light in the darkness

Good afternoon friends,

We've talked about suffering, so now we turn to Advent and how Jesus comes to us like light in the darkness. This passage, known as the prologue to John's Gospel, sets the stage perfectly to understand the story of Jesus. Carl will be preaching on this passage tomorrow.

God bless,

Sam

John 1:1-14

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.

life and death

Good morning friends,
Today in worship we're talking about end of life matters, not so much big picture ethics questions, but faith and experience questions. Part of our sermon time is going to be interactive, so I'd love it if you bring your thoughts and questions. This is the passage we'll be digging into, which is Paul's reflection on how God's power shows up especially in human weakness. That's a big part of what the cross means, but I bet it's also a lesson we've learned somewhere in our own life. I hope the passage and the worship this morning are a blessing for you. For those not in Rochester, the sermon will be online this afternoon, but it's always better in person and in community.

See you there,
Sam

2 Corinthians 4:5-18

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. ¹¹For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. ¹²So death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. ¹⁶So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, ¹⁸because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

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.

light in darkness

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
First, please keep the community of Webster and the families of the firefighters killed and injured today in your prayers. Senseless violence seems even more shocking on Christmas Eve, but the truth is that Jesus came to be right in the middle of our craziness. As John's Gospel reminds us, the light shines in the darkness and the dark could not overcome it. Tonight we'll gather to worship our amazing God and to hear together songs and stories of Christmas. Worship begins at 7 and I look forward to seeing many of you there.
God bless,
Sam


John 1:1-14
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.

grief and light

Good evening friends,
As the details keep flowing out of Connecticut it's hard to imagine the situation or know what to do. Some horror is too deep for words. This is not God's will; it's not a test of faith for the families. It is pure and simple a tragedy with no easy explanation. Our role as Christians is to pray for strength and comfort for those who grieve.


In the midst of the darkness that surrounds us, God's love in Jesus Christ breaks in. Our reading today takes us to a small town with a bad reputation. God chose a young woman in this town to be the mother of Jesus. We see here and in the verses that follow that Mary was brave, faithful and open. She also had questions about what God was doing. Even though she didn't know everything that lay ahead, and even though her "worst case scenario, self-protective instincts must have been going off, she says "yes" to God. With all we know now about how deep God's love goes, how can we say "yes" today too?

God bless,
Sam


Luke 1:26-38
²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?

Good evening friends,
First, a huge thank you to all the folks who made a successful dinner and talent show possible. Especially, I want to thank Karen Kingsbury, Bob Hicks, Donna Gipner, Karen Simpson, Lea Smith, Gabby, Scott Fralick, Amy Nowack and Michelle Hicks. It was a really fun evening with opportunities to watch many different talents and share great fellowship with the community.

Today's reading is a look at trusting God from a different angle. We need to trust God most when things are not going well, and we can trust God. Even if all our friends abandon us, God will not leave us alone. Both the opening and closing lines of this Psalm are favorites of mine, words I turn to when I am confused or afraid: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?...Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.

May we learn to trust and wait in this season and always,
Sam


Psalm 27:1-14
¹The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ²When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. ³Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

⁴One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. ⁵For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

⁶Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. ⁷Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ⁸“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. ⁹Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! ¹⁰If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. ¹²Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. ¹³I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ¹⁴Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

kings to the brightness

Good morning or evening friends,
Today's reading is a prophesy of restoration for Israel. From exile and despair God will make Israel a beacon to other nations. We read this passage when we think about the Christian celebration of Epiphany or Three Kings Day. The connection is that the epiphany celebrates the visit of the wise men to see baby Jesus. That symbolizes that Jesus is the savior for the whole world, not just for Israel. Part of our job as Christians is to keep that same spirit of openness, to shine the light of Christ's love so people outside the church will see it. God wants everyone to be part of the family, so we need to open the doors wide so the world can come in.

God bless,
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.

Zechariah's song

Good morning sisters and brothers,
After 9 months of silence, Zechariah finally speaks, and he speaks with the Holy Spirit's power. He reveals what God is planning with the future ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Jesus. One thing that's worth paying as you read this (and the whole beginning of Luke) is that Luke is a gifted writer. As he tells the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, he's also setting the stage for the story of Jesus. The themes he highlights in these passages will be helpful clues about what's going to be important in the rest of the story. This morning, enjoy the Spirit's poetry; this is a passage that's worth coming back to often to ponder the amazing love of God.

Blessings,
Sam

Luke 1:67-80

⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ⁶⁸“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, ⁷¹that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

⁷²Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, ⁷³the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us ⁷⁴that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.⁷⁸By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, ⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” ⁸⁰The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

talents in action

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our readings for today are the same ones we'll talk about in worship. In the first reading Paul encourages the Thessalonian Christians to act like Christians and walk in the light of Christ's love. In Jesus' parable we hear about three servants their master entrusts with money while he is away on a trip. Two of them put their talent (a unit of money, but a great metaphor too) to good use and accomplish a lot. The third servant is scared of messing up so he hides his talent. How are you doing with using the gifts God has given you? Do you sense God calling you to something new?

God bless,
Sam

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

¹Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. ²For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!

⁴But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; ⁵for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. ⁶So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; ⁷for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

*Sunday

Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

radical sharing

Good morning friends,
Today we hear Isaiah calling Israel to repent, not with pious religious observances, but with practical sharing. We seek God by serving others radically. We also hear Jesus continue his sermon on the mount. Last week Jesus announced blessings on those who are poor in spirit, peacemakers, the meek, etc. Today he reminds his hearers that they are sent out into the world to share God's love with others. Our calling continues in the same way today.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 58:1-12

1Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.

3"Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. 4Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. 5Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

8Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. 11The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. 12Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.



*Sunday

Matthew 5:13-20

13"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.