Extravagant Sign -- A Message for January 16, 2022

 

John 2:11-11

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 

and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 

and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Prayer for Understanding

Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Word and as we think on these things, open our hearts and our minds to hear you. Amen.

            Weddings in Ancient Israel were a big deal. They usually happened in the autumn after the harvest was complete. Marriages were arranged and were a unifying of two families. Fathers orchestrated the betrothal of their children and the bride and her family were each given a dowry by the groom’s family. The bride continued to live with her parents for a year after the betrothal ceremony. After the year, the wedding took place. The family of the couple would have prepared for the wedding ceremony and the celebration that surrounded it the whole year between the betrothal and the wedding ceremony, so they were expected to pull out all the stops. The celebration lasted for days.

            At the beginning of the wedding celebration, in the evening, the groom and his family processed to the bride’s family home to “take possession” of the bride. After the groom’s arrival, the bride was carried on a litter to the groom’s home, followed by her bridesmaids. Everyone sang songs along the way. When the bride and the groom arrived at the groom’s home, the parents bestowed a blessing on the couple. Prayers, games, and dancing followed.

            The huge wedding feast would start the next day. Everyone in the village would take the day off and participate in the festivities. At the end of the day, there was a large meal. The bride and groom would sit under a large canopy. At the end of the evening, the bride and the groom would vanish, but the party continued,, usually for several days.

            Running out of wine was a disaster. The problem of the wine running out at the wedding of Cana was a humiliation for the families of the bride and groom. For them, it was a social bouncer of epic proportions. 

            Jesus, his family, and his first disciples attended the wedding soon after Jesus’ baptism and time in the desert. Jesus had begun to have disciples, but his public ministry had not fully begun. When Mary discovered the wine was gone, she approached her son and told him to fix the problem. Jesus tried to beg off, the wine was not his problem. But, Mary was an assertive mother. She did not take “no” for an answer. Instead, she told the servants to do whatever Jesus said.        

            I guess Jesus knew there was no point in saying no to his mom, so he had the servants bring water jugs. And he turned the water into wine.  The 6 jars held between 20 and 30 gallons of water, so Jesus made between 120 and 180 gallons of wine. That is a lot of wine. 

            In the Bible, wedding banquets are notable….they represent the extravagance and abundance of God.  As the Prophet Isaiah wrote “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.”  God is depicted as humanity’s husband, bestowing blessings upon humanity.

            When Jesus turned water into wine, he did it extravagantly. He didn’t just make a few bottles of wine — he made between 120 and 180 gallons of wine. A regular bottle of wine is ⅕ of a gallon, so Jesus made between 600 and 900 bottles of wine. And, it wasn’t plain old mediocre wine – it was the most delicious wine the steward had ever tasted.

            Jesus turning water into wine is a sign that with the arrival of Jesus, life, joy and salvation have arrived.  As the first chapter of John says: “In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of all humankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

            When we become followers of Jesus, our problems are not all over. Bad things still happen. Pandemics still happen. Car accidents still happen. We can have broken bones and broken relationships with other people. It isn’t like a magical “poof” and everything is better the moment we commit our lives to Christ.

            But, although we still encounter problems in our lives, our lives are infinitely improved by our relationship with Jesus.  Through our relationship with Jesus, we are the recipients of God’s loving grace: God loves us, believes in us, and forgives us when we fail. God extends the Holy Spirit to us – The Spirit is with us no matter what we face. We are never alone because God is with us. God comforts us when we suffer and rejoices when we rejoice.

            Some scholars think it is strange that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. Jesus didn’t do something amazing or profound. Wine making is not the same as restoring sight to the blind, or raising the dead, or walking on water. But, Jesus’ first miracle was extravagant….Jesus made abundant quantities of wine, the most delicious wine in the world. This miracle is Jesus’ debut as the Messiah and points at the reality that everything was different once Jesus entered the picture. Through Jesus, we experience God’s extravagant love in a bigger-than-life, over-the-top way.  Through Jesus, all things were made new and we all became invited to the party – through Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God and become united with the community of Christ.

