Rev. George Miller Jan 30, 2011
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 “Folly of Our Faith”
Have you noticed that lately there seems to be a lot of good shows on TV? One series I like to watch is “The Middle”, a sitcom about a family in Indiana.
In last week’s episode, the father decided it was time for their youngest son to start doing household chores. The son, whose name is Brick, is assigned the responsibility of raking the leaves.
His Dad tries to show him the right way to do it, but Brick, who is a unique child who sees the world differently, does it his way.
First, he picks up one leaf at a time. Then he divides the leaves by colors. When he finds a leaf from a neighbor’s tree, he returns it to them
Finally, he is finished. “Good job son,” says the father, “It took you 11 days to do what should have only taken an hour.”
Brick asks what will happen to the leaves and is told they will be picked up by and incinerated by the city.
This shocks Brick. He begs to save the leaves, offering to keep them in his room or to take them into the woods where they can be set free amongst all the other leaves.
At first his father says no before eventually giving in. In the last scene of the episode, he and Brick go into the forest, grabbing handfuls of red and orange leaves and tossing them into the air, creating a special Father/Son moment.
Brick’s approach to raking was full of folly and foolishness, causing his father lots of aggravation. But in the end, it created a magical moment of love and bonding, a way in which heaven could break in.
Foolishness and folly are themes in today’s scripture. 1 Corinthians is believed to be the second letter Paul had written to this particular church around 54 CE.
Corinth was located between 2 seas, making it a natural seaport and place of commerce and government. Because sailors and soldiers liked to party and play there, it became known as a “city of sin.”
One social commentator of the day said the rich citizens were disgusting and coarse with no charm and class who chastised the poor.
Those very same behaviors filtered into the local congregation. Wealthy members held extravagant feasts that made the poorer members feel less welcome.
People openly stated that they were better, wiser, smarter, and holier then others.
Quarrels broke out. So called religious leaders came in, trying to question Paul’s leadership and guidance.
In short, the Corinthian congregation had become a cantankerous bunch that had developed fissures and fractures.
So when Paul receives a letter asking for help he writes back and tries to redirect them and create a sense of unity.
Paul does so in the most unexpected way: instead of motivational mumbo-jumbo, he directed their attention to the very thing that had become a stumbling block for so many there- the cross.
The cross, as Paul admits, is foolish to outsiders looking in, and though the world sees it as a folly, the cross is the very thing in which God’s limitless love is revealed.
As Paul would have us believe, when we focus on the cross we will find divisions and mindless squabbles fading away.
2,000 years later, Paul’s message is still mind blowing.
Think of how the world works. Some say faith is all about miracles; amazing things happening that makes all of life’s problems disappear.
There are those who place all their faith on wisdom and knowledge. If you read the right book, subscribe to the right creed, follow the exact formula, memorize the appropriate scriptures, then you are saved and everything will be A-OK.
What does the wisdom of the world tells us? American culture tells us that we should be happy at all times. We should never feel disappointment, sadness or grief.
We should avoid all kinds of pain; always look on the bright side of life, floating about with smiles on our face.
When things get tough we are to buck it up, keep it to ourselves and try harder, pray harder, think more positively.
Happiness is to be pursued at all costs and if that doesn’t work? Lie about it or stuff your emotions down and numb your pain with food, drugs, shopping sprees and hours in front of the TV.
That, my friends, is the wisdom of our present day American culture, regardless if we realize it or not.
But that’s not what Paul writes in this letter. Paul says to look towards the cross, the ultimate sign of pain and hurt, foolishness and shame.
Embrace the cross, and God’s wisdom and spiritual gifts will enter into your community.
To borrow the imagery of Isaiah, the cross shows God’s love and ability to do new things, making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the dessert. (Isaiah 43:19)
If you’ve ever experienced the pain of being stuck in a spiritual wilderness or parched in an emotional dessert, let me hear you say “Amen.”
And if you ever experienced God leading you out of that wilderness or quenching your thirst, let me hear you say “Hallelujah.”
The cross, my friends, is the folly of our faith. We can not hide from it, we can not run from or deny it, no matter how much we smile, how loud we sing or say that everything is fine.
The cross is the means through which Jesus Christ demonstrated to us just how free God is.
The cross is where Jesus, with outstretched hands, showed for all time how the love of God embraces everyone (even those who would nail that love to a plank of wood).
The cross is the means in which we face the very reality of pain and injustice that takes place in this world, forcing us to look upon our own suffering, the suffering of others and the suffering that we, ourselves, can cause.
But the cross does something else, for it connects us to heaven and earth, to one another and to God’s wisdom and strength.
The folly of the cross set the stage for the way in which God made a way through the wilderness and streams in the dessert.
In other words, it was by going through the painful betrayal of the cross on Friday that God was able to bring about the resurrection good news on Sunday, in which we discover that justice prevails, we receive the gift of eternal salvation and the promise to always be there has come to fruition.
To go back to our opening illustration, by going through the cross God is able to lead us, as a family, into a beautiful forest in which we can be united, happily tossing red and orange leaves into the air.
According to Paul, Christ crucified is the heart of the Gospel. Though it’s a shock to hear, it’s the way through which God brought redemption into the world.
Not through money, or smiley faces or politics, but two planks of wood against a foreboding sky.
It is the cross that showed God as free and distinct from the world, not bound by human categories or expectations.
In conclusion, by admitting that everyone hurts, everyone feels pain and shame, we can become united, not pitted against one another.
Through the cross we come together and see how God creates ways through our wildernesses, streams through our desserts and resurrection through the very things we have felt shame and pain about.
The folly of our faith is that the resurrected Christ can never be separated from the Christ who was crucified. Because of this, the Holy Spirit can lead us to unexpected places.
Blessings be to God who calls to us saying, “See how I am about to do something new.”
Blessings be to the Crucified Son who says “I know what you are going through and I will never leave your side.”
Blessings be to the Spirit who shakes us up, saying “Come and be a part of our holy community.”
The cross may not make sense or follow the rules as we know them, but it is the means through which we join the Holy Trinity in throwing colorful leaves into the winds and woods of our lives.
Amen and amen.
A UCC Pastor's walk through the spiritual waters of Scripture, pop culture and life.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sermon from Jan 2, 2011 Psalm 147:12-20
Rev. George Miller Jan 2, 2011
Psalm 147:12-20 “A New Year’s Blessing”
It’s been said that each pastor has only 3-4 sermons in them and they just dress them up differently each week. I agree.
