A Love-Hate Relationship
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
The figure of John the Baptist is one that seems oddly discordant in the middle of our "holiday" season, when we exchange sentimental messages of peace and good will. But John's bracing message of repentance is definitely one we need to hear -- particularly in the midst of the commercial excess of the secular Christmas celebration. Not only is he an ascetic messenger, but his theme of responsibility and the need for us to "bear fruit worthy of repentance" is timely as well. We're used to thinking at this time of year of shopping for the right gifts and fellowship with family and friends -- but John serves as a somewhat unpleasant reminder that the incarnation we are preparing to celebrate is not just about the coming of the Prince of Peace but also about the coming of one who is to bring judgment. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Kate Murphy notes that John's message resonates throughout our public debates about tax policy and the responsibilities we have to one another but may not be able to afford in a time of austerity. We tend to assume that we're entitled to "have it all" -- but John tells us that, in fact, it's not all about us. Instead, it's about the "one who is more powerful than [us] who is coming" and who will "baptize [us] with the Holy Spirit and fire." John's proclamation inspires us, and yet makes us very uncomfortable... a love-hate relationship that all too often mirrors our own feelings about God's call for our lives. Team member Ron Love offers some additional thoughts about how the media promotes fear in order to hold our interest -- and how that serves as a distraction from the real "breaking news" that the prophet Isaiah foretells. Ron notes that it is incumbent upon all of us to break free from the hype and do our part to make Isaiah's vision a reality.
A Love-Hate Relationship
by Kate Murphy
Matthew 3:1-12
THE WORLD
The citizens of South Carolina are thrilled. They can't do enough for Emerson Read. Governor Mark Sanford awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor. He received a humanitarian award from the French Society. What did Emerson do to engender such gratitude? His crusade against property taxes led to the passage of Act 388, which exempts owner-occupied homes from property taxes that fund education. The shortfall was intended to be offset by a statewide sales tax increase to 6 cents on the dollar.
The citizens of South Carolina are furious. The state legislature is facing an $81 million shortfall in the sales tax revenues that were supposed to fund public education. And that's just for 2010. The shortfall has grown every year since Act 388 was passed in 2006, to a grand total of $143 million. In the current state budget, the department of education was cut by $253 million. In a poll sponsored by Winthrop University, 51% of South Carolinians polled strongly support Act 388. In the very next question, 70% of citizens polled answered "no" to the question "Do you feel public education is adequately funded?"
We love our tax cut! We hate our poorly funded public schools! What's a politician to do? Sometimes when we get exactly what we want, it's a disaster. That's when we need a prophet to come and tell us the truth we don't want to hear. Cue John the Baptist...
THE WORD
It's always jarring when Old John intrudes on our season of blissful indulgence. The Starbucks cups have turned red, radio stations are crooning peace to all men, and store cashiers cheerfully keep the Christ in Christmas as they wish us "Merry Christmas" while ringing up our purchases. We're all so busy decorating, feasting, and joyfully preparing for the birth of our Lord. And then John barges in, screaming, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And don't be mistaken, it is this messiah we joyfully adore he's talking about. John lays out the coming one's agenda. First, he will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit" -- well, that sounds delightful, but wait there's more! "and fire!," John screams, "he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la, la...
Maybe this is a message we need to hear... sometime. But now? Couldn't this wait until Lent? I remember a very uncomfortable conversation with a parishioner several years ago. She stormed into my office, furious that it was December 17 and we had yet to sing a carol in worship. I explained all the proper Advent theology. We're waiting, not celebrating. These are important themes we must wrestle with... and she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Why can't you just let me be joyful? I just want to be happy, is that so wrong?" So I ask you John, why can't you just put a cork in it, for a moment. We'll still be here in the spring, you can scare the pants off us then. Just let us have a few weeks of exuberant hope that Jesus is coming and really will fix everything. Isn't that a faithful perspective too?
Well, yes -- but only if it's Jesus we're waiting for. The problem is that we tend to confuse Jesus and Santa Claus -- especially at this time of year. Santa comes to magically give us exactly what we want, free of charge with zero effort required of us. But getting what we want often leads us deeper into the hole. Emerson Read didn't want to pay property taxes. Now he isn't, and his home and the homes of his neighbors are suddenly much less valuable because they are surrounded by failing public schools. In a few years, if they don't fix the problem, they'll see an upsurge of violent crime as poorly educated children grow into teenagers and adults who want the same things we all want but have no legal way of obtaining them. We wanted to be gifted with a perfect, pain-free effortless world. But Santa only brings toys.
Jesus, however, does usher in the redemption of the world. But it comes through repentance; not magic. John gets us ready for the coming of Christ by telling us plainly what we do not wish to hear -- the path to the kingdom runs through the law and the prophets. We already know how to live -- loving God with all our heart, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. Until we trust and internalize that law, we will continue to choose destruction.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Most Christians will easily confess that Jesus is their "Lord and Savior." But we don't live that way. We live as though Jesus is our Savior, the one who will come and miraculously rescue us from all our bad decisions and selfish choices. John's unsettling prophecy requires us to pay attention to the first part of our confession. Jesus is not just our Savior, he is also the Lord of our lives. And if Jesus is our Lord, that means he has the right to expect certain types of behavior from us. If we choose Jesus as our Lord, that means we are pledging obedience to Christ's commandments and are welcoming his discipline and judgment over us as righteous. We want to live however we choose and still be God's people. But John tells us clearly that that is not an option. It is living however we choose that empowers sin in our lives. The good news of the gospel is that God is coming to us and that Jesus is going to clean house. Christ comes to make us new and equip us with the power of the Holy Spirit so that what we choose is the will of God. And, wait -- there's even more, God is coming to us, to wrap us in the grace. So that when we chose to do God's will and fail miserably -- and we will -- we will find forgiveness and hope in the loving power of our Savior.
