of the 50 and signed them without reading the message inside. On Christmas Day, when things had quieted down somewhat she chanced to run upon the leftover card and finally read the message she had sent to 49 of her friends. Much to her dismay, it read like this: "This card is just to say A little gift is on the way." Suddenly she realized that 49 of her friends were expecting a gift from her, a gift that would never come.

A Word from God

December 10, 2017 Isaiah 40:1-11 Second Sunday of Advent A Word from God Year B Children’sTime Preparation: Read (or re-read) all or part of Psalm 85 Lesson: Can anyone tell me what a “blessing” is? . . . A blessing is something good given to us, usually from God. What blessings do you have in your life? . . . parents, homes, church, food, shelter, friends, etc. In Psalms 85, we read about some other blessings. “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” That sounds kind of silly, doesn’t it--righteousness and peace kiss each other”? This is the Psalmist’s way of saying that if we love God, our lives will turn out right and we can be calm trusting God. The night that Jesus was born, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those God favors” (New Living Translation). They were telling us that God gives us peace if we love Him. How do you show your love to God? (obeying parents, reading the Bible, praying, being here in church this morning) Remember that God showed His love for us by giving us a blessing of peace. Dynamic Preaching, Children's Sermons, by King Duncan Isaiah 40:1-11Common English Bible (CEB) Comfort for God’s people 40 Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. 2 Speak compassionately to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins! 3 A voice is crying out: “Clear the LORD’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! 4 Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. 5 The LORD’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the LORD’s mouth has commanded it.” 6 A voice was saying: “Call out!” And another[a] said, “What should I call out?” All flesh is grass; all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass dries up and the flower withers when the LORD’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass dries up; the flower withers, but our God’s word will exist forever. 9 Go up on a high mountain, messenger Zion! Raise your voice and shout, messenger Jerusalem! Raise it; don’t be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 Here is the LORD God, coming with strength, with a triumphant arm, bringing his reward with him and his payment before him. 11 Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock; he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. He will gently guide the nursing ewes. Footnotes: a. Isaiah 40:6 MT; DSS (1QIsaa), LXX I Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible In the middle of my sermon prep, I looked on my blog to see what I written 4 different sermons on Isaiah 40. I have been a solo pastor preaching every Sunday, since 2007. And as I looked back, each time this verse came up, I have preached on it. Before that time I was an Associate, pastor, so I will have to look even further to see how many time I preached on it, those sermons are not online, so I didn’t have easy access to them. But obviously, this is a very important message to me. I think that it is a very important message for advent. Besides it being the words to a song in Handel’s Messiah – it is one of the most well known verses in the bible and one of the most well quoted of all verses in the world – Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye my people. This is the first chapter in what is known as Second Isaiah. Chapters 40-55. The entire book of Isaiah is 66 chapters. But those chapters cover a timespan of over 600 years of history. So experts tend to believe that Isaiah was written by as many as three different people who were addressing three different difficult times in the history of Israel. They are amazed, that even though there are three distinct styles of writing in the book, they all seem to have one complete message and theme, that is why it is just called Isaiah. The message of Isaiah is one of love and forgiveness in the midst of sin, and hope in the midst of a dark time. Things have been rough, but it will get better. God Godself will come has heard the cries of the people and will send help, and that help will come in the form of a shepherd King – strong enough to bring justice, yet kind enough to bring mercy to all of the world. This scripture is so rich in its message, I could spend forever telling you about it. But if you read our scripture for today – you will see that it have four distinct messages, with four distinct voices. Interestingly enough, the voice bible tells you who is speaking in each part of the bible. But in these verses it does not use names – each section starts out by saying a Voice cries out. The first voice is God speaking in a court scene in heaven telling