The Unexpected Gift : Sermon Matthew 1:18-25

Dear God, take our minds and think through them; take our hands and feet and work through them; take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire for you. Amen

Well, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Christmastime is almost upon us again, although it hardly seems possible. Christmas is perhaps my favorite time of year, there is a chill in the air; people seem friendlier, for the most part. I love to see the twinkling lights on people’s houses and see their decorated trees through their windows. Christmas is a time for gathering with friends and family. There are Christmas parties, dinners, lunches which reminds me of the food of Christmas. Cookies, cakes, dressing, casseroles, ham, and turkey amongst other things none of which are really good for us, but hey it’s Christmas. Christmas is also the time for gift giving and receiving. I was telling someone the other day, when I was a kid I would look forward to Christmas so that I could open gifts. I loved to see what surprises there were behind the wrapping paper. However, now that I am older I know the joy of seeing other people get the joy from opening my presents that I give to them. If you are as lucky as I am there are many boxes, ribbons, and bows lying in wait underneath the tree. Gifts come it many different sizes and shapes. Sometime we like the big ones, the heavy ones. Those must be something really nice. But the small ones can hold some great things as well, like car keys and diamond rings. And sometimes the greatest gifts we can receive come in unexpected packages.

The greatest gift that we receive at Christmas is not the CDs, books, or toys we might get under the tree, it is the Christ child in the manger. God’s greatest gift to humanity was the gift of himself. God came down and became human so that God could understand what it was to be human. God taught humanity what it meant to love and exist in peace with one another. This is a great gift. But it does not end there. God sacrificed of himself upon the cross of Calvary so that all of humanity might be reconciled unto him. We are forgiven of our sins because of God’s gift to us. We are reconciled to God because of the gift of Jesus. This indeed is the greatest gift, a gift worthy of thanksgiving, a gift worthy of praise, and a gift worthy of worship.

This gift from God is indeed great, but it definitely came in an unexpected package. If God wanted to come down from heaven he could have done it in many ways. God should have come as royalty, as a great, conquering, king descending from heaven with the mighty hosts behind him. This was not his style. God could have been born to a queen or a princess in a beautiful palace with all the pomp and circumstance befitting the King of kings. This was not God’s way. Instead God was born into humanity in the most humble, and degrading ways possible. God was born in a cold, dank, dark barn in a small town called Bethlehem. God was not wrapped in fine linens and silk wrappings, but in swaddling cloths, in old rags that were gathered. God was not laid in a crib made of gold and other precious metals; God was laid in feeding trough for animals. The Creator of the universe and all time was born in the filth and humility of a barn which was nothing more than a cave hewn from the hillside. The infant God was surrounded by the very animals that he had created. This was a place that none of us would want to have our baby. This was a place not fit for any human child to be born, much less God, the Lord of lords.

This was not the end of the unexpectedness that accompanied the birth of Christ. God was born to some unusual parents. Here were two people, not married yet, not yet established in the world and God chose them. Here was Mary, a young girl whose life was spent helping her family gather water and cooking the meals. There was nothing particularly special about this girl at first glance. Mary was a common enough name at the time. She was a faithful girl, but she was not part of the aristocracy. She was good to her family and those she encountered, but she was not heir to a throne or to riches. She could have been any girl in any village in the area. However, Mary was chosen for a purpose, she would give birth to the Son of God.

Then there was Joseph. He was an average guy, with an average life. There was nothing that special about him except perhaps the fact that he was a descendent of King David, but he was not an heir to any throne nor did he have particular political ambition. He was a carpenter by trade. He lived and worked in Nazareth just getting by like everyone else. He worked hard during the day; he adhered to the Sabbath law and the other Laws of God. He is what we would call a good man. He was engaged to this young girl Mary and if it had not been for this incredible change that was to take place, no one would have ever heard of them. This was a big change that was to take place and I imagine that anyone of us would be wary at this angelic announcement. Joseph had found out his future wife was pregnant and he was going to let her go quietly without public humiliation which was his right to do, and then this angel appears telling him that he was to raise the Son of God in his household. We can’t imagine what was going on in his mind, but he had faith in God’s plan even thought he did not understand it.

