I'm technically on vacation right now but for the rest of the week we are doing a "staycation." However we just got back yesterday from a short road trip.
On Sunday after worship, Bob and I went to a parishioner's home who was having a good luck party for their son who is being sent to Afghanistan in March. We left there around 2:30 to head to Philly - the first leg of our trip. Now there really is no good way to drive from Georgetown to Philly. Either you have to go through New York Traffic or you have to drive way out of your way to avoid it. Being it was a Sunday afternoon we drove through NYC and oddly enough that was the easy part of our journey. It was the New Jersey Turnpike that was slow and go pretty much the entire way. It also didn't help that we were getting on the turnpike which is near the Meadowlands shortly after the Giants game ended. Errr Anyway we made it to Philly met up with our friends Becca and Gary (yes her name is also Becca, I am not typing about myself in the third person) had dinner and went to bed. We also stayed at the seminary I went to which reminded me how much I do not miss living there. The rooms are never bright enough during the day nor dark enough at night.
The next morning we got up WAY too early and hit the road in order to avoid traffic. Bob, Becca, Gary and I got on the road by 6:15 and headed towards Roanoke. We made it there by around 1 had some lunch hung out got ready and went to the church.
The entire reason for this trip was that two seminary friends, Ben and Marissa, were getting married. The wedding ceremony was beautiful, but some kids made it memorable.
I have this theory that at every wedding there is something that happens that make it memorable and it is something that you can never predict. Sometimes it is something that goes wrong or a prank that the groomsmen pulled on the couple, but for Ben and Marissa's wedding it was the kids. During a solo a friends almost three year old daughter sitting behind us said in a ever so cutesy voice "that's beautiful" and then about a minute later announced in that same voice "opps I farted." Now granted she didn't say this loud enough for that many people to hear but it was quite memorable.
However the real show stopper was the first reader. The girl who read was around 8 years old and she read a children's story version of Daniel 3. She was a great reader other than she read so fast most people could not understand what she was saying other than Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which actually she pronounced better than many adults I have heard read the same story. But what does an 8 year old do when you get to the end of the story while reading in public? Well it wasn't "Word of God, Word of Life" or "Here ends the reading." Instead she said paused looked up and said quite loudly and proudly "That's it!" to which everyone responded with applause and laughter.
The reception was wonderful, some great memories (some of which I can't share so that they may be used as blackmail at a later date), lots of friends and plenty of dancing (my legs still hurt). Thank you Ben and Marissa! I had a wonderful time and I pray that your marriage may be blessed and fulfilling.
On Tuesday morning we headed out for a long day of driving. We were going to Becca's parents house in Albany by way of Philly to drop Gary off. Things were going well, until we got to Pennsylvania. We stopped to eat lunch at a Wendy's in a small town just north of the Maryland border. Now something you must know about the state of Pennsylvania, it really is a land of two city states and not a whole lot in between. There is Philadelphia on the east side, Pittsburgh on the west and in the middle is a land better known as Pennsyltucky and we had lunch in Pennsyltucky. We also stopped to get gas and switch drivers, and Bob went to the back to get some stuff to work on since he was no longer going to drive and four beer bottles that we had left over from the night before came spilling out of the car and broke on the ground at this gas station. We picked up the gas, the station attendant came out and swept the area for the small pieces and we were on our way.
However bad karma must have followed us. Probably just as someone else got a flat from a small piece of glass that wasn't picked up, I hit something and our front drivers side tire popped. I'm not talking about any old flat but a loud pop that sounded more like gun shot. Luckily no one was near me and I was able to pull over quickly and Bob was able to put on the spare without much problems. We were also near the western suburbs of Philly at the time and was able to find a tire place easily, but had to go to three places to find one that could helps us since the first was too busy, the second could only fix a leak and not a replacement. So 2 1/2 hours and $250 (for two tires and an alignment adjustment) later we were back on the road and made it to Philly and Albany safely but much later than we wanted.
After a night and most of yesterday in Albany with Becca's family, we made it back to Georgetown safely and now I'm watching the snow fall silently and thinking what a great year it has been and what 2010 will bring. But I think those thoughts will be saved for tomorrow.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday Morning Surprises
So what do you do when it is Lessons and Carols Sunday (i.e. a whole lot of music is going to be played) and your organist calls out sick with the stomach flu?
1. You give thanks that it is Lessons and Carols Sunday and therefore the hymns are familiar
2. You quickly download as many of those said hymns as possible
3. You change any hymns that are not all that familiar to familiar ones
4. You bring your laptop and computer speakers to the church and hook them up
5. You explain the situation and be grateful that between us being a casual congregation and it being the Sunday after Christmas we are even more low key and go with the flow than normal
6. You laugh throughout the service at the absurdity of it all
7. You feel the Spirit move through you as you worship in a new way.
1. You give thanks that it is Lessons and Carols Sunday and therefore the hymns are familiar
2. You quickly download as many of those said hymns as possible
3. You change any hymns that are not all that familiar to familiar ones
4. You bring your laptop and computer speakers to the church and hook them up
5. You explain the situation and be grateful that between us being a casual congregation and it being the Sunday after Christmas we are even more low key and go with the flow than normal
6. You laugh throughout the service at the absurdity of it all
7. You feel the Spirit move through you as you worship in a new way.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Celebrating
This Christmas was one that will be memorable and luckily not because anything chaotic when on. I received some great gifts, spend time with some wonderful people but most importantly (at least what makes it the most memorable for me) is that it was my first Christmas as a pastor.
Christmas Eve I woke up early unable to sleep any longer. I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. After breakfast I went over to the church and did some random stuff to prepare for worship while Bob sanded the parking lot and did a mail run. After a few hours, we had a Middeke traditional Christmas Eve dinner of a Hickory Farms gift box (yes this really is a tradition in my family). As the day went on I went back to church to prepare, the choir came to practice, the luminaries went outside and the church filled with worshipers. I did have one stress-filled moment around 4:30 when the Sunday school kids were there to practice, the choir wasn't done practicing yet and I had other things to do before 5 when worship began but I bowed out hopefully I didn't insult anyone.
Worship went really well. The choir sang beautifully, us bell players pulled it off, the kids lead Away in the Manger wonderfully and hopefully my sermon was meaningful to those who heard it. And of course candlelight Silent Night was the highlight of the worship service for me.
After worship, Bob and I went back to our home and he fixed us dinner and we opened our gifts to each other and a few others we received. I have to share what Bob commissioned his brother to draw for me.
He basically did a collage of pictures from my ordination weekend. (We went to the Peabody Museum in New Haven that weekend hence the triceratops.)
At 10:45 as we are watching Miracle on 34th St we hear a knock on our door and who does it happen to be? The Hottensteins from My First Wedding fame. They thought there was an 11pm service but wanted to stop by and say hello. It is always so nice to see them, especially because they live in New Jersey and are therefore not in CT that often.
On Christmas morning we slept in, took Daisy for a walk and then went to the Grunsell's for Christmas dinner. I love holidays because they are the only days it is considered normal to eat at 3 in the afternoon. Ellen as always put on a fantastic spread of food and the company was wonderful.
We then came home so that we could open the presents from my family while we talked to them on speaker phone. We would have done it via webcam but we do not have a working webcam and we didn't think about that until we were on the phone with them. My family opens presents one at a time and we give gifts to everyone so it takes quiet awhile, but even via speaker phone we had a great time laughing together and both admiring the gifts we received and making fun of them as well.