the angels to send a message of comfort to hurting people. The second voice is that of an angel who responds and says to send a message to the people to prepare the way for God coming, the third voice is a prophet who reminds that people that God is faithful, and the last voice is another prophet encouraging the people of Jerusalem to not be afraid to spread the message of the coming of God to Earth. This is the prophecy that Mark is telling the world that has been fulfilled. The One that Isaiah speaks of has really come to earth. The One who is both gentle and kind, but strong and mighty. His comfort is like the little girl who came home from a neighbor’s house where her playmate had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," replied the little girl. "What could you do to comfort her?" the father continued. His daughter answered, "I climbed into her lap and cried with her." Into the Bethlehem crib God climbs to cry with us, to live with us, to suffer with us, to laugh with us, to die with us. This is the comfort that says much, much more than simply, "I care about you." This is the comfort that moves into our life and takes over, overwhelming us with His love and mercy. Jesus is coming to the world – as a little baby to transform the world. And there is so much for us to do to get ready. We are in the midst of getting ready for Christmas. But Advent tells us that there is even more for us to get ready for. We have to get ready physically, but more importantly we have to get ready spiritually. We have all heard the familiar words of Isaiah 40 - make a level highway for God. Fill in the valleys, tear down the mountains and hills, make the crooked places straight and the rough places plain so that the Lord can get through. This would have rung a familiar cord with the original audience of second Isaiah. He was writing to the Isrealites who would have been taken to Babylon as prisoners, and who longed to go home to Isreael, but they knew there was nothing to go home to. They would have watched every year as the Gods of Babylon were paraded through the streets. This parade was just as popular as the Macy’s thanksgiving parade. Every year Marduk the God of Babylon was paraded through the streets. He would start in the countryside and them come down a special highway in the capital city. He was always first in the parade throughout the land, and them the Gods of those people who were conquered would follow behind. It was mandated that the roads that he traveled on had to be perfect in order for him to pass through. Roads had to be widened, paved, straightened in order for the God’s to come through. Every time I drive down 102 – I cant help but to think – this is so not the road that Isaiah was talking about. The road is not supposed to accommodate the river, the river is supposed to accommodate the road. A straight, wide smooth road. But I digress. I am sure that every year that the Isrealites stood on the side and watched this parade they felt left out. They would not dare make an image of God to parade down the streets. And yet what would it be like, if that parade was for our God and not theirs. And here, God says – prepare the roads because I am coming – not as stone, but as a living breathing person. God is coming to town! Advent is one big construction project for us. We have some mountains to tear down, mountains of hatred, and oppression and exclusion. We have some valleys to fill in – Valleys of poverty, and sickness to. We have some crooked people who need to be straightened out. And some rough situations that need to be smoothed out – there is a lot of work that needs to be done on this world, in this church, in our lives. One of the first lines of the prophecy says a voice is crying out – prepare a way for the Lord. One of the last lines in the prophecy is do not be afraid to speak. Whenever the divine comes in contact with the people – the first thing said is always do not be afraid. Whenever God speaks, God says – do not be afraid. Just do what I tell you – it will all be okay. God knows that life is hard, God knows that we are looking for answers, God knows that people are struggling. This is why God sent his son to us – to make things better. Like a shepherd God will tend his flock. He is coming with strength. Only God can overcome all circumstances to bring love to the world. What then will be the word that we speak at Advent? It will be a word of hope. Mother Teresa related an encounter she had with an old man in Calcutta: "Who is this Christ of Mother Teresa's?" "He's our Guru, old man, our Lord and our God." "What God is this?" "He's a God of love, old man. He loves all of us -- me and you too!" "How could he love me, Mem Sahib? He doesn't even know me." "Oh, yes, he does! Didn't he reach out across the city for you? Didn't he send his Sisters to the slums of Motijhil to bring you here? Doesn't he love you then, old man?" After a pause the old man said: "Could I love him, do you think?" This advent we have a lot of work to