Then there was this baby, the child which was fully God and fully human. At first glance this child did not look extraordinary. He could have been any child one would see at the maternity ward at any hospital. He cried like any other baby. He was weak and helpless like any other baby, vulnerable to the elements. The name Jesus was not unique in this time. The name Jesus is Latin for Joshua which was a common name especially for a Jewish boy. The King of kings and the Lord of lords came to this earth in the most unexpected package as a child born in the most ordinary place, to two ordinary people. This might seem strange to an outsider. You mean to say that God was born in a stable, to a carpenter and his wife, your kidding right? However, this place Bethlehem was no ordinary place, it was special. This woman was no ordinary woman, she was special. This man was no ordinary man, he was special. And this baby was not ordinary baby, he was special. This place and these people were chose according to God’s plan.

This brings us to the question then, why does God make his entrance in this most unexpected way? Perhaps it is to show us that great things can come in unexpected packages and in unexpected people. Perhaps this lesson teaches us that everyone we meet, no matter how ordinary they might look can hold great gifts for us if we just give them a chance. Every person we encounter is a gift from God to someone. Everyone has family and friends that love them and if they don’t perhaps God is choosing you to be that friend.

There is a Christmas poem that I love so much and I am sure that you have heard it before, but please indulge me. It is called the Christmas guest.

It happened one day near December's end
Two neighbors called on an old friend
And they found his shop so meager and lame
Made gay with a thousand bows of green
And Conrad was sittin' with face ashined
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine
And he said "Oh friends at dawn today
When the cock was crowin' the night away
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said 'I'm comin' your guest to be.'
So I've been busy with feet astir
And strewin' my shop with branches of fir
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined
Now I'll wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear His step
As He nears my humble place
And I'll open the door and look on His face"
So his friends went home and left Conrad alone
For this was the happiest day he'd known
For long since his family had passed away
And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas day
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best
So he listened with only joy in his heart
And with every sound he would rise with a start
And look for the Lord to be at his door
Like the vision he'd had a few hours before
So he ran to the window after hearin' a sound
But all he could see on the snow-covered ground
Was a shabby begger who's shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn
But Conrad was touched and he went to the door
And he said "You know, your feet must be frozen and sore
I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that'll keep you warmer too"
So with grateful heart, the man went away
But Conrad noticed the time of day
And wondered what made the Lord so late
And how much longer he'd have to wait
When he heard a knock he ran to the door
But it was only a stranger once more
A bent ol' lady with a shawl of black
With a bundle of kindlin' piled on her back
She asked for only a place to rest
But that was reserved for Conrad's great guest
But her voice seemed to plead "Don't send me away
Let me rest for awhile on Christmas day"
So Conrad brewed her a steamin' cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup
But after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were slippin' away
And the Lord hadn't come as He said He would
And Conrad felt sure he'd misunderstood
When out of the stillness he heard a cry
"Please help me, and tell me where am I!"
So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before
It was only a child who'd wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas day
Again, Conrad's heart was heavy and sad
But he knew he should make the little girl glad
So he called her in and he wiped her tears
And quieted all her childish fears
Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door
He knew the Lord was not comin' today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away
So he went to his room and he knelt down to pray
And he said "Dear Lord, why did You delay?
What kept You from comin' to call on me?
For I wanted so much Your Face to see"
When soft in the silence, a voice he heard
"Lift up your head, for I kept my word
Three times my shadow crossed your floor
And three times I came to your lonely door
I was the begger with bruised, cold feet
And I was the woman you gave somethin' to eat
I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked and three times I came in
And each time I found the warmth of a friend
Of all the gifts love is the best
And I was honored to be your Christmas guest."

The lesson to be learned this day is this, don’t let extraordinary blessings pass you by because it comes in an unappealing, unexpected package because it might hold a great gift. The greatest Christmas gift came in an unexpected package and held extraordinary blessings. Make the gift of the Christ child be with you and yours this Christmas.

