Words of Welcome

Luke 2:1-20 For the past fifty years probably most of us have watched  A Charlie Brown Christmas at least a few times. I’ve been watching it since childhood, and our family continues to watch it each year along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas and as many versions of the Christmas Carol we can get in.  We’ve watched all three so far this Advent-Christmas season. As you may remember, Charlie Brown is struggling to understand the true meaning of Christmas. One of the reasons he’s unhappy is that the season seems so commercialized. He’s just not feeling it. Finally Charlie Brown decided to seek counseling from Lucy. After he paid his five cents, she suggested he needed a Christmas project, like directing the Christmas play. Of course, as often happens with Charlie Brown, this doesn’t go well.  His search for happiness is obstructed by Lucy’s desire for cash, Snoopy’s participation in a Christmas decorating contest that could win him lots of money, and Sally’s request that he

  James Tissot, The Magnificat Luke 1:39-55     In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that God had chosen her to bear a child, saying:      “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.    He 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.    He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”   ( Luke 1:31-33 ). If you were Mary, what would you make of that announcement? Would you accept the mission Gabriel sets before her? Or would you say, thank you very much for the honor but I’d prefer not to take on the job.       Mary could have said no. It was her choice. But after she asked some very pointed questions of Gabriel she said yes. In saying yes, Mary followed the example of other prophets by receiving h

  Philippians 4:4-9 We’ve finally lit the pink candle. People often wonder why the Advent wreath has a pink candle. They also want to know when to light it, especially if they are tasked with lighting the candles. Well, here’s the reason why we have a pink candle and light it on the Third Sunday of Advent. It’s pink and we light it on the Third Sunday of Advent because today is, according to tradition, Joy Sunday. Although we’re following a more recent tradition and using blue, the usual color scheme for Advent is purple. Purple is considered to be a more solemn color. That’s why we use it during Lent. Both Advent and Lent are supposed to be seasons of reflection and repentance in preparation for a major liturgical event. If that’s true, it seems appropriate to use a softer color on Joy Sunday. After all, how can you be somber on a day when you hear Paul call on us to “rejoice in the Lord always?” Although Paul is sitting in a prison cell and has every reason to be bitter and angry

  Philippians 1:3-11 Last Sunday, we lit the candle of hope. Today we light the Peace candle. The message of peace is found in Paul’s greeting in his letter to the Philippian church. He offers a word of “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” ( Phil. 1:2 ) This word of peace comes from Paul even as he sits in a jail cell, and he is at peace with God and the world because of the partnership that exists between himself and the congregation at Philippi. Paul speaks here of his prayer that love would overflow them as they live as partners in God’s grace, which leads to a “harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” It is this partnership that is rooted in love and grace that leads to the harvest of righteousness that serves as the source of Paul’s joy as he sits in a prison cell. What Paul is talking about here is an intimate friendship with the Philippians that brings joy even as he sits in this jail cell. He’s g