Monday, December 23, 2013

Reflections on "Strangers in the Night" Luke 1: 26-28; Luke 2: 8-20

This sermon was only preached in the Chapel service.  It had a good visual, but the sermon did not come together all that well.  

Introduction:  Fourth Sunday of Advent, and we add strangers in the night to the manger scene – an unknown woman and man (see the question marks over their heads) who are somehow involved in the birth narrative of the Christ-child.

Reflect on night and stranger.

Move 1:  Part of the mystique, part of the mystery, part of the excitement of the Christmas story comes because it takes place at night.

            a. Strangers who come at night in the story of Jesus' birth.

1.      the angels that talk to Mary and Joseph in their dreams presumably came at night;

2.      The shepherds – see and hear from the angels while in the fields at night; their dramatic exit from the fields when they leave their flocks to go to Bethlehem presumably takes place in the moment, at night.

3.      Not sure about the wise men, although they certainly traveled in the night; the star in the sky that guided them certainly was easier to see at night.

4.      Presumably Jesus arrived during the night.

            b.  Night visitors bring excitement.

1.      I have a friend who is 7 or 8 years older than I am.  I met him as the son of my first boss who also worked for his father, and also as a student of my father’s when I was in grade school.

2.      When I was in high school, I started working for him as well.  We became pretty close.  I was in his wedding; he was in my wedding.

3.       I used to stop by his house to visit him and his wife whenever I was in town – Christmas break, spring break, week-end at home; 

4.      Since I knew they stayed up late, I would finish my night by stopping at his house on the way home.  It was often 11:00 pm or midnight before I would make it to his house.  If there were lights on, I would stop.  Maybe a time or two I even stopped and awakened him.  It got to the point that if he and his wife had heard I was going to be in town, or if they figured I was in town for a holiday week-end, they would leave the porch light on for my late night visit.

5.      And those were great visits.  Something about the late night and early morning hours that lent themselves to deep conversations about hopes and dreams we had for our lives and the world.  Lots of major decisions in my life were discussed in those conversations.  Anything seemed possible as we talked into the night.

6.      I get that sense about the strangers we meet in the night. 

7.      Anything is possible in the night – a virgin can give birth; the Savior can be born in Bethlehem; a star can be followed to make a life-altering discovery.

c. For awhile, my friend and his wife lived in a small house behind his parents’ house.  That led to a major rule of the night visits – I had to be quiet, and for no reason could I knock on his parents’ door or ring their doorbell.

1. Why?  Because years ago his older sister had been killed in a car accident in the middle of the night, and his parents were awakened to the ringing doorbell of the police officer who had come to inform them of their daughter’s death. 

2.       Night visitors can be scary.

3.       Mary and Joseph getting visited by angels in the night – I would have become an insomniac after that and never taken the chance on an angel talking to me again. 

4.      Shepherds in the night – their lives totally disrupted.

5.      Wise men – follow the star in the night at their own risk.

6.      The night reveals the risky proposition the Christ-child brings to us – give up the life you know and follow me.

The night – full of opportunities and risky challenges.

Move 2: Strangers.

            a.  The story of Christ’s birth is not the story of a small clique who only involved people they knew.

1.  Mary and Joseph travel to a place where they do not even have friends with whom they can stay the night. They are alone.

2.  The shepherds have never heard of Mary and Joseph.

3. The wise men are strangers to the Mary and Joseph and strangers in the land to which they have traveled to find the new-born king.

4. The birth of Christ is an invitation to strangers from anywhere and everywhere

5.  Men or women with the question marks over the heads?

            b. And think for a moment about those people about whom we do not read in the story – people who remained in the background, but were surely there.

1.   At the Sanctuary service, the choir is presenting the choir cantata “the Other wise Man,” a short story by Henry Van Dyke.

1.  It tells about the “fourth" wise man, a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.

2.  Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King had been born among the Jews.

3.  Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price". However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men (from the Bible).

4.   Since he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip.

5.  He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of a child at the price of another of his treasures.

6.  He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way.

7.  After thirty-three years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem in time for the crucifixion of Jesus.

