“Expecting”

December 21, 2021

Luke 2: 6

“He (Joseph) went there (Bethlehem) to register (for the census) with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child (not his).”

.

Houston, we have a problem and we need the plan NOW!  Remember that line from Apollo 13?  Joseph was not registering at Target for wedding gifts.  Shot-gun weddings are usually not an experience without tension and gossip.  I wonder what that couple was expecting.  I doubt they were traveling to their home town as young newly weds expecting their first child.  I wonder if a trip on a donkey across Israel was similar to taking a ride on a dirt road to induce labor?  So many questions.  How do we find love, the theme of week 4 of Advent, in this scenario?

         At Thanksgiving, our son and his girlfriend invited us to join them at her relative’s home.  We did not really know the young lady nor her relatives.  We spent many years working in Kenya in the “bush” using a different language.  They were from northern USA and younger than us.  What do we take to contribute to the meal?  Will we be intimidated by their house?  So many questions swirled in my head.  One of the amazing things to us was that a warrior in northern Kenya would start on a walk across the desert to his relative’s home with his spear for snakes or lions and nothing else.  He expected them to kill a goat and welcome him.  Culture demanded it. Expectations are a reflection of the community we are born into.  So where is the love in the face of expectations?

         First, I think our expectations are cushioned when we put them in the context of a God who reaches into our world and is active in all situations.  Joseph and Mary had experienced through the angels, a God speaking and acting in their lives.  We today have access to this same God.  We listen to the Christmas hymns we hear the story of God’s presence.  We receive cards and good wishes from people we may only communicate with at Christmas but they remember us and we are visible.  We are reminded that those that care are far larger in number than the evil one would have us think at our low moments.  Joseph’s faithfulness to Mary who was great with child, not that cute young thing he wanted to marry.  When our friends remember us in our ugly times, we experience the love of God who while we were still sinners, sent Jesus into our world of chaos.

         What are your expectations this Christmas?  Whether plans are canceled because of Covid, whether that perfect gift was not on the shelf because of supply chain, and whether we can gather in our houses of worship,  we can expect that God is there with us, loving us and supporting us on our journey and preparing a stable of rest.  Thank you Lord.

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“Census”

December 20, 2021

Luke 2:1-5

We are coming down the homestretch of Advent.  We have looked at the backstory of the main characters. Joseph, the man who will become known as the human father of Jesus, has genealogy tracing him to King David and Abraham.  Mary traces back to Abraham and Judah of Jacob….back to Seth and Adam.  Angels have visited both Joseph and Mary to confirm the pregnancy is of God.  Zechariah, the priest, and his old wife Elizabeth have miraculously conceived in their old age and born John who becomes known as John the Baptist who will introduce Jesus onto the public stage.   Possibly the wise men have started their journey.  The gospel of Mark traces the fulfillment of prophecy going back to Isaiah in the Old Testament.  And the gospel of John just says outright that the baby Jesus’ birth we celebrate this week is God appearing in our time and space.

         So what was the trigger event that got the ball rolling?  For Luke it is the decree by Caesar Augustus that all travel to the homes of their heritage and be counted.  That is not how we would do it today.  But it places the birth of Jesus in researchable history.  “A triggering event is a tangible or intangible barrier or occurrence which, once breached or met, causes another event to occur. Triggering events include job loss, retirement, or death, and are typical for many types of contracts,” according to wikipedia.  A trigger event sets in motion a series of events.  Perhaps we might call it an event that forces us to choose a course of action.  By choosing to go to a certain college, a person might meet a certain person whom becomes his or her spouse.  The choice to embrace a faith tradition affects our moral decisions, our social decisions and our whole identity. The census that was a decision in Rome and took time to communicate to Israel was the event that got Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.

         Can you think of an event that was really life changing, a trigger event, for you, that set in motion a series of events.  My father was transferred to Los Angeles and us kids were dropped off at my uncle’s home and he handed me a book about a missionary in Africa.  I was only 14 years old but that event impacted the course of my life.  Trigger events may not seem that important at the time.  I doubt that Joseph and Mary foresaw just how they would be fulfilling the prophecy of Bethlehem or flight to Egypt or eventually raising Jesus in Nazareth.  Often it is as we look in our rear view mirror that we can see the hand of God guiding and protecting us in the events of our life.

