Prelude
Lighting the Advent Wreath, the Candle of Love and the Christ Candle Charlie Seay, Rayen and Ellis Ciccollela, and Barrett Seay Reader 1: To a people longing for hope and yearning for deliverance, the prophet Isaiah declared, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined…for a child has been born to us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2,6) Reader 2: This morning, we come seeking hope, peace, joy, and love. And we find these things in a child. God made flesh as a baby in a manger. A baby who is both the beginning and the end of our salvation, who dwells with us even now, our Emmanuel, God with us. Congregation: We live as people in the in-between, who celebrate the arrival of the Light that shines in lost and broken places, as we wait for the day when we will live in the fullness of God’s kin-dom. Reader 1: We light these candles as signs of our shocking hope, our just peace, our fierce joy, the love that transforms us, and Jesus Christ, our wondrous Light. May the Light burning in our hearts guide us, comfort us, protect us, and tend us in all seasons and circumstances, reminding us that day and night, in the light and in the darkness, God is with us. Our salvation has come! Amen. *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. Like Mary, may we 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 Psalm 98 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 2:1-20 Morning Message *Hymn 145 What Child Is This? *Affirmation of Faith From A Brief Statement 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 Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication In gratitude for grace given, we offer our thanks and praise: For this season and all its blessings. For life and health and family and friends. For the witness of this congregation thru the generations. For the love and support of one another. For the privilege of reaching out to others in Jesus’ name: For the work of our denomination in preparing leaders, educating young people, establishing and staffing hospitals, and relieving suffering near and far. In all these things, we lift our voices, prepare our homes, welcome loved ones, and show kindness to those in need. In the name of Jesus, coming to us as a helpless babe, who died that we might live. Amen. Lighting Our Candles from the Christ Candle Let us light our candles so that we may joyfully bear the light of Christ into the world. *Hymn 122 Silent Night (insert) *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. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lighting the Candle of Joy Reader 1: When God’s people were surrounded by hardship, suffering, and grief, Isaiah proclaimed, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. (Isaiah 61:1-3a) Reader 2: We come today as people who are also surrounded by suffering and grief. And yet, the Spirit hovers among us, tending and anointing, inspiring freedom where there is captivity, declaring blessing in places the world has cursed, and igniting fierce joy where mourning and heartache prevail. Congregation: We wait as people who experience hardship and pain, yet we are called to witness to the persistent joy that sustains our life as God’s people. Reader 1: We light two blue candles and the pink candle as signs of our shocking hope, just peace, and fierce joy. May our lives shine with the fierce, tenacious joy of the Light who lives in our hearts as we wait and work for the coming of God’s kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. *Hymn 147 The First Noel 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, and forgive our transgressions, 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. First Reading Isaiah 35:1-10 Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Luke 1:39-56 The Morning Message One of the loveliest settings in our community is the Ritter Park Rose Garden. One of the most treasured places in our nation’s Capitol is the White House Rose Garden. A nosegay of roses was the only accessory chosen by a young bride to go with her antique lace wedding gown. “Rose” is the middle name of our winsome little granddaughter. A tribute to her great-grandmother. Delicate, beautiful, fragrant, pure sweetness and light. The rose. Rev. Talitha Arnold says in her yard stood a rose bush. It had no business being there, in her opinion. The ground was too hard and was littered with too many rocks. It was impossible to get grass to grow, much less a rose bush. Trash piled up against the fence and people were known to throw bottles of all sorts into the straggly yard. She says the back yard of their Bristol Street house was certainly no rose garden. The rose bush had been the planting of her friend, Joan, when she and her family had moved out of the local housing project and into the small house with the tiny backyard. Joan and her husband had developed a group ministry in the inner city after they both graduated from seminary and became ordained ministers. They had moved into the projects, lived on a minimal salary, and raised their family in one of the most impoverished cities on the east coast. Because of their work and commitment, their home became a sort of gathering place, where people could come for fellowship and support, much like a church. Neighbors came at all hours of the day and night. Some were involved in community projects, and the house served as a meeting place. Others came for counsel, and some for food or a place to sleep. Talitha says the work, the ministry, was hard. Most of the population lived on the edge- on the edge of homelessness, poverty, or the edge of addiction. Rac ism