8.  He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery.

9.  He is then struck in the temple by a falling roof tile, and is about to die, having failed in his quest, and yet he knew that all was well, because he had done the best he could.

10.  A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me," and he dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.

c. That story asks the question:   Do you have to make it to the manger to see the Christ-child?

                        1.   We know that we do not literally have to go to Bethlehem to see Christ.

2.      We who are not mentioned in the birth story see the Christ-child when we give our lives over to serving him.

3.      other strangers meet the Christ-child when they see him living in us.

4.      The hopes and dreams of the world are met in the birth of Christ that night and continue to be revealed in us as we follow Christ today.

Conclusion: Christmas Eve; cold, snowy night; parked on the square to save parking; walked down the middle of the street, light shining off the snow; my breath forming clouds, Christmas carols ringing from the carillon.  Anything was possible. Christ had come in the night to live among strangers. Amen.




Thursday, December 19, 2013

"Strangers in the Night" Luke 1: 26-28

In the Sanctuary service, the choir is presenting "The Other Wise Man."  In the Chapel, they listen to me preach!

"the Other Wise Man" formed the basis for my sermon in the Chapel.  I won't spoil the cantata for those who have not heard it before, but it raises a few questions:  Do you have to make it to the manger to see the Christ-child?  What people go to see Jesus that are not mentioned in the biblical story?  What does it mean to see the Christ-child?  I suppose I'll be attempting to answer those questions in the Chapel service.  I think the choir's singing will answer them in the Sanctuary service.

As we broaden the reflection to who might arrive by night, I find myself reflecting on the visitors who come at night.  The shepherds; not sure about the wise men, although they certainly traveled in the night; the angels that talk to Mary and Joseph presumably came at night;  presumably Jesus arrived during the night.

I have a friend whose parents received news in the middle of the night of a car accident in which their daughter had been killed;  it was a rainy night when a police officer arrived at my door step to tell me that my aunt and uncle had been killed in a plane accident.  Night visitors can be scary.

I knew about my friend's parents because when I was in college and he was married (he was older than I was), I used to stop by his house late at night when I was in town and he wanted to make sure I never went to his parents house late at night and rang the door bell.  It got to be a running joke that if he and his wife heard I was going to be in town, they left the porch light on for a late night visit.  If I arrived during daylight hours, they thought it was a mistake.  We always had fun with the late night visits.  not all night visitors are scary.

Not sure where the sermon is going, but we'll end up around the manger somehow!


Monday, December 16, 2013

Reflections on "Blankets and Hay" Luke 2:7; Galatians 4: 1-7

I think the sermon went better in the Sanctuary service, but I don't have a good feel for that.  I liked the sermon better in the Sanctuary.  I was again preaching from outside the pulpit area, so I free-lanced a bit in the Sanctuary sermon, which I believe made it better. But, I also can't really make those changes today on the text below.  

Interesting tidbit -- I was told that I was correct in noting we had straw not hay in the manger at the church, but that it was probably hay in the manger since it it was a feeding trough for the animals, and they would have eaten hay.  

I firmly believe that Jesus being fully human is powerful and critical to our understanding of how God is.  But, I also do not believe we can ever come to grips with it.  Maybe the mind just won't go there; maybe we like Jesus as divine so much better than Jesus as fully human that we can't conceive of his humanity; maybe I don't make a very good case as to why it is important; maybe most people get it and I don't.  Not sure, but I do know that  I felt the same thing yesterday that I usually feel when I make the argument that Jesus being fully human is really important to us -- a glazed look of "who cares!"

“Blankets and Hay” Advent 3; Luke 2:7; Galatians 4: 1-7; FPC, Troy; Dec. 15, 2013

Introduction:  we began Advent with an empty manger, a reminder of the anticipation we have that Christ will come.

We added a pink swan and reflected on the surprises that come with the Christ-child.

Now, blankets and hay.

IN the birth story, the Gospel of Luke includes the notation that Mary wrapped baby Jesus in cloths and put him in a manger. 

No mention of hay (which I have been told probably was straw), but we presume that it was there in the manger to make it more comfortable.

The cloth to keep the newborn warm; the blankets to keep his soft, baby skin safe from being scratched by the bed of straw.

