Luke 1:46-55
“How Does A Weary World Rejoice?: We Sing Stories of Hope”
Preached Sunday, December 17, 2023
“A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices.” That infamous line from the Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” and the focus of our Advent and Christmas worship. We are asking - how does a weary world rejoice?
We are coming to the end of Advent. The end of the four weeks of preparation for Christmas and when we gather next Sunday it will be Christmas Eve, the start of the celebration of Jesus’s birth.
And in the Church we have Advent hymns and we have Christmas hymns. I have always been a fan of Advent hymns. These are all the songs, generally in minor key, that we sing in this season: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Savior of the Nations Come, and so forth. I was baptized during Advent and I’ve always said I have an Advent soul. It is the season of the Christian year that resonates with me most - because in Advent we not only look backwards, remembering the birth of Christ, when God took on flesh in Jesus, became Emmanuel, God-With-Us, the start of God’s salvific acts for us…but we also look to the present and acknowledge that we are in a weary world, a world that needs saving, that longs for God to come again, return to us and redeem all of creation. And we look toward the future, awaiting that second coming.
And so I used to be fairly strict: In Advent, we only sing Advent hymns. At Christmas, the 12 days of Christmas, that is when we can belt out the Christmas carols.
But you know…I have been slowly changing my mind on that.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not yet the kind of person who starts listening to Christmas music on November 1st. And I think I may always prefer Advent hymns over Christmas carols because they resonate with me more personally…and yet, Advent hymns resonate so deeply with me because they bring me hope. I sing them and I remember, I hope, I know…that one day, Christ will return again and redeem all creation.
And that is what singing Christmas carols does too. We sing of Jesus’s birth and we remember, we hope, we know…that this a world with reasons to rejoice. This is a world with love and goodness. This is a world with kindness and cheer. This is a world where even when we are weary, even when there are so many things that try to steal our hope, our peace, our joy, our love for one another…Christmas music gives hope, peace, joy, and love back to us in spades. It is a lifeline, a joyous lifeline in a weary world.
Our Scripture is full of people who burst into songs and sing songs of hope. Today’s Gospel lesson, known as the Magnificat, Mary’s Song: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” - it is a song of praise and hope. It’s a song where Mary praises God, rejoices that God has looked upon her, yes, even her - and then celebrates and hopes for all that God will accomplish through the child now in her womb - righting wrongs, freeing the oppressed, ushering in God’s Kingdom.
Mary, Zechariah, Moses, Miriam, Hannah, King David…there are so many ancestors of our faith who sang songs of hope. Songs of praises of God.
Today, let us lift our voices with them. Let us sing songs of praise to God, songs of hope for our weary world. And we will do that today, we will share in a mini-lessons and carols, giving us a chance for the songs of our choir and the songs we will sing to bolster us - to give us reasons to hope and rejoice in a weary world.
And, beyond today, anytime your heart is weary - may you find a song to sing. A song that fills you with hope. And beyond that, may you find others to sing it with.
I’d like to end my sermon this morning by sharing a poem with you by Meta Herrick Carlson, entitled “For Beloved Christmas Hymns”:
“Advent was brief and flew away
with one, maybe two renditions.
Christmas is for all the verses,
a chorus of people gathered in
by forces of faith unseen, preaching
Joy to the World and Silent Night.
Christmas is for anthems that wait
all year long in the dark depths
of our lungs for a time such as this,
to revive the world with hope that sings.”
Let us sing. Amen.
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Monday, December 11, 2023
“How Does A Weary World Rejoice?: We Allow Ourselves to Be Amazed” a sermon on Luke 1:57-66 & Pslam 126
Luke 1:57-66
Psalm 126
“How Does A Weary World Rejoice?: We Allow Ourselves to Be Amazed” preached on Sunday, December 10, 2023
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”
This is a line from the Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” and the basis of our Advent & Christmas worship. We are asking, “How does a weary world rejoice?” So far we have talked about acknowledging our weariness and finding joy in connecting with others. Today we will answer “How does a weary world rejoice?” with “We allow ourselves to be amazed.”
Today, I want to invite us to open ourselves up to the connections between awe, amazement, pondering, wondering, dreaming, and rejoicing. All these concepts are connected, inter-related, and essential to how God calls us to live in this world.
So let us start with awe.
Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” In 1972, anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear and sadness were identified as the 6 primary emotions and all other emotions are some form of those. Think of the Pixar movie “Inside Out” that is based on this concept. But recent research on human emotions and awe posits that awe is a primary seventh emotion. Awe has a different effect on our bodies, our nerves, our inner being than any of these other emotions. It slows out hearts, helps with digestion, deepens our breathing - and psychologically, awe quiets the negative and criticizing voices in our heads.
In our weary world, we need more awe. Awe is not only good for our health - mental and physical - awe has the ability to override our weariness, help us see the world anew, help us see the world through the loving eyes of a God that delights in God’s own creation.
And the good news is, we can practice awe. We practice awe by simply paying attention. By noticing things, by being curious, by wondering at the world around us. In her book “World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments,” author Aimee (and I am probably going to butcher this last name) Nezhukumatathil spends chapter after chapter wondering about plants and animals, strange and incomprehensible, and all endangered. She says wonder takes practice and patience and putting aside distractions. But when we open ourselves up to wonder - we open ourselves up to the whole world. She talks about how wondering at a single firefly - which, if you didn’t know, are an endangered species with 18 varieties on the brink of extinction and significantly less of them for every generation of children - she talks about how wondering at a single firefly, opens herself up tp all the memories in her life that are connected to fireflies, to summer nights, to joy, and all the way our world is interconnected, and all the ways we wonder about the future and want to protect our world for future generations. I quote, “Did you see that? A single firefly... Such a tiny light, for such a considerable task. Its luminescence could very well be the spark that reminds us to make a most necessary turn- a shift and a swing and a switch- toward cherishing this magnificent and wondrous planet…”
When was the last time you were truly in awe? In wonder of something? And being in awe, being in wonder, is vastly different from being shocked, scandalized, or horrified - things that happen to us every day in our weary world as we hear the news and the going-ons that break our hearts. No, not the last time you were shocked but the last time you were in awe - where you noticed something that opened you up to the vastness and wonderfulness of our world, the vastness and wonderfulness of our God?
And what was it that amazed you? Was it the light of a single firefly in your backyward; was it the Grand Canyon or the last time you traveled to a National Park and saw beauty almost too big to comprehend; was it a particularly stunning display of fall foliage; or the quiet and understated beauty of the first flakes of falling snow? Was it when you saw a stranger moved to kindness? Jumping up to hold the door open; taking the hand of an elderly woman, helping her safely to her car; or holding the door ope with a smile and a nod? Was it staring at your child or grandchild, a niece or nephew - hearing their first laugh; falling into a giggle fit together; marveling at how fast they have grown? Or was it marveling at the unabashed wonderment of a child. Children are great models of practicing awe and wonder - the weariness of the world has not yet hindered them from seeing beauty and magic everywhere. How they notice rainbows reflected through glass, the first delicious bite of a cookie, how a snuggle and a kiss can solve almost any problem. This is all awe. This is all wonder. When were you last in awe - and what was it that amazed you?
We are called as children of God to practice awe. To pay attention. To pray to view people and the world through the eyes of God. I have this early memory from middle school when we could give presentations on any topic that excited us. And as I watched my classmates speak on topics they were passionate about, I remember being in awe. I remember thinking how beautiful each of them was. I remember thinking, “I am seeing my classmates, I am seeing them as God sees them - as beautiful, beloved children of God.” It was an experience of awe. I wonder…what would our world be like if we could see each other like this every day and in every interaction?
With a more established understanding of awe and wonder - let us now turn to our Scripture lessons from this morning, searching for awe and wonder in the text.
In our Gospel reading we are finally at the birth and circumcision of John who will come to be known as John the Baptist. Two weeks ago we heard about how Zechariah did not trust that the angel was answering his prayers when he was told that he would have a child and how he was subsequently silenced. Last week we heard how Elizabeth isolated herself for 5 months, maybe fearing to trust that Good thing that God was doing - and how her joy was made complete when her and Mary connected, holding joy for one another. And this week, we are at the birth and circumcision of John. And while the last two weeks we talked about Zechariah and Elizabeth, this week I would like to talk about the crowd, the neighbors, present with them. They were rejoicing at this wonderful child, this amazing thing that God had done - and yet there was a little issue over the naming and when Zechariah confirmed via writing on a tablet - not an iPad - but a tablet, when he confirmed the name they had been given by God - John, his mouth was opened, his tongue was freed, and praises for God poured forth. And all who saw this miracle, who heard Zechariah’s praises of God, they were amazed. They were in awe. And our reading this morning said “all who heard them pondered…” Another translation says “wonder fell upon the whole neighborhood.” They were pondering, wondering, “What will this child become?” It is the question every parent asks in their hearts when holding a newborn child - what will this child become? It reminds us of what Mary will think at the birth of Jesus when Scripture says she pondered all these things in her heart.