            Thanks be to God Amen.

Photo by brandy turner on Unsplash

A Message to the Trinity Community for January 14, 2022

 

Greetings Trinity Family,

I pray that everyone in our extended church family is doing well.  A lot is going on at Trinity even though we are currently at a “pause” because of Covid rates..  I hope you will be a part of our upcoming activities and worship opportunities

On January 1, after conversation and study of local trends, our Consistory decided to resume Virtual worship only. Many of the other local churches have done the same. The spread of the Omicron Covid variant has been tenacious. Please keep our members and friends in your prayers as many of us are currently sick.

We will continue meeting virtually until February 6. At our February 10 Consistory meeting, we will evaluate if we feel comfortable meeting in-person again.

All in-person church gatherings are postponed. This includes Worship Services, Lunch Bunch, Sunday School Classes, Choir Rehearsal and meetings.

UPDATE – OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOXES!

It's that time of the year that I look online and discover where all of our many Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Shoeboxes were sent. Talking to the local coordinators OCC sends all of the showboxes from one collection region to the same one or two countries. Most likely if you paid and put on your own labels your boxes also went to the same location. IF NOT please let us know so we can add your location to our globe

With all of your help Trinity was able to put together and ship 29 shoeboxes which all went to children in the Large African Country of Mali. Below is some info sent about Mali from OCC and Unicef:

The country of Mali in Northern Africa is a country the rests in the Sahara Desert and was making great strides towards improving the livers of their residents and children through 2012 when conflict put this on pause. Through this conflict it is believed that around half of Mali's population of 19 Million is children under the age of 18. Due to the conflict and lack of security more than 1100 schools have closed effecting more than 2 million school aged children. Also due to this conflict household poverty & child labor have been on the rise because many families to just get by on next to nothing. 

It is with the help of everyone at Trinity that some of these children were able to feel our touch all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and have a little bit of joy during this past holiday season. Thank you for your continued support of this program and we look forward to seeing where our boxes reach next year.

 

Harry Crossgrove

POINTSETTAS

All of the beautiful poinsettias that are leftover form our church Christmas decorations are now on the big table in the back of our education building. If you would like to take some home, please stop by the church office on Tuesday through Friday.

WINTER TUESDAY STUDY—GOD-AT-WORK

Christians in the 21^st century are often in settings where we are in the minority. Our co-workers, friends, and family members are not always people who prioritize their faith. Starting on Tuesdays in January, we will begin a 12 week course called “God-At-Work: Live Each Day with Purpose.” The course combines videos with discussion. The video host is Ken Costa, a Christian who works in the banking industry. The course focuses on learning to integrate your faith and work and becoming an agent of the kingdom of God in your workplace. The teachings of this course are helpful for people who are retired and who don’t have traditional occupations in addition to 9 to 5 workers. The course will begin meeting over Zoom on January 4 and will continue to March 22. Please let Pastor Amelie know if you would like to join our course.

If you would like to join over Zoom, here is the link to login:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. 

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DAILY BREAD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

We continue to collect food and toiletry items for the Daily Bread Food Pantry.  They can be left at the doors of the church.

The Daily Bread's Current needs change every few weeks. This is their latest list of needs:

Personal Care (which cannot be purchased with food stamps):

Shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes (all sizes), Paper towels, laundry soap, and napkins/paper plates

Food:

Juice, chips/cookies, side dishes (hamburger helper/tuna helper, cereal of all kinds, rice (1 pound bags), canned meats, baked beans

Gift cards of any amount to local grocery stores.

