Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2024)
Illustration
Micah 5:2-5a
Phillips Brooks wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in 1868. The song began as a poem he’d written for the Sunday School of his church, The Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. Brooks found the inspiration for this hymn after the Civil War, during a year abroad (1865-66) in Europe and the Holy Land. While traveling, he wrote to the children of his parish about visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.
Bethlehem was not an important city at the time Jesus was born. Historically, Bethlehem was the place of Rachel’s death, where Naomi lived before traveling to Moab, it was the place Naomi returned to with Ruth. The family line of David began in Bethlehem. The previous glory of King David, however, had already washed away, and Bethlehem was seen as a rather insignificant city. The name “Bethlehem” meant “House of Bread.”
God chose this small, insignificant town to be the birthplace of his son. The one who would call himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35) would be born in the “house of bread.” Today, Bethlehem is the home to over 27,000 people. Those who live in Bethlehem are considered citizens of Palestine. Two million tourists come to Bethlehem each year, many of them Christians. They come from all over the world to see and experience the birthplace of Jesus Christ. As we contemplate the town of Bethlehem, we will experience Jesus this Christmas?
Bill T.
* * *
Micah 5:2-5a
With the advent of GPS on our phones and in our cars, it’s not as easy to get lost as it was in the days when we might have an atlas or a AAA map in the front seat. Not that GPS can’t mess up. We still have to pay attention, but we have a much greater assurance we’re going to get there, wherever there is, on the first try.
On the other hand, with precise directions we may miss out on the kinds of surprises that used to occur before the era of precise directions. In the old days, you sometimes found a restaurant you never knew about, a playground that became your children’s favorite, an attraction you’d have never looked for which you stumbled on by accident.
I was thinking about this when I reread this scripture from Micah. When the Magi followed that star, it pointed them in the general direction of Judea. The conjunction of Jupiter, the king planet, and Venus, the queen planet, in the sky before Jesus was born, near the star Regulus (the king star) which is part of Leo the Lion (the constellation that stood for the Lion of Judah) sent them towards Judea. Once there it made sense to stop at the capital, Jerusalem. In response to their request at Herod’s court for directions to the newborn king they were handed this scripture, which sent them to Bethlehem. It wasn’t the big city; it was the small town.
And what should this scripture tell us? When seeking God’s will for our lives or our church we should not settle for the usual suspects. Think outside the box. Consider who might become actively involved in the church’s ministries who hasn’t been asked before or who has said nun many times, yet may turn out to be ready to answer God’s call. Look towards someone younger, or older, than usually expected. Be open to surprises!
Frank R.
* * *
Hebrews 10:5-10
Burnt offerings and sacrifices were the order of the day, the practice of seeking forgiveness and pleasing God, for many centuries. Jesus came into the world and removed the need for those burnt offerings and sin sacrifices. Jesus came into the world and did God’s will, taught and led a small band of disciples who changed worship and the world forever.
The love Jesus offered, the acknowledgement that others were more important than oneself, these are the actions of a church that changed the world – that grew from twelve followers into a church than can be found in every nation in our world. It is not claiming power, but offering self-sacrifice that bring us closer to God, that changes the world, that shifted history. All the burnt offerings on earth do not change the world the way love does. For this I am grateful.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Hebrews 10:5-10
The text forces on us the need to illustrate why with the Christmas season we should still be focused on the cross. Martin Luther once made clear how and why the two go together. In one of his Christmas sermons he claimed that Christ takes our births (under our present sinful condition) and absorbs them into his own, so that "every Christian may rejoice and glory in Christ's death as if he had himself been born of Mary..." (Complete Sermons, Vol.1/1, p.144). Famed 20th-century theological critic of Hitler Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes a similar point as he wrote:
The body of Jesus Christ is our flesh. He bears our flesh. Therefore, where Jesus Christ is, there we are, whether we know it or not... What happens to Jesus Christ, happens to us. It really is all our poor flesh which lies there in the crib; it is our flesh which dies with him on the Cross. Where the body of Jesus Christ is, there we are; indeed we are his body. So the Christmas message for all people runs: You are accepted. God has not despised you, but bears in his body all your flesh and blood. (A Testament To Freedom. p.472)
Luther also explains how this message strengthens us:
But if you possess faith, your heart cannot do otherwise than laugh for joy and grow free, confident, and courageous. For how can the heart remain sorrowful and dejected when it entertains no doubt of God's kindness to it, and of his attitude as a good friend with whom it may unreservedly and freely enjoy all things. (Complete Sermons, Vol.3/2, p.146)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
When I was a young girl growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition, I was always excited when the Gospel Lesson focused on Mary. Too often the role models in scripture were men. Too often the only participants in the worship service were men. I had a hard time seeing myself in the words read or the stories told. Then came the Fourth Sunday of Advent and the Magnificat. These words echoed in my heart. Mary’s commitment to God, to God’s will, to God’s mercy and to the justice God proclaim deeply touched me.