     Spend a few minutes naming an event that changed your life and that now you see the hand of God guiding you and perhaps protecting you.  Thank God for the “census” in your life!

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Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 19, 2021

First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

 2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
  who are one of the little clans of Judah,
 from you shall come forth for me
  one who is to rule in Israel,
 whose origin is from of old,
  from ancient days.
 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
  when she who is in labor has brought forth;
 then the rest of his kindred shall return
  to the people of Israel.
 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
  in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
 And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
  to the ends of the earth;
 5aand he shall be the one of peace.

Psalm: Luke 1:46b-55

 46bMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
  47my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
  From this day all generations will call me blessed:
 49you, the Almighty, have done great things for me
  and holy  is your name.
 50You have mercy on those who fear you,
  from generation to generation. 
 51You have shown strength with your arm
  and scattered the proud in their conceit,
 52casting down the mighty from their thrones
  and lifting up the lowly.
 53You have filled the hungry with good things
  and sent the rich away empty.
 54You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
  to remember the promise of mercy,
 55the promise made to our forebears,
  to Abraham and his children forever.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
 “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
  but a body you have prepared for me;
 6in burnt offerings and sin offerings
  you have taken no pleasure.
 7Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’
  (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”
8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” [
  46And Mary said,
 “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
  and holy is his name.
 50His mercy is for those who fear him
  from generation to generation.
 51He has shown strength with his arm;
  he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
  and lifted up the lowly;
 53he has filled the hungry with good things,
  and sent the rich away empty.
 54He has helped his servant Israel,
  in remembrance of his mercy,
 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
  to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Let’s take a moment and share various goodbye blessings we know from whatever language to wish someone a safe journey. (Bon voyage, Kwa Heri, Vaya con Dios, Ta Ta, Stay safe – is common today)  

PRAYER:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today’s readings focus on different aspects of the Christmas story.  I know it is still Advent and our theme for today is “love” but I also know that we will not get to Luke 2, the actual Christmas narrative until Christmas Eve.  Many women will be home cooking and will not be able to attend services around the dinner hour.  Travelers will be arriving.  Young hearts will be focused on presents under the tree.  So much is going on this week.  And there is so much to unpack in the Christmas story!  Lord, HELP!

         I have chosen this old familiar Irish travelers’ blessing to focus our sermon today.  In Advent Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem.  We are traveling to Christmas.  Our world is traveling to the Lord’s return.

Let us pray:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

As I read about this blessing, the writer said that

  • “the wind be always at your back” refers to the Holy Spirit nudging us forward and guiding us. 
  • “The sun shine warm on your face” is the warmth of God’s mercy that blesses us daily.
  •  “The rains fall soft upon your fields” refers to God’s provisions that sustain our life as nothing grows without rain. 

Wind, sun, and rain are the blessings from God and which we find in Advent and the Christmas story.  Guidance, mercy and strength are needed by us all.   We see in these in our passages and I pray them for each of you as we finish the Advent season and enter Christmas.  This week our candle is “Love.”  Let’s dig in.

“May the wind be always at your back,”

Our Old Testament, or first reading for this morning comes from Micah and possibly sounds very familiar.  The wise men, who have not even entered our narrative yet and will not be talked about until Epiphany, have probably started their journey from the East.  When they arrive at Herod’s palace the priests quote Micah that says that the “new king” will be born in Bethlehem.  Centuries before, Micah not only names the town of Bethlehem but also uses the motif of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.”  “(v.6) And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.”  Jesus does not just pop onto the stage of history to die on the cross because of some convergence of events but he is the appearance of a loving God who has been preparing history for then and for now.  God, the Holy Spirit, is the loving wind at our backs directing the flow of our lives.

         Our Psalm reading and our Gospel reading tell of Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit, bursting forth singing the Magnificat praises. God sees his people, the mighty and the humble.  God does not just see from his heavens above but is involved like the wind we cannot see, directing our paths and guiding our ways and the events of life.  Maybe our personal life is not foretold specifically in the Bible as are all the prophecies alluding to Jesus but we know our names are written in the book of life and on the palms of his hands.  Mary praises a God who loves her, not in abstract, but in the messy details of her life that is about to unfold.  She is pregnant, facing possible stoning, having to explain to a fiancée how this is all possible AND she is a powerless, poor, female.  Her credentials could join any of our causes today and any of the “woe is me” moments we wallow in. But Mary sees the wind of the Holy Spirit at her back and chooses to praise and love a God who walks with her into the mess of this world.