In fact, by now you should pretty much know my repertoire, the themes and topics I tend to preach from. One such theme is the role that water plays in the Scriptures.
Water has been all over the news lately. California has had so much rain that it’s causing sopping wet soil and deadly mudslides. Massive amounts of snow have messed up the airlines.
In one Russian airport a near riot broke out when travelers were left stranded for two days, forcing them to confront issues of plumbing and running out of fresh water which also meant the inability to do things like make coffee.
In Florida we’ve woken up with frost on the ground, fog at the airport, ice cycles on oranges, and the more it rains the more Lake Jackson keeps filling in, covering up the greenery and recreating ecosystems that were in place years ago.
Water, water everywhere…Of course, the role of water in nature and human life is nothing new, it just takes on different meanings with different people and situations.
The ancient Canaanites saw rain as important for crop growth and feeding their animals. In fact, the god they worshipped, called Baal, was seen as the god of rain; a fertility god who gave and held back life through the means of letting it pour or causing droughts.
The Greeks had Poseidon, god of the sea. Not only did Poseidon control the waters that sailors and fishermen made their living upon, but it was said that Poseidon created horses out of sea foam.
In Friday’s paper was a photo of people paying tribute to the statue of Yemanja, who in parts of Haiti is called the goddess or saint of the sea.
For the Hebrews, the sea was something to be feared. It was seen as chaotic, dangerous, and deadly. So when you come across water in the Bible, the Old Testament in particular, you need to think “Danger” or of things being topsy-turvy.
Example: in Exodus we have the Hebrew slaves being chased by the Egyptian army. They come across the Red Sea. But what does God do: part the waters and safely brings them through to the other side.
In other words, when they came upon death and chaos, God acts in such a way that brings them from death into life, from chaos into comfort.
Another example: in the New Testament the disciples are at sea during a storm, afraid. What does Jesus do? Walks on water.
To say that Jesus walked on water means that Jesus is in control and has power over things that seems disruptive and threatening.
It’s also a sly way for the Gospel writers to show that Jesus, not Baal or Poseidon or other false gods, is the true source of life.
So, why share all these things with you, after all, we’re still in the Christmas season? Just last week we witnessed the hope that came with birth of the Christ child and the light that the magi followed.
I share this, because if you haven’t noticed, our world is still pretty much a place of chaos, danger and mystery.
But Jesus has entered once again, bearing hope and joy, peace and light. And this psalm, filled with images of water upon water, brings with it gifts that we can carry into the rest of Epiphany and the New Year.
Take a second look at verses 16-18. The Lord gives snow, scatters frost, and hurls hail. More then that, God’s word goes out, melts them away and makes the waters flow.
After all, what is snow and frost and hail, but water in different forms? And if you think false gods or world leaders like Baal or Poseidon, Bin Laden, Bush or Obama control the waters, you better guess again.
As dangerous and frustrating as they may seem, the various forms of chaos we each face do not have ultimate control or dominion over us.
Why is that? Because it is God who ultimately has our back; and do you know what God can do to these forms of chaos?
God can make the snow like wool, scatter the frost like harmless ashes and, with a word, melt them all away, and with a bit of the Spirit, make them…flow.
And as they flow, those waters can become a source of transformation and new life:
Living water offered to a woman at a well; rains that fill grapes with their juice and allows wheat to be made into bread; and fresh water that fills the baptismal font to welcome us into God’s Holy Family.
It is Epiphany; the 12 days of Christmas. Once again Jesus has been born to bring hope and light into our world. Hope and light that no amount of water can put out.
What do the waters mean to you?
Are you facing waters of chaos that is pulling you under, making it feel as if you’re drowning, afraid of what will happen next?
Let Jesus walk to you upon those waters, and when he extends his hand, don’t be afraid to take it, trusting that no matter how large the waves may be, Jesus is with you all the way.
Is the water you’re facing the ways of the world that you just don’t understand or believe?
Are the Republicans, Tea Partiers or Democrats driving you crazy and you fear which way the tides will turn?
Call upon Jesus, the living word and wisdom of God, to move and give insight to the powers that be, knowing that if God’s word can melt the frozen waters and make them flow, how much more God can melt the hearts and minds of our leaders, guiding them in the ways of justice and righteousness.
Or perhaps you are waiting for the living water to rain down on so that there is renewal and enough for all, so that wounds are bound up and our children are given a fair shot at life.
It is the New Year; 2011. With that New Year a babe is in the manger, the days are growing longer and God is on the move.
Danger may appear to be in the waters, but God, through Christ, is in control. We don’t have to live this year afraid of spiritual mudslides or being stranded on the tarmac of life.
Instead, let us embrace all that God is ready to give, and what God’s word is causing to flow.
Before I end my message I have two prayers for you. My first prayer is for God to rain down upon us blessings of grace, blessings of healing, and blessings of enough.
My second prayer is that we accept these blessings and are willing to get wet in the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.
Peace be to those who have ears to hear and blessings to our God who we also experience as Spirit and Son.
Amen and amen.
Psalm 147:12-20 “A New Year’s Blessing”
It’s been said that each pastor has only 3-4 sermons in them and they just dress them up differently each week. I agree.
In fact, by now you should pretty much know my repertoire, the themes and topics I tend to preach from. One such theme is the role that water plays in the Scriptures.
Water has been all over the news lately. California has had so much rain that it’s causing sopping wet soil and deadly mudslides. Massive amounts of snow have messed up the airlines.
In one Russian airport a near riot broke out when travelers were left stranded for two days, forcing them to confront issues of plumbing and running out of fresh water which also meant the inability to do things like make coffee.
In Florida we’ve woken up with frost on the ground, fog at the airport, ice cycles on oranges, and the more it rains the more Lake Jackson keeps filling in, covering up the greenery and recreating ecosystems that were in place years ago.
Water, water everywhere…Of course, the role of water in nature and human life is nothing new, it just takes on different meanings with different people and situations.
The ancient Canaanites saw rain as important for crop growth and feeding their animals. In fact, the god they worshipped, called Baal, was seen as the god of rain; a fertility god who gave and held back life through the means of letting it pour or causing droughts.
The Greeks had Poseidon, god of the sea. Not only did Poseidon control the waters that sailors and fishermen made their living upon, but it was said that Poseidon created horses out of sea foam.
In Friday’s paper was a photo of people paying tribute to the statue of Yemanja, who in parts of Haiti is called the goddess or saint of the sea.
