Advent is about waiting according to Joan Chittister (and others). But I also believe that Advent is about dwelling among us. Chew on what Eugene H. Peterson says,

“Never, impatient with the limitations of time, did Jesus slip through some time-warp and bypass the waiting. Never, chafing under the limitations of place, did Jesus replace the local with some generalized and ethereal spiritual “presence.” Anything and everything in creation was an occasion for the glory, the entire creation manifesting the bright presence of God, even in, especially in, the most unlikely times and places; the line between supernatural and natural constantly was blurred. Very God in the utterly ordinary-waterpots, mud, fragments of bread, basin and towel, the 153 fish-that we continue to handle and deal with wherever we live. And Very Man speaking simple words that give content to salvation- vine, door, shepherd, water, light – words that we continue to speak as we go about our daily work.”

Eugene H. Peterson

Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places

Courtesy of St Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that we may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen. (St. Francis)

I count 12 gifts here.

Scripture Passage – Matthew 3:13-16

Description – Remarks for baptism service on Sunday, November 22, 2009

(Slide 1) The story is told of a man who worked for Ford Motor Company back in the days when Henry Ford was living who stole things, over a period, from the company. One day, he was converted profoundly and deeply to Christ. And because of his conversion, he knew that he needed to make things right with Ford.

What he had stolen added into the thousands of dollars and could cost him his job and perhaps his freedom. Yet, he went ahead and did the right thing. He confessed to his supervisor what he had done and pledged to make restitution for his actions.

His supervisor was not sure how to handle the situation. Eventually, Ford, on a trip in Europe, received word on the situation and was asked how to handle the situation.

He wrote back, “Dam up the Detroit River and baptize them all!”

I can think of nothing better to do on this Thanksgiving Sunday that to baptize those who will publically confess their faith in Christ and publically pledge their commitment to obediently follow Him the rest of their lives.

For a text this morning, we go to Matthew 3:13-16:

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John didn’t want to baptize him. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

But Jesus said, “It must be done, because we must do everything that is right.” So then John baptized him.

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.”

Matthew’s account (and Mark and Luke write of this baptismal moment as well in their gospel accounts) places this scene just prior to the 40 Days and Nights of Jesus’ wilderness experience and temptation. It is the beginning of His public ministry.

It also struck me as I prepared, that baptisms were taking place back then. Why? And then it occurred that maybe I have always thought that Baptism was always a Christian thing. But, here we have John the Baptist, of Jewish decent, preaching, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near” then baptizing those who repented!

F.G. Smith, a Church of God pastor and scholar, wrote, “To the Jewish mind baptism appealed very strongly as a purifying ordinance.” He goes on to say that the ceremonial nature of baptism appealed to the ancient Jews but when John begins his ministry he speaks of a new baptism. “I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” And it created some ‘discussion’ between John’s followers and the Jewish leaders as we read in John 3.

So, baptism was a common practice back in that day. Jesus however, would infuse it with new meaning and it would become a key practice of the Christian mission (go and make disciples baptizing them) and the Christian faith (“Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”)

To be honest, within the Christian church, over the centuries, the meaning and place of baptism has been interpreted differently and has caused division, argument, and worse.

But, we are not here to argue and debate this morning.      We are here to celebrate a vital and important step of faith for three persons this morning. We are here to hear their public profession of faith in Christ and their intention to follow Jesus obediently the rest of their lives.

Baptism, as we teach and believe in the Church of God, is about a public testimony of the inward act of personal salvation and repentance of one’s sin. Or, as Smith puts it, “it is the outward sign of an inward act of grace.” God’s grace.

We baptize then, those who have confessed and repented of their sins; accepted God’s forgiveness through Christ; and are willing to make the very public statement that they have done so and will also obediently follow Jesus the rest of their lives.

So this morning, let us give thanks to God for these three persons, a woman and two young teenage girls for God’s work of grace and salvation in their lives and let us renew our commitment to Christ as well during this time. Amen.

Psalm 23

As I began to write this morning’s message, I became very much aware of the fact that for the first time since Vietnam, we are at war during the Christmas season. I don’t remember having this same kind of awareness as a child and young teenager during that time although as I look out this morning I know many here do remember those 8 or 9 Christmas seasons that went by during that terrible and divisive conflict.

Now while we have not been at war during the holiday season for a while, others nations have been. One such nation is Israel. Israelis live under the constant threat of war as well as terrorism and this morning I share a story that has brought a new understand to our text – Psalm 23.

Ron and Joke Jones are missionaries to Israel and some of the recent attacks in Jerusalem have hit close to where they live. A friend recently shared this observation that reminded the Jones’ of “God’s care for us.”

“She watched a shepherd with a flock of sheep, fairly close to the area where the guns were fired. She related how every time the shots rang out, the sheep scattered and got frightened and how the shepherd touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them.

She told me how each time this happened the sheep settled down immediately because they obviously trusted the shepherd. And then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened again.

Each time the sheep needed the shepherd to reorient them again to reassure them that they were safe.” They concluded, “We are like those sheep, and our Shepherd is continually reaching and touching us with His staff and speaking words of calm and comfort to us.”

