Reflections on "The Innkeeper" Luke 2: 1-7

This is the sermon (brief one) that I preached on Christmas Eve.  Since I preach on Christmas Eve without notes, this is merely an approximation of what was said.  I confess that it is harder these days to preach with no notes because it demands more prep time.  This year I actually committed the time to it, and the sermon went better (at least it was less stressful for me!).

The first move was done at the back of the Sanctuary, including my actually making knocking sounds as if someone were knocking on the door.

"The Innkeeper” December 24, 2014; FPC, Troy; Bit Players series; Luke 2: 1-7;

Move 1: Knock, Knock, Knock

Who is it? Who is knocking at the door?

Knock Knock

Okay, okay, I'm coming. Just a second.

I know honey. I know it's going to be that young man and his pregnant wife. Who else would be banging on our door again.

I was hoping they would find somewhere else to stay.

I know, I know, there is no place else to stay in all of Bethlehem; the census has overwhelmed everyone.

but I thought they might get lucky.

Yes, I told them to come back if they didn't find anything else.

No, I did not have a plan for if they came back.

I”m just going to send them on their way.

Knock, Knock.

There is absolutely no place we can put them. The only room left is our room. WE could give them our bed, but our kids are already sleeping in our bed with us.

I don't know. If they're desperate enough we could let them use the stable.

At least it would give them some shelter for the night, and it would be a wind break.

Okay, I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to help get them settled.

Yes, I’ll tell them tat you can come help if she starts to deliver her baby.

Knock, Knock

I said I'm coming.

Move 2: I think the innkeeper gets a bad rap.

The Innkeeper's Union ought to have hired a better public relations dept.

You know, the innkeeper isn't even mentioned in Luke. We're just told that there was no room at the inn.

But who gets to tell Mary and Joseph every year that there's not room at the inn at the annual Christmas pageant – the innkeeper.

I dont' nknow, maybe we have it wrong about the innkeeper.

Someone had to help Mary and Joseph out when they were wandering around Bethlehem.

Someone had to help them find this place where they could put their new born in a manger.

Maybe the innkeeper, maybe the innkeeper's wife, maybe a neighbor.

I'm going to go with the innkeeper.

move 3: Actually, we do not know much about the innkeeper.

But we do know about the God who came in Christ that night.

The God who chose to come and live among us.

That's what God coming in flesh means – that in the midst of all the issues and problems we have – Christ still comes.

when the inn is full and there is nothing we can do about it, no more space to find even if we wanted to – Christ still comes.

 In our world where terrorism and war erupt daily, where racism appears, where two plice officers can be assassinated while sitting in their squad cars -- into that world that seems so far from God, God chooses to come and live among us.

When are lives seem overwhelming and we do not know where to turn – Christ arrives.

Into the Hospice where death waits for our loved one – Christ still comes.

Into our every so busy lives where we risk losing ourselves to the things we do, Christ will arrive.

When are future seems so uncertain we are scared to take the next step forward, Christ will arrive.

The innkeeper discover the God who will not be stopped from living among us.

Move 4: But in the innkeeper, we are also reminded of God's great desire that we give ourselves over to Christ. That we make room in our lives for Christ.

The innkeeper only has a stable – and that is enough for the Christ child.

Some of us arrive here tonight feeling like we have so much to offer.

We're in the job we like; our lives are falling into place. We have a lot to offer – Christ wants to be a part of all you have to offer.

Others of us arrive here struggling. We count ourselves among the broken and the brokenhearted. Thew future seems uncertain and full of problems.

It's not that we do not want to give ourselves over to Christ, but we do not feel like we have much to give. Christ wants to be part of your life as well.

It does not matter how much you have to give or how little you have to give; what matters is what God gives to you by coming in Christ.

move 4: I told this story a few years ago, but when preaching about the innkeeper, I had to tell it again!

Wally – 4^th grade age, but in the 2^nd grade; he looked like a big, clumsy giant among the second graders; his mind worked like he looked – clumsily and slow.

Well-liked; participated;

Christmas pageant – he waited to hear what part he would play. Very excited when he discovered he would pay the innkeeper. The teacher had carefully chosen this part for him because it had very few lines, and because Wally’s imposing figure would make it believable when the innkeeper turned Mary and Joseph away.

Rehearsals went very well. Wally learned his lines: “Go somewhere else.” There is no room for you.” Go away.”

The pageant went well. Soon the dramatic knock on the door of the inn. “We need a place to stay”

“Go somewhere else.”

But, sir, we have looked everywhere. We have traveled a great distance. Please let us stay.”

“There is no room for you.”

“Please, my wife is tired. She’s about to bear a child. Please, let us stay.”

Long pause, Wally looks forlornly at Joseph and Mary. The prompter from off-stage loudly whispers, “Go away.”

Wally’s rehearsal kicks in and he says, “Go away.”

As he watches Mary and Joseph turn and walk away, Wally, the innkeeper, suddenly blurts out, “Don’t go Joseph. Bring Mary back. You can have my room.”

conclusion: It's a glorious night of worship – wonderful music; the singing of carols, candle lighting, being in this place with family and friends.

And in this place we tell a story, the story of the God who desires to be with us so much that God comes in the Christ-child.

Christ has arrived. Do you have any room for him?

Day 32 Advent Reading - Luke 24

The last chapter of Luke.  Hope you've enjoyed this Advent/Christmas journey through Luke.

Luke 24: 1-12:  The women show up with spices to prepare Jesus' body at the tomb.  The stone was rolled away, and when they went in they could not find the body.  Two men were there and began talking to them, and the women were terrified.  Note how the the fear surrounding the birth of Christ reappears after his death.  The two men tell them to remember what Jesus had told them about rising, and the women do.  They go to tell the disciples, but the disciples won't believe them.  Peter races back to the tomb to see for himself.  Notice that he has to stoop to look in, which suggests that the tomb was dug out of the wall.

Only Luke has the story of Jesus meeting up with two guys on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35).

When Jesus appears to his disciples, he seems to be something of a ghost.  This seems different than how he appeared on the road to  Emmaus, when the men did not recognize Jesus, but there was no mention of Jesus being ghostly.  Does that mean that Luke has put together two different stories from different traditions?  Is it two different stories that are emphasizing different things about the resurrected Christ, which leads to describing him differently?

Jesus ascends to heaven and the people are left still worshiping (24: 50-53).  

Day 31 Advent Reading -- Luke 23

Again, Jesus refuses to claim who he is -- he is satisfied letting what others say about him and his actions speak for him (Luke 23:1-4).

