Words of Welcome

Luke 2:1-20 When it comes to casting a Christmas pageant, shepherds rank low on the list of favorite parts. Mary and Joseph are, of course, the prime parts. Then there’s the magi. They get to wear fancy robes bring gifts to the baby Jesus and meet with Herod. Angels don’t rank with wise men, but at least they have more star power than shepherds, who get to wear bathrobes and towels on their heads. No crowns and no wings. No gifts and no songs. Instead of singing about the good news in the skies, they hang out in the hills with the sheep and the dogs. There’s nothing too exciting about these roles, except that Luke seems to think that they’re important. You might notice that this telling of the birth story doesn’t have any wise men, kings, or magi – whatever name you want to give them. That’s Matthew’s version, and he has a different agenda. Maybe he knew that Christmas pageants would need some staring roles. But Luke doesn’t seem impressed with star power. Although David was called the

Luke 1:39-55 Athletes, rock stars, and actors make the big bucks. When Alex Rodriguez signed a ten-year 252-million-dollar contract with the Texas Rangers five years ago, baseball fans were scandalized. No one has yet topped his contract, but they’re getting closer every year. Still, if you think that’s big, entertainers make even more. Don’t you find that kind of money hard to grasp? I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of how to spend that much money. Though it sure would buy a lot of books and the rooms and bookcases to put them in. Although money isn’t everything, it does tell us what we value most. If athletes and entertainers are worth millions, then why are teachers, nurses, fire fighters, and police officers paid so little? Isn’t what they do more important to our daily lives? Now that we’ve reached the end of our Advent journey, we’re ready to hear the Christmas message. But the real message of Christmas is quite different from the one our culture tells. Surprisingly enough, Chr

Malachi 3:1-4 If you’re planning to have people over during the holidays, you have to get the house ready, which means doing the winter cleaning. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and polishing, cleaning the bathrooms and washing the table cloths. Of course, you’ll have to prepare the food, unless you decide to save time and hire a caterer. And once you get all that done, you have to get yourself ready. After all, a good host has to be properly bathed and clothed. To start with you might take a trip to Nordstrom's or maybe Ross to get just the right outfit. Then there’s the hair, always the hair. It has to be cut, curled, and colored! And when everything else is ready, you can go take a shower, because a good host wants to be clean and refreshed. At least that’s what you have to do if you want to throw a successful high society Christmas party. PREPARE THE WAY!! This is the second Sunday in Advent, and Advent is a season of preparation. During this season we get ready for Christmas. Now

Luke 21:25-36 What signs tell you that Christmas is getting close? Is it the ads in the papers, in your mail boxes, and on TV? Is it the decorations that go up in the malls and in the stores days even months before Thanksgiving? Maybe it’s the Salvation Army ringer in front of Walmart, or, perhaps it’s the Christmas music we hear in the background wherever we go. Children are very good at recognizing the signs. Sometimes that means they even behave better, knowing that Santa might be watching. If you look around the sanctuary there are signs that Christmas is getting close, but it’s not here yet. There’s another sign present in the sanctuary. It’s the Advent wreath. We’ve already lit one candle this morning. This wreath is the sign that tells us to begin getting ready for the revelation of God’s presence in our midst. The Advent wreath points us into the future. It reminds us that God won’t be found in the past. No, God is found in the future, calling us forward so that we might experi