For the Hebrews, the sea was something to be feared. It was seen as chaotic, dangerous, and deadly. So when you come across water in the Bible, the Old Testament in particular, you need to think “Danger” or of things being topsy-turvy.
Example: in Exodus we have the Hebrew slaves being chased by the Egyptian army. They come across the Red Sea. But what does God do: part the waters and safely brings them through to the other side.
In other words, when they came upon death and chaos, God acts in such a way that brings them from death into life, from chaos into comfort.
Another example: in the New Testament the disciples are at sea during a storm, afraid. What does Jesus do? Walks on water.
To say that Jesus walked on water means that Jesus is in control and has power over things that seems disruptive and threatening.
It’s also a sly way for the Gospel writers to show that Jesus, not Baal or Poseidon or other false gods, is the true source of life.
So, why share all these things with you, after all, we’re still in the Christmas season? Just last week we witnessed the hope that came with birth of the Christ child and the light that the magi followed.
I share this, because if you haven’t noticed, our world is still pretty much a place of chaos, danger and mystery.
But Jesus has entered once again, bearing hope and joy, peace and light. And this psalm, filled with images of water upon water, brings with it gifts that we can carry into the rest of Epiphany and the New Year.
Take a second look at verses 16-18. The Lord gives snow, scatters frost, and hurls hail. More then that, God’s word goes out, melts them away and makes the waters flow.
After all, what is snow and frost and hail, but water in different forms? And if you think false gods or world leaders like Baal or Poseidon, Bin Laden, Bush or Obama control the waters, you better guess again.
As dangerous and frustrating as they may seem, the various forms of chaos we each face do not have ultimate control or dominion over us.
Why is that? Because it is God who ultimately has our back; and do you know what God can do to these forms of chaos?
God can make the snow like wool, scatter the frost like harmless ashes and, with a word, melt them all away, and with a bit of the Spirit, make them…flow.
And as they flow, those waters can become a source of transformation and new life:
Living water offered to a woman at a well; rains that fill grapes with their juice and allows wheat to be made into bread; and fresh water that fills the baptismal font to welcome us into God’s Holy Family.
It is Epiphany; the 12 days of Christmas. Once again Jesus has been born to bring hope and light into our world. Hope and light that no amount of water can put out.
What do the waters mean to you?
Are you facing waters of chaos that is pulling you under, making it feel as if you’re drowning, afraid of what will happen next?
Let Jesus walk to you upon those waters, and when he extends his hand, don’t be afraid to take it, trusting that no matter how large the waves may be, Jesus is with you all the way.
Is the water you’re facing the ways of the world that you just don’t understand or believe?
Are the Republicans, Tea Partiers or Democrats driving you crazy and you fear which way the tides will turn?
Call upon Jesus, the living word and wisdom of God, to move and give insight to the powers that be, knowing that if God’s word can melt the frozen waters and make them flow, how much more God can melt the hearts and minds of our leaders, guiding them in the ways of justice and righteousness.
Or perhaps you are waiting for the living water to rain down on so that there is renewal and enough for all, so that wounds are bound up and our children are given a fair shot at life.
It is the New Year; 2011. With that New Year a babe is in the manger, the days are growing longer and God is on the move.
Danger may appear to be in the waters, but God, through Christ, is in control. We don’t have to live this year afraid of spiritual mudslides or being stranded on the tarmac of life.
Instead, let us embrace all that God is ready to give, and what God’s word is causing to flow.
Before I end my message I have two prayers for you. My first prayer is for God to rain down upon us blessings of grace, blessings of healing, and blessings of enough.
My second prayer is that we accept these blessings and are willing to get wet in the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.
Peace be to those who have ears to hear and blessings to our God who we also experience as Spirit and Son.
Amen and amen.
Sermon from Jan 23, 2011 Matthew 4:12-25
Rev. George Miller Jan 23, 2011
Matthew 4:12-25 “One Boat, One Christ”
Greetings and good morning. It is good and an honor to be back here, at Emmanuel UCC, a congregation made up of people from different backgrounds and levels of belief, much like the ones at Matthew’s church.
It’s been said that Matthew composed his Gospel for a trail-blazing group of folk who were stepping into a unique situation. They were Jews who had left the synagogue so they could create something new, something called a church.
These were new, un-chartered waters, which came with no by-laws or maps. Matthew wrote this Gospel as a way to help them navigate through whatever trials and tribulations they may face.
So when Matthew places the disciples in a boat, it can be read as symbolic of the church. When the disciples face stormy seas, it becomes an allegory of how the church faces rough times.
If we are to take Matthew’s lead and see our church as a boat, the USS Emmanuel if you will, it means that Jesus Christ is our captain and that we all part of the crew.
Before today’s message, let’s do a review. Last week, Tracy Miller preached on Mark 4 and gave a personal message about peace and being still in the midst of life’s storms.
Two week’s ago, Rev. Bert Lawrence preached from Genesis 2 in which humans are created to be partners and helpmates to one another and to God.
Three weeks ago I shared how the Bible often uses water to represent chaos. I preached from Psalm 147 with its images of snow, frost and hail to show how God melts the waters of chaos away.
The irony is that a few days later I was in Chattanooga in which there was ice on the parking lot; Nashville which had 6 inches of snow, and I drove through St. Louis during rush hour when a gentle rain turned into flakes of snow.
I literally spent my vacation in the cold, watery, winter chaos, and my new car got wet and dirty, in which no amount of shoe stomping could prevent snow and slush from getting onto my car carpets.
And it was just a few weeks ago we were in the Christmas season, anticipating how God was going to do something new. We lit Advent candles to illuminate us with the themes of hope and peace, joy and love.
Each of these candles stood out against the darkness of winter, pointing us towards the light of Jesus Christ, the means through which God did and is doing something new.
Now I just shared eight weeks of information to tie it into today’s reading and the fact that soon we will be installing new church leaders into their elected positions.
And today’s reading from Matthew is perfect for where we have come from and where we are going.
This text seems straightforward, but don’t let it fool you, for it is ripe with chaos. It starts with stark news- John the Baptist has been arrested. Already a dark cloud of chaos hovers.
Next we are told Jesus leaves home to live in Capernaum, a place where the Israelites were first attacked before the exile fully kicked in.
It is in these shadows of John’s arrest and a place rooted in a chaotic history that Jesus begins to proclaim the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus walks along the sea. Simon and Andrew are casting their nets; James and John, mending theirs. With a simple summons of “Follow me” they leave their stuff behind and follow.