was particularly challenging. Sometimes the needs were so great and the resources so small. There were times when Joan felt close the edge, too, and despair threatened. Talitha says she thinks that’s why Joan planted the rosebush. It really made no sense in that scrawny backyard. It was a pain to water in the summer and always looked half dead in the winter. But every spring, when it first turned warm, she would go out and dig around it. She would prune, fertilize and work the soil. And every year it gifted her with bright red roses. Whenever life or work got to be too much, Joan would go out and sit by the rosebush that had no business being there. Maybe she hoped to absorb some of its tenacity, its spunk. “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad. The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it shall blossom abundantly.” Isaiah is a long and involved biblical text. Most biblical scholars agree that the 35th chapter of Isaiah is out of place. Like Joan’s rosebush, it doesn’t belong here. The chapters before and after are harsh and mournful. Death and desolation are everywhere. Isaiah must tell people that they had been unfaithful to God and that there were consequences to that infidelity. A foreign nation would come to overtake them and they would be destined to live in captivity. There would be exiles and slaves, “gathered like persons in a pit, shut up in prison.” Not only will the people suffer, so will the land. Once Israel had been the vineyard of the Lord and Judah a pleasant planting. But now, Isaiah says, the hedge is torn down and the vineyard devoured. It is a wasteland overgrown with briers and thorns. Like exiled people marching to captivity, “the earth will stagger like a drunkard, it will fall and not rise again.” Isaiah 24:20 That’s the climate of the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, what is known as “First Isaiah. Everywhere except chapter 35. Here we find joy, strength, courage, streams running and fountains springing up in the desert. The contrast is so stark, it startles us. It makes about as much sense as planting a lone rosebush on Bristol Street. And this turn-around is all God’s doing. Scripture doesn’t say the people have changed or repented or reconciled with their neighbor, near or far. But, from Isaiah comes a new word and a new vision of the land that comes back to life. God will strengthen hands made weak and knees made feeble. That is especially good news for all of us struggling with joint and bone disease. The blind will see and the deaf will hear. Glory to God! Nothing in the text prepares us for this change. It just happens. Joy bursts forth like the crocus blooming in the desert. God’s joy can’t be stopped. It’s a gift. Today is Gaudete Sunday, or the Sunday of Joy. The third Sunday of Advent we pause to recognize the joy of the season. Years ago, the practice of observing the season of Advent was much like Lent. It was to be set apart for prayer and self-examination. Parties, weddings, and other celebrations were not to be held during this time in order for the faithful to focus more seriously on scripture and prayer and setting one’s spiritual life in order. We aren’t that strict about things any more, but sometimes, in our very busy lives, Advent or ordinary time, we can misplace our joy. Don’t delay joy. That’s not an original thought. I heard it on Law and Order. But it fits. I was raised in a family that valued delayed gratification. Nothing wrong with that…unless we just quit dreaming or hoping or acting with any degree of spontaneity because fulfilling those requests are always post-poned. When Talitha was still living at home, a neighbor came to their door one day and handed her mother a bouquet of flowers. “These are for you,” said their neighbor. His wife thought she might like them.” Talitha’s mother was too flustered to invite him in, but she was clearly moved by the gesture. She doesn’t remember any special reason for the flowers other than it was the summer when her brother endured a lengthy hospitalization, and her other brother was getting ready to start college. She knew her mother was under a lot of pressure, feeling a lot of anxiety, as she worried about how her family would function on her meager salary. There was no reason for the flowers but, it was the first and only time the neighbor had called on them and the only time Talitha saw anyone give her mother flowers. It was a moving experience, as she remembers the tears glistening in her mother’s eyes as she thanked the neighbor. Her mother found a vase that she filled with water and added the pretty blooms. She placed them carefully on the coffee table where they stayed for as long time. They brought her joy. For no obvious reason.. Has joy surprised ypou lately? Ever” Last week was a tough one for me, but, my best cheerleader was beside me, reminding me that I was not alone, and yes, he would pick up Chinese donuts. Our puppy, who is typically too independent to snuggle with us, parked her toasty little self on our bed and fell asleep against my leg. I counted it all as joy. “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad. The desert shall rejoice and blossom, Like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing… They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” May it be so for all of us. *Hymn 105 People, Look East, verses 1-3 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *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 created 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 the 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 may the Holy Spirit speak through you with the good news of life everlasting. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Announcements Lighting the Candle of Peace The Napier Family Reader 1: In the days when God’s people longed for peace, Isaiah declared: “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1) Reader 2: We who gather today also seek comfort and peace, yet we are unsatisfied with ideas of peace that tell us to keep quiet and go with the flow. We long for real peace, true peace, just peace. Congregation: We wait as people who yearn for peace that bears the fruit of community, equity, and flourishing for all. Reader 1: We light these candles as signs of God’s shocking hope and just peace. May they be beacons calling us to repent and to live the good news of Jesus Christ as we wait and watch and labor for the day when all people can gather together to worship and glorify God. Amen. (light 2 blue candles) *Hymn 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, verses 1-4 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 live 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 Assurance of Forgiveness Friends, Jesus knows our hearts and our intentions. He is always more willing to forgive than we are to ask for help. With Christ’s help, our 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 Isaiah 11:1-10 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 3:1-12 The Morning Message We lived in Middleport, Ohio, for a few years. On Main Street in a duplex that had once been the Unitarian Church. We liked to say it had been converted. It was a town of churches and small stores. The Post Office, town dentist and a couple of doctors were just down the street. We could see the elementary and junior high schools from our bedroom window. The mayor lived next door. In the summertime, a lot of families lived in campers on the riverbank and when something exciting was happening, they would broadcast by CB radio, “The Delta Queen is going to come by in about an hour. Better get down here so you won’t miss it.” Sweet. Quaint. Small-town concerns and values. It is woefully depressed now, but, was a great place for us to start our family life. Entertainment was centered around the schools and churches and Little League and the Fourth of July Ox Roast, and the historical society’s Christmas Open House. Our kids were about six and one when we were walking around the neighborhood after dinner one fine night. It was our main form of evening entertainment in those days. Life in a quaint old town made for pretty pictures, but, the sidewalks were in poor condition. Roots and broken pavement made the walk hazardous in any direction. You just learned how to get around them and continue walking. We were navigating our way around the block. Per usual, Katy’s idea of fun was to do everything the hard way, so while Ed and I walked forward, pushing SB in her stroller, Katy walked backward. We kept warning her that she was going to trip and fall, but, she paid us no mind. There was an immovable and imposing obstacle not far ahead. An ancient tree, its branches wide-spread, its equally wide-spread roots just under the sidewalk, pushing up the pavement. You had to find a way around it or your walk was sure to come to an unfortunate end. “Katy, turn around. Turn around. If you don’t turn around, you’re going to run into…” At that exact moment she turned around but it was too late, simultaneously smacking her head into the hard, crumbly bark, and saying in her five-year-old voice, “Tree.” That experience was the first thing I thought of when I read the gospel text for today. It fits. Once again, John the Baptist comes shouting his warning to anyone who would listen, “Repent! Turn around before it’s too late!” Into the beauty and busyness of this holy season, here he comes. Dressed in animal skins with insect legs stuck between his teeth. It’s tempting to try to slip past John and just focus on the sweeter parts of the nativity, but, it’s the second Sunday of Advent and John is here. And John is the last of the prophets, the last of the forerunners of Jesus. So, we must pay attention. The four gospels give us a variety of narratives about the life of Jesus. Matthew and Luke are the only gospels that tell the story of his birth. But even they differ. Luke gives us shepherds. Matthew gives us magi. Mark and John come empty-handed to the Christmas party. The first thing they all agree on is John the Baptist. He shows up in all the gospels wearing the same clothes, shouting with the same message: “Repent. Turn around. For the kingdom of heaven is near! Prepare the way of the Lord!” It doesn’t matter which gospel you read, if you want to get to Jesus, you have to go past John. John is the last of the prophets. He doesn’t call himself that, but he fits the requirements. He is dressed like Elijah, he sounds like Isaiah, and he is standing in the water that marked the boundary between the wilderness and the Promised Land. In this way, John provides continuity, the bridge from the prophetic tradition to the birth of the gospels. And that’s important, because of his message: Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Jesus is the branch that grows from the root of Jesse. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here. So John may look like the prophets of old, but, he comes with a new message. Much of the prophetic tradition is mechanical in its approach. It reminds me of plane geometry proofs: If we sin, then God will punish us. If we repent, then God will forgive. From Isaiah to Ezekiel to Joel, there is an on-going theme of, “Shape up or else.” The variable is the behavior of human beings. Faithfulness or faithlessness, of Israel or Judah-but that’s not John’s message. John doesn’t say, “Repent, OR the kingdom will come near.” That would be more in line with prophetic tradition. Isaiah says, “Behold the Day of the Lord comes, cruel both in wrath and fierce anger!” Joel is more descriptive: “The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” When we hear these messages, we might come to believe that the kingdom of heaven is something to be feared, not welcomed. But, John is not announcing a threat. Nor does he say that the kingdom of heaven is a reward. This illustrates something I treasure as someone raised on Reformed theology. God’s realm is compelling, it draws us into its arms and feeds us on a diet of grace. We may sin, surely we will, but God is ready to forgive before our confession is even upon our lips. What John is saying is we’ve entered a new reality: The arrival of Jesus Christ is God’s doing. We can choose to be a part of it or not, but, here it comes, full of grace and truth. Repent is a churchy word. We hear it most often at our time of confession. And, we do repent of our sins. We are heartily sorry, and ask God to forgive us and set us back on the right path. That’s what we say in so many of our Sunday morning liturgies. I had the chance to try this out last year on Black Friday. You may remember this story. My daughter was in and wanted to go to the mall. Everything was ok until we got to Ulta and stood in a line that wrapped around the store. But we did it because of the great coupons we had on our phones. Only, we kept losing internet service. By the time we got to the front where we would check out, patience was wearing thin. The clerk couldn’t find Sarah Beth’s member account and then, I was told my purchase didn’t qualify for the coupons. Really? Then why was I getting emails every 20 minutes urging me to come, save my money at Ulta? Oh, it was because the coupons weren’t good on any day that ends in “Y.” And, I may have said some of that out loud. No kidding. I confess. My bad. Thankfully, John the Baptist showed up in his outfit you’d never see in Ulta, and gave me a poke which prompted an apology. There are real problems in the world. Problems that should provoke us to anger and action. Saving $4.00 on my mascara really didn’t qualify. But, repentance is more than being sorry. In the Greek, it really means to change one’s mind. Biblical scholars refer to it as reorienting, reordering, or re-centering. Resetting. Presbyterian author Anne Lamott once said that most things can be fixed if we just turn them off for a while and back on, including ourselves. I’ve tried it. My phone will reset if I turn it off and let it rest. When I turn it back on, the images that were stuck begin to respond to my touch, my connection to the internet is restored. Most of the time. Sometimes, my screen goes from shades of gray to living color. Kind of like flowers that bloom in the desert, as predicted by the prophets. To simplify it, this is John’s message: We need to stop from time to time. Take our inventory. Reset our priorities, re-order our lives. Take a different way to work or home. See something new. Let go of a pet peeve and turn your attention to a real problem you can do something about. Return to God. The kingdom of heaven wasn’t lost to the idealized past. The kingdom of heaven is not in the glorified future. The kingdom of heaven is here. The kingdom of heaven is just as much with the crew painting and fixing up Main Street and Central Avenue as it is with the singers who will gather this evening to work on the cantata or the chaplain who visits patients in the nursing home. The kingdom of heaven can be found in sweet small towns all over the country, in the patrol cars of our law enforcement officers, on the playground of every school, on the docks where all those Christmas packages are loaded. The kingdom of heaven is with the people of Ukraine and Syria and in many of Africa’s small countries, and at our borders, and Israel and Palestine. At times like this, when conflict and death have wrought havoc again in the Holy Land, we may ask, “Where is God?” friends, I believe this with my whole heart: God is with the hurting, the sick, the grieving, the dead. One day this week the Today Show did a segment with a Rabbi and a Protestant minister as this is a season of celebration for both Christians and Jews. Their topic was how to live peaceably with one another, given our differences. Their conversation turned to the conflict in Israel-Palestine. It is not new. It is centuries old. Is peace possible…now or ever? They agreed that all people should live in freedom, safety, and security. Those are the by-products of peace. All three of the world’s great religions-Judaism, Islam, and Christianity- believe this. And it behooves us to pray and work for peace for all of us. Savannah Guthrie was conducting the interview. At the end she asked each of the clergywomen what her prayer would be in this season. The Christian pastor replied, “Peace for all God’s people.” The Rabbi replied, “I pray that the hostages will be released.” Let us pray for both. *Hymn 113 Angels We Have Heard on High *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication Most generous God, you have entrusted us with gifts and asked us to use them in advancing your kingdom. And so, in this season, we bring our gifts… and 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 efforts may multiply and we might grow in faith, hope, and love. Amen. *Hymn 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, verses 5-7 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. