12-27-2020 "Past and Future Come Together" Sermon

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WELCOME AND DATE — First Sunday of Christmas

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HOPE YOU HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS slide

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GREETING

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So glad you’re here this morning. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and hope we’ll be able to be together in person soon.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNOUNCEMENT — Ralls Mobile Food Pantry

Food distribution to needy families in Ralls begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 14. Volunteers needed — come about 30 minutes or so early.

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ANNOUNCEMENT — Upper Room magazines available

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regular and large-size print, in foyer at each church or call pastor to get a copy

ANNOUNCEMENT — Upcoming Charge Conferences to be held this week by Zoom, date to be announced

We got all our Charge Conference documents into the District Office before the deadline, but I’ve had a little trouble scheduling the required Charge Conferences. The pastors who will conduct our meetings — most likely by Zoom — have been out-of-pocket due to the holidays and needing to have all the documentation turned in before the. meeting. I’m expecting those Zoom meetings to take place early this week, and I’ll let you know as soon as I have a date and time. We can take care of church business and see a few familiar faces.

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ANNOUNCEMENT — Let pastor know of announcements, prayer requests

details

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CENTERING OUR HEARTS IN WORSHIP

(change to FIRST HYMN slide, which gives the name of the hymn and stays up for a short introduction of the hymn. Then the slide changes to the words of the first hymn (a single slide that is actually several slides. Use the right arrow to go to the next slide. If a verse is broken up into more than one slide, the signal for the slide change is — ) (It’s best so hit the right arrow to change the slide immediately as the final word in the first verse begins — in this case, the last “today” — and go to the next verse — perhaps a half-second sooner. At the end of the second verse, do the same thing with the last “this” to stop the music and go to the GATHERING PRAYER slide. That slide will stay up throughout the prayer — to the “AMEN”)

FIRST HYMN — “Good Christian Men, Rejoice”

Our first hymn is really old — it’s been around for some 165 years. But it is appropriate that we Christian men and women rejoice with heart and soul and voice at the Good News that Christ has been born. There’s a short introduction and then we’ll sing two verses.

Verse 1

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice

give ye heed to what we say: “ News! News!

Jesus Christ is born today!

Ox and ass before Him bow and He is in the manger now.

Christ is born today! Christ is born today! —

(short interlude and song continues for one more verse)

Verse 2

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice.

Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy!

Jesus Christ was born for this.

He has opened heaven's door

And man is blessed evermore

Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!

(It’s best so hit the right arrow to change the slide immediately as the final word begins — in this case, the second “this!” — perhaps even a half second earlier, This will stop the music and take you to the GATHERING PRAYER slide. That slide will stay up throughout the prayer — to the “AMEN”)

GATHERING PRAYER

Savior Christ, we give You praise in this Christmas season. May we continue to share in the spirit of joy and peace with one another. May we brighten someone else’s day with good cheer. May we fill the hungry with good things however we can, whenever we can. May we carry the spirit of this season each and every day in our hearts, for You came to us as one of us. You were born as we were born. You cried as each of us cried, and You loved and were loved, as we have loved and continue to love. Each and every day, may we remember that unto us is born a Savior, Christ our Lord. Amen. [Attribution: Rev. Mindi Mitchell-Welton, on her Rev-O-Lution website]

change slide to CALL TO WORSHIP — Signal to change slide is —)

CALL TO WORSHIP

PASTOR: We look to the past with gratitude,

PEOPLE: We look to the future with hope. --

PASTOR: We have been through a difficult year,

PEOPLE: We remember that God is present with us, now. --

PASTOR: As we prepare for resolutions and renewal in the new year,

PEOPLE: May we seek a new understanding of ourselves. --

PASTOR: May we seek a deeper relationship with God,

PEOPLE: as we turn to Jesus Christ, our Lord. — (ATTRIBUTION: based on a liturgy by Rev. Mindi Mitchell-Welton, on her Rev-O-Lution website)

(change slide to Old Testament reading and leave up during the introduction to the passage)

OLD TESTAMENT READING

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

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Isaiah is writing in a time when God has been silent for years., and the people sometimes thought God had abandoned them. Times were tough, and there certainly was no reason to celebrate, even if they were out of so many years in exile — and yet, that is exactly what Isaiah is calling for. God’s people celebrate — that’s who they are: Not because the immediate situation calls for it, but because God has promised to be with His people in all circumstances, even when there seems to be no word from God. Isaiah sees a new beginning for Israel — their past transgressions forgiven , a new day with new opportunities ahead.