do, this is a huge construction project and we need all hands on deck in order to prepare the King’s highway – to get the message out – that the Lord is coming right here to bring comfort to the people. Let us pray…… Additional Sermon Illustrations….. "Of course you could -- it's easy to love him -- we'll love him together, old man, but sleep now. We'll talk again in the morning. Sleep now old man."2 s like a story that Philip Yancey tells about the composer Beethoven, a man not known for social grace. Because of his deafness, Beethoven found conversation difficult and humiliating. When he heard of the death of a friend's son, Beethoven hurried to the house, overcome with grief. He had no words of comfort to offer. But he saw a piano in the room. For the next half hour he played the piano, pouring out his emotions in the most eloquent way he could. When he finished playing, he left. The friend later remarked that no one else's visit had meant so much." (2) Let me ask you a question. Which means the most in our lives presents as in gifts or presence as in someone being there for us? When we are children, we think it is the gifts that make Christmas. As we become adults, we come to see that having someone there who loves us and whom we can love is far more important. God comes to us and comforts us. People without a country. Fathers and mothers trying to hold their frustrated families together by telling and re-telling the ancient stories of the good old days in far-off Jerusalem, now lying in ruins, the smoke of her ashes still twisting to the sky. People trying to eke out the best existence possible under the thumb of their Babylonian overlords. Those are the people to whom these glorious and triumphant words of Isaiah were first shouted. If you were ever a prisoner of war, or if you were ever someone waiting for a war to be over and a loved one to come home, or if you were in the front lines when the news came, "the war is over," then you can appreciate these words more than the rest of us. One day, a letter came to his desk addressed in shaky handwriting to God. He thought he should open it to see what it was about. He opened it and read these words: Dear God, I am a 93-year-old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me? Sincerely, Edna The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to his fellow workers. Each of them dug into their wallets and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which he put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all of the workers felt a warm glow for the kind thing they had done. Christmas came and went. A few days later another letter came from the old lady addressed to God. All of the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read: “Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it must have been those thieves at the Post Office. Sincerely, Edna.” (1) Well, the folks at the Post Office tried to help. Helping people is what life is all about, isn’t it? Which brings us to one of the most beautiful passages in the Scriptures. From Isaiah 40:1-11 we read these selected passages: Do you know who Rachel Naomi Remen is? She is Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She is especially known for her work with cancer patients and is an outstanding writer. In her book, Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal, she tells about an event that changed her life forever. She writes that in the beginning of December the year she turned thirteen, her father declared bankruptcy. It was a devastating thing to happen to their family just before Christmas. The result was that the family that year made homemade Christmas presents for one another instead of exchanging store-bought gifts. Rachel knit a colorful muffler for her Dad, and, using copper wire, she made a bracelet for her Mom. In spite of their financial situation, Remen says, the morning of Christmas was as lively as it had always been--the presents, though they were homemade, where just as festive as ever. Young Rachel ran her eyes over the gifts, and noticed that among them lay a small velvet box. Rachel knew that such a box was not likely to contain something homemade. She looked at it with suspicion. While she looked and wondered what could be inside, she heard her father say to her, “Open it . . . it’s your Christmas present.” Rachel unwrapped the present and found in the small box a pair of twenty four karat gold earrings. To say she was surprised is an understatement. For some 2 minutes, she ran her eyes from her present to her dad. “Come on . . . put them on . . . they’re yours,” said her father. She ran straight into the bathroom, closed the door, and put them on her ears. Cautiously she looked into the mirror. Then something sad happened. All Rachel could see was how absurd those expensive earrings looked on her homely face. With tears rushing down her cheeks, she headed straight to where she had left her father. “How could you do this?” she shrieked at her father. “Why are you making fun of