         The New Testament reading understands Jesus as coming “to do God’s will.”  He is not an independent entity, one of the three-musketeer-team, but united, driven by the Holy Spirit doing God’s will – the Trinity.

         So how are we doing today?  Are we caught in a hurricane or a tornado like Mary?  Perhaps we are just wondering if we can get the meal on the table, all warm and tasty.  Then again we might be grieving the empty seats at the table or the scattering of families that can’t join for Christmas. Sigh, there are many things that would like to distract us from love and praise as we head into Week 4 of Advent.  Taking time this week to read Luke 2 and pondering the lives of those people helps focus our hearts on the wind of the Holy Spirit gently blowing us from behind and always guiding us forward.  “May the wind always be at your back!”

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The warmth of the sunshine reminds me of feeling the sun on my face on a snowy morning or while through the windshield while sitting in the car.  As a young adult, newly married, I had a last “fling” with my single friends and went skiing in the Los Angeles foothills.  Skiing automatically conjures up snow, heavy jackets, and warm underwear.  I came home with third degree sunburns on my face.  The juvenile delinquents I was working with were not kind in their exclamations.  I share this to point out the truth that feeling the warmth of the sun is not dependent on the condition of the environment around us.  We can be at the beach or on a snowy slope.  We can be at the equator of Africa or at one of the poles. God’s mercy and love bless our lives, not because of our goodness, but because he is loving all the time.

         I also note that the shinning of the sun is totally beyond our control.  It is true that gas emissions from our cars corrupts the atmosphere and contort the sunshine but it is also true that our sins and the focus of our attention distorts and contorts our ability to appreciate the daily blessings of God’s love and mercy.  The sun is not diminished by smog, only our perception of it.  God unfolds the Christmas story in a very “environmentally challenged” situation.

         In Luke we read that God prepared the way by allowing old Zechariah and his barren wife Elizabeth to become pregnant with a son who would become known as John the Baptist.  God sends an angel to Mary and explains to her what is going to happen and tells her about Elizabeth with whom she can find comradery.  God sends an angel to Joseph so he does not need to worry about taking Mary as his wife.  God sends angels to the shepherd so the poor are included in the story.  A compassionate innkeeper allows the couple to use his stable.  In a chaotic world mixed up with foreign rulers and a census, God lovingly directs the Christmas narrative.  His sunshine warms on their faces and ours.

         I also note that the shining of the sun does not negate the reality of nighttime when we navigate by the reflection of the sun onto the moon.  The nighttime does not mean there is no sun but only that God is working in our lives in different ways.  It was at night that the angels came to the shepherds with the good news of the birth.  It was the political disruption of a census that drove Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and fulfilled prophecy.  Traveling by donkey, nine months pregnant, was probably a challenge.  It was in the social upheaval of the census that limited housing also challenged the young couple that night.  Having a first child is hard enough without doing it in a strange place with a man Mary was only growing to know and away from the comforts of family.  We do not know Mary and Joseph’s feelings that night but we know that despite of everything God’s love was shining warm on their faces, carrying them.  God was smiling.  Angels went to shepherds.  They visited to worship and confirm God’s presence.  Anna and Simeon in the Temple shone God’s love warm on the young couple and their baby.  An angel warned Joseph of impending danger and to flee to Egypt.  The Christmas story is a story of God’s sunshine in the midst of a cloudy world.

         So I am challenged to ask us how we are focusing today.  Are we looking at the clouds, the fog, the smog, the problems that make life difficult or can we focus on the God who is blowing the wind of the Holy Spirit to carry us and smiling on us with mercies every day?  In the midst of the complications of our daily lives this Christmas, the warmth of God’s love is shining into our lives as we turn our faces toward him  May we join Mary ins singing praises of the Magnificaat.  “May the sun shine warm on your face” this Christmas as you experience God’s presence.

 May the rains fall soft upon your fields…

This Irish blessing and our texts today remind us that God works in real times and places. God works in our fields.  Without rain, there is no growth.