Like you, I’ve wondered how true this story is and why four men would leave everything behind to follow him. Applying the water analogy helps to make some sense.
If water represents chaos and uncertainty, what does it mean to say that Jesus walked alongside it?
And how do you think Simon and Andrew felt about making their living off of it? How certain was their livelihood and how much job security could they have had?
How many storms did they weather through, how many dangers had they faced? How many nets had that cast that came back empty?
And James and John- they weren’t even fishing. They were mending their nets. Think about that: no one mends their nets if they are having a successful day.
If business is booming you’d be too busy hauling in catch after catch. You don’t have time to sit to sew or crochet; you do that the start or the end of the day.
Can you now start to see the imagery and reality of what they were facing?
James and John are stuck mending broken, imperfect nets. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t so hard for them to walk away from their boats and to follow a man who promised he’d make something of them.
Of course, leaving the sea did not mean leaving behind all forms of chaos, for chaos comes to them. As Jesus teaches and proclaims the good news people start to appear with all different kinds of chaos: diseases and pains, demons and paralysis.
No doubt, this scripture is ripe with darkness and doom, chaos and brokenness. But light enters in as Jesus comes offering something new.
So, how does all this information I just bombarded you with come together? Because today’s reading gives us a glimpse of what it means to be followers of Jesus, what it means to be helpmates to one another and how to be church.
The church is not called from a place of calm and certainty, but it is called from the very reality of life.
That although our lives are filled with conflict and chaos, it is often from those places that God through Christ is calling us.
It may seem as if we spent much of our lives casting out or trying to mend what is broken, but through Jesus we have an opportunity to move together, transformed by Jesus’ call.
We are called from our relationships; we are called from our vocations, our economics and our own family histories.
We are called from our dark places and waters of chaos to move forward as something more then captains of our own destiny;
we get to become helpmates on Christ’s Ship, playing our own part in the preaching, teaching and healing that so clearly marks Jesus’ ministry.
A ministry that’s not just about belief, or service, but a ministry that coexists aside chaos and shows how can we affect the mind, soul and body of those we come across.
And that is good to hear today.
We are called to be followers of Christ and helpmates to one another. If indeed the church can be compared to a boat, let it continue to be one in which Jesus is our captain, pointing us towards the Kingdom of God in which something new is always happening.
May we find ways to exist in the presence of chaos and uncertainty. May our Council Members be humble enough to lay aside that which is broken and that which does not work, to follow Jesus’ lead into the community and lives of the people.
May our leaders find ways to continue the spirit of hope and peace, joy and love from the Christmas Season.
May they be fearless in facing the waters of chaos. May they allow Jesus to direct us through those waters, so that we can continue to teach, proclaim and do the Kingdom work that brings healing to a community that can be so often torn apart by sickness and pain, demons and paralysis.
As partners and helpmates, may we all stay focused, allowing our church be a boat for all to find safety and assurance, with Jesus Christ as our captain and our guide.
Blessings to the Spirit that first moved across the waters, to God who calls us to be as One and to Jesus who shows us how that is done.
Amen and amen.
Matthew 4:12-25 “One Boat, One Christ”
Greetings and good morning. It is good and an honor to be back here, at Emmanuel UCC, a congregation made up of people from different backgrounds and levels of belief, much like the ones at Matthew’s church.
It’s been said that Matthew composed his Gospel for a trail-blazing group of folk who were stepping into a unique situation. They were Jews who had left the synagogue so they could create something new, something called a church.
These were new, un-chartered waters, which came with no by-laws or maps. Matthew wrote this Gospel as a way to help them navigate through whatever trials and tribulations they may face.
So when Matthew places the disciples in a boat, it can be read as symbolic of the church. When the disciples face stormy seas, it becomes an allegory of how the church faces rough times.
If we are to take Matthew’s lead and see our church as a boat, the USS Emmanuel if you will, it means that Jesus Christ is our captain and that we all part of the crew.
Before today’s message, let’s do a review. Last week, Tracy Miller preached on Mark 4 and gave a personal message about peace and being still in the midst of life’s storms.
Two week’s ago, Rev. Bert Lawrence preached from Genesis 2 in which humans are created to be partners and helpmates to one another and to God.
Three weeks ago I shared how the Bible often uses water to represent chaos. I preached from Psalm 147 with its images of snow, frost and hail to show how God melts the waters of chaos away.
The irony is that a few days later I was in Chattanooga in which there was ice on the parking lot; Nashville which had 6 inches of snow, and I drove through St. Louis during rush hour when a gentle rain turned into flakes of snow.
I literally spent my vacation in the cold, watery, winter chaos, and my new car got wet and dirty, in which no amount of shoe stomping could prevent snow and slush from getting onto my car carpets.
And it was just a few weeks ago we were in the Christmas season, anticipating how God was going to do something new. We lit Advent candles to illuminate us with the themes of hope and peace, joy and love.
Each of these candles stood out against the darkness of winter, pointing us towards the light of Jesus Christ, the means through which God did and is doing something new.
Now I just shared eight weeks of information to tie it into today’s reading and the fact that soon we will be installing new church leaders into their elected positions.
And today’s reading from Matthew is perfect for where we have come from and where we are going.
This text seems straightforward, but don’t let it fool you, for it is ripe with chaos. It starts with stark news- John the Baptist has been arrested. Already a dark cloud of chaos hovers.
Next we are told Jesus leaves home to live in Capernaum, a place where the Israelites were first attacked before the exile fully kicked in.
It is in these shadows of John’s arrest and a place rooted in a chaotic history that Jesus begins to proclaim the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus walks along the sea. Simon and Andrew are casting their nets; James and John, mending theirs. With a simple summons of “Follow me” they leave their stuff behind and follow.
Like you, I’ve wondered how true this story is and why four men would leave everything behind to follow him. Applying the water analogy helps to make some sense.
If water represents chaos and uncertainty, what does it mean to say that Jesus walked alongside it?
And how do you think Simon and Andrew felt about making their living off of it? How certain was their livelihood and how much job security could they have had?
How many storms did they weather through, how many dangers had they faced? How many nets had that cast that came back empty?
And James and John- they weren’t even fishing. They were mending their nets. Think about that: no one mends their nets if they are having a successful day.
If business is booming you’d be too busy hauling in catch after catch. You don’t have time to sit to sew or crochet; you do that the start or the end of the day.
Can you now start to see the imagery and reality of what they were facing?