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

through the dark valley of death,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You welcome me as a guest,

anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Can you picture that shepherd and those sheep in that modern battle zone? Can you picture people running around in a frenzy not in the heart of Jerusalem that the Jones’ speak of, but here on the streets and roads of Northeast Indiana? Running around in a frenzy because of the demands, pressures, and expectations of this holiday season? Running around in a frenzy because of the economic uncertainties of our current economic situation? Running around in a frenzy because of the emptiness and anxiety within? And like those Israeli sheep, our shepherd wants to touch us with his staff and words of comfort, but will we let him?

For the remainder of this year we are going to ponder, and I hope experience, the Christmas touch of God as we are challenged to reach out and touch others as God’s people by making Christ like connections during the holidays.

We are going to spend some time visiting with several persons who are central to the Christmas story. Next week we will begin with a visit to the innkeeper. The following week we will pay a visit to those shepherds that we have a new perspective on today. After that, we will be visiting with our children and some of their friends as they lead us in worship and we might, might squeeze in a quick visit with Joseph.

Then, on the Sunday before Christmas, we will pay a visit to Mary and possibly Zechariah as well. Finally we will conclude 2001 with a visit to Simeon and, instead of celebrating communion on the first Sunday of 2002, take time to do so as we close out 2001.

But, this morning we are going back to the time of King David and ancient Israel to remind us that as the shepherd’s touch is vital and necessary for the sheep, God’s touch is vital to us today and in turn, others, as we reach out to touch others in Christ’s name.

At Christmas time, God began to touch us in a new way by sending us Jesus Christ. He is the great shepherd and in this best-known Psalm, there are several ways that God, through Christ, touches us.

God touches us by providing for our needs because as the Psalmist says, The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

We are creatures of needs: social needs, physical needs, occupational needs, financial needs, spiritual needs, and emotional needs. But the Psalmist says, because God is my shepherd, my caregiver, my source of strength and help, I have everything that I need.

But, we sure want a lot don’t we? Especially this time of year. When the stores are full of glitz and glamour and the catalogs are filled with full of toys for girls and boys of all ages. Those needs, those wants drive us crazy don’t they? We feel left out if they are not satisfied. We feel second-class is they are not fulfilled.

But that is not what The Psalmist says. He says, “I have everything that I need.”

God touches us at our point of need, not our wants. But it also seems to me that our wants speak to a deeper need. Maybe one of the ways that we need to address and understand materialism is that it is evidence of a desire for more meaning and value in life that is not satisfied by other ways and means that God would like to meet. And perhaps this is where you and I come – at this point of discern the need behind the point of the want.

Let us remember this holiday season that, as the shepherd meets the needs of his sheep, so too, God is in the meeting of our needs through his many touches of friendship, affirmation, support, and resources that come in various ways. And let us also remember that, as our needs our met, we will have the opportunity to meet the needs of others and in so doing offer a Christ like touch.

God also touches us by helping us live the right way. In verse 3 we read, He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

On September 11^th we were made tragically aware of the power of evil through the hateful acts of terrorism. We were shocked, angered, and stunned that human beings could and would perpetrate such actions.

The spiritual shockwaves of that day have forced all of us, in ways large and small, to take stock of our lives and look deeply inside of us as we have examined our motives, our values, and our priorities. But have the days and weeks that have passed since 9/11 caused us to look at our character and our own capacity for evil?

The most important touch that God offers us is the touch to change our hearts and characters by His grace through faith in Christ. The Psalmist makes that clear in this verse.

Not only does God renew our physical, mental, and emotional strength, He also renews our spiritual strength as we confess our sins and seek His forgiveness. And we also gain spiritual strength as we let Him lead us along the right paths and bring honor to his name. Obedience to God’s way does matter in this day and age and part of the shepherd’s support and care comes as we allow Him to discipline us both as a correction to our errant ways and as a guide to help stay on the right paths.

Sometimes God’s touch is a hard touch and yet His desire for us is to live, to thrive, to grow and experience His blessings and care in spite of those moments of discipline. Maybe one of the ways that we will share the Christmas touch with others is by being an agent of intercession who goes to God in prayer on behalf of those who are experiencing a tough touch this holiday season.

God also touches us as we allow Him to help us through tough times because your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

In his comments on this passage, Derek Kidner notes that a shepherd was armed with a rod or “cudgel worn at the belt” and the staff “to walk with or round up the flock.” The rod noted Kidner, was for defensive purposes while the staff was for control or discipline.” I have also been told that the hook of the staff provided the shepherd with the ability to rescue a sheep or lamb in dire straights by hooking and lifting it to safety.

For some of us here today, this year has been tough at times. Job loss, death of a family member or a friend or both, and a major change in life through an illness, have all challenged our faith, trust, and hope in God. And yet, God has not forgotten us. His rod of strength protects us from the onslaughts of those who mock us and detest us. His staff of mercy lifts our spirits and souls to new hopes as we struggle under the stresses and strains of living.

Perhaps one of the ways that we will both experience and share the Christmas touch is by being agents of mercy and love as we come alongside others who going through the dark valley of death in the presence of their enemies.

There are many ways to make meaningful Christ like and God honoring connections with people this holiday season. Why? Because of what John said in chapter 1 and verse 14 of his gospel.

