Wally was big for his age--seven years old. Everyone wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas play. Especially considering the fact that he was also a slow learner. Perhaps he could pull the curtain. To every-ones surprise the teacher gave Wally the role of the innkeeper. The boy of course was delighted. After all, all he had to learn was one line: "There is no room in the inn." He had that down in no time.
Then came the night for the program. The parents took their places. Every seat in the auditorium was filled. The children entered singing "Oh come all ye faithful." The lights dimmed. A hush moved over the audience. The curtain opened on Scene One. Mary and Joseph entered the stage and walked up to the inn. "Please sir, My wife is not well. Could we have a room for the night. Wally was ready for his line. He had rehearsed it all night. He began, "There is"and he hesitated. He started over again. "There is. . .and again his mind went completely blank. Everyone was embarrassed for him but poor Wally just didn't know what to do. Joseph thought he would improvise and started walking away toward the stable on stage left, seeing him walking away Wally in desperation called out "Look, there's plenty of room at my house, just come on home with me."
That seems a rather delightful twist on a familiar story. Over the years the characters in the Christmas story have become clearly defined for us. The issues all seem so clear cut. Herod was a villain, the wise men were heroes. The shepherds were heroes and the Innkeeper--well, the poor innkeeper has gone down as one of the heavies in the story. In our minds eye, we envision him as a crotchety old man with a night cap on his head sticking his head out a second story window and tersely shouting: Take the stable and leave me alone.
But perhaps the innkeeper has gotten bad press. Preachers over the centuries have had a field day with the poor fellow. But was it his fault that the inn was built with twelve rooms instead of thirteen? Was it his fault that Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that all the world should be taxed? Was it his fault that Mary and Joseph were so late in arriving?
But you know something, this simple little statement about there being no room in the Inn becomes a symbol for Luke. As he writes his gospel it almost becomes a theme. Luke takes this one line, "There is no room in the inn," and shows us how this phrase was recurrent throughout Jesus ministry. The question that Luke leaves for us is--will there ever be any room for him?
"Did you know that Chicken Little had a big brother--Chicken Big? When he heard that the sky was falling; he didn't run around in panic (like a chicken with it's head cut off), spending all his time warning everyone of impending disaster. No. he thought to himself; "This may be the last day of my life--I had better make it count for something" so he went off to work with a cheery disposition and tired to be extra sensitive to everyone with whom he came in contact. At home he consciously took the time to play with his children and finally found the courage to talk with his wife about that sticky subject that they had both been avoiding. He repotted a dying house plant as a symbol of renewed life.
"Every person born into this world represents something new, something that never existed before, something original and unique. It is the duty of every person to know that there has never been anyone like him before in the world. For if there had been someone like him there would have been no need for him to be in the world. Every single person is a now thing in the world, and is called upon to fulfill his own individuality in this world.
"A mother is thinking to herself. 'Here it is the first Sunday of Advent and I still have kindergarten Indians and pilgrims plastered to the windows of my house. It couldn't be time for the candles and the first whispered hope, already. But here I am out in the dark cutting a few evergreen sprigs for our Advent wreath.But it doesn't feel like a time for hope for me.Still another friend is dying of cancer. Another strong and beautiful body is wasting away. It is obscene; I could hardly bear to remember the faces anymore, the eyes big and glittering with pain.
I went into the house with these thoughts and my 8 year old daughter was caught up in the excitement, so I went upstairs to find the wooden manger. Why not put it out now instead of waiting until later?? So, I arranged the wise men and their camel around the table centerpiece and left the rest until later.
My daughter remarked how nice, the wise men are already starting on their long journey, but I thought they are searching. But they seem to be going in circles, as I have been for so long. Why, Lord, why does such evil and pain exist in such a beautiful world? Why does time whiz by so fast---no time to do what we really want to do.
We had dinner and then came the time for the Advent Wreath. My Betsy struggled through reading a passage from Jeremiah, the poem that followed proved beyond her as well. I hadn't taken the time to write it in her own words. We decided to sing since the moments of learning were fast slipping by. We sang, "Angels we have heard on High" and "Away in a Manger". My youngest Mike knew those words so he sang out real well. the he asked a question about heaven, "Is this were we are going, where little Lord Jesus is leading us?"