Let us pray…

Grant, O Lord,

that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Vision of Peace: Sermon Isaiah 11:1-9

Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept you Word. Silence in us any voices but your own, so that we may hear your Word and also do it; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I want to show you something this morning. This is a painting by artist Edward Hicks, as well as being an artist he was also a Quaker preacher in the early 1800s. This scene depicts the vision of Isaiah that we just read a few minutes ago. We have the cows, lions, tigers, bears, living together in peace. They do not attack one another and little children are playing amongst them. Hicks painted this picture in honor of the Friend’s Peace Testimony which the Quaker church formed to express their hatred and refusal to participate in war. It also depicts, if you look in the background, a peace treaty between William Penn and the Lenape Indian tribe which allowed for the formation of the Pennsylvania colony. Hicks wanted to create an artistic vision of what he thought Isaiah saw in his own vision of peace.

In our day and time, the idea of world peace has become something of the cliché. It is something that we joke about, we might ask of Santa Claus or a genie in a magic lamp. Worldwide peace seems an impossible dream. Humans have inhabited this planet for thousands of years and not once in all that time has there been worldwide peace. There has never been in the course of human history a time completely without violence and war. Despite our feeble attempts at peacemaking we never seem to get it right.

But we still dream and we still hope. We still envision a time of utopia, a time of perfect peace and harmony among all the people in the entire world. As the Beach Boys say wouldn’t it be nice. Many prophets in the Old Testament have visions of the peace that comes at the end of time. These visions occur after a time of destruction and punishment for the people because they have rejected God and God’s teachings. God does not abandon the people but instead God restores his people and provides this time of peace. This vision of Isaiah begins by describing the leader who will initiate this time of peace and prosperity. Isaiah gives some characteristics of how this leader will rule and where this leader will come from. The Isaiah gives us a glimpse into what this peace will be like. As we come to Christmas time again and as we are bombarded daily with stories of war and violence, let us look at this vision of peace that comes from Isaiah and let us examine how we can have peace in our own lives.

Isaiah begins by describing this leader who will bring peace to the world. He says that a “shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse.” This is a symbolic statement obviously. The stump of Jesse refers to the royal line of David, Jesse was David’s father. The Kingdom of Israel under David and his son Solomon was the most prosperous time for Israel. This was the time that the first temple was built in Jerusalem and Israel was a formidable opponent to any kingdom in the area. However, like with any royal line and with any human kingdom, the royal line of David was broken and the kingdom was destroyed. The tree was cut down at the roots leaving only the stump and the roots behind. But like with any plant if the roots survive then it has a fighting chance. So this leader will come from the family of David, but more than this he will have a heart for God like David. He will have a connection to God like David did, but it will be even better. Because this new kingdom must come from the stump, it means it will come out of destruction. It will come in the midst of a broken world, like a seedling comes out of the stump of a tree.

This leader will have the Spirit of God with him. In fact, all of the leader’s wisdom, righteousness, and power will come from the Spirit of God. The Spirit will give this leader of that he needs to rule with justice and righteousness. He will not judge the people with the sense of sight or hearing. These are human sense that can be corrupted and weakened. The Spirit of God will give this leader the knowledge and counsel of God to judge the people. This leader will have mercy on the poor and give comfort to the afflicted. He will offer justice to the world and destroy all wickedness. Righteousness and faithfulness will be as natural to him as a belt around his waist.

Do we know anyone like this? Have we heard of a person like this before? Who is it? It is Jesus. Although, Jesus might not have been what Isaiah had imagined at first, it is Jesus who fits the bill. It is Jesus who has the right characteristics. Only the Prince of Peace can bring eternal peace to the world. This prophecy was not fulfilled in the first coming of Christ, but in the second coming which we await this Advent season.

So we know who the leader is that will bring peace into the world. It was not really a surprise. Let us now take a look at what this peace will be like. The vision of peace in Isaiah is based on the animal kingdom. This seems kind of strange at first, but we have to remember that this symbolism would be understood universally. We all have seen animals and understand their behaviors. We understand the food chain how it works. So a vision of animals makes sense. These animals are different. Those animals that are usually enemies are now companions. The wolf lies next to the lamb, the lion lies next to the calf, the leopard lies with the kid and so on. And in the midst of this little children lead these former wild beasts. This is strange to us; the normal cycle of things has been changed. The hierarchical food chain is broken. The lion grazes next to the cow. The idea of the survival of the fittest is gone. The strong no longer prey on the weak. All live together one God’s holy mountain.