So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.^ And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

God made the decision to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, the Word, of life, of hope, of salvation, so that we are able to experience a life of hope through salvation. The theological term for this act of God is called the incarnation.

What does it mean? It means that Jesus embodied God. It means that Jesus personalized God. He represented God on earth.

And so do we. If we have confessed our sins and if we have confession our loyalty and allegiance to God and if we have counted the cost to follow God no matter where, no matter what, then we also incarnate the Christian faith. We make it real, we make it personal, we make it human in the best sense of the word, and we make it available to others as we reach out with a touch – an act, a word, a message of grace to others.

Have you seen or heard of the movie ET? ET is an extra-terrestrial being that ends up on earth in the midst of a broken southern California family and the relationship that develops with Henry, the youngest boy in the family. Do you remember the most memorable line in that movie? “ET phone home!”

That movie is about making connections; it is about the deep human longing to belong, to be at home and to feel and be accepted. It is about being touched by love, respect, hope, and purpose. Henry represents us! ET represents a higher power that so many are seeking because they are in need of a touch that only God can give.

But there is another piece of art that Biblically describes God’s desire to touch and transform our lives in meaningful ways. It is part of Michelangelo’s magnificent work, the “Creation of Adam,” and is a part of his magnificent work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

It shows God, with a group of angels close by Him, reaching across time and space to create Adam. God’s hand is outstretched with His finger pointed at Adam’s outstretched finger.

We are Adam. Like Adam, God has created us in His image. We are not God; we are made in the image of God and because we are, we are important to God. We matter to God. And as Michelangelo so clearly demonstrated God has reached out to touch us, to not just create us, but to recreate us, as His Son came to us as the baby in the manger.

The Christmas touch is the touch of God on our lives to make us come alive through His grace and mercy. And that includes touches of many kinds that will help us experience God’s touch on our lives.

But, how do we do that and what does that mean in practical ways? In addition to what I have already suggested, here are a few others:

1. 1. A card of appreciation.
2. 2. A home cooked meal.
3. 3. A small, but personal gift.
4. 4. A note of thanks.
5. 5. A word of respect.
6. 6. Taking time to be patient in the checkout line.
7. 7. Saying ‘thank you.’
8. 8. Saying “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

Now, there are others that we will be looking at in the weeks ahead but these are initial suggestions. But I simply want to suggest in closing that as we enter this holiday season, let us reach out and touch with the touch of God. Amen.

(Begin with side entrance to the theme of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Go through the opening routine.)

For many years Fred Rogers sang to us, “Will you be my neighbor?”

The idea of the neighbor came into the discussion between a Pharisee and Jesus Christ when Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?”

And in the story of the Good Samaritan, we catch a glimpse of who and what God thinks about our neighbor – those in need – be they next door or in the next country.

But this morning we are going to visit with some else who illustrates to us the challenge and the opportunity of being a good neighbor – the innkeeper.

It is the first Sunday of the month and the time that we celebrate God’s great love for us as we take time to reflect and remember Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf as we take communion together.    Our practice of communion is that it is open to all, so you do not have to be a member of our church to take communion this morning. Please partake in accordance with the dictates of your own conscience and use those moments for times of reflection, prayer, and confession as you need to.

This is also the Sunday for our kids to join us for the entire worship hour and kids it is great to have you with us! Last month, I had you help us picture what fellowship might look like.

You did a great job. In fact, you did such a great job that I am asking you to help me with another picture assignment this morning. Again there are some crayons and paper up front here and I am going to ask you to come a take some crayons and a piece of paper and then return to your seats. After you return to your seats, I will give you your drawing assignment.

(You know, if you are an artist, if you learn by doodling, sketching, drawing, whatever, and you would like to do this, come on up and take some crayons and paper and join the kids in this project.)

Our picture theme for this morning is being a good neighbor. So draw a picture what it means to be a good neighbor, okay? Now, I am not going to speak as long today, so you will have less time this morning to draw but I just want to let you know that and like last time, we are going to line up after the service and show the pictures. Thanks for doing this!

In addition to being the first Sunday of the month, it is also the first Sunday of advent and our advent series is entitled “The Christmas Touch” and this morning, as I have already said, we are going to pay a visit to the innkeeper. But, at the conclusion of this sermon, we are also going to visit, via a video clip a neighborhood that may or may not look like your neighborhoods, but is populated with people like you and me that are concerned for their neighbor’s spiritual well-being.

Our text for this morning, Luke 2:1 – 7 begins with something that we can relate to – a census. Now, one of the realities of a U.S. census is that there are political implications to it. Now what does that mean?

Well, it means that we can be in one US congressional district during one election and then in an entirely different one the next election. So there is a very political process that takes place during the redistricting process because power, votes, and money are at stake. Because if you lose people from one census count to the next your representative’s seat in Congress, not to mention money for various projects in your community, may disappear!

But in our text the primary value of a census was to allow the Roman authorities the ability to tax the people. So, you went back to your place of birth, which is what Joseph did. Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown. And while there, Jesus was born. But, there was a problem – no room in the village inn.