The whole community, by being in awe, by wondering and pondering, they were now paying attention to the awesome things that God had done, was doing, will do. Every birth, every newborn, every child, is a thing of awe. But this one - there was something else happening here. Something truly awe-some. How many of these neighbors allowed their wonder to continue through the years as John grew and grew into who God called him to be? How many of them allowed their wonder to draw them to the shore of the Jordan and tp be baptized by John? How many of them then followed Jesus, taking the path that John laid out for them. How many of them continued to be in wonder of how God was acting in the world through this now 8-day-old child?
We have seen awe and wonder and pondering and rejoicing in this text from our Gospel lesson. Let us now turn toward our Psalm, looking for awe, looking for wonder.
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream…”
Dreaming is a form of awe, of wonder, and certainly of hope.
I recently saw the new Disney movie, Wish. While critics didn’t universally love it, my family did. In the movie, all the people in the magical kingdom of Rosas give their wishes, their hearts’ deepest desires, their dreams - when they turn 18, they give them to the sorcerer king for safe-keeping. The King will then arbitrarily choose to grant a wish once a month. And in giving their wish away, the people forget what their wish was, they forget what they dreamed of. They say they give it without regret but find that without their wishes, without their dreams - they are less than they were before. They are sad, listless, lost.
Because dreaming, wishing, is so closely related to hope, to wonder, to awe, to joy.
When we allow ourselves to hope, to dream, to imagine, to pray to God for a future that we wish for… we also start paying attention to how God is working, how God is creating a future of hope, our futures, in the here and now.
The Psalmist says that they, the Israelites just coming out of Babylonian captivity, how they were like those who dream again! And in dreaming, they are filled with laughter, with shouts and songs of joy, and they rejoice in all that God has done for them. For many years, they may not have allowed themselves to dream. The weariness of the world, of their captivity, they were reluctant to allow themselves to hope, to dream - for anything else. And in doing so - they shut themselves off to what God was doing.
The famous line of this Psalm reminds us of their hardship and weariness. “May those who sow in tears…” There is no doubt of the tears that were shed. Shed by the Israelities in the Psalm who had been in exile for so long. And also the tears that are shed here and now, the tears we sow in our weary world…
Yet even in a weary world - we can sow tears, and reap in joy.
The Psalm references “the watercourses of the Negeb.” For most of us, this is a line we quickly brush over. For the liturgist who read our Psalm, maybe it was a stumbling block of pronunciation - but the watercourses in the Negeb were a seasonal river. Dry and then when the rainy season came, filled, overflowing, flooding, and then the lush vegetation growing in its wake, along its shoreline.
When we think of deserts, we often think of life-less, dry, desolate places. But for anyone who has seen enough nature documentaries, or encountered the beauty of a desert after a rain - we know this is not the case. Even in the hottest place on earth, like Death Valley, a small amount of rain can awaken seeds that have been there for decades, creating beautiful desert blooms. And then there is the saguaro cactus and its beautiful flowers, found in the desert of Arizona. The largest cactus in the world that can grow up to 40 feet tall, live 100 to 200 years, and soak up and store 200 gallons of water at a time. Its flowers bloom at night for four weeks out of the year. Take for example the Atacama desert in Chile which is the driest desert in the world. On average, it only has one significant rainfall once a century. So how in the world can life survive and thrive here? The desert’s coast runs parallel to a cold sea that creates a dense, thick fog, that rolls over the desert. Within minutes the landscape and vegetation are drenched in mist, giving life to all, flowers, cacti, birds, and animals of all kinds…
Even in places that we tend to think of as lifeless - there are seeds sown, ready for the smallest amount of rain, to burst forth in blooms of color and life, blooms and life that we can wonder at, be amazed at, be in awe of how our God works.
Even in the driest, weariest places in our world - there is beauty to be found. And I am not talking about ecosystems anymore. I am talking about weary places of our souls, places of conflict and brokenness, places where tears are sown in abundance. Even there, yes, even there - we can practice awe, see goodness and beauty, be amazed, give thanks and praise God.
Even there we can see blooms of joy sprouting up, giving color to our weary world.
Without wonder, we may just see the dry, desert-like, weary places in our world. But when we practice awe, when we practice and pray to see the world through the eyes of God, we see color, flowers, blooms, fireflies, beauty, love, hope - popping up everywhere, yes, even in our weary world.
And in that wonder, in that awe, we give thanks to God - we rejoice: a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.
May we all be in awe and rejoice.
Amen.
Psalm 126
“How Does A Weary World Rejoice?: We Allow Ourselves to Be Amazed” preached on Sunday, December 10, 2023
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”
This is a line from the Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” and the basis of our Advent & Christmas worship. We are asking, “How does a weary world rejoice?” So far we have talked about acknowledging our weariness and finding joy in connecting with others. Today we will answer “How does a weary world rejoice?” with “We allow ourselves to be amazed.”
Today, I want to invite us to open ourselves up to the connections between awe, amazement, pondering, wondering, dreaming, and rejoicing. All these concepts are connected, inter-related, and essential to how God calls us to live in this world.
So let us start with awe.
Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” In 1972, anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear and sadness were identified as the 6 primary emotions and all other emotions are some form of those. Think of the Pixar movie “Inside Out” that is based on this concept. But recent research on human emotions and awe posits that awe is a primary seventh emotion. Awe has a different effect on our bodies, our nerves, our inner being than any of these other emotions. It slows out hearts, helps with digestion, deepens our breathing - and psychologically, awe quiets the negative and criticizing voices in our heads.
In our weary world, we need more awe. Awe is not only good for our health - mental and physical - awe has the ability to override our weariness, help us see the world anew, help us see the world through the loving eyes of a God that delights in God’s own creation.
And the good news is, we can practice awe. We practice awe by simply paying attention. By noticing things, by being curious, by wondering at the world around us. In her book “World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments,” author Aimee (and I am probably going to butcher this last name) Nezhukumatathil spends chapter after chapter wondering about plants and animals, strange and incomprehensible, and all endangered. She says wonder takes practice and patience and putting aside distractions. But when we open ourselves up to wonder - we open ourselves up to the whole world. She talks about how wondering at a single firefly - which, if you didn’t know, are an endangered species with 18 varieties on the brink of extinction and significantly less of them for every generation of children - she talks about how wondering at a single firefly, opens herself up tp all the memories in her life that are connected to fireflies, to summer nights, to joy, and all the way our world is interconnected, and all the ways we wonder about the future and want to protect our world for future generations. I quote, “Did you see that? A single firefly... Such a tiny light, for such a considerable task. Its luminescence could very well be the spark that reminds us to make a most necessary turn- a shift and a swing and a switch- toward cherishing this magnificent and wondrous planet…”
When was the last time you were truly in awe? In wonder of something? And being in awe, being in wonder, is vastly different from being shocked, scandalized, or horrified - things that happen to us every day in our weary world as we hear the news and the going-ons that break our hearts. No, not the last time you were shocked but the last time you were in awe - where you noticed something that opened you up to the vastness and wonderfulness of our world, the vastness and wonderfulness of our God?
And what was it that amazed you? Was it the light of a single firefly in your backyward; was it the Grand Canyon or the last time you traveled to a National Park and saw beauty almost too big to comprehend; was it a particularly stunning display of fall foliage; or the quiet and understated beauty of the first flakes of falling snow? Was it when you saw a stranger moved to kindness? Jumping up to hold the door open; taking the hand of an elderly woman, helping her safely to her car; or holding the door ope with a smile and a nod? Was it staring at your child or grandchild, a niece or nephew - hearing their first laugh; falling into a giggle fit together; marveling at how fast they have grown? Or was it marveling at the unabashed wonderment of a child. Children are great models of practicing awe and wonder - the weariness of the world has not yet hindered them from seeing beauty and magic everywhere. How they notice rainbows reflected through glass, the first delicious bite of a cookie, how a snuggle and a kiss can solve almost any problem. This is all awe. This is all wonder. When were you last in awe - and what was it that amazed you?
