There’s no way to avoid it—this is a difficult text.
I place it in the category of:
Things I Wish Jesus Never Said.
We know what Jesus asks of us.
We know what the Bible says.
But we often will say or think:
Who could really live this way?
Well…Jesus…of course…but he
was perfect…you know.
He was sinless…he is the Son of God…it’s easy for him.
Loving our enemies? Are you serious?
No way…not today…not with what I’ve experienced…
Not with what I’ve seen…not with what’s been done to me.
The Lord be with you.
The English playwright…G. K. Chesterton famously said:
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult…and left
”
But…you see…Jesus expected his disciples to live this way.
Love your enemies Jesus said…do good to those who hate you.
He also called us to forgive those we hate…or who hate us.
It is tough to preach on this text…because it’s complicated:
Theologically…psychologically and emotionally.
And it is prone to misunderstanding and abuse.
We must be careful that we hear the spirit of the text.
Bless those who curse you Jesus says…pray for those who abuse you.
Forgive and you will be forgiven…give and it will be given to you.
A disciple of Jesus loves the enemy and offers forgiveness.
But here’s the thing: Jesus doesn’t say…when…or how soon.
And I am grateful for this because I believe that sometimes Christians forgive too soon.
That’s called cheap grace.
I have known Christians who think they need to go straight from wrong to forgiveness…right away.
But there’s a problem with this.
Why? Because forgiving too soon preempts our ability to be angry.
It hinders us from honoring the hurt.
Recognizing the wrong that was done…
And acknowledging how we feel.
Dissociating the wrong from the feelings associated with it is not
We often rush to forgiveness because we think it is the “Christian” thing to do…
And because we really do not want to sit with our hurt.
Sometimes we move too quickly through the forgiveness process…
And then we discover later that we are still harboring resentment and anger…
Because the wound is still there.
We need to remember that anger can be a gift in that it “locates our wound/hurt.
Anger helps us defend ourselves and energizes us to correct what needs to be corrected.
This is especially true regarding abuse.
In an abusive situation we need to honor our anger first.
Anger at abuse and injustice is an expression of our integrity and our human dignity.
The only way we can move beyond hate…alienation and separation is to learn to love more deeply.
And…in God’s good time…and with God’s help—extend forgiveness.
We need to get to that place of
forgiveness when the timing is right.
When it becomes clear that we cannot do anything about the one who hates us or wronged us.
There comes a time when we must let it go…we must practice forgiveness.
Anne Lammott…in her memoir…Traveling Mercies…says:
Withholding forgiveness is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.
Retaliation or holding onto anger about the harm done to us does not actually combat evil…it feeds it.
If we are not careful…we can absorb the worst of our enemy…
And start to become them.
So…forgiveness then…is a way of wielding bolt-cutters…
And snapping the chains that link us.
By this we are saying: What you did was so not okay…I refuse to be connected to it anymore.
Forgiving is being a freedom fighter.
Free people are not controlled by the past.
Free people laugh more than others.
Free people see beauty where others do not.
Free people are not easily offended.
Free people are unafraid to speak truth to stupid.
Free people are not chained to resentments.
If you love those who love you…what credit is that to you? Love your enemies…do good…and lend…and
expect nothing in return.
In Jesus’ time…in the Greco-Roman world…reciprocity was the norm.
This was the rule: I give so that you will give back to me…quid pro quo.
Here…in our gospel…Jesus’ questions this way of acting.
Jesus expects us to go beyond mere reciprocity.
He commands us to stop the vicious cycle of reciprocity…of wanting to get even.
Jesus was going against the norm…going against the grain.
And expects the same from us today.
Because that’s what God’s love always does.
It’s not rational or reasonable…it is something else.
Like so much in Jesus’ teaching…it comes down to love.
Understanding the risk and the
cost of love.
The difficulty and the joy of love.
Henri Nouwen…the Roman Catholic priest…theologian and writer…reminds us:
Forgiveness is the name of love
practiced among people who love poorly.
Jesus is always moving us toward mercy.
Jesus is always moving us toward greater compassion.
Jesus expects us to be people of mercy…people of compassion.
But often…it’s just too much for us.
We know the cost…we know what is required of us to love this way.
And so…we need to be taught and guided by the Spirit.
We need to be gifted with the means to love more deeply…love more boldly…love more courageously…
Until we discover that the one needing to be forgiven…
The one who is our enemy…is also…worthy of God’s love…just like you and me.
So then…this is what God has done in the face of our misbehavior.
God has loved his enemies.
God has been good to those who hate him.
God has blessed those who curse him.
God has been kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
We have seen it on the cross of Jesus.
Someone struck Jesus on the cheek…and his other cheek was available.
Someone took away his coat…and he did not withhold his shirt.
Someone took away all his goods…and Jesus did not ask for them again.
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
our creator, our protector, our wellspring of life.
Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we act
with judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors.
We resist your call to oppose injustice.
We give in to scarcity and fear.
We assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faultsand release us from their grasp.
Show us your loving kindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,that we may live in Christ’s ways.
Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, we are forgiven.
In the Spirit, we are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy, live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn:
Let the Whole Creation Cry
Prayer of the Day
Most holy God, the earth is filled with your glory, and before you angels and saints stand in awe. Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world, and by your grace make us heralds of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 9-13
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 138
1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise. 2I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name, because of your steadfast love and faithfulness; for you have glorified your name and your word above all things. 3 When I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength within me. 4All the rulers of the earth will praise you, O Lord, when they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that great is the glory of the Lord. 6The Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly, perceiving the haughty from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me. 8You will make good your purpose for me; O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Jesus says, Follow me, and I will make you fish for people. Alleluia. (Matt. 4:19)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to You O Lord
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
1
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to You O Christ
This week I admired Peter’s faith.
Why? Because he was honest.
