​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
We have beheld his glory and join our voices with the angel chorus singing,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace.”
 
*Hymn   113            Angels We Have Heard On High
 
*Affirmation of Faith      The Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   581              Gloria Patri
 
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, as we enter this new Christmas season and approach a new year, help us set aside our old ways of sin- indifference, apathy, anger, resentment, hostility, envy- and any other attitude or behavior that separates us from you, our community, and our global family. Help us to let go of the year now almost behind us and embrace each new opportunity Christ presents with hope.
 
*Hymn  698        Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
God loves us so much that God separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west. God has forgiven us and set us free to live holy and joyful lives. Alleluia! Amen.
 
Scripture Reading   Psalm 148
Time With Our Young Disciples
 Gospel Reading     Luke 2:41-52
 
Twelve year olds can be curious and energetic and smart and a little bit smart aleck. Rude. They object a lot. Their feelings get hurt easily. They often have self-esteem issues.
We are about to gain a newborn granddaughter and a twelve year old grandson. We are learning that we will have to treat both of them gently when we visit.
For instance, the house my daughter and her partner have purchased is one to accommodate a growing family. It is three full floors and a ranch-sized yard. There’s lots of room for Benny, their goldendoodle, to romp. And the coolest thing about the house is a mother in law apartment.
Ed and I are thrilled aver that. We usually stay at the Holiday Inn Express afew blocks from Katy’s house. It’s nice and kind of our home away from home, but, staying at the house will be much more convenient and much less expensive.
There’s only one problem: the twelve-year-old had planned on taking up residence in the apartment. The news didn’t go over well when he was told that wasn’t going to happen.
Imagine the outcome of that conversation. Then add the sound of a slamming door.
The problem was not that he believed he is a privileged character and deserves the apartment. The problem is he has gained a certain level of competency and independence. Why shouldn’t he assume that he qualified to live on his own?
And that’s what comes to mind as I read this scripture text. Jesus is in the Temple? Where else would he be, he asks his parents. They could list a dozen places and how thoughtless he was to disappear without telling them his plans, or would it have been too much to ask for him to seek permission?
That’s probably how it would go at our house.
Thankfully, Mary and Joseph handle this issue better.
They listen as Jesus expresses an awareness of the call God has placed on his life. He describes four things that he must do. Four priorities. This is how Luke tells us the story of jesus.
Listen for the word, “must,” in the conversation. In this text, when Mary and Joseph find jesus in the temple, he says, “I must be in my Father’s house.” Later, in chapter four, when the people of Capernaum want him to stay awhile with them, he will say something similar: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God in other cities also…for I was sent for this purpose.”
The second must-do jesus takes up is that he must engage in healing. He gets in trouble over his methods on this. He heals a woman on the Sabbath. The leader of the synagogue chastises the woman for seeking healing on the Sabbath and Jesus defends her and himself by pointing out exceptions to the rule if it’s done to relieve suffering.
And the third must-do is this:Jesus must eat with sinners. The most famous dinner companion in this gospel is Zacchaeus, the tax collector. The followers of Jesus would not expect Jesus to eat with Zaccheus or folks of his type, because tax collectors were collaborating with the Romans and the Romans were oppressing the Jews.
In all of these instances, Jesus is doing the unexpected. He reaches out to people he might not ordinarily have direct contact with. He encounters need and acts to relieve it. He runs into criticism. He holds his own. He defends himself and the even more vulnerable one who has received his attention his help.
But, perhaps the most important must-do Jesus takes care of is this:
Jesus has a close relationship with his mother. In that relationship we witness love and respect. And, Jesus has reached the moment in his life when he acknowledges that there are others with whom he will have relationships. And in all of these, Jesus is for us, but he does not belong to us. Jesus belongs to God.
The work Jesus must be about is not based on his mother’s priorities, or the synagogue leader’s, or anyone else’s. Jesus must do what God calls him to do. And what God calls him to do is bring release to the captives, healing for the suffering, and mercy and grace for those whose lives are broken by sin.
What happens that day with the twelve-year-old Jesus happens to anyone who is either a child or a parent.  Psychologically, we would call this differentiating. Jesus is differentiating himself from his parebts. He is living into his own identity. This is what healthy people do. But, oh, it can be painful.
Our youngest daughter attended a retreat with her Baptist friend. When we picked her up when the retreat ended, she bounced into the car and declared, “When Im 21, I’m going to become a Baptist!”
To which her big sister said, “That’s funny. When I turned 21, I bought cigarettes.” Both of them were differentiating. They weren’t going to be replicas of Mom or Dad. And that’s how it should be.
So, instead of being outraged that adolescent Jesus worries his parents then seems to show them disrespect, think about it. One of the most profound truths of Advent and Christmas is that Jesus, fully human, fully God, has come to live among us. He grows and matures and reaches developmental benchmarks just like our children. Like us, he is presented challenges, as are his parents. And, like us, his parents worry over his safety and well-being. I’m even betting they made a mistake or two like I have.
To me, this makes Jesus, Mary and Joseph more approachable, more like you and me. And that’s good news.
So, our soon-to-be grandson isn’t moving into his own place yet, but he’s growing up. He will find some way to differentiate, a way to forge his own identity. And his choices are not limited to becoming a Baptist or buying cigarettes.
It doesn’t really matter. He can be whoever he wants to be. But he can’t change who his parents are their love. And he will always be their son.
 