ANOTHER VIEW
Breaking News
by Ron Love
Isaiah 11:1-10
Fear. It is intriguing how much of it is real, and how much of it is imagined. It is interesting to question if we are afraid of an actual event in our lives, or if we are afraid just because an issue dominates daily conversation. One wonders to what degree the fear we harbor is because the news media accentuates it, as opposed to a rational assessment of current events.
Hype. That is what often seems to motivate and promote fear. Instead of watching the evening weather report, we are told to stay tuned for "Storm Tracker" -- even when we all know tomorrow will be sunny and clear and absent of rain. Should not the call to watch "Storm Tracker" be reserved for when there really is a storm to track?
Each evening we are summoned to stay tuned for "Breaking News." We are told little, for all the pertinent details will be forthcoming on the news broadcast later that evening. If the station was really into the business of reporting the news rather than creating hype so we will remain fixed to the tube, we would be informed with more fluid details on the catastrophic event. Trumped-up sensationalism for the purpose of keeping an audience diminishes the seriousness with which we take the stories. Thus we lose our sense of fear.
Did you ever wonder how the major networks and cable news outlets such as MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and their parallels can bombard us each evening with an earth-shattering story? Each evening a new crisis is reported, followed by a panel discussion on how it will affect our very existence. And if that is not enough, then Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, and Dr. Phil make us believe that every family is dysfunctional. At least on their shows, everything is resolved in 60 minutes.
The shows are endless, each as meaningless as the other. We have a medium that sells unfounded fear.
But not all fear is unfounded. Reports that are articulately presented should draw our attention to the problems in our neighborhoods and in the world scene. Iran's nuclear program goes beyond the sunny days of "Storm Tracker." The violence of the Mexican drug cartels that is spreading through a country and spilling over the borders into our homeland really is "Breaking News." The unemployed are worthy of a serious panel discussion. And to tell me there was a major industrial fire, with some details, is worthy of interrupting my program, before I discover the final obscure piece of DNA evidence that convicts a character who was introduced in the last quarter of the serial police drama.
As Christians we must focus on the serious news. Put aside sunny weather reports and learn about the number of Russian political journalists who have been mysteriously murdered. Take notice of how many Muslim women are sentenced to be stoned to death. Be mindful of the number of mining catastrophes for the lack of safety regulations. We may enjoy Judy, Jerry, and Phil, but Isaiah is calling us to heed the latter reports. And it is these issues that Isaiah seeks to heal.
"The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a child shall lead them." That is the news that Isaiah one day anticipates to report. And no one could deny that would be real "Breaking News."
As Christians, we need to remove ourselves from news that is sensational and entertaining, refocusing our attention on stories that directly affect the welfare of humanity -- crime in our cities, underfunded public schools, national unemployment, war in Afghanistan, suppression of human rights in North Korea. Only when these issues are resolved will the "wolf live with the lamb." Dancing with the Stars and who is orchestrating votes for Bristol Palin might be nice water-cooler talk, but it is not church talk. The dialogue in the church must center on human rights violations. We must engage ourselves in making Isaiah's vision a reality.
You may want to follow or adapt the following sermon outline:
I. Dialogue with the congregation about the difference between news that is focused on hype and Nielsen ratings, and news that reports traumatic events in the lives of people. Discuss how we must be able to distinguish between the two. More importantly, share how the serious news must be the news that remains forefront.
II. Emphasize the news stories that have serious consequences for our community, nation, and the world.
III. Discuss the meaning of Isaiah's prophecy and our role in making it a reality. Share ways in which we can become involved and make a difference in news that is noteworthy. Bristol Palin may dance herself into the tabloids, but vulnerable women are being maimed and executed in Iran.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Somewhere between housewares and sporting goods, you may hear it. It may enter your consciousness as you're flipping through the DVDs over in electronics. Or you may find yourself unconsciously humming the tune as you're puzzling over whether large or extra-large will fit that out-of-town relative you haven't seen in some time.
For we need a little Christmas,
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas,
Right this very minute,
Need a little Christmas now!
There's nothing wrong with needing a little Christmas. It's what so many are searching for on their expeditions through the wilds of the shopping mall.
So where are we going to find that "little Christmas"? Over where the kids are lining up to see Santa Claus? In the golden panoply of lights that hang from the neighbors' gutters? Maybe we'll find it in the annual labor of picking out a tree -- wandering from tree lot to tree lot until we happen upon that perfectly symmetrical evergreen (or at least the one the family agrees is good enough).
All of us need a little Christmas from year to year... or think we do. Yet, as wonderful and as warm and as beneficent as Christmas is, "a little Christmas" is not what we really need.
What this broken world of ours truly needs is a big Christmas: the salvation that only Jesus Christ can offer. It's the sort of message John the Baptist is proclaiming with his talk of winnowing forks on the threshing-floor and axes chopping down trees (he's not talking about Christmas trees, by the way). The prophet's word is a blunt, even disturbing message -- but it's the one we need to hear.