We are called as children of God to practice awe. To pay attention. To pray to view people and the world through the eyes of God. I have this early memory from middle school when we could give presentations on any topic that excited us. And as I watched my classmates speak on topics they were passionate about, I remember being in awe. I remember thinking how beautiful each of them was. I remember thinking, “I am seeing my classmates, I am seeing them as God sees them - as beautiful, beloved children of God.” It was an experience of awe. I wonder…what would our world be like if we could see each other like this every day and in every interaction?
With a more established understanding of awe and wonder - let us now turn to our Scripture lessons from this morning, searching for awe and wonder in the text.
In our Gospel reading we are finally at the birth and circumcision of John who will come to be known as John the Baptist. Two weeks ago we heard about how Zechariah did not trust that the angel was answering his prayers when he was told that he would have a child and how he was subsequently silenced. Last week we heard how Elizabeth isolated herself for 5 months, maybe fearing to trust that Good thing that God was doing - and how her joy was made complete when her and Mary connected, holding joy for one another. And this week, we are at the birth and circumcision of John. And while the last two weeks we talked about Zechariah and Elizabeth, this week I would like to talk about the crowd, the neighbors, present with them. They were rejoicing at this wonderful child, this amazing thing that God had done - and yet there was a little issue over the naming and when Zechariah confirmed via writing on a tablet - not an iPad - but a tablet, when he confirmed the name they had been given by God - John, his mouth was opened, his tongue was freed, and praises for God poured forth. And all who saw this miracle, who heard Zechariah’s praises of God, they were amazed. They were in awe. And our reading this morning said “all who heard them pondered…” Another translation says “wonder fell upon the whole neighborhood.” They were pondering, wondering, “What will this child become?” It is the question every parent asks in their hearts when holding a newborn child - what will this child become? It reminds us of what Mary will think at the birth of Jesus when Scripture says she pondered all these things in her heart.
The whole community, by being in awe, by wondering and pondering, they were now paying attention to the awesome things that God had done, was doing, will do. Every birth, every newborn, every child, is a thing of awe. But this one - there was something else happening here. Something truly awe-some. How many of these neighbors allowed their wonder to continue through the years as John grew and grew into who God called him to be? How many of them allowed their wonder to draw them to the shore of the Jordan and tp be baptized by John? How many of them then followed Jesus, taking the path that John laid out for them. How many of them continued to be in wonder of how God was acting in the world through this now 8-day-old child?
We have seen awe and wonder and pondering and rejoicing in this text from our Gospel lesson. Let us now turn toward our Psalm, looking for awe, looking for wonder.
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream…”
Dreaming is a form of awe, of wonder, and certainly of hope.
I recently saw the new Disney movie, Wish. While critics didn’t universally love it, my family did. In the movie, all the people in the magical kingdom of Rosas give their wishes, their hearts’ deepest desires, their dreams - when they turn 18, they give them to the sorcerer king for safe-keeping. The King will then arbitrarily choose to grant a wish once a month. And in giving their wish away, the people forget what their wish was, they forget what they dreamed of. They say they give it without regret but find that without their wishes, without their dreams - they are less than they were before. They are sad, listless, lost.
Because dreaming, wishing, is so closely related to hope, to wonder, to awe, to joy.
When we allow ourselves to hope, to dream, to imagine, to pray to God for a future that we wish for… we also start paying attention to how God is working, how God is creating a future of hope, our futures, in the here and now.
The Psalmist says that they, the Israelites just coming out of Babylonian captivity, how they were like those who dream again! And in dreaming, they are filled with laughter, with shouts and songs of joy, and they rejoice in all that God has done for them. For many years, they may not have allowed themselves to dream. The weariness of the world, of their captivity, they were reluctant to allow themselves to hope, to dream - for anything else. And in doing so - they shut themselves off to what God was doing.
The famous line of this Psalm reminds us of their hardship and weariness. “May those who sow in tears…” There is no doubt of the tears that were shed. Shed by the Israelities in the Psalm who had been in exile for so long. And also the tears that are shed here and now, the tears we sow in our weary world…
Yet even in a weary world - we can sow tears, and reap in joy.
The Psalm references “the watercourses of the Negeb.” For most of us, this is a line we quickly brush over. For the liturgist who read our Psalm, maybe it was a stumbling block of pronunciation - but the watercourses in the Negeb were a seasonal river. Dry and then when the rainy season came, filled, overflowing, flooding, and then the lush vegetation growing in its wake, along its shoreline.
When we think of deserts, we often think of life-less, dry, desolate places. But for anyone who has seen enough nature documentaries, or encountered the beauty of a desert after a rain - we know this is not the case. Even in the hottest place on earth, like Death Valley, a small amount of rain can awaken seeds that have been there for decades, creating beautiful desert blooms. And then there is the saguaro cactus and its beautiful flowers, found in the desert of Arizona. The largest cactus in the world that can grow up to 40 feet tall, live 100 to 200 years, and soak up and store 200 gallons of water at a time. Its flowers bloom at night for four weeks out of the year. Take for example the Atacama desert in Chile which is the driest desert in the world. On average, it only has one significant rainfall once a century. So how in the world can life survive and thrive here? The desert’s coast runs parallel to a cold sea that creates a dense, thick fog, that rolls over the desert. Within minutes the landscape and vegetation are drenched in mist, giving life to all, flowers, cacti, birds, and animals of all kinds…
Even in places that we tend to think of as lifeless - there are seeds sown, ready for the smallest amount of rain, to burst forth in blooms of color and life, blooms and life that we can wonder at, be amazed at, be in awe of how our God works.
Even in the driest, weariest places in our world - there is beauty to be found. And I am not talking about ecosystems anymore. I am talking about weary places of our souls, places of conflict and brokenness, places where tears are sown in abundance. Even there, yes, even there - we can practice awe, see goodness and beauty, be amazed, give thanks and praise God.
Even there we can see blooms of joy sprouting up, giving color to our weary world.
Without wonder, we may just see the dry, desert-like, weary places in our world. But when we practice awe, when we practice and pray to see the world through the eyes of God, we see color, flowers, blooms, fireflies, beauty, love, hope - popping up everywhere, yes, even in our weary world.
And in that wonder, in that awe, we give thanks to God - we rejoice: a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.
May we all be in awe and rejoice.
Amen.
Monday, December 4, 2023
"How Does a Weary World Rejoice?: We Find Joy in Connection" a sermon based on Luke 1:24-45 and Isaiah 40:1-11
Luke 1:24-45
Isaiah 40:1-11
“How Does a Weary World Rejoice?: We Find Joy in Connection” preached Sunday, December 3, 2023
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”
So goes the line from the Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” that our Advent and Christmas worship is based on. We are asking, HOW does a weary world rejoice? This week we answer with “We find joy in connection.”
Which brings me to the two women in today’s Gospel lesson. Mary and Elizabeth.
First, Mary. She is newly pregnant, and the Scriptures say she made haste to see Elizabeth. For when the angel Gabriel visited her and announced her divine pregnancy, the angel also shared Elizabeth's miraculous conception.
Now, every pregnant woman's experience is different. In January of 2020 I was just weeks pregnant with Agnes and I was absolutely and utterly physically miserable. I was exhausted. I was hungry every 5 minutes. And I was also throwing up what seemed like every hour. At the time I was watching online as colleague’s shared pictures and videos from a trip to the Holy Land and I was giving thanks that I was on my couch, that I wasn’t on that trip.
But Mary, newly pregnant, makes haste to see Elizabeth. The accepted location of the annunciation was in Nazareth and Elizabeth lived in the hill country, Ein Karem, which was about 80 miles from Nazareth. That’s about the distance from here to Cleveland but with no cars and no tunpike. Not an easy journey to take even if your body isn’t going through the slog of early pregnancy.
Why was she rushing to see Elizabeth with such haste?
I can think of perhaps two reasons.
Isaiah 40:1-11
“How Does a Weary World Rejoice?: We Find Joy in Connection” preached Sunday, December 3, 2023
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”
So goes the line from the Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” that our Advent and Christmas worship is based on. We are asking, HOW does a weary world rejoice? This week we answer with “We find joy in connection.”
Which brings me to the two women in today’s Gospel lesson. Mary and Elizabeth.
First, Mary. She is newly pregnant, and the Scriptures say she made haste to see Elizabeth. For when the angel Gabriel visited her and announced her divine pregnancy, the angel also shared Elizabeth's miraculous conception.
Now, every pregnant woman's experience is different. In January of 2020 I was just weeks pregnant with Agnes and I was absolutely and utterly physically miserable. I was exhausted. I was hungry every 5 minutes. And I was also throwing up what seemed like every hour. At the time I was watching online as colleague’s shared pictures and videos from a trip to the Holy Land and I was giving thanks that I was on my couch, that I wasn’t on that trip.