*Hymn  145        What Child Is This?
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
   including our contributions to support those in need in our community
*Hymn    607  Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
May these gifts offer healing and hope. May our lives reflect the generosity of your love,
and may our actions serve your will. In Jesus’ name and for his realm.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 147  The First Nowell      verses 1-3
 
*Blessing
Go now, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly;
clothe yourselves with love;
forgive one another;
and do everything you do in the name of Christ,
giving thanks to God.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Christ Candle
 Do not be afraid, for see-
 I am bringing you good news of great joy.
 To us is born this day in the city of David,
 a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
 This will be a sign for you:
 You will find the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.
 Tonight we light the Christ Candle to symbolize God’s promise fulfilled.
 For a Child has been born to us.
 A Son has been given to us.
 Authority rests upon his shoulders,
 and he is named
 Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
*Hymn   119             Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
*Affirmation of Faith        Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   581                        Gloria Patri
 
First Reading          Isaiah 9:2-7
Gospel Reading      Luke 2:1-20
Homily
 
The Sacrament of Communion
 The Invitation, Words of Institution, Great Prayer of Thanksgiving,
 Distribution of the Elements
               Please come forward to receive the elements.
               Those who wish to remain seated will be served.
Prayer After Communion
Great God, as you came at night when all was still,
so enter our lives this night.
Illumine our paths with the light of Christ’s presence,
that we may clearly see the way before us,
the truth to speak,
and the life to live for him,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.  Amen.
 
Lighting Our Candles from the Christ Candle
 
*Hymn  122     Silent Night
 
*Blessing
Go now, singing a song to the God of our salvation.
Sing of God’s mighty acts and proclaim God’s glory.
Join the heavenly chorus and sing:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth, peace.”  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Christmas Cantata

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Advent Wreath, the Candle of Love        Don and Becky Haddox
 
*Hymn  133     O Come, All Ye Faithful       
 
Prayer
God of grace,
You chose the Virgin Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Savior.
Though we have sinned and failed both you and our neighbors, we place ourselves before you in penitence, that you may fill us with your grace,
that with Mary, we may rejoice in your salvation, and in all things, embrace your will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 698    Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. This is our Good News. This is our peace. Alleluia! Amen.
 
First Reading   2 Samuel 7: 8-16
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading
Morning Message
 
“We are all called to be Mothers of God, for God is always waiting to be born.” These are the words of Meister Eckart, 13th century philosopher.
 
Theologian Nancy Rockwell says, “She enters our Decembers with an angel, gloriously winged, who honors her. The moment is spellbinding. We are entranced by the arrival of this woman, Mary, on the stage of Christmas and in the story of God.”
 