"Yes, I said, and my chocked voice stopped in awe at the way revelation breaks upon us. "and that's what the wise men are their camels are looking for, too." And I thought that, that is what Sammie and Betty and Ernie and I are looking for, and I pray are finding in their agony of dying.
The children raced out to the other room to put the figurines around the simple creche. With much laughing and fun the donkeys, the shepherds were put into place. Then came the stricken cry, "Where's baby Jesus? He's not in the bag." All 3 children got on their knees and looked through the tissue paper on the floor. There He was, the tiny wooden figure so small so easily hidden in the chaos, but without him the whole scene was empty, the celebration meaningless. Betsy placed Him gently in the tiny wooden crib. Mike the youngest appeared with his own figurine, a figure of Santa. "That doesn't belong" yelled the other children.
"Yes, it does, said Mike, "because we found the little Lord Jesus and ( his face broke into a beautiful smile ) because Christmas is coming." Yes, Jesus is coming. Yes on tip tow pell mell and in spite of human pain and human clumsiness, in the most marvelous and unexpected way, Jesus is coming. Even so, come Lord Jesus."
Advent parable by Soren Kierkegaard
The geese in a certain farm yard decided to gather together every 7th day. At that time one of the ganders would mount the fence and preach to his fellow geese about their lofty destiny. The pulpity goose would recall the exploits of their forefathers and praise God for the gift of flight bestowed upon them. The congregation of fowl would flap their wings in hearty agreement. This routine happened every week. After each assembly the geese would break up and waddle to their respective places in the farm year and eat the grain the kind farmer had scattered on the ground for them.
On Monday morning, the geese would chat about Sunday's sermon and discuss what might happen if they took to the skies once again. There was little doubt among then that the best thing was to linger in the farm yard with its security. The sermons would stir them and that was sufficient. It was good to hear what they could be and do as long as they need not do it or be it. All the while they didn't realize they were being fattened for the holiday table of the farmer and his friends.
In a business magazine I read, there was an article about a company, imaginary I hope, that was planning its Christmas sales campaign. The board of directors was puzzled how they could beat their competitors, then suddenly the chairman had an idea. "We ll have a crib," he said, getting very excited. "We ll have the most expensive manger in the world. We re about to put Christmas back into Christmas!" From then on there was no stopping them. They decided on a slogan lifted from the New Testament, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
The chairman told his sales staff, "We ll have to emphasise the variety of gifts available. See to it that the Oriental Kings are handing a proper assortment of presents to the Holy Infant." And he went through a great catalogue of the goods they sold. The sales staff arranged their goods in a great pyramid, topped with a stable with the animals, and Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus giving their blessing to all the merchandise. When the chairman saw it he was delighted as he thought of all the money they would make. And then he began to scowl. He called to his manager, "What s that thing on top?"
"It s the manger, sir." "We don t sell mangers, do we?" "Well, throw it out!" he shouted.
Only a parable, but all too close to the truth of what passes for Christmas.
Contributed by: Owen Bourgaize
from SermonCentral
There is a story told about a man who wanted to see and hear God. So he went out to a hilltop and yelled and pleaded with God. "Speak to me!" And a bird sang. And disappointed he again begged God to speak to him and all he heard was the sound of children playing in the distance. "Please God, touch me!" he cried and the wind blew across his cheek. And discouraged at not having his plea answered the man prayed, "God, show yourself to me!" And a butterfly flew across his path. And when he got home, convinced that God had forsaken him, his daughter ran out to greet him, but he felt abandoned by God.
Source: Unknown.
Found at Worship That Works Selected Sermons, 3rd Sunday of Advent Sermon Year C
Supposedly Charles Schultz said, "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."
Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.
Advent is a season of hopeful anticipation of God's breaking into our world and our time. It is composed of four Sundays prior to Christmas Day, beginning around the first of December. Liturgical colors are used for vestments (special garments worn by pastors and priests at some churches), the cloth that is often draped on the cross, as well as pulpit and altar decorations, to mark the seasons and to symbolize the themes. The color used for Advent is either purple or blue. Blue is used to represent water - the water over which God's Spirit moved in Creation (Gen. 1) to begin the process of life and the water of Baptism which is the starting place for all Christians who anticipate the coming of Christ into their lives.