But Mary, newly pregnant, makes haste to see Elizabeth. The accepted location of the annunciation was in Nazareth and Elizabeth lived in the hill country, Ein Karem, which was about 80 miles from Nazareth. That’s about the distance from here to Cleveland but with no cars and no tunpike. Not an easy journey to take even if your body isn’t going through the slog of early pregnancy.
Why was she rushing to see Elizabeth with such haste?
I can think of perhaps two reasons.
First, Mary needed to talk to someone who would “get it.” Who else could she talk to in her life who would even begin to understand the circumstances around her miraculous pregnancy? I think of how many times a day I pick up my phone to text, to message, to call, or to make plans to meet someone - who gets it. Another young mom. Another young clergy women. That small overlap of young clergy who are moms. A best friend who knows me well. All those people in my life who “get it.” Whatever it is I am going through - I know they will see me, hear me, support me. Having people in our lives who “get it” is so important. Two of the most powerful words in the English language are “me too.” When we say “me too” to someone we are saying, “I see you. You are not alone.”
Who else could this person have been for Mary other than Elizabeth? The angel didn’t have to tell Mary about Elizabeth…but he did. Perhaps because God wanted Mary and Elizabeth to connect, to not be alone, to be there for each other in a way that no one else could. God knew that they would need each other and so God made the connection possible.
Call to mind the people in your life who “get it.” Who support you. Who, when you see them, your soul rejoices. Now give thanks to God for them! Thank you God for putting these people in our lives!
So that’s one reason why Mary could have gone with such haste to see Elizabeth. The second is simply this, perhaps Mary was excited to celebrate with Elizabeth. She couldn’t pick up her phone and facetime with her, she needed to go see her in person to share her joy. We know Mary and Elizabeth were cousins with an age gap between them. But we don’t really know what their relationship was like. They obviously knew each other well and cared about each other. Maybe they were cousins who were like sisters, or because of the age gap, maybe Elizabeth was like a caring aunt for Mary. Maybe, in addition to being relatives, they were friends. Perhaps Mary knew of all the hardship that Elizabeth had faced. Her heart breaking alone with Elizabeth’s, month after month, year after year, when she didn’t have a child. And now, she wanted nothing more than to rejoice with her.
So that’s Mary’s motives for making haste to go see Elizabeth. Now let’s talk about Elizabeth.
Elizabeth found out she was pregnant and then went into seclusion for 5 months. I want to stress that this is not typical. This wasn’t cultural practice. So why did Elizabeth do it? Was she having a difficult pregnancy in her advanced age and was basically on bed rest? Was she uncomfortable in her older pregnant body being seen by her neighbors? Or was she afraid? We just know she experienced many years of infertility - we don’t know if, perhaps in those years, Elizabeth suffered from miscarriages. So many moms who experience pregnancy after a miscarriage have spoken openly about their fear. Their fear to hope. Their reticence to feel joy. Because what if this pregnancy ends in miscarriage too? Keeping themselves from hoping, from rejoicing, they are trying to protect their hearts in the case of another loss. For whatever reason, she was in seclusion for 5 months and remember her husband, Zechariah, was experiencing muteness so she didn’t even have him to talk to.
She is in isolation. That is, until Mary comes to visit. When Mary walks in and greets Elizabeth - Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, the baby inside her leaps for joy, and her seclusion, her isolation turns into joy for Mary and the child in her womb as well.
Elizabeth is rejoicing for Mary. And Mary is rejoicing for Elizabeth. Together they move from fear, from isolation, from the unknown - and together they move toward rejoicing, gratitude, laughter, blessing.
Through their connection with each other, they cleared the path to rejoicing. They made straight the path through the twists and turns of their lives, so that, together, they could rejoice.
Our other reading this morning from Isaiah contains that well-known line:
“A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”
We connect this passage with John and Jesus, those two babies in the wombs of Elizabeth and Mary, that John is that voice in the wilderness that makes the path to Jesus straight.
And, we too can read this passage as a command to us. We are to make a straight path to God for others.
…but how? In our weary world…how?
In Bible Study on Wednesday when talking about this text from Isaiah we talked about the piles of rubble in Gaza. We talked about babies escaping from bombed out hospitals. Although not all of them did. We talked about hostages being returned…and still those who are being held. We talked about cancer diagnoses. We talked about those we love and those we are praying for who are facing non-straight paths, filled with twists and turns, for whom the future is hard and unclear.
The path to God, which is also the path to peace, the path to love, the path to joy…seems anything but straight, doesn’t it? We look out at our weary world and we see mountains and valleys, we see piles of rubble from bombed buildings, we see a whole lot of sin, of atrocities, of violence and heart-break…there is so much in the way of our anything-but-straight paths to the God of Connection, the God of Joy, the God of Peace.
A straight path to God?
It may seem impossible.
And yet, Gabriel’s words to Mary were: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Mary and Elizabeth did not have a straight path to get to each other but when they met, when they connected, their weariness was set aside and they rejoiced together.
Any way, any time, we can, within our own lives, our own communities, our own spheres of influence, bring people together, build connection, build community; any way and any time we can say “me too,” say “you’re not alone.”; any way and any time we can rejoice with one another. In those small but powerful acts, we are making straight the way. We are making a path to God.
Think of the child that we baptized this morning - and all children - their paths are unknown and in our weary world, likely anything but straight.
And yet! In Baptism, we say, we promise to this child, to one another, to God:
“I will surround you with love and care.”
“I will show you God’s love with how I live my life.”
“You are part of God’s family and therefore, you will never be alone.”
This is how we make straight the path. We connect with each other, support each other, rejoice with one another. And then we keep on making paths to connect with others, widening our spheres, connecting and rejoicing with more and more people. Until that day when we are all drawn to God and experience more connection and more joy than we’ve ever known in this life.
And until that day…we will keep making paths of connection and paths of joy.
May it be so. Amen.
Who else could this person have been for Mary other than Elizabeth? The angel didn’t have to tell Mary about Elizabeth…but he did. Perhaps because God wanted Mary and Elizabeth to connect, to not be alone, to be there for each other in a way that no one else could. God knew that they would need each other and so God made the connection possible.
Call to mind the people in your life who “get it.” Who support you. Who, when you see them, your soul rejoices. Now give thanks to God for them! Thank you God for putting these people in our lives!
So that’s one reason why Mary could have gone with such haste to see Elizabeth. The second is simply this, perhaps Mary was excited to celebrate with Elizabeth. She couldn’t pick up her phone and facetime with her, she needed to go see her in person to share her joy. We know Mary and Elizabeth were cousins with an age gap between them. But we don’t really know what their relationship was like. They obviously knew each other well and cared about each other. Maybe they were cousins who were like sisters, or because of the age gap, maybe Elizabeth was like a caring aunt for Mary. Maybe, in addition to being relatives, they were friends. Perhaps Mary knew of all the hardship that Elizabeth had faced. Her heart breaking alone with Elizabeth’s, month after month, year after year, when she didn’t have a child. And now, she wanted nothing more than to rejoice with her.
So that’s Mary’s motives for making haste to go see Elizabeth. Now let’s talk about Elizabeth.
Elizabeth found out she was pregnant and then went into seclusion for 5 months. I want to stress that this is not typical. This wasn’t cultural practice. So why did Elizabeth do it? Was she having a difficult pregnancy in her advanced age and was basically on bed rest? Was she uncomfortable in her older pregnant body being seen by her neighbors? Or was she afraid? We just know she experienced many years of infertility - we don’t know if, perhaps in those years, Elizabeth suffered from miscarriages. So many moms who experience pregnancy after a miscarriage have spoken openly about their fear. Their fear to hope. Their reticence to feel joy. Because what if this pregnancy ends in miscarriage too? Keeping themselves from hoping, from rejoicing, they are trying to protect their hearts in the case of another loss. For whatever reason, she was in seclusion for 5 months and remember her husband, Zechariah, was experiencing muteness so she didn’t even have him to talk to.
She is in isolation. That is, until Mary comes to visit. When Mary walks in and greets Elizabeth - Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, the baby inside her leaps for joy, and her seclusion, her isolation turns into joy for Mary and the child in her womb as well.
Elizabeth is rejoicing for Mary. And Mary is rejoicing for Elizabeth. Together they move from fear, from isolation, from the unknown - and together they move toward rejoicing, gratitude, laughter, blessing.
Through their connection with each other, they cleared the path to rejoicing. They made straight the path through the twists and turns of their lives, so that, together, they could rejoice.