     1.  Is Jesus just playing a game with Pilate?
     2.  Why do you think that Jesus refuses to say who he is?

Pilate finds out Jesus is from Galilee and sends him to King Herod (23: 6-12)

     1.  I find it fascinating that Herod is glad to see Jesus because he has heard so much about him.
     2.  Why do they have such contempt for Jesus?
     3.   A fascinating note that Herod and Pilate bond as friends over their shared experience with Jesus (23:12).

Pilate seems to try and find a way to release Jesus, but the crowds demand to crucify Jesus (23: 13-25).

As Jesus goes to be crucified, he speaks to the women weeping.  His comments are rather cryptic. What do you think he is trying to tell them (23:28-31)?

An interesting description of of Joseph, who will bury Jesus' body (23: 50).

Day 30 Advent Reading - Luke 22 39-71

The night turns dark for Jesus. First his disciples fall asleep; then Judas arrives to kiss Jesus as a signal to the authorities so they know who to arrest (Luke 22: 39-48)

       1.  Kissing seems a particularly ironic way to betray Jesus.

       2.   Jesus makes a good point -- why do they wait until this moment to arrest Jesus when he had been in their midst at the Temple.  Were they worried that the crowds at the Temple might prevent their arrest of Jesus?  Do they prefer the cover of night?

Jesus rejects the disciples willingness to fight for him, and we see Jesus heal the servant whose ear was cut (22:49-53).  This little play becomes a microcosm of what Jesus is doing -- peace and healing are what matters.

Jesus will never state unequivocally who he is.  Instead, he plays word games and notes that they say he is the Messiah (22: 66-71).

Day 29 Advent Reading -- Luke 22: 1-38

We now move back to the "rest of the story."  Sort of a strange feel to go from the Passover when Jesus is a twelve yr. old (yesterday's text)  to his return to Jerusalem as am adult to celebrate the Last Supper with his disciples (22:1-2).

We are told that Satan "entered" Judas (22:3-6).  Does it make Judas a sympathetic character when it is presented that way?  Someone had to betray Christ, and Satan chose Judas.

 Jesus shares the Last Supper, and the disciples immediately begin to wonder who is the greatest among them (22:4-7).  It does not appear that they have any understanding of what Jesus has just done.

What do you make of the shift in Jesus' instructions to the disciples (22: 35-38)?

Day 28 Advent Reading -- Luke 2: 41-52

Luke continues to make the point that Jesus is growing up in a family that observes the traditions of the Jewish faith, including going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover (2: 41-42).  This journey to Jerusalem will come full circle when Jesus returns to Jerusalem for the Passover in the days before his death.

The next part of the story seems a little hard for me as a parent to understand (Luke 2: 43-46).  How could Jesus' parents think that he was with someone else in their group when they headed home from Jerusalem, leaving Jesus behind?  I suppose I have left a kid in a place or two, but I've never left town without a kid.  Perhaps the way they traveled together in that time made it easier to forget your child.

I suspect the point that Luke is trying to make is more about Jesus' place being in the Temple, than his parents forgetting him.  Maybe the point of the story is to point out that if parents leaving a child for three days or so is ridiculous, imagine how ridiculous it is for Jesus to be in the Temple asking questions of the religious authorities and amazing them with his answers (Luke 2: 46-49).

Mary "treasures" these things in her hearts (Luke 2: 51), which she also did as she heard the shepherds tell her about all they had heard and seen.  I think there is a sermon on day on what Mary treasured!

Jesus is about to begin his ministry (Luke 2: 52).  Luke gives the sense that Jesus grows into who he is, which makes it interesting to think about what he might have known when about who he was and what he was going to do.

Day 27 Advent Reading -- Luke 2: 21-39

This will be the text for the final sermon of the "bit players" series I've been doing this Advent/Christmas.  Check back to the blog the week of January 5th if you would like to read the sermon that will grow out of this text (no, it's not written yet!).

The story-line blends the expected, Mary and Joseph present their son Jesus at the Temple for purification (2: 22-4), and the unexpected, Simeon and Anna are waiting and offer their prophetic responses (2:25-38).

     1. the point is made that Jesus is rooted in the Jewish tradition.  He will follow the purification laws.  This, of course, sets the stage for when Jesus challenges the law, or at least reinterprets the law. But it is important to note that Jesus does not come from outside the tradition; rather, he is the Son of the God on who all the tradition rests.

     2.  Note the presence of the Holy Spirit in this story.  We have already seen and heard from the Spirit quite a bit in Luke, and this will be matched by the strong presence of the Spirit in Luke's next writing, the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

    3. Simeon confirms who Jesus is, which amazes his parents (2: 29-33).  I wonder why they are amazed.  It would seem from the way his birth came about that Simeon's reaction would have been expected.

     4. Anna also confirms who Jesus is.

Day 26 Advent Reading -- Luke 2: 1-20

Enjoy the wonderful story of Christ's birth (2: 1-20) on Christmas Day.  I won't interrupt the story with lots of commentary, except for these three thoughts:

   1. there may be no room in the inn, but God comes in Christ anyway.

    2.  The shepherds in the fields were terrified by what they saw and heard.  Fear continues to be the initial response when people hear about what God is doing.

    3.  Mary "treasured" in her heart all that the shepherds told them.    Treasure in your hearts the God who comes in Christ.

Day 25 Advent Reading - Luke 1: 57-80

The naming of John the Baptist (1: 57-66) is a fun story that usually gets skipped over because we are so busy reading the other parts of the Christmas story.

      For fun:  Take time and think about why you named your kids the names they have.  Were they family names?  Did anyone say anything about the names you chose?  Then imagine Elizabeth and Zechariah as they named their son John.

Read the words of Zechariah's prophecy about what his son would become and consider how parents have hopes and dreams for their children.

     1. Notice that Zechariah's speaks about his son in the context of what God was doing.

      2. Zechariah is very clear that John has an important task -- "to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins" (1:77).  This clearly links to John the Baptist calling people to repent and be baptized as they prepare for the coming of Christ.

Day 24 Advent Reading -- Luke 1: 39-56

Mary visits Elizabeth. If you missed my sermon blog from earlier in December when I preached on Mary visiting Elizabeth, feel free to go to this link:  http://whatisrichardpreaching.blogspot.com/2014/12/reflections-on-tell-me-more-isaiah-40-1.html

This passage contains what is known as the Magnificat, or Mary's song of praise (1: 46-56).