* * *
John the Baptist speaks of bearing fruit worthy of repentance, a metaphor that works well for people who are close to the earth, who understand how to judge good fruit from bad and ripe fruit from green. For those of us who live in the city, however, we often need a little help. Thanks to wisegeek.com, here it is:
Berries, citrus fruits, cherries, dates, and grapes are considered non-climacteric fruits and will not ripen any further once they have been removed from the vine or tree. They get their sugars from the mother plant. When you buy them in the market, look for plump fruits that smell like their name.
Climacteric fruits will ripen off the parent plant, and in the case of the avocado, they must be picked in order to ripen. Peaches, bananas, apples, melons, plums, persimmons, and tropical fruits will all ripen off the vine. Tropical fruits like mangoes, papayas, cherimoyas, and kiwis will also grow sweeter off the plant, but be aware that the aroma of the fruit may never fully develop, because the scent compounds come from the plant it grows on. These fruits can be picked with less care than non-climacteric fruits, although you should select for mature, evenly textured, firm specimens. They are ripe when the color of the fruit is even, and the texture is yielding but not mushy. In the case of melons, look for a firm but not hard fruit with a rich aroma.
* * *
Top Ten Fears
The list changes a little each year, but according to a Gallup poll taken in 2001 and reported in the Boston Globe, the following are the top ten fears of Americans:
1. Snakes -- 51%
2. Public speaking -- 40%
3. Heights -- 36%
4. Being enclosed in tight spaces -- 34%
5. Spiders and insects -- 27%
6. Needles and getting shots -- 21%
7. Mice -- 20%
8. Flying on an airplane -- 18%
9. (tie) Dogs; Thunder and Lightning; Crowds -- all at 11%
10. Going to the doctor -- 9%
* * *
Top Ten Concerns
In another Gallup poll taken in May of this year, here are the percentages of people that considered the following issues to be extremely or very important concerns for the future of the United States:
* Terrorism -- 79%
* National debt -- 79%
* Health Care Costs -- 79%
* Unemployment -- 83%
* Illegal immigration -- 63%
* Size and power of the Federal government -- 61%
* War in Iraq and Afghanistan -- 66%
* The Environment -- 51%
* Size and Power of large corporations -- 52%
* Discrimination against minority groups -- 46%
* * *
The "fight or flight" response was first described by Walter Cannon M.D. in the 1920s as the response of animals to fear stimulus. Humans are one of the animals that react to fear with the flight or fight response. It is instinctive.
The human brain, like that of most animals, has evolved so that it sifts data in search of perceived threats. When a threat is identified, the brain reacts to protect us by creating fear. The natural response to fear is to assess the source of the fear and then determine whether fight or flight is the best reaction.
Fear, as long as it is reasonable, is a protective mechanism of our brain. But when fear becomes unreasonable it is destructive to our relationships and our lives in general. In a marriage or a church, for instance, there are times when neither fight nor flight are appropriate.
* * *
One of the greatest anxieties that human beings suffer is the fear of abandonment, of being alone.
Fred Craddock tells the story from his childhood when he found the perfect hiding place under his porch and hounded his sisters into playing hide 'n seek with him so he could use it. No sooner had his sister begun to count than little Fred ran to his place and crawled under the porch, peeking out through the lattice skirt.
His big sister walked past the porch several times and Fred could hardly contain his mirth. "She'll never find me here," he thought. "She'll never find me here."
Then, after a few minutes the thought occurred to him: "She'll never find me here!"
The next time she passed by the porch Fred coughed, and sure enough, thankfully enough, she found him.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now... I'm found...
* * *
Albert George suffered from a debilitating stutter. The thought of speaking in public terrified him. So he was happy to live most of his life in the shadow of his older brother Edward. Albert was even happy when his brother, not he, ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom to become King Edward VIII.
Less than a year later, however, in December 1936, Edward abdicated the throne in order to marry his mistress, the twice divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. Albert was named the new king, George VI. He would later write in his diary that when he went to tell his mother, Queen Mary, what had happened he "broke down and sobbed like a child."
To make matters worse, the United Kingdom was on the verge of war with Germany and Winston Churchill was insisting that the new king give a radio address to calm the country and bring the people together.
In the new movie The King's Speech, the deadline for the speech is fast approaching when the newly crowned King George begins training with a wildly unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue, in preparation for the big day.
Actor Colin Firth, who plays George VI in the film, recently observed that the king had everything and feared everything, while Logue had little and feared nothing. It was through Logue, says Firth, that George VI learned to conquer his fear so he could then conquer his stutter.
* * *
We often think of celebrities as people who don't suffer from stage fright. Often, however, the opposite is true. It's not that they don't have stage fright -- it's that they have learned how to conquer it.
Actress Scarlett Johansson says that being in films doesn't bother her a bit, but public appearances terrify her. Kim Basinger says that she still becomes physically ill with fright every night when she appears in a stage production in front of a live audience.
Elvis Presley used his chronic stage fright to keep his act sharp and energetic so that "every night was like the first night."
Actress/dancer Jennifer Gray recently confessed, after winning on Dancing with the Stars, that while she is thankful for the show business career that she has had, she wonders if it might not have gone further had she not suffered from the crippling stage fright that has hounded her all her life.
Singers Carly Simon and Barbara Streisand have both admitted that they suffer from horrible stage fright, which they manage to barely overcome every time they face an audience.
But they do find a way to overcome it -- and that makes all the difference.
* * *
The 1995 film The Usual Suspects made the question "Who is Keyser Soze?" a popular one often asked with a wink by those who had seen the film.