I’ve spent considerable time lately looking at images of Mary-paintings, sculptures, old and archived, new and freshly created in photographs, digital art, and in a gazillion pictures on Pinterest. I’ve researched the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters, the Met’s museum of medieval art. I was looking for a special sculpture I saw while visiting the Cloisters years ago. It was mounted on a wall. I was surprised by it and stood before it for a long time. Baby Jesus, plump and content, in the arms of his young, laughing mother.
 
There is an endless inventory of human interpretations of the central female figure of the Christian faith, the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, the one that some like to call, “the God-bearer.”
 
The images come in all forms and shapes: Marys representing the world’s races and cultures. I have a collection of nativity sets. I didn’t unpack all of them this year. There were no little ones visiting this year, no one whose eyes might light up in wonder. No one, asking with their eyes, if it’s ok to touch.
 
But, I did unpack a few. I’m always on alert for new ones or old ones that show up in new places. One day I was browsing the Habitat for Humanity Restore and spied a tiny nativity. I recognized the small unfired clay figures, hand-painted, and distinctively Peruvian. I have a few of the same type at home. I love the simple form and the expressions on the tiny faces. They were a mix of uncertainty and mirth.
 
And that’s one definition of joy for me: uncertainty and mirth. Surprise. Kind of like a bride and groom on their wedding day-excited, eager, a little uncomfortable in their formal clothes, expectations high, taking a courageous step into a season, a lifetime we hope, that is largely unknown. A step that is motivated and empowered and energized by love.
 
Surprised by Joy: the Shape of My Early Life, is the titile of C. S. Lewis’s autobiography.
Lewis’s purpose in writing this book was not primarily historical. It was to identify and describe the events surrounding his accidental discovery of, and consequent search for, the phenomenon he labled, “Joy.”
 
“Joy” was his best translation of the German word, sehnsucht, or longing, in English. This joy was so intensely good and so high up it could not be explained in words. He just knew it when it happened.
 
He says he was struck with what he called “stabs of joy” throughout his life.
Lewis eventually discovers the true nature of joy, born of the unconditional love of God. This discovery leads to an overwhelming conversion experience from atheism to Christianity.
 
Lewis writes that this sense of joy is like a signpost to those lost in the woods, pointing the way, and that its appearance is not as important “when we have found the road and are passing signposts every few miles.”
 
Lewis’s life was consumed by learning, though he did participate in civic endeavors. He also served in the armed forces as a young man. His mother gave him a love of reading. She taught him Latin at a young age. He was devastated by her death when he was only nine years old.
 
In his late teens, he shed the Christianity in which he had been raised, studied widely, and declared himself to be an atheist. But, still, there was something unresolved troubling him.
 
He continued his quest for joy. He called it the “inconsolable longing for the real Desirable.” As a child, his joy came though reading, writing, and drawing. In his youth, he discovered Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Norse mythology. As he matured, he realized that pleasure did not equate with joy, neither physical nor aesthetic, nor music, poetry, or intellectual gratification.
 
Lewis studied in public and private schools, eventually studying with a private teacher in preparation for Oxford. His teacher, Mr. Kirkpatrick, was an atheist, a rationalist, and a logician. Under his tutelage, Lewis read great works in their original languages.
 
It was a dear friend, Arthur, who urged him to read books written in English. He read the Brontes, Jane Austin, Donne, Milton, Spenser, Yeats, and others, including George MacDonald.
He began to revise some of his worldviews. Ultimately, George MacDonald, the Scottish author and theologian, gave him glimpses of something other than the material world, the world that is neither seen nor felt but stirs in the human heart.
 
“Unde hoc mihi.” Unfamiliar with that phrase? Me, too. It’s Latin. I had to look it up and found this meaning: “And whence is this to me?” Or, “And why is this granted to me?”
 
These are the very words exclaimed by Elizabeth upon Mary’s arrival at her home. Surprised by joy. As Mary was surprised, honored, and yet terrified, not quite believing that God should come to her, conceive his Son through her, bear a Savior into the world through her body and through her humility. She asks, “And why is this granted to me?”
 
Lewis writes, “As I was reading, two-thirds into George MacDonald’s autobiography, these words leapt out: “Unde hoc mihi?” And why is this granted to me? In the depth of my intellect, all this was given to me without asking, even without consent.” Just like Elizabeth. Just like Mary.
 