This vision of animals can say something to our lives as humans. Just like in the animal kingdom the strong prey on the weak. The rich devour the poor People use one another and break each other down in order to build themselves up. In the new kingdom this will be no more. Remember it will be the least of these that is great in the kingdom of God.

We have seen the leader and we have seen the vision itself. But how will this peace come about? As I said earlier humans have tried to create peace on our own only to fail. In the times of the Roman Empire, there was a time of peace called the Pax Romana. This seemed like peace, but it was brought on by war, destruction, and conquering. The Roman Empire kept the peace by dominating all the people with the fear of their military machine.

In more modern times there have been many peace accords and treaties. The United States government signed many treaties with various Native tribes only to break every one of them. There have been peace accords in the Middle East, especially with Israel and Palestine. These human-made peace agreements only hang by a thread and they all fail at some point.

True peace, permanent peace only comes from God. It is divine in nature; this is why the leader who brings the peace to the world must also be divine in nature. Only through Christ the Son of God can true peace cover the earth. This peace is founded and grounder in the love of God. If we don’t know love then we can’t know peace. We must learn to love one another only then can we have true peace in the world. One day we will know this peace it is not a pipe dream of a fantasy. We have been promised this peace by God and through Christ it will come into fruition. There are many different vision of peace in the Bible; each one of them is a glimpse into the fullness of peace that we will know.

Until then, what are we to do? Do we have to remain in the midst of war and violence? No, we do not have to be satisfied with the way things are, we can begin to change the world. Achieving peace cannot be done by domination or conquering, it can only be done through love. It has to begin with each one of us. I can’t believe I am going to quote a Michael Jackson song in one of my sermons, but here goes. It has to start with the man or woman in the mirror. We have to begin to change ourselves, before we can change the world. May the light and the peace of Christ be in your heart this Christmas.

Let us pray…

Grant, O Lord,

that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Funeral Sermon

O God, giver of life and conqueror of death,

our help in every time of trouble,

we trust that you do not willingly grieve or afflict us.

Comfort us who mourn;

and give us grace, in the presence of death, to worship you,

that we may have sure hope of eternal life

and be enabled to put our whole trust in your goodness and mercy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so we come to mourn this afternoon, but we also come to celebrate a life, the life of a dear daughter, sister, sister in law, aunt, and friend. We also come this afternoon because we need to hear a word from God. We need to be comforted by hope that is contained within. We need a vision from God. A vision of the hope we have even in the midst of our grief. We need a vision to comfort us in our time of need.

We are not the only people who have needed a vision of what’s to come. John the Revelator also needed a vision. John lived in a time of great persecution in the church. Tradition holds that John was exiled to an island called Patmos. He had seen many of his friends and church family die at the hand of an oppression Roman Empire. He was in need of a vision. On the beach there at Patmos God gave him the vision that he needed.

Among other things John saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy city of Jerusalem was descending from heaven to earth. Everything in the past had passed away. The old was being redeeming into new. The kingdom of God was taking its place. And while John was seeing this a voice cried out from very throne of God and said “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.” The vision was of God living and dwelling with us, God’s people. God will live one on one with us. God will not be distant or aloof. God will not be on high looking down upon us. Instead, God will be with us, among us living and dwelling as friend with friend. This lets us know that God loves us and cares for us. This vision gives us the insight that God desires to be with us and to have a relationship with us.

The vision continues with God wiping the tears away from our eyes. The power and glory of God will wipe the very tears from our eyes. What an amazing vision! Why does God do this? God knows that sadness will no longer be a reality. Death itself will no longer be a reality. Death has been conquered by God in Christ. Remember the words of Paul to the Corinthians “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Through Christ death will no longer a concern. Because there is no death there is no mourning. No more will we have to gather in funeral homes and churches to mourn loved ones lost. Instead there will be the greatest family reunion the universe has ever known. We will see our ancestors from generations and generations back. We will be reunite with those who have gone before us.