Without trials and challenges we would not grow.  If we continued carrying our babies until they become adults and did not allow them to learn to walk for fear they might fall, then we would have done them a disservice.  So the key word here is “soft.”  I suspect we often do not realize how much God cushions the bumps in the road that rises before us.  Yes there are pothole, “no room in the inn,” and yes there are rainy days, “everyone must go and be enrolled in their home town,” and we may even doubt we have enough money for the journey but God is walking with us.  The Magnificat reminds us that God advocates for the humble, the poor, the hungry, the lowly, the fearful, and keeps his promises to generations. It does not deny the existence of the proud and the unfair, the fields in which we labor.  The Christmas story reminds us of that.  God allowed the rain in Joseph and Mary’s lives but he protected them so it rained softly.

         I sat in the Wal-Mart parking lot this week with a dead car battery as I had walked all over the store looking for a lighter to light my Advent candles while my husband listened to the radio with the engine turned off.  It drained the battery and my cell phone!  What to do?  The rain was actually misting.  We decided to call AAA and they would come.  They traced my number to Indianapolis, expired card.  I found a different card that said I was in Florida and paid up.  As we waited, the driver of the car nose to us came and offered to help.  Then the guy on our right came and he was a mechanic with tools in his car and offered to help.  Minutes later AAA came and jumped us in about 5 minutes.  It did rain but I would like to think it rained softly.  God had plan A, plan B, and plan C working and did not abandon us.

         So as we go through the Christmas story this week and with Mary in the Magnificat focus on just how deeply God loves us in the midst of the challenges of our sin contorted world.  May we focus on the Holy Spirit guiding us like the wind at our back, the warmth of God’s love shining on our faces in daily mercies, and on the softness of the rain as God protects us in our daily challenges.

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

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“”Breath of Heaven”

December 18, 2021

We have been focusing on Advent.  Coming alongside and being introduced to so many of the main characters surrounding the Christmas story.  But we have noticed the role angels have played in the lead up to the Christmas.  Their role as messengers pronouncing, confirming, and explaining the events of Christmas is note worthy. 

         The Holy Spirit is often referred to as the breath of God, unseen, but impacting our lives.  We hear about the Spirit of God hovering over the unformed universe as it was created in Genesis.  We read about the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost.  The Holy Spirit is not a created entity like an angel but like angels we are not always aware of its presence.  I love our song today as it speaks to all the unseen work of God in our lives that we often do not stop to be thankful for.

         This year I have enjoyed the fairly new song, “Breath of Heaven” written by Christ Eaton.  Amy Grant asked in 1992 to be able to take the song and add verses sharing a woman’s point of view, namely Mary’s during her pregnancy.  Eaton agreed.  The song is shown in this YouTube with pictures from “The Nativity Story.”  Other artists have recorded the song but Amy Grant’s is famous.   As you listen, ponder how your life has been directed by the Holy Spirit as you have traveled through the ups and downs of your life and join Mary’s cry for strength and support in times of darkness, for God’s glory.

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The Word

December 17, 2021

“In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)”

We have been talking about the pre-stories, the context of the Christmas Nativity Story.  Matthew’s Gospel opens with a genealogy tracing back to Abraham providing legal, Jewish legitimacy to Jesus.  Matthew continues to share about Joseph, the father who adopted and raised Jesus and who was visited by an angel to confirm the legitimacy of Mary’s pregnancy.  Matthew goes on to introduce the wise men pointing out that the context of the Christmas story is global, not just Jewish.  Doctor Luke starts his Gospel with the pre-story of the fulfillment of prophecy through the birth of John the Baptist. His introduction is social.  Now we go to the Gospel of John.  He introduces Jesus not legally or socially but theologically.  “In the beginning…”  Sounds like Genesis One doesn’t it.  He does not mince words.  He is introducing Jesus as God. Jesus is THE Word!

     Words are important.  They are the spoken expression of something that is true within us, or perhaps what we want to be true.  “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,” is what we were taught to say to kids at school that tease us.  But it is not true.  Words have power to hurt and to deeply scar our lives leaving wounds that may never heal.  Unfortunately we can remember comments that belittled and demeaned us from parents, teacher, or friends and even lost loves.