This detail reminds us that the story of Christ’s birth, the story of God coming in flesh, takes place in the real world.

 Move 1:  The Gospel writers and the early church go out of their way to make it clear that Jesus’ story is grounded in the reality of life as we know it.

a.      Genealogies are shared in Matthew and Luke.

1.      Besides the fascinating tale they tell if we trace the genealogies, they root Jesus’ birth in a concrete moment in human history.

2.      Jesus was not some god who randomly appeared on earth; Jesus arrived as one connected to humanity.  Not in a generic way, but in a very specific family line.

b.      Both Matthew and Luke put the birth of Jesus in a particular time and place.

1.      Matthew mentions the time of King Herod; Luke further specifies the time of Emperor Augustus when Quirinius was governor of Syria

2.      Those details tell us that Jesus’ story is not one that can be told in any context because it has a particular context grounded in a particular time.

3.      Emmanuel, which means “God with us” is not a theory about God, but a truth that is lived out in the particularity of Jesus’ birth.

c.      That’s why baby Jesus needed the blankets and hay.

1.      He needed the warmth and comfort they provided.

2.      He depended on his parents to care for him because he was like any other baby born.

3.      Yes, he was the Son of God, but he was fully human.

4.      One of us.

5.  The manger in Bethlehem is not the landing zone for some god who has been beamed down to earth for a period of time.

6.  No, baby Jesus is a newborn with newborn needs just like any other baby.

Why does that matter?   

Move 2:  It matters, in part, because it gives us some clues about where to find Jesus in our world.

a.  Rev. Daniel Harrell tells the story of his childhood church going from a plastic baby Jesus to a live manger (much like we have here on Christmas Eve). the first year 3 month-old Trevor played baby Jesus. He had an older sister named Mary, who was still adjusting to having a baby invade her world. As the choir sang, "No crying he makes," Trevor, as baby Jesus, let out a blood-curdling scream. Apparently, he didn't like the feel of the hay on him. His sister turned toward baby Jesus and shouted, "Shut up." the next year they went back to a baby doll for Jesus. Christian Century,December 11, 2013, Living the Word: Reflections on the Lectionary,." Daniel Harrell (17)

1.  It’s hard to conceive of a real, life, fully human Jesus.

2. But that is where we find God, in the fabric of our daily lives.

3. IN the places where inns are full and young couples have to go out among the animals to give birth to their child.

4.  in the places where little sisters tell crying babies to shut up.

4. In the nooks and crannies of our imperfection, we find Christ coming to us.

b.     Jesus' birth reveals the joys and challenges that Mary and Joseph face. 

1.      Childbirth is exciting and scary, full of awe and vulnerability.

2.      Nothing more exhilarating than the first cry; nothing scarier than no sound from the newborn – I've been there for both.

4. No higher high; no lower low.

            b. Mary and Joseph hit parenthood running.

1.      The joy of people arriving to confirm that their greatest hope for their son.  Imagine how they felt when the heard what the shepherds had to say about their son.

2.      Then they literally run to Egypt, according to the Gospel of Matthew, to escape the harsh rule of King Herod.

                        3. The excitement of hearing people proclaim their son as the glory of glories coupled with the reality of political intrigue, evil power, and fear for their lives.

c.       A reminder that as we move through life and whatever it brings, we do so in the company of the Risen Christ.

1.      In those joyous moments of celebration, we see the hand of God.

2.      In those scary, vulnerable times, we discover the presence of God.

3. The baby in the manger means that God is in our midst.

Move 3:   Jesus being human also matters because it gives value and meaning to our daily living.

            a. How many of us would be fine with a superhuman Jesus who heroically saves us?

1.      The first Advent sermon I preached focused on Jesus' humanity. At least, that was one of its foci (I tried to cover a lot in that sermon).

2.  after the service one of the Elders (an older woman who had listened to the renowned Presbyterian preacher and Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall preach in her young adult days) came up to me and told me that it was fine to make the point that Jesus was human, but her hope is in the fully divine part of Christ.