Lewis describes this moment, this epiphany, as “holiness.” He was converted from atheism to belief in God. Lewis said he was the “ most reluctant convert in all England.” He hated authority, he had a deep need for independence, and was unsure of the one he called, “the Transcendental Interferer.”
 
To accept the Incarnation brought God near. He wasn’t so sure he wanted God all that close. But when Lewis finally came to faith, he said he submitted to divine humility, the Incarnation, Emmauel. God with us. Born in humility and love.
 
I learned of Lewis’s story first in the beautiful and stirring movie, “Shadowlands.” Here was a man whose life had been devoted to intellectual pursuits. A bachelor of many years. If he had once believed in God, he had set that belief aside, probably a result of his mother’s death.
 
Like many of us, Lewis may have concluded that getting close to others involved way too much risk, too much pain. But, when God pried his heart open, he found the earthly example of God’s love for us: the love of another. In Lewis’s case, it was Joy Davidman, an American author, whom he married. Their time together was much too short, but, for a time, Clive Staples Lewis knew and lived and celebrated love.
 
C.S. Lewis is often quoted in Christian circles. He was known for his prolific writing in defense of the faith, and, of course, the Narnia stories enjoyed by all ages. The words are beautiful and poignant. I looked for an appropriate quote for this day, the fourth Sunday in Advent, the Sunday of Love:
 
Here is what I found:
“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
The Last Battle” (1956)
May you all find that stable this year.   Merry Christmas.  Amen.             
 
*Affirmation of Faith            
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God,
preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed
and blessing the children, healing the sick, and building up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.
 
*Hymn  581     Gloria Patri            
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next,
and your fidelity, for all ages.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and chose for yourself a covenant people,
bringing them from slavery to a land of their own.
In your servant, David, you established your rule
and promised his throne to the one
who would save your people and reign forever.
And now, the mystery kept secret for long ages
has been revealed to all the earth:
Your own Son, Jesus Christ,
is conceived by the Holy Spirit
in the womb of Mary
and emerges to claim the throne of his ancestor, David.
Though he was killed by the proud and powerful,
you have raised him up,
and with him, the humble of all the earth,
and of his reign there will be no end.
We seek to be his faithful witnesses,
bearing the gospel into the world,
caring for the sick, the weak, the rejected, the mourning, the lonely, and the lost,
and praying as he taught us saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn 606   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn 134   Joy to the World
*Blessing
Go now, and celebrate God’s love all your days.
Give to Christ Jesus the obedience of faith,
offering yourself as the servant of the Lord
and allowing God’s Word to be fulfilled in you.
And may the only wise God establish you forever.
May the mysteries of Christ be conceived within you.
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen and encircle you.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  92      While We Are Waiting, Come   verse 1
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Candle of Joy           Robin McComas
 
*Hymn  113  Angels We Have heard On High          
 
Prayer
We come, O God, with thanksgiving and praise. Our anticipation grows as we approach the day of Jesus’ birth. Open our hearts that we may truly receive the gift of your Son, and know the joy of abundant life with you. Guard us from all sinful intentions and desires, so that by following Jesus, we may want for nothing but the joy of our salvation. Through Christ, who comes to make all things new.  Amen.
 
Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness        Isaiah 43:19
God announces:
 “See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
God is sending his Son, a Savior, to make all things and all people new.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading              Luke 1:39-56
The Morning Message       Mary’s Song
 
*Hymn 105           People, Look East, verses 1-3       
 
*Affirmation of Faith    The Apostles’ Creed   p. 35
*Hymn 581   Gloria Patri
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God, we give thanks today for the gifts of love and life,
for the gift of joy that transcends this season and sustains us year-long,
for the gift of comfort when our joy is dimmed,
for the gifts of mercy, healing, and wholeness,
for the gifts of patience and serenity,
for the gift of hope as we prepare our hearts for the Savior’s birth.
As Christ has come to change our world,
we pray that he may be born in us afresh,
and that through the ministry and mission of the faithful of this age
the world may be re-shaped and renewed, and we may see your kingdom emerge among us.
Comfort your people who are in any distress, including those we name in our hearts, strengthen all caregivers, enable the faithful to persevere, enlighten those who govern that they may protect and provide for the local and global community.
Usher in your peace, that passes all understanding, and keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn 607    Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Lord God, as Mary presented herself as the means through which your Son would come to earth, we present ourselves, our intentions, and our treasure, that you may use us to bring the joy of your realm ever closer to the world you have made and love. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 105        People, Look East, verses 4 and 5
 