GIVING TO TRINITY

Although things are not fully back to normal, Trinity’s expenses have continued throughout the pandemic.  We know that everyone’s work-life has been disrupted during this time and we don’t expect everyone to be able to contribute to the church in the amount you were able to contribute in the past.  If you have the means to contribute to the church, you may drop off your offerings at the church office or you may mail it to our address: Trinity Christian UCC; 2009 Church Road, PO Box 538, Skippack, PA 19474

DON’T GIVE UP MOVEMENT

Our Outreach committee is inviting everyone in our congregation to join us in sharing messages from the “Don’t Give Up” movement.  This outreach was started to encourage people who are considering suicide to not give up.  We have yard signs, postcards, stickers, and business cards with messages that say things like “You are Enough” and “Your Mistakes Don’t Define You.” These messages are especially important right now as many people are struggling with their mental and emotional health after the many months of our pandemic.  Please pick up yard signs at church and other signs to promote this message of love for our neighbors.  Here is more about the movement:  https://www.dontgiveupsigns.com/

WORSHIP SERVICES

On Sunday mornings, you are  invited to join us on Facebook:

Join us for our Sunday morning hymn sing at 9:45 am live-streamed from the Trinity Christian UCC Skippack facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

10:15 Facebook livestream Worship.  You can find us at our "Trinity Christian UCC Skippack" facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

We have a Sunday morning Bible Study on ZOOM at 8:30 am.  This is a new meeting time. Here is the link to log in:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Trinity's Wired Word Discussion Group

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting

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TRINITY BLOG

Trinity now has a blog where I am posting notes to the congregation and the text of my sermons.  If you would like to read these notes and messages, you can find them at: www.trinityskippack.blogspot.com

I will see you in worship on Sunday!

Many blessings!!

Pastor Amelie

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

 

Affirmed by Love -- A Message for January 9, 2022

 

Last week, our worship focused on the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus. This morning, we fast forward about 30 years through Jesus’ life to the day of his baptism.  In the years before Jesus’ baptism, John the Baptist called for the people of Israel to repent and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John invited the faithful to become baptized as a sign of repentance. His baptism was a little different than our baptism – we believe we are baptized by the waters of new life and by the presence of the Holy Spirit coming into us.

            Hear the story of Jesus’ baptism as we read it in:

Scripture Reading                        Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 

and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer for Understanding

            Let us pray:

Speak with authority
in our lives, Christ.

Speak to us,
and to what is in us,
so that we might be whole.

Speak to us,
with love,
with hope,
and with strength,
so that we might hear you,
and know, deep inside,
that we are your people,
and that you are our God.
Let it be so. Amen

            When Jesus was baptized, both the waters of baptism and the Holy Spirit of God descended on Jesus. And, God’s voice proclaimed from the Heavens: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”             This affirmation from God bolstered Jesus as he prepared for his public ministry. And, this affirmation from God announced to those gathered on the banks of the Jordan River that day that Jesus was God’s son – the Messiah – and God was pleased with Jesus’ work and the example Jesus would show us as the soon to be baptized people of God.

            In the United Church of Christ, and here at Trinity, we baptize people of all ages. Last year, we baptized Carrie McWilliams during a Sunday morning worship service in our fellowship hall. Carrie chose, after much though and consideration, to become baptized as an adult and to make a public proclamation of her faith in God. Just before the pandemic began, on a cold Sunday morning, we baptized little baby Steven, who is now the 2 year old Bubbe who we see and hear during our worship services in our sanctuary. He loves singing the “B-I-B-L-E” song, and he will grow up experiencing the love of God and the love of the church community.

            The promises we make at baptisms at our church are the same promises we make when we invite our young adults to confirm their baptisms as teenagers and when we invite adults to join our congregation. The promises we make at baptism are promises we make to the person being baptized and promises made by the baptized person (or their parents) to follow God.

            We believe the sacrament of baptism is an outward and visible sign of the grace of God.  In baptism, we are united to Jesus Christ and are given part of Christ’s ministry to reconcile the world – this means Jesus came to earth to restore our right relationship with God – and Jesus opened the door for us to live in right relationship with each other, Creation, and ourselves. Baptism is a visible sign of an invisible event. In baptism, God works in us the power of forgiveness, the renewal of the Holy Spirit in us, and the knowledge that we will always be called to be God’s people.

            When we baptize, we confirm that the one being baptized is choosing it for themselves or we ask their parents to confirm that they are choosing to baptize their child into the faith and family of Jesus Christ.  Baptism is our symbolic entry into the Christian faith and the moment we officially become one of the members of Christ’s church.