These words were true in the days when Isaiah called for rejoicing in the Lord, and it is prophetic when we consider that all the prophecies of Isaiah about the Messiah were fulfilled in the days of Advent and Christmas. Christ was born— God with us. And look images Isaiah uses —light, a bridegroom, growth and restoration, being given a new name and a new identity. These are all images we see again in the life of Christ and we are given a new beginning and a new identity in Christ as adopted children of God.

Let’s hear what the prophet has to say in Isaiah 61:10-62:3, reading from the Common English Bible:

(change slide to Isaiah 61:10-6 2:3, which will look like one slide but is several slides, Use right arrow to change slide.)

10 I surely rejoice in the Lord; my heart is joyful because of my God, because he has clothed me with clothes of victory, wrapped me in a robe of righteousness --

like a bridegroom in a priestly crown, and like a bride adorned in jewelry. --

11 As the earth puts out its growth, and as a garden grows its seeds, so the Lord God will grow righteousness and praise before all the nations. --

62 For Zion’s sake I won’t keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t sit still until her righteousness shines out like a light, and her salvation blazes like a torch. --

2 Nations will see your righteousness, all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name,

which the Lord’s own mouth will determine. --

3 You will be a splendid garland in the Lord’s hand, a royal turban in the palm of God’s hand.--

SECOND HYMN — “Away in a Manger”

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Our second hymn is one of the earliest Christmas carols that a child learns to sing, and is certainly one of the sweetest: “Away in a Manger. “ Although I seriously doubt that part about “no crying he makes"— He was ever bit human, and human babies cry. There’s a short introduction, and we’ll sing two verses, with almost no interlude before the second verse.

VERSE 1

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head:

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay; The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. --

VERSE 2

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;

I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky, and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. --

(Change slide immediately on “nigh” to the CENTERING OUR HEARTS IN PRAYER slide. Leave up as pastor talks about prayer needs.

When the pastor says “Let’s take these joys and concerns to the Lord in prayer,” change to PASTORAL PRAYER slide and leave it up during the prayer.

CENTERING OUR HEARTS IN PRAYER

Emilie Cook has been on our prayer list a long time, and Susan Kirk says she is back in the hospital with new complications from old problems. Susan said she was apparently not getting the needed care at the nursing home she has been in for several weeks. Pat Brown’s sister Mary Peckinpaugh died this week. Keep that family in your prayers.

PASTORAL PRAYER

(this stays up during the prayer — when the pastor says “the words our Lord taught us, saying...” change to LORD’S PRAYER slide)

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, Who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom comes. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. --

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. --

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.--

(at the conclusion of the prayer and the “Amen,” change to TITHES AND OFFERINGS slide and leave up for a second or two.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS

Then there will be two announcement slides -- put the first one up on where to send offerings and leave up a few seconds so people can see addresses, etc., and then change to announcement slide about Enchanted Tree.

(after the announcements, pastor will say we’re going to sing Doxology to thank God for all that He has done for us, so change to words to Doxology slide) PASTOR No vocal — sing along)

DOXOLOGY

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him, above ye heavenly host.

Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost.

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EPISTLE READING

Galatians 4:4-7

Paul has been writing to the church at Galatia, pointing out that all things have changed. — No barriers, no Jew or Gentile, no slave or free, no male or female God has once again turned the world upside down, and He did it in “the fullness of time,” with a child birthed of a human woman and born under the law, as a strict Jew. But to underscore what he is saying, Paul uses the image of adoption. It is the adopTOR who makes it all happen, not the adopTEE. He reminds them that the coming of Christ into the world as a human allowed God to enter into a direct, personal relationship, and that relationship is exemplified in addressing the child in the familiar “Daddy” instead of “Father.”

Hear how Paul writes about this in Galatians 4:4-7, reading from the Common English Bible:

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4 But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.--

5 This was so he could redeem those under the Law so that we could be adopted. --

6 Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,

“Abba, Father!” --

7 Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and if you are his child, then you are also an heir through God. --

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BREAKING OPEN OUR HEARTS WITH THE WORD

SERMON TITLE: "Past and Future Come Together”

University of Arizona Professor of Music Tom Ervin bought what he was told was a talking metronome while he was attending a conference for music teachers in New York. Those things usually don’t talk — the musician just sets the beats per minute in a song and the metronome ticks out the sound at the right interval. One would usually have a pendulum that swings back in forth in time to the music.