Suddenly I felt connected to my faith in new ways. This gospel reading is one of the reasons I learned to pray the rosary. I wanted to repeat the “Hail, Mary” prayer. I wanted to focus on Mary and her gifts to the world – not simply as the mother of Jesus, but as a woman of deep faith who allowed God to use her. Mary is part of the inspiration for me to move into ministry, to offer myself to the work of God and the church. Thank you, God, for calling Mary to lead. I am happy to be obediently following God’s call on my life as she did.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
Langston Hughes wrote a poem in 1951 called “Harlem.” He likely wrote the poem after the 1935 and 1943 riots in Harlem both of which were triggered by segregation, unemployment, and the general experience of African Americans in America at that time. The poem begins by asking a haunting question. “What happens to a dream deferred?” Hughes then posits four possibilities, none of them positive. “Harlem” is a powerful poem that speaks to some of the racial injustice in our country. The question Hughes asked still resonates. That question came back to me as I considered this text.
Mary was a young woman who was pledged to be married to Joseph. What God asked Mary to do would change her life forever. Gone were the happy dreams of a beautiful wedding. There would be no more days of sweet anticipation. There would not be much of a wedding feast. Any dream the young Mary might have had about marriage and family was over. She would be married, but not before rumors spread through the countryside. For a while, over her family would rest an uneasy cloud of dark suspicion.
What was Mary’s response? Anger or resentment might have been a natural feeling, but they don’t seem to be there. Fear and worry might show up on this occasion, but they don’t seem to make an appearance, either. Her response is one of praise and worship. “My soul magnifies the Lord” (vs. 46). “My spirit rejoices” (vs. 47). She trusts that God has chosen her for a great task, and she is willing to do whatever he asks. Sometimes God changes our dreams, too. What will our response be?
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Sermons on Mary's famed prayer, The Magnificat, will highlight the theme of humility in her prayer. We need that message today, as we are much too caught up on ourselves. Psychologist Jean Twenge has written a book, Generation Me, and the truth is that we all belong to that generation. Mary seems to propose that humility is good for us. But humility need not be self-effacing, Martin Luther reminds us. Rather, he claimed:
For that reason, it is not humility when you deny what you possess and say you don't have it. For, if God has endowed you with something, admit it, and say that it is true, but that I do not have it of myself, for God has given it to me... (Complete Sermons, Vol.7, p.348)
With this in mind, we will be even more focused on Jesus. Luther has a nice way of explaining what then happens:
Therefore, this gospel deals with the great article about Christ, that we should receive him, kiss and embrace him, cling to him, never allow ourselves to be torn from him nor him from us. This is the chief article of Christian doctrine, and on it rests our salvation. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.82)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the 18th canto of the Purgatorio, Luke 1:39 is quoted by the slothful as a goad. Those who put things off now sprint at full tilt, shouting, “And Mary ran….”
She hightailed it out of Nazareth and covered the eighty miles to her cousin Elizabeth’s home with speed. As Witherington and Levine point out in their commentary on Luke, the evangelist “. . . indicates no traveling companion for the eighty miles or so, no means of travel (foot, donkey, card, etc.) and no stopping points. The focus is entirely on Mary, and the lack of details hints at her independence and resourcefulness.” (p.37)
She figured it out by herself.
As our churches go through our holiday preparations, let’s remember to ask youth to take part in the planning and execution of such things as decorations, music, and even preaching. We older folks tend to do things as we’ve often done them, but youth are doing things a different way, and may well know how to bypass red tape and the same old same old. There may be a way to do things that is brilliantly not ours. Or it may simply be time for someone to learn from us, to let them, and to let go.