Our other reading this morning from Isaiah contains that well-known line:
“A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”
We connect this passage with John and Jesus, those two babies in the wombs of Elizabeth and Mary, that John is that voice in the wilderness that makes the path to Jesus straight.
And, we too can read this passage as a command to us. We are to make a straight path to God for others.
…but how? In our weary world…how?
In Bible Study on Wednesday when talking about this text from Isaiah we talked about the piles of rubble in Gaza. We talked about babies escaping from bombed out hospitals. Although not all of them did. We talked about hostages being returned…and still those who are being held. We talked about cancer diagnoses. We talked about those we love and those we are praying for who are facing non-straight paths, filled with twists and turns, for whom the future is hard and unclear.
The path to God, which is also the path to peace, the path to love, the path to joy…seems anything but straight, doesn’t it? We look out at our weary world and we see mountains and valleys, we see piles of rubble from bombed buildings, we see a whole lot of sin, of atrocities, of violence and heart-break…there is so much in the way of our anything-but-straight paths to the God of Connection, the God of Joy, the God of Peace.
A straight path to God?
It may seem impossible.
And yet, Gabriel’s words to Mary were: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Mary and Elizabeth did not have a straight path to get to each other but when they met, when they connected, their weariness was set aside and they rejoiced together.
Any way, any time, we can, within our own lives, our own communities, our own spheres of influence, bring people together, build connection, build community; any way and any time we can say “me too,” say “you’re not alone.”; any way and any time we can rejoice with one another. In those small but powerful acts, we are making straight the way. We are making a path to God.
Think of the child that we baptized this morning - and all children - their paths are unknown and in our weary world, likely anything but straight.
And yet! In Baptism, we say, we promise to this child, to one another, to God:
“I will surround you with love and care.”
“I will show you God’s love with how I live my life.”
“You are part of God’s family and therefore, you will never be alone.”
This is how we make straight the path. We connect with each other, support each other, rejoice with one another. And then we keep on making paths to connect with others, widening our spheres, connecting and rejoicing with more and more people. Until that day when we are all drawn to God and experience more connection and more joy than we’ve ever known in this life.
And until that day…we will keep making paths of connection and paths of joy.
May it be so. Amen.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
"From Generation to Generation...We Can Choose a Better Way" a sermon on Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:18-25
“From Generation to Generation…We Can Choose a Better Way”
Preached Sunday, December 18, 2022
During our Advent lighting liturgy, on the list of things that bring us joy, you may remember “warm hugs.” This was actually my daughter’s answer when I asked her this past week what makes you happy. You see, she was on a Frozen kick this week and the magical talking snowman always says, “Hi! I’m Olaf! And I like warm hugs!”
As a mom I’ve watched Frozen and Frozen 2 quite a few times. But if I’m honest, I watched them a couple times before I became a mom too - I’ve even preached on Frozen 2 before because it has such good messaging in it. And among the primary themes of the movie is “do the next right thing.” When you don’t know what to do next - you do the next right thing. Princess Anna sings:
“I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make
… So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing.”
And the next right step, at that time, was breaking down a dam that was wrongfully built at the expense of the land and those who lived there. Breaking the dam would free the enchanted forest and its indigenous population - but it would also release a tidal wave that would flood Anna’s beloved home kingdom of Arendelle.
The moral? Doing the right thing can come with risks…and yet we still do the right thing.
So what does Frozen 2 have to do with Joseph and today’s Gospel reading?
As far as Joseph knew, Mary, his new wife, had been unfaithful to him and broken the marriage contract. He now had to decide what the next right thing was. He could have chosen to publicly shame, exposing her and divorcing her publicly. But instead, he decides to do it privately - saving her from public shame. Except - was this really the right thing to do? It would have been for him. Minimal risk - mark it off as a bad chapter, move on with your life. But Mary would still have been an unwed mother. There still would have been talk. What would have happened to her? Here enters the Divine intervention. The text says, “But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”
And so, Joseph heeded the angel, and did the right thing, and took Mary as his wife. Let’s not brush past the huge risk that Joseph took in doing so - and what he was giving up in order to do the right thing.
He was putting his reputation and life of respectability at risk. What if word got out? What if everyone thought his wife was unfaithful? What would people think of him? Would they question his masculinity? His ability to be a good husband? Who he was as a person?
He didn’t know it yet but he was risking his safety - being the earthly father of the son of God? What did signing up for that entail? And Joseph would soon find out that it included fleeing for your life and becoming refugees in Egypt as Herod slaughtered the innocent children.
He was also risking his “right” to father his own first born son in a society where that was everything - he was letting that go and all the dreams and expectations that came with it.
Yes, doing the right thing for Joseph came with definite risks - and yet, it was still the right thing.
We’ve looked at a children’s movie and Scripture with the idea that doing the right thing comes with risks - and we should do the right thing anyway. So now let’s take a moment to center that in our world. A prime example of doing the right thing even when there are risks is allyship with marginalized communities. A Sanctified Art commentator, Dr. Christine J. Hong, wrote this, what you should know if you don’t know is that BIPOC stands for Black and Indigenous People of Color:
“Too often, I witness white folx evade doing the right thing in justice work. When the opportunity rises for white folx to do and say the right thing, which ultimately puts their relationships, jobs, or reputations at risk with other white folx, polite excuses arise—excuses that claim to ‘make room’ for BIPOC voices by declining to use their own voices. Why is it that room for BIPOC is made only when it serves the interests of white folx taking the least amount of risk? How about risking solidarity with us?”
And she has some points - true allyship involves “risking solidarity with us.” Us being any marginalized group. To speak up and act out even when it would put our own privilege and relationships at risk. When a boss or someone higher up - or a family member with which you have a good relationship with - says something racist or sexist; to put your body in front of someone who’s body puts them more at risk at a protest; to not participate in events or conversations or organizations that exclude people based on who they are - even if you are welcomed with open arms.
Doing the right thing comes with risks. And the fact is, every day we are given small chances to do the next right thing. They may not be big things - like breaking a dam or agreeing to be the father of God here on this earth - but they may be things like: speaking out when someone is being met with prejudice and hate. Spreading love and kindness at every turn. Being extra generous when we can. And whether a decision is big or small - we can listen to the voice of God inside of us that urges us to do the right thing - the thing of love - even when it comes with risks.
May it be so.
Amen.
“From Generation to Generation…We Can Choose a Better Way”
Preached Sunday, December 18, 2022
During our Advent lighting liturgy, on the list of things that bring us joy, you may remember “warm hugs.” This was actually my daughter’s answer when I asked her this past week what makes you happy. You see, she was on a Frozen kick this week and the magical talking snowman always says, “Hi! I’m Olaf! And I like warm hugs!”
As a mom I’ve watched Frozen and Frozen 2 quite a few times. But if I’m honest, I watched them a couple times before I became a mom too - I’ve even preached on Frozen 2 before because it has such good messaging in it. And among the primary themes of the movie is “do the next right thing.” When you don’t know what to do next - you do the next right thing. Princess Anna sings:
“I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make
… So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing.”
And the next right step, at that time, was breaking down a dam that was wrongfully built at the expense of the land and those who lived there. Breaking the dam would free the enchanted forest and its indigenous population - but it would also release a tidal wave that would flood Anna’s beloved home kingdom of Arendelle.
The moral? Doing the right thing can come with risks…and yet we still do the right thing.
So what does Frozen 2 have to do with Joseph and today’s Gospel reading?
As far as Joseph knew, Mary, his new wife, had been unfaithful to him and broken the marriage contract. He now had to decide what the next right thing was. He could have chosen to publicly shame, exposing her and divorcing her publicly. But instead, he decides to do it privately - saving her from public shame. Except - was this really the right thing to do? It would have been for him. Minimal risk - mark it off as a bad chapter, move on with your life. But Mary would still have been an unwed mother. There still would have been talk. What would have happened to her? Here enters the Divine intervention. The text says, “But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”
And so, Joseph heeded the angel, and did the right thing, and took Mary as his wife. Let’s not brush past the huge risk that Joseph took in doing so - and what he was giving up in order to do the right thing.
He was putting his reputation and life of respectability at risk. What if word got out? What if everyone thought his wife was unfaithful? What would people think of him? Would they question his masculinity? His ability to be a good husband? Who he was as a person?
He didn’t know it yet but he was risking his safety - being the earthly father of the son of God? What did signing up for that entail? And Joseph would soon find out that it included fleeing for your life and becoming refugees in Egypt as Herod slaughtered the innocent children.
He was also risking his “right” to father his own first born son in a society where that was everything - he was letting that go and all the dreams and expectations that came with it.
Yes, doing the right thing for Joseph came with definite risks - and yet, it was still the right thing.