Now I want us to step back from this situation and look around at what is going on. And a description that I recently read offers us an important perspective on that night:

“Motel row was in chaos that night. The manager of the local Motel 6 had difficulty leaving his light on because of the constant traffic of those coming into town to register for the senseless census.

The desk clerk at the Holiday Inn was writing a memo to his corporate office, requesting that the hotel be renamed. There was no way a visit in Bethlehem at this time could be considered a holiday. For the hotel guests and the staff, the riotous response to Caesar’s self-serving edict was anything but a vacation. Somehow Holiday Inn didn’t sound right.

Pardon the pun, but this was a “taxing” situation. Those with rooms for rent were all in the same boat. And those in need of a place to lodge had the same felt needs. A warm bed, a roof overhead, and a slice of cheese and bread. As Mary and Joseph made their way toward Bethlehem, they could smell the fragrance of fresh baked bread. The reason was obvious. After all, in Hebrew Bethlehem means “house of bread.” I can imagine there were bakeries on every corner. What wasn’t so obvious, however, was if there would be a place for them to secure shelter.

Well as it turned out, they were turned down. “No vacancy” signs flashed in neon red. Not a single bed was in sight that night. But Mary and Joseph were not turned out on their ear. Some unnamed innkeeper, sensitive to the obvious need of this couple from the country, came to their rescue. He led them to an outdoor shelter for livestock, where they could be shielded from the wind and where, in the end, the baby could be cradled in a straw-line feeding trough.”

I believe that a picture of Jesus’ birth has been painted throughout the years of a quiet and calm night in which everything was still and hushed. I don’t think so.

Let’s think about if for a moment. What if every man in this country had to go back to his hometown on January 31, 2010 and register himself and his household in person for the next US census? What would the roads, rail lines, and skies of this country look like? Get the picture?

It was a madhouse that night. People were everywhere all looking for the same thing – a place to stay. But there was no room in the inn.

Have you ever seen pictures of the streets of ancient Israelite cities? They make our streets here in Kendallville look like boulevards!

They are narrow, they are crooked, and they are crowded. People, animals, and merchandise are stuffed into them much like, dare I say it, parking lots, malls, and shopping centers.

In the midst of this chaotic mess is an innkeeper who has done battle with numerous Bethlehem natives all trying to get in, get registered, and get out in a day or two. Just about the time things seem to slow down, Mary and Joseph arrive.

There is no room, she looks miserable. He looks scared. No family around to take them in.

The innkeeper knows the question is coming, “Have you any room for us?” And he knows the answer that is coming out of his mouth for the hundredth time.

But this time, the innkeeper it seems, finds them room in the livestock shelter, of his inn. And I like what the person who I just quoted said in this regard; “I am impressed by the fact that he went out of his way to welcome Mary and Joseph into his life (as stressed-out as it certainly was).”

We are stressed this holiday season from all angles. We are stressed-out and frustrated with everyday living as it is, but when you add in the demands of the holiday, it seems to get worse. The demands, the expectations, the schedule, oh my goodness, it wipes us out! Maybe that is why we can almost audibly hear a collective sigh of relief on December 26th, except if you’re a sales clerk, of course.

What is the solution? Do less? Maybe. The innkeeper could have done that, “Sorry no room here. Move on please, I can’t help you. I don’t have time to help you, I’m sorry.” But, he didn’t. He found room. He made room for Mary and Joseph. . . and Jesus. He made room for his neighbors. Now, they weren’t his next-door neighbors, but they were people in need – like the man in the ditch that Jesus would later speak of.

One of the ways that we reach and touch others as we build bridges of care and friendship in Christ’s name is by reaching out to our neighbors like the innkeeper. We are going to take a brief trip home with a man who raises some interesting questions about making connections with our neighbors and then hear the story of a couple who decided to do something to make connections with their neighbors during the holiday season. (Video clip from Mainstay’s Advent Celebration used here).

When we have people over to our homes, where is the one place we are most likely to congregate? Around the dining room or kitchen table.

With that image in mind as we prepare for communion, I want us to reflect on this image of the Last Supper that hangs in our foyer. This table, this scene, represents the church, the body of Christ. It is God’s will that our friends, our family, and our neighbors be a part of this table through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. May each of us recommit ourselves to this mission as share together in communion this morning. Amen.

Luke 2:8-20

Several years ago there was a game show called, Name That Tune in which contestants competed for cash and prizes by trying to name songs in as few notes as possible. The famous line being of course, I can name that song in one note!

This morning, we are going to briefly play “Name That Person” only there is no cash or prizes to be given away, only the satisfaction of knowing the names of these people. Ready? Here goes.

1. 1. What is the name of the NBA player who recently came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards? Michael Jordan
2. 2. What is the name of the recently fired Notre Dame head football coach? Bob Davie
3. 5. What is the name of the chief justice of the US Supreme Court? William Rehnquest
4. 6. What were the names of the three wise men that visited Jesus?
5. 7. What were the names of the shepherds visited by the angels the night Jesus was born?
6. 8. What is the name of the janitor at your school, office, or factory?

Several years ago, I received an e-mail entitled, Five Great Lessons. The first of the five lessons learned was this one:

“During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times.  She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?  I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.” “I’ve never forgotten that lesson.  I also learned her name was Dorothy.”