Frank R.
Phillips Brooks wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in 1868. The song began as a poem he’d written for the Sunday School of his church, The Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. Brooks found the inspiration for this hymn after the Civil War, during a year abroad (1865-66) in Europe and the Holy Land. While traveling, he wrote to the children of his parish about visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.
Bethlehem was not an important city at the time Jesus was born. Historically, Bethlehem was the place of Rachel’s death, where Naomi lived before traveling to Moab, it was the place Naomi returned to with Ruth. The family line of David began in Bethlehem. The previous glory of King David, however, had already washed away, and Bethlehem was seen as a rather insignificant city. The name “Bethlehem” meant “House of Bread.”
God chose this small, insignificant town to be the birthplace of his son. The one who would call himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35) would be born in the “house of bread.” Today, Bethlehem is the home to over 27,000 people. Those who live in Bethlehem are considered citizens of Palestine. Two million tourists come to Bethlehem each year, many of them Christians. They come from all over the world to see and experience the birthplace of Jesus Christ. As we contemplate the town of Bethlehem, we will experience Jesus this Christmas?
Bill T.
* * *
Micah 5:2-5a
With the advent of GPS on our phones and in our cars, it’s not as easy to get lost as it was in the days when we might have an atlas or a AAA map in the front seat. Not that GPS can’t mess up. We still have to pay attention, but we have a much greater assurance we’re going to get there, wherever there is, on the first try.
On the other hand, with precise directions we may miss out on the kinds of surprises that used to occur before the era of precise directions. In the old days, you sometimes found a restaurant you never knew about, a playground that became your children’s favorite, an attraction you’d have never looked for which you stumbled on by accident.
I was thinking about this when I reread this scripture from Micah. When the Magi followed that star, it pointed them in the general direction of Judea. The conjunction of Jupiter, the king planet, and Venus, the queen planet, in the sky before Jesus was born, near the star Regulus (the king star) which is part of Leo the Lion (the constellation that stood for the Lion of Judah) sent them towards Judea. Once there it made sense to stop at the capital, Jerusalem. In response to their request at Herod’s court for directions to the newborn king they were handed this scripture, which sent them to Bethlehem. It wasn’t the big city; it was the small town.
And what should this scripture tell us? When seeking God’s will for our lives or our church we should not settle for the usual suspects. Think outside the box. Consider who might become actively involved in the church’s ministries who hasn’t been asked before or who has said nun many times, yet may turn out to be ready to answer God’s call. Look towards someone younger, or older, than usually expected. Be open to surprises!
Frank R.
* * *
Hebrews 10:5-10
Burnt offerings and sacrifices were the order of the day, the practice of seeking forgiveness and pleasing God, for many centuries. Jesus came into the world and removed the need for those burnt offerings and sin sacrifices. Jesus came into the world and did God’s will, taught and led a small band of disciples who changed worship and the world forever.
The love Jesus offered, the acknowledgement that others were more important than oneself, these are the actions of a church that changed the world – that grew from twelve followers into a church than can be found in every nation in our world. It is not claiming power, but offering self-sacrifice that bring us closer to God, that changes the world, that shifted history. All the burnt offerings on earth do not change the world the way love does. For this I am grateful.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Hebrews 10:5-10
The text forces on us the need to illustrate why with the Christmas season we should still be focused on the cross. Martin Luther once made clear how and why the two go together. In one of his Christmas sermons he claimed that Christ takes our births (under our present sinful condition) and absorbs them into his own, so that "every Christian may rejoice and glory in Christ's death as if he had himself been born of Mary..." (Complete Sermons, Vol.1/1, p.144). Famed 20th-century theological critic of Hitler Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes a similar point as he wrote:
The body of Jesus Christ is our flesh. He bears our flesh. Therefore, where Jesus Christ is, there we are, whether we know it or not... What happens to Jesus Christ, happens to us. It really is all our poor flesh which lies there in the crib; it is our flesh which dies with him on the Cross. Where the body of Jesus Christ is, there we are; indeed we are his body. So the Christmas message for all people runs: You are accepted. God has not despised you, but bears in his body all your flesh and blood. (A Testament To Freedom. p.472)
Luther also explains how this message strengthens us:
But if you possess faith, your heart cannot do otherwise than laugh for joy and grow free, confident, and courageous. For how can the heart remain sorrowful and dejected when it entertains no doubt of God's kindness to it, and of his attitude as a good friend with whom it may unreservedly and freely enjoy all things. (Complete Sermons, Vol.3/2, p.146)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
When I was a young girl growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition, I was always excited when the Gospel Lesson focused on Mary. Too often the role models in scripture were men. Too often the only participants in the worship service were men. I had a hard time seeing myself in the words read or the stories told. Then came the Fourth Sunday of Advent and the Magnificat. These words echoed in my heart. Mary’s commitment to God, to God’s will, to God’s mercy and to the justice God proclaim deeply touched me.