We’ve looked at a children’s movie and Scripture with the idea that doing the right thing comes with risks - and we should do the right thing anyway. So now let’s take a moment to center that in our world. A prime example of doing the right thing even when there are risks is allyship with marginalized communities. A Sanctified Art commentator, Dr. Christine J. Hong, wrote this, what you should know if you don’t know is that BIPOC stands for Black and Indigenous People of Color:
“Too often, I witness white folx evade doing the right thing in justice work. When the opportunity rises for white folx to do and say the right thing, which ultimately puts their relationships, jobs, or reputations at risk with other white folx, polite excuses arise—excuses that claim to ‘make room’ for BIPOC voices by declining to use their own voices. Why is it that room for BIPOC is made only when it serves the interests of white folx taking the least amount of risk? How about risking solidarity with us?”
And she has some points - true allyship involves “risking solidarity with us.” Us being any marginalized group. To speak up and act out even when it would put our own privilege and relationships at risk. When a boss or someone higher up - or a family member with which you have a good relationship with - says something racist or sexist; to put your body in front of someone who’s body puts them more at risk at a protest; to not participate in events or conversations or organizations that exclude people based on who they are - even if you are welcomed with open arms.
Doing the right thing comes with risks. And the fact is, every day we are given small chances to do the next right thing. They may not be big things - like breaking a dam or agreeing to be the father of God here on this earth - but they may be things like: speaking out when someone is being met with prejudice and hate. Spreading love and kindness at every turn. Being extra generous when we can. And whether a decision is big or small - we can listen to the voice of God inside of us that urges us to do the right thing - the thing of love - even when it comes with risks.
May it be so.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
"From Generation to Generation...There is Room for Every Story" a sermon on Matthew 1:1-17
Matthew 1:1-17
“From Generation to Generation…There is Room for Every Story”
Preached Sunday, November 27, 2022
I have shared before that part of the story I use to define myself is that I come from a line of strong Methodist women.
We need to note that there are 14 generations listed in the line of David. Which means he left out 3. He didn’t leave out three because they were scandalous black sheep - and we’ll get to some scandal in the genealogy in a minute - but he left them out - because the number 14, in Hebrew, signifies David. Each letter in Hebrew has a numerical value and when you add the letters in David’s name together…you get fourteen! So it’s another nod to the reader that Jesus is in the line of David, a king who would come and save the Israelites. Moreover, Matthew actually intentionally misspells a couple names in the line of David on purpose. Asa became Asaph - a poet featured in the Psalms and Amon became Amos - the famous prophet. Now, some translations into English, like I believe the one I read today, aren't in on the wordplay so they’ve taken them as misspellings and changed them back to their “intended” names but you’ll see a little footnote in the Bible saying as such. But to his initial readers, they would have noticed the play on words with the names subtly changed - so when they are reading the genealogy of Jesus, they are not just thinking about the Son of Abraham who would bless all humanity, and the Son of David through which a king would fulfill all their hopes, they were also thinking of the a Messiah who would fulfill all the hopes of the Psalms and the Prophets. And this person, centered in our history, in our worship, in our prophecy, in all our hopes and dreams - this person, is Jesus…and that is the story Matthew is crafting in listing the genealogy of Jesus. It’s quite a theological statement and it sets up the expectation of Jesus and who he would be.
…But believe it or not, Matthew is not done making important points in this list of names.
There are four other names that would have popped out to his initial readers: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. It would not have been normal to list four women in a patriarchal genealogy so that in of itself is unusual but it’s not necessarily that they are women that makes them of note. If that were the case, perhaps Matthew would have chosen some…well…more respectable women. Like the matriarchs of the Israelites, like Sarah, Rebecca, or Rachel…but no, he goes Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. I’d love to spend time breaking down each of their stories for you if you don’t know them - but each of their stories is a new sermon in and of itself. But a couple common threads hold them together: All of these women are non-Israelites or connected to non-Israelite families. Caananites and a Moabite…and even beyond that, all of these women are associated with sex scandals. A woman who had to force her in-laws to do right by her after being widow, pretending to be a prostitute so they would sleep with her to give her a son. A woman who was a prostitute A woman who laid at the feet of a man to trap him into marriage - that’s most likely a euphemism. And Bathsheba…a woman who was raped by King David and then David had her husband killed.
In listing these women, Matthew is implying several things about Jesus and who he will be: He will expand God’s blessing beyond the Israelites, to the Canaanites, the Moabites, the Gentiles…He is also saying that God works through all kinds of people - through foreigners, and scandals and women…And of course, Matthew’s genealogy ends with Mary - a woman herself who would have been associated with a scandal - an unwed pregnant mother.
So Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus moves not just vertically, down through the ages, generation to generation - it also moves out, horizontally, ever expanding, widening the circle of the understanding of who the Messiah was for.
You know, lately I’ve seen a lot of talk online about encouraging teachers to not assign family trees but instead to have students make a circle of care. The reasoning behind this is that family trees are a privilege that not everyone has. Some may not know their family tree through reasons like adoption. Others may be cut off through their family trees through trauma of some sort. And then, especially for many Black students, their family trees reflect the horror of slavery that isn’t addressed when the project is assigned at a young grade. So, instead of family trees - circles of care are encouraged to take their place. Now what is a circle of care? A circle of care starts with an individual in the middle and then it radiates out from there to include all who have loved and cared for them, blood or otherwise, and it continues to radiate out, showing a net of love and care that has formed that person into who they are today.
And while Matthew’s genealogy is certainly a vertical approach, through the generations, to explain who Jesus is, it’s also a horizontal one…but it’s Jesus in the center and then all those who HE cares for radiating out. And in that first circle, they may have assumed that the Messiah was only going to come for a certain type of people or one type of person or just the Israelites…but in Jesus’s lifetime, those in his circle of care included lowly fishermen, hated tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, outcasts, widows, children and the least of these…his circle of care didn’t look like what people expected it to look like. In our baptismal vows we confess that Jesus has opened up his church to all people of all ages and all nations and all races - every gender, every orientation, every type of person out there. Jesus’s circle of care encompasses each and every person in this world. Jesus’s circle of care NEVER stops, it includes every person ever born.
And ever since Jesus, we have seen followers of Jesus working to spread the Gospel message that Jesus loves you, yes, even YOU, to more and more people, helping our circles of who we care about look a lot more like the all encompassing circle of Jesus’s love and care.
Jesus loved those whom they didn’t expect him to. And then Paul went to the Gentiles. Who went to, who went to, who went to…The church SHOULD ever be growing more inclusive and more diverse and when we are more inclusive and more diverse we are that much closer to loving all those that Jesus loves - and that’s everybody: drag queens and immigrants and sex workers and the disabled and chronically ill and any person who is on the “edge” of our society - we are called to expand out our circles of care to them…because Jesus loves them and we are too.
And yes, that all comes back down to Jesus, the Messiah, Son of David and Son of Abraham - who would bless all of humanity, who is the rightful king of the Israelites, who is the fulfillment of the law and prophecy, who was sung about in the Psalms - who is the one in which we find hope - hope that God is never done with us, and hope that generation to generation, God’s love would every continue to expand through us.
This Advent and Christmas season, may we expand our circles of care and love, sharing the love of Jesus with all.
“From Generation to Generation…There is Room for Every Story”
Preached Sunday, November 27, 2022
I have shared before that part of the story I use to define myself is that I come from a line of strong Methodist women.
Working backwards we have my mother, Judy. She raised her children in The United Methodist Church. She is a lay leader in her church, a certified lay speaker, and, generally, a woman who is seemingly unafraid to step out in her faith to help others.
And then we have her mother, Alice. Alice was also an example of faith to me: she raised her children in The Methodist Church and when I was a child, attended church with her grandchildren every Sunday. I loved watching her when she sang in the choir. Admittedly, I loved it more when she sat with us in the pews and I got to hear her sing. Still to this day, I get a shiver when I sing some hymns, because I am hearing her voice in my head.
Then we have her mother, Marjorie, a Methodist woman and a force to be reckoned with. I’m told she had a heart for social justice and was a woman before her time, working toward racial integration, founding the Youngstown chapter of the United Nations Association, holding a position in the national PTA, and driving around the country to help get her alcoholic brother in rehab. I only knew her the first handful of years of my life, but it meant so much to me when my grandmother and my mother told me they saw her in me.
And for the first time this week I learned that her mother, Norma, was heavily involved in one of the precursor organizations that would become what we know as United Methodist Women - and what in just the last year has changed its name to United Women in Faith.