3.  I bet most of us think like that.

            b. But if Christ were just some god that offered us the resurrection, then the only point of living would be to get through life as quickly as possible and escape.

1. There would be no place in that world for love and relationships.

2. No need to follow Christ.

3. No point in working to become that new creation God calls us to be.

c. Christ’s humanity brings us back to the God who chose to create out of love and be in relationship with us.

       1. The one who breathes the breath of life into the mud come to join us in the messiness of that life.

       2.  As Paul tells the Galatians, God comes in flesh to redeem us. 

3.  As Christ does not invite us to escape life and run off to some fairy tale land, but to be transformed and to transform our world.

3.      Just as the Christ-child embraces his world around him, God calls us to embrace the world around us, to share God’s love, to follow Christ into the world.


Conclusion:  Baby Jesus needs the blanket and straw because of love; because of God’s love that sends Christ is the flesh to live with us.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

"Blankets and Hay" Luke 2: 7; Galatians 4: 1-7

the first Advent sermon I preached (way back at a church I helped lead worship with in seminary) focused on Jesus' humanity.  At least, that was one of its foci (I tried to cover a lot in that sermon).  I went back and read it this for some insights, but didn't get too many.  I did talk a little bit about Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, which reminds me that both Luke and Matthew (the only two Gospels with the birth narrative) both have the genealogy of Jesus listed.  I also remember that after the service one of the Elders (an older woman who had listened to Peter Marshall preach in her young adult days) came up to me and told me that it was fine to make the point that Jesus was human, but her hope is in the fully divine part of Christ.  I bet most of us think like that.

Rev. Daniel Harrell tells the story of his childhood church going from a plastic baby Jesus to a live manger (much like we have here on Christmas Eve).  the first year 3 month-old Trevor played baby Jesus.  He had a older sister named Mary, who was still adjusting to having a baby invade her world.  As the choir sang, "No crying he makes," Trevor, as baby Jesus, let out a blood-curdling scream.  Apparently, he didn't like the feel of the hay on him.  His sister turned toward baby Jesus and shouted, "Shut up."  the next year they went back to a baby doll for Jesus. Christian Century, December 11, 2013, Living the Word:  Reflections on the Lectionary,." Daniel Harrell (17)

Baby Jesus needed blankets and hay to keep him warm and give him comfort.  he depended on his parents to provide for him as most babies do.  Jesus was real.  Don't believe the "no crying he makes" line in "Away in the Manger"  One of my theology professors noted that the person who wrote that Christmas carol obviously had never had a baby.

Jesus' birth surely brought to Mary and Joseph both the joys of childhood and the challenges of being human.  The whole birthing process can be scary and amazing, often at the same time.

Invited to join with Christ in the mess of our humanity.  Not to escape to some fairy land.

Not sure where this sermon is headed at this time.  Why does it matter to us in our daily living that Christ was fully human?  How many of us would be fine with a superhuman Jesus who saves us?





Monday, December 9, 2013

Reflections on "A Pink Swan at the Manger" Matthew 1: 18-24; Isaiah 11: 1-1

A confession about this sermon.  When I read the article that gave me the idea for the sermon (see sermon for article info), I was on a plane to TX.  I scribbled notes about this minister's experience of a Christmas pageant.  In my notes, I had the little girl playing a pink swan.  It became the title and the illustration for the sermon.  When I went back Sunday morning to see what church the minister now served, I did the search the magazine's data base for "pink swan."  No matches.  So I tried just swan -- the article immediately appeared.  As I read it, I discovered that somehow the "pink" part of the swan was in my notes about the article, but was not in the article (Maybe it was a moment of oxygen deprivation at 33,000 feet above ground!).  Obviously, it was too late to correct the sermon, so I went with the pink swan.  It probably helped the visuals here in Troy, although I don't think the story needed any exaggeration.

This week, the sermon seemed to go better in the Chapel, although I was pleased with the sermon in both services.  My only concern is that the two fun illustrations to start and finish the sermon do not overshadow the message of everyone being welcome to come and be a part of the Christmas story.

If I did the sermon again, I would not pick the Matthew passage.  I would go back to the Luke passage about Zechariah and Elizabeth. I think that story would fit better with the final sermon.