         Baby Jesus is the Word of God and we are told that God is love.  When we look at Jesus and how he lives out his life in the upcoming months, we will be asking ourselves how he is in his essence an expression of God.  God comes to us like a little baby being born in our hearts and that relationship grows.  Perhaps spend some time this morning thinking about how Jesus is the Word of God to you.  There are ways that the Word speaks truth, love, guidance…health and growth to us daily.  Is there a word you would like to hear from him this Christmas?  Feel free to ask.  He is listening to your words.

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The Advent Wreath

December 16, 2021

One of the most familiar symbols of Advent is the Advent Wreath.  Advent was first mentioned in the 300’s at the Council of Sargosa.  The wreath begins to appear in the 4th and 5th century.  In 1839 a Lutheran pastor working at a mission for children, developed a wreath from a wagon wheel.  He put twenty small red candles around the edge and four large white candles on the inside ring.  The small red candles were lit on weekdays and the white ones on Sundays.  The children could visualize the coming of Christmas. 

Eventually the wheel was replaced with evergreen boughs that represented life in the midst of winter when everything looks dead.  The circle tells us of God’s eternal love and eternal life.  The candles flickering show how light overcomes darkness.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5).

If pinecones are used, they point to the new life that Jesus represents and red holly berries stand for Jesus’ blood that will eventually be shed for sin.

Churches will assign different meanings to each candle that is lit but a  common understanding is that the first candle is “hope” or the Prophet’s candle as prophecy fulfilled gives us hope as we face the future.

The second candle is the “faith” candle or “Bethlehem Candle” as Bethlehem as the birthplace of the prophesied Messiah was foretold in the Old Testament and was considered the home of King David.

The third candle is the “joy” candle, is usually pink, and is called the “Shepherd’s Candle” after their joy in hearing the angels’ news.

The fourth candle is the “peace” candle or the “Angel’s Candle” declaring Jesus’ mission to bring peace between God and his creation.

On Christmas day the central white candle, “the Christ Candle” is lit representing light and purity. True victory.

This is the historical symbolism but I have seen candles in a straight line.  The shape is not important.  The spiritual discipline of taking time to light candles, reflect and pray is important.  Light three candles tonight and name what brought joy to your life today and thank God!

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“Where is the one…we saw his star in the East…”

December 15, 2021

Matthew 2:1-12

Advent is a time of preparation. In early Christian history, Christmas was a time when new believers were baptized and became members.  Advent was a “mini-lent” as these people fasted and prayed and studied for 40 days.  Lent is the 40 days before Easter.  So Advent is a time when we prepare our homes, our hearts and our families for the Christ child.  We say that Christ came to us at Christmas, Christ comes to us daily in the sacraments, the word and prayer, and Christ will come, will return in the future to usher in the eternal kingdom.

         Lest we think that this is a Jewish dynamic, Matthew now inserts the back-story of the wise men, men from the East.  Matthew is clear that they arrived after the birth of Christ but their journey must have started before.  The Gentiles, that includes most of us, have always been part of the Christmas story and we celebrate that on Epiphany.  The wise men arrive in Jerusalem and have an audience with King Herod.  “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”   The story is bigger than the Jewish nation!  The story is bigger than you and me.

         It is very easy for us to become very ethnocentric about Christmas and our faith.  We think it is about my salvation and me.  We say Christ saved me from my sin.  The wise men force us to look beyond ourselves and to realize that others are watching the events of our lives.  The priests knew the prophecy of Bethlehem but seemed indifferent.  Herod had magicians and diviners who would have seen the stars but did not seem to note this star.  Meanwhile these wise men from afar had insight beyond the politicians, the religious elders, and local people.

         Perhaps the question to ask ourselves is to ponder if we are so involved in the known that we have blind spots that the “outsider” sees and is following?  Are there “clues” from scripture, from nature like the star, or people coming into our churches that challenge us to take another look?  Let us pray today that our eyes would be opened at Christmas and that the Holy Spirit will direct us to truths we need to note.  Gifts are not just gold, frankincense and myrrh but can be the presence of a new person to open our eyes. “Lord, I want to see Jesus.”