It was a wonderful Christmas and I hope you all had a wonderful time in worship, with family and friends as you celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Christmas Eve I woke up early unable to sleep any longer. I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. After breakfast I went over to the church and did some random stuff to prepare for worship while Bob sanded the parking lot and did a mail run. After a few hours, we had a Middeke traditional Christmas Eve dinner of a Hickory Farms gift box (yes this really is a tradition in my family). As the day went on I went back to church to prepare, the choir came to practice, the luminaries went outside and the church filled with worshipers. I did have one stress-filled moment around 4:30 when the Sunday school kids were there to practice, the choir wasn't done practicing yet and I had other things to do before 5 when worship began but I bowed out hopefully I didn't insult anyone.
Worship went really well. The choir sang beautifully, us bell players pulled it off, the kids lead Away in the Manger wonderfully and hopefully my sermon was meaningful to those who heard it. And of course candlelight Silent Night was the highlight of the worship service for me.
After worship, Bob and I went back to our home and he fixed us dinner and we opened our gifts to each other and a few others we received. I have to share what Bob commissioned his brother to draw for me.
He basically did a collage of pictures from my ordination weekend. (We went to the Peabody Museum in New Haven that weekend hence the triceratops.)At 10:45 as we are watching Miracle on 34th St we hear a knock on our door and who does it happen to be? The Hottensteins from My First Wedding fame. They thought there was an 11pm service but wanted to stop by and say hello. It is always so nice to see them, especially because they live in New Jersey and are therefore not in CT that often.
On Christmas morning we slept in, took Daisy for a walk and then went to the Grunsell's for Christmas dinner. I love holidays because they are the only days it is considered normal to eat at 3 in the afternoon. Ellen as always put on a fantastic spread of food and the company was wonderful.
We then came home so that we could open the presents from my family while we talked to them on speaker phone. We would have done it via webcam but we do not have a working webcam and we didn't think about that until we were on the phone with them. My family opens presents one at a time and we give gifts to everyone so it takes quiet awhile, but even via speaker phone we had a great time laughing together and both admiring the gifts we received and making fun of them as well.
It was a wonderful Christmas and I hope you all had a wonderful time in worship, with family and friends as you celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
God's Love Had Changed Everything.
Merry Christmas
It was a beautiful Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem and a joyous occasion as my first Christmas service as a pastor. But more about that tomorrow, instead for now I will post the sermon.
The gospel was the Christmas story from Luke (Luke 2:1-20) I also read the Tale of the Three Trees for the Children's Sermon to talk about how when we celebrate Jesus' birth we also celebrate his death and new life. (I could have done a little better connecting the two but oh well it was my first Christmas as a pastor). The sermon starts with a quote from this book.
Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to read the last two pages of that story, The Tale of the Three Trees, again: "But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. It had made the first tree beautiful. It had made the second tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world."
God’s love had changed everything! God’s love is changing everything! God’s love will change everything!
What better Christmas message is there? Isn’t that basically what the angel proclaimed to the shepherds? “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” The angel proclaimed that God’s love incarnate, through this little baby, has changed the world.
God’s love in the form of a baby born in a manger has changed the world. God’s love in the form of Jesus who performed miracles – turning water into wine, calming storms, feeding 5000 with only a few loaves of bread and fish, and healing the sick – has changed the world. God’s love in the form of Jesus who died on the cross for us has changed the world.
God’s love has changed the world! God’s love is changing the world! God’s love will change the world!
God’s love is given to us in the gift of baptism – in the waters that claim us as daughters and sons of God, in those waters where we are baptize – claimed – in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, when we are marked with the cross of Christ forever – God’s love which we receive in baptism changes us!
God’s love is given to us in communion – in the bread and wine, in the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the remembrance of both Jesus’ life but more importantly his death, his death on a cross for our sins – God’s love which we receive in communion changes us!
God’s love has made us beautiful, beautiful in the eyes of God, created in God’s image as we are meant to be, as God has envisioned us to be.
God’s love has made us strong – maybe not physically but strong in spirit. God’s love allows us to face the daily trial and temptations of this world. A world where we all have days when we just want to crawl back into bed, a world where we each face sadness, sin and even death. But God’s love has made us strong. Some of us are mourning this Christmas – either as the first Christmas after the death of a loved one or because we are not able to physically be with family and friends who are far from us. But God’s love makes us strong especially when we mourn, when we feel loss.
God’s love allows us to see God’s love in others. Many of us are celebrating new life this year, whether it is a baby’s first Christmas, the first Christmas with a new spouse or significant other, or the first Christmas with new friends. And it is through these gifts, through this new life that God’s love has changed us. God’s love allows us to love others.
God’s love has come to us, as we celebrate the birth of Christ. God’s love comes to us each and every day through out the entire year for God’s love has changed everything! And that is the true Christmas message: Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
God’s love has changed everything! God’s love is changing everything! God’s love will change everything! Including us through the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas! Amen!
It was a beautiful Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem and a joyous occasion as my first Christmas service as a pastor. But more about that tomorrow, instead for now I will post the sermon.
The gospel was the Christmas story from Luke (Luke 2:1-20) I also read the Tale of the Three Trees for the Children's Sermon to talk about how when we celebrate Jesus' birth we also celebrate his death and new life. (I could have done a little better connecting the two but oh well it was my first Christmas as a pastor). The sermon starts with a quote from this book.Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to read the last two pages of that story, The Tale of the Three Trees, again: "But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. It had made the first tree beautiful. It had made the second tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world."
God’s love had changed everything! God’s love is changing everything! God’s love will change everything!
What better Christmas message is there? Isn’t that basically what the angel proclaimed to the shepherds? “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” The angel proclaimed that God’s love incarnate, through this little baby, has changed the world.
God’s love in the form of a baby born in a manger has changed the world. God’s love in the form of Jesus who performed miracles – turning water into wine, calming storms, feeding 5000 with only a few loaves of bread and fish, and healing the sick – has changed the world. God’s love in the form of Jesus who died on the cross for us has changed the world.
God’s love has changed the world! God’s love is changing the world! God’s love will change the world!
God’s love is given to us in the gift of baptism – in the waters that claim us as daughters and sons of God, in those waters where we are baptize – claimed – in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, when we are marked with the cross of Christ forever – God’s love which we receive in baptism changes us!
God’s love is given to us in communion – in the bread and wine, in the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the remembrance of both Jesus’ life but more importantly his death, his death on a cross for our sins – God’s love which we receive in communion changes us!
God’s love has made us beautiful, beautiful in the eyes of God, created in God’s image as we are meant to be, as God has envisioned us to be.
God’s love has made us strong – maybe not physically but strong in spirit. God’s love allows us to face the daily trial and temptations of this world. A world where we all have days when we just want to crawl back into bed, a world where we each face sadness, sin and even death. But God’s love has made us strong. Some of us are mourning this Christmas – either as the first Christmas after the death of a loved one or because we are not able to physically be with family and friends who are far from us. But God’s love makes us strong especially when we mourn, when we feel loss.
God’s love allows us to see God’s love in others. Many of us are celebrating new life this year, whether it is a baby’s first Christmas, the first Christmas with a new spouse or significant other, or the first Christmas with new friends. And it is through these gifts, through this new life that God’s love has changed us. God’s love allows us to love others.