…he said to Simon: “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered: “Master… we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
Here is what I mean: If he was cleaning his nets…he was done. He was almost home for the night…
Putting on his sweatpants and pouring himself a drink.
He was DONE.
And…he was exhausted.
Exhausted by prolonged effort met only with failure.
We have been fishing all night and caught nothing: he says to Jesus.
The Lord be with you
Well…think of the times you have been totally exhausted.
Here is one of many that I will share.
It had been a busy day at the church along with home and hospital visits.
And it was one of those rare evenings when I was home.
And so…Susan and I…following supper…gathered ourselves in the family room…
Both of us with a glass of wine…
To watch a movie.
And then midway through the movie my beeper went off.
No cell phones…yet…back then.
The caller was the dispatcher from the local State Police barracks…
The dispatcher asked me to come to a particular location a few miles out of town to Baker Act (302) an individual who was threatening himself and others with a handgun.
At that time…in my ministry…I was one of two country delegates that worked with ER doctors at our local hospital…
To process and evaluate petitioners who found it necessary to involuntarily commit those who were a danger to themselves or others.
So…I went and returned several hours later…exhausted.
You know the feeling.
So…Peter is totally exhausted…and this is what Jesus says to Peter:
“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered: “Master…we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
I am exhausted and if I am honest…I do not want to go into the deep…thank you very much.
I want to stay near the comfort of the shore.
I just finished cleaning my nets and am ready for my pajamas and Netflix.
I want to stay close to the shore Jesus…
Because I know that in the Hebrew scriptures…
The Deep is where chaos and the unknown reside.
So…that long ago Sunday evening I was Peter.
Somewhere between exhaustion and the deep.
Trying to still have faith while…
I am worn out…weary…and drained.
So here…today…in this place between exhaustion and the deep…
Coffee mug faith is not going to cut it for Peter.
Faith that is just a cheerful outlook sprinkled on top of an already good life.
Maybe it helped Peter in the past.
But now it is useless.
For it to be of any real help…
Faith cannot be the decorations and furniture.
It must be the load bearing structure that can withstand floods and fires and plane crashes and global pandemics.
Because here’s the thing.
Faith does not go away first when a crisis happens.
It is what is left after a crisis happens.
When the power of positive thinking fails us.
When the insurance companies and governmental agencies have failed us.
When our attempts to change ourselves and others have failed us.
When our vision for what our lives would look like has failed us.
When our bodies and dreams have failed us.
Simple faith remains.
Peter teaches us that.
Because Peter’s faith is the kind that is honest about exhaustion and failure.
Honest about what life really feels like and then still says…AND YET.
Jesus said to Peter: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered: “Master…we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. And yet…if you say so…I will let down the nets.”
Peter was indeed in the space between exhaustion and the deep.
And facing the deep can be terrifying.
The Greek word for the deep…BATHOS…shows up somewhere else.
It shows up in Romans 8:
For I am convinced that neither death…nor life…nor angels…nor rulers…nor things present…nor things to come…nor powers…nor height…nor (bathos) the deep…nor anything else in all creation…will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So…Peter can admit he was exhausted and did not wish to go out into the deep.
And yet he came to know that even here…
He would not be separated from the protective love of God.
It does not fit on a coffee mug…but it does not need to.
The movie is about a meteor which is moments away from destroying the earth.
The characters are in the deepest part of the deep.
And when putting faith in political solutions and big tech has failed them…
They face their last moments by gathering for a thanksgiving style meal.
A fishing net-straining feast of gladness and gratitude.
But they know something else is needed.
And that something is prayer.
Amid the world quite literally ending…
No one was practicing self-improvement…or attempting to “manifest” some kind of excellence…
What they did was…they prayed.
The skate-board punk character proceeds to pray.
The world was about to be destroyed AND YET he prayed.
“Dearest Father and Almighty Creator…we ask for your grace tonight…despite our pride…your forgiveness…despite our doubt. Most of all…Lord…we ask for your love to soothe us through these dark times. May we face whatever is to come in your divine will with courage and open hearts of acceptance.”
Peter was exhausted.
AND YET…despite his pride…there is grace in the deep.
Despite his doubt…there is forgiveness in the deep.
Not to mention…yes…a whole lot of fish.
So…with the simple…AND YET faith of Peter we can say:
Song of the Day:
Will You Come and Follow Me
Prayers of Intercession
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
A brief silence.
God of surprising abundance, you call your people to enter deeply into the world. Equip us to respond to your call, gather up what we have, and offer it to all. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
God of creation, provide protection from the elements and other hazards to all whose work brings them outside: for fishers, ranchers, line workers, and construction crews. Guide us to live carefully alongside the wonders of the land and waters. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Open the hearts of all leaders, especially those who serve in the armed forces, that they respond to their commission with wisdom and patience. Ensure that all who serve are kept safe in body, mind, and spirit. We pray for an end to all war and armed conflict. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Fill with your compassionate presence all who are suffering from addiction, mental illness, injury, or illness of any kind especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, the family of Andrea Shultz, Don Bevers Draw helpers to their side so that they find relief from their burdens. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Call our faith communities to do marvelous things. Bless the labor and efforts of this congregation, that we may be a sign of your presence in the world. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Spirit of peace…we pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Nurture our shared commitment to embody Jesus’ love. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We thank you for those who have courageously gone before us in the faith. May we too show a deep trust in you throughout our lives. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
our creator, our protector, our wellspring of life.
Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we actwith judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors.
We resist your call to oppose injustice.
We give in to scarcity and fear.
We assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faultsand release us from their grasp.
Show us your loving-kindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,that we may live in Christ’s ways.
Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, we are forgiven.
In the Spirit, we are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy,
live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.