            We ask baptismal candidate to renounce the powers of evil.   People are not perfect. We often sin. The Evangelical Catechism states that “no (one) has ever perfectly kept the law of God. By nature we are inclined to evil and have in many ways disobeyed God’s commandments.” We often do things that are contrary to God’s will—and this is what sin is.  When we are baptized, we say we renounce the powers of evil, we repent of the sins of our past, and we will try to live without sin in the future.

            When we are baptized, we agree that we desire the freedom of new life in Christ. This means we are working to live life differently and embrace the teachings of Jesus in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

            When we are baptized, we announce that we profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – we are choosing to be Christian followers of God.

            When we are baptized, we promise to work to be Christ’s disciples, to live following the example set by Jesus, to fight against the oppression of other people, to fight evil and sin in ourselves and others, to show love and work for justice for other people, and to tell others about the work and word of Jesus Christ.

            When we are baptized, we promise to keep growing as Christians. Our faith is an ever-evolving and deepening part of our lives.  We promise to stay engaged in our relationship with God. We promise to worship God, to study God’s word, to learn from other Christians, to support and care for other believers, and to regularly pray and talk to God.

            When we are baptized, we promise to be faithful members of the Christian church, to participate in Christ’s work in the world and to work to live out the Great Commission – to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them about Jesus and God’s love and commandments.

            When the church officiates at a baptism, the people of the church make promises on behalf of the person being baptized. So, baptism is a two-way contract. We promise to love, support, and care for the person being baptized as the live and grow in Christ. Baptism is a new beginning for both the person being baptized and for us, the people of Christ. They promise to live following Jesus Christ and we promise to help them.

            As members of the United Church of Christ, we believe that baptism is a “one and done” kind of sacrament. We believe the water and Holy Spirit are poured into us at baptism and that Spirit stays with us forever. Even if we fall away from Christ, the door is always open to us to recommit to our faith. But, we don’t think that recommitment needs to be done with a re-baptism.  Instead, we are invited to remember our baptismal promises and to affirm our  Baptism – not a redo, but a renewal of the baptismal promises.

            In the World Council of Church’s paper “Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry,” it is written:

“Baptism is both God’s gift and our human response to that gift.” It is “a sign and seal of our common discipleship. Through baptism, Christians are brought into union with Christ, with each other and with the church of every time and place.”

 We thank God that we are invited to be God’s people. We thank God that all of us are invited to be God’s people. We thank God that all of us have access to new life in Christ, and we receive it in baptism. At are baptisms, we are reassured of God’s love and filled with God’s loving Holy Spirit. We become one with the body of Christ, and with our loving God.

            Thanks be to God. Amen.

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Message to the Trinity Community for January 7, 2022

 

Greetings Trinity Family,

I pray that everyone in our extended church family is doing well.  A lot is going on at Trinity even though we are currently at a “pause” because of Covid rates..  I hope you will be a part of our upcoming activities and worship opportunities

Last week, after conversation and study of local trends, our Consistory decided to resume Virtual worship only. Many of the other local churches have done the same. The spread of the Omicron Covid variant has been tenacious. Please keep our members and friends in your prayers as many of us are currently sick.

All in-person church gatherings are postponed. This includes Worship Services, Lunch Bunch, Sunday School Classes, Choir Rehearsal and meetings.

WINTER TUESDAY STUDY—GOD-AT-WORK

Christians in the 21^st century are often in settings where we are in the minority. Our co-workers, friends, and family members are not always people who prioritize their faith. Starting on Tuesdays in January, we will begin a 12 week course called “God-At-Work: Live Each Day with Purpose.” The course combines videos with discussion. The video host is Ken Costa, a Christian who works in the banking industry. The course focuses on learning to integrate your faith and work and becoming an agent of the kingdom of God in your workplace. The teachings of this course are helpful for people who are retired and who don’t have traditional occupations in addition to 9 to 5 workers. The course will begin meeting over Zoom on January 4 and will continue to March 22. Please let Pastor Amelie know if you would like to join our course.