God’s love has come to us, as we celebrate the birth of Christ. God’s love comes to us each and every day through out the entire year for God’s love has changed everything! And that is the true Christmas message: Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
God’s love has changed everything! God’s love is changing everything! God’s love will change everything! Including us through the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas! Amen!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A shopping trip, a baptism, a snow storm and some decorating
It was a busy weekend around here.
On Friday, Bob and I did some much needed errands and shopping trip. All total I think we went to post office, the recycling center, Kohl's, a garden center, Target, Lowe's, Stew Leonard's, the mall, an art supply store, the pet store and Stop n Shop. And I don't think we bought any gifts other than for the dog and I bought each other. The trip to the post office was actually to mail out the last package for Christmas gifts for family and friends. We are going to a wedding the Monday after Christmas so a large portion of the shopping was getting clothes for the wedding - I only have spring/summer dresses and Bob needed a new dress shirt. By the time we got back to the house at 6pm we were so tired that our plans to go out for dinner were axed and we ordered Chinese takeout instead.
Saturday I had confirmation in the morning but the highlight of the day was doing a baptism at the home of one of the elderly members of the congregation. Her great-grandson was baptized amid a small gathering of family. It was such a delight to have an informal worship service with a family.
Throughout the day the snow threatened, and the weathermen talked about the snowpocalypse that was coming, and my friends in the DC area were giving regular updates via facebook. But other than a few flurries the snow did not come until around 9, and then boy did it come. By the time we went to bed there was probably close to 2 inches on the ground. And by 6:30 when I awoke there was at least 7 but it was hard to tell exact measurements since it was all powder. Worship was canceled, and Bob and I shoveled. Some areas were practically bare but yet the steps were covered. I even stepped in a snow drift that came up to my mid-thigh.
And Monday a lot of things happened in order to make up for what didn't happen on Sunday. After worship there was suppose to be a time to decorate the sanctuary and the choirs were suppose to practice. So instead we decorated yesterday (the sanctuary is so pretty and slightly different than previous years) and the choirs rehearse last night. So hopefully we are all set for Christmas Eve.
But for now I will enjoy this calm both post and pre craziness.
On Friday, Bob and I did some much needed errands and shopping trip. All total I think we went to post office, the recycling center, Kohl's, a garden center, Target, Lowe's, Stew Leonard's, the mall, an art supply store, the pet store and Stop n Shop. And I don't think we bought any gifts other than for the dog and I bought each other. The trip to the post office was actually to mail out the last package for Christmas gifts for family and friends. We are going to a wedding the Monday after Christmas so a large portion of the shopping was getting clothes for the wedding - I only have spring/summer dresses and Bob needed a new dress shirt. By the time we got back to the house at 6pm we were so tired that our plans to go out for dinner were axed and we ordered Chinese takeout instead.
Saturday I had confirmation in the morning but the highlight of the day was doing a baptism at the home of one of the elderly members of the congregation. Her great-grandson was baptized amid a small gathering of family. It was such a delight to have an informal worship service with a family.
Throughout the day the snow threatened, and the weathermen talked about the snowpocalypse that was coming, and my friends in the DC area were giving regular updates via facebook. But other than a few flurries the snow did not come until around 9, and then boy did it come. By the time we went to bed there was probably close to 2 inches on the ground. And by 6:30 when I awoke there was at least 7 but it was hard to tell exact measurements since it was all powder. Worship was canceled, and Bob and I shoveled. Some areas were practically bare but yet the steps were covered. I even stepped in a snow drift that came up to my mid-thigh.
And Monday a lot of things happened in order to make up for what didn't happen on Sunday. After worship there was suppose to be a time to decorate the sanctuary and the choirs were suppose to practice. So instead we decorated yesterday (the sanctuary is so pretty and slightly different than previous years) and the choirs rehearse last night. So hopefully we are all set for Christmas Eve.
But for now I will enjoy this calm both post and pre craziness.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Love All
On this snowy Sunday Morning, worship has been canceled. But that doesn't mean that we cannot still take a few minutes to worship.
The readings for this week are: Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10 and Luke 1:26-56. This is also the 4th sermon in the sermon series on Advent Conspiracy. (Here are links to the other 3: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less.)
I hope you enjoy your snow day and that you can take a few minutes to rest and be calm in the midst of the pre-Christmas craziness that happens to many of us this time of year.
Hope to see you Thursday at 5pm for our Christmas Eve Service
Editors note: This sermon is written to be given verbally. Therefore there are probably a few typos in this sermon as well as run on sentences and sentence fragments. In other words my high school English teacher would be in horror reading this and would probably whip out the red pen , while my speech teacher would be imagining how this would sound as a spoken piece. Please be the speech teacher.
Finally! Here we are the fourth Sunday in Advent, on 5 days until Christmas and we are finally getting to read a lesson that actually has something to do with Christmas. Really five days before Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were packing up getting ready to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, if they hadn’t already left yet. But instead, today, 5 days before Christmas, we hear the story of Mary being told that she was pregnant and then traveling to her cousin Elizabeth to celebrate. Now I don’t actually have any personal experience with this, but from friends and siblings who have had kids recently, 5 days is a really short time to anticipate and prepare for the birth of a child.
But we have been preparing for Jesus’ birth throughout this Advent and throughout the year. For we are not just preparing for his birth, because really that happened over 2000 years ago, but we are preparing our hearts and minds for Jesus to enter in and for Jesus to come again. We are constantly preparing, learning and experiencing how we can better know, love and praise God.
And Mary, in her heart felt song of praise, in her willingness to be a servant of the Lord, is an excellent example of how to do just that. When Martin Luther explained Mary’s song of praise, the magnificat, he uses these words to describe how we can all learn from Mary. “Here, the tender mother of Christ teaches us, with her words and by the example of her experiences, how to know, love and praise God.”
But how hard this must have been for Mary. She was an unwed teenager who was just told by an angel that she was going to have a child though she was a virgin. Unwed pregnant women we often stoned to death for committing adultery. Though Mary has traditionally been depicted as a daughter of a priest, and if that was true she would have been burned to death instead of stoned for being pregnant out of wedlock.
But Mary doesn’t think about the consequences of her pregnancy. After her initial fear of the angel, she doesn’t run or turn away or reject the news or ask why her. Instead she does as God has called her to do. She accepts that she is a servant of the Lord, and even rejoices at the news. She knows that she has been chosen, that she has been blessed by this news that other might dismay.
And there is Elizabeth, an old barren woman, (realistically, she was could have been as young as me, but in her era when you were married as a young teenager, making to 28 without having children would have made you considered barren). Anyway here is Elizabeth, also pregnant, when no one thought it was possible, after she had gone for years without children, and instead of turning from Mary for being full of disgrace, instead of disowning her, or even warning her to flee for her life, instead of all the things Elizabeth could have done to Mary, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She loves and accepts Mary. She feels blessed and honored to be visited by her and knows that Mary is not only pregnant but also that she is pregnant with the Christ child.
So what does this have to do with us? I mean other than Mary was the mother of Jesus who grew up to not only teach, preach and heal in the name of God but also died on a cross for our sins and rose from the dead.
Well most of you know by now that this Advent I have been talking about Advent Conspiracy and their four tenets: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less and Love All. Thus far we have discussed each of them except Love All. In some ways this seems like it is an easy one right? I mean of course we love everyone. But if we are honest with ourselves love is the hardest of them all.