Gathering Song:
Lord Let My Heart Be Good Soil
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.” 9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 71:1-6
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame. 2In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; incline your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;
you are my crag and my stronghold. 4Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor. 5 For you are my hope, O Lord God,
my confidence since I was young. 6I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother’s womb you have been my strength; my praise shall be always of you.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. You shall go to all to whom I send you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Alleluia. (Jer. 1:7, 8)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 4:21-30
21 Then Jesus began to say to all in the synagogue in Nazareth, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
The story we just heard last Sunday from Luke is of Jesus’ first sermon.
Actually…it is the first thing he says in Luke’s Gospel.
Jesus had just come back from the Wilderness where he had been tempted by Satan for 40 days.
And returning to his hometown he entered the temple where he chose to read these words of Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind…to let the oppressed go free…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And then?
He rolled up the scroll…gave it back to the attendant…and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
And then he began to say to them (the beginning of today’s gospel):
“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
His first sermon.
The Lord be with you.
This week as I considered this text…
I thought about what it would be like for us were Jesus to come here one Sunday and pick up a scroll that said Isaiah on it.
He would have walked in from 40 days of battling his demons in the back country.
Being tempted by Satan.
“I’ll give you everything and it will be so easy” said that voice that would not leave him alone.
“You could have authority and power and Twitter followers and stock options and influence…
I will give you everything if you just worship me and not God”
But Jesus knew false promises when he heard them.
And after 40 days of fasting and isolation and facing the darkness… Jesus had some things to say.
Jesus was ready to preach.
So…I wondered what it would be like?
If he came into our sanctuary to preach that first sermon.
His jeans loose from 6 weeks without eating.
His face thin…but bright.
He holds himself without apology.
Inhabiting his own unique shape in the world so completely that it creates a kind of aura around him.
And when he opens his mouth to speak…
It is as though there is something both common and melodic about his voice.
A voice that is as familiar as the sound of our own heartbeats.
A song we had forgotten and yet still know by heart.
Our Lord would say something like:
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to bring gifts of fine wine and rich food to those who exist only on fast food…
Because it is the only food in walking distance from their neighborhoods.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to bring living water to the people of Flint Michigan and Rwanda and Haiti and Camp Lejeune.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to tell the janitors that the CEO’s have distributed all their own bonuses and stock options to them.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to restore the dignity of the 99%.
And to restore the dignity of the 1%.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to endow us with a sense of worth that has nothing to do with wealth or status.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to remove the feeling of worthlessness from the depressed.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to bring rest to the sleep-deprived parents of babies.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to remove all desire for the kind of cheap goods that only can come from child labor and sweat shops.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to give a sense of belonging to the alienated.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to forgive the sinner.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to remove all resentments from those who cannot let go of the past.
And then I imagine me shifting my weight around in my pew…
When I realize his sermon is going over 12 minutes and realizing that Jesus might not know how we do things here.
And then I imagine him looking at me.
And giving me the most loving “get over yourself” look ever.
And then he smiles and breaks out into laughter.
And then we all laugh and walk up to him and hug him as he hugs us during the sharing of peace.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to illuminate to us the ways that human sin tears at the fabric of all humanity
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to allow us to see who we really are.
To again glimpse the image of God in ourselves and others.
To again see that thing that has always been there but is so obscured and made blurry by years of competing messages.
To give us a glimpse of heaven in the here and now.
To show us that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
To show us what it looks like to love what God loves.
To allow us to see ourselves as God sees us.
The Spirit of the Lord has sent him to bring freedom to the oppressed.
The over worked…the under-appreciated…the last chosen…the unlovely.
The despised and unseen…the overly proud.
And that is what our ears might hear were Jesus right here and say:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.
To let the oppressed go free…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And then he sits down.
And the eyes of our congregation are fixed upon him.
No one moves.
And then he says:
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus fought with the devil…saw all the easy answers and false promises for what it is.
And yes…the first thing he says in the gospel of Luke is that quotation from Isaiah.
But the first of his own words was the word “today”.
Today this has been fulfilled in your hearing.
This moment.
And so…I imagine our minds and hearts and eyes open.
I imagine the brows becoming un-furrowed.
The doubts seeming less important.
The critical mind that judges and assesses every single thing in our lives silenced.
The resentments let go of and the good news…and vision and freedom of God fulfilled in our hearing.
Not fulfilled in our believing…not fulfilled in our acting…not fulfilled in our striving.
Simply fulfilled in our hearing.
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in our hearing.
May it be so.
Song of the Day:
He Comes to Us as One Unknown
Prayers of Intercession
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
A brief silence.
God of eternal wisdom, we pray for your church, which is being transformed by your word. Bless the church with your wisdom and guidance. Let us notice and take part in the new thing you are doing. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Your creation sustains us and all living creatures. Grant us humility to acknowledge the ways we bring harm to the earth. Grant us courage to make effective change so that all lands and living things prosper. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Embolden leaders of nations, corporations, and all in authority, that they lovingly tend those in their charge. Help them to respond to all who cry out in need. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Provide for those whose hunger runs deep due to isolation, loneliness, or illness. Especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, the family of Andrea Shultz, Don Bevers. Send your Spirit so that all are filled with your presence. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the young people in our congregations. May their voices be celebrated. Give youth a place of honor and value among us. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Spirit of peace…we pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Nurture our shared commitment to embody Jesus’ love. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We remember those who have gone before us. Let their faithful example continue to bear witness to us all. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
our creator, our protector, our wellspring of life.
Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we actwith judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors.
We resist your call to oppose injustice.
We give in to scarcity and fear.
We assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faultsand release us from their grasp.
Show us your lovingkindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,that we may live in Christ’s ways.
Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, we are forgiven.
In the Spirit, we are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy, live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.