If you would like to join over Zoom, here is the link to login:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

 

Topic: Trinity Alpha Groups

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

 

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 280 827 7689

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DAILY BREAD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

We continue to collect food and toiletry items for the Daily Bread Food Pantry.  They can be left at the doors of the church.

The Daily Bread's Current needs change every few weeks. This is their latest list of needs:

Children’s cereal

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Side Dish Kits (hamburger/tuna helper)

Stuffing

Juice

Chips/Cookies

Muffin Mixes

White rice

GIVING TO TRINITY

Although things are not fully back to normal, Trinity’s expenses have continued throughout the pandemic.  We know that everyone’s work-life has been disrupted during this time and we don’t expect everyone to be able to contribute to the church in the amount you were able to contribute in the past.  If you have the means to contribute to the church, you may drop off your offerings at the church office or you may mail it to our address: Trinity Christian UCC; 2009 Church Road, PO Box 538, Skippack, PA 19474

DON’T GIVE UP MOVEMENT

Our Outreach committee is inviting everyone in our congregation to join us in sharing messages from the “Don’t Give Up” movement.  This outreach was started to encourage people who are considering suicide to not give up.  We have yard signs, postcards, stickers, and business cards with messages that say things like “You are Enough” and “Your Mistakes Don’t Define You.” These messages are especially important right now as many people are struggling with their mental and emotional health after the many months of our pandemic.  Please pick up yard signs at church and other signs to promote this message of love for our neighbors.  Here is more about the movement:  https://www.dontgiveupsigns.com/

WORSHIP SERVICES

On Sunday mornings, you are  invited to join us on Facebook:

Join us for our Sunday morning hymn sing at 9:45 am live-streamed from the Trinity Christian UCC Skippack facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

10:15 Facebook livestream Worship.  You can find us at our "Trinity Christian UCC Skippack" facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

We have a Sunday morning Bible Study on ZOOM at 8:30 am.  This is a new meeting time. Here is the link to log in:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Trinity's Wired Word Discussion Group

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76933813590?pwd=Nzc0MkthZFBkdmVNTGYycjVtRXkwUT09

Meeting ID: 769 3381 3590

Password: 7qLSWw

TRINITY BLOG

Trinity now has a blog where I am posting notes to the congregation and the text of my sermons.  If you would like to read these notes and messages, you can find them at: www.trinityskippack.blogspot.com

I will see you in worship on Sunday!

Many blessings!!

Pastor Amelie

Another Road -- A Message for January 2, 2022

 

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 

and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 

When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer for Understanding

God of light and life, open our eyes as well as our ears, so that we may not only hear your Word preached today but then see your Word lived out in our lives and in your world, through Christ, our Lord, the light of the world. Amen.

Message                                                      Another Road

            In the time period when Jesus was born, people kept to themselves. Jews kept to Jews. Samaritans kept to Samaritans. Greeks kept to Greeks. Not only that, people stayed close to home. People from Bethlehem married people from Bethlehem. People from Nazareth married people from Nazareth. People from Bethany married people from Bethany. Most people grew up and then lived as adults in the same home in the same town. When families got too large to fit into their accommodations, they built another room on the house.  A household would have parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.

            People were very suspicious of outsiders.  They only trusted people whose ancestors lived alongside them for centuries. Everyone else was suspect.

            After Jesus was born, unusual things happened to him and his family. When Jesus was 8 days old, his parents followed Jewish custom and had Jesus circumcised. When it was time for Mary and Jesus to be purified, the family traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. They took a pair of two young doves to sacrifice as a thanksgiving for the birth of a first born son. 

            When the family was at the Temple completing the rituals required by the Jewish tradition, the strange things occurred. Simeon, a righteous man who was told by the Holy Spirit he would not die before he saw the Messiah, waited for the Holy Family.  When he saw Mary, Joseph, and the baby, Simeon took the baby in his arms and praised God because he finally met the Messiah. A prophetess, Anna,  who lived in the Temple and worshipped day and night, then approached the Holy Family and praised God that she was meeting the child who was going to redeem Israel.