     1.   Mary praises God for God's concern for the "lowly" and the way God has "scattered the proud" and "brought down the powerful."

     2. Clearly a message of hope to those on the lower end of the power hierarchy, but how do we hear it from our place on the power hierarchy in which we have power and are not lowly?

     3.  Mary links her unborn child with Abraham and his descendants. God's Son whom she carries is not a new god on the scene, but the God of Abraham.

Thought for the day:  What do you think Mary and Elizabeth talked about the most for the three months they were together?

Day 23 Advent Reading -- Luke 1: 1-38

For the week of Christmas, we read through Luke's story of the birth of Christ.  Reminder -- there are only two of the four gospels that tell the story of Christ's birth (the other, of course, being the Gospel of Matthew).  Luke and Matthew tell the stories quite differently.

One challenge as you read the story in the coming days:  pay attention to what is actually in the Gospel stories of Luke.  Notice what we put into our pageant stories that are not really in the text.  If it's not in Luke, you can try to see if it's in Matthew, but unless it's wise men, it's probably not in Matthew either!

Extra challenge:  Read the story in Matthew as well (Matthew Chapters 1 and 2) and think about the differences between the two stories of the birth of Christ (I suspect you will also discover why most years we gravitate to Luke's telling of the story!).

Luke begins by making the point that the story he is about to tell came to him by eyewitnesses, and that Luke has investigated them to make sure they tell the truth (1:1-4).

Luke story is really two birth stories -- it begins with the birth of John the Baptist being foretold to the priest Zechariah, whose wife Elizabeth had been unable to bear children (1: 5-25)

     1.  This ties in to the theme of barren women having children that is seen in Sarah and Hannah in the Old Testament.

     2.  An angel appears to Zechariah to tell him the new.

    3. Zechariah was terrified, which begins a pattern in this story of everyone being terrified when they hear what God is doing.  I sometimes wonder if we have lost that sense of fear and trembling or awe when discovering what God has done.

     4.  When Zechariah does not believe, he is struke mute.  He will not speak again until his son is born.

Next the birth of Jesus is foretold to Mary (in Matthew Joseph is the one to whom the birth announcement is made).

     1. she is afraid when the angel arrives.

     2.  In perhaps the greatest act of submission in the Bible, Mary responds to the announcement of the angel with "here am I."

     3.  When in your life have you turned to God and submitted yourself with similar words?

Reflections on "O Little Town" Micah 5: 1-6; Luke 2: 4-5

This sermon was only preached at the Chapel service (no coughing spell during the sermon this week) due to the Chancel Choir singing a series of Anthems in the Sanctuary service (parts of the sermon will be spliced into their anthems).

I really liked this sermon.  It leaped a bit from point to point, but it was a fun study of Bethlehem for me.  The final leap to "why does it matter to us" seemed to really strike home in those who were there.  If that point did not grow naturally out of the first two points (you can decide), it at least was two sermons that were worth preaching (in my estimation!).

You might also note that I sang the words in italics.  It added to the sermon, I think.

Christmas Eve the sermon focuses on the innkeeper.  I will try and get that posted on the blog at some point.

I am out of the pulpit next Sunday,  but then finish up the series on "Bit Players" with the post-
Christmas appearance of Anna and Simeon.

"O Little Town” December 21, 2014; FPC, Troy; Advent 4 2014; Bit Players series; Luke 2: 4-5; Micah 5: 1-6

Introduction: Bit players – this week, the small little town of Bethlehem.

We know about Bethlehem. We read about it every year. There's a wonderful Christmas carol written about Bethlehem, so it must be important, right?

Of course, if you think about the title, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” or who the prophet Micah speaks of Bethlehem as one of the little clans of Judah, it might remind us that Bethlehem was a little non-descript town in Jesus' time.

But, this little town of Bethlehem becomes the birth place of the Christ-child.

Move 1: Bethlehem

     a. In Hebrew, Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.”

         1. Not sure why? I remember in Hebrew class when we learned “beth” means house and then later that “lehem” meant bread, we made the discovery that Bethlehem meant house of bread.

         2. Seemed sort of odd revelation. I remember thinking that has to mean something. We asked the professor, but he didn't think it meant to much.

        3. Bread does not seem to play a part in Bethlehem's role in the Christmas story.

       4.  I suppose that if the birth story were found in the Gospel of John Bethlehem might make sense.

       5.  After all, in several places in the Gospel of John Jesus calls himself the bread of life in the Gospel of John.

      6. that would preach – the bread of life is born in the house of bread!

      7. but the Gospel of John, you may remember, does not tell the story of Christ's birth, only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke do, and they don't call Jesus the bread of life.

  b. Bethlehem is a 100 miles from Nazareth.

        1. Google maps says you could walk it in 34 hours. That seems a bit ambitious to me. Maybe if you just counted walking time, and not the time spent on breaks or eating.

        2.  If you were Mary and Joseph, that might have taken a week or more make that journey.

        3.  In some ways, the point of mentioning Bethlehem in the birth stories seems more geared to explaining how Bethlehem fit into the story when Jesus is really from Nazareth and begins his ministry there.

        4.  in fact, in the Gospel of Matthew there is no journey to Bethlehem. Matthew just notes that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the significant part of the story is Jesus and his parents fleeing from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape from King Herod. Then they return to Nazareth.

        5. but Bethlehem is where Jesus is born.

  c. Bethlehem is only 10 km south of Jerusalem

        1. A 10K away – 6.2 miles.

        2. If you were going to have the Birth of Jesus fun run, you would go from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. For the half-marathon, you would add the return run.

       3. Think about that for a moment – the Messiah, the one for whom the Israelites had been looking for generations; the Son of God that the prophets had been promising would arrive,,

        4. this long expected appearance occurs a fun run distance away from Jerusalem.

       5. Frankly that makes no sense.

       6.  Why end up in Bethlehem when you could have the Christ-child arrive on the doorsteps of the Temple in the holy city of Jerusalem?

       7. The long-expected Messiah arriving at the center of the Jewish religion?

But Mary and Joseph go to little ole Bethlehem to give birth to God's son.

Move 2: going to Bethlehem matters.
 

  a. Going to Bethlehem matters because Jesus' birth in Bethlehem links Jesus to King David.

      1. Bethlehem is where David grew up.

      2. David watched the sheep in the fields near Bethlehem and honed his skills with the slingshot there.

       3. The prophet Samuel anoints David in Bethlehem.

      4. David leaves his home in Bethlehem to slay Goliath and serve in the palace of King Saul.

  b. Going to Bethlehem matters because the prophets had foretold it.

