Prelude
Improvisation (on an old French Church Tune)
Bedell
Opening Prayer
We
can hardly believe it, Lord. The Advent season is upon us. We usually
translate that into the buying season in preparation for THE BIG DAY.
But when we place our hope in the tinsel, wrappings, tape and boxes, we
forget the most glorious gift of all, the gift of your absolute love.
Open our eyes, our hearts, our spirits today to behold the gracious love
you have for each of us in the fulfillment of all your promises. For we
ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN.
The Lighting of the Advent Candle of Hope
In the
first chapter of the Gospel of John we read:
“In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without
him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was
life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name
was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all
might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to
testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was
coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into
being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was
his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received
him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will
of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we
have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace
and truth.”
The Gospel
of John speaks of Christ as the true light coming into the world. In
commemoration of that coming, we light candles for the four weeks
leading to Christmas and reflect on the coming of Christ.
It is significant that the church
has always used that language—the coming of Christ—because it
speaks to a deep truth. Christ is coming. Christ is always
coming, always entering a troubled world, a wounded heart. And so we
light the first candle, the candle of hope, and dare to express our
longing for peace, for healing, and the well-being of all creation.
(First candle is lit.)
Let us pray.
Loving God, as we enter this Advent season,
We open all the dark places in
our lives and memories to the healing light of Christ.
Show us the creative power of
hope.
Prepare our hearts to be
transformed by you,
That we may walk in the light of
Christ.
Amen.
The First Advent Scripture
Isaiah
7:9, Matthew 1:23
The prophet Isaiah said,
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
In the
Gospel of Matthew we read, “All this took place to fulfill what had
been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means,
‘God is with us.’”
The First Advent Lesson
The
season of Advent is often a whirl of buying gifts, decorating the tree
and a non-stop succession of programs and parties. It was, however, not
that way for the Monks of the Middle Ages.
In
the monastery, Advent was a time of meditation on serious subjects:
death, judgment, heaven and hell. And the month in which we think of
Christ’s first coming was used by monks to reflect on His second coming.
In the same way, this should be true for Christians today. We glance
backward to Bethlehem,
but we look forward to the Great White Throne, that is, eternity with
God.
Our
first Advent hymn has its origin in seven prose Latin sentences which
were sung during medieval monastic vespers leading up to Christmas. Its
usage dates all the way back to the 9th century. Each stanza
(originally, the stanzas were short sentences) salutes the returning
Messiah by one of the many titles ascribed to Him in Scripture.
The
ancient hymnwriter refers to Jesus as "Emmanuel" and "God with us". He
implores Jesus to come and end the Christian’s separation from God. "Israel", used three times in the
stanzas and each time in the refrain, signifies the waiting Church.
While we can experience reconciliation and friendship with God right
now, the hymn longs for that perfect, completed fellowship which will be
enjoyed in eternity.
Jesus
is also referred to as the "Dayspring" or the "Rising Sun" in Luke 1:78
and is asked to remove the gloom of spiritual night and the shadows of
death. Whether writing in the 9th or 21st century,
these words still address the yearning of Christians everywhere for
Christ’s return.
Another name for Jesus is the "Rod of Jesse" (see Isaiah 11:1). It is a
term found in the King James Version of the Bible and signifies Christ’s
fight to free His people from Satan, hell and the grave. It hearkens
back to the time when a rod, the club used by shepherds to fight wild
animals, played a significant role in defending the sheep.
This
hymn is one of the oldest to be found in any Christian hymnal. Matthew
13:52 tells us, “And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who
has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a
household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
This
hymn is a treasure as well and illustrates our great debt to our
spiritual ancestors.
But it
is also vital for today’s Christian, who, with the seeming obsession for
this present world, must be reminded to prepare for the world that is to
come.
Please stand if you are able and join now in
singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, hymn number 123.
The First
Advent Hymn
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The Second
Advent Scripture
Isaiah 40:1-9
The Prophet Isaiah said, “’Comfort,
O comfort my people,’ says your God. ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and
cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that
she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. ‘
A voice cries
out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in
the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and
every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become
level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the
Lord has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I
cry?’ All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the
field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord
blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the
flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
Get you up to a high mountain, O
Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O
Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the
cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’”
The Second
Advent Lesson
To black slaves in the United States, the birth of
a Savior who would set all men free was a miracle to be sung about. Just
as Israel had longed for a Messiah and deliverer, so did the slaves long
for delivery from the tyranny under which they suffered. The coming of
Savior offered hope to all who heard. Just as in the times of Isaiah,
the prophet, there was Good News to be shared. And when there was
something so notable to tell, what better place to tell it from than a
mountain, just as Jesus had chosen for His Sermon on the Mount.