We are not always acceptable, we are not always perfect, we screw up, we do not always conform to society’s standards of what is appropriate. We sin against God, we sin against others, we hurt others by our thoughts, words and deeds, by what we have done and what we have left undone and sometimes we do not deserve it when others love us.
We sometimes run from God, we turn away from what God is calling, asking, us to do, we ask why, we complain, we reject God’s call. We ignore God, we are too frighten, perplexed, troubled, disturbed and confused by what God wants us to do that we fail to love God and fail to love others.
Sure we do not show love to strangers but we also do not show love to many people who are family members or once friends. Be honest: how many of you are dreading seeing a particular aunt, uncle, cousin, sibling, parent or child this Christmas or are grateful that you do not have to see them? We fail to love relatives and sometimes we fail to love those who we once loved more anyone else, whether that plays out in getting a divorce, disowning siblings, children or parents, or even just the generic continuing to tolerate and live with the person but no longer having any loving feelings for them.
In an interview on Thanksgiving, Robin Williams stated “Thanksgiving is the holiday that makes us grateful that we don’t live near our family during the rest of the year.” Can’t that be true on Christmas as well? Christmas can be hard on children of divorce, not wanting to offend either parent by choosing one parent’s Christmas celebration over another. Christmas can be hard of married couples, not wanting to choose one spouses traditions over another. These choices are hard because to some people they can be interpreted that they love one person or family more than another.
But we can strive to love all. We can strive to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked, the sick, the marginalized. In fact those people are often easier to love than our relatives. By donating toys to St. Luke’s Life Works or Toys for Tots and money to the Salvation Army or other charities you are showing love, God’s love and your own, for others. By accepting people for where they are at, for not allowing that person to get under your skin this Christmas, by being gracious, you are showing love, God’s love and your own to others.
See we don’t always deserve to be loved. I think we can all think of multiple examples of times that we have hurt another, but yet God still loves us. God still accepts us. Just as Elizabeth love and accepted Mary, before she even knew Mary’s story, God accepts and loves us. God’s love is given to us through the healing waters of baptism. God’s love is given to us through the bread and wine of communion. God’s love is given to us through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s love was given to us through the pregnancy of an unwed teenager 2000 years ago, God’s love was given to us through the birth of Jesus Christ, which we will celebrate in a few days, and God love will be given to us when Jesus comes again someday. For even if we do not always deserve it, God loves us!
The readings for this week are: Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10 and Luke 1:26-56. This is also the 4th sermon in the sermon series on Advent Conspiracy. (Here are links to the other 3: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less.)
I hope you enjoy your snow day and that you can take a few minutes to rest and be calm in the midst of the pre-Christmas craziness that happens to many of us this time of year.
Hope to see you Thursday at 5pm for our Christmas Eve Service
Editors note: This sermon is written to be given verbally. Therefore there are probably a few typos in this sermon as well as run on sentences and sentence fragments. In other words my high school English teacher would be in horror reading this and would probably whip out the red pen , while my speech teacher would be imagining how this would sound as a spoken piece. Please be the speech teacher.
Finally! Here we are the fourth Sunday in Advent, on 5 days until Christmas and we are finally getting to read a lesson that actually has something to do with Christmas. Really five days before Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were packing up getting ready to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, if they hadn’t already left yet. But instead, today, 5 days before Christmas, we hear the story of Mary being told that she was pregnant and then traveling to her cousin Elizabeth to celebrate. Now I don’t actually have any personal experience with this, but from friends and siblings who have had kids recently, 5 days is a really short time to anticipate and prepare for the birth of a child.
But we have been preparing for Jesus’ birth throughout this Advent and throughout the year. For we are not just preparing for his birth, because really that happened over 2000 years ago, but we are preparing our hearts and minds for Jesus to enter in and for Jesus to come again. We are constantly preparing, learning and experiencing how we can better know, love and praise God.
And Mary, in her heart felt song of praise, in her willingness to be a servant of the Lord, is an excellent example of how to do just that. When Martin Luther explained Mary’s song of praise, the magnificat, he uses these words to describe how we can all learn from Mary. “Here, the tender mother of Christ teaches us, with her words and by the example of her experiences, how to know, love and praise God.”
But how hard this must have been for Mary. She was an unwed teenager who was just told by an angel that she was going to have a child though she was a virgin. Unwed pregnant women we often stoned to death for committing adultery. Though Mary has traditionally been depicted as a daughter of a priest, and if that was true she would have been burned to death instead of stoned for being pregnant out of wedlock.
But Mary doesn’t think about the consequences of her pregnancy. After her initial fear of the angel, she doesn’t run or turn away or reject the news or ask why her. Instead she does as God has called her to do. She accepts that she is a servant of the Lord, and even rejoices at the news. She knows that she has been chosen, that she has been blessed by this news that other might dismay.
And there is Elizabeth, an old barren woman, (realistically, she was could have been as young as me, but in her era when you were married as a young teenager, making to 28 without having children would have made you considered barren). Anyway here is Elizabeth, also pregnant, when no one thought it was possible, after she had gone for years without children, and instead of turning from Mary for being full of disgrace, instead of disowning her, or even warning her to flee for her life, instead of all the things Elizabeth could have done to Mary, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She loves and accepts Mary. She feels blessed and honored to be visited by her and knows that Mary is not only pregnant but also that she is pregnant with the Christ child.
So what does this have to do with us? I mean other than Mary was the mother of Jesus who grew up to not only teach, preach and heal in the name of God but also died on a cross for our sins and rose from the dead.
Well most of you know by now that this Advent I have been talking about Advent Conspiracy and their four tenets: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less and Love All. Thus far we have discussed each of them except Love All. In some ways this seems like it is an easy one right? I mean of course we love everyone. But if we are honest with ourselves love is the hardest of them all.
We are not always acceptable, we are not always perfect, we screw up, we do not always conform to society’s standards of what is appropriate. We sin against God, we sin against others, we hurt others by our thoughts, words and deeds, by what we have done and what we have left undone and sometimes we do not deserve it when others love us.
We sometimes run from God, we turn away from what God is calling, asking, us to do, we ask why, we complain, we reject God’s call. We ignore God, we are too frighten, perplexed, troubled, disturbed and confused by what God wants us to do that we fail to love God and fail to love others.
Sure we do not show love to strangers but we also do not show love to many people who are family members or once friends. Be honest: how many of you are dreading seeing a particular aunt, uncle, cousin, sibling, parent or child this Christmas or are grateful that you do not have to see them? We fail to love relatives and sometimes we fail to love those who we once loved more anyone else, whether that plays out in getting a divorce, disowning siblings, children or parents, or even just the generic continuing to tolerate and live with the person but no longer having any loving feelings for them.
In an interview on Thanksgiving, Robin Williams stated “Thanksgiving is the holiday that makes us grateful that we don’t live near our family during the rest of the year.” Can’t that be true on Christmas as well? Christmas can be hard on children of divorce, not wanting to offend either parent by choosing one parent’s Christmas celebration over another. Christmas can be hard of married couples, not wanting to choose one spouses traditions over another. These choices are hard because to some people they can be interpreted that they love one person or family more than another.