"A Pink Swan at the Manger?" Matthew 1: 18-24; Isaiah 11: 1-1; FPC, Troy, Advent 2, 2013; December 8, 2013

Introduction: "A Role for Everyone: Casting the Christmas Pageant” christian Century, Nov 30, 2012, Rev. Kenneth F. Baily

Rev. Ken Baily tells the story playing one of the characters in a Christmas pageant at the church he served.

Because he grew up in the Quaker church, he never had a chance to be in a Christmas pageant growing up.

When he was in his forties, serving as a minister, the kid playing Joseph got sick a few days before the children's pageant. As the minister who could not say “No,” he was asked at the last minute to fill-in as Joseph.

He was given a costume, a place to stand and curt instructions from the director to “Be quiet. Stay still. Act adoring.”

When he arrived for the first rehearsal, he discovered that the director might have had an ulterior motive for casting him as well

It seems that year a beloved kindergartner had been chosen to be one of the animals around the manger, and she had taken it upon herself to wear a feathery pink swan costume, which stood out in sharp contrast to the traditional gray/brown manger scene. The director expected him to to discourage the young pink swan.

At a break in the rehearsal, he kneeled down before this fabulous five-year-old and asked if she wouldn’t consider being a donkey or a sheep or a goat. “I’m a swan,” she said.

He explained that there were swans at Jesus’ cradle. She furrowed her brows and looked me directly in the eye with calm conviction. “Don’t you think pink swans love Jesus too?”He immediately went and told the director that the swan was in.

Move 1: When we come looking for the Christ-child, we should expect surprises.

a. Certainly the prophet Isaiah speaks about the coming Messiah in surprising ways.

1. the prophet Isaiah provides the image of a time when the wolf and the lamb will live down together; when the leopard and the kid (goat) will lie down together.

2. I'm not much of a farmer, but even I know that's a surprising image.

3. Isaiah goes on to note that a child shall lead them.

4. We meet that child who will transform the world when we arrive at the manger scene.

b. It's no wonder that children like the Christmas story so much.

1. It's a fascinating tale.
2. It does not go like expected. Who has a baby born with cows and donkeys nearby?

3. Maybe even a pink swan will appear.

4. The manger is about the surprising possibilities, the hope for something different the the Christ-child brings to the world.

Move 2: we might also note the odd and unexpected list of those invited to be part of the manger scene.

a. Who would you invite to a special event?

2. Consider who we invited, or invited themselves to the our Bicentennial celebration.

3. People who had helped shape the congregation – Former ministers and former organists.

4. People you might expect to be involved in something big -- no heads of state; no government officials, but I might note that at our Bicentennial celebration the mayor of Troy wanted to be involved and later our state representative came by to give us a resolution passed by the OH House of Representatives
5. a significant event marked by an exemplary guest list.

c. Consider who was invited to participate in the coming of Christ. Would any of them be on your list to invite to a special, life-changing, world-changing event?

1. Zechariah and Elizabeth -- an old priest and his barren wife;

2. Mary and Joseph -- a virgin and her reluctant boyfriend;

3. shepherds in the fields;

3. wise men from far away – OK, maybe these guys make the list. Certainly if you knew the gifts they were going to bring., you would invite them.

4. the long-awaited Messiah is coming and it does not appear that any movers and shakers in the world were invited. Or if they were, they never showed up at the manger.

5. On the other hand, think about the breadth of people there: a few rich guys; foreigners; the younger demographic; the older demographic; the religious; the working class

6. m,maybe not the people you would put on your guest list, but a wide variety of people, nonetheless.

  1. Rev. Baily notes that during that pageant when he filled in as Joseph, he “began to understand the central message of the Christmas pageant: the core of the story is that no matter the script, the set or the costumes, there is a role for everyone in the Christmas story.

1. Anyone and everyone is invited

2. That means even you, and even me.

3. maybe even a pink swan.
Move 3: Being involved with the one who arrives in the manger is a life-changing event

a. is there anyone we listed whose life was not changed by being involved with the Christ child?

1. Zechariah is struck mute and Elizabeth gets pregnant.

2. will Mary and Joseph's life ever be the same?

