Good morning friends,

Merry Christmas to you! Tonight, I hope many of you can join us for Christmas Eve worship at 7pm. It's a joyful celebration of God's love with music and the wonderful story of Jesus' birth. Our reading today tells a piece of the lead up to that story. Joseph and Mary were engaged and Mary became pregnant, but not by Joseph. Mary knew this was from the Holy Spirit, but Joseph had to make the obvious assumption. As often, God doesn't leave this story the way it was going. Joseph is a character we don't learn much about, but this small story gives us some insight into this brave and faithful man. May you find new strength in the amazing gift of Jesus this season.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 

²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

of crocus and new life

Good afternoon friends,

First, a reminder: Saturday morning at 9:30 we'll be putting together Christmas baskets at Laurelton for distribution to local families. If you'd like to come for breakfast or to help out, that would be great. This weekend we're also hosting our annual live nativity. It's a great chance to see or participate in the Christmas story from a new perspective. Every year I've been part of it, I have seen a different aspect of Christmas. The nativity runs from 6:30-8:30 Saturday and Sunday evening and we can always use more actors.

Our reading today presents a vision of God's redemption of the world. Today's world is far from perfect, so we need the hope God gives us for a better, more peaceful world. As we keep that vision in our heart, we can be part of moving the world closer to that vision.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus ²it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. ³Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. ⁴Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; ⁶then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; ⁷the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. ⁸A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. ⁹No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.¹⁰And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

wisdom

Good evening friends,

First, a couple of announcements. One, on Saturday after the cafe we'll have a group singing Christmas carols in the neighborhood. It should be a lot of fun and is open to everyone. Come for breakfast, bring a friend and share the joy of song at 11 on Saturday. Two, next Saturday and Sunday (12/21 and 22) from 6:30-8:30 pm we'll host the living nativity. We need all kinds of characters, so come on in and see the Christmas story from a whole new angle.

Our reading for today is a collection of sayings about wisdom and foolishness. While not accurate in every case, it is pretty insightful.

Blessings,
Sam

Proverbs 13:1-16

A wise child loves discipline,
but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
²From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things,
but the desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing.
³Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives;
those who open wide their lips come to ruin.
⁴The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing,
while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.
⁵The righteous hate falsehood,
but the wicked act shamefully and disgracefully.
⁶Righteousness guards one whose way is upright,
but sin overthrows the wicked.
⁷Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing;
others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
⁸Wealth is a ransom for a person’s life,
but the poor get no threats.
⁹The light of the righteous rejoices,
but the lamp of the wicked goes out.
¹⁰By insolence the heedless make strife,
but wisdom is with those who take advice.
¹¹Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle,
but those who gather little by little will increase it.
¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
¹³Those who despise the word bring destruction on themselves,
but those who respect the commandment will be rewarded.
¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
so that one may avoid the snares of death.
¹⁵Good sense wins favor,
but the way of the faithless is their ruin.
¹⁶The clever do all things intelligently,
but the fool displays folly.

power of fear

Good evening friends,
Today many of our Orthodox brothers and sisters are celebrating Christmas, so it's a great night to give thanks for their rich tradition of faith and ritual. Our reading for today continues yesterday's reading about the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus. We see King Herod's desperation to hold on to power. The power of fear is a terrible thing. May we trust God and leave fear aside.

God bless,
Sam


Matthew 2:13-23
¹³Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

¹⁶When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: ¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ²¹Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

Arise, shine

Good afternoon friends,
Happy New Year! I hope the year wrapped up with celebration for you and your families. Today's reading comes from Isaiah. It looks forward to a time when Israel would be restored and surrounding nations would come to see God. We see these hopes come true in Jesus Christ, who not only fulfills the promise of a savior and a king from David's line, but also welcomes all nations home to God. Our job today is to share the light of Christ with others through our words and actions.
Blessings,
Sam

Isaiah 60:1-6
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; 
but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 
3 Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, 
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; 
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.

praising God

Hi friends,
Sorry for the long lack of readings. Today's reading is a Psalm of praise, which seems appropriate in this season of celebration of God's amazing love in Christ. I especially value the reminder that human plans and power are very limited. Only God is eternal; whatever good or bad we see is only temporary. In the end God's love will prevail. Along the same lines, please keep the families and communities of Webster and the West Webster Fire Department in your prayers.

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 146:1-10

¹Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

²I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

³Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

⁴When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

⁵Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

⁶who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;

⁷who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

⁸the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

Go tell it!

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Laurelton will be hosting our living nativity on Saturday and Sunday from 6-7:30 pm both nights. We could use more people who want to dress up, so if you're interested, it's a cool way to see the story of Christ's birth in a different way. The costumes are at the church so all you need is something warm to wear. Come and bring a friend to see the story of Christmas.
 