James and John are stuck mending broken, imperfect nets. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t so hard for them to walk away from their boats and to follow a man who promised he’d make something of them.
Of course, leaving the sea did not mean leaving behind all forms of chaos, for chaos comes to them. As Jesus teaches and proclaims the good news people start to appear with all different kinds of chaos: diseases and pains, demons and paralysis.
No doubt, this scripture is ripe with darkness and doom, chaos and brokenness. But light enters in as Jesus comes offering something new.
So, how does all this information I just bombarded you with come together? Because today’s reading gives us a glimpse of what it means to be followers of Jesus, what it means to be helpmates to one another and how to be church.
The church is not called from a place of calm and certainty, but it is called from the very reality of life.
That although our lives are filled with conflict and chaos, it is often from those places that God through Christ is calling us.
It may seem as if we spent much of our lives casting out or trying to mend what is broken, but through Jesus we have an opportunity to move together, transformed by Jesus’ call.
We are called from our relationships; we are called from our vocations, our economics and our own family histories.
We are called from our dark places and waters of chaos to move forward as something more then captains of our own destiny;
we get to become helpmates on Christ’s Ship, playing our own part in the preaching, teaching and healing that so clearly marks Jesus’ ministry.
A ministry that’s not just about belief, or service, but a ministry that coexists aside chaos and shows how can we affect the mind, soul and body of those we come across.
And that is good to hear today.
We are called to be followers of Christ and helpmates to one another. If indeed the church can be compared to a boat, let it continue to be one in which Jesus is our captain, pointing us towards the Kingdom of God in which something new is always happening.
May we find ways to exist in the presence of chaos and uncertainty. May our Council Members be humble enough to lay aside that which is broken and that which does not work, to follow Jesus’ lead into the community and lives of the people.
May our leaders find ways to continue the spirit of hope and peace, joy and love from the Christmas Season.
May they be fearless in facing the waters of chaos. May they allow Jesus to direct us through those waters, so that we can continue to teach, proclaim and do the Kingdom work that brings healing to a community that can be so often torn apart by sickness and pain, demons and paralysis.
As partners and helpmates, may we all stay focused, allowing our church be a boat for all to find safety and assurance, with Jesus Christ as our captain and our guide.
Blessings to the Spirit that first moved across the waters, to God who calls us to be as One and to Jesus who shows us how that is done.
Amen and amen.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sermon for Dec 26, 2010, Matthew 2:1-12
Rev. George Miller
Matthew 2:1-12
“Gifts of Light”
Dec 26, 2010
What is it about light? The flicker of a flame, the glow from a TV screen, the sense of security a child gets when their parents turn on the nightlight?
Why, for the past few days, have people driven through Sebring Village to look at the lights that adorn the homes? What is it about light?
A few Saturdays ago I came home from a day spent shopping in Tampa. Christmas gifts were for the most part finished and my sermon was done.
As my cat napped comfortably in the chair, I shut off almost all of the lights in the house and turned on the Christmas tree lights.
With a glass of ice water in hand, I went to the sun room, sat down on the couch, and just watched the tree. It was so peaceful…
I thought how nice it was to have something to look at. Then I realized something- I was looking at light. Then I realized something else: how much of what draws our attention is, in essence, light.
After all, what is a TV or computer screen but glowing light? While camping, people will sit quietly content looking at a camp fire.
And what is a Christmas tree but light, light, and more light? It seems as if we are designed to seek the comfort of light.
For us, as Christians, Jesus Christ is the ultimate light; a source of luminosity that guides us towards hope, peace, truth and love.
Now yesterday was Christmas. Gifts have been opened; today many of those gifts will be returned.
Food has been eaten; today many people are dealing with indigestion. Families have visited; today many are glad to see them go.
Two nights ago we gathered for our Christmas Eve service. We heard from Luke 2 in which the theme was about hope. I asked "How can we, as a family of faith, share hope with others?"
Today, we’ll talk about how the Light of Christ has entered into our lives and how we can try not to let it go.
This morning’s scripture is from Matthew, which takes place after Jesus is born. Wise men come from the east enquiring about him.
One of the accepted translations calls them astrologers, which makes sense, since we are told that they were following a star.
Yet it wasn’t just any star, it was a sign and a source of light that they could follow; light that leads them to where Jesus is.
These astrologers enter into the home, pay their respects and offer up their gifts. Then, after experiencing the True Light of the World, they leave to go home another way.
So I ask again, what is it about light?
First, light illuminates our reality. It chases away the darkness, revealing that which is hidden. Light allows new life to grow and old life to be restored.
Light is also a sign of great things. Not only did light of a star lead the magi to where Jesus lay, it was by the light of a dawning day that Mary came to the empty tomb.
At Christmas it is so easy to be drawn to and enraptured by the Light: a baby in a manger, angels that sing from on high, gifts freely given and smiles easily shared.
Like the flicker of a TV screen and the crackling of a camp fire, our eyes, ears and minds are attracted to what’s before us.
On Sunday, songs, scripture and sermons focus us on the Light and ways in which we can follow. The acolyte lights the candles, reminding us of why we have gathered and who it is we adore.
But what happens the rest of the week, when we leave this holy place and this holy time?
Do we remain drawn to the Light and stay focused on the ways of Christ? Or do we find ourselves easily submerged with the rest of the world in darkness?
One way we can keep the light burning is to continue doing what we talked about Friday night: to share and to be the hope that has entered into our lives. After all, hope is another form of light that breaks into our dark places and points us to something greater.
The light that burns from Jesus Christ is far brighter then any sun or celestial being or man-made bulb. When that light is allowed to connect with others, there is no limit to how bright our world can become.
I’d like to give you an example of how light can be shared with others.
In a house in Ohio (or was it Michigan, or perhaps it was New York or Florida), on a Christmas tree aglow with lights, sits an envelope, just as it has for many, many years.
It’s a small, white envelope stuck among the branches; no name nor inscription. It was placed there by a woman who wanted to bypass getting her husband the usual gifts.
You see, her husband, Mike, had grown tired of the consumer driven hustle and bustle of Christmas, saying that it left him feeling drained.
So his wife reached for something special that would bring an element of light into the world.
A few weeks before their son had competed in a wrestling match against an inner-city league. The youngsters, dressed in ragged sneakers, had no uniforms, no headgears, no anything that said they were a viable team. So of course, they lost every weight class.
Mike was upset. The light from his eyes faded as he shook his head, saying “I wish that just one of them could have won. They have so much potential but losing like this can take the heart right out of them.”