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Nightmare and Vision

December 14, 2021

Matthew 1:18-25

Mary becomes pregnant while betrothed to Joseph.  Mary knows because of an angel visit and then confirmation through a visit with Elizabeth, that she, Mary is pregnant by God’s creative ability.  That does not mean that the other people in Nazareth knew.  And most likely they would not believe.  How do you share news like that?  Obviously Joseph did not believe her for he was planning to not have her stoned but to “divorce her quietly.”  In Kenya, that would condemn her to a life of prostitution and disgrace.  After the mountain top experience of talking with the angel and with Elizabeth, Mary had to face everyday realty with disbelieving fiancée and gossiping neighbors.  Those were rough day, I would wager, similar to a nightmare. Joseph too had to decide what to do.  It sounds to me like a nightmare of social criticism and rejection.

         God sent an angel to Joseph, “son of David,” in a dream, a vision.  Joseph understood the dream to be a vision that gave him affirmation and direction.  He welcomed Mary into his home as wife but did not have sexual relations.  That could not have been easy.  Had it happened today, I suspect news broadcasters would be on the scene interviewing people, taking the temperature of the social climate, calling in experts to weigh in about pregnancy etc etc.  Public opinion about life events was as real then as it is today.  The public is polled to decide if the courts are right!! 

         So how do we form our opinions?  Do we go with the majority? Perhaps we prefer the opinions of experts.   Many feel that government has the final say.  Coming to a point where we stand up for our faith and beliefs is very hard, especially when they challenge the politically correct opinions.

Psalm 121 comforts me.  I was challenged to memorize it in 8th grade, public school.  I find comfort that God does not slumber or sleep and is always watching us.  He is our shade in difficult times. As the song by Don Moen says, “He will make a way when there seems to be no way.”  As we add the people in Kentucky to our prayer list today, let us pray for them as they, like Joseph and Mary, have had their lives turned upside down.  Lord have mercy!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

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“This is the genealogy…”

December 13, 2021

Matthew 1: 1-17

Doctor Luke started his Christmas report to his friend Theophilus by putting the Nativity story in the context of old Zechariah, a priest, and his barren wife Elizabeth, beyond child-bearing age.  I would imagine that prayer request was “soaked in prayer” and seemingly unanswered until the right time in God’s eyes.  Angel Gabriel brought the news. And so the story started for doctor Luke.  This old faith couple would conceive and bear the forerunner of Jesus.  Not only would the baby encourage the couple, fulfill prophecy, but also the baby would leap with joy in the womb, confirming Mary’s pregnancy when she visited.  Whew.  Our stories unfold in community, in a social context.

         I can hear my mother skeptically quoting, “It takes two to tango!”  The story seems to center on the young girl, always portrayed in blue, calmly accepting the Lord’s will.  Hmmmm.  Somehow I don’t think it was quite that easy.  An unexpected pregnancy, no matter how explainable, challenges the hearts and beliefs of those also involved.  Today we look at Joseph and the finance’s struggle.  To pick up his side of the story, we turn to the Gospel of Matthew. 

         Matthew is thought by many to be Levi, the tax collector who was one of the twelve.  As a tax collector and as a Jew, he knew the importance of records and lineage.  He does not give the social context but the legal context.  He starts with the genealogy of Joseph, “husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. (Matthew 1:16)”  Matthew traces Joseph back to Abraham.  That is a legal stamp of approval in the face of gossip.  Mary’s genealogy is given in Luke 3:23, for those into genealogies and places Jesus squarely in the line of David.

         There are lots of commentaries on this genealogy, who’s included, who is not and how many generations. Genealogies are important.  My husband was adopted and we have two adopted children.  None of them know their genealogies.  There is a blank spot in their memories.  No pictures to compare looks with.  No stories to live up to and unfavorable connotations of being “unwanted” or not legitimate that they had to learn to live with.  Matthew knew that Jews traced so much of their identity to Father Abraham and so that is where he started.

         Where do you start to tell your story about how Jesus was birthed in your heart?  Yes, we will look at the Nativity story next week but this week, the third week of Advent, we are still focusing on preparing for Christmas.  God was obviously preparing for a long time building up a genealogical context and a social context for the birth of Jesus.  For most of us, Jesus did not just pop into our reality.  God was preparing and working in our history.  Can you identify three important people who impacted your life in the journey of faith?  Take a moment to thank God for these ancestors and friends this morning.  Just think, God was working in our past story to bring us to faith and now is working, carrying us into our futures.  Wow!  Thank you Lord.

