First Lutheran Church

December 18, 2022 + The Fourth Sunday in Advent

Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

“The Great O Antiphons”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Today’s sermon flows from the seventh century liturgical prayers known as “The Great O Antiphons,” the prayers that gave birth to the traditional Advent hymn, "O come, O come Emmanuel.”  The context of this traditional prayer and hymn is that of a people in captivity.  The text looks back and remembers the nation of Judah and the Babylonian Captivity.  A time when God's people had lost everything and had been carried off in chains to live in a foreign land.  A time when God’s people found themselves in a deep winter of despair longing for the light of spring and a time of rebirth.  Each verse begins with the exclamation “O,” emphasizing the deep longing in our hearts, the great desire for freedom, for light to shine in the darkness, and the awe filled anticipation of God’s advent into our world.

Today we reflect on the “The Great O Antiphons,” we pray as we sing each verse of the hymn, and we open up our souls in the deep outcry - “O,” because we too are desperately beseeching Christ to break into our world.  We too are looking for God’s advent - in the midst of pandemic, economic struggles, and social unrest.  We too are seeking - freedom in a time of captivity, light in a time of darkness, and life in the midst of death.  So it is that we join the saints of God in all times and places, in this time and in this place, in the timeless prayer of every place, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Wisdom from on High”

In a world filled with an overload of information, in a world filled with great knowledge, - we don’t always make the best decisions.  Too often we react in fear, too often we act from pride, too often we are anything but wise.  As individuals, as communities, as nations, as the world; we pray for wisdom on high.

O come, O Wisdom from on high, embracing all things far and nigh:

in strength and beauty come and stay; teach us your will and guide our way.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Come, O Lord of Might”

In ancient days God led the faithful with a great cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as they wandered in search of a promised land.  Along the way God gave the people the gift of the law to keep and order a good life.  At Christmas the law is fulfilled in the life and teachings of Christ.  Each day and each night we pray for guidance as we begin our advent journey.

O come, O come, O Lord of might, as to your tribes on Sinai's height

in ancient times you gave the law in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Branch of Jesse, free”

A prophecy from Isaiah, "The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David's descendants." (Isaiah 11:1). The lineage, along with the hopes and dreams of Jesse, seemed dead.  Yet “the stump of Jesse” was anything but dead.  In the fullness of time a new branch appeared, and a lovely flower bloomed.  As we prepare for Christ, we are reminded that God comes to us in unexpected ways. Perhaps God is once again present for us, present with the gift of new life in our broken, forgotten, and hopeless places?  We pray for courage to look for life in the midst of death.

O come, O Branch of Jesse, free your own from Satan's tyranny;

from depths of hell your people save, and give them vict'ry o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Key of David, Come”

Keys hold power. They allow us to enter a building or a house, to start up a car, to keep things safe. Keys can also be symbols of authority. The one who has a key can open and can shut. The one who holds the keys to life and the power of love comes to us at Christmas.  God's advent into "our life" opens the door to "our life."  God opens the door of forgiveness that sets us free from sin.  God opens the door of peace that gives us a new way to live and a reason to live.  The one who comes to us at Christmas holds the key to life and the power of love.  May God grant us the courage to open new doors and embrace new possibilities.

O come, O Key of David, come, and open wide our heav'nly home;

make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Dayspring, Come and Cheer”

In this season the days get shorter, and the nights get longer.  And before Christmas arrives on December 25th, we must first endure the longest night of the year on December 21st.  So it is that in Advent, we find ourselves living in increasing darkness.  Just as the sun is nature's source of light and life, bringing seeds buried in the earth to life, so is Christ the source of our life.  Christ is the rising sun who brings, warmth and light to our darkness.  We pray that in our season of darkness we might be drawn to the light of God.

O come, O Dayspring, come and cheer; O Sun of justice, now draw near.

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadow put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O King of Nations, Come”

Another Christmas will soon be here and still the world finds itself in great conflict.  O how we long for a king or a queen that might be different, a sovereign committed to justice for everyone, a ruler that might lead us in the ways of peace.  We pray for the coming of God’s commonwealth, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

O come, O King of nations, come, O Cornerstone that binds in one:

refresh the hearts that long for you; restore the broken, make us new.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.  He  was in the beginning with God.” …  And in the fullness of time ..“the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory,” …. “full of grace and truth.”  And Mary named him Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

We conclude with a word from the prophet Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.” (Isaiah 9)Amen.

