Worship December 18, 2021

Let us worship!

We continue in this Advent season,

a time of Hope,

a time of Peace,

a time of Joy,

a time Love.

We celebrate your coming, so many years ago.

We celebrate your coming, in days to come.

We celebrate, you here with us now.

We celebrate you, O God.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

A prayer to center you

The noise of the season is getting louder.

The hurry and hustle of these last weeks before Christmas are overcome with business.

God our loving parent,

Calm the noise around us,

Still our busy lives,

Call us back to you this season

That we may proclaim with joyful hearts

Not only the wonders of this season

But the wonders of your love of us now and always.

Amen

Holy Scripture

John Chapter 1

Verses 6 through 28

1-2 Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. 5 His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6-7 God sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light. 8 John himself was not the Light; he was only a witness to identify it.

9 Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world.

10 But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. 11-12 Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. 13 All those who believe this are reborn!—not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan—but from the will of God.

14 And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory—the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!

15 John pointed him out to the people, telling the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming who is greater by far than I am—for he existed long before I did!’” 16 We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! 17 For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well. 18 No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him.

19 The Jewish leaders[e] sent priests and assistant priests from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah.

20 He denied it flatly. “I am not the Christ,” he said.

21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”

“No,” he replied.

“Are you the Prophet?”

“No.”

22 “Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?”

23 He replied, “I am a voice from the barren wilderness, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, ‘Get ready for the coming of the Lord!’”

24-25 Then those who were sent by the Pharisees asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”

26 John told them, “I merely baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you have never met, 27 who will soon begin his ministry among you, and I am not even fit to be his slave.”

Isaiah chapter 61

Verses 1 through 11

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor to them has come, and the day of his wrath to their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.

4 And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities long ago destroyed, reviving them though they have lain there many generations. 5 Foreigners shall be your servants; they shall feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. 6 You shall be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You shall be fed with the treasures of the nations and shall glory in their riches. 7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you shall have a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy.

8 For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrong. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known and honored among the nations; all shall realize that they are a people God has blessed.

10 Let me tell you how happy God has made me! For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and draped about me the robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. 11 The Lord will show the nations of the world his justice; all will praise him. His righteousness shall be like a budding tree, or like a garden in early spring, full of young plants springing up everywhere.

 Reflection:

Christmas is getting closer. The countdown is on.

We continue to wait—just a few more weeks to go now.

We are preparing away— putting the final touches on our preparations.

The celebration is nearing. So, what else is there left to do (besides wrap presents, cook some food, send some cards…)?

We must proclaim!

Proclaim the glories and joy that we have found in our faith. We all have a faith story, good, bad and ugly. But yet we are still here struggling to find our way through this faith of ours. We all have a story to proclaim.

Faith is not always perfect. It is not always easy. We all experience highs and lows in our life that we weave into our faith in different ways. But here we are, still exploring and seeking and looking for answers. There is something in faith that calls us back and that is the something that we must celebrate. That is the something that we are all called to proclaim. THAT is the something that God wants us to share with others, that others may come to know the same something we have (struggles and all) in relationship with God.

This week’s Scripture call us to proclaim the joy that we find in Christ with others, to be the light in the darkness. We must share through proclamation. We are called to share our story and not shy away.

God calls us to share the Good News of Christ with the suffering and afflicted, to comfort the broken hearted, and announce liberty to the captives. We all have a story and many of those involve times when we were in tough places, suffering and afflicted, broken hearted and held captive to the world the around us. When we open ourselves up to proclaim our truth we can help others to move closer to God and closer to joy.

It is sometimes hard to own our faith story, especially if our road was bumpy. It can feel like our story is not valid or is not as meaningful as someone else’s. But no one’s faith journey comes without some measure of doubt, hurt, and confusion. No one’s road is straight or easy. It can also be hard to proclaim loudly our faith journey if it has led us to different conclusions than the majority around us. We can shy away from speaking our own truth out of fear of confrontation. But when you own your story and proclaim the truth of where you are and how you got there, you both move closer to God and can help others to move closer to the light of God.

When we can speak the truth of our faith journey, the good, the bad and the ugly, we might just help other people as they walk their faith journey, the good, the bad and the ugly.

God calls each of us to be a light in the darkness, to proclaim the Good News of a loving God to those who need to hear it. We all have a story to tell, to own our own faith journey and speak the truth of that journey might just help others to own their story and be a light as well.

Let us light the way!

Christ is coming.

Amen

Thinking it through….

When you think about talking about your faith journey, what feelings come to you?

When talking about faith in general with others, how do you feel?

What is the most meaningful part of your faith story?

Has someone else’s faith story ever effected or moved you?  How so?

What prevents you from entering into faith conversations?

The Word in Action

Shine your light of faith on someone this week.

Write down in a journal your thoughts on a theological issue that you are scared to talk about.  Examples; LGBTQ issues, abortion rights, gun rights, women’s right.

Live with these thoughts for a day or so. Then go back and refine them—make them stronger, become more confident in your thought process.  Now you are prepared to support your beliefs if the conversation comes up in the future.

 Prayer of sending

Oh, God of joy,

This advent season, help us to proclaim our faith in you with expectant and joyful hearts.

We know that you have walked amongst us.

Help us to live into the deep peace in the knowledge that you will come again.

Amen

Going out.

Go out into the world, renewed and revived by the word of God.

and in all that you do, may the love of Christ Jesus uphold you,

the peace of God sustain you and may the Holy Spirit guide you each step of the way

Let all God’s people say: AMEN