Gathering Song:
Bind Us Together
Prayer of the Day
Lord God, source of every blessing, you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son, who brought gladness and salvation to his people. Transform us by the Spirit of his love, that we may find our life together in him, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 36:5-10
5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save humankind and animals, O Lord. 7 How priceless is your love, O God!
All people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. 8They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the well of life,
and in your light we see light. 10Continue your lovingkindness to those who know you, and your favor to those who are true of heart.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Jesus revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. Alleluia. (John 2:11)
The Holy Gospel according to John
Glory to You O Lord
Gospel: John 2:1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to You O Christ
In the ancient culture of our story a wedding feast lasted many days.
During which an abundance of wine was a necessity.
Running out of wine early would have brought great embarrassment along with some dishonor to the host family.
In today’s wedding at Cana story…
Jesus is the young spiritual teacher who has been invited to this wedding feast…
Together with his mother and his closest disciples.
The setting would be very much like a wedding reception today:
With music…dancing…laughter…feasting and of course…an open bar.
At this gathering there are farmers and tradesmen drinking together…
No doubt telling spicy stories.
And the women?
They probably were telling their racy stories too.
The whole atmosphere may have verged on something that would have caused some of us to faint dead away.
It seems obvious that the people at the wedding felt comfortable with Jesus.
Jesus seems to have mixed well with all classes and groups within his own society.
The Lord be with you
Now…Jesus was being asked to help keep the party going…turning 150 gal of water into wine…
And to this day…many of his followers would not want to think of him doing this.
But this shows us where the Son of God is often to be found.
Not at the head table but in the larder…the storage room.
Back in the kitchen with the women and servants and empty wine casks needing to be refilled.
But the situation now points to a crisis of large proportions.
Mary makes a subtle observation directing her comments privately to her son.
Maybe the hosts are special friends of Mary.
Because she seems to have some kind of investment in the situation.
And when the wine ran out his mother asked him for help.
Perhaps hardly anyone in the crowd knew how critical the wine supply now was.
So…only a few would be privy to Jesus’ evolving miracle.
The servants and host might have observed the miracle…
And yet…kept a lid on the whole thing.
When the steward says to the host:
“You have saved the best for last”…we could call this the perfect punch line for a divine joke.
Well…what is the humor here?
It is that…in the world…the best always comes first with all the tinsel…glitter…thrills…and promises.
Then it gives out.
Like the first wine in our story.
The trick of the world is to give us nothing after having promised us everything.
On the other hand…
The “trick” of God is to offer us a cross…
A lot of challenges…self-effacement…
And then to give us a Master and Lord who identifies himself with the poor…
The helpless…
And lavishes all of God’s best on them!
Our Lord does not stand before us with a golden crown on his head conferring huge favors.
Our Lord is most at ease if we can accept him as someone standing next to us on a corner waiting for a bus.
Or standing next to us at a wedding at the open bar.
He is someone we befriend.
And someone who befriends us.
There is no foothold for pride and attainment here.
There is only this relationship that has very humble and quiet beginnings.
The “joyful joke” is that this friendship we have with Jesus does not run dry.
It keeps flowing…getting better…
Like the best wine at the wedding feast.
It comes to us while we are totally unaware…
And out of control of the situation we find ourselves in.
And this is what makes it so delightful and gracious.
Think of the finest wine imaginable flowing by the gallon from earthen jars at a party…
Where most of the guests are too drunk to even appreciate it!
If we allow ourselves to move beyond the obvious offense in this part of the story…
We will find ourselves in the presence of a profound revelation.
Paul puts it like this:
When we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.
One will scarcely die even for a righteous person…
Though for such a person one might be willing to die.
But God shows his love for us in this…
That while we were yet sinners…
Christ died for the ungodly.
To the pious this may all seem like a great waste…
As must the finest wine have been considered a waste by the wine steward when the guests were too drunk to recognize it.
But God’s love and grace are like this miracle of Jesus at Cana:
Seemingly wasted on revelers and partygoers…
Who could never recognize the quality of love that went to death for us.
It is God’s joke on the self-righteous…
That God wastes his best…
His only Son on a world of sinners when it seems too late to save anyone.
Amazing Grace…how sweet the sound…that saved a wretch like me!
Our Lord comes to us offering a paradoxical solution to our greatest need.
In the cross God trades our worst for God’s best.
God takes our sin and offers us God’s full redemption.
And often we are not even aware of our need when God comes to us.
In the end Jesus gives us everything and that is the joke on us.
It is God’s holy prank and cannot be duplicated anywhere else because only God can do this.
Our Lord is most at ease when we accept him as friend and co-celebrant at a feast.
Let us pray to be with God and Jesus celebrating life here on earth and in heaven.
Did you ever run out of hope wondering if you would ever get a refill?
And then did a new supply come from an unexpected and overlooked source?
Song of the Day
For by Grace You Have been Saved
Prayers of Intercession
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
A brief silence.
Giver of gifts, you form each member of the church to serve. Inspire us to boldly use gifts of welcome and healing, service and teaching, leading and preaching, for the sake of your work in the world. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Refuge of creatures, you place all the living under the shadow of your wings. Lead us in ways that tend to the needs of wild and domestic animals, creatures threatened by extinction, and the environment we share. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Voice of the oppressed, you call prophets throughout time. We remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a voice for racial and economic justice and for peace. Guide our nation in continuing to heed your prophetic call. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
God of steadfast love, as Jesus celebrated at Cana, nurture marriages and relationships in mutual care; in times of separation or divorce hold tenderly broken hearts and broken dreams. Be present to all who are sick, grieving or in any need especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, the family of Andrea Shultz, Don Bevers. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Spirit of peace, celebrating this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Nurture our shared commitment to embody Jesus’ love, justice, and healing. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Wellspring of life, in living and dying we trust in you. We give thanks for the saints. (Jimmy Carter) Guide us in our living until, at last, we rest in you. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, our creator, our protector, our wellspring of life.
Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we actwith judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors.
We resist your call to oppose injustice.
We give in to scarcity and fear.
We assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faultsand release us from their grasp.
Show us your lovingkindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,that we may live in Christ’s ways.
Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, we are forgiven.
In the Spirit, we are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy,
live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.
Gathering Song:
Shall We Gather at the River
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you anointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy Spirit and revealed him as your beloved Son. Keep all who are born of water and the Spirit faithful in your service, that we may rejoice to be called children of God, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due God’s name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;
the Lord is upon the mighty waters. 4The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord
bursts forth in lightning flashes. 8The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord all are crying, “Glory!” 10The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forevermore. 11 O Lord, give strength to your people;
give them, O Lord, the blessings of peace.
Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Alleluia. (Matt. 3:17)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
Our daughter…Jennine…was baptized a couple of months following her birth…
She was baptized by my boyhood pastor and mentor…Elsworth Fryer.
We wanted the event to be jubilant…so Susan and I ordered a sheet cake.
A carrot cake to be exact…with a dove on it.
We wanted to festively mark Jennine’s entry into the body of Christ.
So…after the service we stood in the narthex filled with joy and serving cake.
The narthex…it’s what Christians call a lobby…
But as a kid I would laugh when someone said narthex…
Because it sounded to me like a Dr Suess character.
Anyway…Jennine’s baptism was great…with all her grandparents present and the sheet cake in the narthex.
The Lord be with you.
Well…some amazing stuff happened at Jesus’ baptism too.
After all…there at The River that day the heavens were torn open.
And the Spirit descended like a dove and God called him beloved.
You must admit…that is a cool baptism.
But here’s the thing…after Jesus’ baptism there was no sheet cake in the narthex.
Instead…the Holy Spirit…who moments ago seemed like a nice and fluffy peaceful little dove…
That same Spirit immediately cast Jesus out into the wilderness to be with Satan…wild beasts and angels.
Given the choice…I would prefer the sheet cake.
Even if it does get on the new carpet and makes the church ladies cranky.
But that is not what we see in the life of Jesus.
And really…that is not what we see in our lives either.
Like Jesus…we experience both The River and The Wilderness.
At The River…we are surrounded by community and given new life and called beloved.
God is near…and it is beautiful.
And we need it…but that is not the whole picture.
I know for myself…when I am facing challenges or struggling with life issues…
Or I am in a period of hardship where nothing seems to be working…
Then I tend to think about those times as unwelcome and unpleasant.
And then…often…I am regretful because after 50 years of ordained ministry should I not really have it all together?
But here’s the thing:
As much as I need to hear that I am beloved and surrounded by community and being made new…
And we all need that…
But as much as I need that…
I never gained much wisdom from things going well at The River.
You see…the River might fill the heart and that is important…
But it is The Wilderness that brings wisdom.
I would love it if spiritual wisdom was distributed in the Personal Growth section at Barnes and Noble.
But that is not the way it goes.
It is always found in The Wilderness.
Because if we look at the order of things…
At The River Jesus is baptized and called by God beloved…
After which he is cast into The Wilderness.
And it is only THEN that he begins preaching and teaching and healing.
OK then…Jesus does not begin preaching and teaching and healing until after he has gone through 40 days of the devil…
Wild beasts and angels.
So why do I think my Wilderness to be unwelcome and unpleasant…
If Jesus’ Wilderness gave him what was needed to heal and to teach?
I think because we have an anemic view of God.
That God is only found at The River times in life.
Only found in the moments of renewal and elation and blessedness.
That is…God is only close to us when we feel close to God.
But that is not true.
Our feelings about God have precious little to do with God’s nearness to us.
Because God’s nearness to us…is also found in the way that God creates wisdom…out of our wilderness experiences.
God’s nearness to us…is just as real in the blessings of The River…
As it is in the struggles of The Wilderness.
How we feel does not really matter.
Not in this case.
Maybe…right now…we are in The Wilderness of wild beasts and angels.
But wisdom is coming.
And after that…The River…so that our hearts might again be filled.
This is the life of the baptized.
The River…then The Wilderness…then The River.
What I am saying is this:
Our baptismal life is about daily death and resurrection.
Or maybe this morning we feel as though we are at The River experiencing community and God and new birth.
That is wonderfully great.
And The Wilderness is surely coming.
And when it does…God will be just as near us.
So…this is the baptismal life of angels and wild beasts.
Where we get to experience the Holy…
The transcendent and the heart filling at the River.
And we also experience the Wilderness of isolation and fear and uncertainty…
Through which we gain wisdom and perhaps…
Like Jesus…even the ability to teach and to heal.
But regardless of how it all feels…
God is present and wants to be known in all of it.
The sheet-cake and the Wild beasts.
Song of the Day:
This Little light of mine
Prayers of Intercession
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
A brief silence.
You call us by name and form us. We give thanks for the gift of baptism. Nurture the baptized and equip people sent to proclaim the good news, especially Young Adults in Global Mission and international congregations. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Your voice sounds over the waters. Speak words of healing over the rivers and lakes, seas and oceans. Heeding your voice, lead us to care for water, and the land and creatures it nourishes. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
You give strength to your people. Uphold all who serve the common good. Guide federal and state legislators, city and county officials, judges and juries. Strengthen our resolve to serve all in need. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
You are with us in challenging times. Draw near to all who are ill, undergoing treatment, or recovering from surgery especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Ellen Cuoco, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Annie Clapper, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, the family of Andrea Shultz, Don Bevers. Accompany individuals and families affected by addiction or mental health challenges. Uphold each person as your beloved. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
God of community, your Spirit holds us together. Sustain our care for one another especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… Blessed Trinity…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Inspire us to seek new ways to live together and to embrace the diversity of thought and identity in our communities. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
You grant us peace. Comfort all who grieve. Dwell with us in this life and, at the last, join us with the saints whom you have created, formed, and named. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
God-with-us,
we confess that we have turned away
those seeking shelter,claiming there is no room when we have plenty.