      1. Micah had told a besieged Israel that God would come to them by way of Bethlehem.

       2. Isaiah had promised the Savior would come from the stump of Jesse, David's father, which brings us back to Bethlehem.

        3. Jesus is the one whom the prophet had been speaking of for generations.

c. Going to Bethlehem matters because it links Jesus to the God of Israel.

       1.  Christ’s birth is not the arrival of some unknown God;

        2.  but the God who had created the world; the God who had breathed the breath of life into humanity; the God who had led the people out of Egypt; the God who had acted before has now acted again by coming in Christ who arrives in Bethlehem.

  c. Philip Brooks, the renowned American preacher, wrote the hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem" to share of the magic of what it meant to go to Bethlehem.

     1. It is based on the view he saw as he rode by horseback on Christmas Eve 1865 from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

      2. “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

     3. A beautiful vision of what has happened in Bethlehem in the birth of Christ.


     4. The hopes and fears of all the years of God's people have finally been met in the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.


Move 3: why does it matter to us in our time and place that God came to Bethlehem

  a. Maybe it doesn't.

       1. To suggest that the only reason Christ is the Son of God or that Christ can only redeem the world if he makes his entry into Bethlehem makes no sense.

       2.  The issue of Christ's arrival is not about limiting God if Christ does not appear at Bethlehem, but instead coming to some understanding of what God is saying by arriving in Bethlehem.

       3. ultimately, Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem matters to us because it is where God chose to arrive in Christ.

  b. But it also matters because we believe God acts with a purpose.

       1. If God works it out for Christ to be born in Bethlehem, for whatever reasons that God had and that we can try to figure out, it also means that God has a purpose for us in the places where God sends us.

        2. Have you ever had to try and decide on one place or another to live?

       3.how do you go about making that choice?

       4. Maybe which town has the best economic opportunity for you and your family?

       5. Or where can you find the right house with the right number of rooms and bathrooms for your family.

       6. Or the right school district?

      7. Maybe your employer does not give you a choice about where to live if you want to stay employed at that particular place.

      8. Maybe you're tired of the cold and want to be someplace warmer, or you want to find a place that has all four seasons instead of the same range of temperatures all year round.

       9. Or you want to be near extended family.

     10.  But the underlying questions that matters most -- where does God want you to be?

  c. I remember when Leslie and I were in Austin, TX finishing my time in seminary and were looking for the place we would begin my time in full-time ministry and Leslie's work as a part-time dentist, and a place to begin our family.

      1. we had all those concerns in mind.

      2.  We visited a small town in AR, and it seemed nice.

       3.  we visited in a little bigger town in LA, and it seemed OK as well

      4.  I remember thinking as I flew to KY (Leslie was running a day behind on that visit – not the first or last time she was late!).

       5.  In my mind I had it figured out – we'd seen two small towns and now the third one. It would be about the same, and then we'd decide which churches would call us and decide between them.

      6.  But I was overwhelmed by what happened when I arrived in Mt. Sterling. As I drove into town on the main street from the highway, Maysville Ave (welcome to the KY accent), It seemed different. I remember think, this is a place I could do ministry; this is a place I could call home.

     7.  and it became both to us.

      8.  I still look back at our time there and know that we ended up in the right place for us, and I think for the church as well.

       9.  I have no doubt that God was at work in bringing us to that place.

     10. I suspect to others Mt. Sterling, KY might not have seemed much different from the other two towns, but ti was different to me.

      11.  It mattered where we lived out our calling as disciples of Christ, where we would be fed by God and join in God's work.

  d. That's the thing about Bethlehem.

      1.  It mattered because that's where God sent Mary and Joseph when it was time for Mary to give birth to Christ.

       2 It mattered because that's where God decided to begin work on earth.

      3. We can see connections between who Jesus was and what he was going to do with the history of Bethlehem, which are interesting and informative, but the what really matters is what God was doing in Bethlehem.

  e. likewise, look at your own life here in Troy, or Tipp City, or Piqua, or W. Milton, or Pleasant Hill, or Covington, or out in the reaches of Miami County.

      1.  I suspect you can point to many reasons as to why you ended up there. Family, schools system, all the other criteria that you used.

      2.  But what matters is what God is doing with you in that place.

      3.  You are not here by accident. God has a plan for you life and a purpose for you being here.

      4. You may not live in Bethlehem, but God has arrived in this place with you.

Conclusion: Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light (it shines not just in Bethlehem, but in your streets), the hopes and fears of all the years are met by you tonight.

Day 22 Advent Reading - Luke Chapter 21

Chapter 21 begins with the familiar story of Jesus commending the widow for her gift.  He makes the stewardship point that the widow gives more since she gives out of what she lives on and the wealthy folks are merely giving out of their abundance.  A lesson that speaks to us who live with abundance.

Jesus then shifts the conversation to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the unknown time when the Son of Man will return.  Jesus uses typical apocalyptic images such as the sun, moon, and stars (21:25).  Note that the Son of Man term is frequently used in the apocalyptic vision of Ezekiel.  In the Gospels Son of Man refers to Jesus.  As we read these references to the unknown future coming of the Son of Man, we are reminded that the season of Advent anticipates both the coming of Christ and the time when Christ will come again.

Jesus continues to hold the interest and have the support of the crowds (Luke 21: 37-38).

Day 21 Advent reading - Luke Chapter 20

Chapter 20 has a series of questions Jesus is being asked by people trying to trip him up.  But, Jesus manages to turn the questions around with his own questions or answers the seem to deflect the question to another way of thinking about things.

Note that Jesus does not back down -- in fact, he seems to be forcing the hands of the religious authorities.  For example, when Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants (20: 9-19), it finishes with the owner (God) coming and destroying the tenants (the religious authorities).  At that point, the scribes and chief priests want to do something to him, but they were afraid of the crowds.   It raises the question, what happens in the coming days that leads to the crowds turning away from Jesus and supporting the authorities as they persecute him?

The parable is followed by more difficult questions.  The chapter finishes with Jesus denouncing the scribes with derogatory comments on the way they treat the people (20: 45-47).  

Day 20 Advent Reading -- Luke Chapter 19

The familiar Zacchaeus story.  A tax collector pursues Jesus, who in turn tells Zacchaeus he wants to go into his home.  Another example of how Jesus associated with sinner and tax collectors (in this case both) and expands his circle to include Zacchaeus.