In the movie, the character Roger "Verbal" Kint -- a petty criminal and con artist who suffers from cerebral palsy -- is offered full immunity if he will help the police identify another criminal who has destroyed a ship and murdered nearly everyone on board during a drug smuggling operation.
Kint tells the detectives of an extremely vile and violent Hungarian crime boss named Keyser Soze (pronounced KY-zer SO-say) -- a man who is so horribly terrifying that other criminals tell their children stories about him to scare them into obedience. (Click here for the full story.)
Eventually, the police complete the interrogation, Kint signs their report, and he is freed. Through a montage of quick revelations we are shown, as Kint's limp disappears and he climbs into a chauffeured limo, that Keyser Soze is a fiction made up by none other than Verbal Kint himself. Keyser Soze doesn't exist except in the fearful minds of those who believe that he does.
* * *
Simone Weil said that imaginary evil, such as that portrayed in books, television shows, and movies, "is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating."
-- Philip Yancey
* * *
One of the incidents in the Harry Potter stories that can be used to teach about the Christian faith is Harry's visit to Diagon Alley, a secret London street known only to wizards and other magical folk. In one of the quirky old shops there, Harry buys himself the most essential item of wizarding equipment: a magic wand.
The proprietor of the wand store is old and wise; he's sold his wares to many a young wizard in years past. The ancient shopkeeper tells Harry, "The wand chooses the wizard." Then he hands Harry a couple of different specimens to try out, telling him to "Give it a flick."
The results are disastrous -- until Harry happens upon the one wand he's supposed to have. With this instrument of power in his hand, he will do great things.
In some aspects, this is similar to the Christian idea of spiritual gifts. We don't choose our spiritual gifts; they choose us. Getting in touch with our giftedness -- trying out each possibility in turn until we find the one that feels right -- is a process we call "discernment." It is often a matter of trial and error (at times, more error than trials).
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Give to our land your justice, O God.
People: Give your righteousness to our leaders.
Leader: Blessed be our God who does wondrous things.
People: Blessed be God's glorious name forever.
Leader: May God's glory fill the whole earth.
People: Amen and Amen.
OR
Leader: Come to the Prince of Peace.
People: We gladly come to find peace.
Leader: Come to the Prince of Peace so that you can sow peace.
People: We have no peace in our lives, so how can we sow peace?
Leader: Come and follow the Prince of Peace and learn how to live peace.
People: We come to learn the true way of peace.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Hope of the World"
found in:
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
"Lord, You Give the Great Commission"
found in:
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
CH: 459
Renew: 305
"I Surrender All"
found in:
UMH: 354
AAHH: 396
NNBH: 198
"Pues Si Vivimos" ("When We Are Living")
found in:
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NCH: 499
CH: 536
"Take My Life, and Let It Be"
found in:
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
Renew: 150
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian"
found in:
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
Renew: 145
"What Does the Lord Require"
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
"Sois la Semilla" ("You Are the Seed")
found in:
UMH: 583
NCH: 528
CH: 478
"Refiner's Fire"
found in:
CCB: 79
"Change My Heart, O God"
found in:
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who desires to bring peace to your creation: Grant us the wisdom to know that peace only comes from lives that produce the fruits of your reign; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship and praise the Prince of Peace and to find the strength and wisdom to follow him. Grant us, O God, the power of your Spirit, so that we may truly produce the fruits of repentance. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we are quick to proclaim with our lips that we are disciples of Jesus but are slow of foot to follow him.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We come to you and wish to receive salvation, but we want it granted to us without it costing us anything. We want to be assured of our redemption, but we really don't want to be made free from our sins. Forgive us our foolish ways and call us once again to turn to you and to life. Amen.
Leader: God welcomes all who will turn and bear the fruits of true repentance.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We come to worship and praise the God of Life, who offers life to all creation. We praise you for your wonder and your grace.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We come to you and wish to receive salvation, but we want it granted to us without it costing us anything. We want to be assured of our redemption, but we really don't want to be made free from our sins. Forgive us our foolish ways and call us once again to turn to you and to life.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have come into our lives and offered us new opportunities for life and redemption. We thank you for all the people you have sent into our lives who have shown us that life can be different and can be better when we live it in you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children who are struggling to find new life and the courage to live into that new life.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Bring in various street signs, such as detour, wrong way, do not enter, etc.
Children's Sermon Starter
Did anyone ever lie to you or treat you badly? Did they apologize and say they would never do it again? Did they then do it again? Saying we will change is one thing, but actually doing it is another. That is what John the Baptist is talking about when he says we need to bear fruit worthy of repentance. We can't just say that we are sorry or say we will be different. We really have to begin to live like Jesus wants us to live.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Prepare Your Hearts
Matthew 3:1-12
Object: Christmas decorations
Good morning, boys and girls! It's the second Sunday in Advent! There are less than three weeks until Christmas! Are you getting ready? What are some things you see people doing to get ready for Christmas? (get responses) There's a lot going on all around us as people get ready. I've brought some decorations with me today. See? (show what you have brought) I'll put these around my house to help me get into the holiday mood. They help me get excited!
In today's reading we hear, "Prepare the way of the Lord." Get ready for him, because he's coming! This is what Advent is all about: waiting and getting ready. We see people getting ready in lots of different ways. We get our houses ready with decorations like the ones I have, but we also should spend time getting our hearts ready.