me? Take them back. They look stupid. I’m too ugly to wear them. How could you waste all this money?” She flung the earrings to the floor and burst into tears. All this while, her dad said nothing. Then he came to her, cuddled her in his arms and whispered, “I know they don’t look right now. I bought them because someday they will suit you perfectly.” Rachel Naomi Remen writes, “I am truly grateful to have survived my adolescence. At some of its lowest moments, I would get out the box and look at the earrings. My father had spent a hundred dollars he did not have because he believed in the person I was becoming. It was something to hold on to.” (4) Young Rachel was comforted by those new earrings because they symbolized her father’s love for her. And, of course, that is the meaning of Christmas. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son . . .” And that is why we exchange gifts with one another. Christ came to us not because we deserve it, nor because he approves of everything we are or have done. He came because of his Father’s great love for us. Take a few moment this Christmas to listen again to the opening lines of Handel’s Messiah. Listen as the tenor sets the mood: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” Then continue to listen as he sings, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Then listen as moves into a brief aria: “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain.” Then you will hear the entire choir break into that glorious refrain: “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” What good news to all those who have ever needed to be forgiven. I believe, friends, it’s good news for you and me. Eleanor Roosevelt kept a crushing schedule of appointments with good organizations, human and civil rights organizations and all sorts of charities. You remember that she got a reputation in her latter years for being a "do-gooder". She spent all of her time giving support to organizations that she felt were doing good for human kind. Even when she was old and physically frail, she kept doing it. There is a story about her coming to a meeting that was on her schedule. She was worn out, completely exhausted. Her friend begged her to forego the engagement and go home for rest. But stubborn Eleanor would not respond. A man greeted her and opened the door of her car. She said to him, "You'll have to help me out. My head is heavy." She was so frail, and had been so busy, that her energy was gone and she was dizzy; she couldn't walk on her own. She got out and stood by him and said, "You'll have to steady me as I walk." He took her arms and they walked toward the crowd. As she approached the crowd, a little black girl with her arms filled with flowers came up to Mrs. Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt took the flowers and said to her friend who had scolded her for over-work, "You see, I had to come, I was expected." If a human being like Eleanor Roosevelt is that faithful, how much more faithful is the Lord Jesus Christ. He will come, if you expect Him, and you will be aware of his coming if you prepare by being hopeful and joyful, and by living patiently. I remember some years ago taking one of my first walks in San Francisco with my then three-year-old twins. I looked at the map, and it didn't seem like such a big deal to go from one place to the other. After all, it looked flat on the map! But as my wife and I began the trek we quickly realized that this was going to be no easy stroll. Shouldering backpacks filled with three-year-old paraphernalia and dragging tired twins behind, we climbed high and hiked low. We were quickly exhausted. We stood on the corner, with children crying and the two of us questioning our sanity, wondering what we would do next when a taxicab pulled up right beside us. I leaned into the window as the driver stretched across the passenger seat. We met eye-to-eye, nose to nose. "Where are you going?" he said. We didn't have much money, and I stammered as much back to him. "I didn't ask you about money," he said. "You're my free fare of the day! Every day I give one free ride, and you folks look like you could use it." He couldn't have been more right. We climbed into the cab and the steep San Francisco hills melted away as we glided to our destination. "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low ..." (Isaiah 40:4a). That day, those words somehow began to mean a little more. I learned that the steep hills we must climb and the low places we have to navigate can be made easier with the help of human hands. I don't know about you, but I would like to know exactly what's expected here. What does it mean to "prepare the way of the Lord?" All this talk about straight highways, lowered mountains, and raised up valleys. It's like we're supposed to be some major construction company for God. It may work for some, but my own self-image doesn't involve bulldozers and highway crews. I'm more the "let's sit down and talk over a cup of coffee" kind of guy.

