Christmas Eve 2022: Finally some good news

 

Christmas Eve 2022

Do you hunger for good news in the world and in your life?  Come with Pastor Rob to the hills and hear the message of the angel to the Shepherd:

“I bring you good news of great joy for all the people!”  (Luke 2:1-20)

Pastor Rob explores why this is such good news, even though it existed then and exists now in a world filled with troubling news.  In a nutshell, the birth of Jesus means that God isn’t going to let the hardness of the human heart determine the fate of the human race; rather God chooses to infuse the world with love in Jesus Christ! 

The artwork is by Cornelis Monsma, Glory to God in the Highest. 

Advent 4: Joseph and foster/step parenting

 

Advent 4 2022 (Dec 18)

Joseph is asked to become a step-father. This is an overwhelming task! Many in our congregation (and in my family) have been asked to assume responsibility for a child that is not their own. And like Joseph, they faithfully do this.

 

God equips Joseph for this task; God does not leave Joseph alone — for God in Jesus Christ is “God with us” – “Immanuel”. He sends Joseph a person with a very different set of gifts and personality — Mary. Mary proclaims God with creative prose; Joseph sings to God through his quiet obedience.

A reflection on how God works through our differences and ultimately even sin to draw us together in Christ. 

The Art Work is from a Caritas website on foster parenting.

Advent 3: Joy!

Advent 3: Joy

The meeting of Elizabeth and Mary exudes joy (Luke 1:39-55).  Mary even proclaims the beautiful words:  “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

There is joy we often experience at Christmas time: joy in our stories, our singing, our gift giving and even our eating!  All sorts of traditions and interactions that reveal mercy and joy across the generations, just as Mary and Elizabeth meet across the generations to prepare for Jesus’ birth.  A reflection based on their encounter of how we open ourselves to the joy God intends this Christmas.

The sermon concludes with a deeper dive too into the reality that family relations are often complex and are in need of mercy.

The photo (which I’ve used before is from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel‘s website.)

Advent 2: How do you measure time?

 

Advent 2 (December 4, 2022)

How do you measure time?  In Luke chapter 1 time is measured by trimesters of pregnancy.  The ancient world measured time in different ways than we do today.  We measure time typically in minutes, but the ancient world tended to measure time in terms of seasons or even moments.

For today’s sermon, we reflect on the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary.  The words of the angel acknowledge that that our hopes and prayers are not fulfilled in the time we would like.  In many ways, Advent is the season of the church year in which we openly acknowledge that the world needs God to come in way that God has not yet come!  It is a season of waiting, waiting for God’s timing.  But Pastor Rob also claims that rather than simply waiting, this is a season of expecting!

The artwork is “Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali, found on Wikipedia