But we can strive to love all. We can strive to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked, the sick, the marginalized. In fact those people are often easier to love than our relatives. By donating toys to St. Luke’s Life Works or Toys for Tots and money to the Salvation Army or other charities you are showing love, God’s love and your own, for others. By accepting people for where they are at, for not allowing that person to get under your skin this Christmas, by being gracious, you are showing love, God’s love and your own to others.
See we don’t always deserve to be loved. I think we can all think of multiple examples of times that we have hurt another, but yet God still loves us. God still accepts us. Just as Elizabeth love and accepted Mary, before she even knew Mary’s story, God accepts and loves us. God’s love is given to us through the healing waters of baptism. God’s love is given to us through the bread and wine of communion. God’s love is given to us through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s love was given to us through the pregnancy of an unwed teenager 2000 years ago, God’s love was given to us through the birth of Jesus Christ, which we will celebrate in a few days, and God love will be given to us when Jesus comes again someday. For even if we do not always deserve it, God loves us!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Spend Less
Worship was full today with our regular worship plus a temple talk on stewardship and the presentation of the budget for next year. So while some of the other text were referred to with stewardship and budgets in mind, this sermon focused mainly on the gospel text: Luke 3:7-18
So this Advent, this season of preparation before Christmas, I have been talking about Advent Conspiracy. Advent Conspiracy is a movement to have people reclaim Advent and Christmas from what it has become for many people: stress, traffic jams, to do list, shopping. Instead the goal, the hope, of Advent Conspiracy is that people can reclaim Advent and Christmas into a season of love, hope, promise and realize that Christmas can still change the world by us worshiping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all.
So let’s talk about spending less, but first lets see where were are.
• How many of you are already done with your Christmas shopping?
• How many of you have ever given a gift out of pure obligation? They gave or will you a gift so you feel you have to give them something in return?
• How many of you have the one person on your gift giving list this year that you have absolutely no clue what they might enjoy?
• How many of you will spend over $100 on Christmas presents this year? $200? $500?
• How many of you like receiving gifts?
• How many of you like giving gifts?
• How many of you can remember giving someone a gift that they really wanted or were really excited over? What was that like?
See I’m not a Scrooge, I like giving gifts. I like thinking about what someone would really enjoy and finding the perfect gift for them. And I like receiving gifts too. I like receiving gifts that I know were specifically purchased or made with me in mind. Gifts that are useful or meaningful or ones that I will treasure.
But it happens every Christmas, you open that present and you immediately put on that fake smile and as you lift your gift out of the box you exclaim or it is great, I love it. Meanwhile you are wondering what were they thinking when they bought you that? Did they buy it on the way home from church on Christmas Eve and the only place open was the gas station? Whether it is a hideous sweater, a Chia pet, a shirt two sizes too big, or a gift certificate to a place you never shop at, nor would ever shop at, you have just received a gift that was wasted. It would have been better that they wrote a thoughtful card than given you something that proves they put no thought into what you might enjoy.
And if you gave that gift, and you realize that they didn’t like it, it feels horrible. You just want to take it back and either give them the cash you spent on it or a card or something else.
And then think about this: every year Americans spend $450 billion dollars on Christmas. $450 billion! That is ten times the amount Bank of America just paid back the US government from the bailout program. That works out to be almost $1500 per person, not per family, per person, including children.
So what would happen if each year, we bough one less gift? One less gift that we give solely out of obligation. One less hideous sweater, Chia pet, shirt two sizes too big, or a gift certificate that they will never use. Think of how nice it would be to not have to buy something for the random coworker in the Secret Santa pool at work. Think of how nice it would be to not have to rack your brain to get something for that one person who you can never think of what to get them.
So if every person bought one less gift a year, say that averages out to be $20 (I’m being cheap here), that is $610 million dollars a year in savings.
So what all does this have to do with the Gospel? What does this have to do with lessons we just heard, that we just read?
Well there is John the Baptist out in the wilderness preaching to crowds telling them to prepare the way of the Lord. And how does he tell them to prepare the way? By giving away an extra coat and extra food, by doing their job well and by being satisfied with their wages. That’s it! It is simple. He didn’t tell them to go out and do great things, he didn’t tell them to go out and even do anything particularly religious – going to worship daily, reading the scriptures. No just give away your excess to those who have none, do your job well and don’t complain.
See we often feel like we have to do something big, that we have to do something worth wild in order for it to make a difference in this world. We hear about the people who gave a million dollars to a charity or a university. And maybe we wish we could be them, to get their recognition, to change the world that way. But really we don’t have to do anything big. A tree only has to bear one good fruit in order for the seed to be planted in order for another tree to grow, which will bear more good fruit and more trees.
We don’t have to do anything spectacular, we just need to do what we have been called to do, do it well, and help others in need. To do our small part, to do what God has call us to do.
Plus some of the best gifts, the best fruits we can bear, require no money at all. By giving what we already have, people can have warm clothes for winter and food on their tables. By giving the skills that we have, houses can be built, quilts can be made, children can be educated, the world can be changed. God has given us the ability to bear good fruit.
God has given us the gifts of community to support us as we bear good fruit. This church has donated over $700 for Redding Social Services this year, not including the hundreds of food items as well. We donated a pile of toys to St. Luke’s Life Work’s this year. Think of how many children will have gifts this Christmas that might otherwise have none. We have support the African Mission. We have done many, many things. God has given us this community to support us as we bear good fruit.
We bear good fruits because we have been given the gift of Christ. Christ who came to us as child born in a lowly manger, Christ who forgives our sins, Christ who died on a cross for us, Christ who will come again! Christ who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, Christ who gave us his body and blood through the bread and wine of communion. Christ who was the ultimate gift for the world. For God so loved the world, that God gave his only son to die for us so that we might receive eternal life.
We have been given the gift of Christ so that we can bear good fruit. So then what if we buy one less gift so that we can bear good fruit. What if we take that $20 that we saved from not buying that one gift and instead donated to a charity on that person’s behalf? And what if only one in every one hundred people in this country did the exact same thing? It may seem like nothing big, but that would be an additional $61 million dollars given to charity each year. Think of all the good things that charities like Lutheran World Relief, the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and others could do with an extra $61 million a year. Lutheran World Relief’s total program expenses for the year are only $32 million.
It is by bearing that one good fruit, something that might seem so small at the time, by buying that one less gift, that we realize that Christmas can still change the world.
So this Advent, this season of preparation before Christmas, I have been talking about Advent Conspiracy. Advent Conspiracy is a movement to have people reclaim Advent and Christmas from what it has become for many people: stress, traffic jams, to do list, shopping. Instead the goal, the hope, of Advent Conspiracy is that people can reclaim Advent and Christmas into a season of love, hope, promise and realize that Christmas can still change the world by us worshiping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all.
So let’s talk about spending less, but first lets see where were are.
• How many of you are already done with your Christmas shopping?
• How many of you have ever given a gift out of pure obligation? They gave or will you a gift so you feel you have to give them something in return?
• How many of you have the one person on your gift giving list this year that you have absolutely no clue what they might enjoy?
• How many of you will spend over $100 on Christmas presents this year? $200? $500?
• How many of you like receiving gifts?
• How many of you like giving gifts?
• How many of you can remember giving someone a gift that they really wanted or were really excited over? What was that like?
See I’m not a Scrooge, I like giving gifts. I like thinking about what someone would really enjoy and finding the perfect gift for them. And I like receiving gifts too. I like receiving gifts that I know were specifically purchased or made with me in mind. Gifts that are useful or meaningful or ones that I will treasure.