At any rate, Tom and his son were at the security check-in as they prepared to board a flight home. “What is this?” asked the security guard as he pulled the 6x3-inch black box covered with dials and switches out of the carry-on bag. It did look strange, and some nearby people sensed trouble and moved away.

Tom explained the contraption was a metronome." It’s a talking metronome,” he said. "Look, I'll show you,” he said, realizing that he had no idea how the thing worked. He saw a switch and tentatively flipped it — and in perfect time, the metronome spoke: "One . . . two . . . three . . . four." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Tom Ervin.

Later, Tom’s son whispered to his dad, "Aren't you glad it didn't go 'four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . ?”

For the past few weeks we have been counting down the days until Christmas. Now, we’re counting the hours as we await the New Year. But as King Duncan put it, “We need to linger with Mary and Joseph for a little while longer, because what happened immediately after Christmas is a stark reminder of the world in which we live.” And more importantly, it is a stark reminder of the world the Messiah came to save. [ATTRIBUTION: King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com”]

After my Sermon Starter/Illustration, I usually begin talking about some of the connections to the past, to the Old Testament lessons that lead us to the Gospel lesson, and then read the Gospel lesson. We are going to be looking at those connections to the past, because they ‘re integral to the Gospel lesson. However, I think today it’s best to start out with the reading of the Gospel lesson, which is about four separate incidents in the early life of Jesus as a baby and young boy that point to one over-arching theme having to do with WHY Jesus came into the world. We’ll explore all that as we go along. First, let’s read Luke 2:21-40 in the Common English Bible:

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Gospel Lesson — Luke 2:21-40

21 When eight days had passed, Jesus’ parents circumcised him and gave him the name Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived. --

22 When the time came for their ritual cleansing, in accordance with the Law from Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. --

23 (It’s written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord.”) 24 They offered a sacrifice in keeping with what’s stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. --

25 A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was righteous and devout. He eagerly anticipated the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.--

26 The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple area. --

Meanwhile, Jesus' parents brought the child to the temple so that they could do what was customary under the Law. 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. --

He said, 29 “Now, master, let your servant go in peace according to your word, 30 because my eyes have seen your salvation. --

31 You prepared this salvation in the presence of all peoples. 32 It’s a light for revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for your people Israel.” --

33 His father and mother were amazed by what was said about him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said

to Mary his mother, “This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition --

35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too.” —

36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old. After she married, she lived with her husband for seven years. --

37 She was now an 84-year-old widow. She never left the temple area but worshipped God

with fasting and prayer night and day. --

38 She approached at that very moment and began to praise God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. -

39 When Mary and Joseph had completed everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown, Nazareth in Galilee. -

40 The child grew up and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him. --

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WHAT ARE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE PAST?

Christmas has come and gone. The baby has been born, and the family begins its life together. But it is a Jewish family, and there are traditions associated with the Law handed down to Moss by God, and so that’s where the lectionary takes us this week. At some point, they leave Bethlehem and go to the Temple in Jerusalem, but it’s not clear exactly when they went to Jerusalem. There were rituals to be performed, offerings to be made — and they were all predicated on one simple idea: a child is a gift of God — some said a child was not given to a parent but only lent, and that the parent is answerable for that gift. At least two of the traditions took place at the Temple and all three were on a Biblically outlined timetable laid out in Leviticus and Numbers. Mary and Joseph are following these rules of the Law of Moses. [ATTRIBUTION: William Barclay (Ed.) The Gospel of Luke (p. 24) The Westminster John Knox Press, Philadelphia, PA]

What are these traditions? First is circumcision. Leviticus 12:3 says EVERY Jewish boy should be circumcised on the 8th day after his birth and formally given his name. Commentator William Barclay points out that the ceremony would take place even if the 8th day was a Sabbath, when “almost every other act which was not considered absolutely essential was forbidden.” That shows how important it was in the Jewish faith.

Luke is the only Gospel writer to mention the circumcision, and he spends only one verse on that event, although he is careful to point out that the baby was given the name told to Mary by the angel before He was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit. Some traditions say the circumcision and formal naming of the baby happened in Bethlehem, while others say Jerusalem. The translation we read today said Mary and Joseph circumcised Him, although some translations use the less specific “they.”