That’s when the idea came to her. She went to a sporting goods store and purchased an assortment of shoes and wrestling headgear and sent them to the inner-city team.
On Christmas Eve, amidst the glow of the holiday light, she placed an envelope on the tree telling Mike what she had done and that this was her gift to him.
Mike’s smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. So each year she followed the tradition- sending a group of children with developmental disabilities to a hockey camp, a check to a pair of brothers whose home had burnt down, and on and on.
That envelope became their ray of light each Christmas. It was the last thing opened; the children would put down their toys to watch as Dad took down the envelope from the tree.
Then one year, Mike was diagnosed with and died from cancer. This threw the family into a state of darkness. Christmas rolled around, but they didn’t want to do anything.
Grieving, the mother put up the tree. Alone, she placed an envelope on its branch. It felt like the darkest holiday of her life…
…but that morning, when she woke up, there were three more envelopes on the tree. Each of the children had put up an envelope in honor of their dad.
Though Mike is gone, his family has not forgotten. They hope that the tradition will grow with grand and great-grandchildren; that they too will stand around the tree, with light in their eyes, watching as the envelope is taken down.
In conclusion, that giving spirit, that spirit of hope in the midst of hopelessness, is but one way in which that light that can always be with us.
Just as the magi found ways to follow the light, may we also find ways to seek out the light that is Christ, and to follow wherever that light may lead.
May that light speak hope, may that light speak peace, may that light speak love and may that light speak joy.
Blessings be to God, to the Spirit, and to Jesus Christ, the true light of the holiday season.
Amen and amen.
Matthew 2:1-12
“Gifts of Light”
Dec 26, 2010
What is it about light? The flicker of a flame, the glow from a TV screen, the sense of security a child gets when their parents turn on the nightlight?
Why, for the past few days, have people driven through Sebring Village to look at the lights that adorn the homes? What is it about light?
A few Saturdays ago I came home from a day spent shopping in Tampa. Christmas gifts were for the most part finished and my sermon was done.
As my cat napped comfortably in the chair, I shut off almost all of the lights in the house and turned on the Christmas tree lights.
With a glass of ice water in hand, I went to the sun room, sat down on the couch, and just watched the tree. It was so peaceful…
I thought how nice it was to have something to look at. Then I realized something- I was looking at light. Then I realized something else: how much of what draws our attention is, in essence, light.
After all, what is a TV or computer screen but glowing light? While camping, people will sit quietly content looking at a camp fire.
And what is a Christmas tree but light, light, and more light? It seems as if we are designed to seek the comfort of light.
For us, as Christians, Jesus Christ is the ultimate light; a source of luminosity that guides us towards hope, peace, truth and love.
Now yesterday was Christmas. Gifts have been opened; today many of those gifts will be returned.
Food has been eaten; today many people are dealing with indigestion. Families have visited; today many are glad to see them go.
Two nights ago we gathered for our Christmas Eve service. We heard from Luke 2 in which the theme was about hope. I asked "How can we, as a family of faith, share hope with others?"
Today, we’ll talk about how the Light of Christ has entered into our lives and how we can try not to let it go.
This morning’s scripture is from Matthew, which takes place after Jesus is born. Wise men come from the east enquiring about him.
One of the accepted translations calls them astrologers, which makes sense, since we are told that they were following a star.
Yet it wasn’t just any star, it was a sign and a source of light that they could follow; light that leads them to where Jesus is.
These astrologers enter into the home, pay their respects and offer up their gifts. Then, after experiencing the True Light of the World, they leave to go home another way.
So I ask again, what is it about light?
First, light illuminates our reality. It chases away the darkness, revealing that which is hidden. Light allows new life to grow and old life to be restored.
Light is also a sign of great things. Not only did light of a star lead the magi to where Jesus lay, it was by the light of a dawning day that Mary came to the empty tomb.
At Christmas it is so easy to be drawn to and enraptured by the Light: a baby in a manger, angels that sing from on high, gifts freely given and smiles easily shared.
Like the flicker of a TV screen and the crackling of a camp fire, our eyes, ears and minds are attracted to what’s before us.
On Sunday, songs, scripture and sermons focus us on the Light and ways in which we can follow. The acolyte lights the candles, reminding us of why we have gathered and who it is we adore.
But what happens the rest of the week, when we leave this holy place and this holy time?
Do we remain drawn to the Light and stay focused on the ways of Christ? Or do we find ourselves easily submerged with the rest of the world in darkness?
One way we can keep the light burning is to continue doing what we talked about Friday night: to share and to be the hope that has entered into our lives. After all, hope is another form of light that breaks into our dark places and points us to something greater.
The light that burns from Jesus Christ is far brighter then any sun or celestial being or man-made bulb. When that light is allowed to connect with others, there is no limit to how bright our world can become.
I’d like to give you an example of how light can be shared with others.
In a house in Ohio (or was it Michigan, or perhaps it was New York or Florida), on a Christmas tree aglow with lights, sits an envelope, just as it has for many, many years.
It’s a small, white envelope stuck among the branches; no name nor inscription. It was placed there by a woman who wanted to bypass getting her husband the usual gifts.
You see, her husband, Mike, had grown tired of the consumer driven hustle and bustle of Christmas, saying that it left him feeling drained.
So his wife reached for something special that would bring an element of light into the world.
A few weeks before their son had competed in a wrestling match against an inner-city league. The youngsters, dressed in ragged sneakers, had no uniforms, no headgears, no anything that said they were a viable team. So of course, they lost every weight class.
Mike was upset. The light from his eyes faded as he shook his head, saying “I wish that just one of them could have won. They have so much potential but losing like this can take the heart right out of them.”
That’s when the idea came to her. She went to a sporting goods store and purchased an assortment of shoes and wrestling headgear and sent them to the inner-city team.
On Christmas Eve, amidst the glow of the holiday light, she placed an envelope on the tree telling Mike what she had done and that this was her gift to him.
Mike’s smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. So each year she followed the tradition- sending a group of children with developmental disabilities to a hockey camp, a check to a pair of brothers whose home had burnt down, and on and on.
That envelope became their ray of light each Christmas. It was the last thing opened; the children would put down their toys to watch as Dad took down the envelope from the tree.
Then one year, Mike was diagnosed with and died from cancer. This threw the family into a state of darkness. Christmas rolled around, but they didn’t want to do anything.
