O come, O come, Emmanuel. Amen.
“What then should we do?” It’s the “so what” question that preachers know always has to be addressed for a sermon to do its work. How does the Gospel intersect with our lived experiences? The crowds were out in the wilderness to be baptized by John and hear his preaching. They’re motivated to bear fruits worthy of repentance, but need some guidance on what exactly that means and so they ask, “What then should we do?”
Be with us, O Lord, for if you are with us, nothing else matters; and if you are not with us, nothing else matters. Amen.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!” On a day like today, following St. Paul’s advice has never been easier. As we gather to celebrate what God is doing in the Church through the ministries of Daisy, Chipper, and Liam, we are indeed rejoicing. Thanks be to God for each of you and the family, friends, and congregations that brought you to this day.
O come, O come, Emmanuel. Amen.
One of Tyler’s interests is linguistics and the etymology of words. She often shares insights about where words come from and why we use this word instead of that other word. It’s a helpful reminder that our words shape our understanding of and interaction with the world. In the same way as the colors of the world around us impact our mood, the implications and sounds of the words we use impact us in profound ways. Consider time. Is time something we use, waste, guard, or spend? It might sound small, but how we speak about time changes our relationship to it.
O come, O come, Emmanuel. Amen.
We’re all waiting for something – test results, the semester to be over, the chance to open Christmas presents, an upcoming trip. Advent is a season all about waiting. In fact, that’s what the name of the season means. Advent comes from a Latin word that means “arrival” or “coming.” It was the word for the ceremonial arrival of the emperor in a city. Advent is a season in which the Church prepares us for the coming of Christ.
And now we give you thanks, our God, and praise your glorious name. For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. Amen.
I remember when I was a kid, one of the lessons that was drilled into me was to say “thank you.” If someone at church said something nice, I was to say “thank you.” When a relative mailed me a card with some money in it for my birthday, I had to call them to say “thanks.” When people went out of their way to do something nice for me, I was taught to write a thank you note. To this day, I still write thank you notes when people give me gifts or go out of their way to help me out. It’s a good habit to be in – gratitude is a virtue that our society can use more of.
Be with us, O Lord, for if you are with us nothing else matters, and if you are not with us, nothing else matters. Amen.
Things fall apart – it’s one of the truths of the natural world. As many are currently experiencing in one way or another, our bodies degrade over time. Maybe it’s an achy joint or a memory that isn’t quite as sharp as it used to be, our bodies fail. Relationships also fall apart – sometimes a friend moves away, differences become irreconcilable, or we end up so busy that we can’t keep up with all of our connections. Throughout our lives, our sense of who we are can also fall apart. Sometimes the death of a family member precipitates a change in our identity, or maybe it’s hitting a milestone birthday, or becoming an empty-nester. Whatever the cause, our carefully constructed sense of self is upended by the realities of life.