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Third Sunday in Advent: JOY

December 12, 2021

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

 14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
  shout, O Israel!
 Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
  O daughter Jerusalem!
 15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
  he has turned away your enemies.
 The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
  you shall fear disaster no more.
 16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
 Do not fear, O Zion;
  do not let your hands grow weak.
 17The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
  a warrior who gives victory;
 he will rejoice over you with gladness,
  he will renew you in his love;
 he will exult over you with loud singing
  18as on a day of festival.
 I will remove disaster from you,
  so that you will not bear reproach for it.
 19I will deal with all your oppressors
  at that time.
 And I will save the lame
  and gather the outcast,
 and I will change their shame into praise
  and renown in all the earth.
 20At that time I will bring you home,
  at the time when I gather you;
 for I will make you renowned and praised
  among all the peoples of the earth,
 when I restore your fortunes
  before your eyes, says the Lord.

Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-6 2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,
  for the Lord God is my strength and my might, and has become my salvation.
 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
 4And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name; make known the deeds of the Lord among the nations;      proclaim that this name is exalted.
 5Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
  let this be known in all the earth.
 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
  for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 3:7-18

7John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
  10And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
  15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
  18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Let us join our voices and sing a Christmas song I’m sure we are all familiar with:  Santa Clause is Coming to Town:

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town.

Let’s pray:  May the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Thank you for hope, for peace, and now we look to you for joy.

SERMON

 “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” was first recorded in 1934 and became famous when sung by Eddie Cantor at the height of the Great Depression.  Originally there were more verses encouraging listeners to be charitable and help the less fortunate at Christmas.  The version we know was an instant hit.  Orders for 500,000 copies of the sheet music and more than 30,000 records sold within 24 hours – according to Wipedia. Over 200 artists have recorded this song!  I think that would be considered a success and popular even by today’s standards. Today we hear this song played at Christmas time.

“You better watch out!”

         Our text today tells of another instant success story almost identical to this song.  The Prophet John the Baptist stands in the River Jordan and proclaims, “You better watch out!”  He was a little bit more crass in his speech.  He was not wearing a jolly red suit but equally unique in his camel skin clothes, and eating locust.  Our text says that he addressed his crowd as a “brood of vipers.”  He is not crooning the arrival of Santa Claus but announcing the arrival of the long anticipated Messiah.

         Our song goes on to share warnings of unacceptable behavior.  “You better not cry, you better not pout.”  John the Baptist equally warns, 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance.”  As we prepare for the return of the Messiah, what might be some unacceptable behaviors John is eluding to that might block our relationship with God today?

“You better not cry, you better not pout.”

         John first starts by warning the Jews of a false dependence on their Jewish heritage. “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’.”    Even we Lutherans have strong “patriarchal families” and roots going back to Norway, Sweden, Germany or perhaps Ethiopia and Tanzania today.  We do not flaunt our testimonials of conversion experiences with high emotions and dramatic changes and God interventions in our sinful lifestyles.  No, we are a confessional church reciting creeds that go back to the Middle Ages.  We say the Nicene Creed on High Church Sundays.  We baptize our babies and send our youth to confirmation.  These are strong family traditions.  For many, Bethany is the place where they married, raised their children, saw their children married and are now escorting and supporting each other on that final leg of the journey. I am not saying that is wrong.  John is saying that church attendance is not our passport to heaven or to relationship with the coming Messiah.  Our social history is not our spiritual identity!  At worst it makes it hard for new people to feel welcome and at best it is false security.  Claiming the rewards of Abraham without the faith of Abraham, claiming the rewards of Martin Luther without the faith of Martin Luther… we better watch out!

         Next John reminds us that God can change stones, hearts cold as rocks, into believers.  Like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes the day he encountered the Who’s in Whoville, God can change hearts.  We look at how Christianity is struggling in the Western world but in many other places in the world Christianity is growing under severe persecution.  Our comfortable lifestyle may be deceiving us about the condition of our souls. To use a colloquial saying, “Are we on fire for the Lord?” or are we a bit luke-warm today in our devotion?  Perhaps faith has become a habit more than an active force in our life.  The song and John the Baptist encourage us to check the condition of our hearts today.