Grieving, the mother put up the tree. Alone, she placed an envelope on its branch. It felt like the darkest holiday of her life…
…but that morning, when she woke up, there were three more envelopes on the tree. Each of the children had put up an envelope in honor of their dad.
Though Mike is gone, his family has not forgotten. They hope that the tradition will grow with grand and great-grandchildren; that they too will stand around the tree, with light in their eyes, watching as the envelope is taken down.
In conclusion, that giving spirit, that spirit of hope in the midst of hopelessness, is but one way in which that light that can always be with us.
Just as the magi found ways to follow the light, may we also find ways to seek out the light that is Christ, and to follow wherever that light may lead.
May that light speak hope, may that light speak peace, may that light speak love and may that light speak joy.
Blessings be to God, to the Spirit, and to Jesus Christ, the true light of the holiday season.
Amen and amen.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sermon for Christmas Eve 2010
Rev. George Miller
Luke 2:1-21
“Into this Family”
Dec 24, 2010
I once heard someone say “When you have hope, you hope with God.” I invite us to hear a story about a family and how hope came into their lives.
One day, in Ohio, or was it Michigan (or perhaps it was New York or Florida), a boy went to see Santa at the mall.
He was holding a photo of his sister Sarah, who had leukemia. “She wanted to see you so much Santa,” he said, “But she can’t.”
Santa tried to be cheerful, so he changed the subject, asking what the little boy wanted for Christmas. The answer was so simple “Can you visit her? She’s not expected to make it through the holidays.”
Santa thought about family and what if he had a sister in the hospital. He asked where she was, and later that night, after all the girls and boys went home, Santa made his way there.
Inside Sarah’s room was a family, with a mother and grandmother, uncles and aunties and the brother. They had the weary, sad look of people who were crying and afraid.
Santa took a deep breathe and entered the room bellowing “Ho, ho, ho!”
Sarah shrieked with glee, a nine year old girl with IV tubes attached to her frail body. She was bald due to the affects of her chemo.
But her huge, beautiful eyes spoke of the joy she had of seeing Santa. Santa and Sarah talked for awhile; he commended her for being such a good, brave girl. The family circled the bed, holding hands.
Not knowing why, Santa asked Sarah if she believed in angels. She said yes.
Santa said “I’m going to ask the angels to watch over you. I want you to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you next year at the mall.”
Santa knew it was risky to say this to a young girl with a chronic illness, but he knew he “had” to do it. He knew that beyond the gifts of dolls and toys, the greatest gift he could offer was hope.
The family began singing the words to “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright,” and ended with a word of prayer.
Sarah was beaming when Santa slipped out of the room, back into the cold winter night. Everyone was smiling, crying tears of joy, crying tears of hope.
A year later, in Ohio, or was it Michigan (or perhaps it was New York or Florida), a boy went to see Santa at the mall…
…but this time, he was joined by a little girl with long hair and rosy cheeks. She sat in Santa’s lap. “Hi Santa! Remember me?”
“Of course I do,” Santa proclaimed, for it was his job to make each child feel as if they were the “only” child for that moment.
“You came to see me in the hospital last year” she said. Santa’s jaw dropped, tears sprung to his eyes. “Sarah! I barely recognize you with all that hair!”
He looked over and saw her brother, smiling and waving. Santa looked up to the heavens and humbly said “Thank you, God. ‘Tis a Merry Christmas indeed.”
That was the best Christmas for Santa, for he had witnessed the miracle of hope…
…It has been said that when we hope, we are hoping with God. Hope is what I’d like to talk about tonight, because our scriptures show how hope comes into the life of a particular family and into a community.
Then I will ask how we as a church family can use these gifts of hope to bless our local community.
The Gospel of Luke goes out of its way to show us not just the birth of Jesus Christ, but how Jesus was born into a particular family, in a particular way.
Although our world has become narcissistic, Luke shows us Jesus’ extended family made up of Elizabeth, Zechariah and John.
We are told of their careers, their faith and feeling of disgrace. We’re told of their blessings, joy and place in human history.
Luke tells us of the unique situation in which Jesus comes into this world: the first born son to parents who are not married; a mother who was very young, a father who was descended from King David; a child born on the side of the road placed in a feeding trough for animals.
Through these particulars, Luke makes it so clear that we’re not dealing with superstars or demigods, but with a very human family.
If you think Mary and Joseph had it easy or lived a fairy tale, you got it all wrong. Their family was one with their own issues, fears and possibilities.
But, as we heard tonight, God stepped in and did something for this family that God is so good at doing: God gave them hope; a child who would bring blessings upon his mother, lift up the lowly and fulfill promises made throughout the generations.
It doesn’t stop there. Another kind of family receives hope, a family created by hard work and long hours: shepherds in a field.
In the dark of night, when most people were asleep, hope comes to this motley family of manual workers. “Do not be afraid” they’re told. “This day a Savior, the Messiah, has been born, and God has given you a sign.”
Joyful songs break through the night and this man-made family of shepherds makes their way to where the family of Jesus is.
Seeing Emmanuel, God is With Us, must have given them so much hope. After all, if the Messiah could come to them as “One of Us” then their own lives could not be seen as lowly or despised.
They share what they’ve experienced with Mary and Joseph; the hope between these two kinds of families brightens the night.
Then, another kind of family appears: a family of faith. 8 days after Jesus is born, he’s brought to the Temple where he is circumcised and named.
More then just events, these were signs that he had an identity and was accepted into the covenant community of faith, and the hope that Jesus brings extends out, as we later see in folk like Simeon and Anna.
Hope, through the birth of a child enters into the life of a seemingly hopeless family, radiates out into a group of folk stuck in a hopeless job and spills into a family of faith through which God has promised to bring hope to the entire world.
Immanuel, God is with Us, becomes a reality, ushering wholeness and healing upon all of God’s people.
So tonight, as signs of hope fill this place, as we gather together, away from the elements and fears of night, I ask: how do we, as one kind of family, embrace this hope?
For we are called to do more then just celebrate the goodness of hope that has entered into our lives, but to share and to be that hope with others.
One way we do that is when we say “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
Though we do not always live up to this statement, we try and we are constantly being challenged in what that welcome means, what it looks like and how it is done.
Because we try, our acts of welcome become one way in which the hope of Jesus is shared with others.
What are the other ways?
This Christmas, let us embrace the fact that we are a family, a family of faith that has been gathered to hear the hope and share that hope with others.
Let us, through the Holy Spirit, discern ways to be that hope to families that are dealing with realities that can threaten to wipe hope away.