*Blessing
Go now, for you are chosen and sent in the Spirit.
Pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances.
Keep what is good, avoid every kind of evil.
To all in need bear witness that the time is come when yhe Sovereign Lord will save his people.
And may God who gives peace make you holy in every way.
May Christ Jesus clothe you with salvation and victory.
And may the Holy Spirit speak through you with the good news of life everlasting.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 92   While We Are Waiting, Come
                    While we are waiting, come.
                    While we are waiting, come.
                    Jesus, our Lord, Emmanuel,
                    while we are waiting, come. 
 
*Postlude   

Prelude
 
Lighting the Candle of Peace        Harold and Becky Bias   
 
*Hymn  88      O Come, O Come, Emmanuel      
   
Prayer of the Day
May this eternal truth be always on our hearts:
that the God who breathed this world into being,
placed the stars in the heavens,
and designed a butterfly’s wing…
is the God who entrusted his life
to the care of ordinary people
and became vulnerable that we might know
how strong is the power of Love…
a mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp,
a mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore.
May this beauty and mystery work within us, calling us to full lives- loving, serving, and growing in grace, as we seek and extend forgiveness in Jesus’ name.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Friends, Jesus knows our hearts and our intentions. He is always more willing to forgive than we are ready to ask for help. With Christ’s help, any misguided steps can be corrected and turned around for good. Believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
First Reading     Malachi 3:1-6     
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
 Gospel Reading   Luke 3:1-6
 
The Morning Message
 
I read a story this week that captured the scripture readings in just the right way for us today.
The Rev, Nathaniel Phillips, of the Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan* writes that one summer he led a mission trip to his hometown in Maine. His group had a day off and they were headed to the beach for a day of rest, relaxation, and fellowship.
 
He writes, “My wife is there, too, with my five-year-old daughter and our baby who is just a few weeks old. My wife is driving our car to the lake and I am guiding the group so I am in the church van. I am riding as a passenger, offering directions to the driver on our way through town to the lake. We will have a picnic there, we’ll play Frisbee, we’ll swim.”
 
They must be much hardier than this preacher. Have you been to Maine? Even in the summer, it’s sweater weather.
 
Phillips continues with his story: “As this is my hometown, I’ve seen the Farmington roadside go by thousands of times, and I tell our driver to stay straight on Route 4 until we hit the next town. All the familiarity seeps in, I am drifting…”
 
“As we pass the diner, my eyes lock on the spinning blue lights of a police car. And there, in front of the diner, I see my wife. She is running with purpose around our car to the backseat where I know our three-week-old baby girl is strapped in. The police car is behind hers and the officer stands, looking helpless, next to the car. An ambulance brackets our vehicle from the front. Panic shoots through me. “That’s my wife,” I say to nobody in particular.
 
We need to turn around. We need to turn around!
 
The most dreadful possibilities race through his mind in the seconds it takes to turn around and go back to the scene. Was there an accident? Did the baby choke on something? And he prays, please God, let everything be OK.
 
And by turning around, they became fully informed about what had happened.
 
He says this incident reminds him of how we receive the good news about our lives and faith. People tend to talk about choosing to embrace the Christian faith, or any other faith, as though it is an intellectual exercise.
 
Our Reformed and Presbyterian understanding is that we don’t get to choose whether God loves us, but we do get to chose whether we will turn around from whatever path we are on, like Phillips turned the church van around that day in Maine, and live into that marvelous love of God.
 
We don’t get to decide whether God loves this or that person, whether or not they are worthy of love, but we do get to help the world turn around and live into that love. Living into God’s love should take us down the road that leads to peace. Going down that road often calls for change.
 