Our advent series is entitled The Christmas Touch (overhead up) (courtesy of Paul Newell of Lakeport, California) of and this morning we are traveling away from busy and cramped Bethlehem to its surrounding countryside to pay a visit to the shepherds tending their flocks and study the story of their encounter with angels who announce a long expected event – the birth of the Messiah, the chosen one of God. As we review this story I want us to do so with the following thought in mind: One of the ways that we can make meaningful connections this holiday season in Christ’s name is by connecting with people who are often overlooked.

This story in Luke 2 is familiar and we will hear it several times this month. But, I want to point out verse 18 “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.” Have you ever wondered why the hearers of the shepherd’s story were astonished? Was it only because of the story they told? Or was it because of who told the story of the Messiah’s birth?

Shepherds were considered not reliable. Their testimony, according to one Bible commentator, was not accepted in the courts of that day.  It was considered unreliable. Shepherds were considered by the societies of that day as lower class and lacking social correctness. But, God didn’t consider them that way at all.

No, on that night as we have heard once again, God sent the Angels to tell the shepherds the good news, the great news that “The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

Why did God bypass the local news media? Why did he bypass the radio talk show hosts? Why did he bypass the local university? Why did God go outside Bethlehem to the countryside and announce Jesus’ coming? Maybe it was because the shepherds were more open to God than the elite of Bethlehem. Maybe they were more open to God out in the relative quietness of the country instead of the hustle and bustle of the town that we considered last week.

Maybe it was because God knew how much the shepherds cared. They were in a caring profession. If they did not care about their sheep they would not have work. Their job was to care for the sheep.

There is a Christmas song that is played through the holiday season that says something like “Christmas is sharing.” Christmas is also about caring. And speaking of caring, where would you send someone to learn how to care? Some people on the streets of Chicago were asked that question and here is what they said. (Play video segment of Mainstay’s advent videotape).

Where would you send some one to learn how to care?

Here is another Name That Person opportunity: What is the name of the San Francisco middle school teacher who eats with his students to give them the opportunity to talk about their problems? Jack Martens.

Jack Martens is a fifty-six year old teacher who has spent 33 years teaching music at Ben Franklin Middle School in San Francisco. “Over 50 percent of Martens’ students are from broken homes. The same number are on welfare. Nearly that many come from families where English is not the primary language. To that score, add the reality factor that funding for the arts has been all but cut off in Jack’s school district.”

[H] e sees himself as Father Christmas bringing joy to girls and boys all year long. Jack’s ultimate desire is to help kids in his band see God’s love. Although Martens keeps a Bible and other Christian symbols on his desk,” (in San Francisco no less!), “it is his interaction with the kids that gives his witness a melody line.”

He eats lunch with them to give them a chance to talk through their problems at home with somebody. He stays after school to help with difficult fingerings with their instruments and difficult passages in life. Through the mechanics of music, he is able to communicate with disadvantaged and academically struggling students that they are capable of doing something beautiful with their lives.

Every December as the Band from Ben performs in the Nordstrom Plaza dressed in their nicely pressed white shirts, black slacks and skirts, it’s not only the Christmas shoppers that feel the spirit of the season. The kids in the band (who otherwise might be in a gang or in the juvenile detention center) feel the joy of God’s love incarnated through a man they love and respect.

Jack Martens “is a “minister” who marches to the beat of a different drummer. He is not ordained, has never been to seminary, and doesn’t preach from a pulpit. But he is a pastor nonetheless. Ask the over 10,000 students who have benefited from his ministry on the other side of a music stand.”

It was to a group of nameless (to us, but not to God), shepherds that God announced that the Savior of the world had finally come. God choose an overlooked group of people to be the first group to know that the Messiah was here!

It made a tremendous impact on those shepherds. Can you see them running into Bethlehem? Can’t you see the joy the expectancy on their faces? Can’t you see them flush with excitement as they approached the stable where Jesus was? God’s touch on their life was deep and profound.

We have the same opportunity, not just this holiday season, but also every day of the year, to reach out to someone who is overlooked and in need of a touch of God on his or her life. Who might that be in your life?

As I prepared for this morning, I was reminded of the fact that Jesus twice called Himself the Good Shepherd as John recorded in chapter 10 verses 11- 16:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren’t his and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. ¹³The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, ¹⁵ just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

Jesus laid down his life for the sheep – that’s you and me. But, He also laid down his life for all of us, not just a select few.

Notice that He says in verse 16, I have other sheep that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” What does He mean?

He is telling the disciples that the flock of God is not just Jewish but also Gentile. Not just healthy people but people sick with leprosy, the AIDS of that day. Not just people born in Jerusalem, but people also born in Samaria. Not just people who are storekeepers, but also people who have to beg to exist.

God’s flock is for every one of us no matter what our economic or racial status is; no matter what we have done or who we are. We are His sheep and He is calling us into His flock. All of us are significant to God.

How then can we share the touch of God on those that we often deem, whether or not we want to admit it, insignificant in our time and place? Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. 1. Be considerate of them. They have dreams, hopes, fears, and goals just like you and I. They deserve consideration and respect.
2. 2. Acknowledge their existence. Say ‘hello.’ Wish them a good day. Let them know that you know they are present. Tell them your name. Ask them their name.
3. 3. During this season if you know them by name, give them a Christmas card and wish them a wonderful holiday.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table.  A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.” The little boy again counted his coins.  “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.  The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away.