An interesting note -- the Greek phrase in which Zacchaeus says he will give half of his possession to the poor and pay back those he had defrauded (19:8) can be translated as future (like the NRSV) which would indicate that Zacchaeus is repenting from his behavior; or it could be translated in the present tense, which would indicate that Zacchaeus is describing how he acted normally.  If the latter is correct, the story is less about Zacchaeus repenting, and more about Jesus restoring to the fold someone like Zacchaeus, who had been excluded based on his occupation, not on his actions.  In either instance, Jesus is the one who offers new life to Zacchaeus.

Jesus finally arrives in Jerusalem, and he is welcomed by the crowds (19: 28-39).  When the crowds started to shout, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord," the Pharisees try to get Jesus to stop their shouting.  Jesus refuses by noting that "if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

The triumphant mood shifts as Jesus weeps over Jerusalem (19:41).  Notice that Jersusalem's problem was that they did not recognize the things that make for peace, not their inability to recognize Christ (19:42).  Or perhaps those two are tied intimately together.  Does that mean if we recognize Christ, we become peacemakers?

Jesus completes his entry into Jerusalem by cleaning out the temple (19: 45-48). Again, his dissatisfaction with the religious authorities is clear.

"O Little Town" Luke 2: 4-5

This week there will be a "bit" sermon in the Sanctuary as the choir offers special music.  I will offer a word or two about Bethlehem, the bit player lifted up this week, but it will not be a full sermon. The Chapel service, however, will hear the full sermon.

In Hebrew, Bethlehem literally means "house of bread."  Not sure why?

Bethlehem is a 100 miles from Nazareth -- Google maps says you could walk it in 34 hours.

Bethlehem is 10 km south of Jerusalem,which means the Messiah, the one for whom the Israelites had been looking for generations, showed up south of the main religious site for the Israelites.  Wouldn't it have made sense for Jesus to arrive near the Temple?

The hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem" was written by Philip Brooks, a renowned American preacher, in 1868.  It is based on the view he saw as he rode by horseback on Christmas Eve 1965 from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Does it matter to you that Jesus was born in Bethlehem?

Day 19 Advent Reading -- Luke Chapter 18

In the first story of the Chapter (18: 1-8) the widow should have accepted what the judge told her.  But her persistence leads him to grant her wish. How does that speak to discipleship?  I wonder how it connects (if it does) with the Jesus blessing the children just a few verses later.

the story about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18: 9-12) makes it clear that humbly seeking God's forgiveness has a higher value than declaring one's own righteousness.

In the parable of the rich ruler (18:18-39), we do know how the rich ruler responded.  We just know that he was sad at the cost of following Jesus (18:23).  I've always thought that sad seemed like an odd response.

Jesus foretells his death and resurrection for the third time in Luke (18: 31-34).  The disciples still don't get it, or at least they refuse to acknowledge that they get it.

the chapter finishes with Jesus healing the blind beggar (Luke 18: 35-43).  Interestingly, his persistence seems akin to the widow in the first story of the chapter.

Day 18 Advent Reading: Luke Chapter 17

17:1 in the Greek actually reads as a double negative -- "it is impossible for scandals not to come," which adds to the gravity of the situation.  This opening passage certainly puts the burden on followers of Christ to act appropriately.  It occurs to me that the congregation's baptismal vows to nurture and help raise an infant speak to this passage.

I believe I have preached a sermon in Troy on the ten lepers, offering an explanation for why only one returned to give thanks.  Notice that the leper who returned to give thanks is a Samaritan, an outsider to the faith.  This is another example of Luke expanding the circle of believers.  It would appear that the faith that Jesus commends is seen in the leper's thankfulness, not in his belief that Jesus could cure his leprosy.

The chapter finishes with Jesus sharing some perplexing words. On the one hand, he says that the "kingdom of God is among you" (17:21).  On the other hand, he talks bout what must take place before the Son of Man returns and the suddenness in which that will take place.  How do you understand the kingdom of God?  Is it a present reality?  A future reality? Some combination of both?

Perhaps part of what is going on is that Jesus' standard operating procedure is to deflect and redirect questions.  Jesus' answers are usually contextual because he is responding in the immediate moment to the person's question, and I think he is often trying to challenge the assumptions the person has.  To take Jesus' answer to any particular question and apply it to another question may not be fair to his comments.

Day 17 Advent Reading -- Luke Chapter 16

More parables!

The parable of the dishonest manager (16: 1-13) is a very nuanced argument.  What do you think Jesus is trying to say?

It might be helpful to remember that in the Greco-Roman world of Jesus' time, using money to create, maintain, and solidify friendships was standard practice.

A "lover of money" was not necessarily a wealthy person, but it was a person who was more concerned with his or her own social status than the poor.

Jesus challenges the Pharisees by noting that they justify themselves by others;  but God knows what's in a person's heart (16:14-15).

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, it is interesting to note that the only person called by name in the stories told in Luke is Lazarus, the poor may lying by the gate.

Reflections on "Interrupting Caesar" Luke 2: 1-3; Psalm 126

The Chapel sermon was interrupted by a coughing spell that seized me.  It was sort of sweet, though to look out at the congregation as tears streamed down my face from the coughing, and see such concerned looks on everyone's faces.  Of course, the coughing impacted my effectiveness as the preacher and the congregation's ability to hear the sermon.

This is the type of sermon I enjoy -- rather nuanced and take a little bit different perspective than might normally be taken -- but it is also a harder sermon to communicate a particular message.

I was really struck in my preparation by the gap between Augustus, who can command Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, and Jesus, who is born in manger in a  stable.  I'm not sure the sermon emphasized enough the difference between worldly power (as seen by Augustus) and God's power, that appears in the person of Christ.  I also think it's hard for most of us to appreciate that gap since we are closer to Augustus than Jesus on the power hierarchy in our world today.

"Interrupting Caesar” December 14, 2014; FPC, Troy; Advent 2 2014; Bit Players series; Luke 2: 1-3; Psalm 126

Introduction: We continue our Advent series looking at bit players in the Christmas story. This week the bit player is Caesar Augustus – he is barely mentioned in the story; not one of the faithful like Elizabeth; he does not make a live appearance in the story; but it is his demand as Emperor that everyone return to their ancestral home to be counted in the census that sends Joseph and Mary scurrying back to Bethlehem and sets the stage for the birth of Christ to take place there. who does not really make an appearance, but his demand that Joseph come to Bethlehem to register sets the stage for Jesus being born there.

Move 1: Why? Why in this story that is told through the lens of faith to people of faith in the hope of evoking a faithful response to Christ, why mention Augustus.

a. in the midst of the narrative of Jesus' birth, why the focus on historical details?