What do I mean by that? (listen to their ideas) Jesus lived in the world, but he also wants to live inside us. His ideas about love, his ideas about God the Father, his ideas about how to treat other people -- Jesus wants us to understand these ideas and do things like he did. When we spend time praying, learning, and talking about Jesus we can become more like him. When we become more like Jesus, we have made a place for him in our hearts.
Before he can live in us, though, we need to make room for him. We need to get rid of the things that make it hard to see and listen to him. We need to clean our hearts out, just like we clean our houses. What are some things we might clean out of our hearts? (get responses) As we prepare for Christmas, let's clean out our hearts and make a place for Jesus to come and live.
Prayer: Dear God, it's hard to be patient for Christmas, but the waiting will help us get ready. While we wait, create in us clean hearts. Make us ready for Jesus to come into the world and into our lives. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 5, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
A Love-Hate Relationship
by Kate Murphy
Matthew 3:1-12
THE WORLD
The citizens of South Carolina are thrilled. They can't do enough for Emerson Read. Governor Mark Sanford awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor. He received a humanitarian award from the French Society. What did Emerson do to engender such gratitude? His crusade against property taxes led to the passage of Act 388, which exempts owner-occupied homes from property taxes that fund education. The shortfall was intended to be offset by a statewide sales tax increase to 6 cents on the dollar.
The citizens of South Carolina are furious. The state legislature is facing an $81 million shortfall in the sales tax revenues that were supposed to fund public education. And that's just for 2010. The shortfall has grown every year since Act 388 was passed in 2006, to a grand total of $143 million. In the current state budget, the department of education was cut by $253 million. In a poll sponsored by Winthrop University, 51% of South Carolinians polled strongly support Act 388. In the very next question, 70% of citizens polled answered "no" to the question "Do you feel public education is adequately funded?"
We love our tax cut! We hate our poorly funded public schools! What's a politician to do? Sometimes when we get exactly what we want, it's a disaster. That's when we need a prophet to come and tell us the truth we don't want to hear. Cue John the Baptist...
THE WORD
It's always jarring when Old John intrudes on our season of blissful indulgence. The Starbucks cups have turned red, radio stations are crooning peace to all men, and store cashiers cheerfully keep the Christ in Christmas as they wish us "Merry Christmas" while ringing up our purchases. We're all so busy decorating, feasting, and joyfully preparing for the birth of our Lord. And then John barges in, screaming, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And don't be mistaken, it is this messiah we joyfully adore he's talking about. John lays out the coming one's agenda. First, he will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit" -- well, that sounds delightful, but wait there's more! "and fire!," John screams, "he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la, la...
Maybe this is a message we need to hear... sometime. But now? Couldn't this wait until Lent? I remember a very uncomfortable conversation with a parishioner several years ago. She stormed into my office, furious that it was December 17 and we had yet to sing a carol in worship. I explained all the proper Advent theology. We're waiting, not celebrating. These are important themes we must wrestle with... and she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Why can't you just let me be joyful? I just want to be happy, is that so wrong?" So I ask you John, why can't you just put a cork in it, for a moment. We'll still be here in the spring, you can scare the pants off us then. Just let us have a few weeks of exuberant hope that Jesus is coming and really will fix everything. Isn't that a faithful perspective too?
Well, yes -- but only if it's Jesus we're waiting for. The problem is that we tend to confuse Jesus and Santa Claus -- especially at this time of year. Santa comes to magically give us exactly what we want, free of charge with zero effort required of us. But getting what we want often leads us deeper into the hole. Emerson Read didn't want to pay property taxes. Now he isn't, and his home and the homes of his neighbors are suddenly much less valuable because they are surrounded by failing public schools. In a few years, if they don't fix the problem, they'll see an upsurge of violent crime as poorly educated children grow into teenagers and adults who want the same things we all want but have no legal way of obtaining them. We wanted to be gifted with a perfect, pain-free effortless world. But Santa only brings toys.
Jesus, however, does usher in the redemption of the world. But it comes through repentance; not magic. John gets us ready for the coming of Christ by telling us plainly what we do not wish to hear -- the path to the kingdom runs through the law and the prophets. We already know how to live -- loving God with all our heart, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. Until we trust and internalize that law, we will continue to choose destruction.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Most Christians will easily confess that Jesus is their "Lord and Savior." But we don't live that way. We live as though Jesus is our Savior, the one who will come and miraculously rescue us from all our bad decisions and selfish choices. John's unsettling prophecy requires us to pay attention to the first part of our confession. Jesus is not just our Savior, he is also the Lord of our lives. And if Jesus is our Lord, that means he has the right to expect certain types of behavior from us. If we choose Jesus as our Lord, that means we are pledging obedience to Christ's commandments and are welcoming his discipline and judgment over us as righteous. We want to live however we choose and still be God's people. But John tells us clearly that that is not an option. It is living however we choose that empowers sin in our lives. The good news of the gospel is that God is coming to us and that Jesus is going to clean house. Christ comes to make us new and equip us with the power of the Holy Spirit so that what we choose is the will of God. And, wait -- there's even more, God is coming to us, to wrap us in the grace. So that when we chose to do God's will and fail miserably -- and we will -- we will find forgiveness and hope in the loving power of our Savior.
ANOTHER VIEW
Breaking News
by Ron Love
Isaiah 11:1-10
Fear. It is intriguing how much of it is real, and how much of it is imagined. It is interesting to question if we are afraid of an actual event in our lives, or if we are afraid just because an issue dominates daily conversation. One wonders to what degree the fear we harbor is because the news media accentuates it, as opposed to a rational assessment of current events.