3. shepherds leave the fields in the night.

4. wise men travel a long way and then venture home a by following a new path.

b. Approach the manger with caution.

1. Do not come to find the Christ-child at the manger if you want your life to remain the same, if you do not want surprises.

2. Centering your life on the Christ-child opens you up to new possibilities.

2. for some of us, that may be welcome relief. We are ready for something new. We ant a change in our lives.
3. for others, that might be a bit unsettling.
4. we are satisfied with what we have and where we are. We're not all that interested in any surprises.

If you make the trip to Bethlehem, be ready!

Conclusion: In my role as a minister, I've been involved in lots of Christmas pageants in churches. I suppose I did it a time or two as a child.

The time I remember best, though, was being a the church pageant my Sr. year in high school. The person directing the pageant asked me and two other high school boys to be shepherds in the pageant. No problem. We could be shepherds.

At the first rehearsal, though, we discovered that the director has something special in mind for that year's pageant. It had been set in West Texas. So the shepherds had to dress accordingly: bathrobes, long johns (apparently on cold nights were wore our longs johns in the fields), and cowboy boots. Clearly, we were the comic relief portion of the pageant.

So there we were. Three shepherds from the fields of W. Texas startled by the singing angels in the sky and then proceeding with haste to the manger in Bethlehem to find the Christ-child.

Our boots striking the tile floor as we walked across the fellowship hall announced our arrival; our bath robes and long johns coming into full view; we made it in all our glory to the manger at center stage.

We were there to see the Christ-child.


I don't remember, but maybe there was a pink swan lurking in the background.  

Thursday, December 5, 2013

"A Pink Swan at the Manger?" Matthew 1: 18-24; Isaiah 11: 1-11

I ran across this story while reading  an old copy of Christian Century on study leave.  It is the basis for my sermon this Sunday.


"A role for everyone:  Casting the Christmas pageant"

You are about to enjoy an animated Christmas pageant in your congregation. Congratulations. If it includes live camels, plan accordingly. If it involves live babies, plan on having a backup baby in case your chosen star doesn’t want to be anointed and breaks the “no crying he makes” credo. If your pageant involves scripture, you’ll need to merge various texts into one mash-up script.
I grew up as a Quaker and did not participate in any Christmas pageants. But in my ministry I’ve come to know them well. I’ve dealt with tricky theological questions and treacherous sociological suggestions concerning the script, content, date, cast and music of Christmas pageants. I have seen original performances shine. I’ve seen traditions implode. And I’ve seen locally beloved practices trump, deny, invert and supersede commonsense solutions.
Yet we do this every year. Why? What do we expect from our pageants? Are these productions only a fast-moving train that’s always sure to derail? Or are they, in spite of our grumblings, a cherished love offering for which we, the people of Advent, hunger and yearn?
It could be that God’s revelation relies not on scripts but on casting. It could be that it’s neither the features nor the finesse of the presentation that matters, but the cast and crew. Let me explain.
I had my first pageant role in my forties when the child playing Joseph fell ill. I was given a costume, a place to stand and curt instructions from the director to “Be quiet. Stay still. Act adoring.” Years later I use these directions as a meditation device.
I was moved by my role in the play. Once I’d actually been among the other actors and actresses, I began to understand the central message of the Christmas pageant: the core of the story is that no matter the script, the set or the costumes, there is a role for everyone in the Christmas story.
The year of my debut a beloved kindergartner broadened my sense of the crèche even further. Wearing a feathery white swan costume, she stood out in sharp contrast to our gray/brown manger scene. The director expected me to discourage this outfit, so in my very best client-centered posture, I kneeled down before this fabulous five-year-old and asked if she wouldn’t consider being a donkey or a sheep or a goat. “I’m a swan,” she said. Holding fast to my exegetical authority, I explained that there were no swans at Jesus’ cradle. She furrowed her brows and looked me directly in the eye with calm conviction. “Don’t you think swans love Jesus too?”
I told the director that the swan was in.

when we think about the Christmas story, everyone who is somehow connected to the coming of the Christ-child, consider who they are:  Zechariah and Elizabeth -- an old priest and his barren wife;  Mary and Joseph -- a virgin and her reluctant boyfriend;  shepherds in the fields; wise men from far away;  not the people you might expect to be involved in something big -- no heads of state; no government officials -- I might note that at our Bicentennial celebration the mayor of Troy wanted to be involved and later our state representative came by to give us a resolution passed by the OH House of Representatives

A surprising manger scene that opens us up to the possibilities where a wolf and lamb will lie down together.  
What can we tell by who shows up in the story?  