About a month later, they took Jesus for the second tradition, which is called “the Redemption of the First-Born,” although Luke doesn’t mention this in his account. This ritual recognized that the firstborn male of humans or cattle belonged to God, and Numbers 18:16 laid out a price the parents could pay to “buy back” their son from God. The amount was 5 shekels, and it had to be paid to the priests at least 31 days after the birth of the boy or shortly after. It’s hard to get an exact handle of what might be in American money today, but perhaps around $5? Still, that would have been a lot of money for a poor Jewish carpenter.

We know they were poor because of the third tradition, which had to do with whether a baby was a boy or a girl. Don’t ask me why that made a difference — it just did. Leviticus 12:1-12 spells it all out. When a woman had a baby, she was considered “unclean” for 40 days if she had a boy or 80 days if it was a girl. Like I said, don’t ask.

During that time, she couldn’t enter the Temple or touch any holy thing, so that makes it unlikely Jesus’ circumcision took place in the Temple — unless Joseph took Him there. But boy or girl, special offerings were required from the mother— a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. But lambs were expensive, and Leviticus said that if the woman was poor, she could bring a second pigeon or turtledove instead of a lamb. The priest would accept the offering and declare her “clean” again.

Luke tells us two birds were the offering, so that meant Mary and Joseph were poor, and the timing would be at least 40 days after the birth of Jesus.

So the first part of our reading today has to do with the devout couple — Mary and Joseph — fulfilling the duties of their faith — circumcision, the redemption of the first-born, and the purification after childbirth. But the thrust of this passage is what happens next — two separate events unfolding that reflect the fulfillment of thousands of years of prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, the one who would deliver Israel.

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONNECTION

Of course, this looked different to different people. As we continue to look at the Connections to the Past, , we’ve noticed that few Jews who read Isaiah took note of the “Suffering Servant” aspect of the coming Messiah or one who would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, as opposed to a mighty stallion. And NO ONE saw the Messiah as God Himself coming to earth as a human baby, although many did believe God Himself would break directly into history by supernatural means. Certainly, prophecies indicated that the Messiah would come from King David’s lineage, and the people believed that this new king would lead armies with all the drama that heaven would provide.

No, as Derl G. Keefer puts it, “The Jews desperately wanted to believe that the sovereign God would deliver them from the Romans so that one day they would be masters of the world and lords of all nations. Many believed that a supernatural champion would arrive on the scene to take the nation to the fullest extent of power... even if force was involved.” They could hear the shouting of hallelujah and amen reverberating throughout the world because their God provided their champion.” That was the prevailing view of most Jews, or what we’d call “hawks” today. [ATTRIBUTION: Derl G. Keefer, from his “As Mary and Joseph Enter” sermon]

But there were what we’d call “doves,” a relatively small sect of Judaism known as the “ Quiet of the Land,” Barclay said. These man “had no dreams of violence and of power and of armies with banners; they believed in a life of constant prayer and quiet watchfulness until God should come. All their lives they waited quietly and patiently upon God."

It really came down to expectations of the kind of person the Messiah would be and what the Messiah was coming to do and how he would do it.

And that brings us to Simeon, who was one of the “Quiet of the Land_ — a man of “prayer, worship, expectation, and hope. Those hopes and expectations were fulfilled when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple. "Simeon’s heart gave a leap as he recognized that this baby was the anointed king sent by God to save Israel and the world.” [Keefer, Ibid.]

(change to the SIMEON IS THE FIRST TO SEE JESUS AS THE MESSIAH slide and leave up until the ANNA RECOGNIZES THE MESSIAH, TOO slide)

SIMEON IS THE FIRST TO SEE JESUS AS THE MESSIAH

It’s 40 days after Mary’s baby boy Jesus was born, and it is time for the purification ritual. They bring Him to the Temple, where an old man named Simeon is in his usual place. That is, it doesn’t appear that Simeon is a priest — Luke is the only Gospel writer to record this incident, and he doesn’t say Simeon is a priest, but rather that he is a godly man, and he apparently goes to the Temple every day to worship and praise God as he looks forward to the coming of the Messiah with anticipation. Simeon is quite elderly, but the Holy Spirit has told him that he will, indeed, see the coming of the Messiah before he dies.

