December 22, 2024  Advent 4 

Advent Wreath Candle Lighting
One: In a weary and worn world, how do we begin again?  Where do we start?
All: Let us begin with tenderness.  Let us begin with our hearts on our sleeve.  Let us begin from a place of vulnerability and hope.
Let us begin with love.
One: Yes, let us start with love. Today we light the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love.
All: May the warmth of these lights be our cornerstone. May the truth in these lights help us begin again.
One: May it be so! Amen. 

Candle is Lit 

 

Sing 119 Hope is a star, verse 4

Welcome and Announcements

Prayer of Approach 

Holy God, The stories of Advent are stories many of us have heard before.  We’ve arranged the nativity scenes.  We’ve read the children’s books.  We’ve seen the movies. We’ve sung the carols. 

But as we come to worship this morning, we pray: help us begin again.  Clear our minds of what we think we know.   

Open our hearts to the wonder of the gift you give us.  Surprise us with the evidence of your mercy.  Move through the protective barriers of too much knowledge and too little faith, and speak to us here and now. 

We are listening. We are hopeful.   Amen. 

Hymn:  115 Hail to the Lord’s anointed 

Call to Confession 

Hope can feel slippery.  One moment we may believe that change will come, that good will win, that the suffering of today will not be the suffering of tomorrow. 

The next moment we can receive word of more evidence of human sinfulness, and we realize that we too are counted as those who sin. 

Hope can feel slippery. 

Fortunately for us, God’s grace is not. 

No matter what God is able to hold onto us.  So trusting that God’s grace does not let us go, join me in the prayer of confession: 

Prayer of Confession:
Gracious God, You paint pictures of what could be, but we declare those visions impossible.  You speak of the lion lying down with the lamb, but we spout skepticism and uncertainty.
You dream of a more just day, but we poke holes in the plan, unable to fathom that horizon.
Forgive us for losing sight of hope.  Forgive us for assuming that what we see is all there is.  Open up our hearts to see the world as you see it.  Open up our hearts to risk hope, to dream dreams, and to not be afraid of either. With gratitude we pray, amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

No matter what you hold onto and no matter what you let slip through your hands, God is holding onto you. 

That good news will never change. 

So hear and believe the good news of the Gospel: 

Today is a new day. Today, we have reason to hope. Today, we are forgiven.  And the same will be true tomorrow.  And the day after that. And the day after that.  Forever. 

Remember the good news  In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.   Thanks be to God for a love like that. 

Amen.
Passing the Peace 

Hymn:  166 Once in Royal David’s City 

Scripture: 

Micah 5: 2-5  p 1445
Matthew 1: 18-25 p 1497
Luke 1: 45-55 p 1589 

Sermon:  Born of faithfulness and blessedness 

Micah gives us the usual  clues that God comes to his people in unexpected ways.  Today we read his assurances of God’s promised redemption to a people who lived in a world full of turmoil.   

In the years in which Micah gave the word of God to the people, their homeland had gone through many great difficulties.   

During those years the Assyrians had invaded the land.  They had captured Samaria and carried out military campaigns in Judah. 

 

Other neighbouring countries had also exerted their own pressure on the divided nation.  

When we look at these times, and the history of God’s people, we see again and again when there were attacks and occupations.  We can recall all the turmoil into which all the prophets spoke God’s word.  Attack, occupation, exile.   

Through it all what has always been elusive for Israel, is faithful commitment, they were always turning away from God.  They were always vulnerable to attack on their borders, or being the land in which other countries would fight their battles for trading dominance.   

Jim Lindenberger, the Old Testament professor when I was in theological school, pointed out that this war on Israel’s land was inevitable.  Among the neighbouring nations, some had chariots and needed horses.  Others  had horses and needed chariots.  Israel occupied the land between numerous countries.  Peaceful trade often gave way to hostile attacks.  That trade and the skirmishes often happened on Israel’s land.  Specifically on the plains of Armageddon.  Winner take all, including the land they fought upon.   

 

The people of God were always looking for redemption, and a saviour.  In time God had given them a king.  There had been succession disputes and at this time Micah prophesied Israel  was a divided nation, which made it all the more vulnerable to attack from their neighbours.    

 

Everyone’s great plea was to have the throne of David re-established.  Micah made promises and assurances, in a way that makes us wonder if  the underlying message was, “be careful what you ask for”.   

 

The people were asking for a warrior king, who would overthrow the invading countries, unify the two regions of Israel and take his seat on the throne and establish a rule that led the country into peace.  Phew, what a big job.   

Micah reminds them that  God’s intervention always  provides surprising results.   

 

The promise, as always, was that the covenant was secure and reliable.  However there was a slight twist… 

 

The Covenant would come in an unexpected way, with a new and surprising leader from the line of David.  The new King would arise from Bethlehem.  Bethlehem, not a more important city?  