The Colors of Advent
Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is Purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus' birth and death. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion, the Atonement. The purpose of Jesus' coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus' life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection. Many churches now use blue to distinguish the Season of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use Bright Blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King's coming, or to symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation. Red and Green are more secular colors of Christmas, although they derive from older European practices of using evergreens and holly to symbolize ongoing life and hope that Christ's birth brings into a cold world.
The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.
In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God's people. So, as the church celebrates God's breaking into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."
The Spirit of Advent
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the word, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance from a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance! It is that hope however faint at times, and that God however distant He sometimes seems, that brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world. Part of that expectation also anticipates a judgment on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God. We long for God to come and set the world right! Yet, as the prophet Amos warned, the expectation of a coming judgment at the "Day of the Lord" may not be the day of light that we might want, because the penetrating light of God's judgment on sin will shine just as brightly on God's people.
Because of this important truth, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Season of Advent has been a time of fasting and penitence for sins similar to the Season of Lent. However, a different emphasis for the season of Advent has gradually unfolded in much of the rest of the church. The season of Advent has come to be celebrated more in terms of expectation or anticipation. Yet, the anticipation of the Coming of the Messiah throughout the Old Testament and Judaism was not in connection with remembrance of sins. Rather, it was in the context of oppression and injustice, the longing for redemption, not from personal guilt and sin but from the systemic evil of the world expressed in evil empires and tyrants. It is in that sense that all creation groans for its redemption as we witness the evil that so dominates our world (Rom 8:18-25). Of course, there is the problem of longing for vindication from an evil world when we are contributors to that evil. This is the power of the images of Amos when he warns about longing for the "Day of the Lord" that will really be a day of darkness (Amos 5:18-20).
Still, even with Amos' warning the time of Advent is one of expectation and anticipation, a longing for God's actions to restore all things and vindicate the righteous. This is why during Advent we as Christians also anticipate the Second Coming as a twin theme of the season. So, while some church traditions focus on penitence during Advent, the spirit of that expectation from the Old Testament is better captured with a joyous sense of expectancy. Rather than a time of mourning and fasting, Advent is celebrated as a time of joy and happiness as we await the coming of the King.
by Kazimiera I. H. Fraley
From Lectionary_Preaching@yahoogroups.com
In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground.
Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas."
Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys
will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown!
SOURCE: Daily Bread, December 23, 1991.
From: Marc Blakesley <MBlakesley@mn.rr.com> Permission is granted to reprint with the following: Words by Marc Blakesley. Copyright 2002, Special Folk ministries, Minneapolis, MN. Used with permission. "An Advent Hymn" tune: Lancashire 7.6.7.6.D 1. We are an advent people Who hope and wait and pray. Though God in Christ is with us, Yet still we seek a day When justice reigns with mercy And peaceful-love sustains All peoples, lands and creatures In God's true holy way. 2. Isaiah has proclaimed it. And John has come to say: Repent, O Advent people For soon night shall be day. The light of Christ shall lead us, As people of "The Way" Through hope and pain and gladness To where the new born lay. 3. Our eyes are fixed on Bethlehem But what of now, today? If God is in our waiting, Is love in what we say? Are we just simply watching? Or do we earnest pray? For Christ is birthed within us, Not just on Christmas Day.
Words by Marc Blakesley and dedicated to the people of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Alexandria, Minnesota.
[Tune: St Olave, 66 66 66. AHB 154; or Laudes Domini 666D AHB 151 TIS 227]
The Lord's Messiah comes;
God's kingdom to announce.
He calls us to repent,
and all our sins renounce.
His conquest over sin
now gives us peace within.
He breaks into our world,
the light of God to show,
all darkness to dispel,
all evil overthrow.
Let justice now be done,
new life on earth begun.
Lord of the end to come,
your praise we will repeat,
the world you came to save,
you will perfect, complete.
There no need to fear:
Rejoice, the Lord in near.
© David Beswick 1997
This hymn may be freely reproduced locally for use in worship, with acknowledgment, but not for any commercial purpose without permission.