Christmas Eve: How do we measure time

 

Christmas Eve 2024

How do you measure time?  Luke's Gospel offers us a number of ways

• By who is in power
• By months of pregnancy
• By grass growth in the fields
• By beginning relationships and births within families

These are all familiar in our lives.  So far, so good.

But the angels point toward another reality though, that somehow Jesus life is beyond time; that all of time hinges around him. 

What does this mean that the eternal entered into a human timeline?  How does this change how we measure time in our lives?

This image comes from a blog page -- where it is not cited, but seems like it originally is a creation of Olga Ptashko.

People of the Promise: John

 

Advent 4 (Dec 22, 2024)

In countless Christmas movies, the plot remains the same:  Something has jeopardized Christmas.  If the characters don’t get their acts together and love, cheer, sing and believe enough, Christmas might just not happen — the sleigh might not have enough Christmas Spirit to run!!  

All too often, we function like the people in the movies, believing that Christmas depends on us.  This just rachets up the stress.

As an antidote for our Christmas stress, Pastor Rob offers us the promises given to John the Baptist. 

1.  Christmas isn’t about you
2.  Christmas is for you

People of the Promise: Elizabeth

Advent 3, 2024

There are no “small” roles!

When Elizabeth discovers that Mary is pregnant with Jesus, Elizabeth does something amazing (Luke 1:39-55).  Instead of feeling threatened that her own pregnancy would be overshadowed, she rejoices and magnifies Mary’s joy.

What allows Elizabeth to do the almost divine thing here, to celebrate, free of jealousy, for another’s humans success?  Perhaps it is her conviction that she had a part to play in God’s unfolding drama in Jesus Christ.  Elizabeth knows in this story, every role, every person matters.  This allows her to rejoice in her own role and rejoice to discover how God works in the lives of others.

That said, in Elizabeth’s life, there were many times when she wasn’t sure what her role actually entailed.  In our lives too, we don’t always know.  Instead, we must live by the promise, that we matter to God and that God’s mercy is from generation to generation.  For the stuff that Mary sings about — the world turning upside down — doesn’t happen overnight and requires our faithful actions over the generations.

People of the Promise: Mary

 Advent 2 (Dec 8, 2024)

Pastor Rob begins his sermon by admitting that he has an obsession with correctly loading the dishes.  It turns out for that task — and for many others — we need information.

Mary is given the world’s biggest task, namely, bear the son of God in her womb.  Yet, God gives her an incredibly little amount of information.  Why is this?

Pastor Rob reflects on the call of Mary as well as our own callings in life and reminds us that ultimately, if we follow the call of God, we will discover the cross.  If we knew all about the crosses we would face in life, we might never get out of bed, much less say yes to God’s call to love and serve our neighbor!

Instead of information, Mary is given two things.  First, a friend who is wise.  Second, the promise that “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

These two things God also gives to us.  And with them, we can say, like Mary:  “Lord, Here I am.  Let it be with me according to your Word!”

Easter Eggs for Advent

 

Advent 1 (December 1, 2024)

Did you know that Barbie was launched on March 9, 1959?  It turns out that the makers of the Barbie movie made the odometer of the car read “030959” in homage to this date.  This is one of many “Easter Eggs” in the film; many films have “Easter Eggs”, references to other films or historical events.  You likely miss them the first time, but when you replay the movie, they bring a smile and recognition that the director is good and creative.

In life, God drops lots of Easter Eggs for us — small things that point us to the fact that life’s “director” is faithful, creative, if not even humorous.  

Yet, we miss them!  And even when we see them, we often struggle to believe that they are revelations of God’s goodness in our lives.  

In the story of Zechariah meeting the angel Gabriel in the temple (Luke 1:8-20), Zechariah struggles to believe.  Zechariah’s struggles of faith are like ours, as life grinds us down, closing off our heart to God’s work in our lives.

Pastor Rob reminds us that the solution of the angel for Zechariah’s unbelief is silence. Likewise, the medicine for our inability to see the “Easter Eggs” is silence.  This Advent, these weeks leading up to Christmas, we too are invited into silence, to contemplate the Easter Eggs both in Scripture but also our lives.  For God, in Jesus Christ, has promised to be faithful to us, even when we struggle to believe.

The Love of Power or the Power of Love?

 Christ the King Sunday (Nov 24, 2024)

The trial scene of Jesus before Pilate has two witnesses, one testifying to the power of love (Jesus); one testifying to the love of power (Pilate).

After reflecting on how we see these two worldviews colliding throughout history, both in secular society but also in the church, Pastor Rob brings it back to our lives. 

What does your life bear witness to:  The power of love or the love of power?

This testimony is first borne out in our lives.

This testimony is also borne out at the communion rail, where we acknowledge both our tendency to give into the love of power, but also confess our ultimate hope in the power of love, who is Jesus.

The image of from James Tissot’s work:  Jesus Before Pilate, Second Interview (Jésus devant Pilate. Deuxième entretien), 1886-1894