        Anyone and everyone, including you,  is invited -- from the richest to the foreigner to the religious to the common worker in the field

         It becomes a life-changing event

         You better make room for the pink swan at the manger

         


Monday, December 2, 2013

Reflections on "the Empty Manger" Isaiah 64: 1-9; Matthew 24: 36-44

Sermon went ok.  It was better in the Sanctuary service than the Chapel service.  I added the bit about the Christmas list in the Sanctuary service, although if I had thought of it before the Time with Young Disciples in the Chapel service, I probably could have developed it better.

The sermon felt like it never made it past the initial outline/brainstorming to the depth of a sermon.  I think there is still a sermon to be built around the image of the empty manger has no clutter, so who is God shaping us to be.  I probably should have just expanded that one point.

"The Empty Manger" Isaiah 64: 1-9; Matthew 24: 36-4;FPC, Troy, Dec. 1, 2013 Advent 1

Introduction: The manger sits empty.

The Christmas tree stands unadorned.

Advent has begun.

Bethlehem waits for us to arrive to greet the Christ-child.

Each week this year we will add to the manger scene. Some things you will expect; one or two might surprise you.

Eventually, we will arrive in the Sanctuary on Christmas Eve to find the Christ-child will resting in the manger.

As Advent begins, look upon the empty manger and imagine what Advent can mean to you this year. Imagine the possibilities for how God might fill your life.

The empty manger.
Move 1: The empty manger means we are not at Bethlehem yet.

a. Advent invites us to do something we do not do very well – that is, Advent invites us to wait.

1. Henri Nouwen once observed that we in the United States are not very good at waiting. We consider it a huge waste of time. Our culture says, "don't just sit there, do something."

2. the empty manger invites us into a time created by the early church to remind us that we live in God's time, not our time.

3. We may not be good at waiting, but like the Israelites to whom Isaiah spoke as they waited for God to act, like those early followers of Christ who desperately looked for signs for when Christ would come again, we wait for God.

b. Nouwen also notes that "waiting is an awful desert between where we are and where we want to be." (John Buchanan, "Awaiting God's Reign” Christian Century,11/28/12).

1. Who do you want to be when you arrive at Bethlehem and discover the Christ-child in the manger?

2. Advent gives us that time to discover the person God calls us to be.

Move 2: Notice that the empty manger has no clutter.

a. Imagine your life with no clutter.

  1. no baggage.

2. No “I have to do this because I have always done it.”

3. No “I have to act that way because everyone expects me to act that way.”

4. This is the time of year for Christmas lists. The blank list that you put down your hopes and dreams.

5. that list is about what you want.
b. Consider the image of the prophet Isaiah uses.

1. The image of God as the potter shaping us the clay.

2. How will God shape you this Advent season?

3. Who is God calling you to be?

4. Who do you want to be when you arrive at Bethlehem?

5. The Advent time of waiting brings with it a time for transformation.

move 3: The manger may be empty now, but God will fill it.

a. the Christ-child will arrive.

  1. God has taken on human flesh and joined with us.
  2. We proclaim this truth to an oblivious world.” We announce that “we detect God's presence in our midst” (Journal of Preaching,"Preaching Advent Hope," Joseph Phelps, p. 8).

3. and we invite the world to join us in what God is doing in our midst.

b. Our Advent time of waiting is a time of hope.
    1. the manger sits empty, but our Lord's Table is filled.
    2. We know what God has done; we know that God is still at work; we look to the future in hope for what God has yet to do.

Conclusion: The empty manger waits to be filled. May God use this Advent season to fill your life in ways beyond your wildest imagination.