You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Signs of What? ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ When All the People Were Baptized, and When Jesus also had been Baptized ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ Seeing Stars ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Nativity Seekers,
Here’s the secret of Christmas: It doesn’t end on December 25th! It isn’t over once the baby is born! Which is seemingly why the season of Advent
is essential to knowing what to do. If
you’re just figuring on Christmas Day …what God is doing, may be lost on
you!
For the last couple of years, I’ve been drawn to a new Christmastide
melody with an Adventy edge—in a song written by Chris Tomlin but featuring the
voice of Lauren Daigle. Chris and Lauren
are big names in the Christian music world these days. The song’s title is “Noel,” and with soaring
voice lines, it’s now a mainstay on my Advent and Christmas playlists:
Love incarnate, love divine | Star and angels gave the sign
Bow to babe on bended knee | The Savior of humanity
Unto us a Child is born | He shall reign forevermore
Noel, Noel …Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel …The story of amazing love!
The light of the world, given for us …Noel
Son of God and Son of man | There before the world began
Born to suffer, born to save | Born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord | He shall reign forevermore
Noel, Noel …Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel …The story of amazing love!
The light of the world, given for us …Noel
“Noel” is a Latin term for “birth.”
More literally, it could be sung—Birth, birth …come and see what God
has done …the story of amazing love …the light of the world, give for us
…birth! As such, it obviously points
to Jesus’ “birth” or nativity, as if pointing to the incarnation.
But the incarnation …begins with a birth and is more than a
birth! The line that always strikes me
is, “come and see what God has done.” This
is a paraphrase of the invitation of the Angels delivered to the Shepherds to
come and witness the birth of Jesus.
…But it is also an Advent and Christmas reminder for me that God …is
still DO-Ing!
While the birth and the Christmas Day have passed, we’re struck with
promises that have not ended …God is still do-ing, therefore the “story of
amazing love” is at least that the “light of the world has been given for us,”
too! BECAUSE Jesus was born, the light
of the world may literally be in our hands (or at least in our hearts!)! BECAUSE Jesus was born, the story of God’s
amazing love also surrounds us. It’s not
just a “moment” in our stories; it’s a ribbon weaving in and through our
stories.
“Birth, birth,” reminds us to be continually “looking for what God has
done” in our lives and the lives of those around us. “Birth, birth” reminds us that the story of
God’s amazing love is wrapped up in our lives, too! Not just a celebration of the birth, but what
the birth signifies—that the light of the world has been given to us—To.
Us.! …So, this can’t just be one date on
the calendar!
So, if you’ve put your Christmas away …maybe think about getting back
out something that helps you recall that we’re looking for more than just a
birth! Rather the birth, is the
beginning—so keep looking for what God has done! Keep up with the story of God’s amazing
love! Keep the light of the world,
that’s been given to you…shining!
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ A Fancy First Century Baby Reveal ...times 2! ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ Happy Advent--you miserable sinners! ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ The Road Less Traveled By ...with compliments to Robert Frost ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ ...Out-Waiting the Darknesses and Chaoses of Creation ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Jesus-Followers and Jesus-Believers,
This year the calendar matches perfectly. December 1st is the first day of
ADVENT! …And Advent is the first season
of the liturgical year. And the first
word of the first season is …* WAIT *.
…Do not pass “GO” …do not collect $200 …do not put up your Christmas
decorations!
—Oh WAIT …some of us already have!
The city of El Dorado’s public lighting was
November 21st!
Restaurants have been blaring Christmas carols
since before Halloween!
And Hobby Lobby …has Christmas aisles that NEVER
go into hiding!
But before you label me a “Bah humbug-er” …
· Consider
that Advent …is not Christmas. When Christians
began celebrating Advent, it was a time of spiritual preparation for
celebrating the incarnation. Like Lent which
preceded the celebration of Easter. Some
patterns of Advent were 6-9 weeks of “spiritual (and other) preparation.”
· Just
because the secular celebrations of Christmas have shifted from 12 days
following December 25th, to 6-8 weeks BEFORE December 25th,
doesn’t mean we should readjust how we spiritually move through the seasons.
· The
Bible reminds us of what it means to wait in hope for what God is doing. In our world, it’s easy to get caught up in
our certainty about the birth of Jesus, that we busy ourselves with the
preparation for that event, rather than preparing ourselves to discover the ongoing
manifestations of God’s incarnation!
Advent …is not just a counting down of the days until Christmas! It’s not a season in which we “check off” the
things that must be accomplished for our annual celebrations (shopping lists,
meal preparations, and parties). Advent
is a time to notice our world, and align ourselves with the ways of God …that
almost always are a surprise (like opening a gift on Christmas morning)!
If you’ve already put up your Christmas tree and redecorated for the
holidays …you’re not doing it wrong. But
how well are we anticipating God’s surprises when we’re simply about locking
ourselves into the rhythms of every other Christmas? How ready are we to receive the realities of
God’s incarnation if it must follow the familiar pattern? Can we really see what God has in mind for us
and others, insisting that familiarity decides how we should feel?
When the angel appeared to Mary …it was a surprise. When the angel appeared to Joseph …it was a
surprise. When the angels showed up for
the Shepherds …it was a startling surprise.
And while we are fairly certain that the “good news” of Jesus’ birth is “the
reason for the season,” ADVENT invites us to ask some different questions.
We believe that God is still coming …and not like the first time. Do we know what to look for? Or will we miss opportunities to witness it
because we’re engrossed in sales and wrapping paper and getting it all done
early? What about the peace of God which
passes all understanding—are we pursuing that?
What about invitations to share, to be ready, to live into HOPE, to have
worry salved because God is afoot and coming to us—are we pursuing this?
This Advent we will sing familiar songs. We will observe familiar rituals. We will anticipate Christmas, even though it is already happening for some people. We will try to imagine again what it is like to wait and hope, to anticipate but not jump too soon. We will tell the stories once again and invite ourselves to not be so urgent about the ending. We will walk by faith, and not by sight, until the angels say, “All is calm and all is bright.”
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ The Kingdom of God Forever ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