This is John’s message in the gospel text. He calls the people to repent, turn around, for the kingdom of heaven is near.  This account is also found in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew uses the Greek word, metanoia, which is translated “repent.” Meta means change and nous means mind. So, John is calling us to change our minds…go in another direction.
 
This idea of turning around is not new to our New Testament characters. In Hebrew, we find the word, shuv. It is translated “repent,” and it, too, means to turn around, to change our ways.
 
Recently, Ed and his brother were watching a basketball game. Their team was lagging behind. They were headed toward a loss when they should have been winning considering the team they were playing. I heard one of the spectators shout at the television, “You’ve got to turn this around, boys!”
 
Indeed, they needed to change their strategy before they were defeated. Apparently that was the message they heard in the locker room at half time. Because when they took the floor for the second half, they turned the game around and won it.
 
We aren’t all basketball players. But we all make decisions every day that define our lives. What kind of emotional climate do we set for the day? What face will we wear when we greet the other people who live in our home? How will we approach the day’s tasks? How will we respond to an emergency? Or a disappointment?  Or the evening news?
 
Most of us will not make decisions on the scale that the governor or President face each day. But we will be affected by their choices. We all hope our civic leaders take us down the road that leads to success, that brings us a sense of satisfaction and well-being.  Sometimes those choices bring us peace and order and sometimes they produce anxiety.
 
We make decisions every day. We hope to do good, right?  We have worthy intentions. We interact with others all the time. Again, we have honorable motives. Here’s what I hope you will take away today: we don’t always get it right. And if we don’t, we can make it right by turning things around. And if we can’t turn things around, we can still seek forgiveness. God’s mercies are new every morning and sure as the sunrise.
 
When we lay our heads on our pillows at night, we don’t want to toss and turn, worrying about the day’s events, the day’s choices. We want rest. We need peace.
 
What are some ways we can find peace now, today? I can only speak for myself. I’ll crack the door on the climate in our house. I have been known to wait until everyone goes to bed and then clean the house, or do the laundry or some other task because it is unacceptable to me to go to bed if there are dishes in the sink or crumbs on the floor. I am as addicted to neatness as some are to alcohol. I have learned that they are both destructive. Both are methods that are meant to ease anxiety. But, in reality, both rob their practitioners of peace.
 
Frederick Buechner reminds us that, “The real turning point in our lives is less likely to be the day we win the election or get married, than the morning we decide to mail the letter or the afternoon we watch the woods fill up with snow. The real turning point in human history is less apt to be the day the wheel is invented or Rome falls, than the day a child is born in a stable.”
 
Can you imagine, if we had been in that church van in Maine the day Nathaniel Phillips saw his wife’s car surrounded by emergency vehicles? We, too would have been compelled to stop and turn around. We would have turned around for that baby.
 
And we would have found what Nathaniel did that day: that the baby had worked herself up into such a lather that his wife was concentrating more on taking care of the baby’s needs than the speed she was driving. We’ve probably all been there. She was near the diner when a police officer pulled her over. She pulled into the diner parking lot right behind an ambulance already parked there. Apparently the EMTs were taking their breakfast break.
 
Nathaniel was compelled to turn around so he could be with his wife and children that morning in Maine. He had to turn around.
 
So, what about us? Can we turn around from whatever is distracting us to be fully present for the baby in the manger? When will we stop, turn around, and think about the life of that baby? Will we consider how he grew in wisdom and stature, accepted his mission from God, his father, and eventually exchanged his swaddling clothes for a robe that was gambled over and a crown of thorns on the head his mother had kissed?
 
These things he did for us. These things he did for love. These things he did to bring us peace. And even if we don’t choose him, he chooses us. His arms are always open. In them we will always find our home.
 
May it be so for all of us.  Amen.
 