The prophet Isaiah said, “Get you up to
a high mountain, herald of good tidings. Lift up your voice with
strength. Say, “Here is your God!” When the angels appeared to the
shepherds, they fell to their knees. But then they got up and went to
see the babe. But they didn’t just gaze on the baby and go on about
their ordinary lives. The Bible tells us that they returned to their
homes and neighbors, “glorifying
and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told
them.”
We are
all called to share the
Good News. While we may not climb to the top of a mountain and begin
shouting, we are
all told to go into the
world and spread the Good News. We share the Gospel everywhere we are,
at work, at the mall, at the park, on a plane, but especially here in
church.
Go Tell It on
the Mountain, a traditional spiritual that dates from the early
1800s, was first popularized in 1879 by the Fisk University Jubilee
Singers. This chorus traveled throughout the United States and Europe at
the end of the 19th century, earning scholarship-fund money
for Fisk, a school founded to educate freed slaves. They sang of the
Good News. They sang it joyfully and they sang it often. And all who
listened heard the message that “Here is your God! – Jesus Christ is
born!”
The Second
Advent Carol
Go, Tell It
On the Mountain
The Prayers
of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to look forward in hope to the
coming of our Savior. May we live as he taught, ready to welcome him
with burning love and faith. We pray for the virtue of hope, that amidst
the trials and difficulties of this world, we may keep our hearts fixed
upon you, who reigns over the world. May your grace enliven us,
strengthen us, and defend us, as we await your coming in glory. During
this Advent, let your light of peace and love shine in our world. Give
us eyes to see the signs of your presence in the world. Help us to
prepare our lives and our homes to receive the One who said, “I am the
light of the world.” We thank you for friends and strangers who have
received us when we were lonely, afraid, or tired. Make room in our
hearts for people who need us. May we be ready to receive the love you
offer us and have the courage to share that love with others through
loving action. Send us your grace this Advent Season so that we can
prepare for your coming. Touch our hearts with longing so that we can
better love and serve you and each other. Fill us with the hope that we
can be transformed by your spirit and so help transform the world. Give
us the peace of knowing that you came to share our human life and redeem
us for the sake of love. We ask these things
in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father . . .
Amen
The Third
Advent Scripture
Philippians 4:4-7
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:
"Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will
say, rejoice.
"Let your
gentleness be known to everyone.
"The Lord is
near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.
"And the
Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus."
The Third
Advent Lesson
Has it happened at your house yet?
It happened at ours this past week - our first Christmas card of
the season. It wasn't one of
those mass mailing cards from our insurance company, either.
This was a bona fide expression of Christmas cheer from people we
actually know.
Have you ever noticed how Christmas cards tend to
emphasize themes like "peace" and "joy"?
Keep an eye on the cards you receive this year.
See how many contain the words "peace", "joy" or even both.
And it's not just Christmas cards.
It's Christmas carols.
Remember "Good Christian Men Rejoice"?
Or how about "O Thou Joyful"?
"O thou joyful, o thou wonderful, peace revealing
Christmastide!
Darkness disappeareth, God's own light now neareth.
Peace and joy to all betide!"
The language may be a bit archaic, but there's no
mistaking the emphasis on peace and joy.
Peace and joy as predominant themes of the
Christmas tradition are not accidental.
In Luke 1, Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited her cousin
Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist.
Upon greeting Mary, Elizabeth exclaimed in a loud voice, "As soon
as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy." A bit
later, Mary herself proclaimed, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior,…"
In Luke 2, the night Jesus was born, an angel appeared to
shepherds and announced, "I bring you good news of great joy that will
be for all the people."
Later, having seen the child, the shepherds returned to their flocks
rejoicing.
This scriptural emphasis on Christmas joy is also
true of Christmas peace.
Consider the Christmas prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,…and he will be
called…Prince of Peace."
There's also Zechariah's prophecy in Luke 1:79 that Jesus would be born
"…to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Further, we have something else the angels proclaimed to the
shepherds in Luke 2: "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor
rests." Peace and joy.
That these qualities are repeatedly emphasized in the Bible's
Christmas prophecies and narratives tells us something.
Peace and joy are at the heart of Jesus' incarnation.
Jesus was born to bring peace and joy.
In JOHN 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you." Just a
few moments later, in JOHN 15:11, Jesus further stated his intent:
"…that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
Jesus' life began with proclamations of peace and joy and in the
hours just before his arrest and eventual crucifixion, proclamations of
peace and joy were still on Jesus' lips.