1. Maybe it's just Luke – very storyteller knows that some concrete details lends credibility to the story, so perhaps Luke wants to give Jesus' story a credible setting?
2. Or maybe Luke keeps hearing the question – “Why was Jesus of Nazareth born in Bethlehem? - so he wants to clarify why Jesus ended up in Bethlehem?

b. Not sure why, but we do know that by placing the story in its historical framework, Luke reminds us that Jesus' story is a real story.

1. The birth of Christ is not a fairy tale that we read to kids at night before we put them to bed.
2. not one of Aesop's fables with an interesting plot twist and a good moral at the end.
3. The birth of Christ is an historical event that takes place in the realm of human history.

500. It ought to impact us in real ways.

1. We can outgrow the fairy tale, but the birth of Christ impacts our lives forever.

2. A fable can affect our moral compass, but the birth of Christ calls us to give our lives over completely to the God who comes in Christ.

3. The story Luke tells about Christ's birth matters because it makes a demand on us in real ways in the daily living of our lives.

Move 2: The mention of Augustus also reminds us that in Jesus' time there were big dogs and little dogs, and Jesus was one of the little dogs.

a. “in those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus...”

1. Those brief words establish that Caesar is the big dog of Rome, and Rome is the big dog in the world.

1. Quirinius, the governor of Syria, is next one down on the pecking order of power.
   3. then I suppose there is King Herod.

4. way down on the pecking order, almost off the list, are Joseph, Mary, and their about to be born son Jesus.

b. Jesus is one of the little dogs in his world.

1. Jesus begins his life as one of the many nameless, faceless people who needs to be counted.

2. for the census, Caesar can command Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, and they do, even when Mary is about to give birth to her child.

3. They have to obey.
4. In fact, whatever Caesar Augustus might decree, Mary and Joseph have to do.
5. Not many options for people at their place in the power structure.

6. Most of us do not know what it is like to be at this low a spot on the power structure, but that's where Jesus made his appearance.

100. This reality links Jesus with the displaced people, who are strangers to the place where they are,
     1. people who are subject to the whims of the world,
     2. people for whom there is no place at the inn so they end of spending the night and giving birth to their child among the animals in the stable.

3. No surprise that as Luke tells the story the first people to come see Jesus are shepherds. You don't have to be an expert on the social classes in 1^st century Israel to know that shepherds arriving from the fields to see your baby is not a sign a royalty!

4. no surprise that as Jesus grows up he continually gets in trouble with the people in the positions of power.

5. by setting up the contrast between Augustus and Jesus, Luke makes the point that Jesus is a nobody by the standards of the world.

d. But, as Tom Long describes Mary and Joseph: if these these “faceless nobodies” are to “have any hope at all, [it] is not in Caesar Augustus, who commands their trek, but in the God of Israel who accompany them even when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (12/10/14 christian Century, 21)+

Move 3: Their hope is in the God who interrupts history.

a. By placing the story of Jesus in a concrete historical time, Luke reminds us that God intrudes in history -

1. That's who God is.

2. that's how God acts.

b. Psalm 126 recalls a specific time when God acted in history and calls on God to do so again.

1. The Israelites remember that when they were in exile, God restored them and brought them back to Jerusalem.

2. Not remembering some fictional story that makes them feel good, but laying claim to what God had actually done previously.
3. Now in their difficult time, they need God to act again.

4., their hope is not in the powers of the world, but in their God, who has saved them before.

100. You may remember the movie The Polar Express.
     1. An imaginative film that follows the adventures of young kids who ride the magical train the Polar Express to the North Pole.
     2. At the ideological center of the movie Santa Claus says, “just remember, the true spirit of Christmas is in your heart”

3. It sounds good, but that makes Christmas a sentimental holiday that is dictated by what's in an individual's heart. (“Apocalyptic Christmas” Journal of Preachers, Advent, 2013, Joshua Rice, 33)

d. But the world does not need a sentimental attitude that each of us defines in our own hearts.

1. The world needs God to interrupt and intercede.

2. In world with violence and bloodshed breaking out, we need God to interrupt and change it.

3. In a world where loved ones battle diseases and people struggle along their medical journeys, we need God to enter in, to be in our midst.

4. In a world where we worry about our jobs, our families, our futures, where it sometimes feels like we're standing on quick sand rather than firm footing, we need the God who comes in real time to arrive.

Conclusion: As Santa arrives in the movie Polar Express, one bell breaks loose from a harness and the hero boy retrieves it. He first hears nothing but when he believes, he hears a sound. Santa entrusts the boy the bell as “The first gift of Christmas”.

As the movie ends with the boy back home opening a present of the bell that his parents cannot hear ring, the narrator tells us that the bell only rings for those who truly believe ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Polar_Express_%28film%2)

a wonderfully sentimental ending for a movie.

Luke tells another story. Not a sentimental story, but a story that begins, “In those days” and then tells about the birth of Christ, the coming of God into the world to save and redeem.

Believe it.

+I think Long's reference to walking through the valley of the shadow of death plays off of Psalm 23 (obviously), but also references the fact that the walk to Bethlehem would have been difficult with challenges along the way.

Day 16 Advent Reading -- Luke Chapter 15

This chapter contains three fairly family parables:  lost sheep; lost coin; and the prodigal son.

As you read these parables, consider who you are in the parable and choose the person you would not usually be.

The Lost Sheep:  consider how this story plays out if you are one of the 99 sheep left while the shepherd goes looking for the lost sheep (What do you think of the selfish, or silly, or stupid sheep who has gotten lost and now demands the attention of the shepherd who should be giving you attention?).  Or consider what the shepherd might be thinking as he looks for the lost sheep (Is he feeling very gracious as his work day extends to looking for the sheep?).

The Lost Coin:  Be one of the neighbors invited to rejoice with the woman who has found the lost coin (Do you really care about her finding it?).

The Prodigal Son:  Try being the older brother (the return of the younger brother upsets your plans a bit).  Or what about the mother, from whom we hear nothing.  What is she thinking?  Or maybe there was a sister (again, not mentioned) who isn't getting an inheritance whether the brother comes back or not, and whose role and power in the family is not impacted by whether the brother returns or not, because she has no power in the patriarchal world in which she lives.