“What then should we do?”

Americans loved this song and recognized a truth in it.  We do not want a lump of coal on Christmas Day but we want a stocking full of goodies.  We want to live “happy ever after.”  Deep inside we believe we must “be good,” “not cry,” “not pout” or be beautiful or talented or young.  In spiritual terms  we believe somehow that living a good Christian life earns God’s favor.  And so we strive to be faithful and like the crowds ask John, “What then should we do?”   

         John focuses on our behavior also – beyond crying and pouting.  Advent, preparing for the coming Messiah, is not about getting but about giving.  John tells the crowds to share.  The song was written during the Great Depression.  Remember, John is standing in the Wilderness, faith lived in the hard places of life, in the middle of the pandemic, in the middle of refugee flights, wars and environmental challenges.  We are not to be pondering what we get but what we can give.  I note he does not say we are to give away all but we are to be generous.  We are to be generous not just to our family and friends but also to those in need.  John is warning us of greed, collecting “more than prescribed” for tax collectors.  There is a difference between “wants” and “needs!”  John warns of tit-for-tat thinking, for the soldier not to use their job to threaten or bully.  We are to “be satisfied” to be at peace with what we receive.  We are called to live out faith in the midst of our life, not flee to a “more holy” place.

         The song continues to describe Santa Claus’ character.  “He sees us when we’re sleeping.  He knows when we’re awake.  He knows if we’ve been bad or good…. So be good for goodness sake.”   Sounds a bit like God doesn’t it!  God knows and sees. 

         Here though we must insert the Gospel that brings joy at Christmas.  God knows that we are broken people living in a broken world and need a savior, the gift of the Messiah.  We can never by our own power live good enough lives to deserve a stocking brimming with gifts on Christmas morning.  Being good is never going to be good enough.

         This week in our Facebook devotions we looked at Mary singing the Magnificat as she arrives at her cousin Elizabeth’s home.  Both women are miraculously pregnant though Elizabeth is a good six months ahead of Mary.  The Holy Spirit fills Mary and she bursts into song, “My soul glorifies the Lord..” because

  • God sees and cares about the humble and poor,
  • God’s mercy ripples to the next generation,
  • God scatters and defeats the proud, including proud rulers,
  • God feeds the hungry,
  •  And God keeps his promises through the ages.

All three readings this morning Zephaniah, Psalms, and Philippians overflow with joy and praise, not because we have controlled our crying and pouting in the face of pandemics and threats of war, poverty and financial crisis but because we depend not on ourselves but on a God who sees, has mercy, power, and brings justice, keeping his promises through generations.

 …the people were filled with expectation…

         The crowds when called a brood of vipers and told that they must reform before the Messiah arrived, The text says that the crowds were filled with expectation.  American children when crooned to that they better watch out cause Santa Claus is coming are delighted.  We know there is something wrong with our world and we need to reform.  We, or at least the other guy, needs to change.  John baptized crowds of people with water as they responded to his message but he pointed to “one who is more powerful than I” who was coming.  The Messiah will make things right.  Perhaps even as people at Jesus’ time thought that meant the overthrow of the Roman Empire, we today have visions of full stockings and sugar plum farriers in our dreams.  If we just believe and have faith then the Messiah will bless us with health, wealth and prosperity. And so we return to the chorus of the song, “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town.” 

         We know the hollowness of stockings filled with candy that makes us sick to our stomach, shirts that wear out, technical toys that will be outdated in six months.  If we are honest with ourselves we know the materialism of Christmas only points to a God who blesses us, not because we are good but because he is good and he is love.  In Advent we are able to praise in the midst of life’s trials and challenges.  We find hope as prophecy is fulfilled.  We are at peace knowing God walks with us.  And we are filled with joy like Mary in “The Magnificat” because we know that God cares for the humble and poor, God is merciful, he is the source of blessings down through generations, he feeds the hungry heart and God is faithful to his promises.  That is true joy.  Santa Claus will visit at Christmas and then disappear till next year but the Messiah came, comes and will come.  He is active all year, and will return to take us to our eternal rewards. 

The people of God said, “AMEN!”

  

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