Hype. That is what often seems to motivate and promote fear. Instead of watching the evening weather report, we are told to stay tuned for "Storm Tracker" -- even when we all know tomorrow will be sunny and clear and absent of rain. Should not the call to watch "Storm Tracker" be reserved for when there really is a storm to track?
Each evening we are summoned to stay tuned for "Breaking News." We are told little, for all the pertinent details will be forthcoming on the news broadcast later that evening. If the station was really into the business of reporting the news rather than creating hype so we will remain fixed to the tube, we would be informed with more fluid details on the catastrophic event. Trumped-up sensationalism for the purpose of keeping an audience diminishes the seriousness with which we take the stories. Thus we lose our sense of fear.
Did you ever wonder how the major networks and cable news outlets such as MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and their parallels can bombard us each evening with an earth-shattering story? Each evening a new crisis is reported, followed by a panel discussion on how it will affect our very existence. And if that is not enough, then Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, and Dr. Phil make us believe that every family is dysfunctional. At least on their shows, everything is resolved in 60 minutes.
The shows are endless, each as meaningless as the other. We have a medium that sells unfounded fear.
But not all fear is unfounded. Reports that are articulately presented should draw our attention to the problems in our neighborhoods and in the world scene. Iran's nuclear program goes beyond the sunny days of "Storm Tracker." The violence of the Mexican drug cartels that is spreading through a country and spilling over the borders into our homeland really is "Breaking News." The unemployed are worthy of a serious panel discussion. And to tell me there was a major industrial fire, with some details, is worthy of interrupting my program, before I discover the final obscure piece of DNA evidence that convicts a character who was introduced in the last quarter of the serial police drama.
As Christians we must focus on the serious news. Put aside sunny weather reports and learn about the number of Russian political journalists who have been mysteriously murdered. Take notice of how many Muslim women are sentenced to be stoned to death. Be mindful of the number of mining catastrophes for the lack of safety regulations. We may enjoy Judy, Jerry, and Phil, but Isaiah is calling us to heed the latter reports. And it is these issues that Isaiah seeks to heal.
"The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a child shall lead them." That is the news that Isaiah one day anticipates to report. And no one could deny that would be real "Breaking News."
As Christians, we need to remove ourselves from news that is sensational and entertaining, refocusing our attention on stories that directly affect the welfare of humanity -- crime in our cities, underfunded public schools, national unemployment, war in Afghanistan, suppression of human rights in North Korea. Only when these issues are resolved will the "wolf live with the lamb." Dancing with the Stars and who is orchestrating votes for Bristol Palin might be nice water-cooler talk, but it is not church talk. The dialogue in the church must center on human rights violations. We must engage ourselves in making Isaiah's vision a reality.
You may want to follow or adapt the following sermon outline:
I. Dialogue with the congregation about the difference between news that is focused on hype and Nielsen ratings, and news that reports traumatic events in the lives of people. Discuss how we must be able to distinguish between the two. More importantly, share how the serious news must be the news that remains forefront.
II. Emphasize the news stories that have serious consequences for our community, nation, and the world.
III. Discuss the meaning of Isaiah's prophecy and our role in making it a reality. Share ways in which we can become involved and make a difference in news that is noteworthy. Bristol Palin may dance herself into the tabloids, but vulnerable women are being maimed and executed in Iran.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Somewhere between housewares and sporting goods, you may hear it. It may enter your consciousness as you're flipping through the DVDs over in electronics. Or you may find yourself unconsciously humming the tune as you're puzzling over whether large or extra-large will fit that out-of-town relative you haven't seen in some time.
For we need a little Christmas,
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas,
Right this very minute,
Need a little Christmas now!
There's nothing wrong with needing a little Christmas. It's what so many are searching for on their expeditions through the wilds of the shopping mall.
So where are we going to find that "little Christmas"? Over where the kids are lining up to see Santa Claus? In the golden panoply of lights that hang from the neighbors' gutters? Maybe we'll find it in the annual labor of picking out a tree -- wandering from tree lot to tree lot until we happen upon that perfectly symmetrical evergreen (or at least the one the family agrees is good enough).
All of us need a little Christmas from year to year... or think we do. Yet, as wonderful and as warm and as beneficent as Christmas is, "a little Christmas" is not what we really need.
What this broken world of ours truly needs is a big Christmas: the salvation that only Jesus Christ can offer. It's the sort of message John the Baptist is proclaiming with his talk of winnowing forks on the threshing-floor and axes chopping down trees (he's not talking about Christmas trees, by the way). The prophet's word is a blunt, even disturbing message -- but it's the one we need to hear.
* * *
John the Baptist speaks of bearing fruit worthy of repentance, a metaphor that works well for people who are close to the earth, who understand how to judge good fruit from bad and ripe fruit from green. For those of us who live in the city, however, we often need a little help. Thanks to wisegeek.com, here it is:
Berries, citrus fruits, cherries, dates, and grapes are considered non-climacteric fruits and will not ripen any further once they have been removed from the vine or tree. They get their sugars from the mother plant. When you buy them in the market, look for plump fruits that smell like their name.
Climacteric fruits will ripen off the parent plant, and in the case of the avocado, they must be picked in order to ripen. Peaches, bananas, apples, melons, plums, persimmons, and tropical fruits will all ripen off the vine. Tropical fruits like mangoes, papayas, cherimoyas, and kiwis will also grow sweeter off the plant, but be aware that the aroma of the fruit may never fully develop, because the scent compounds come from the plant it grows on. These fruits can be picked with less care than non-climacteric fruits, although you should select for mature, evenly textured, firm specimens. They are ripe when the color of the fruit is even, and the texture is yielding but not mushy. In the case of melons, look for a firm but not hard fruit with a rich aroma.