We have made power and wealth our idols,while you show us true glory: a baby in a manger.
We have overlooked the shepherds,expecting good news in prettier packaging.
Too often, we have valued violenceinstead of your peace.
Turn us from our ways to your ways.
Grant us the grace to begin again.
Free us from all that keeps us bound,and forgive our sin,through Jesus Christ, who gives himself for us.
Amen.
Hear the good news and rejoice!
We are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, ☩ forgiven in Christ,
and freed to respond in joy.
Amen.
Gathering Song:
I Wonder as I Wander
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you have filled all the earth with the light of your incarnate Word. By your grace empower us to reflect your light in all that we do, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14
7 Thus says the Lord:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
“Save, O Lord, your people,
the remnant of Israel.” 8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here. 9 With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.” 11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
and they shall never languish again. 13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the Lord.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 147:12-20
12 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion, 13 who has strengthened the bars of your gates
and has blessed your children within you. 14 God has established peace on your borders
and satisfies you with the finest wheat. 15 God sends out a command to the earth,
a word that runs very swiftly. 16 God gives snow like wool,
scattering frost like ashes. 17 God scatters hail like bread crumbs.
Who can stand against God’s cold? 18 The Lord sends forth the word and melts them;
the wind blows, and the waters flow. 19 God declares the word to Jacob,
statutes and judgments to Israel. 20 The Lord has not done so to any other nation;
they do not know God’s judgments. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Alleluia. (Ps. 98:3)
The Holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
Years ago…I was part of a church where the youth group had a “Living Nativity”.
A manger was set up on the side of the church where there was busy street traffic…
Complete with straw and some live animals from a local farm.
Youth of the church would take 30-minute shifts dressed as Mary…Joseph…shepherds…wise men…
And folks from the community would drive by and see and consider.
The Lord be with you
One year I was inside helping with costumes when a 6-year-old little boy came in from his shift.
I said: “Hey Tommy…how did you like being a shepherd in the living nativity?”
“It was ok…I guess” he replied.
“But next year…I think I want to be a pirate”
You know…the pirate who was at the birth of our Lord.
Since the Christmas stories from Luke and Matthew are so different from each other…
It can be hard to keep track…
But I’m pretty sure there was not a pirate mentioned.
I love that we have two different accounts of what happened that first Christmas.
They both have their charm and their own power.
But today we have just heard the Christmas story in John.
There is no manger or angels in that one…just these mystical verses:
In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was with God…and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him…and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life…and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in darkness…and the darkness has not overpowered it…
And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory…the glory as of a father’s only son…full of grace and truth.
It is this story about the birth of Christ that I could not stop thinking about on Saturday…December 21st.
Because it was the Winter Solstice.
The longest night of the year.
And we do feel it…don’t we?
These short days and long nights.
But on Saturday night…December 21st…
In the darkness of the longest night…
These words from John were on repeat in my head:
A light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overpowered it.
Here’s the thing about light:
Even the tiniest bit of light scatters the deepest darkness.
It never happens the other way around.
Darkness has no effect on light.
Darkness cannot touch it.
Cannot extinguish it.
Cannot do a thing to it.
This is what we desperately need to know this Christmas.
What happened the night Christ was born over 2,000 years ago…
And 6,652 miles away is still visible.
Like a star.
If you remember how the story goes…they tried to kill him…and it did not work.
They arrested him…put him on trial.
They did not even have an overworked Public Defender to defend him.
They beat him…stripped him…mocked him…killed him.
And put him in a grave.
And even then…the light still shone.
He rose from the tomb shining bright as ever.
What has come into being in him was life…and the life was the light of all people.
Darkness thinks it is so clever…does it not?
Darkness believes it is so powerful.
But compared to the light of Christ?
It is nothing.
If there is anything I want us to hear this Christmas it is that.
A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overpower it.
A light shines in this world and this world cannot overpower it.
A light shines in us and we cannot overpower it.
A light shines in our depression and our depression cannot overpower it.
A light shines in our loneliness and our loneliness cannot overpower it.
Merry Christmas…beautiful children of God.
May the light of Christ scatter the darkness in our hearts and minds.
Even if it does not feel like it…
May we remember that the days are getting longer now.
And as always…may our soul feel its worth.
Song of the Day:
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Prayers of Intercession
Filled with good news of great joy, let us offer our prayers for the church, the earth, and all people.
A brief silence.
O God, you reveal yourself in this assembly. In water, wine, and bread, show us again and again your grace upon grace, that your church boldly testifies to your love. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
You reveal yourself in creation. In seedlings and planets, microorganisms and galaxies, awaken us to the cry of the earth. As you nourish your people like a watered garden, empower us to nourish our creaturely companions. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
You reveal yourself in every land and in the farthest parts of the earth. Deliver people who suffer under oppressive regimes. Thwart the foolish plans of unjust leaders. Give wisdom to our elected officials. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
You reveal yourself in every human being. Help us recognize your image in our siblings in Christ who are in the strong grip of addiction, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, or other illness especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Ellen Cuoco, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Annie Clapper, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, the family of Andrea Shultz. Grant us compassion in our care for your people. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
You reveal yourself anew every day. In this new year, renew this congregation and its ministries in our witness to the good news of the incarnation. Transform the way we have always done things into your new future for us. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
God of community, your Spirit holds us together. Sustain our care for one another especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Inspire us to seek new ways to live together and to embrace the diversity of thought and identity in our communities. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
You reveal yourself in the lives of your holy ones. We give you thanks for those who set their hope on you, trusting the inheritance we receive in you. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
We commend these prayers to you, O God, trusting your grace made known to all, through the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The God of love,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
lavish you with grace,
illumine your path,
and increase your joy,
today and always.
