I was thinking of using an example of when I visited the Eiffel
Tower. I was very excited to see it, and looked at it for all of,
maybe, 20 minutes. It was hard to look at it longer than that. The
novelty wore off, and we began to look at other things. I noticed
this too, when we were at the ark de triumph. We saw a load of
tourists get off a bus, and they could hardly walk away from the
steps of the bus because they were busy taking pictures of, and
being spellbound by, the monument. After 20 minutes not one person
was looking at the monument any longer. They were all looking at the
traffic and at the brochures regarding, I guess, the next place they
were going to go. The fleeting pleasure of external things. They
grab us for a moment. But their satisfying power is transitory.
Christmas tempts us to find satisfaction in many things, but their
gift to us is often transitory. The spiritual message of Christmas
is that our true satisfaction, joy and peace are really found in the
grace and love of God. It is an inside job. That's what I'm thinking
of working on, and it regards love and grace offered, and gifted, to
us. Brent in Pincher.
Brent, I appreciate your story and will use it as an illustration. I
have given a title to my Christmas Eve message, "A time to ponder."
Your illustration ties in at the point that we look a the splendid
creations of men and of women, and they hold our attention only
briefly. When we encounter the creations of God as in the birth of
our savior, we must take time to ponder without ever fully
comprehending. In each encounter, Mary had with eternal forces at
work in her world (Gabriel's announcement, shepherd's worship,
Jesus' talking to the elders, she responded by wondering, pondering,
and treasuring. What a difference this would make in our lives if we
encountered the eternal in such a way that we were left wondering,
pondering, and treasuring. TN Mack
Going w/ haste is what we should do as disciples who listen to Jesus
and who follow Him. Going with faith and trust yet not knowing all
there is to know. The shepherds become models of movement and
faith.....might be a way to look at it. priest in Iowa
TN Mack. Regarding that story above, I was thinking that the time
could have been 25-30 minutes, instead of 20. But definitely, after
30 minutes, no one was looking at the ark du triumph anymore.
Another example that came to my mind was of a couple who told me
they went on a 2 week cruise. They said "everybody" on the ship
spent the first week saying how nice is was to be there, and the
second week saying how much they were looking forward to going home.
That is a lot of money to spend wishing you were back where you
started. Brent in Pincher
Our service is full of angels and candlelight. I am working on the
idea that the gift is Jesus. It seems like Christmas is being taken
over by lets all feel good and love each other, rather than
acknowledging the gift of love. I am begining to dislike the term
Happy Holiday's. I like being inclusive but as Christian we should
be saying Happy Christmas! As my confirmation material says... Claim
the Name. You don't hear muslim talking about ramedon (spelling bad)
No they talk about their faith. enough sermonizing! Here is the very
very rough draft. Nancy-Wis
The Gift Tag A work very much in progress……. We try to make
Christmas too complicated. It really is quite simple. It is about a
gift of love. It is about God coming to earth as a gift for
humankind.
An angel appearing to the shephard and to all the people said
explains it. 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for
see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
the Messiah, the Lord. 2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will
find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
This night the gift is wrapped in bands of cloth, not pretty paper.
I like all of you love gifts. I love the bright packages under the
tree. It never happens now, but as a child I love them so much I
can't help but poke prod and read the gift tags, ever so excited
when I found my name. My very own Nancy on the tag!
I liked the language of swaddling clothes, or even swaddling cloths.
Bands of cloth sounds like what one would put on a mummy! That is
certainly not the picture to preach.
However, sometimes we do want to mummify the story. We hold it
inside, stifle it...
A newborn baby, wrapped tightly (swaddled) in a blanket, yet the
embodiment of God opening God's self to us, to sinners, to children
in need.
Michelle
And there were shepherds-
yes, there were shepherds, and no one seemed to like them very much.
These were rough men with rough hands and rough ways. So rough were
these men, that they were not even allowed in the synagogue. They
worked long hours for litle pay. No one started out to be a
shepherd, but by either by hard luck or even harder living,
shepherds they had become.