But it happens every Christmas, you open that present and you immediately put on that fake smile and as you lift your gift out of the box you exclaim or it is great, I love it. Meanwhile you are wondering what were they thinking when they bought you that? Did they buy it on the way home from church on Christmas Eve and the only place open was the gas station? Whether it is a hideous sweater, a Chia pet, a shirt two sizes too big, or a gift certificate to a place you never shop at, nor would ever shop at, you have just received a gift that was wasted. It would have been better that they wrote a thoughtful card than given you something that proves they put no thought into what you might enjoy.
And if you gave that gift, and you realize that they didn’t like it, it feels horrible. You just want to take it back and either give them the cash you spent on it or a card or something else.
And then think about this: every year Americans spend $450 billion dollars on Christmas. $450 billion! That is ten times the amount Bank of America just paid back the US government from the bailout program. That works out to be almost $1500 per person, not per family, per person, including children.
So what would happen if each year, we bough one less gift? One less gift that we give solely out of obligation. One less hideous sweater, Chia pet, shirt two sizes too big, or a gift certificate that they will never use. Think of how nice it would be to not have to buy something for the random coworker in the Secret Santa pool at work. Think of how nice it would be to not have to rack your brain to get something for that one person who you can never think of what to get them.
So if every person bought one less gift a year, say that averages out to be $20 (I’m being cheap here), that is $610 million dollars a year in savings.
So what all does this have to do with the Gospel? What does this have to do with lessons we just heard, that we just read?
Well there is John the Baptist out in the wilderness preaching to crowds telling them to prepare the way of the Lord. And how does he tell them to prepare the way? By giving away an extra coat and extra food, by doing their job well and by being satisfied with their wages. That’s it! It is simple. He didn’t tell them to go out and do great things, he didn’t tell them to go out and even do anything particularly religious – going to worship daily, reading the scriptures. No just give away your excess to those who have none, do your job well and don’t complain.
See we often feel like we have to do something big, that we have to do something worth wild in order for it to make a difference in this world. We hear about the people who gave a million dollars to a charity or a university. And maybe we wish we could be them, to get their recognition, to change the world that way. But really we don’t have to do anything big. A tree only has to bear one good fruit in order for the seed to be planted in order for another tree to grow, which will bear more good fruit and more trees.
We don’t have to do anything spectacular, we just need to do what we have been called to do, do it well, and help others in need. To do our small part, to do what God has call us to do.
Plus some of the best gifts, the best fruits we can bear, require no money at all. By giving what we already have, people can have warm clothes for winter and food on their tables. By giving the skills that we have, houses can be built, quilts can be made, children can be educated, the world can be changed. God has given us the ability to bear good fruit.
God has given us the gifts of community to support us as we bear good fruit. This church has donated over $700 for Redding Social Services this year, not including the hundreds of food items as well. We donated a pile of toys to St. Luke’s Life Work’s this year. Think of how many children will have gifts this Christmas that might otherwise have none. We have support the African Mission. We have done many, many things. God has given us this community to support us as we bear good fruit.
We bear good fruits because we have been given the gift of Christ. Christ who came to us as child born in a lowly manger, Christ who forgives our sins, Christ who died on a cross for us, Christ who will come again! Christ who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, Christ who gave us his body and blood through the bread and wine of communion. Christ who was the ultimate gift for the world. For God so loved the world, that God gave his only son to die for us so that we might receive eternal life.
We have been given the gift of Christ so that we can bear good fruit. So then what if we buy one less gift so that we can bear good fruit. What if we take that $20 that we saved from not buying that one gift and instead donated to a charity on that person’s behalf? And what if only one in every one hundred people in this country did the exact same thing? It may seem like nothing big, but that would be an additional $61 million dollars given to charity each year. Think of all the good things that charities like Lutheran World Relief, the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and others could do with an extra $61 million a year. Lutheran World Relief’s total program expenses for the year are only $32 million.
It is by bearing that one good fruit, something that might seem so small at the time, by buying that one less gift, that we realize that Christmas can still change the world.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Crafting fairies
My house, well the dining and living rooms more specifically, looks like it has been taken over by the craft fairies. I've been working away making gifts for Christmas presents for some friends and family. Unfortunately some of the recipients of these gifts read this blog so I won't post pictures but since Friday I have:
Sewn together two Christmas stockings that I needlepointed earlier this year.
Made 9 cute little felt ornaments.
Traced/drew a picture of someone in a well know cartoon setting. This is a similar picture that I made last year of Bob with Peter and Stewie from Family Guy.
Made a whole lot of yarn into pompoms for a tacky yet cool wreath.
Made a felt jungle play mat.
Cut out felt (not sewn yet) for a car/roadway play mat.
Still up:
Make Bob's gift - not even going to hint about what it is.
Make another personalize cartoon picture.
Sew some skirts.
And if I have time, and only if I have time make an Advent calendar
Sewn together two Christmas stockings that I needlepointed earlier this year.
Made 9 cute little felt ornaments.
Traced/drew a picture of someone in a well know cartoon setting. This is a similar picture that I made last year of Bob with Peter and Stewie from Family Guy.
Made a whole lot of yarn into pompoms for a tacky yet cool wreath.
Made a felt jungle play mat.
Cut out felt (not sewn yet) for a car/roadway play mat.
Still up:
Make Bob's gift - not even going to hint about what it is.
Make another personalize cartoon picture.
Sew some skirts.
And if I have time, and only if I have time make an Advent calendar
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
How to Give More
The second concept from Advent Conspiracy that I'm focusing on this Advent is Give More.
Advent Conspiracies defines this as "God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?" But how can we do that? Life is crazy, I don't have time to give my time.
So life is crazy. Everyone's life is crazy. I try never to get into complaining competitions because there is always someone who has a crazier life than me, but there are very few people I know who would not enjoy a few more hours in the day, a few more days in the week and a few more weeks in a year in order to get everything do that they must get done.
It is the craziness of life that makes giving time a difficult thing to do. However it is the craziness of life that makes giving time one of the most enjoyable gifts to give because it allows us to step back and enjoy the time we spend together.
So how can you give time?
If you have a hobby that produces something tangible - knitting, needle-pointing, woodworking, photography, writing, baking, cooking - use your hobby to make gifts for others. Not only do you get to work on something you enjoy, it is a personal gift that hopefully they will enjoy more.
Spread it out over the year! One of my favorite suggestions about giving time came from a parent with multiple kids. The parents made up coupon books with simple events for each month of the year that gave each kids time to be alone with one or both parents. So the kids got a year of presents like "a lunch date with mom" "going to the batting cages with dad" "going out for ice cream with mom and dad" that the kids were able to redeem throughout the year.
Make a date for it. Set a weekly or monthly time to spend together and stick to it, whether it is family game night, a monthly night out with friends.
Buy tickets for two. Tickets to a concert, sport's game, art exhibit, play, etc are great gifts and way to spend time together, especially if you make a day of it.
Already bought the person a gift? Is there some way you can share in it together? Read the book you bought him and discuss it. Have her beat you in the video game you bought her even if you embarrass yourself doing so. Cook together using that new kitchen gadget. Build something together with the new set of tools. Play together with the new sports equipment. And I can't think of someway to share clothes but be creative I'm sure you can think of something.
Happy Advent!
Advent Conspiracies defines this as "God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?" But how can we do that? Life is crazy, I don't have time to give my time.
