12/06/2023
In Sunday’s sermon, I closed by thinking through what a real worst-case scenario might look for us leading up to Christmas. I offered the following:
What would Our Worst Case Scenario be this holiday season
if we had to imagine it?
- That when we could not get to God—God did not come to us.
- That we cannot become anything more than what we already are.
- That despite all the directions we’ve been given, we are destined to remain hopelessly lost.
Our worst case scenario would be waiting for a Savior that never comes, or worse still—to go through the next few weeks without realizing how badly we need the Savior who will come, has come, and who will come again.
Advent is not meant to be a season of parties and songs about reindeer and snowmen. Advent is a sacred pilgrimage back into our desperate need for what only God can provide. It is a remembrance of being lost in the darkness and falling prey to our worst and most self-destructive desires. It is to wait upon the One who has been promised, knowing that God has been and will be faithful to God’s promises. It is know that there is no gift so great as the gift of presence: God’s presence among us, and our presence offered to one another.
May that be the gift you focus on this holiday season.
Archived Posts
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.