A look into your future

February 1, 2015 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Year B Fourth Sunday of Epiphany We seem to have an obsession to be able to predict the future we need to know the outcome of everything. I noticed that there have been more predictions about who is going to win the superbowl than I have ever seen. I have seen all kinds of stories about how dogs, tigers, and crocodiles have been given a choice between the patriots and the seahawks. And that the animal made some choice. What Amazes me about these stories, is not so much that they were able to make a choice, but people start to brag about the record of these arbitrary events. This particular tiger has predicted the winner of the superbowl for the last 4 years…really? A tiger being able to predict the future? Tomorrow is ground hog day, where we watch to see if the ground hog will see his shadow. This arbitrary ground hog has the power to tell us what the next six weeks will be like? Really? Desperate and lonely for female company, a frog telephoned a psychic telephone service to find out what his future held. The person on the other end of the line said, "You will meet a beautiful young woman who will find you very interesting and want to know all about you." Excited and amazed, the frog asked excitedly, "That's wonderful! Where will I meet her? At work? At a party?" "No," said the psychic. "In a biology class." We are not frogs, we are children of God. So why would we leave something so sacred as our future up to tigers, and ground hogs, and arbitrary guesses of other people. Personally, I can appreciate John Wesley’s belief on the future. What we will become, or what happens to us has not been determined yet. We learned last week, that God knows our future, God knows what will become of us. But even God can change God’s mind. Prayer, faithfulness, and repentance can change things. Who I will be, and what will become with me, is not stored up for me in a book. My ultimate future is contained in my relationship with God. The bible says that eternity starts today. It starts with my ability to have a relationship with God. Our obsession with trying to predict the future stands in the way of us understanding what a prophet is and what a prophet does. When we think of prophecy, we think of it as a word about our future. It is about what is going to happen to us in the future. Deuteronomy 18 says that one way to test whether a prophet is true, is to see if what they have to say comes true or not. But Deuteronomy is not talking about the future, it is talking about today. In Hebrew belief, all there is is the here and now. Life is not so much about what it going to happen tomorrow, it is about today. All that we have any control of is what we are doing today. That is why it is called the present. We cant do anything about what happen yesterday, we cant do anything about what will happen tomorrow. All that we have is the present. A prophet is not someone who can predict the future, a prophet is someone who speaks for God about the conditions of today. In Deutoronomy, God says that he will send someone who can speak God’s word in the present situation. A prophet is someone who is able to listen to God. To have a relationship with God. And who is able to speak God’s word to the people. Deutoronomy says that the mark of a prophet is someone who God chooses, they don’t choose themselves. Someone who is a mediater between God and thepeople, and who speaks god’s words and not what comes to his own mind. Moses was the ultimate model of what a prophet should be and what a prophet should do. If we look at Numbers 12- Moses says that God speaks clearly to him face to face, and not in riddles. Moses was one of the few people who had a relationship with God, as if he was talking to a person. Moses has a relationship with god that was so intimate, that he was able to talk to God in a conversation, and to get answers, not just for his life, but for the lives of all of his people. As a matter of fact, in the story of numbers, Moses brother and sister criticize him for being so close to God. God gets mad at Miriam, and punishes her. Moses prays to God to be merciful to Miriam and she recovers. But it is her own encounter with God that changes her. She repents of her ways, and is allowed to be restored, so that she can begin a new relationship with God, with a new understanding, and a new respect. How many of us have had those encounters with God, that have challenged you, and caused you to have a new respect for the power of God in your life. I have those encounters each and everyday. The meaning of prophecy changes with each revelation of God. Moses is known as the founder of the jewish religion. Moses was known as the redeemer of his people. He was known as the one who had such a close relationship with God that he was able to bring the law of God to the people. But since then, we have a clearer example of one who has a relationship with God. We have someone who God chose, who god mediates with us, and who says and lives the words that God gave him. That person is Jesus Christ. And today, we cannot have a relationship with God without having a relationship with Christ, and a relationship with God’s word. Just as Moses sat on the mountain and had a lively conversation with God. We have to sit with our bible everyday and have a lively conversation with God’s word. How do we know what will become of our future, how well do we know that bible? How well do we do the will of Christ? How well do we live in the situations of today- according to the life of Christ? When we went