Amen.
Sending Song:
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Dismissal
Go in peace. The Word of God dwells in you richly.
Sunday, December 29, 2024
First Sunday of Christmas
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
whose steadfast love is everlasting.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
God-with-us,
we confess that we have turned away
those seeking shelter,claiming there is no room when we have plenty.
We have made power and wealth our idols,while you show us true glory: a baby in a manger.
We have overlooked the shepherds,expecting good news in prettier packaging.
Too often, we have valued violenceinstead of your peace.
Turn us from our ways to your ways.
Grant us the grace to begin again.
Free us from all that keeps us bound,and forgive our sin,through Jesus Christ, who gives himself for us.
Amen.
Hear the good news and rejoice!
We are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, ☩ forgiven in Christ, and freed to respond in joy.
Amen.
Gathering Song:
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Prayer of the Day
Shine into our hearts the light of your wisdom, O God, and open our minds to the knowledge of your word, that in all things we may think and act according to your good will and may live continually in the light of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord”; and then they would return to their home. 26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 148
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise God in the heights. 2Praise the Lord, all you angels; sing praise, all you hosts of heaven. 3 Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise, all you shining stars. 4Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
who commanded, and they were created, 6who made them stand fast forever and ever, giving them a law that shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps; 8fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous wind, doing God’s will; 9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars; 10wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds; 11 sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world; 12young men and maidens, old and young together. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven. 14The Lord has raised up strength for the people and praise for all faithful servants, the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Alleluia. (Col. 3:15, 16)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52
41 Now every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
Luke records nothing Jesus says until he is 12 years old.
And when Jesus finally does speak in Luke…he seems sort of…well…full of himself.
So…we ask questions about what Jesus knew about himself.
And when he knew…or would know…
What we believe about him all these centuries later.
That he was both fully human and fully divine.
And that the risen Christ is alive in the world today through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord be with you.
In the story we read today…Jesus was supposed to be walking with his parents as they left Jerusalem after Passover…
And headed to their home up in Nazareth.
But…instead…the clever boy stayed in the temple…
Baffling Torah teachers with his penetrating wisdom.
Once Joseph and Mary find him there…after three days…
Mary…shocking in her irritation…levels at him a charge of abandonment:
Child…why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.
But Jesus is having none of it.
Why were you searching for me? he asks. Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?
Well…give young Jesus this…he knows who his Father is.
He understands from whom he comes and from whom he receives authority to speak.
It is a bold confidence that one day will get him executed by the Roman thugs who ruled the Holy Land.
Jesus wants Mary and Joseph to know that he knows who his true Father is.
Did you not know? he asks.
It is a sharp question…demonstrating a brashness one might expect from a young god.
Did you catch how long Jesus was missing from his parents?
How long he might have been…as Mary and Joseph perhaps feared…dead?
Three days…and what happens some 20 years after this story?
Jesus is in fact dead for three days…
From the crucifixion to the resurrection.
That astonishing…unpredictable apocalyptic event that changed the very DNA of the world.
Was that three-day absence just a coincidence?
We may think so…but that is not how books about prophecy and the fulfillment of prophecy work.
So…we are given at least a hint about what might happen later in the life of the Messiah.
We do not know exactly what Jesus was saying or doing to wow the temple Torah teachers.
But by the end of this event…we know we are dealing with no ordinary 12-year-old.
The boyhood stories are designed to show that Jesus had these powers from an early age.
But we are assured that Jesus was obedient to his parents when he went back to Nazareth…
By not provoking any more revealing incidents like that in the Temple.
But now…let us hear a word from Jesus’ earthly father…Joseph…about losing Jesus for three days.
Mary…as we have noted…is quoted in today’s story…but Joseph is not.
But let us turn to a fictional Joseph…
One who expresses what the real Joseph was feeling.
Here is what Joseph might have said when the just-discovered 12-year-old Jesus in the temple says:
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?:
The way Jesus said father was almost enough to break me. I knew exactly which father he was talking about and that he was finally acting out over what he heard laid upon him a few months before (when Mary and I finally told him of his divine origin). It seemed impossible that this could be the same happy child I had grown so to love. He seemed instead a new person, a new man, and one who knew who he was by knowing now who I really was.
Just think for a moment about Joseph.
We can imagine what must have been Joseph’s deep confusion about what was happening to him.
He knows only that he loves Mary and does not want her hurt.
So…when she first told him she was pregnant…
He decides to hide her away…
But then is convinced in a dream not to do that…
Is convinced to marry his Mary…
And to act for all the world as though nothing strange has happened.
I mean…think about it.
The night of Jesus’ birth…the bizarre events of Joseph’s previously simple life roll on.
His pleadings to Bethlehem’s innkeepers have been ignored…
And…no doubt…in shame and resignation…
He has brought his wife to a miserable stable.
Filled eventually with visionary strangers.
Poor Joseph…He would have done so much more for Mary.
He would have found a pleasant room.
He would have hired the best midwives.
He would have built with his own strong arms and hands a wooden cradle for this lovely baby whose origins baffled him.
Joseph would have edited God’s disturbing but beautiful Christmas story into dullness.
And so…now it is for us to decide…anew…how to understand the Christmas story.
How to understand who Jesus is.
How to respond to his life and death.
How to respond to his birth and resurrection.
How to respond to his call to each of us to honor God by how we live our lives.
Maybe the first thing to do is to adopt for ourselves Jesus’ assumption that his parents should have known he would be in his Father’s house.
Well…maybe we should be in church every Sunday.
But we also may have a larger vision of what constitutes the house of God.
