December 18, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Theme: Love
2 Samuel 7:8-16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
“Here-re-re’s Jesus”
Have you ever known something that you just have to share with everyone around you? It is something that you just can’t keep to yourself. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to keep it to yourself. I know by the way this church shares in the Concernabratons that we are willing to share with one another. We share our life’s journey with one another. We share our victories and failures, our joys and sorrows. We share news we want to share as well as others news that they have asked us to share. Yes…this is a congregation that has a lot to talk about. But are we just sharing within the congregation or are we also sharing news outside the walls of the church? Is there something or someone we should share the news about? Is there a joy that we need to share with the world…a joy that brings hope, peace, love and joy…hope for a better life?
We are here at the 4th week of Advent. We have talked about being “Advent”urous in our lives. We talked about how in order to have the best Christmas we need to change our view of Advent…to widen it so that we can live out the Advent season year long. We have asked the question if Christmas can be meaningful and have answered “YES” to that question. But we need to do our part in order to make it so by preparing our hearts, our minds and our lives for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday but also for the day of His return. We have also covered how we should be sharing the joy…that real joy…of Advent with those around us. We know who’s coming and we should be:
• Witnessing!
• Rejoicing!
• Getting ready!
So now here we are…on our laurels…chomping at the bit…the time is near…we have been waiting expectantly. It’s kind of like when Ed McMahon would say “here’s Johnny” and soon after Johnny Carson would come from behind the curtain…kind of like what the angel Gabriel did with his announcement. Listen to what he had to say to Mary…and the world! I am reading Luke 1:26-38 from the Common English Bible this morning (read passage)
Here-re-re’s Jesus! Just like the announcement of Johnny, Jesus’ is announced before He came from behind the curtain! And not only that…when Jesus was born…all of heaven couldn’t contain itself and began to sing out the song of praise! The song of hope! The song of peace! The song of love! The song of joy! How awesome is that! We are waiting expectantly for the celebration but we are even more expectantly waiting His return!
The theme for this week of Advent is love. Well…how much more love can we receive than for God to love us soo much that He did not withhold His own Son? How much more amazed can we be? How much more should we want to shout it from the roof tops? How much more should we want to share and show that love to others in the world around us?! There are so many out there who don’t know the love of God…I mean really know the love of God. Part of the reason why is because sometimes we, as Christians, decide to keep this secret to ourselves but it is a secret to be shared not only in the 4 walls of the church but with all humanity. Here’s Jesus! The product of the Holy Spirit. . . God’s Spirit (remember…the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and she conceived), the answer to God’s promises (as stated in 2 Samuel this morning), the secret of all ages (remember the statement of the Romans scripture this morning).
Beloved children of God…we got a lot to shout about. Is there someone who you need to share this secret with? Is there someone who needs to here the Good News of Christmas? Is there someone who needs to see the love of God though you? Is there someone who needs to see the Advent story lived though you? I know of one person like that in my life. It’s a family right here in town. The Dad had been working but now has lost his job and the mom can’t work because of health reasons. They have 4 children, a 4th grader, a kindergartener, a preschooler and a child just under 1. They have now way of bringing the joy of Christmas for their children. It is just impossible for them to do so. I have decided to adopt this family and would ask that you would do the same. This family really needs to see the Christ of Advent…this family really needs to see the love of Christ in the world around them…this family needs for someone to reach out to the with hope, peace, joy and love. But isn’t that what Christmas is about…what Advent really means? The love of God can down from heaven to give us peace…to give us hope…to give us joy…and to give us love. We in turn should “pay it forward to the world in which we live. The world not inside but outside these 4 walls…
Amen
December 19, 2011
Worship Theme of Love
Luke 1:26-38
2 Samuel 7:8-16
Romans 16:25-27
Advent Candlelighting liturgy for Fourth Sunday of Advent
by Amy C. Wake
unison prayer
prayer of dedication
And sermon, “Here-re-re’s Jesus”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist ChurchSuncook, NH
December 18, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Advent
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