Sermon on Matthew 11:2-15

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

Who is this Jesus guy, anyway?

Is this the Messiah or should they wait for someone else?

How can they tell?

John the Baptist sends one of his followers to find out. John can’t go himself, because he’s been imprisoned. A lot has happened since last week’s reading where John was baptizing people in the wilderness and declaring that the Reign of God had come near.

Now, he’s not sure if it’s Jesus he was waiting for and preaching about or someone else. So, he sends someone to ask for him.

When John’s disciple finds him, Jesus doesn’t come out and say, “Yes, I’m the Messiah” or show him his heavenly ID card. Instead, he lets his actions speak for themselves—he sends back an account of what’s happening around him:

“the blind receive their sight,

the lame walk,

those with a skin disease are cleansed,

the deaf hear,

the dead are raised,

and the poor have good news brought to them.”

It’s like Jesus is saying, “You want to know if I’m the one you’ve been waiting for? Look around—is this what the Reign of God will look like? If you’re looking for hope, peace, joy, and love, then yes, this is what you’ve been waiting for.”

Then, Jesus turns to the crowd who is listening to all of this, and he starts talking about John the Baptist.

He asks the crowd why they used to go see John to be baptized.

The Christian understanding of baptism is different from what people went to John for. Jesus’ audience understood baptism as a cleansing, something that could be done periodically for one’s spiritual wellness. It wasn’t something that happened once for all time the way we understand it.

So, Jesus asks them why they came. Was it to see “a reed shaken by the wind” or “someone dressed in soft robes”?

If Jesus were talking to us today, he might have said something like:

“Did you come to see some popular guru who talks of peace and love but is swayed by every passing fad?

Or did you come to see a celebrity influencer in all their Gucci glory but who’s actually just a disciple of wealth and status?

Or a politician who’s busy smiling for the camera and telling people what they want to hear without any intention of following through?

No, you came to see a prophet—someone who speaks hard truths and sees the world for what it really is.”

Jesus is reminding them that they came to see John because they wanted someone not to make them feel better about themselves. And they didn’t want a ruler who would dictate their lives.

They wanted to be cleansed and to hear truth.

Just like John the Baptist and his disciple, Jesus’ audience isn’t really sure how Jesus fits into all of this.

Jesus uses their hopes for John to illustrate that John was not the ending point in their search. John was pointing to Jesus the whole time. He is the Elijah figure, the (more than) prophet who points to how God is working in the world. And at that very moment, God was working in Jesus to bring healing and hope to the most vulnerable.

How could they tell? The same way Jesus tells John’s disciple:

“Go and tell John what you hear and see:

the blind receive their sight,

the lame walk,

those with a skin disease are cleansed,

the deaf hear,

the dead are raised,

and the poor have good news brought to them.”

Now, these signs are complicated. There are plenty of people with disabilities who would say that they don’t need “healing”—and indeed, if this is you, you are whole and good just as you are. Perhaps “good news” would be that the world becomes accessible, inclusive, and equitable in a way the world isn’t right now.

One way or another, Jesus is pointing to the way the world is being transformed around him. He’s pointing to the fruits of the Reign of God. Jesus’ tangible signs are a far more powerful witness than empty words. Jesus is adjusting their expectations of what to expect in the upside-down Reign of God. Yes, John was pointing to Jesus, but Jesus is pointing to the Reign of God.

The crowds weren’t going to the wilderness to see John the Baptist because they were hoping for someone with power and prestige, so why would they expect those things from the Messiah?

They weren’t going to John the Baptist for easy answers, so why were they expecting them from Jesus?

They didn’t really understand the nature of the Reign of God, so Jesus was trying to show them what it was like.

It’s hard to grasp what the Reign of God will look like. That’s one of the many reasons why we need Jesus—to show us, just as he pointed to what was going on around him to show John’s follower, that Jesus is, indeed, who we’re waiting for.

One of the ways we see what the Reign of God is like is through baptism.

Baptism is one of our sacraments—a way we see God’s work in the world through tangible things—in this case, water.

