The Story
Dec 22, 2019
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Matthew 1:18-25

Now 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. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But 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. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. 

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Something to Do

Pay Attention to Dreams

Joseph is not the only person to receive a message from God in a dream – which is not to say that all dreams are messages from God but maybe some of them are.

Consider keeping a dream journal or, if you live with other people, get into the habit of sharing your dreams. At the very least, you’ll hold only to some wacky stories and, just maybe, you’ll hear the very voice of God!

Last Minute Preparations

Christmas is right around the corner so take a minute to check in with yourself and your household. What needs doing so that you can really enjoy the celebration?

This might involve some last minute grocery shopping or advanced food prep or house cleaning. It might be decorating or gift wrapping (or gift buying).

Or maybe it is more internal than that. Maybe you need to lay down a grievance or a regret. Maybe you need to express gratitude or love. Maybe you need to find an opportunity for quiet or give one to someone else.

You’ve got a week – so hop to it!

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Something to Wonder

They shall name him Emmanuel – “God is with us”

Think of a time when you felt God’s presence with you. What was going on? What did it feel like? How did you react?

Do you often think of God as being here with us? Or do you more often think of God as being beyond us in some way? Which seems more comfortable to you? Why?

Spare a thought for Joseph

Joseph doesn’t get a lot of space in the Biblical story but because of his role in the Christmas story he gets quite a lot of space in our imaginations.

What do you think you know about Joseph?
How do you feel about Joseph?
How do you imagine Joseph’s personality? Describe him as if you were describing someone to a friend who doesn’t know them.

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Something to Learn

What Tradition Says about Joseph

Although Joseph does not feature prominently in the Biblical record, Christians through the ages have given lots of thought to him.

The St. Joseph Wikipedia page is, as always, a great place for an overview.
It covers what the Bible says; what other ancient traditions say; and the areas of responsibility Joseph has as patron saint (they are numerous!)

What’s with all the Isaiah?

If you’ve been in church in December, you may have noticed that all of the Old Testament readings have been drawn from the Book of Isaiah. These prophecies have long been interpreted by Christians as pointing to Jesus, the one whom we await in Advent (our Jewish and Muslim siblings obviously have other understandings of those prophecies). In fact, Isaiah is where we get the first mention of the Messiah as Emmanuel.

Watch the Bible Project’s overview of Isaiah from a Christian point of view.

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story
Dec 15, 2019
Third Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2-11

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

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Something to Do

Stand with Political Prisoners

John the Baptist was in prison because he told King Herod that divorcing his wife and marrying his sister-in-law was not acceptable behaviour.

Speaking truth to power is still dangerous. Join with Amnesty International to write a letter on behalf of a young person who is suffering the consequences of standing up for what is right as part of their December Write for Rights campaign.

Go and tell what you hear and see

Jesus answers John the Baptist’s question with instructions to the disciples to report what they witness Jesus doing – acts of compassion, healing, and justice.

This work is still going on. Notice it, give thanks to God for it, and help other people notice it, too. There is enough bad news in the world – let’s pay attention to the good news for a while!

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Something to Wonder

Are you the one who is to come or…?

Have you ever waited a really long time for something to happen – an answer to come to you, perhaps, or an opportunity? And when it came, did you know for sure this was it or did you wonder if you were supposed to keep waiting?

How did you decide what to do or what to think?

How do you think John the Baptist felt about Jesus?
Hopeful? Worried? Scared? Happy?

How do you think his disciples felt about Jesus?

What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?

Jesus is pointing out that John the Baptist is exactly what he should be – a strong, somewhat scary prophet in the wilderness – so no one should be surprised by him. In fact, he is precisely what they were all looking for in the first place. And yet, Jesus seems to imply, people are disapproving of John’s wildness and use it as an excuse to ignore him.

Have you ever had the experience of “well, what did you expect?!” If so, what was the context? How did you respond?

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Something to Learn

John the Baptist – Hopepunk

As promised in last Sunday’s sermon, here is the link to the article that introduced me to the concept of “hopepunk”

Waiting and Resistance: Advent and Star Wars by the Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell
“Advent isn’t just about waiting for Christmas, waiting to place the baby in the manger in our Nativity crèches. Advent is about resisting the empire around us—the empire of consumerism and consumption, the empire of majority that pushes minorities to the margins. Advent is about resisting the “War on Christmas” and instead saving what we love: that the Word became flesh and lived among us.”

A Crash Course in the Gospel according to Matthew

The Bible Project’s videos on Matthew’s Gospel give an entertaining and helpful overview of the whole book and some helpful background on the author and their community.

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.