 

Worse, the prophecy pointed out that the new King would  not form a military kingdom.   

What?   

But if we think about it we will recall that this prophecy was not new.  Regardless, it did not conform with what the people expected. 

The people were asking for a knight in shining armour, and God was preparing a baby who would die on the cross.   The message is clear, this kingdom would not be an earthly kingdom.   

 

 

A message hard to believe and easy to ignore. 

 

Following the word from Micah, the voice of God was absent from the land for centuries.   

There were no more prophets.   

No more reminders of the promise.   

There was only silence. 

 

In the meantime, Israel’s struggle with wars and occupations continued.   

 

Their demands for a warrior King grew.  The understanding they needed from the words of all of the prophets just didn’t happen, at least for most of the people.   

It was in the time of the Roman occupation that God brought about the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah.  One who would free the people from their sins and bring about the kingdom of God.  No one knew this was coming and only those in the know understood that  this Messiah would not be an earthly king.   

That seemed to be a message that everyone missed, even those who walked with Jesus. 

They asked for a knight in shining armour and they got a baby who grew to fulfill God’s plan by dying on a cross.  Surprise! 

 

In  the journey through Advent this year we have seen that God is always consistent in his promises, by setting things up in ways that confounded and confused human expectations.  God was and is and always will be a mystery.   

The “divine habit” of choosing the unlikely is seen when the angel appears to Mary and again to Joseph—a teenage peasant woman and a carpenter with rough hands and very little else.  

Are we surprised by this? The prophetic message came from angels and women, and went only to a select group. 

The commentators point to  Micah’s prophetic message with a warning for 21st century listeners.   

 

We are warned that in a time when we think we know the story, we are meant to be challenged by Micah’s words.   

We expect the expected Christmas Story and we fail to see that for Mary and Joseph this was completely unexpected and would require absolute trust and faith on both of their parts.  Do we miss the evidence of the challenges they faced? 

Do  we fail to see the absolute scandal of the way in which God entered the world through Jesus? 

 

We are encouraged to look for the surprise, the shock and the scandal of what God was doing.  And we are encouraged to look for the ways in which Mary and Joseph were challenged to let go of their expectations of each other and embrace what would make both of them the subject of  judgment and  gossip of those who saw what was going on. 

Do we remember the lagging moments in the process where Joseph very much was not supportive of Mary?    We forget what this pregnancy would mean to Joseph.   

 

In our day when babies are often born before marriage, if indeed marriage happens, we are not always tuned into the horror of a pregnancy of young unmarried woman.  Nor are we tuned into the horror, anger and sense of betrayal of a young man who thought he was engaged to marry a sweet, innocent bride. 

The commentator Williom writes that as a young, single, pregnant woman Mary was all alone in the world and there was no one to defend her.  Remember she was no longer attached to her own family, but belonged to Joseph.  And he did not initially defend her.   

 

Let that sink in.  There was no one to defend her.  Joseph especially was not there to defend her. 

That leaves Mary with only God to defend her, especially from the plans that Joseph was making.   

Joseph was planning to quietly divorce her, and then disappear from her life.   

If that plan had come to fruition what would have happened to Mary?    A young, single, pregnant woman with no defender would be exposed to exploitation from unscrupulous men, or subject to stoning from those insisting on providing the religiously mandated punishment for adultery.   

Let the horror of that sink in. 

 

We know the end of the story, but Mary and Joseph did not.  

What did Mary experience?   

Fear.   

Abandonment.   

Was the faith she expressed in God enough to carry her through?   

What underlying feelings did she carry with her on her trip to Elizabeth’s house?  

What did Joseph experience?   

Anger.   

Remorse.   

Guilt.   

How did the faith he had known from childhood help him in the decision he had made? 

Now is the time for all of us to take a big sigh of relief.  Thankfully Mary’s only defender was equal to the job.   

 

Into Joseph’s uneasy sleep, God sent the dream of an angel with a prophetic message.  

We are reminded that faith is a tenuous thing.  It can slip from our fingers so easily.  Yet, it can also be restored if we allow our hearts to be swayed by God and our thoughts to be stilled by the peace the Holy Spirit brings.   

 

Mary received the encounters needed to bolster her faith from the visit of the angel who announced the birth of the baby.  That her faith in God was well placed was confirmed in the prophecy of Elizabeth. 

That prophetic voice to the nation that had been silent for so long, now came to Mary.  Prophecies are meant to remind us that God is always going to keep his promise and to empower us to trust that God walks with us.   

For Mary that prophecy was a reminder of her blessing, as she undertook the ministry that God was doing through her. 

Elizabeth says loudly,  

That’s important, she said it loudly.   