The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies – You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Let’s touch others this season, and everyday of the year, by leaving a tip of respect and grace everywhere we go. Amen.

Luke 1:5 – 25

It was a few days before Christmas on the Oregon coast. Two men whose families lived next door opted to go sailing while their wives went Christmas shopping. An unexpected storm surprised the weekend sailors. Before long, the sea became angry, and the two had a difficult time keeping the sailboat under control.

While heading toward the harbor, the craft hit a sandbar and grounded. Both men jumped overboard into the icy water and began to push and shove in an attempt to get the sailboat into deeper water. Knee-deep in mud and repeatedly bounced against the hull by unfriendly waves, the one said to the other, “Sure beats Christmas shopping, doesn’t it?”

When you think of Christmas, what word or phrase do you automatically think of? For some of us it might be “Christmas shopping nightmare.” For others of us, it might be “Let’s go sailing!”

This morning, I think of the word barrenness in conjunction with Christmas. Not because Christmas is a barren time (it is certainly not) but because we experience barrenness within our hearts, minds, and souls in a variety of ways. There are the demands of time and expectations that are a part of this season because we are well aware of the expectation to be here, there, in fact, everywhere!

Another way we experience barrenness and need God’s touch on our lives is due to the barrenness of relationships through death and conflict. At this time of year when family togetherness is a very marketed concept, many people experience anything but family togetherness. Death, conflict, and distance of all kinds, make family togetherness an impossibility.

And, in light of the economic slowdown, many people are experiencing an economic barrenness, as thousand and thousands of jobs have disappeared right before our eyes.

Our Advent series has been entitled The Christmas Touch and we have visited with the innkeeper and shepherds of Bethlehem. As we visited with the innkeeper, we were challenged to reach out to our neighbors like the innkeeper probably did in providing Joseph and Mary with a place to stay.         As we visited with the shepherds, we were encouraged to reach out to the overlooked people of our day by making meaningful connections with them. Shepherds, as we heard, were considered unreliable persons and overlooked in the social status of that day. But, God used them to announce Jesus’ arrival!

Today, we move north from Bethlehem to Jerusalem where we visit a Jewish priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. The story is found in Luke 1:5 – 25 and it takes place prior to Gabriel’s announcement to Mary about the coming birth of Jesus.

I can personally relate to Zechariah in a couple of ways. First, like Zechariah, I too, am a priest, if you will, as I serve God as your pastor. I understand the role and the duties that he performed. But, I can also relate to Zechariah in another way.

As we read in Luke 1:7, “They (that is Zechariah and Elizabeth) had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old.”

After 11 years of marriage, Susan and I were trying to have a family. But, nothing was happening. So, I made a trip to the doctor. He sent me to another doctor who looked at me and basically said, “You have an easily fixed condition.” Fixed by surgery, he meant.

So, in August 1994 I underwent surgery to correct an infertility problem. And, as some of us here this morning are aware, it worked! Living proof in the form of my two boys – Jonathon and Daniel.

With Zechariah’s story as a backdrop, I want to share two verses because they show us how God’s touch does work in our lives.

We experience the touch of God on our lives when we acknowledge the barrenness of connection in them.

In Psalm 68:6 we read, “God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”

God is aware of the barrenness of our relationships during this time of year. He knows all about our pain and loneliness that comes because of death, conflict, and separation of many kinds. But, because of Christmas, because of the coming of a little boy, Jesus, God places us, as we respond to Him in faith and trust, in His family – the church.

Let me put it this way, “If there was no Christmas, there would be no Good Friday, and if there was no Good Friday, there would be no Easter; and if there was no Easter, there would be no Pentecost, and if there was no Pentecost, there would be no Church, and if there was no Church, there would be no touch of God!

In other words, without Christmas – the Birth of Jesus, there would be no Good Friday – the death of Jesus. Without Good Friday there would be no Easter –the Resurrection of Jesus.  Without Easter there would be no Pentecost – the coming of God’s Holy Spirit to let people begin to know that they can be delivered from all sorts of stuff and personally experience peace and hope. And without Pentecost, the Church would have not been established and without the Church, what family would God place the lonely in?

This passage is speaking of people who have a barrenness of connection with others. As we read in the opening chapters of Genesis, we were not created to exist alone. We were created to exist in relationships with others. God created us for relationships. He created us to have relationships of various kinds – family, marriage, and friendship.

One thing that is hard for us to sometimes understand is when people, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, who are loyal and faithful to God and all that is good, have difficulties. Now, this issue is a sermon series in and of itself, but it is reasonable to think that when people experience moments of barrenness, be they physical or relational or otherwise, it cannot but wear and tear on their heart and souls.

Who knows what Zechariah and Elizabeth went through during those years of barrenness? Who knows how much they cried out to God for a child, both privately and with one another? Who knows how much they yearned for the blessing of a child?