* * *
Top Ten Fears
The list changes a little each year, but according to a Gallup poll taken in 2001 and reported in the Boston Globe, the following are the top ten fears of Americans:
1. Snakes -- 51%
2. Public speaking -- 40%
3. Heights -- 36%
4. Being enclosed in tight spaces -- 34%
5. Spiders and insects -- 27%
6. Needles and getting shots -- 21%
7. Mice -- 20%
8. Flying on an airplane -- 18%
9. (tie) Dogs; Thunder and Lightning; Crowds -- all at 11%
10. Going to the doctor -- 9%
* * *
Top Ten Concerns
In another Gallup poll taken in May of this year, here are the percentages of people that considered the following issues to be extremely or very important concerns for the future of the United States:
* Terrorism -- 79%
* National debt -- 79%
* Health Care Costs -- 79%
* Unemployment -- 83%
* Illegal immigration -- 63%
* Size and power of the Federal government -- 61%
* War in Iraq and Afghanistan -- 66%
* The Environment -- 51%
* Size and Power of large corporations -- 52%
* Discrimination against minority groups -- 46%
* * *
The "fight or flight" response was first described by Walter Cannon M.D. in the 1920s as the response of animals to fear stimulus. Humans are one of the animals that react to fear with the flight or fight response. It is instinctive.
The human brain, like that of most animals, has evolved so that it sifts data in search of perceived threats. When a threat is identified, the brain reacts to protect us by creating fear. The natural response to fear is to assess the source of the fear and then determine whether fight or flight is the best reaction.
Fear, as long as it is reasonable, is a protective mechanism of our brain. But when fear becomes unreasonable it is destructive to our relationships and our lives in general. In a marriage or a church, for instance, there are times when neither fight nor flight are appropriate.
* * *
One of the greatest anxieties that human beings suffer is the fear of abandonment, of being alone.
Fred Craddock tells the story from his childhood when he found the perfect hiding place under his porch and hounded his sisters into playing hide 'n seek with him so he could use it. No sooner had his sister begun to count than little Fred ran to his place and crawled under the porch, peeking out through the lattice skirt.
His big sister walked past the porch several times and Fred could hardly contain his mirth. "She'll never find me here," he thought. "She'll never find me here."
Then, after a few minutes the thought occurred to him: "She'll never find me here!"
The next time she passed by the porch Fred coughed, and sure enough, thankfully enough, she found him.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now... I'm found...
* * *
Albert George suffered from a debilitating stutter. The thought of speaking in public terrified him. So he was happy to live most of his life in the shadow of his older brother Edward. Albert was even happy when his brother, not he, ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom to become King Edward VIII.
Less than a year later, however, in December 1936, Edward abdicated the throne in order to marry his mistress, the twice divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. Albert was named the new king, George VI. He would later write in his diary that when he went to tell his mother, Queen Mary, what had happened he "broke down and sobbed like a child."
To make matters worse, the United Kingdom was on the verge of war with Germany and Winston Churchill was insisting that the new king give a radio address to calm the country and bring the people together.
In the new movie The King's Speech, the deadline for the speech is fast approaching when the newly crowned King George begins training with a wildly unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue, in preparation for the big day.
Actor Colin Firth, who plays George VI in the film, recently observed that the king had everything and feared everything, while Logue had little and feared nothing. It was through Logue, says Firth, that George VI learned to conquer his fear so he could then conquer his stutter.
* * *
We often think of celebrities as people who don't suffer from stage fright. Often, however, the opposite is true. It's not that they don't have stage fright -- it's that they have learned how to conquer it.
Actress Scarlett Johansson says that being in films doesn't bother her a bit, but public appearances terrify her. Kim Basinger says that she still becomes physically ill with fright every night when she appears in a stage production in front of a live audience.
Elvis Presley used his chronic stage fright to keep his act sharp and energetic so that "every night was like the first night."
Actress/dancer Jennifer Gray recently confessed, after winning on Dancing with the Stars, that while she is thankful for the show business career that she has had, she wonders if it might not have gone further had she not suffered from the crippling stage fright that has hounded her all her life.
Singers Carly Simon and Barbara Streisand have both admitted that they suffer from horrible stage fright, which they manage to barely overcome every time they face an audience.
But they do find a way to overcome it -- and that makes all the difference.
* * *
The 1995 film The Usual Suspects made the question "Who is Keyser Soze?" a popular one often asked with a wink by those who had seen the film.
In the movie, the character Roger "Verbal" Kint -- a petty criminal and con artist who suffers from cerebral palsy -- is offered full immunity if he will help the police identify another criminal who has destroyed a ship and murdered nearly everyone on board during a drug smuggling operation.
Kint tells the detectives of an extremely vile and violent Hungarian crime boss named Keyser Soze (pronounced KY-zer SO-say) -- a man who is so horribly terrifying that other criminals tell their children stories about him to scare them into obedience. (Click here for the full story.)
Eventually, the police complete the interrogation, Kint signs their report, and he is freed. Through a montage of quick revelations we are shown, as Kint's limp disappears and he climbs into a chauffeured limo, that Keyser Soze is a fiction made up by none other than Verbal Kint himself. Keyser Soze doesn't exist except in the fearful minds of those who believe that he does.