Let us embrace and celebrate that the gift that has been given through the birth of Jesus Christ is a hope that will continue to change the world, one family and one community at a time.
Because when we hope, we are hoping with God, and beyond the gifts of dolls and toys, hope is a powerful gift.
Blessing be to God for being so, so good, for the Holy Spirit for leading us to places we could never imagine and for Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate tonight.
Amen and amen.
Luke 2:1-21
“Into this Family”
Dec 24, 2010
I once heard someone say “When you have hope, you hope with God.” I invite us to hear a story about a family and how hope came into their lives.
One day, in Ohio, or was it Michigan (or perhaps it was New York or Florida), a boy went to see Santa at the mall.
He was holding a photo of his sister Sarah, who had leukemia. “She wanted to see you so much Santa,” he said, “But she can’t.”
Santa tried to be cheerful, so he changed the subject, asking what the little boy wanted for Christmas. The answer was so simple “Can you visit her? She’s not expected to make it through the holidays.”
Santa thought about family and what if he had a sister in the hospital. He asked where she was, and later that night, after all the girls and boys went home, Santa made his way there.
Inside Sarah’s room was a family, with a mother and grandmother, uncles and aunties and the brother. They had the weary, sad look of people who were crying and afraid.
Santa took a deep breathe and entered the room bellowing “Ho, ho, ho!”
Sarah shrieked with glee, a nine year old girl with IV tubes attached to her frail body. She was bald due to the affects of her chemo.
But her huge, beautiful eyes spoke of the joy she had of seeing Santa. Santa and Sarah talked for awhile; he commended her for being such a good, brave girl. The family circled the bed, holding hands.
Not knowing why, Santa asked Sarah if she believed in angels. She said yes.
Santa said “I’m going to ask the angels to watch over you. I want you to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you next year at the mall.”
Santa knew it was risky to say this to a young girl with a chronic illness, but he knew he “had” to do it. He knew that beyond the gifts of dolls and toys, the greatest gift he could offer was hope.
The family began singing the words to “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright,” and ended with a word of prayer.
Sarah was beaming when Santa slipped out of the room, back into the cold winter night. Everyone was smiling, crying tears of joy, crying tears of hope.
A year later, in Ohio, or was it Michigan (or perhaps it was New York or Florida), a boy went to see Santa at the mall…
…but this time, he was joined by a little girl with long hair and rosy cheeks. She sat in Santa’s lap. “Hi Santa! Remember me?”
“Of course I do,” Santa proclaimed, for it was his job to make each child feel as if they were the “only” child for that moment.
“You came to see me in the hospital last year” she said. Santa’s jaw dropped, tears sprung to his eyes. “Sarah! I barely recognize you with all that hair!”
He looked over and saw her brother, smiling and waving. Santa looked up to the heavens and humbly said “Thank you, God. ‘Tis a Merry Christmas indeed.”
That was the best Christmas for Santa, for he had witnessed the miracle of hope…
…It has been said that when we hope, we are hoping with God. Hope is what I’d like to talk about tonight, because our scriptures show how hope comes into the life of a particular family and into a community.
Then I will ask how we as a church family can use these gifts of hope to bless our local community.
The Gospel of Luke goes out of its way to show us not just the birth of Jesus Christ, but how Jesus was born into a particular family, in a particular way.
Although our world has become narcissistic, Luke shows us Jesus’ extended family made up of Elizabeth, Zechariah and John.
We are told of their careers, their faith and feeling of disgrace. We’re told of their blessings, joy and place in human history.
Luke tells us of the unique situation in which Jesus comes into this world: the first born son to parents who are not married; a mother who was very young, a father who was descended from King David; a child born on the side of the road placed in a feeding trough for animals.
Through these particulars, Luke makes it so clear that we’re not dealing with superstars or demigods, but with a very human family.
If you think Mary and Joseph had it easy or lived a fairy tale, you got it all wrong. Their family was one with their own issues, fears and possibilities.
But, as we heard tonight, God stepped in and did something for this family that God is so good at doing: God gave them hope; a child who would bring blessings upon his mother, lift up the lowly and fulfill promises made throughout the generations.
It doesn’t stop there. Another kind of family receives hope, a family created by hard work and long hours: shepherds in a field.
In the dark of night, when most people were asleep, hope comes to this motley family of manual workers. “Do not be afraid” they’re told. “This day a Savior, the Messiah, has been born, and God has given you a sign.”
Joyful songs break through the night and this man-made family of shepherds makes their way to where the family of Jesus is.
Seeing Emmanuel, God is With Us, must have given them so much hope. After all, if the Messiah could come to them as “One of Us” then their own lives could not be seen as lowly or despised.
They share what they’ve experienced with Mary and Joseph; the hope between these two kinds of families brightens the night.
Then, another kind of family appears: a family of faith. 8 days after Jesus is born, he’s brought to the Temple where he is circumcised and named.
More then just events, these were signs that he had an identity and was accepted into the covenant community of faith, and the hope that Jesus brings extends out, as we later see in folk like Simeon and Anna.
Hope, through the birth of a child enters into the life of a seemingly hopeless family, radiates out into a group of folk stuck in a hopeless job and spills into a family of faith through which God has promised to bring hope to the entire world.
Immanuel, God is with Us, becomes a reality, ushering wholeness and healing upon all of God’s people.
So tonight, as signs of hope fill this place, as we gather together, away from the elements and fears of night, I ask: how do we, as one kind of family, embrace this hope?
For we are called to do more then just celebrate the goodness of hope that has entered into our lives, but to share and to be that hope with others.
One way we do that is when we say “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
Though we do not always live up to this statement, we try and we are constantly being challenged in what that welcome means, what it looks like and how it is done.
Because we try, our acts of welcome become one way in which the hope of Jesus is shared with others.
What are the other ways?
This Christmas, let us embrace the fact that we are a family, a family of faith that has been gathered to hear the hope and share that hope with others.
Let us, through the Holy Spirit, discern ways to be that hope to families that are dealing with realities that can threaten to wipe hope away.
Let us embrace and celebrate that the gift that has been given through the birth of Jesus Christ is a hope that will continue to change the world, one family and one community at a time.
Because when we hope, we are hoping with God, and beyond the gifts of dolls and toys, hope is a powerful gift.
Blessing be to God for being so, so good, for the Holy Spirit for leading us to places we could never imagine and for Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate tonight.
Amen and amen.
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