I think that we can safely imagine that not having children was very difficult for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Now, there is at least one other couple in the Bible in which physical barrenness created heartache. That couple was Abraham and Sarah. Perhaps Zechariah and Elizabeth found strength and hope in their story because having a lot of children was considered very important in that society. Children were considered a blessing from God.

But, God, as we read the rest of Luke 1, did not forget Zechariah and Elizabeth. A son was born to them and their joy knew no bounds!

God understands these needs. He knows that we thrive and grow with the right kinds of relationships. He does not want us to be lonely. He can, and He does, provide for our needs through His touch of grace and help in this very important area of our lives.

However, we do not just experience isolation from other; we also experience isolation from God. This brings us to our second verse of scripture.

Another way we experience the touch of God at its deepest and most profound level is when we confess the truth about ourselves.

In James 5: 16 we read, ^“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”

Confession is nothing more than telling the truth about ourselves, about what is really going on inside of us – our attitudes, our hopes, our dreams, goals, sins, etc.

One commentator has written of this passage, “Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness. But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church. (1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask him or her to forgive us. (2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly. (3) If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess that sin to those who are able to provide that support. (4) If we doubt God’s forgiveness, after confessing a sin to him, we may wish to confess that sin to a fellow believer for assurance of God’s pardon.”

This is the primary reason for personally experiencing God’s touch – forgiveness, new life, a new relationship with God! And Zechariah had a role to play in this because as we read the rest of his story in Luke 1, we find that he becomes the father of John the Baptist who prepares the way for Jesus by preaching repentance of sins.

As I said earlier, with out Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost would probably have not occurred. And the result would be that you and I would not be here and our lives would be dramatically different.

In 1994 two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on Biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments, and a large orphanage.

It was nearing the holiday season for the orphans to hear for the first time the traditional Christmas story. They told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem and finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where Jesus was born and placed in the manger.

Throughout the story, the children, according to one of the Americans, “sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.”

As a follow-up activity to the story, each child was given three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manager. Each child was also given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins which the children tore into strips the paper and carefully laid them in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel from a thrown away nightgown were used for the baby’s blanket. From pieces of tan felt a doll-like baby was made.

As they made their way around the room to observe the children this is what one of the Americans noted, “All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project.

As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see, not one but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger.”

The observer goes on to note that Misha very accurately recalled the story that had been told until he came to the part where Mary put Jesus in the manger. “Then Misha,” it is noted, “started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, “And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no momma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay.

Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.

So I asked Jesus, “If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?” And Jesus told me, “If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me. So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him – for always.”

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon or abuse him, someone who would stay with him – FOR ALWAYS!”

I think that Misha got it! He understood what Christmas is really about! It is about the being personally touched by God and having your life changed deeply and dramatically.

We experience the Christmas touch of God as we personally give the gift of ourselves to God and experience both belonging and forgiveness.

What about you? Are you in need of a touch from God this morning? Do you need a renewal of hope? Do you need a touch of affirmation? Do you need to be liberated from a past that still haunts you?

God want to make a difference in your life, today! He wants, through confession and commitment, to place you in His family and begin to help you experience belonging like never before.

What does it take? Simply this, “God, I need you. I ask for your forgiveness for what I have done wrong. I ask for your help to do what is right. I acknowledge my need for your help in my life – my work, my relationships, my family, – in every area. I turn my life and will over to you. Guide me and help me to live for you and with you from this day forward.”

The greatest gift of Christmas is realized in Easter when Jesus came out of the tomb and made it possible for us to be touched, to be transformed, to be changed into an incredible person. It is yours, if you choose to accept and open it as you allow God into your life. I hope that you do. Amen.

Text: Luke 2: 25-35

(Main point – We embrace the world, as Simeon did, when we embrace faith, hope, and love as we both embrace and are embraced by Christ.)

Introduction: “Last Christmas, This Christmas e-mail forward”

“If you have e-mail, perhaps you received one entitled Merry Christmas that said something like this;”

Last Christmas, we were thinking about all the things we didn’t have; this Christmas, we are thinking about all the things we do have.

Last Christmas, we were counting our money; this Christmas, we are counting our blessings.

Last Christmas, we were thinking about the madness of the holidays; this Christmas, we are thinking about the meaning of them.

Last Christmas, we were getting on one another’s nerves; this Christmas, we are getting on our knees.

Last Christmas, we believed in the power of the pocketbook; this Christmas, we believe in the power of prayer.”

Transition: On the final Sunday of our advent series, The Christmas Touch, we are going to spend a moment with Simeon, a man of great faith, great hope, and great love as we close 2001 and prayerfully look forward to 2002 because his example of hope, faith, and love serves a model to us as we move into the future that God has for us. A future that requires us to embrace, to reach out to, a world full of both pain and possibilities. Lets take a look at Simeon.

Observation number 1: Simeon embraced the world through faith because of his faith in God’s faithfulness.

Luke 2:25  “He (Simeon) was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.”

Simeon had the faith to believe that God would send the Messiah to rescue Israel. Rescue from what? Isaiah 40:1 and 2 could have been on his mind, “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her in full for all her sins.”

Simeon was a man, as we shall see, full of the Holy Spirit. He was sensitive to the spiritual conditions of his land and his people. He wanted them to see and experience a deliverance and freedom that only God, through the Messiah, could make possible. This desire created the climate for a strong and vibrant faith because he believed that God would rescue Israel.