 

 “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”  Luke 1: 42-45  NIV 

 

No matter what, Mary was blessed.  When we engage in even the most improbable things that God asks of us, we are blessed.  We know joy.   

 

But what of Joseph?  

Joseph was faithful to the Law, which would demand that Mary be brought to the Priests and be stoned for her adultery; yet there was something in him that made him choose mercy. 

Be it cowardice, embarrassment or some misplaced emotion arising out of hurting love that choice probably would not have altered her future… but it did give God time to intervene. 

And how did God intervene? 

20 But after Jospeh  had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.” Matt 1: 20-21 NIV 

 

This address is full of prophetic words that would add to weight to the message that assured Joseph.  First, the angel addressed him not as the son of Jacob, his earthly father, but as the Son of David, his ancestral father.   

That’s important, it is a great clue that the baby had an important connection to David.   

The angel announced that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  That is also important.  God who created the earth and humans by a simple  word, had now caused a virgin to conceive a child. 

This visit of the angel, the message he brought, were enough to change Joseph’s mind, and to reengage his heart.    

The revelation of God’s plan changed everything.   

After all those centuries of silence God’s word has once again been revealed.  Not to prophets but to a young couple struggling to maintain their relationship in the middle of the unexpected news of a baby.  A baby!?? 

Have we ever stopped to consider how much faith it would take for Mary and Joseph to believe in God’s word?  Or how much faith and courage it would take for them to agree to God’s plan?   

Maybe the surprise is more than a new King who comes in unexpected ways.   

Maybe the surprise is that Mary and Jospeh agreed to take part in the plan of salvation.   

So Joseph does what in his culture and society would be unthinkable.   

He takes Mary to be his wife. 

He agrees to act as the legal father of the baby. 

He accepts the responsibility of naming the child in accordance with God’s will.  

 

In the midst of the complete upheaval of their lives Mary and Joseph made choices to be faithful to God.  Because of those choices they were blessed to be a part of God’s plan for the forgiveness of all people.  That, in and of itself, is amazing and surprising.   

Courage, faith and blessing have come together as God’s prophecy was fulfilled in the lives of Mary and Joseph.  And that blessing now extends to all who hear and all who believe. 

Amazing great news indeed.  Thanks be to God.  Amen  

 

Hymn:   137 Born in the night

 

Offering and Doxology 830

Offertory Prayer 

O holy God, we give to you in the expected ways, expecting you to respond in the expected ways.    Yet you answer prayer with unexpected events and through unexpected people. 

Encourage us to give in response to your surprising revelations, and help us to be a part of the surprising ways you answer prayer. 

Today in our giving surprise us with what you will do, for us, with us and in us.  Amen 

 

 

Gathering Prayer Requests 
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

Holy God,  We come to you today feeling tender. We are tender because life is hard.  Our spirits are bruised from the ups and downs, from the onslaught of disappointment, fear, and grief. 

In the midst of this tenderness, how do we risk hope? 

How do we hold onto you? 

We  come to you today, God, to ask for your help. 

Show us how to hope.  Draw near to the most vulnerable places in our lives,  to the places where we search for the assurance that you hear us, and will answer. 

Draw near to our depression and anxiety, to our addictions and sorrows.  Feel free to add prayers of lament and grief here that resonate with the day or with the needs of your community. 

JOYS 

 

 

 

CONCERNS 

 

 

 

 

 

WORLD 

Tenuous peace discussions for Israel—apply to all countries in the region. 

 

 

 

 

 

Show us how to live like Mary and Joseph, for they were courageous enough to believe the angel’s words. They were courageous enough to believe that change could come.  They were open to your surprising grace.   

Give us the courage, the vulnerability, and the wisdom to risk the same. 

For that reason we come together saying the prayer your Son has taught us, saying   

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever.  Amen 

We celebrate at the Lord’s Table
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
Hymn:  542 Let all mortal flesh keep silence

The Apostle’s Creed  539 The Book of Praise
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving 564 BP 

Celebrating at the Table 

Prayer after Communion
Nourishing God, Sometimes we tell ourselves that too much has taken place to begin again.
We think the world is too far gone.  We think we have made too many mistakes. We tell ourselves that we couldn’t possibly begin again.
But then we come to this Table and we get a glimpse of your kingdom. We come to this Table and all are welcomed, all are seen, all are fed.
And just like that, we have hope. Thank you for planting hope deep in our bones.  Thank you for meeting us in ordinary bread and juice to remind us that it’s never too late to build your kingdom of justice here.
We are grateful.  We are so grateful. Amen. 

Hymn:  141 Good Christians all rejoice

Benediction
Blessing Song:  114 Emmanuel

Emmanuel, Emmanuel, his name is called Emmanuel.  God with us, revealed in us, his name is called Emmanuel. 
C:  CA Music 

3 Fold Amen