So life is crazy. Everyone's life is crazy. I try never to get into complaining competitions because there is always someone who has a crazier life than me, but there are very few people I know who would not enjoy a few more hours in the day, a few more days in the week and a few more weeks in a year in order to get everything do that they must get done.
It is the craziness of life that makes giving time a difficult thing to do. However it is the craziness of life that makes giving time one of the most enjoyable gifts to give because it allows us to step back and enjoy the time we spend together.
So how can you give time?
If you have a hobby that produces something tangible - knitting, needle-pointing, woodworking, photography, writing, baking, cooking - use your hobby to make gifts for others. Not only do you get to work on something you enjoy, it is a personal gift that hopefully they will enjoy more.
Spread it out over the year! One of my favorite suggestions about giving time came from a parent with multiple kids. The parents made up coupon books with simple events for each month of the year that gave each kids time to be alone with one or both parents. So the kids got a year of presents like "a lunch date with mom" "going to the batting cages with dad" "going out for ice cream with mom and dad" that the kids were able to redeem throughout the year.
Make a date for it. Set a weekly or monthly time to spend together and stick to it, whether it is family game night, a monthly night out with friends.
Buy tickets for two. Tickets to a concert, sport's game, art exhibit, play, etc are great gifts and way to spend time together, especially if you make a day of it.
Already bought the person a gift? Is there some way you can share in it together? Read the book you bought him and discuss it. Have her beat you in the video game you bought her even if you embarrass yourself doing so. Cook together using that new kitchen gadget. Build something together with the new set of tools. Play together with the new sports equipment. And I can't think of someway to share clothes but be creative I'm sure you can think of something.
Happy Advent!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Give More
For the second Sunday in Advent the text were Malachi 3:1-20, Luke 1:68-79, Philippians 1:1-11, and Luke 3:1-6. There was also a baptism who is the Liam that is mentioned in the sermon. This is also the second in the series of sermons using the concepts of Advent Conspiracy. Yeah so there is a lot in one sermon. Enjoy!
We have some pretty interesting lessons today. I mean it is not even three weeks till Christmas, shouldn’t we be hearing about Mary being told by an angel that she was pregnant with Jesus, or a preview to Jesus’ birth or maybe even about the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who was born just a few months before Jesus. Instead our Old Testament reading about Israel having to be put through the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap (whatever that means), the second reading is some blessing Paul wrote to people who agreed with him in Philippi and the gospel lesson is a list of some dudes who ruled some lands and John the Baptist proclaiming the need for people to be baptized. Okay so at least our psalmody is not from psalms and instead it is the song Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, sang when John was born – but we don’t ever get to read the background story.
But Advent, this season of four weeks before Christmas, in the church is not just about preparing for Jesus’ birth. Think about it, what parent just prepares for the birth of a child and not for the child’s life to – the clothes, carriers, strollers, diapers, that is all about the child’s life. Advent is about preparing for Jesus’ life, for his ministry, for his death on the cross, it is about preparing for Jesus resurrection from the dead and for him to come again. Yes we tend to focus on Jesus’ birth at Christmas – at least if we look at the meaning of Christmas and not the way secular society has made Christmas out to be – all about presents, cookies, decorating, holiday parties and the big long to do list.
So with that in mind, the preparations that are being made not just for Jesus’ birth, but also his life, it makes since that we have today’s text. We must prepare the way Lord. We must make paths straights, mountains and valleys level. We must make ourselves clean, worthy for Christ, through the refiner’s fire, through the fuller’s soap, through the waters of baptism.
The people of Israel needed to be scrubbed clean, they needed to go through the refiner’s fire. The people John was preaching his message to needed to repent, to have their sins forgiven. The Lord was coming and they needed to make his path straight. To level every mountain, to fill every valley. But all of that takes time!
The refining process for gold and silver was drawn out, it took time to get out the other chemicals in order to leave pure silver and gold. Leveling mountains and filling valleys take time. Have you ever dug a garden bed? Making paths straight takes time. Think of how much time they have spend already on the parkway and route 7. They all take time.
It takes time! Time something that we never seem to have enough of. Time, probably one of the most precious commodities in the entire world. We are fine if we waste some of our own time, playing on the internet, watching a un-worth-wild TV show, flipping through the pages of a catalog that we will never purchase anything from. But how dare somebody else waste our time, in a pointless work meeting that has nothing to do with us, by being late to a meeting or lunch, making us wait for our appointment with the doctor or dentist, making us wait in line at the grocery store or bank.
We are constantly trying to find ways to save time. ATMs have almost eliminated the need for actual bank tellers, emails are a quicker way of trying to arrange meetings or exchange ideas. At Stop N Shop, you can now use a hand-held scanner as you shop for groceries so that when you get to the cash register all you have to do is pay – and if you bring your own bags and arrange your cart well, you don’t even have to worry about bagging your groceries either. Entire TV programs show you how to cook a well balanced meal in less than a half hour. It is all about saving time.
So maybe that is why time is often the most precious gift we can give.
We often think that we can buy our own and other people’s happiness, especially at Christmas time. If I spend a lot on a present for them, they will like me more. If I get them the gift that they really want, even if I can’t afford it, they will be happy for the entire year. If I only owned a nicer house, boat, car, designer clothes, cell phone, latest gadget, fill in the blank, then I will be truly happy.
But money does not buy happiness, however time does, or at least helps.
I’ve been talking about Advent Conspiracy with you in these weeks leading up to Christmas. Last week we talked about Worship Fully, one of the core concepts to Advent Conspiracy. But this week, lets talk about Give More. We often think at Christmas about giving and spending more of our money on our family and friends in order to make Christmas memorable. But really we should Give More of our time, our presence.
It is in giving that time that we make memories. Yes I remember fondly playing with many of my siblings and my Christmas presents, an easy-bake oven, the Nintendo, some musical instrument kit. But what I remember more about those toys was the times when my parents played with them with me. When my mom, sister and I would cook desserts in our easy bake oven then have a little party. When my siblings and I took turns beating my dad at Duck Hunt. When I got my siblings to join in a parade of musical instruments and march in front of my parents.
An as a young adult, my favorite presents have become ones that either put time and effort into making especially for me – a Christmas stocking that my dad needlepointed for me when I was a kid, or the tie blanket that Bob made for me a few years ago before we got married. Those are the gifts I treasure.
And how about you? What have been your favorite Christmas presents? Ones that someone picked off a shelf for you at a store because it was on sale? Or ones that people picked out or made especially for you? Or even ones where people spend time with you, taking you out to your favorite restaurant, tickets to a sports game or play, time to teach you a hobby that you have always wanted to try?
Time is a precious commodity. Time is what makes happiness. Time is what builds relationships. Spending true quality time with your family this Christmas is what will make them happy – at least most of them, there are always some Scrooges out there. And quite honestly we each probably have some family members that we don’t want to spend time with.
To quote the Advent Conspiracy website: Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?
Time is a gift.
We all know it. God knows it to. All those things that I talked about earlier – making hills low and filling valleys, straightening paths, going through the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap – all of those things take time. And God is willing to give us that time.
God builds relationship with us through time. Today when the baptismal waters are poured over Liam, God is just starting a formal relationship with him. God is not done with Liam once his head is dried off. And God is not done with us. God was not done with us at our baptisms. We were not given the gift of baptism and then left alone for the rest of our lives to wander in the wilderness. No, God comes to us each and every day. The word of God still comes to us.