But, there was more than faith involved.

Observation number 2: Simeon was able to embrace the world, (the people around him) because of his hope in God’s promise to him.

Luke 2:26 “The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”

Simeon waited expectantly for coming of the Messiah. But, he waited with hope in God’s promises and abilities. This hope impacted God! It created the conditions by which God honored Simeon’s hope and allowed him to not just see, but to also hold the Messiah in his arms.

Now as Simeon waited expectantly for the Messiah, I have a strong feeling that he just did not sit at home. The hope, the faith, the love of God that he experienced day in and day out, motivated him to be among people loving them, caring for them, giving them a reason to hope to live because God had not forgotten them.

But, to embrace the world, it requires more than faith and hope, it requires love.

Observation number 3: Simeon embraced the world because of his love for God as demonstrated in his response to seeing Jesus for the first time.

Luke 2:28 “He took the child in his arms and praised God.”

At last, here is the Messiah! How did Simeon know this? How could he proclaim, as we read in verse 30, “I have seen the savior?” Look at verse 27 “the Spirit led him to the Temple.”

Simeon’s faith and hope created the conditions for an obedient walk and strong relationship with God that enabled him to be led by the Spirit. But faith and hope also made love possible.

Think about it for a moment. Think about a friend or family member that you dearly love. Do you believe in (have faith in) them? Do you have hope in them? Love is not too far behind, is it?

Of course, the opposite is true as well. Where is love if there is no faith or confidence present? Where is love if there is no hope or trust involved?

The baby that Simeon held in his arms was the Messiah. He came to forgive sins, to set people in all sorts of bondage free, to release people imprisoned by all sorts of thing. This Messiah embraced the world!

And at the end of His ministry, He said, “Go and make disciples!” Go embrace the world! Tell them that real change is possible! Help them to experience my freedom touch, my liberating spirit, help them to understand that life, in spite of all its despair, can be better!

I believe that Jesus wants to remind us to go and embrace the world in His name this next year. Let us do so in faith, hope, and love. Amen.

“Celebrating the liturgical year immerses us constantly, more and more deeply, always and forever into our encounter with God.”

Being born and raised in a non-liturgical Protestant environment, I do not recall hearing anything about Lent or Advent or Saints. As I have gone through adulthood, I have become more aware of Advent and Lent but the Liturgical (or Christian) Year has remained a mystery to me. So I approached Sister Joan Chittister’s (OSB) book, The Liturgical Year, with an open mind as to what the Liturgical Year (and calendar) truly means.

In a simple and engaging narrative, Chittister, a member of the Benedictine order, unfolds not just the names of the Liturgical Year, but provides the reader with some thought and soul provoking writing that makes the Year come alive as part of one’s discipleship. Written in 33 chapters of various length, this book starts your journey with Advent and concludes with, as far as the Liturgical Year, with Ordinary Time 2, that takes place between Pentecost and Advent. Sister Joan’s invitation into the rhythms of the church year is a pastoral invitation and an invitation into becoming, through the reoccurring cycles of the year, a more mature disciple of Jesus Christ. She also addresses some of the oft-asked question regarding the various dates of Christmas celebrated by different traditions within the Christian faith.

Several chapters also personally challenged me such as Chapter 6 “Human Time, Liturgical Time,” and Chapter 10, “The Voice of Advent.” If you are looking for a book that helps you understand the “seasons” of Advent and Lent as well as the reasons for a calendar that focuses on Christian faith development, I recommend The Liturgical Year.

(This review was written for the Thomas Nelson’s Blogger Review Program. In exchange for writing this review, I received a free copy of The Liturgical Year, for review and to keep for my personal library.)

I am appreciating Joan Chittister’s work The Liturgical Year and her insights on Advent.

As a precursor to Advent beginning next Sunday, here are a couple of passages for your reflection that have given me some “soul rumination” in preparation for the season of Advent (and soil for my Christmas sermon on December 20^th !)

“Advent is about learning to wait. It is about not having to know exactly what is coming tomorrow, only that whatever it is, it is of the essence of sanctification for us. Every piece of it, some hard, some uplifting, is sign of the work of God alive in us. We are becoming as we go. We learn in Advent to stay in the present, knowing that only the present well lived can possibly lead us to the fullness of life.

Life is not meant to be escaped, we learn, as the liturgical year moves from season to season, from feast to feast. It is meant to be penetrated, to be plumbed to its depths, to be tasted and savored, and bring us to realize that the God who created us is with us yet. Life, as we come eventually to know, is an exercise in transformation, the mechanics of which take a lifetime of practice, of patience, of slow, slow growth.”

Advent, from the Latin, means “coming.” But Advent is not about one coming; it is about three comings. The great spiritual question the season poses for each of us is, which coming are you and I waiting for now? At this moment of our lives, at this present stage of development, what we are waiting for surely determines how we will wait for it.”

(The three comings are: the “remembrance of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the flesh,” the “presence of God” among us in, among other things, “the community (church) itself,” and “the Second Coming.”)

I suggest that we wait with “Holy and Fearful Expectation” like the shepherds who were not expecting His coming that night.