* * *
Simone Weil said that imaginary evil, such as that portrayed in books, television shows, and movies, "is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating."
-- Philip Yancey
* * *
One of the incidents in the Harry Potter stories that can be used to teach about the Christian faith is Harry's visit to Diagon Alley, a secret London street known only to wizards and other magical folk. In one of the quirky old shops there, Harry buys himself the most essential item of wizarding equipment: a magic wand.
The proprietor of the wand store is old and wise; he's sold his wares to many a young wizard in years past. The ancient shopkeeper tells Harry, "The wand chooses the wizard." Then he hands Harry a couple of different specimens to try out, telling him to "Give it a flick."
The results are disastrous -- until Harry happens upon the one wand he's supposed to have. With this instrument of power in his hand, he will do great things.
In some aspects, this is similar to the Christian idea of spiritual gifts. We don't choose our spiritual gifts; they choose us. Getting in touch with our giftedness -- trying out each possibility in turn until we find the one that feels right -- is a process we call "discernment." It is often a matter of trial and error (at times, more error than trials).
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Give to our land your justice, O God.
People: Give your righteousness to our leaders.
Leader: Blessed be our God who does wondrous things.
People: Blessed be God's glorious name forever.
Leader: May God's glory fill the whole earth.
People: Amen and Amen.
OR
Leader: Come to the Prince of Peace.
People: We gladly come to find peace.
Leader: Come to the Prince of Peace so that you can sow peace.
People: We have no peace in our lives, so how can we sow peace?
Leader: Come and follow the Prince of Peace and learn how to live peace.
People: We come to learn the true way of peace.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Hope of the World"
found in:
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
"Lord, You Give the Great Commission"
found in:
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
CH: 459
Renew: 305
"I Surrender All"
found in:
UMH: 354
AAHH: 396
NNBH: 198
"Pues Si Vivimos" ("When We Are Living")
found in:
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NCH: 499
CH: 536
"Take My Life, and Let It Be"
found in:
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
Renew: 150
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian"
found in:
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
Renew: 145
"What Does the Lord Require"
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
"Sois la Semilla" ("You Are the Seed")
found in:
UMH: 583
NCH: 528
CH: 478
"Refiner's Fire"
found in:
CCB: 79
"Change My Heart, O God"
found in:
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who desires to bring peace to your creation: Grant us the wisdom to know that peace only comes from lives that produce the fruits of your reign; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship and praise the Prince of Peace and to find the strength and wisdom to follow him. Grant us, O God, the power of your Spirit, so that we may truly produce the fruits of repentance. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we are quick to proclaim with our lips that we are disciples of Jesus but are slow of foot to follow him.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We come to you and wish to receive salvation, but we want it granted to us without it costing us anything. We want to be assured of our redemption, but we really don't want to be made free from our sins. Forgive us our foolish ways and call us once again to turn to you and to life. Amen.
Leader: God welcomes all who will turn and bear the fruits of true repentance.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We come to worship and praise the God of Life, who offers life to all creation. We praise you for your wonder and your grace.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We come to you and wish to receive salvation, but we want it granted to us without it costing us anything. We want to be assured of our redemption, but we really don't want to be made free from our sins. Forgive us our foolish ways and call us once again to turn to you and to life.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have come into our lives and offered us new opportunities for life and redemption. We thank you for all the people you have sent into our lives who have shown us that life can be different and can be better when we live it in you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children who are struggling to find new life and the courage to live into that new life.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Bring in various street signs, such as detour, wrong way, do not enter, etc.
Children's Sermon Starter
Did anyone ever lie to you or treat you badly? Did they apologize and say they would never do it again? Did they then do it again? Saying we will change is one thing, but actually doing it is another. That is what John the Baptist is talking about when he says we need to bear fruit worthy of repentance. We can't just say that we are sorry or say we will be different. We really have to begin to live like Jesus wants us to live.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Prepare Your Hearts
Matthew 3:1-12
Object: Christmas decorations
Good morning, boys and girls! It's the second Sunday in Advent! There are less than three weeks until Christmas! Are you getting ready? What are some things you see people doing to get ready for Christmas? (get responses) There's a lot going on all around us as people get ready. I've brought some decorations with me today. See? (show what you have brought) I'll put these around my house to help me get into the holiday mood. They help me get excited!
In today's reading we hear, "Prepare the way of the Lord." Get ready for him, because he's coming! This is what Advent is all about: waiting and getting ready. We see people getting ready in lots of different ways. We get our houses ready with decorations like the ones I have, but we also should spend time getting our hearts ready.
What do I mean by that? (listen to their ideas) Jesus lived in the world, but he also wants to live inside us. His ideas about love, his ideas about God the Father, his ideas about how to treat other people -- Jesus wants us to understand these ideas and do things like he did. When we spend time praying, learning, and talking about Jesus we can become more like him. When we become more like Jesus, we have made a place for him in our hearts.
Before he can live in us, though, we need to make room for him. We need to get rid of the things that make it hard to see and listen to him. We need to clean our hearts out, just like we clean our houses. What are some things we might clean out of our hearts? (get responses) As we prepare for Christmas, let's clean out our hearts and make a place for Jesus to come and live.
Prayer: Dear God, it's hard to be patient for Christmas, but the waiting will help us get ready. While we wait, create in us clean hearts. Make us ready for Jesus to come into the world and into our lives. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 5, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