Jesus was born into this world, he lived among us, he served us,
he suffered and died on our behalf, he rose again and ascended to the
Father - all this that you and I might know, among other things, the
genuine peace and joy of God.
If you haven't figured it out yet, you will.
The peace and joy of Christmas will never be found in the
foolishness that's grown up around the holiday.
The peace and joy of Christmas is found in Jesus Christ alone.
The Third
Advent Carol
O, Thou
Joyful
The Fourth
Advent Scripture
Habakkuk 2:20, I John 3:8
John 1:9, John 8:12
In
Habakkuk 2:20, we read, “Let all the earth keep silence before Him"
And then in I John 3:8, the writer of the epistle tells us, ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
Speaking of Jesus' arrival, the Apostle John wrote in the 9th
verse of the first chapter, “The true light that enlightens every man
was coming in to the world.:
After
His arrival, Jesus boldly announced: “I am the light of the world”(John
8:12)
The Fourth
Advent Lesson
Our
fourth Advent carol is an ancient chant of Eucharistic devotion based on
Scripture taken from Habakkuk, one of the 12 minor prophets. The
original was composed in Greek as a Cherubic Hymn for the Offertory of
the Divine Liturgy of St James in the fourth Century AD. In our
scriptures, it is made clear that Jesus is light. Our ancient hymn
writer embraces the same theme:
The
Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.
We are
fascinated with light: astronomers study it; poets sing of it; inventors
find new ways to capture and share it; children love to play with it.
And light became one of the earliest and most common metaphors for God.
Light
illumines: no person can see anything in total darkness. So Jesus Christ
illumines our minds about the person of God, about what we are, about
how we can be reconciled to Him and how we are to live in His light.
Light
also brings life: no plant will grow, no flower will bloom and no fruit
will ripen if there is no light. So, Jesus came to bring the light which
produces abundant and eternal life.
Light
cheers. We often hear in Church that real joy does not depend on the
weather. That's true, but sunlight does bring joy to a dark day. And so
Christ came to bring us joy, even when life is anything but joyful.
After five terrible beatings and two horrific stonings, this most
jubilant Apostle, Paul, got up and dusted off the opposition with the
shout:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
And
light purifies. Mildew exposed to light is destroyed. A stain on my
shirt can be bleached away when it hangs in the sun. So Christ came to
destroy the evil deeds the devil continually entices us to commit.
A
singer in New York City once lamented, "It's been a long
time since I liked myself." Perhaps you feel the same way today. But
there is good news for him and for you: Jesus, the Light of the world,
forgives - He washes you totally clean of your sin. And Jesus, the
Light, will destroy the devil's work.
Jesus
tells us that one day there will be a "new heaven and a new earth."
God's new creation will be filled only with righteousness - only that
which is pure and perfect. But, He can fill you with righteousness right
now, if you let Him. For if a scientist can make penicillin out of mold,
God can make something good of the singer - and you!
The Fourth
Advent Carol
Let All
Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
The Fifth
Advent Scripture
Isaiah 9:6,
Micah 5:2
The prophet Isaiah said,
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests
upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
And the prophet Micah prophesied,
“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of
Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”
The Fifth
Advent Lesson
Most radio stations play some type of Christmas
music during the holiday season, but many of the songs have become so
familiar to us that we no longer consider their content. In between the
secular songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Up on a
Housetop," you may hear the strains of an old hymn by Charles Wesley
called "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus." It was written in 1744, and it
reads,
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy
people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all
the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and
yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our
hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.
"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a little heavier
than most of the music we are used to hearing today, and if we are not
careful we will miss much of the meaning. The first verse focuses on the
fact that the coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled
Israel's longing for the Messiah. As
the one whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament, He is the
"long-expected Jesus."
A few of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled are
Isaiah 7:14, which spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name
would mean "God with us;" Isaiah 9:6, which told of a child whose name
would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father,
the Prince of Peace;" and Micah 5:2, which said that from Bethlehem
would come a ruler whose "goings forth are from long ago, from the days
of eternity."
These and many similar prophecies looked forward to
the coming of the Messiah, and many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the
day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was
"looking for the consolation of Israel" (v. 25).
When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the
fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from
this passage when he described Jesus in this song as "Israel's
strength and consolation."
Although He fulfilled Israel's prophecies, Jesus
came to bring salvation to the entire world, which is what Wesley was
referring to when he described Christ as the "hope of all the earth" and
the "dear desire of every nation." More than that, He is the "joy of
every longing heart." He alone is the one who can satisfy every soul.
