for Dec. 21: Luke 1.26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’

But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’

Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’

The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’

Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture?
What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

sermon excerpts: "Advent of Uneasy Peace"

I’ve quoted Oscar Romero before in worship and that same remark is found in our Voices United hymn book, #683: “Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silence of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and duty.”

The coming of the Messiah was thought to bring peace as he delivered the people to the seats of power and conquest. It was assumed that the peace that would reign would be the enforced peace of military victory and dominion over one’s defeated enemies.

Instead we find the prophet in the desert is calling us to a profound, soul-affecting peace of right relationships and equality. What we have is a call from Isaiah, repeated again by John that this world is not as it should be, that our own self-interest has harmed the well-being of others?

Alone in the desert, reminding us again that a life of faith, of following God means moving out of our comfortable areas and into uncertainty, reclaiming our heritage, following in the steps of a saviour. But real peace is uncomfortable because we all have a part to play. And much like being environmentally responsible, we’re all for it … as long as we don’t have to give up too much.

Leveling the playing field means that we have to give something up. No wonder the underprivileged were drawn to John the Baptist, and Jesus. For the poor and dispossessed, these men called for equality and justice, representing hope and a chance to gain.
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Following in the way of peace does not mean peace of mind, but it does mean we do what we can to bring peace to others. Knowing this, we venture forth anyway to lift up valleys, bring low the mountains and hills, level out the uneven ground and smooth the rough places. We go forth down a highway for the way of peace, justice and faith.

for Dec. 7: Mark 1.1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” ’,

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture?
What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

December Letter to the Congregations

For those that can't wait for paper copies to be picked up at church, or mailed out:

Dear friends and supporters of our congregations,

As we work to get ready for a Merry Christmas, the Advent theme of preparation echoes in churches around the world. Yet, in these uncertain times, what do we prepare for? With each passing year, commercial interests and advertising campaigns overtake the Christmas message. The church seems to be a relic and reminder of a time gone by that we can no longer claim.

This fact is not lost to the leadership of The United Church of Canada. “I dreamed of leading our church for a time from a place of strength, wisdom, and creativity. Instead I have been offering my weakness to the church,” says our Moderator, the Rt. Rev. David Giuliano, speaking candidly about his cancer. While he admits this journey is not by choice, “I cannot deny that it has been a gift to me and to others.”

Perhaps this is the Christmas gift of our current situation: a gift of diminishing resources and humility. Such is a dubious blessing, but one that echoes of a Saviour born to in a stable to an ordinary family of a defeated people. From this is born a new revelation of what faith in the world means. From this is born our own future.

In the meantime, we hold fast to the lights of hope, peace, joy and love. Is that enough? Yes, with God, it is more than enough and the only way to change the world.

The blessings of the season to you and yours,
On behalf of Appin and Trinity United Churches,
Kenji