God knows we’re physical creatures who need physical signs of what’s going on spiritually. The coolness of water, the feel of its light wetness, the sound of droplets—all of this helps us feel God working in our lives.

Baptism is a glimpse into the Reign of God. In baptism all are equal and precious. There is no hierarchy, no merit or accomplishment that makes one worthy of baptism. It is a gift from God.

God freely bestows it on us, because God loves us. God makes us part of God’s family, knits us together with all of our siblings and ancestors in faith.

Being part of the Reign of God means being connected to others, being part of something bigger than oneself, and living in a way that treasures every person as the glorious image of God they are.

Baptism is a way we can see that happening.

When someone is baptized, like little Zoe was at The Table a few weeks ago, they are wrapped in community like a blanket. They are clothed in the vision of the upside-down Reign of God. They are simultaneously held in God’s love and sent out in hope to spread that love wherever they go.

Baptism is a gift, a promise, and a fulfillment. It is God’s gift to us, it is a promise that the Reign of God will be complete one day, and it is a glimpse into the fulfillment of that promise everyday.

So, next time you shower or wash your hands, remember that you belong to the Reign of God—it is God’s gift to you. And take a moment to think about how God is working in the world around you. What good news are you seeing and participating in? What is the Reign of God that you’re waiting for like? How do you see glimpses of it today?

I invite you to make the sign of the cross on your forehead and say to yourself, “God’s gifts are all around me.”

Hold onto that gift, that promise, today and every day.

First Lutheran Church

December 4, 2022 + The Second Sunday in Advent (A)

Isaiah 2:1, 3-4 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. … He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 11:1, 6-10 1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.. …6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Matthew 3:1-31In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”

Sermon

“Visualizing the Kingdom”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Today’s appointed Gospel for the Second Sunday in Advent exhorts us to prepare for the coming of Christ!  John the Baptist, that voice in the wilderness cries out, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

So it is, we are called “to prepare.”  I don’t know about you, but I don’t really get excited about preparing for things.  I can be a little lazy at times, I can procrastinate, and I’m not really afraid of “flying by the seat of my pants.”Being disciplined is not really one of my strongest suites, and honestly, I just don’t find the work of preparation very exciting.  Yet, I know it is important, even crucial, to taking advantage of the moments in life that come our way. As Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.”

So, how do we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas? 

Well, the Christmas part is easy, - well at least easy to understand and define.  To be ready for Christmas is to clean and decorate your house, buy presents for loved ones, bake Christmas treats, make travel plans, and keep your calendar with all your Christmas events clearly marked and up to date.  That’s how you prepare for Christmas.   But preparing for the coming of Christ is really - a wholly different thing!

To be ready for Christ means to prepare “our hearts, our minds, and our souls” for something that is life changing, even disruptive.   Christ comes into this world with the Kingdom “to make all things new,” to give us an abundant life, and to inspire us in our divine calling in service to the Kingdom of God.  To be ready for the coming of Christ is to engage in nothing less than the really big questions of life, the questions of meaning and purpose, the questions of peace and justice, the questions of love and ultimate concern.  Something that’s just not as easy for which to prepare.

As I was reading last Sunday’s Old Testament reading from Isaiah, something jumped out and got my attention, something I read gave me a new insight into how one might prepare for the coming of Christ.  Isaiah chapter two, verse one reads, “The word that Isaiah son of Amozsaw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”Note that in this particular instance, the prophet Isaiah did not “hear” the word of God, but rather he “saw” it!  Isaiah had a powerful “vision.”  And as they say, “Seeing is believing.”  And as the writer of proverbs tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish;…”(Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

It struck me in that moment, that one of the ways we prepare for the Coming of Christ, is by “seeing,”by “visualizing,” the coming of Christ, and the Kingdom of God.  We prepare for Christmas in the season of Advent by engaging our Holy Imagination.As Pastor Jennifer proclaimed last week, “God gave us imaginations for a reason!”  So it is, we are called to engage the wonderful “visions” of heaven described by the prophets, with our “own holy imaginations,” and in doing become active participants, ushering in the kingdom of God - right here, right now!   Too often all we see is the overwhelming problems, the hopelessness of the times, and the limits of the human condition.  We need to replace those fearful “visions” with a “faithful”“holy” vision, in order that we might have a clear picture of where God is leading us, and to what we have been called to do!