Today's reading finishes the section from yesterday where God announces Israel's redemption through the prophet. Today, God sends Jerusalem up the mountain to share the good news. I wonder if this is where the Christmas song God Tell it on the Mountain comes from. In any event, this is a song of praise for God's power and love.

Blessings on your weekend,
Sam


Isaiah 40:9-17
⁹Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” ¹⁰See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. ¹¹He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.


¹²Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? ¹³Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his counselor has instructed him? ¹⁴Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? ¹⁵Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust. ¹⁶Lebanon would not provide fuel enough, nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering. ¹⁷All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

a new chapter

Good morning friends,
Our reading for today begins the wonderful story of John the Baptist and of his cousin Jesus. Today we meet John's parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah.

God bless,
Sam


Luke 1: 5-17

⁵In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.



⁸Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. ¹⁰Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.



¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

another view of Christmas

Good evening friends,
Today's reading is the Christmas story from a cosmic perspective. We see portents (signs) of Mary giving birth to Jesus and we see how much of a threat to Satan that is. Satan tries to kill Jesus at birth and tries to take over heaven. But Michael, the archangel defeats Satan in heaven, and God protects Mary and Jesus on earth. That leaves Satan with no target but the church on earth. The lesson to take away from this story is that the power of evil is going to persecute the church, but in the end, God's victory is sure. Notice again that the church conquers Satan by testifying to Christ, even when it means risking our life.

God bless,
Sam

Revelation 12:1-12, 17

A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ²She was pregnant and was crying out in birthpangs, in the agony of giving birth. ³Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; ⁶and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

⁷And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. ¹¹But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.

¹²Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”…  ¹⁷Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.

prophets and ritual

Happy New Year,
Our first reading reminds us of God's loving care and the second reading tells the story of Jesus being presented as an infant at the temple. I love reading about the two old saints recognizing Jesus as God's salvation come to earth. I'm excited to begin a new year with you following God's calling together.

New Year's blessings,
Sam

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
     my whole being shall exult in my God;
   for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
     he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
   as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
     and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
     and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
   so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
     to spring up before all the nations.

^62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
     and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
   until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
     and her salvation like a burning torch.
²  The nations shall see your vindication,
     and all the kings your glory;
   and you shall be called by a new name
     that the mouth of the Lord will give.
³  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
     and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

*Sunday

Luke 2:21-40

²¹After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. ²²When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. ³⁹When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

praising God

Good morning sisters and brothers,
I chose this Psalm of praise for today so we could spend some time just praising God. Christ is born and rather than moving on to learning something else in scripture I'd rather dwell in the amazing love and surprising grace we see in the birth of our savior. So read the Psalm slowly and give yourself a moment to just sit in praise. Our God is amazing and full of love.

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 147:1-11

¹  Praise the Lord!
     How good it is to sing praises to our God;
     for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
²  The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
     he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
³  He heals the brokenhearted,
     and binds up their wounds.
⁴  He determines the number of the stars;
     he gives to all of them their names.
⁵  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
     his understanding is beyond measure.
⁶  The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
     he casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
     make melody to our God on the lyre.
⁸  He covers the heavens with clouds,
     prepares rain for the earth,
     makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹  He gives to the animals their food,
     and to the young ravens when they cry.
¹⁰ His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
     nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
¹¹ but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
     in those who hope in his steadfast love.

wisdom

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our reading this morning is a psalm of praise to God. God's goodness and wisdom are amazing. One thing that jump out at me in this passage are that God always remembers his covenant. God keeps his covenant, even when we can't imagine how. I also appreciate the reminder that wisdom begins with seeking God, not with education or success or any of the other things we tend to value first. As we live into the miracle of Christmas, let's begin our wisdom with God and see where God leads us.

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 111

¹  Praise the LORD!
   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
     in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
²  Great are the works of the LORD,
     studied by all who delight in them.
³  Full of honor and majesty is his work,
     and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴  He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
     the LORD is gracious and merciful.
⁵  He provides food for those who fear him;
     he is ever mindful of his covenant.
⁶  He has shown his people the power of his works,
     in giving them the heritage of the nations.
⁷  The works of his hands are faithful and just;
     all his precepts are trustworthy.
⁸  They are established forever and ever,
     to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹  He sent redemption to his people;
     he has commanded his covenant forever.
     Holy and awesome is his name.
¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

     all those who practice it have a good understanding.
     His praise endures forever.

Christmas messengers

Merry Christmas sisters and brothers!
Today Isaiah helps us rejoice about good news: the good news of God's redemption. John sets Jesus' birth in its cosmic place. Jesus is not just the anointed king, not just the son of God, but truly God who created the world. Even though the dark forces of the world can't accept Jesus, even though they try to extinguish his light; Christ's light and love keep shining. Thanks be to God; Alleluia!