And that’s exactly what DID happen on this remarkable day. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple and while they are there, Simeon sees the baby in Mary’s arms. He is in the Spirit, who helps him recognize that this baby is, in fact, the long -ago-promised and long-awaited Messiah. Simeon is the first to see this — the lowly shepherds had angels proclaiming His birth and they had gone to see Him, but they had no idea this was the Messiah. But Simeon knew it instantly.

His response? He basically says, “You can take me now, Lord, because I have seen Your Messiah!” He then prophesies that this baby is the instrument God will use to deliver God’s people, both from Roman bondage but salvation that puts people back into right relationship with God. But Simeon goes further. This Messiah would not be just for the Jews, but would bring light to the Gentiles. He said this 30 years before Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” But Simeon sees something else. This baby will meet opposition, and that Mary’s soul will be pierced. We’ll look in a few minutes at how these prophecies were fulfilled.

(change to the ANNA RECOGNIZES THE MESSIAH, TOO slide and leave up until the AS HE GROWS UP, JESUS FINDS FAVOR WITH GOD slide)

ANNA RECOGNIZES THE MESSIAH, TOO

Luke calls Anna a prophet. He doesn’t tell us much about her, although he spells out her Jewish lineage and spends two verses describing her age and her long widowhood, although it’s not clear exactly how old she was. Luke says she was an 84-year-old widow. Some scholars think that means she was 84 years old, although others think she had been a widow for 84 years, which would have made her even older — probably about 100.

She never left the Temple, staying night and day and worshipping through prayer and fasting. She, too, like Simeon, was part of the Quiet of the Land, and as such, had never given up hope that God would deliver His people and send His Messiah. Many regarded her words as those of the Lord, and they “regularly they turned to her for insight into the future and an understanding of the present.”

And like Simeon, Anna immediately recognized that the baby before her WAS the Messiah, and she began prophesying that Jesus would bring liberation to Jerusalem. She praised God and this baby to everyone she met that had the same hope for the redemption of Jerusalem.

As one writer put it, “Can you imagine the excitement and wonder of Mary and Joseph? Every Jewish mother of that day hoped her newborn son might someday become the Messiah, God's anointed King. Now, at this highly emotional time, Mary and Joseph have been told by two highly respected religious people that their child is to be the one.

(change to the AS HE GROWS UP, JESUS FINDS FAVOR WITH GOD slide until the TEMPLE PROPHECIES COME TRUE slide)

AS HE GROWS UP, JESUS FINDS FAVOR WITH GOD

And that brings us to the fourth incident that Luke records about the Jesus. No more mention is made in the Gospels about Him until He is 12 and goes to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph discover Him missing, they return to the Temple to find Him in deep discussion with the religious leaders there. A 12-year-old boy.

A lot must have happened in t hose intervening years, but the Bible is silent about them — except for this one entry in Luke. After the family had completed the requirements of the Law about circumcision and the redemption of the first born and the purification after childbirth of the mother, Mary and Joseph take Jesus back to their hometown — Nazareth in the region of Galilee (like saying Ralls or Lorenzo in the state of Texas).

But Luke tells us one more thing — Jesus grew up and became strong and filled with wisdom. And most important, “God’s favor was on Him.” All is well. Everything is going along according to plan.

(change to the TEMPLE PROPHECIES COME TRUE and leave up until the OUR HEARTS RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD slide)

TEMPLE PROPHECIES COME TRUE

It’s one thing for an old man or an old woman to make predictions about the future of a newborn child. It’s quite another thing for those predictions to come true some 30 years later, but that’s what happened. Simeon said Jesus would be the cause whereby many would fall and many would rise. The world was changed with the coming of Jesus — when people are confronted “with the goodness and loveliness” of Jesus, their hearts “run out in answering love,” and that one is within the Kingdom, Barclay said. However, if that one remains coldly unmoved or actively hostile, he is condemned, and he will fall.

Simeon said Jesus would be the cause whereby many would rise. Seneca said that what men needed above all was a hand let down to lift them up. It is the hand of Jesus which lifts a man out of the old life and into the new, out of the sin into the goodness, out of the shame into the glory.

Simeon and Anna were right. Many fell away because of Jesus. They could not bear his words of truth. The change he required was too painful. They had wanted him to bless their way of life, rather than change it. Consequently, they fell away, and still do.