*Affirmation of Faith   The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
*Hymn   581                  Gloria Patri
 
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
O God, our Peace,
On this Sunday of preparation, this Sunday that celebrates your peace,
help us so to live that peace may be found in our lives, homes, workplaces, and our church.
May we do our part to usher in peace in the world and in the Village of Barboursville.
Where we have sinned, move us to repentance,
and help us to muster the courage to make amends with those we’ve harmed in thought, word, or deed. Where others have sinned against us, may we find a sense of forgiveness and trust that you will reconcile all things in your time.
We pray for all those who face violence daily, for all in need, for those near and far away who are sick or troubled, for all suffering due to the pandemic, for those who mourn, for all leaders everywhere, that they may seek the welfare of the city, nation, and the world.
Make us all new in the One to whom John pointed, Jesus, our Savior and friend,
praying as he taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings, including our pledges for mission and ministry in 2022.
*Hymn  607     Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Most Generous God,
You have entrusted us with gifts and asked us to use them in advancing your kingdom.
And, so, today, we bring gifts and pledges for the coming year.
We offer ourselves, our lives, our hopes and fears,
our dollars and our hours.
We commit ourselves to work for your world, to love and serve and celebrate wherever you call.
We ask your blessing on this church, seeking to follow you in Jesus’ name and in his manner, that our gifts and our efforts may multiply and we might grow in faith, hope, and love.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  106   Prepare the Way, O Zion    
*Blessing
Go now: wait and work for the coming of the Lord.
In the wild places prepare a straight path for our God.
Lead lives of holiness and godliness,
strive to be found at peace,
and speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise.
And may God, our shepherd, gather you in loving arms,
may Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;
and may the Spirit fill you with holy intentions.
 
*Hymn 91    While We Are Waiting, Come     verse 1
*Postlude

​Prelude
Lighting the Candle of Hope                                                Steve and Karen Gold
 
*Hymn   82     Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus                     
 
Prayer of Confession
God of the future, you are coming in power to bring all nations under your rule.
We confess that we have not expected your kingdom, for we live causal lives, ignoring your promised judgment. We accept lies as truth, exploit neighbors, abuse the earth, and refuse your justice and peace. In your mercy, forgive us. Grant us wisdom to welcome your way, and to seek things that will endure when Christ comes to judge the world.
 
Hymn 698      Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Pardon
Surely God is our salvation, we will trust in God and not be afraid, for the Lord God is our Strength and Might. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great in our midst is the Holy One of Zion, and he will save the people from their sins. Know you are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Old Testament Reading        Jeremiah 33: 14-16
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading                    Luke 1:1-4, 26-38
The Morning Message
 
The days are getting shorter and darkness comes earlier now as we approach winter. I’m not especially fond of it. I’d ike to stay on daylight Savings Time year-round.
 
When I was in junior high and high school, I left home for the bus stop at 6:30 in the morning. It was always dark and, in the winter, cold, and I hated it. It made me sad and sometimes scared, especially if I had to walk alone.
 
After school, the kids in my neighborhood were the last be dropped off. At four o’clock in the wintertime, the sky was already gray, like the earth was trying to light herself with a dull bulb. Everything seemed dreary and lifeless.  It made me sad. I longed for light.
 
Today we know there is a real condition called “Seasonal Affective Disorder,” which tells us that some people react poorly to the decrease of natural light that winter brings. It can lead to depression. Thankfully, many can be treated simply by increasing the amount of light he or she is exposed to. That can be done by adding lamps to the home, and in extreme cases, by moving to a location where the sun shines longer each day.
 
Today, on this first Sunday of Advent, we light one candle. We will add to that for the next three weeks. The light will grow brighter and brighter as we approach the birth of Jesus.
 
One candle doesn’t produce much light, does it? One candle in a dark room hardly makes a difference. I’ve tried reading by candlelight. It’s not easy.
 
But, think about this…a candle, even a small one, can be a strong symbol of waiting and watching in hope through the dark times.
 
We know about dark times, don’t we?
 
Several years ago, a large group of newly-graduated high school students flocked to Florida to have a last hurrah before they went their separate ways.
 
On their way home, a van-full of boys had an accident. Two of the four died as a result. They were known to us, and the survivors were known to us, and we grieved along with their families and friends. Young people grieve very deeply and they often look for a suitable tribute for those who died. A candle-light gathering was planned and our church provided the candles, the same ones we use on Christmas Eve. We were glad to do it. We hoped that one small gesture would comfort them.
 