I’d love to learn more about these women and the generations that preceded them and perhaps some day I will be gifted with that opportunity. And for today, when I reference the 4 generations of Methodist women who came before me, I am shaping my own story too. That I am who I am because of the generations that came before me.
Do you see where I am going with this? When Matthew takes the first 17 verses of his chapter to trace Jesus’s genealogy, he is not just laying out the facts, it is not a simple classroom assignment of Jesus’s family tree. Just as I am shaping a narrative about myself through the 4 generations of Methodist women, Matthew is defining who Jesus is through the generations before him. And genealogy was a well-known genre of the time. Readers would know the references and the narrative that Matthew was shaping about Jesus through his genealogy - but for us, we’re not quite as familiar. So let’s take a little bit of a closer look this morning.
First, the key figures laid out in the first verse:
“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
By saying that Jesus is a son of Abraham, Matthew is linking Jesus to the Israelites and to God’s people. Abraham is the father of the Israelites and it was through Abraham that God adopted the Israelites as God’s people, God’s children. And it was through Abraham’s lineage that God promised to bless all humanity. Matthew is telling his readers that Jesus is that long awaited son of Abraham through which they all would be blessed.
Now, “son of David” is a line that Matthew likes a lot - in verse 1 it’s the first of 10 times he uses it in his Gospel. He is trying to establish here that Jesus is royalty - a king. And it was from David’s line that the Messiah was to come. That’s why Jesus’s lineage is traced not only through David to Solomon but all the way to Jechoniah who was the last surviving Israelite king at the time of the Babylonian exile.
And then we have her mother, Alice. Alice was also an example of faith to me: she raised her children in The Methodist Church and when I was a child, attended church with her grandchildren every Sunday. I loved watching her when she sang in the choir. Admittedly, I loved it more when she sat with us in the pews and I got to hear her sing. Still to this day, I get a shiver when I sing some hymns, because I am hearing her voice in my head.
Then we have her mother, Marjorie, a Methodist woman and a force to be reckoned with. I’m told she had a heart for social justice and was a woman before her time, working toward racial integration, founding the Youngstown chapter of the United Nations Association, holding a position in the national PTA, and driving around the country to help get her alcoholic brother in rehab. I only knew her the first handful of years of my life, but it meant so much to me when my grandmother and my mother told me they saw her in me.
And for the first time this week I learned that her mother, Norma, was heavily involved in one of the precursor organizations that would become what we know as United Methodist Women - and what in just the last year has changed its name to United Women in Faith.
I’d love to learn more about these women and the generations that preceded them and perhaps some day I will be gifted with that opportunity. And for today, when I reference the 4 generations of Methodist women who came before me, I am shaping my own story too. That I am who I am because of the generations that came before me.
Do you see where I am going with this? When Matthew takes the first 17 verses of his chapter to trace Jesus’s genealogy, he is not just laying out the facts, it is not a simple classroom assignment of Jesus’s family tree. Just as I am shaping a narrative about myself through the 4 generations of Methodist women, Matthew is defining who Jesus is through the generations before him. And genealogy was a well-known genre of the time. Readers would know the references and the narrative that Matthew was shaping about Jesus through his genealogy - but for us, we’re not quite as familiar. So let’s take a little bit of a closer look this morning.
First, the key figures laid out in the first verse:
“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
By saying that Jesus is a son of Abraham, Matthew is linking Jesus to the Israelites and to God’s people. Abraham is the father of the Israelites and it was through Abraham that God adopted the Israelites as God’s people, God’s children. And it was through Abraham’s lineage that God promised to bless all humanity. Matthew is telling his readers that Jesus is that long awaited son of Abraham through which they all would be blessed.
Now, “son of David” is a line that Matthew likes a lot - in verse 1 it’s the first of 10 times he uses it in his Gospel. He is trying to establish here that Jesus is royalty - a king. And it was from David’s line that the Messiah was to come. That’s why Jesus’s lineage is traced not only through David to Solomon but all the way to Jechoniah who was the last surviving Israelite king at the time of the Babylonian exile.
So right of that bat, Matthew is saying that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who God promised through the father of all the Israelites, Abraham, to bless all of humanity and he is the rightful heir to the King of the Israelites, descended down through the generations from David to Solomon to Jechoniah to the day of Jesus's birth.
Tying Abraham and David to Jesus are pretty obvious in their meaning and intent but there are somethings hidden here that only a really astute reader would notice. And here’s where things get a little crazy. Have you all seen this meme online? It conveys when someone is trying to explain a really complex thing that makes people think they’re crazy? Well, I am going to try and simplify as much as I can because Matthew isn’t holding anything back.
Tying Abraham and David to Jesus are pretty obvious in their meaning and intent but there are somethings hidden here that only a really astute reader would notice. And here’s where things get a little crazy. Have you all seen this meme online? It conveys when someone is trying to explain a really complex thing that makes people think they’re crazy? Well, I am going to try and simplify as much as I can because Matthew isn’t holding anything back.
We need to note that there are 14 generations listed in the line of David. Which means he left out 3. He didn’t leave out three because they were scandalous black sheep - and we’ll get to some scandal in the genealogy in a minute - but he left them out - because the number 14, in Hebrew, signifies David. Each letter in Hebrew has a numerical value and when you add the letters in David’s name together…you get fourteen! So it’s another nod to the reader that Jesus is in the line of David, a king who would come and save the Israelites. Moreover, Matthew actually intentionally misspells a couple names in the line of David on purpose. Asa became Asaph - a poet featured in the Psalms and Amon became Amos - the famous prophet. Now, some translations into English, like I believe the one I read today, aren't in on the wordplay so they’ve taken them as misspellings and changed them back to their “intended” names but you’ll see a little footnote in the Bible saying as such. But to his initial readers, they would have noticed the play on words with the names subtly changed - so when they are reading the genealogy of Jesus, they are not just thinking about the Son of Abraham who would bless all humanity, and the Son of David through which a king would fulfill all their hopes, they were also thinking of the a Messiah who would fulfill all the hopes of the Psalms and the Prophets. And this person, centered in our history, in our worship, in our prophecy, in all our hopes and dreams - this person, is Jesus…and that is the story Matthew is crafting in listing the genealogy of Jesus. It’s quite a theological statement and it sets up the expectation of Jesus and who he would be.
…But believe it or not, Matthew is not done making important points in this list of names.
There are four other names that would have popped out to his initial readers: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. It would not have been normal to list four women in a patriarchal genealogy so that in of itself is unusual but it’s not necessarily that they are women that makes them of note. If that were the case, perhaps Matthew would have chosen some…well…more respectable women. Like the matriarchs of the Israelites, like Sarah, Rebecca, or Rachel…but no, he goes Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. I’d love to spend time breaking down each of their stories for you if you don’t know them - but each of their stories is a new sermon in and of itself. But a couple common threads hold them together: All of these women are non-Israelites or connected to non-Israelite families. Caananites and a Moabite…and even beyond that, all of these women are associated with sex scandals. A woman who had to force her in-laws to do right by her after being widow, pretending to be a prostitute so they would sleep with her to give her a son. A woman who was a prostitute A woman who laid at the feet of a man to trap him into marriage - that’s most likely a euphemism. And Bathsheba…a woman who was raped by King David and then David had her husband killed.
In listing these women, Matthew is implying several things about Jesus and who he will be: He will expand God’s blessing beyond the Israelites, to the Canaanites, the Moabites, the Gentiles…He is also saying that God works through all kinds of people - through foreigners, and scandals and women…And of course, Matthew’s genealogy ends with Mary - a woman herself who would have been associated with a scandal - an unwed pregnant mother.
So Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus moves not just vertically, down through the ages, generation to generation - it also moves out, horizontally, ever expanding, widening the circle of the understanding of who the Messiah was for.
You know, lately I’ve seen a lot of talk online about encouraging teachers to not assign family trees but instead to have students make a circle of care. The reasoning behind this is that family trees are a privilege that not everyone has. Some may not know their family tree through reasons like adoption. Others may be cut off through their family trees through trauma of some sort. And then, especially for many Black students, their family trees reflect the horror of slavery that isn’t addressed when the project is assigned at a young grade. So, instead of family trees - circles of care are encouraged to take their place. Now what is a circle of care? A circle of care starts with an individual in the middle and then it radiates out from there to include all who have loved and cared for them, blood or otherwise, and it continues to radiate out, showing a net of love and care that has formed that person into who they are today.