The second verse tells us why Jesus can meet our
expectations: He was "born a child and yet a King." As the One who is
both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God's wrath completely by
dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus' "all
sufficient merit," he was referring to Christ's ability to bring us to
salvation.
"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a great song for
Advent, focusing on the "long-expected Jesus" who was born to set us
free from sin and to bring us salvation by His death.
The Fifth
Advent Carol
Come, Thou
Long Expected Jesus
The Sixth
Advent Scripture
John 3:16-17
In the Gospel of John it is declared,
“For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved.”
The Sixth
Advent Lesson
One of the great traditional Christmas texts, our
next carol was written by Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius. Prudentius,
one of the last writers of the Roman empire was also one of the very
first Christian poets. Born in northern Spain in 348,
and trained as a lawyer, he rose through the ranks of the empire,
finishing his work as an official in the court of the Emperor
Theodosius. At the age of 57, weary of civic life, he retired to write
poetry. His poetry became some of the most treasured sources of hymnody
through the Middle Ages. That collection of 12 long poems, one for each
hour of the day, easily became the foundation of several of the greatest
hymns of the church. This hymn comes from Prudentius' poem for the 9th
hour, beginning "Da puer plectrum."
The hymn starts straight off on why a small baby
was born in Bethlehem. There was a cosmic quality to this birth, an
eternal element, an ingredient that defies reason and logic. “Of the
Father’s love begotten.” God so love the world that he gave his one and
only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
everlasting life (John 3:16). And this begetting occurred before the
world was created! The joyful message of Christmas is this: God knew
what all people would do before he created the world and us people in
it. He knew what each of us would do before he created each one of us.
Yet he still created the world, and he still sent His Son to die for us.
No matter what you did, you are forgiven through the blood of Christ.
The Sixth
Advent Carol
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Call to
Offering
As we look with hope to the coming of the
Messiah, let us consider those who live without hope. Christ calls us to
share the good news of his coming. We share our gifts, our talents and
our treasure to bring this hope to a hurting world.
Presentation
of Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
O
Had I Jubal’s Lyre
Handel
*Doxology
Prayer of
Thanksgiving
The Seventh
Advent Scripture
Isaiah 7:9
Isaiah
said, "All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look!
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will
call him Emmanuel (which means 'God is with us')."
The Seventh
Advent Lesson
St.
Augustine wrote, "What, then, is the God I worship? ... You are the most
hidden from us and yet the most present among us, the most beautiful and
yet the most strong, ever enduring; and yet we cannot comprehend you."
When the virgin gave birth to this Son, Immanuel
was at last present among us, yet in so many ways he was still hidden
from us. Romans 11:33 says, "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom
and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions
and his ways!"
Have you ever wondered why God would want to live
among us and even within us, when we cannot fully comprehend him?
If you've ever gone to live in a foreign country,
you've known the temporary loneliness and frustration of living among
people who can't fully understand you. In spite of the hardship, most
likely you endured because you knew that one day you would eventually be
fully understood.
1 Corinthians 13:12 promises a day when
we will no longer see through imperfect eyes: "Now we see things
imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with
perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then
I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."
Could it be that Immanuel—God With Us—is looking
forward to that day just as much as we are, that day when we see him
with perfect clarity and know him completely? He continues to dwell
among us, to work with us and through us, and to love us
unconditionally, even though we can't know him fully. Our lack of full
understanding does not hinder his love. Regardless, of our
understanding, he remains Emmanuel, God With Us.
The Seventh
Advent Carol
Emanuel
The Eighth
Advent Scripture
Luke 2:8-9
In the Gospel of Luke we read, "And there were
shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."
The Eighth
Advent Lesson
Our eighth Advent Carol is
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,
one familiar to us all. This American carol deals with more than the
pleasant atmosphere of Christmas. It directly acknowledges that mankind
to this day is suffering, and that the message of Christ still offers
hope. The inspiring and forthright words were written one cold snowy day
in December, 1849, by a Unitarian minister from New
England, Rev. Edmund Sears.
No movie set designer could have devised a more
romantic setting for the position of a Christmas poem. Outside, a
snowfall was in progress and inside, the fireplace in the study was
erupting with warmth and light. No doubt this picturesque
New England scene and the holiday season inspired the frail
minister, and his pen scratched out several stanzas of verse about the
birth of Jesus
The poem was not the first Christmas poetry by the
Reverend Sears. He had written other Nativity lyrics and several books
on religious topics. In addition, he was the editor for the Boston-based
Monthly Religious Magazine from 1859 to 1871.