Suddenly I felt connected to my faith in new ways. This gospel reading is one of the reasons I learned to pray the rosary. I wanted to repeat the “Hail, Mary” prayer. I wanted to focus on Mary and her gifts to the world – not simply as the mother of Jesus, but as a woman of deep faith who allowed God to use her. Mary is part of the inspiration for me to move into ministry, to offer myself to the work of God and the church. Thank you, God, for calling Mary to lead. I am happy to be obediently following God’s call on my life as she did.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
Langston Hughes wrote a poem in 1951 called “Harlem.” He likely wrote the poem after the 1935 and 1943 riots in Harlem both of which were triggered by segregation, unemployment, and the general experience of African Americans in America at that time. The poem begins by asking a haunting question. “What happens to a dream deferred?” Hughes then posits four possibilities, none of them positive. “Harlem” is a powerful poem that speaks to some of the racial injustice in our country. The question Hughes asked still resonates. That question came back to me as I considered this text.
Mary was a young woman who was pledged to be married to Joseph. What God asked Mary to do would change her life forever. Gone were the happy dreams of a beautiful wedding. There would be no more days of sweet anticipation. There would not be much of a wedding feast. Any dream the young Mary might have had about marriage and family was over. She would be married, but not before rumors spread through the countryside. For a while, over her family would rest an uneasy cloud of dark suspicion.
What was Mary’s response? Anger or resentment might have been a natural feeling, but they don’t seem to be there. Fear and worry might show up on this occasion, but they don’t seem to make an appearance, either. Her response is one of praise and worship. “My soul magnifies the Lord” (vs. 46). “My spirit rejoices” (vs. 47). She trusts that God has chosen her for a great task, and she is willing to do whatever he asks. Sometimes God changes our dreams, too. What will our response be?
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Sermons on Mary's famed prayer, The Magnificat, will highlight the theme of humility in her prayer. We need that message today, as we are much too caught up on ourselves. Psychologist Jean Twenge has written a book, Generation Me, and the truth is that we all belong to that generation. Mary seems to propose that humility is good for us. But humility need not be self-effacing, Martin Luther reminds us. Rather, he claimed:
For that reason, it is not humility when you deny what you possess and say you don't have it. For, if God has endowed you with something, admit it, and say that it is true, but that I do not have it of myself, for God has given it to me... (Complete Sermons, Vol.7, p.348)
With this in mind, we will be even more focused on Jesus. Luther has a nice way of explaining what then happens:
Therefore, this gospel deals with the great article about Christ, that we should receive him, kiss and embrace him, cling to him, never allow ourselves to be torn from him nor him from us. This is the chief article of Christian doctrine, and on it rests our salvation. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.82)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the 18th canto of the Purgatorio, Luke 1:39 is quoted by the slothful as a goad. Those who put things off now sprint at full tilt, shouting, “And Mary ran….”
She hightailed it out of Nazareth and covered the eighty miles to her cousin Elizabeth’s home with speed. As Witherington and Levine point out in their commentary on Luke, the evangelist “. . . indicates no traveling companion for the eighty miles or so, no means of travel (foot, donkey, card, etc.) and no stopping points. The focus is entirely on Mary, and the lack of details hints at her independence and resourcefulness.” (p.37)
She figured it out by herself.
As our churches go through our holiday preparations, let’s remember to ask youth to take part in the planning and execution of such things as decorations, music, and even preaching. We older folks tend to do things as we’ve often done them, but youth are doing things a different way, and may well know how to bypass red tape and the same old same old. There may be a way to do things that is brilliantly not ours. Or it may simply be time for someone to learn from us, to let them, and to let go.
Frank R.