But more than this, pain will be no more. Pain, disease, and suffering will be no longer a reality. Cancer will no longer be a reality. The pain and nausea of chemotherapy will no longer be a reality. Our bodies will be renewed, redeemed, and restored. All of the heartbreak and pain that we now know and are all too familiar with will be no more. This was the vision given to John on the beaches of Patmos and it is still the vision that God has for us today. This vision from God gives us hope in the midst of loss and in the midst of grief.

Can we really hope in a funeral home chapel? Yes, we can. We can hope, we can even rejoice in our grief because for Kathleen that beautiful vision has now become a reality. Her tears of pain have already been wiped away by God. Her body has been renewed and redeemed and is cancer free. There is no pain or sickness from radiation and chemo. There is no death or mourning. She lives with God as friend lives with friend. For Kathleen the great family reunion has already begun. This is why we can hope. This is why we can rejoice for her.

For those of us left behind, we still grieve. We still feel the emptiness in our hearts for Kathleen and others who have gone on before us. It is ok to grieve. It is human nature to feel sadness and grief for those loved ones we’ve lost. God also mourns with us. God is in the midst of us right here and now and God shares in our suffering. But, God knows the end of the story. God knows that one day we will all be reunited with loved ones lost. There is a great hymn that I love to sing. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.

In the name of the Father who created us,

The Son who redeemed us,

And the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. Amen.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God, our Father, from whom we come,

and to whom our spirits return:

You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Grant us your blessing in this hour,

and enable us so to put our trust in you

that our spirits may grow calm and our hearts be comforted.

Lift our eyes beyond the shadows of earth,

and help us to see the light of eternity.

So may we find grace and strength for this and every time of need;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Whose Time Do You Have?: Sermon Romans 13:11-14

Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept you Word. Silence in us any voices but your own, so that we may hear your Word and also do it; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We have many valuable things in our world. Gold is worth about $800 an ounce, silver about $14 an ounce, and platinum about $1450 an ounce. We have our cars that are worth around $20-30,000 dollars, houses that are worth $100,000 or more, and not to mention the thousands of dollars we spend on gadgets, gizmos, and clothes. We are lucky in America to have many valuable things. However, the most precious thing that we have is time. Time is the world’s most precious commodity. It is priceless in our society. No one can make any more. We cannot dig more up from the ground or create it in a lab. We cannot horde it or control it. Time works independent of human influence. The clock keeps on ticking despite what we might do. People live and die by the tick of the clock. We have our days divided and scheduled down to the minute. We have our calendars, our PDAs, our cell phones, and computer programs that help us keep track of our time. Even our kids now days have their own schedules. “I got to play at the sandbox until 4 and then I have soccer until 6 and then I have to chase the dog around the yard at 8.” Some could say that our society worships the clock. How many times do you check your watch a day? How many times do you check it during one of my sermons? Time is money and money equals happiness, right? If we mange our time well then we will be happy. This is what society teaches us.

In our lesson this morning Paul warns against bring lulled to sleep by the repetitiveness of the daily grind. The church in Rome had many things to distract their attention in those days just like we do today. Paul urges the Romans to know what time it is. The idea is not so much what time but whose time. Like many words in translated from the Greek the word time has different meanings and different words in the Greek. Time can mean chronos which means the ticking of the clock. This is the time that we follow everyday. It is the seconds, minutes, and hours that pass by day after day. We follow this time almost as a religion. Our time system is based on mathematics, geography, and astronomy. One hour is the time it takes the earth to rotate 15º on its axis. 15 times 24 equal 360 or one revolution of the earth or one day. A year is the time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun. Time has been based on astronomical signs since the ancient times. It is of human origin. A day, an hour, a minute are human measurements. Chronos is quantitative in nature meaning that its value is based on its measurements or quantity.