We are continually given the gifts of God’s grace. We were each given that grace at our baptism and we are continually given God’s grace whenever we remember that we are children of God, marked with the cross of Christ forever.
We are given the gifts of Christ Jesus. Jesus gave us the forgiveness of all of our sins through his death on a cross. And weekly at this altar, at this table, we are given the gifts of Christ’s body and blood through tangible offering of bread and wine. Gifts that are given to all people. Gifts of forgivness.
We are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, self-control, the ability to teach, the ability to preach, the ability to serve. Each have been given to us in our own ways. The Holy Spirit moves in us each and every day. We have been given these gifts over and over again. Time has been spent on us.
As we prepare for Christmas, for Christ’s birth, life and death, we are reminded of the amount of time it takes to prepare the way of the Lord, but we are also reminded about the amount of time God has and is willing to spend on us. God is building a relationship with us and relationships take time and they take love. And we are worth the time and we are loved.
We have some pretty interesting lessons today. I mean it is not even three weeks till Christmas, shouldn’t we be hearing about Mary being told by an angel that she was pregnant with Jesus, or a preview to Jesus’ birth or maybe even about the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who was born just a few months before Jesus. Instead our Old Testament reading about Israel having to be put through the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap (whatever that means), the second reading is some blessing Paul wrote to people who agreed with him in Philippi and the gospel lesson is a list of some dudes who ruled some lands and John the Baptist proclaiming the need for people to be baptized. Okay so at least our psalmody is not from psalms and instead it is the song Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, sang when John was born – but we don’t ever get to read the background story.
But Advent, this season of four weeks before Christmas, in the church is not just about preparing for Jesus’ birth. Think about it, what parent just prepares for the birth of a child and not for the child’s life to – the clothes, carriers, strollers, diapers, that is all about the child’s life. Advent is about preparing for Jesus’ life, for his ministry, for his death on the cross, it is about preparing for Jesus resurrection from the dead and for him to come again. Yes we tend to focus on Jesus’ birth at Christmas – at least if we look at the meaning of Christmas and not the way secular society has made Christmas out to be – all about presents, cookies, decorating, holiday parties and the big long to do list.
So with that in mind, the preparations that are being made not just for Jesus’ birth, but also his life, it makes since that we have today’s text. We must prepare the way Lord. We must make paths straights, mountains and valleys level. We must make ourselves clean, worthy for Christ, through the refiner’s fire, through the fuller’s soap, through the waters of baptism.
The people of Israel needed to be scrubbed clean, they needed to go through the refiner’s fire. The people John was preaching his message to needed to repent, to have their sins forgiven. The Lord was coming and they needed to make his path straight. To level every mountain, to fill every valley. But all of that takes time!
The refining process for gold and silver was drawn out, it took time to get out the other chemicals in order to leave pure silver and gold. Leveling mountains and filling valleys take time. Have you ever dug a garden bed? Making paths straight takes time. Think of how much time they have spend already on the parkway and route 7. They all take time.
It takes time! Time something that we never seem to have enough of. Time, probably one of the most precious commodities in the entire world. We are fine if we waste some of our own time, playing on the internet, watching a un-worth-wild TV show, flipping through the pages of a catalog that we will never purchase anything from. But how dare somebody else waste our time, in a pointless work meeting that has nothing to do with us, by being late to a meeting or lunch, making us wait for our appointment with the doctor or dentist, making us wait in line at the grocery store or bank.
We are constantly trying to find ways to save time. ATMs have almost eliminated the need for actual bank tellers, emails are a quicker way of trying to arrange meetings or exchange ideas. At Stop N Shop, you can now use a hand-held scanner as you shop for groceries so that when you get to the cash register all you have to do is pay – and if you bring your own bags and arrange your cart well, you don’t even have to worry about bagging your groceries either. Entire TV programs show you how to cook a well balanced meal in less than a half hour. It is all about saving time.
So maybe that is why time is often the most precious gift we can give.
We often think that we can buy our own and other people’s happiness, especially at Christmas time. If I spend a lot on a present for them, they will like me more. If I get them the gift that they really want, even if I can’t afford it, they will be happy for the entire year. If I only owned a nicer house, boat, car, designer clothes, cell phone, latest gadget, fill in the blank, then I will be truly happy.
But money does not buy happiness, however time does, or at least helps.
I’ve been talking about Advent Conspiracy with you in these weeks leading up to Christmas. Last week we talked about Worship Fully, one of the core concepts to Advent Conspiracy. But this week, lets talk about Give More. We often think at Christmas about giving and spending more of our money on our family and friends in order to make Christmas memorable. But really we should Give More of our time, our presence.
It is in giving that time that we make memories. Yes I remember fondly playing with many of my siblings and my Christmas presents, an easy-bake oven, the Nintendo, some musical instrument kit. But what I remember more about those toys was the times when my parents played with them with me. When my mom, sister and I would cook desserts in our easy bake oven then have a little party. When my siblings and I took turns beating my dad at Duck Hunt. When I got my siblings to join in a parade of musical instruments and march in front of my parents.
An as a young adult, my favorite presents have become ones that either put time and effort into making especially for me – a Christmas stocking that my dad needlepointed for me when I was a kid, or the tie blanket that Bob made for me a few years ago before we got married. Those are the gifts I treasure.
And how about you? What have been your favorite Christmas presents? Ones that someone picked off a shelf for you at a store because it was on sale? Or ones that people picked out or made especially for you? Or even ones where people spend time with you, taking you out to your favorite restaurant, tickets to a sports game or play, time to teach you a hobby that you have always wanted to try?
Time is a precious commodity. Time is what makes happiness. Time is what builds relationships. Spending true quality time with your family this Christmas is what will make them happy – at least most of them, there are always some Scrooges out there. And quite honestly we each probably have some family members that we don’t want to spend time with.
To quote the Advent Conspiracy website: Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?
Time is a gift.
We all know it. God knows it to. All those things that I talked about earlier – making hills low and filling valleys, straightening paths, going through the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap – all of those things take time. And God is willing to give us that time.
God builds relationship with us through time. Today when the baptismal waters are poured over Liam, God is just starting a formal relationship with him. God is not done with Liam once his head is dried off. And God is not done with us. God was not done with us at our baptisms. We were not given the gift of baptism and then left alone for the rest of our lives to wander in the wilderness. No, God comes to us each and every day. The word of God still comes to us.
We are continually given the gifts of God’s grace. We were each given that grace at our baptism and we are continually given God’s grace whenever we remember that we are children of God, marked with the cross of Christ forever.
We are given the gifts of Christ Jesus. Jesus gave us the forgiveness of all of our sins through his death on a cross. And weekly at this altar, at this table, we are given the gifts of Christ’s body and blood through tangible offering of bread and wine. Gifts that are given to all people. Gifts of forgivness.
We are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, self-control, the ability to teach, the ability to preach, the ability to serve. Each have been given to us in our own ways. The Holy Spirit moves in us each and every day. We have been given these gifts over and over again. Time has been spent on us.
As we prepare for Christmas, for Christ’s birth, life and death, we are reminded of the amount of time it takes to prepare the way of the Lord, but we are also reminded about the amount of time God has and is willing to spend on us. God is building a relationship with us and relationships take time and they take love. And we are worth the time and we are loved.
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