I was doing pre-marital with a young couple that had come back from
their new home in Mississippi. They had been warmly welcomed by a
church there. Since it was a church in my denomination, I asked if
they had met any of the pastors. They said that the only one they
had met was the minister to outcasts. After a brief pause, I asked
if maybe they meant the minister of outreach. They said, that, yes,
that's who he was.
But as I think on night long ago, when the news was given to
shepherds about the birth of a child for whom there was no room in
the inn, whose parents will soon have to flee for the life of their
son, the idea of a minister to outcasts sounds like something we
should all be doing.
May each and every one have a blessed Christmas
Revgilmer in Texarkana
JUst read the Presbyterian News post about life in Bethlehem- By
order of the Israeli government, Bethlehem is under twenty-four hour
curfew. People are allowed out of their homes only at intermittent
and unannouced times. The university and the churches are mostly
dark. One Christian leader says that he has been assured that there
is an informal understanding that the churches will be allowed to
open on Christmas DAy, but other Christain leaders say that there is
no such understanding.
You would think, wouldn't you, that the birthplace of King David,
the great king of Israel among whose descandants will come the
Messiah according to Jewish faith, and the place where, according to
our faith, the Messiah did come, would be treated more gently. The
people of Bethlehem think that this is a purely political move, to
portray Sharon as a hard-liner in the upcoming Israeli elections.
But was the Bethlehem of Jesus day any different-Mary and Joseph
went because the emperor said so, the Romans were a constant
presence, and Herod, was, well, Herod-a political opportunist with
no moral values.
So it is not the place, but the person we come to see. For the
Bethlehems of the world have never been safe places, but they have
always been where hope is born anew.
revgilmer in texarkana
On the UM worship site, there is a suggestion about Mary treasuring
all these words and pondering them in her heart. That sometimes the
gift isn't revealed at the giving. I am thinking along the lines of
those Russian nesting dolls, where inside each doll is another doll
to be revealed, that as we continue to "treasure and ponder" the
good news we discover new gifts of mercy, forgiveness,
reconciliation, redemption, hope, peace, love and joy that were all
part of the gift of Jesus all along.
OLAS
I just started reading Courages Incarnation by Fredrica Harris
Thompsett
On page 16-17 she writes, "This mutuality between God and humanity
lies at the foundation of Anglican and Roman Catholic sacramental
life... The courage envisioned here refers to God's initial courage
in entering into the vulnerability and risk of human life, as well
as to the courage of men and women seeking tol ive in the image of
God. Even more so, I believe the Incarnation underscored the
'courageous' relationship intended and expressed when both divinity
and humanity accept responsibility for bringing forth God's reign in
today's world."
During the Great Thanksgiving Episcopalians pray "That Christ may
dwell in us and we in him." We are the hands of Christ on Earth
through our baptism into the one body. The body of God incarnate. We
too bear responsibility, through Christ, to heal our world.
What does this mean for us as we contemplate the homeless? It's not
God's problem, it's ours to heal with God's help and grace.
What does this mean for potential war with Iraq, or hopes for peace
in the Middle East? It means I too have a responsibility in these
conflicts. When we consider what is happening in Bethlehem, it is
not their problem, or God's problem, it is my problem, because I am
part of the Body of Christ. A God who took on the material of this
earth and became part of the creation. A God who loves all aspects
of his creation including Saddam Hussain, and George Bush, and
Israelis, and Palestinians, and Americans. How do we claim what was
begun in a stable? That baby was the first step to our involvement
with all people and all of creation.
Rev. Steph in MD
Folks here is my sermon for Christmas Eve. I have begged, borrowed,
and stolen bits from some of you over the years; feel free to take
and use parts or all of this if any of you are "truly desperate" for
a sermon, and if this fits your thinking. I have written this along
with a lay person doing the rhymes for me. Have fun! -Jeff in NY-
The Story of God
Christmas Eve, 2002 Year B
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our beautiful sanctuary is aglow tonight With the warmth of love and
of candlelight. There are so many here; we each have our own story,
Bound together - as family - to hear of the One born to glory.