This is not the meaning of time when Paul uses it in verse 11. Time in this instance translates from the word kairos. Kairos is altogether different. Kairos is divine time or God’s time when taken in Paul’s context. Kairos is qualitative in nature meaning its worth is based on the quality of its use and not on the amount. Kairos roughly translates into “an opportune moment”. Kairos is the way God sees time not in minutes, hours, or days, but in opportunities, in opportune moments. Let me tell you a story to illustrate. I may have told this story before, if I have please indulge me. I was at the emergency room at Hillside Hospital with my friend’s dad. He was having non-emergency blood work done, but the lab is next to the emergency room. As I was sitting there waiting on him to get through a woman was there waiting for emergency treatment. She was right next to me and she was crying. Something within me said, “talk to her” be an ambassador of God to her. I wanted to so badly, but my shyness prevented me from doing this and just as I had gathered up the nerve she was called back. My moment of kairos had come and gone without me taking advantage of it.

Knowing what time it is, in this case, means seeing time as moments to be seized for God and God’s purposes and not just as the ticking of the clock. As Christians we are called to see time not in as chronos but as kairos. We have to be responsible in God’s time and know God’s purposes which are revealed in Christ. These purposes include the greatest commandment which is to love God and love your neighbor. This is what God’s purposes boil down to. As we said last week, do all the good you can. However, it also means to be wary of those things that distract us from God’s time.

The problem in waiting on God is that we are so wrapped up in chronos, the ticking of the clock, that we grow impatient for the kairos or those Godly moments. We grow impatient waiting for the return of Christ that we become distracted by the world around us. What are we waiting for? We are waiting for our salvation. This might sound shocking to some of us. We are waiting for salvation. The popular term in American Christianity is “saved” in the past tense, as if the event as already occurred. However, look at what Paul says in verse 11 “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers” this language indicates a future event of salvation. None of us are saved yet, the event has not taken place. This does not mean that our salvation is not assured through Christ it is, salvation is imminent, but it has not occurred and so we still wait for that moment.

So as we wait for salvation we are faced with false means of salvation that are offered to us. The Church in Rome faced the same problems. The imperial machine offered their own form of salvation through loyalty to the emperor. The Church had to choose which lord they would serve, Caesar or Christ. Our own empire is not led by emperors but by corporations vying for our dollars. In our society today, many people have packaged salvation as a commodity, sometime to be bought and sold. Our society offers many of these false means of salvation. They come in pill bottles, in liquor stores, in shopping malls, and at Wal-Mart. We can be lulled to spiritual sleepiness by the constant bombardment of advertisements and enticements. We can let our guard down.

Paul calls the Church of Rome to wake up and understand what is going on around them. He tells them to be aware of the darkness around them and to embrace the armor of the light. Advent is a time to ask ourselves, who is Lord of our life? Whom do we serve? Do we serve the Caesar of corporation or do we serve Christ? Are we using our time to serve God and God’s purposes or are we wasting our time serving the idols of modern society?

Now let me pause for a moment. Am I saying that you should not buy Christmas presents for your family? No. Am I saying that you should boycott Wal-Mart or Macy’s or shopping malls in general? No. What I am saying is this, we should be aware of how our money is being spent. We need to understand where our money goes and how our buying and spending habits affect other people and the environment. I am saying that we should support corporations and business that are responsible to the environment and to other people.

Advent is about taking the kairos and putting it into the chronos. Meaning that our time, the ticking of the clock should be used responsibly and for God’s purposes and we must be aware for those moments of opportunity when they come by. We have to make every minute, hour, and day work for God’s kingdom. That is what Jesus meant when he said to seek first the kingdom of God. This is what we do as the Church of Jesus Christ. We must know what time it is and whose time we’re on.

We are God’s people living in a godless world which means that we must stay sharp and alert. We must be wary of seemingly benign temptations that come our way. We cannot be lulled to spiritual sleepiness by the distractions of this world. We have to wake up to the responsibilities of being God’s people. This Advent season let us not sleep walk through the world. But let us wake up to the darkness around us and let us put on the armor of light. Let us keep God’s time on our mind.

Let us pray…

Grant, O Lord,

that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.