Psalm 24: The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it…the world…and those who live in it.”
So…we are to respond wherever the living Christ is active in our world.
Well…we cannot be everywhere that the Spirit is moving.
But we can be somewhere.
We can be at work loving our neighbors…feeding the hungry…
Housing those with nowhere to lay their heads…
The entire world is God’s house.
And like Jesus…we want to be here.
Working to make sure that God’s house of healing is open to all.
Song of the Day:
What Child is this
Prayers of Intercession
Filled with good news of great joy, let us offer our prayers for the church, the earth, and all people.
A brief silence.
For those who teach and those who learn, we pray. Bless the education ministries of your church. Guide Sunday school teachers, college and seminary professors, and Bible study leaders in our ongoing faith formation and curiosity. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
For the thriving of creation, we pray. Protect the habitats of pangolins and porcupines, penguins and parrots, and all wild animals and creeping things. Increase our knowledge of the natural world and the care of its inhabitants.
God of grace,
receive our prayer.
For the nations of the world, we pray. Raise up rulers who lead with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Let your peace rule in their hearts and in all lands. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
For the well-being of your people, we pray. Keep watch over all who travel this holiday season. Accompany those who are alone or ill especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Ellen Cuoco, Vicki Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong (Esther Gustason’s son-in-law), Clinton Nelson, Clementine, Annie Clapper, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Betty Hurley, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender. Console parents and children whose relationships are strained or severed. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
For the ministry of this place we pray. Let the word of Christ dwell among us. In times of conflict, clothe us in love and move us to forgiveness. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
God of community, your Spirit holds us together. Sustain our care for one another especially: Church of God – Pastor Troy…SDA – Pastor Ralph…Bay Point Christian – Pastor Randall…St. Barts – Father Ethan… DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Inspire us to seek new ways to live together and to embrace the diversity of thought and identity in our communities. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
For your holy, beloved, and chosen ones of every time and place, we give thanks. Draw us all into everlasting praise and joy. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
We commend these prayers to you, O God, trusting your grace made known to all, through the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
White hair…a widower…with spectacles balanced on his nose…a white mustache.
His features are benign and nonthreatening.
He is of medium height and wearing trousers that are cinched just a bit high around the waist.
If we were to pass him on the street…we might not even notice him.
He may not look like someone who is making a difference…but he is.
Nick is a member of the Order of St. Lazarus…and the founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns…
A non-profit based out of Miami.
Nick wants to save children from abandonment.
Here in America…too many babies are abandoned for heartbreaking reasons.
In Alaska…a mother leaves a newborn in a box on a street corner with a note (the baby survived).
In New Mexico…a mother is seen on video tossing a bag into a dumpster.
People looking for food later found the baby in that bag (this baby survived).
In Illinois…a baby was found in a duffel bag in front of a fire station in freezing temperatures (this baby did not survive).
In Nebraska…a baby was found on a blanket on the side of a road after the mother gave birth (the mother was found…and the baby survived).
Nick’s organization has saved more than 300 babies who are alive today…
And have a chance to become the President of the United States…a Supreme Court Justice…a scientist finding a cure for cancer…a great mom or dad to their children.
All 50 states…the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have policies that decriminalize the leaving of an infant on the doorstep of a firehouse or church.
These Baby Moses laws are meant to offer parents…many of them teenagers…a way out…rather than doing harm to the child.
Those who find these abandoned babies are amazed and wonder:
Who is this baby?
How did this child end up at the door of a church or a firehouse?
Often there is a note that explains what is going on with the baby.
In ancient Palestine…children were both valued and vulnerable.
In about 4 BC…following a decree by Emperor Augustus…a particular young couple were nervous.
The girl was with child…and there was some question about its paternity.
They were looking at a long journey.
And Mary…for that was the mother’s name…was very close to her time.
Although there was no thought of giving birth to the infant and then abandoning it…
The parents must have been concerned about the baby’s safety.
Soon they would discover that…because of the emperor’s edict…
Every inn…hotel…motel and Airbnb in Bethlehem had a NO VACANCY sign.
So…the survival of the baby was becoming an issue.
The good news? The baby survived.
It was born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough for cattle…
Wrapped nice and tight in bands of cloth.
The shepherds ran into town and found the baby safe and lying in the manger.
And the shepherds began to talk:
They made known what had been told them about this child…
And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.
One can only imagine the buzz floating about in this sleepy town not far from Jerusalem…
And King Herod wondering: Who is this baby?
And Joseph? A normal guy…was wondering…not only Who is this baby? But also Whose is this baby?
The shepherds were informed as to the identity of this child when they heard some lyrical notes spoken by an angel in the nighttime sky:
Do not be afraid…for see…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…
To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior…who is the Messiah…the LORD.
This is a baby that got its start as the child of questionable legitimacy.
A baby born of a poor couple with grim prospects and little money.
But for the mercy of an innkeeper…who knows where the child might have been born?
Anyone’s guess…not in a barnyard feeding trough…
But perhaps on the street in a gutter.
Or in a shepherd’s cave on a cold winter night.
Maybe in a vineyard hidden away amongst the vines.
This is the child who is called by the angel…a Savior…Messiah and Lord. How extraordinary!
Together…these three titles convey the profound significance of this Bethlehem baby as the fulfillment of God’s intention of deliverance for humanity.
Identifying this baby as the Savior…who is the Messiah…the Lord…
Proclaims his role as the divine Son of God sent into the world to bring redemption…
Fulfill prophecy and establish God’s kingdom.
And so…for us on this Christmas Eve…we would ask:
Is this a baby we will abandon?
Nick Silverio and his organization have saved more than 300 babies.
Are we willing to save The Baby…the Christ child.
On this Christmas Eve…we reaffirm that the Christ Child is our Savior…our Messiah…our Lord.