Day 15 Advent Reading: Luke Chapter 14

Another example of Jesus still in relationship with Pharisees - he goes to dinner on the sabbath at one of their leaders of the Pharisees (14: 1)  Again the issue of when rules should apply -- as in, is it OK to heal (that would be considered working) on the sabbath.  Jesus has a pretty clear answer; the Pharisees either can't comment or won't comment (14: 5-6).

The parable of the great dinner when the invited guests would not come reminds us how many excuses we make to not participate in what Christ has prepared for us.

Jesus again reminds us of the high cost of discipleship (14: 25-33).  Does your discipleship seem costly to you?

Day 14 Advent Reading - Luke Chapter 13

The parable of the barren fig tree (13:6-9) asks if we are bearing good fruit.  Are you?

Jesus continues to confront those who believe the rules are more important than the ministry (13: 10-17).  have you noticed that this issue keeps popping up in the Gospel?  How often does this issue appear in your daily living?

Notice that it is Pharisees who come to warn Jesus about King Herod wanting to kill him (13:31).  After the hard time Jesus has given Pharisees, this casts them in a different light.A reminder that we need to be careful when we speak of groups of people as if everyone is the same.

Day 13 Advent Reading -- Luke Chapter 12

Notice that the crowds really want to be with Jesus.  When I read of thier thirst to hear from Jesus and be around him, I wonder how my desire to serve Jesus and learn about Jesus compares.

We often think of Advent only as preparing for the coming of the Christ-child, but Advent also calls us to look toward the time when Christ will come again.  That's what Jesus addresses in the parables in this chapter.  Are you better at storing and saving for the future or living as if Christ might return tomorrow?  I suspect my investment strategy and retirement thoughts lean toward the former rather than the latter?

Just for fun:  Write down what you would to tomorrow if you knew Christ's return was going to be take place in two days!

"Interrupting Caesar" Luke 2: 1-2; Psalm 126

This week the bit player is Caesar, who does not really make an appearance, but his demand that Joseph come to Bethlehem to register sets the stage for Jesus being born there.

Why in the midst of the narrative of Jesus' birth, why the focus on historical details?  Every storyteller knows that some concrete details lends credibility to the story, so perhaps Luke wants to give Jesus' story a credible setting?  Or maybe Luke is trying to clarify why Jesus ended up in Bethlehem?

It certainly establishes the fact that Jesus begins his life among the displaced people, who are strangers to the place where they are, and subject oo the whims of the world.

it also reminds us that the Roman Empire was the big dog in the neighborhood

It also sets up the symbolism:  Caesar controls Rome; Quirinius controls Syria; no one controls God. God can arrive anywhere, even in a manger.

Thomas Long describes Mary and Joseph in this way:  "They are faceless nobodies under the boot of an uncaring empire. Their only hope -- if have any hope at all -- is not in Caesar Augustus, who commands their trek, but in the God of Israel, who accompanies them even when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death"  (12/10/14 Christian Century, 21).

I think Long's reference to walking through the valley of the shadow of death plays off of Psalm 23 (obviously), but also references the fact that the walk to Bethlehem would have been difficult with challenges along the way.

By placing the story of Jesus in a concrete historical time, Luke reminds us that God intrudes in history -- Jesus' story is not a fairy tale; not a fable; but an historical event.

Psalm 126 recalls a specific time when God acted in history and calls on God to do so again.

Day 12 Advent Reading -- Chapter 11

Compare the prayer Jesus teaches the disciples with the Lord's Prayer that we pray each week.

Just for fun:  For your prayer today, use each line from the prayer Jesus taught the disciples (11:2-4) and at the end of each line take a few moments to add your own prayers that fit with that particular line.

Read the 11: 5-13 as a further explanation of how we approach God in prayer.  Remember that when Jesus calls God "father," he does so in a world in which fathers are expected to be power wielding, coercive authorities.  Notice how Jesus redefines "father" as being generous, gracious, and compassionate.

How can you be the light of God that shines in the world (11: 33-6).  This reminds me of the prophet Isaiah words:  "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined."  Isaiah 9:2

Jesus continues to push the Pharisees and lawyers for their willingness to put the law about love and grace (11: 37-52)

The Pharisees and scribes turn against Jesus (11: 53-54).  Notice that even as they try to "catch" Jesus, they do it based on whether Jesus is obeying the law.  They are so tied to the law, that they cannot see beyond it.

Day 11 Advent Reading -- Luke 10: 24-42

How is the reading of Luke going for you?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is only found in the Gospel of Luke.

In part, this parable expands the sense of who is a person's neighbor by suggesting that the person who gets it right is the Samaritan, the age-old enemy of the Israelites.  But, it may also be Jesus' way of challenging the people to quit being so concerned about what the rules say they should do and be gracious and merciful.

Notice also that the Samaritan not only takes the man to an inn, but also provides for his future care. there is also the promise of his return to make sure the mn is cred for at the inn.

The familiar Martha nd Mary story.  Are you Martha or Mary? Can you see value in both?

Day 10 Advent Reading -- Luke 10: 1-23

The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible translates 10:1 as "seventy" elders being sent.  Other manuscripts use "seventy-two," which in some ways makes sense because Greek writings of that time suggest that there were seventy-two nations in the world.  Thus, Jesus would be sending a number symbolizing all the nations of the world.

Notice that the disciples go out in pairs.

Jesus gives the impression that sharing the gospel with people can only work when people are willing to accept them.  This reminds us that as followers of Christ, he expects us to share with others about him.  But, we are not responsible for making others believe or choose to follow Christ.  We are witnesses to what Christ has done; we cannot force people to follow Christ.

The seventy (or seventy-two!) come back and share all that they have done.  They are amazed that "even the demons submit to us!" (10:17).    Jesus tells them not to rejoice at what they have been able to do, but rejoice that "their names are written in heaven," (10:20), which serves as a reminder that joy is not found in the power to do things for Christ, but in being counted as one of Christ's own.

What have you done in the name of Christ?

Reflections on "Tell Me More" Isaiah 40 1-11; Luke 1: 39-45

I had a lot of fun preparing this sermon and preaching it.  I changed the conclusion a bit for the Sanctuary service, and it worked much better.

I loved the Midge illustration that began the sermon.  The final illustration from the Chicago Tribune is listed in its entirety, but when I preached it, I didn't read it verbatim.


"Tell Me More” December 7, 2014; FPC, Troy; Advent 2 2014; Bit Players series; Luke 1: 39-45; Isaiah 40:1-11

Move 1: Do you remember Midge?

     a.  In her latest iteration, Midge was the friend of Barbie who had a husband Alan and child Ryan. She came complete with a talking house, backyard swimming pool, neighborhood market, and playground.