Still, those first two are judgment calls — Has this one risen? Has that one fallen? But there is no judgment in the final prophecy — Jesus would be met with much opposition, and that is certainly what happened. A little at first, as He reframed what God really meant in the Ten Commandments and set up new expectations for the way God wants us to live our lives. There was lot later, and it eventually ended with the religious leaders conspiring to have Him killed and — and Jesus was executed like a common criminal. Of course, we know “The Rest of the Story,” and we know that Jesus had and has the final word. But the fact is, you can’t be neutral when it comes to Jesus. You either “surrender to Him” or you are “at war with Him,” as Barclay says. [ATTRIBUTION: Barclay, Ibid.]

(change to the OUR HEARTS RESPOND TO THE WORD slide and leave up until time for the AFFIRMATION OF FAITH slide

OUR HEARTS RESPOND TO THE WORD

What are some lessons for us in today’s Gospel lesson?

We know that Mary and Joseph were faithful to the rituals of their church. And we are called to do the same. Obviously, some aspects of that will look different right now, because of COVID. We’re doing our best to protect members of our congregations and our neighbors and thus aren’t holding public worship. We hope to resume that soon, at the decision of the Church Councils at each church. We can continue to do our daily devotions — prayer and Bible reading and fasting, for those who do that. We can reach out to people with comfort and encouragement, although some of us are better at doing that than others. And when we do get our, we seek to bring the light of the world to those around us and to BE the church to everyone we meet.

Simeon was doing all those things — worshipping, praying — but the thing that impresses me most about him is that he went to the Temple area when he did. He expected God to guide him in all things, and when the Spirit said “Go,” he went. At the exact moment that the baby Messiah was being brought into the Temple.

I think more times than we realize, God speaks to our hearts and gives us a direction — Go here. Do that. Minister to this one. Encourage that one. And too often, we’re so busy doing our stuff that we don’t hear the message. OR, we get the message but ignore it, and the person God has put in our life for us to minister to goes unministered to.

As one pastor put it in modern terms: What do you most want for your children? Good education? Financial success? Good job? Happy marriage? Healthy grandchildren? Well, yes, I suppose most all of us want that. But how many of us long for our children and grandchildren to love God and Jesus Christ? Is the work of Christ's Kingdom uppermost in our minds, or is it only a cultural accessory to the basic way of life we already have chosen?

There is a similar message for us in Anna’s life. I’m not saying we should go live at the church. I think the point of Anna is that she carried the church with her wherever she went. Worship and prayer and fasting were part of her daily life.

I’d like to conclude with what has been called “an odd little carol sometimes sung on the first Sunday after Christmas.” The words begin with:

There's snow on the mountain and ice on the pond,

The Wise Men are home now in the back of beyond.

The Shepherds have left us; the heavens are dumb;

There's no one to tell us why Jesus has come.

The song ends with:

But God's in His heaven, and Jesus has come

To show every sinner he's welcome back home,

To be this world's Savior from hunger and fear,

And give us new courage to face the New Year.

We have courage to face this New Year because of Jesus. He is Immanuel — God with us and for us.” [ATTRIBUTION: James D. Kegel, “The Rest of the Story”]

Those words remind us of ways we can share the Good News that Jesus was sent by God on that first Christmas as Immanuel — “God with us” and God has sent US to be Christ’s light in the world, to be the Church in the world.

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And as usual, we’ll repeat the words of the Apostle’s Creed to reaffirm that faith that results in action. Join as we say together:

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AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; --

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; --

the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; --

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. --

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,--

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. --

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INVITATION

INVITATION SONG — “Joy to the World”

Our invitation song is not a traditional invitation song. But perhaps it is the greatest invitation of all — inviting people into the Good News, the light that came to the world and brought JOY into it. We’ll sing two verses. There’s a short introduction before the first verse and almost no pause before the second verse.

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Verse 1

Joy to the world! the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King.

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,

And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing.

Verse 2

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ.

While fields and floods,

Rocks hills and plains,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

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BENEDICTION

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Savior Christ, we give You praise in this Christmas season. May we continue to share in the spirit of joy and peace with one another. May we brighten someone else’s day with good cheer. May we fill the hungry with good things however we can, whenever we can. May we carry the spirit of this season each and every day in our hearts, for You came to us as one of us. You were born as we were born. You cried as each of us cried, and You loved and were loved, as we have loved and continue to love. Each and every day, may we remember that unto us is born a Savior, Christ our Lord. Amen. (ATTRIBUTION: Rev. Mindi Mitchell-Welton, on her Rev-O-Lution website]

FINAL SLIDE

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