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Lighting the Candle of Hope Members of Collegium Musicum Reader 1: In the days of exile and uncertainty, the prophet Isaiah cried out: O that you would tear open the heavens and come down so that the mountains would quake at your presence. As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Isaiah 64:1-3 Reader 2: In the midst of our own encounters with uncertainty and our longing for deliverance, Jesus calls to us: “Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come.” Mark 13:35 Congregation: We wait as people surprised again and again by God, who shakes us out of our complacency and wakes us up to the work of the kin-dom all around us. Reader 1: We light this candle as a sign of our shocking hope. May we stay awake to God’s activity around us, for even at this hour, God is with us and is working to restore the world to right relationship with God and one another. *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 Isaiah 64:1-9 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Mark 13:24-37 The Morning Message “In my beginning is my end.” These are the words of TS Elliot in Four Quartets. Much of what we believe about God and Jesus is reflected therein: the God who made us will be the God who judges us; Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; the God who created the world out of nothing will at its consummation be “all in all.” So, with ritual cycles. We begin them where we end. The Advent season begins the liturgical year and the lectionary cycle with stories about the end time. In fact, we’ve been visiting those scriptures for a few weeks now. These scriptures say, “Stay awake! Live in expectation!” Watch for the signs of God!” Watch for the signs of the reign of God!” But in our end is our beginning: the signs of God’s reign point us to something new and unfamiliar. The colors for Advent are deep blue or purple. For some, the blue reflects the color of late Autumn’s night, a sky lit by moon and stars. The days are short. The long nights mark the end of the year’s growing season. But the long nights are fertile ground for dreaming- imagine the desert blossoming and sheltering a mother and child; imagine peace prevailing; imagine God all in all. Joseph dreams in this season-of the child to be here soon, whom he is to name Emmanuel, God-with-us. I love to find expressions of hope in art and music and literature. Sometimes they are so different from my own experience that they startle me and I miss the beauty and the message. In many of the stores which sell items produced by cottage communities, we may find art work from Africa or Latin America-places in which hope is often hard to find. There is a style of cross popular in El Salvador that depicts hope in a world of despair. It takes a fertile imagination to project that hope. In one of these crosses, a woman stands at the cross beam, arms stretched wide, reminding us of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Her expression is one of victory, though, and after all, that is the eternal hope we claim, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in his resurrection is the promise of ours. Surrounding the woman are images of Salvadorans going about their daily tasks-teaching, healing, farming-in the extraordinary time of war. They persevere because they cling to God-with-us, Emmanuel. Sometimes we find hope closer to home. Clara Rose has expressed her delight in spending time with her grandchildren, who are now raising their children. In them, she finds hope. Their young lives demonstrate an active intentionality, an embracing of purpose and responsibility, parenting richly flavored with love and grace. Where do you see or hear signs of God’s in-breaking reign? For me, it’s music. My life has been filled with it. I would wake in the summer to my grandmother’s students practicing scales and beginner pieces, progressing to the classics, hymns and popular tunes. I seriously considered a career in music, but, my piano skills were weak and I followed a different path. But, I married a musician, and the blessings continue, especially at Christmas time. Maybe you find signs of God’s in-breaking rule in doing for others, helping in a time of crisis, being the friend who listens, or sitting with the suffering, simply bearing witness to their pain. Maybe you work for needed change in a public way. This takes heaps of courage. One of my dear pastor friends, Stephen Baldwin, has served as a state senator for several years. He lost his race in the recent election. On Facebook, someone made the comment that he would be missed by area citizens. To which came a quick reply that he wasn’t going anywhere…you don’t need to have a title to serve. True, Stephen, and thanks for the challenge. Advent is a fertile time to watch and dream. The world’s needs are great. God is greater. It was for this season that Miriam Therese Winter penned these lovely lines: Root of Jesse Rising From many an ancient prophecy Promised child To all who would be reconciled Breaks through at last. A virgin shoot accepts God’s seed Bows to the Mighty Deed. One branch Bears bud, flower, fruit: Christ blossoms on David’s root. Lord, you are stem, stalk, tree! Let your fruit take root in me. The Message in Song Collegium Musicum, Cabell Midland High School *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *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 |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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