Only a few years before, it would have been
unlikely to find a carol being written, let alone performed, in
New England. From 1659 to 1681, Christmas celebrations in
this "Puritan" region were forbidden by law. A child missing school on
Christmas Day in Boston public schools as recently as 1870
would be punished and possibly dismissed. Workmen missing work would
also be penalized.
The writing of this carol represented the emerging
acceptance of Christmas in New England as a "Holiday."
Oliver Wendell Holmes once declared this hymn to be
"one of the finest and most beautiful ever written." Sears, a retiring
young Unitarian minister in Massachusetts, was dismayed by such public
praise, saying he preferred to lead a quiet life in some half-forgotten
parish. Yet his legacy lives to this day. The message of the angels to
the shepherds still rings through the ages.
The Eighth
Advent Carol
It Came Upon
a Midnight Clear
The Ninth
Advent Scripture
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
In I
Thessalonians 5, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to “Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
The Ninth
Advent Lesson
The first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians is
the oldest writings of the New Testament, and the earliest of Paul’s
famous letters. It is a letter of encouragement in the midst of stress,
pressures and even persecution. The Church of Jesus Christ was only
about twenty years old when he wrote it, half the age of MCC today.
Paul speaks passionately to them with affection, as
family. He urges steadfastness, radical hope and vigilance. In
subsequent verses to the passage we read, he tells them, and us, not to
quench the Spirit, but to hold fast to what is good!
Imagine, if just for one day, we could do those
things – rejoice constantly, pray without ceasing, give thanks in
all circumstances. Notice, it is not for all
circumstances . . . Imagine if we could manage it for a week. How would
everything, even in one church community, be totally transformed.
Rejoice constantly, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all
circumstances. What a mantra for these times!
Paul was exhorting with all his heart to change the
orientation of this Church of Jesus. He wanted them to be oriented
towards JOY.
Joy is not happiness. Happiness depends on our
circumstances and mood. Joy depends on our openness to God’s amazing
grace. Joy cannot be planned, or manufactured. It must be experienced.
It is a gift.
Joy contains an element of awe. Joy is also
transformation. It does not ignore pain or sorrow. It is not naïve or
superficial. Joy takes all into account, and embraces a larger,
transcendent experience that, like Julian of Norwich, knows that “all is
well, all is well, all manner of things are well.”
Joy is the discipline of continuing to see God at
work, to see victories, even in the midst of enormous challenges.
“It occurred to me recently that the way to
Christmas is through Bethlehem
– the lowly place of shepherds and servants not worthy or wealthy or
clean enough to reside in the nearby
Temple
of Jerusalem.
Bethlehem where Rachel is buried, where Ruth and Naomi covenanted to
journey together despite convention and their dire circumstances;
Bethlehem where Samuel is sent to find God’s anointed one from among
Jesse’s sons. Bethlehem, where God reminds the prophet that
God looks beyond the superficial things and chooses the forgotten one.
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born on the outskirts,
on the margins. Where angels sang for joy.
In old evangelical, Pentecostal traditions, they
told us never to “let the devil steal our joy.” No matter what your
theology, I know everyone can relate to that image. There are forces
within and outside of us that would threaten to defeat us, to discourage
us, to undermine our orientation to JOY.
Everyone who has ever tried to change an unjust law, build a
community in the midst of oppression, preach good new to broken-hearted,
has experienced this. Jesus knew this, and lived this. What attracted
people to him was that spark of divine, liberating joy in the midst of
terrible oppression.
I remember a preacher saying, that when she asked a
church member, “how are you doing?” the person replied, “Well, pretty
good, under the circumstances.” “What are you doing under there?” said
the preacher!
The best antidote to any attempt to steal our joy
is, truly, to the very best of our ability, with vigilance, to
rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, to give thanks in all
circumstances. Our circumstances cannot define us, if we are
open to JOY.
Joy is an orientation – to life, to
ministry, it is a response to God’s grace and power at work within us.
May joy be yours this season – whatever your circumstances, whatever
your need or your desire to give. May joy be deep and wide in this
place, in every church, in every home and heart today. Amen.
The Ninth
Advent Carol
How Great Our
Joy
The Choral
Benediction
Peace,
Peace/Silent Night
Benediction
God's presence and promises are real. Go now into
God's world, trusting in God's love and placing your hope in God. Go in
peace.
And
remember . . .
Leader:
God is Good
People:
All the time!
Leader:
All the time
People:
God is Good!
Postlude
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Plainsong
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