And while Matthew’s genealogy is certainly a vertical approach, through the generations, to explain who Jesus is, it’s also a horizontal one…but it’s Jesus in the center and then all those who HE cares for radiating out. And in that first circle, they may have assumed that the Messiah was only going to come for a certain type of people or one type of person or just the Israelites…but in Jesus’s lifetime, those in his circle of care included lowly fishermen, hated tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, outcasts, widows, children and the least of these…his circle of care didn’t look like what people expected it to look like. In our baptismal vows we confess that Jesus has opened up his church to all people of all ages and all nations and all races - every gender, every orientation, every type of person out there. Jesus’s circle of care encompasses each and every person in this world. Jesus’s circle of care NEVER stops, it includes every person ever born.
And ever since Jesus, we have seen followers of Jesus working to spread the Gospel message that Jesus loves you, yes, even YOU, to more and more people, helping our circles of who we care about look a lot more like the all encompassing circle of Jesus’s love and care.
Jesus loved those whom they didn’t expect him to. And then Paul went to the Gentiles. Who went to, who went to, who went to…The church SHOULD ever be growing more inclusive and more diverse and when we are more inclusive and more diverse we are that much closer to loving all those that Jesus loves - and that’s everybody: drag queens and immigrants and sex workers and the disabled and chronically ill and any person who is on the “edge” of our society - we are called to expand out our circles of care to them…because Jesus loves them and we are too.
And yes, that all comes back down to Jesus, the Messiah, Son of David and Son of Abraham - who would bless all of humanity, who is the rightful king of the Israelites, who is the fulfillment of the law and prophecy, who was sung about in the Psalms - who is the one in which we find hope - hope that God is never done with us, and hope that generation to generation, God’s love would every continue to expand through us.
This Advent and Christmas season, may we expand our circles of care and love, sharing the love of Jesus with all.
Amen.
Friday, December 18, 2020
Christmas Eve Advent Wreath/Candle Lighting Liturgy
Christmas Eve Advent Wreath/Candle Lighting Liturgy
L: Through the darkest nights of the year we have prayed:
P: Come, Lord Jesus.
L: In a world where all can seem lost, we have looked toward this night for hope.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Bringer of Hope.
*lights candle of hope*
L: Our eyes and ears are bombarded with war, violence, disruption, but at the manger there is peace.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace.
*lights candle of peace*
L: In what is sold as a season of merriment, we know that hardship and grief abound. May we not lose sight of our joy in you.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Child of Joy.
*lights candle of joy*
L: Our hearts ache to reach out and touch each other, for kindness to spread like warmth, we long for the fundamental need of all humanity: to love and be loved.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Lover of our Souls.
L: Through the darkest nights of the year we have prayed:
P: Come, Lord Jesus.
L: In a world where all can seem lost, we have looked toward this night for hope.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Bringer of Hope.
*lights candle of hope*
L: Our eyes and ears are bombarded with war, violence, disruption, but at the manger there is peace.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace.
*lights candle of peace*
L: In what is sold as a season of merriment, we know that hardship and grief abound. May we not lose sight of our joy in you.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Child of Joy.
*lights candle of joy*
L: Our hearts ache to reach out and touch each other, for kindness to spread like warmth, we long for the fundamental need of all humanity: to love and be loved.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Lover of our Souls.
*lights candle of love*
L: Too long we have walked in the darkness...but on Christmas, 2000 years ago and Christmas today, tonight, a Light has entered the world and the darkness cannot overcome it.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Light of the World,
*lights Christ candle*
L: Christmas is here. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are here!
P: Jesus is here, Bethlehem's matchless child!
L: Christmas is here! All the world rejoices!
All: Christmas is here! Let us worship Christ the King!
L: Too long we have walked in the darkness...but on Christmas, 2000 years ago and Christmas today, tonight, a Light has entered the world and the darkness cannot overcome it.
P: Come, Lord Jesus, Light of the World,
*lights Christ candle*
L: Christmas is here. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are here!
P: Jesus is here, Bethlehem's matchless child!
L: Christmas is here! All the world rejoices!
All: Christmas is here! Let us worship Christ the King!
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Advent Wreath Lighting, 4B, Love
Advent Wreath Lighting, 4B, Love
L: Christmas is coming. We feel it in our hearts, in our to-do lists, and in the crisp winter air.
P: Love is coming.
L: The space between us and the Holy is thin - if we just looked up, around, opened the eyes of our hearts we might be able to see angels.
P: Love is coming.
L: Christmas has the power to change everything - it changed everything for Mary. It can change everything for us.
P: Love is coming.
L: May we be ready for Christmas - may we be ready for change - may we be ready for Jesus.
P: Love is coming.
L: And so we light this candle of Love, inviting the God who is love, born on Christmas Day, into our hearts.
*Lights candle*
P: Love is coming - Love is here - God who is Love. God with Us.
All: Amen.
L: Christmas is coming. We feel it in our hearts, in our to-do lists, and in the crisp winter air.
P: Love is coming.
L: The space between us and the Holy is thin - if we just looked up, around, opened the eyes of our hearts we might be able to see angels.
P: Love is coming.
L: Christmas has the power to change everything - it changed everything for Mary. It can change everything for us.
P: Love is coming.
L: May we be ready for Christmas - may we be ready for change - may we be ready for Jesus.
P: Love is coming.
L: And so we light this candle of Love, inviting the God who is love, born on Christmas Day, into our hearts.
*Lights candle*
P: Love is coming - Love is here - God who is Love. God with Us.
All: Amen.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Lighting of the Advent & Christ Candles (Christmas Eve/Day)
Lighting of the Advent & Christ Candles (Christmas Eve/Day)
L: We light the candle of hope, nurturing that flame that was light when Christ was born
in a manger and kindling it until Christ returns again, renewing and redeeming all creation.
in a manger and kindling it until Christ returns again, renewing and redeeming all creation.
All: O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,
above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in the darkness shineth the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in the darkness shineth the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
L: We light the candle of peace, seeking to be peacemakers in all we do
and praying for that day when the Prince of Peace shall reign.
and praying for that day when the Prince of Peace shall reign.
All: Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
L: We light the candle of joy, trusting deeply in God’s goodness
and never failing to rely on our Savior, God with us.
and never failing to rely on our Savior, God with us.
All: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven, and nature sing.
let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven, and nature sing.
L: We light the candle of love, worshiping a God who is love,
and who gave to us a son, God-incarnate, Emmanuel, God, Love, with us.
and who gave to us a son, God-incarnate, Emmanuel, God, Love, with us.
All: Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sing.
Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sing.
L: We light the Christ candle, for unto us a Savior was born, born this Christmas morning.
All: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 4A
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
God of Love, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of Jesus, the God who is Love.
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of Jesus, the God who is Love.
When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh,
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
Jesus, God, Love Incarnate, continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, always filled with unfailing and endless love.
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
Jesus, God, Love Incarnate, continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, always filled with unfailing and endless love.
And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant,
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving, joy and love,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
God of Love, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here
And on these gifts of bread and juice.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ
That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.
By that same Spirit, make us disciples of love in this life
until all creation is redeemed through the holy and cleansing love of Christ.
until all creation is redeemed through the holy and cleansing love of Christ.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,
Now and forever, Amen.
- The Great Thanksgiving for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A, Love Sunday.
Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art.
Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun
Prayer After Communion for Advent 3A
Holy God,
We give you thanks for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
As we await Christ’s return, may we not wait to usher in God’s Kingdom here and now.
May we who are the Body of Christ in this world be agents of Christ’s joy,
defiantly trusting in God, advocating for justice, and blooming in the desert of our world. Amen.
- Prayer after receiving Communion based on Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 1:47-55
Partially inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" from A Sanctified Art.
Prayer written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun
The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 3A
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
God of Joy, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Lord of Life.
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Lord of Life.
When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh,
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a joyful servant.
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a joyful servant.
And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant,
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving, and with great defiant joy,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
God of joy, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here
And on these gifts of bread and juice.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ
That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.
By that same Spirit, make us curators of joy and justice in this life.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,
Now and forever, Amen
- The Great Thanksgiving for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A, Joy Sunday.
Based on Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 1:47-55
Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art.
Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 2A, based on Isaiah 11:1-10
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
God of Peace, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Prince of Peace.
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Prince of Peace.
When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh, God’s very presence,
one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a servant of your peace.
one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a servant of your peace.
And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you,
do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, gave it to his disciples and said:
"Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant,
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving,
as well as anticipation and repentance,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
as well as anticipation and repentance,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
God of peace, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here
And on these gifts of bread and juice.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ
That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.
By that same Spirit, make us disciples of peace in this life until we come to God’s holy mountain.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,
Now and forever, Amen.
- The Great Thanksgiving for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A, Peace Sunday.
Based on Isaiah 11:1-10
Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art.
Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun
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