We'll hear of Mary and Joseph and the Heavenly Choir, The shepherds,
the wise men and all who desire To understand the mystery that
explains God's love. How He blesses each one of us from His Home up
above.
So let us begin as do all who believe With the Garden of Eden and
with Adam and Eve. The Lord created our universe; Jesus set us free.
The Lord is still creating a world of love - for you and for me.
The Bible says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made
through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (Jn.
1:1-3)
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth
was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the
deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw
that the light was good; and God separated the light from the
darkness. God called the light day and the darkness he called
Night.” (Gen. 1:1-5a)
“In him (who is the Word of God, there) was life, and the life was
the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not overcome it.” (Jn. 1:4-5)
When God created, He declared, "Let there be…" He formed the
mountains, the plains and the raging sea. He created animals and
plants, reptiles and fish, But He needed something more to fulfill
His wish.
The Lord wanted fellowship with a God-like mind. He made man in His
image and then He assigned Man the authority to rule the fish and
the livestock and the birds in the air. The Lord created us all with
His love and His care.
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and
let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,
over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.”
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him; male and female he created them.”
“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea
and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves
on the ground.’” (Gen. 1:24-26)
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31)
God was pleased with all He had done, The universe, the earth, the
moon and the sun. But you may wonder, "What does He think of me?"
Does He think I'm good as I was meant to be?
Does He have a plan? Is there meaning to my life? Should I go on
against adversity and struggle with strife? Be assured! The answer
is, yes you should. The Lord spoke when you were born. "This is very
good!"
The Psalmist says it this way: Psalm 8 1 O LORD, our LORD, the
majesty of your name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the
heavens.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the
moon and the stars you have set in place— 4 what are mortals that
you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? 5
For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us
with glory and honor. 6 You put us in charge of everything you made,
— 7 the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, 8 the birds
in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean
currents. 9 O LORD, our LORD, the majesty of your name fills the
earth!
God created the world; everything was fine. But He gave Adam and Eve
a choice; they decided to dine On the only thing forbidden; they
fell from grace, The Perfect Garden now - a prohibited place.
Later their first born, a boy named Cain, Because of his anger, his
brother was slain. Some refer to this as the fall of man. Was it
really just a part of the father's plan?
He tried to teach of everyone's worth. Watch over your brother and
everyone on earth. Are we still responsible for our sister, our
brother. We surely must be! We're to love one another.
14So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
you will be punished. . . . You will grovel in the dust as long as
you live, crawling along on your belly. 15From now on, you and the
woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be
enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
16Then he said to the woman, “You will bear children with intense
pain and suffering. And though your desire will be for your husband,
he will be your master.” 17And to Adam he said, “Because you
listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to eat, I
have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle
to scratch a living from it. 18It will grow thorns and thistles for
you, though you will eat of its grains. 19All your life you will
sweat to produce food, until your dying day. Then you will return to
the ground from which you came. For you were made from dust, and to
the dust you will return.” 22Then the LORD God said, “The people
have become as we are, knowing everything, both good and evil. What
if they eat the fruit of the tree of life? Then they will live
forever!” 23So the LORD God banished Adam and his wife from the
Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from
which he had been made. 24 (portions of Gen. 3:8-24)
God's heart was broken; Man had gone astray. Can we bridge the gap?
Is it still with us today? Is fellowship with God only a dream from
the past? Is our suffering forever, destined to last?
What is meant to be? Should we live in fear? Is there a balm? Is the
Lord truly here? Is there a way back to Eden - to fellowship with
God? Or Has He given up because our lives are flawed? Psalm 130 A
SONG OF DEGREES. 1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of
my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that
thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and
in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they
that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the
morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is
mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem
Israel from all his iniquities.
When we feel so helpless, when we're lost and alone, Will anyone
listen? Am I on my own? Will He make a difference if I call His name
Or will He reject and rebuke me for my sinful shame?
I tend to be sinful - to hurt the ones I love. Can I be saved from
myself by my Father above? The Psalmist was wise; he caused me to
wonder. Could the Lord save my soul from being torn asunder?