            The modest family created quite a sensation.

            After a few months, a group of foreigners arrived to honor the baby. This was extremely alarming.  I can just imagine the shock on Mary’s face when the door opened to their grand, foreign guests. Magi, astrologers, learned men from the East, from Arabia, were at her family’s modest home to present the baby with gifts and to honor him.

            First shepherds. Then Simeon and Anna. And, then a band of foreigners for far, far away.

            Jesus came to earth to make all things new. A baby born in a stable came to change the world.

            God chose for Jesus to come to earth so that all people will have access to God. Jesus was born to a family who, if he was any other child, would have stayed in the town of Nazareth until the end of their days. But, because Jesus came to be the Messiah, he was visited by strangers, people from far, far away.   He was worshiped by people who weren’t born into Judaism. Just after this visit from the Magi, Jesus’ parents fled to Egypt.  Jesus was a refugee in a strange, foreign land. God sent Jesus to invite the world to believe in God.

            Jesus came for the people of Nazareth. Jesus came for the people of Bethlehem. Jesus came for the people of Jerusalem. Jesus came for the people of Arabia. Jesus came for the people of Egypt. Jesus came for the people of Europe, and Asia, and Africa, and Australia, and the Americas. Jesus came for the people of Skippack.

            When Jesus came to earth, all tribalism and ethnocentrism was broken. We stopped being people who were only concerned about our biological family members or the members of our tribe or clan. We stopped being people who only cared about other Americans or other Pennsylvanians. We became people of the greatest Commandment, people who work to Love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, and souls, and minds, and strength.  And, people who work to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.  Our neighbors down the street and our neighbors across the oceans. Our neighbors from our metropolitan area and our neighbors from everywhere else.

            For God so loved the world that God gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

            Thanks be to the God who shared Jesus with us, all of us. Amen. 

Photo by Rick Oldland on Unsplash

Christmas Eve Message 2022 -- The Lights of Christmas

 

The Lights of Christmas

                The first Christmas Eve was a long, dark night. Bethlehem was stuffed to the gills with people who came to town to be recorded by the Roman Census. Each family probably had extra people crammed into their already tight living spaces. Moms and aunts and grannies and cousins and the kids were nestled all snug in their beds, although visions of sugar-plums probably didn’t dance in their heads…perhaps visions of baklava danced in their heads. People who traveled long distances were exhausted and sleeping off the strain of their journeys. 

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

The shepherds were resting next to a warm fire and taking turns staying alert to potential sheep predators.  They alternated resting and watching, resting and watching, and poked at the fire to keep its flame bright.

King Herod was comfortably sleeping in his palace – he didn’t yet know the messiah was about to be born.  He didn’t yet know his tenuous hold over the heart and minds of the people of Israel would soon be at risk. All of the fancy people and the modest people were resting…not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;

Mary and Joseph, another road-weary couple, spent the day searching for a room or a place to rest in an inn.  But, since all the inns were full, they made due by resting in a stable along with the goats and the cows and the donkeys.  In the midst of the quiet night, Mary’s labor began.  And in the middle of a long dark night, the savior of the world was born.

yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.

When the baby entered the world, everything changed.  As John said: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus, the light of the world, came into the world.  The darkness is interrupted by the light. All the problems of the people of the world, all of the sin, all of the pain, is reconciled.  Jesus was here to meet us, teach us, love us, and forgive us.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

            Friends, we gather tonight to pause and focus on the story of our faith. Tonight, we recall the events of that night. We recall that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  We recall the truth that the light of the world came to earth in the form of fragile, tiny baby. A vulnerable infant born to a poor family, at risk like all poor babies – hunger, disease, and political turmoil could have been his downfall. Yet, that baby grew up to be the savior of the world. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 

            Let us now listen to the story of that birth. Let us listen to the story of our faith. And believe.

            May it be so. Amen. 

Photo by Tim Umphreys on Unsplash