When the first year anniversary of the accident drew near, one of the mothers asked if they could borrow our candles again. Of course they could. I know the candle-light gathering had a different tone the second time around. Time and distance had helped to heal the pain of tragic loss. The young people were beginning to see around the corner of grief and catch a glimpse of their promising futures. The faithful among them had started accepting the order of things, that, birth, death and life eternal, was God’s intention for all of us. Christians are not left without hope. We believe that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. That is Scripture’s promise.
 
This text is about the promise of Christ’s eventual return. Can you hear its serious and warning tone? Even so, we do not tremble or quake at his appearing. We watch and wait as people of promise. Here we have Jesus speaking to his disciples, and at the heart of this apocalyptic writing, is the promise, that when he comes, he will gather his people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.
 
Another issue that this text raises for us is the unexpectedness of the events Jesus mentions. No one knows the day of his coming- not prophets, nor the angels, nor televangelists, not even Jesus, God’s Son, knows when that will be.
 
To experience the unexpected is a fact of life. Stuff happens. Some terrible things, like a miscarriage, a job loss, the torment of an addiction.
 
So, we do things to avoid disaster, like plan carefully for that rainy day and carry a good life insurance policy. We don’t build our homes where a thousand year flood happens every ten years. We take vitamins, and get regular check ups and get our Covid shots and install smoke detectors.
 
But, when our whole life revolves around avoiding fear, danger, disappointment, failure, or loss, something dies within us. We don’t live as fully as we could, maybe not even as fully as God planned for us.
 
How is that? Ed had a student who he says is tremendously talented. She plays a couple of instruments and plays them beautifully. She is a tip-top of the class student. She is more mature than most. But, she misses nearly all the extra opportunities that school provides. Field trips are usually out. Staying away from home for even one night is unthinkable to her parents. Friends, that’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, and a terrible, unfair burden to heap upon any child.
 
I’ve learned some really important things from people who have endured great loss in their lives. Some years after his wife’s death, a church member told me he was enjoying a relationship with one of his female neighbors. It was easy to see that he was happier and he credited this lovely woman for that.
 
 “You know Cinda,” he said, “when older people like me say they couldn’t possibly find love at our age, or they’re just not interested, they are trying to protect themselves. If you love again, you will one day suffer grief and loss again. And no one wants that. But, to love again, is a profound joy. It shouldn’t be missed. It is not to be feared.”
 
What is it we fear most? We could each make a list of fearful things and we when get to the end, remind ourselves that scripture says perfect love casts out fear. And, we may not yet love perfectly, but Jesus does. And  Jesus has promised that he will gather each and every one of us up and hold us close to him. He will not forget, abandon or leave us on our own.
 
What might we risk in this season and the year ahead? Can we trust God enough to know that even if new and daring ventures might result in disappointment or loss, we can learn from those experiences, too, and receive more deeply the healing presence of the one who came to us as a babe in Bethlehem and will come again?
 
As the days grow shorter and the darkness lasts longer, we light Advent candles each week to remind us that we do not face the darkness alone, but we have the Light of the World beside us.
 
When our grandson was two, he discovered flashlights. He entertained himself and all of us by shining his light into the dark corners, closets, cabinets, and other dark places in our house. Briar would shine his light into the darkness and discover what was waiting there.
 
Seeing things thru his eyes was quite enchanting. Sometimes the flashlight would reveal a penny, sometimes, a tortilla chip. Or a dead bug. Once it found a miniature Santa Claus, and many times, just showed dust bunnies.
 
But, in every case, it brought a simple, unpretentious joy. As in, “Oh…a toothpick!”
 
Pray with me…
Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths untrodden, trough perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, thru Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith       The Apostles’ Creed   p. 35  
*Hymn 581                      Gloria Patri 
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Dedication
Holy One, in this season, we wait in hope.
and we give in hope:
hope for your coming reign,
hope of your presence with us even now.
Receive our gifts, that they may be used to bring hope to our community and beyond.  Amen.
 
 
*Hymn 92          While We Are Waiting, Come
*Blessing
Go now, and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth.
Be on your guard so that you will not be caught up in the anxieties of the world.
Be alert at all times and pray for strength to escape the traps
that would keep you from God.                       
 
*Postlude