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 52:7-10

⁷  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
   who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
⁸  Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy;
   for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
⁹  Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem;
   for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
¹⁰ The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations;
   and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

*Sunday

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

shepherds and angels (oh my)

Good morning and Merry Christmas (Eve),
Our last night of living nativity was a lot of fun and I'm excited about Christmas Eve. Just a reminder, our Christmas Eve service will begin at 7pm tonight (Saturday). I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family and new faces. Feel free to bring a friend to hear the good news of God's love appearing in a manger. Of course, that's the story we read together for our morning reading. Jesus is born, and right away God sends an angel to tell the shepherds. Jesus' birth means good news for everyone, including you and me.

Blessings this Christmas and every day,
Sam

Luke 2:8-20

⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

the good news for everyone

Good morning brothers and sisters,
This morning we will be putting together and delivering Christmas baskets and angel tree gifts. If you've chosen a child to buy a gift for, please bring it in to the church by 9:30 this morning. The morning of assembling and delivering these baskets is a lot of fun. If you're free you can join in the joy; it will remind you what Christmas is about.

Our passage from Isaiah talks about how God's redemption isn't just for Israel, but for everyone who seeks the Lord. Even those who think of themselves as less than others find a true place in God's sight. God's love and calling are for everyone, shepherds and angels, kings and peasants, people of Israel and Iraq; Afghanistan and the US. We are all God's people, on family joined together by God's amazing love and called to reach out to others with that love. May the love and peace of Jesus fill your heart today.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 56:1-8

Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. ²Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.

³Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” ⁴For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, ⁵I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

⁶And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— ⁷these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. ⁸Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

a baby and a dragon

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading is a little off the beaten path for many of us as it comes from Revelation. Revelation is a strange book, but it's strange in some logical ways. Revelation is an example of apocalyptic literature: literature that speaks about God's power and love in dramatic ways, especially in revealing how that power will overcome seemingly impossible odds. Apocalyptic literature is usually written when God's people are in situations so challenging that it's hard to imagine God's will working through the everyday world.

In the case of Revelation the overwhelming challenge to God's people was the power of the Roman Empire, which demanded not only political allegiance, but often sought to claim people's worship as well. Apocalyptic literature is highly symbolic so the group for which it is written can understand while the threatening outside power is left in the dark. Today's passage is an apocalyptic retelling of the birth of Jesus. The dragon stands for Satan, but is also closely related to Rome. For Christians Jesus' birth is a defining moment in the constant struggle between God and the powers of hatred and evil. I like this passage because it reminds us that Jesus' birth is powerful by stripping away the familiarity that sometimes threatens to domesticate God's amazing story.

God bless,
Sam

Revelation 12:1-6

A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ²She was pregnant and was crying out in birthpangs, in the agony of giving birth. ³Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; ⁶and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

Zechariah and Elizabeth

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading will be familiar to many of us from Sunday. It is the beginning of Luke's story of Jesus as John, another miraculous child, will be the prophet who prepares the way for Jesus. I hope you enjoy the wonderful story as you move deeper into the mystery of Advent.
God bless,
Sam

Luke 1:5-25

⁵In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. ⁸Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.

¹⁰Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” ¹⁹The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

²¹Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. ²²When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. ²³When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. ²⁴After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, ²⁵“This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

light in the darkness

Good morning and Merry Christmas!
I had such a great time last night at our Christmas Eve service. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. The choir, bell choir and women's (+1) ensemble all sounded fantastic, the sanctuary looked great and greeters made people feel welcome. What a blessing to gather for worship like that. This morning's reading is the full version of our last reading from Christmas Eve. This passage is called John's prologue because it gives us an introduction to John's Gospel. In 18 verses John lets us know what the story will be about.

John begins his story of Jesus at the beginning of time, because Jesus is the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were made. In his human life he came to bring light, life, grace, truth and a new relationship with God. John sets the stage here with the prologue and then begins the story in earnest with John the Baptist preaching in the desert. This is a great passage to reflect on the meaning of Christmas this Christmas day.
Christmas blessings,
Sam

John 1:1-18

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.



6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.


10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

a child is born

Good morning friends,
We're getting very close to Christmas. Our Christmas Eve service at Laurelton, featuring the story of Christ's birth in lessons and Christmas carols is tomorrow night at 7pm. Come on over and bring a friend; it will be a lovely worship service. Our passage for today is the full version of our first lesson for Christmas Eve, as well as one of my favorite pieces from Handel's Messiah.

In this passage God speaking through Isaiah promises peace and an end to oppression. I love the image of combat boots and bloody robes being burned because the tools of war are no longer needed. This peace and justice, this new world comes into being because a child is born to us. Not just any child, but the child known as Prince of Peace. To us a child is born; to us a son is given. O come, o come Emmanuel.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 9:2-7

2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined. 3You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.


6For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.