As some of you know, I like to golf.  I really like to golf. And professional golfers, and their sports psychologists, will tell you that one of the most important parts of hitting a good golf shot, - is “visualizing” the shot.  You need to clear your mind of every distraction and imagine the whole shot, from start to finish.There’s a great scene in the golf movie, “The Greatest Game Ever Played” that depicts this process.  The scene takes us into the mind of the English golfing legend Harry Vardon, as he prepares to hit his tee shot, in the 1913 US Open.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVpOhUo9DYk)

That’s how you do it!  That’s how you prepare for a golf shot, you imagine away all the distractions, you “see” the perfect shot, and then you do it!

*One more time, this is how good golfers like Harry Vardon, Tiger Woods, and Bob Carver play golf. Before they swing, they prepare by visualizing the perfect shot.  *They don’t see the tree that seems like it’s right in the way.  *They don’t have any concern for the water,(because they are not trying to hit it in the water.)*They are not concerned about the road and the trees on the left.  *All they see is the fairway, a big wide-open target.

Once again, “visualization”is the key to hitting a good shot, it’s critical.But even more important - is “what” you visualize!

Unfortunately, that’s my problem.  I can visualize my golf shot, but not in a helpful way.  My pre-shot routine, my preparationlooks more like this.  I step up to the tee box and I immediately become fully aware of all the potential problems that exist.  *I immediately see the tree.  *I notice the water, and by thinking about it, I bring it into play.  *And of course, I’m not going to let the road and trees on the left go unnoticed.   And suddenly, I can’t even begin to see the middle of the fairway!  I have only visualized all the problems, everything that might go wrong; and at this point, what will most likely - go wrong!

*The prophets of Advent, like great golfers, were able to confidently and correctly  “visualize” the coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God.  They did not see the limitations imposedby fear but rather the possibilities made possible by faith. And thankfully, for us, these visions were written down, preserved as gifts for us to open as we embark on the advent journey.

In last Sunday’s reading Isaiah invited us to imagine a day when swords would be bent into plowshares, and spears would be reshaped into pruning hooks; a day when the weapons of war would become tools for growing and harvesting, instruments of peace and prosperity.  As we make the Advent journey, we are invited to set aside our fears, engage the vision; and reimagine, reform, and repurpose the things of war - into things that make for peace.  Can you “envision” the tip of the sword tilling the soil?

In this Sunday’s readingIsaiah points out that the lifeless Stump of Jesse has come back to life.  What once was thought dead is now springing up a new shoot, one that will bear the very fruit of our salvation, the life of Jesus.  As we make our Advent journey, we are invited to look back at the things we thought were dead, the parts of our life that we thought were over, the things that we had given up on, and find in them – new life.  We are invited to trust in the pattern of death and resurrection.  Can you “visualize” that tender new shoot unexpectedly rising up out of that useless dead stump?

Today’s reading fromIsaiah concludes with the prophet painting an amazing picture of peace and harmony: the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kind, the lion and the fatling, the cow and the bear;all living together, peacefully, side by side, led by a little child.  As we make our Advent journey we are invited to stop, even turn around, and to reconsider relationships that have been riddled with conflict, those who have been defined as enemies, those we fear will hurt us, those who are so different from us; and in doing so discover new relationships that will bring us closer and deeper into the kingdom of God.  Can you “visualize” your enemy standing by your side, together doing the work of the Kingdom?

Today we are invited to set aside our distractions, our fears, and the limits of the human condition so often imposed upon our horizons; and insteadto “see” the word of God, to “visualize” the Kingdom of God that is coming even now.  We are invited to engage the visions of the prophets of Advent with our own God gifted – inspired - holy imaginations; and in doing so prepare ourselves, - our hearts, our minds, and our souls, - for the coming of Christ.

May the “word” that Isaiah saw; swords being beaten into plowshares, spears reshaped into pruning hooks, new life emerging from what we thought were dead stumps, and peace and harmony replacing enmity and violence; May these words of God visualized, these words dared to be imagined anew, - fill our hearts with hope, engage us in the way of peace, fill us with the joy of the kingdom, and strengthen us with the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.