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in
his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who
hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He
shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the
God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek
him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah
(Hymn Lyrics: #202, vs. 1 People Look East) OR (Hymn Lyrics: #195,
vs. Send Your Word)
I hear the promise and I believe it is true, But isn't there
something that I must do? How will I know when God's help is here?
Will I hear a trumpet? Will it be clear
That God is with me - right by my side From morn to noon to
eventide. Perhaps the Psalmist will tell us what to do. Let's listen
as he speaks to me and to you.
The Psalmist finishes his song:
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting
doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of
glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift
up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah (Psalm 24: 3-10)
God, our Creator, will come to earth someday. What shall I wear?
What shall I say? He's to walk with us and talk to us and tell us we
are His own. How shall we act when we are with the Greatest One ever
known?
The Prophet Isaiah says, “3The voice of him that cries in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the
desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain: 5And the glory of the
LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the
mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 9O Zion, that brings good tidings,
get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that brings good
tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10Behold, the Lord
GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him:
behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11He shall
feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his
arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that
are with young.” (Isaiah 40:35, 9-11)
(Hymn Lyrics: #206, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light)
Come quickly my Savior! I'm suffering and in pain. Please don't
delay - for I will sin again. I know my shortcomings; I need a
guide, A book of laws to help me decide
Exactly what my Lord wants me to do. Give me the rules - I'll try to
be true. I want to be in the Garden once more, In the presence of my
Lord - the One I adore.
(Exodus 20:1-17) 1And God spoke all these words: 3“You shall have no
other gods before me. 4“You shall not make for yourself an idol in
the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in
the waters below. 7“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your
God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his
name. 8“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you
shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath
to the Lord your God. 12“Honor your father and your mother, so that
you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13“You shall not murder. 14“You shall not commit adultery. 15“You
shall not steal. 16“You shall not give false testimony against your
neighbor. 17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall
not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Finally, God has laid down the rules; they're very clear. We will be
saved if we only adhere. Perhaps we try to please God by being good.
By resisting temptation and living as we should.
But still we fall short; it isn't enough. The more we try - the
going gets tough. We do just the opposite of what we intend. We need
a Savior, a Guide, a Friend.
19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the offsping should come to whom the promise
was made; 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith
is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(Hymn Lyrics: #184, Of the Father’s Love Begotten)
Praise the Lord! He sent us His Son. New hope for mankind - our
salvation begun. He saved us from sin; He said I forgive. He
exemplified the Perfect Way to live.
He gave us hope; He brought us back to God. His love we cherish; His
example we laud. If we truly believe, we have eternal life. He saved
us from the specter of everlasting strife.
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth. (Jn. 1:14)
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city
of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a
sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15And
it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord
hath made known unto us. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary,
and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17And when they had seen
it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning
this child. 18And all they that heard it wondered at those things
which were told them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these
things, and pondered them in her heart. 20And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they
had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. (Luke 2:8-20)
(Hymn lyrics: O Little Town of Bethlehem, #230)
16And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. 18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John
1:16-17)
(Hymn Lyrics: #250, vs. 2, Once in Royal David’s City)
And so, once again this Christmas, we celebrate The coming of our
Lord, our chance to validate Our love for the One who died for our
sin, The One who allows us to be like we've never been.
What difference does this make in the world today Where terror
strikes unexpected? Is He still the way? We still have His promise;
He's with us right now. The Lord is forever and so is His vow.
He cares for each of us - like a daughter or son. He forgives our
sins and the wrong we have done. He fills us with peace, with joy
and with love If we simply believe in our Father above.
He wants us - each of us - to help spread the Word So tell everyone
His story - until all have heard. If we all serve the Lord, we can
change mankind. We can live once more in the Garden and leave our
sins behind.
God is the light - the great illumination. He sent us His Son to
brighten the hearts of the nation. So tonight as we gather with the
ones we love. We humbly give out thanks to the One above.
O Come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in
lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to Thee, oh Israel!
O come desire of nations bind All peoples in one heart and mind.
From dust thou brought us forth to life; Deliver us from earthly
strife.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to Thee, oh Israel!