to Malaysia in 2002, my son and I bought an electric shaver each. One of the good things about the shaver is that it has a rechargeable battery, meaning you can use it unplugged. But when you do, it gives off a low buzz. But if I plug it in it immediately steps up the revs and emits a high buzz. Unplugged it does a passable job. But plugged in it does a very good job - it works the way it was meant to. If you don't know Jesus, you can get along in everyday life without ever acknowledging Him. You can be an atheist, and get along fairly well. Before I knew Jesus Christ, I thought I was fine - but that's because I didn't know any better. I was like the unplugged shaver. I could never really do what I had been designed to do, fulfil my full potential, the plan of God for my life. There are lots of people who are getting by, but they don't realise they're not plugged into the power source. To plug into the power source, you have to be connected to God Himself through Jesus Christ. To be connected to Jesus, you have to be connected to the word of God, for today. Your today determines your tomorrow. Amen. Children’s Sermon: The Glue of God's Love by Thomas A. Pilgrim Passage: Mark 1:21-28 • Lectionary: Epiphany 4 Item 7 of 15 | Back to Results Object: A bottle of glue Lesson: Good morning boys and girls. I am glad you are here. Today in the Scripture lesson we will be reading about Jesus going to a town called Capernaum. Today I want you to look at this bottle of glue. They call this "School Glue." This is the same kind you use in school. As you already know this is really good glue because you can stick anything together with this glue. You can glue paper, plastic, wood, cloth, and just about anything else you can think of and it will stay together. Another good thing about it is that you cannot glue yourself to the floor. I was using some really strong glue one time and I actually glued myself to the floor. But you will not do that with this glue. Also, this glue will wash off your hands and clothes. So it will not make a mess you cannot clean up. Your mother does not have to worry when you use this glue. Now, let me ask you this question. Have you ever heard the expression, "I'm stuck on you?" Do you know what that means? It means, "I love you." It is something one of you boys might someday say to one of these girls. There is a glue in life that joins us together in the church. It helps us stick with our friends and our family members. Who knows what that is? It is God's love. God's love is like glue. It will hold you together when nothing else will. Jesus said to his disciples one time, "Children, love one another." He loved each one of them. And he wanted them to love each other. Everywhere Jesus went he called people to come follow him. And in doing that he was teaching them to have the same love and concern for other people that he had. Still today he wants us to be people who love him, love God, love each other and love other people, who more than anything, just need someone to love them. I am glad you came here today. May we pray: O God, help us to love each other and to love you. Help us to share your love with others. Amen. Extra Illustrations…….. There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13. Asking for Help The early church asked for the Spirit. They acknowledged His power and His way. Sensitive souls have always turned to the Spirit for help. The Spirit does not add qualities of life we do not possess. Those qualities are not something poured into us from the outside. They are inside humans and respond to the Spirit, developing every potential to its fullest. John Milton asked the Spirit to aid him as he began his epic poem, Paradise Lost. But it would have been of little help had he not possessed the genius of a poet. John Wesley declared that the success of his work was due to the Spirit, but we must remember that Wesley was a born leader. The Spirit used him. There was something in Wesley that responded to the Spirit. A legend is told of how Moses once heard a shepherd praying, “O God, show me where you are that I may become your servant. I will clean your shoes, and comb your hair, and sew your clothes, and bring you food.” Moses rebuked him with the words: “God is Spirit and needs not such ministrations.” Thereupon the shepherd rent his clothes in dismay and fled to the desert. Then Moses was rebuked by God, saying: “You have driven away my servant … I regard not the words that are spoken but the heart that offers them.” —Eugene A. Hessel Dealing With Difficult People Earl Nightingale told how on one National Secretaries Day he gave his secretary some flowers. She remarked how beautiful they were, but wondered why they didn't have any scent. He informed her that the flowers came from a hothouse and explained that because these flowers were raised in an isolated environment, they didn't attract insects (bugs) to pollinate them. As a result, they lost their scent. In the same way, fruit raised in a hothouse, because it doesn't need to attract insects to scatter its seeds, doesn't taste as good as fruit grown in its natural environment. (Weekend Encounter, Oct. 28, 2010). When we withdraw and isolate ourselves from people who "bug" us, it might make us feel safe from harm, but it affects us in other ways. We lose a part of what God created us to be, like a rose loses its fragrance and fruit loses its taste. God uses those people who bug us to bring out the best in us. Rather than running away from those people, let Jesus live His life through you, and the fragrance will come out. (Kent Crockett, www.kentcrockett.com)