But that's not the first time Midge hit the scene. The first time she arrived as the pregnant friend of Barbie's who had a tiny baby named Nikki found in a magnetic, removable womb.

That midge ran into a few problems. It seems to some customers thought that a pregnant friend of Barbie's promoted teen pregnancy; and Midge did not wear a wedding ring or come with a husband, so she promoted unwed pregnancies. The ensuing uproar led to the pulling of Midge off the shelves of some stores and eventually Midge no longer being made, until years later when she arrived with husband and wedding ring.
(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2002-12-24-pregnant-doll_x.htm Rev. Lauren Winner, an Episcopal priest, author, and blogger led me to these two illustrations/articles in her blog "Do You Remember Midge?" http://thq.wearesparkhouse.org/featured/advent4cgospel/)

Apparently, a doll of Mary – at least as a young, pregnant girl who was not married, would not have been welcome on the shelves of the local store!

     b. Imagine what Mary must have felt like.

         1. Everyone looking, everyone talking.

         2. no doubt, she was the topic of conversation in the neighborhood.

         3. Where can she go? To get away... to escape.

     c. To see her cousin Elizabeth.

         1. Elizabeth, one of the bit players in the story of Christ's birth.

         2. no sermons in the last 20+ years of preaching.

          3. In fact, no sermon illustrations in my file.

          4. We read about her every year, at least if we are reading the story from the Gospel of Luke, but she resides in the background of the story.

           5. Elizabeth is having a challenging time: she is pregnant late in life with her son who will become John the Baptist; her husband has been struck mute for the duration of her pregnancy (ok, maybe that's a blessing not a challenge);

           6. I imagine Elizabeth is the talk of her town as well.

           7. the God thing probably seems a bit overwhelming.

d. But notice what Elizabeth does, or maybe better put, what she does not do – she does not judge Mary. (I found a wonderful description of how Elizabeth greets Mary from Rick Morley, an Episcopalian priest and blogger [http://www.rickmorley.com/archives/2154] who writes about Elizabeth in his blog).


      1. Elizabeth greets Mary with joy: " Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

       2. What it must have meant for Mary to have heard those words.

       3. no matter what everyone else says about Mary, to Elizabeth she was a joy. And her pregnancy was a gift from God.

        4.what an affirmation.

        5. Elizabeth in her bit role in the Christmas story reminds us that we need people who look upon the world and see God’s redeeming hand at work, not just see the worst in other people and ourselves.

        6. Elizabeth invites us to spend our Advent season being a little less judgmental.

Move 2: Elizabeth offers Mary a word of comfort.

a. Actually, we do not know what she said.

      1. what we do know is that Mary arrives in haste and stays for three months.


      2. The conversation must have been pretty good. I have this vision of Mary telling Elizabeth, “Tell me more,” because her words of comfort were so meaningful.

       3. some years I ask the confirmation class what Elizabeth might have said to Mary – “talked about their babies,” or “about being pregnant”.”

      4.My favorite: Elizabeth told Mary “her everything is going to be alright.”

b. Mary is not the first person to need words of comfort.

       1. Isaiah prophesies to a people who need to hear words of comfort.

        2. he comforts them with the promise that the Lord is coming to rescue them.

Elizabeth models for us what it means to offer comfort to people.

Move 3: Elizabeth's story reminds us that Christmas is not just for children.

a. Kids love Christmas.

     1. The preparation – tree; seeing Christmas lights; getting to be a camel or a star in the Advent play.

     2. The excitement of opening presents.

     3. there is a lot about Christmas that excites kids.

b. But Christmas is also for the broken-hearted, the disbelieving who are seduced into believing by the God who does the unexpected.

      1. Elizabeth connects Mary to their history – Sarah, Abraham's husband, who gave birth to Isaac late in life as a sign of God's covenant with Israel.

      2. Hannah, another woman who unexpectedly gets pregnant after promising to give her child, who turns out to be the great prophet Samuel, over to serving God.

      3. even as Mary is carrying in her womb the one who will usher in a new history, Elizabeth connects us the those who have been looking for God to come into the world to save them.

Conclusion:   A few years ago, the Chicago Tribune had a story about a bride preparing for her wedding.

One year before wedding: Select a date, time and place. Reserve reception hall. Start diet.

Nine months before wedding: Hire photographer. Shop for wedding dress. Plan honeymoon.

Six months before wedding: Choose bridesmaids' dresses. Hire florist. Order wedding cake.

Three months before wedding: Mail invitations. Plan rehearsal dinner. Apply for marriage license.

(Left out contacting minister and doing pre-marital counseling, but I'm sure they were doing that as well!).

Six weeks before wedding: Find out fiance has been cheating on you. Hire someone to kill him.

OK, scratch that. You're a better woman than that. And if you're not, you can look to Kyle Paxman for inspiration. On July 28, a stranger presented her with e-mails and other evidence that her fiance and his girlfriend were an item. The Sept. 9 wedding was off.

The reception was another matter, though. Paxman and her mother soon learned that although they could cancel the band, the florist and the photographer, they would still have to pay for the four-course dinner for 125 people. So at a time when others might be setting up a Web site to warn the sisterhood about a certain suddenly available bachelor, Paxman found herself trying "to turn this into something positive."

She revised the guest list – no men this time – and turned the party into a benefit for two charities. She chose the Vermont Children's Aid Society because she grew up in Vermont. She added CARE U.S.A. after seeing a television commercial about its programs to empower women in developing countries.

Paxman said the idea was to surround herself with strong women and help raise money to make others stronger. Instead of buying place settings and linens for the newlyweds, her girlfriends wrote checks for the two charities.

She didn't get to wear the Caroline Herrera gown, didn't get to take that first spin on the dance floor with her new husband, didn't get the chance to smash the wedding cake in his face for the camera, not that she sounds like the type, anyway. After a honeymoon in Tahiti--with her mom--Paxman plans to get on with her life. We just know she's going to live happily ever after. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-09-12/news/0609120228_1_wedding-marriage-license-honeymoon, Chicago Tribue, referenced by Lillian Daniel in her sermon "How Can I Keep From singing," Journal for Preachers, Vol. XXXII, Number 1, Advent, 2008

In a bride's moment of crisis, she gathers with women for comfort and supports causes that bring hope to people.

Mary knows what she needs in her moment of crisis – another woman with whom to share what is happening in her life. A woman like Elizabeth.

And together to prepare for the coming of first John the Baptist, and then Jesus, who will bring comfort and hope to the world.