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Mark Wheeler
Luke 2:22-40
Sunday following Christmas, 12/27/2020
“Believe This: The Time Has Come!”
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
The Gospel Good News that we have proclaimed throughout this Advent/Christmas season ends today with a reading 2nd chapter of Luke that starts, “When the time came…”.
Indeed, the time has come for us to move from the narrative of birthing to the narrative of redemption. The story of Jesus’ ritual cleansing as a child contains stories of people who had been waiting for this moment. But the time of waiting is over – for us too. Like Isaiah who says, “for Zion’s sake I won’t stay silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t sit still,” we will not stop our songs of resistance until justice shines out like a light for all.
Open with “Light of the World”
Holy One, we thank You for the glimpses we have caught throughout this season of Advent and Christmas of Your gifts of peace, love, joy and hope.
Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle – even when we have not been sure of tomorrow,
You have ignited the Light within us … that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Keep reminding us how to Believe … even when …. Amen.
Let’s take a second to greet each other, and those in the room, look at the camera and say HI to your friends who are at home. Tell your loved ones, “May the Glory of Christ be with you.”
Welcome to this “gathering” in God’s name. We are assembled in NorthEast Spokane, WA, along with people from all over the world. We are very glad you are “here” with us.
For those who made it into the building this morning – thank you for wearing your masks and following the seating and walking protocols. We do this not to protect ourselves from others, but to protect others from ourselves. Because we love each other, we wear masks and keep distance to keep each other safe from this “invisible potential enemy”. COVID numbers are way up in our area – let’s not give them an opportunity to climb even higher. Our Elders are listening to CDC guidelines and deciding on what seems best practices for each others’ safety. We love you, and we want everyone to be and to stay well.
Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit presence and power, in your homes, through your phones and computers, in this building here, and in your lives. Feel free to laugh at our efforts … and pray with us … and hear and be transformed by God’s Word.
Listen now and join in as Ken leads our reading of our Isaiah prophecy – and those at home, if you still have Advent Candles, light all four candles and the Christ Candle and keep them near you in this time of worship and prayer – as we light our Advent Wreath.
Our song of praise today sings of the wonder of our Lord’s arrival! – We Three Kings of Orient Are – played and sung by Faith Nolander, and her parents!
Through the Written Word,
And endorsed by our spoken word,
May we know Your Living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For this Advent/Christmas series, we followed the lead of the Revised Common Lectionary Year B (these are assigned readings that cross denominational lines, and that takes 3-years to get through the whole Bible – minus a number of chapters that were deemed “unpreachable” chapters – that’s a whole ’nother topic). Year B utilizes readings from the Prophet Isaiah and Luke.
That means that this is a year when the story does not include the “slaughter of the innocents” (Matthew’s Gospel in which – the plot of Herod to kill Jesus by killing all boys under the age of two). Certainly this could be powerful in the midst of a series about how our fear drives us to annihilate each other. But this cycle emphasizes the moment when Mary and Joseph, being good Jews, take Jesus at the appointed time for His ritual cleansing in the Temple. Two people, Simeon and Anna, recognize and name Jesus as the One they had been waiting for – who would be the reconciliation of the people. Taken with the Isaiah text we read in the Call to Worship, it is a powerful statement about crossing a ritual threshold into a brand new day, into a new expression of the Kingdom in which we raise our voices for change and for healing.
Let’s go back to Isaiah for a moment. These verses come very late in the book, believed to have been written in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. when the Israelites were starting to return from exile to their Promised Land. They echo the earlier verses written in exile, a voice that predicts the celebration when the people return home. Ritual is evoked here as well. The metaphors of victory clothing (think of a ticker-tape celebration parade), marriage clothing (God is in covenant with us and we are dressed in our finest Sunday Best because of this), seeds that sprout and blossom in nature’s explosion of beauty, royalty in regalia and garlands. This is the kind of exuberant proclamation that this moment requires and it certainly involves raising our voices. Indeed Isaiah says they will never stop raising their voices and doing what must be done to bring righteousness and salvation.
So hear how Luke describes this “one week old Baby Jesus” story:
Listen here to the Word of God … Luke 2:22-40 …. —- [The screen will show this passage.]
2 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Did you hear what I heard? In the midst of the rituals of the Temple, Simeon not only calls attention to Jesus, but adds his prediction that “falling and rising” will happen as people encounter an inner-transformation as “the thoughts of many hearts are revealed” and that this Baby Jesus “will one day be a sign that people will speak against!”
Anna, who has been in mourning for so long (through ritualized prayer and fasting), then embodies that inner-transformation as her mourning turns to praise, raising her voice and speaking to everyone about Jesus.
Just as soon as the words come out of Simeon’s mouth, they are embodied in Anna’s response.
This is the thing about the Christmas story! It’s not meant to be just a beautiful story of the strange birth of in a manger bed. Not just an invitation to tell “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”…. These Christmas narratives invite us to think about our own inner transformation after having encountered Jesus in our lives.
Paul tells the early church, II Corinthians 6, where he quotes from Isaiah 49:8, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the time of favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances.’” But Paul changed the future tense to a fulfilled promise past tense: “As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says (Isaiah 49:8), ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, today is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.…”
In the midst of all our fears, and pains, and angers, and troubles, in the midst of our suffering, and loneliness, and doubts, and sickness, and grief – Do you hear what I hear? Can you see what I see? Do you know what I know?
A star, a song, a Child, God’s gift of Peace which passes understanding, God’s gift of Love beyond our borders, God’s gift of Joy overflowing, God’s gift of Hope surpassing our doubts, and God’s gift of Light shining in our darkness!
Between today and next Sunday, we begin a brand new year, a new decade even. We leave 2020 behind, and we begin 2021!
Friends, Now is the time of God’s favor! Today is the day of salvation! May we turn our mourning into praise and sing songs of triumphant victory, God’s ever-present Almighty arms reaching to offer grace and mercy!
May the thoughts of our hearts discover God’s peace, love, joy and hope blazing brightly through the sky! Today … is the day … to be transformed … and to shine the light of Christ in us and through us! Amen.
As we move into a time of prayer together – let me talk with our kids for a minute – all-y’all can listen in:
This Advent we’re going to learn a little sign-language – because that’s a beautiful way to bring light into the darkness of Beethoven’s deafness. This year is the 100th anniversary of the great song “This Little Light of Mine”. Let’s sing it quietly, and let’s add the sign language that goes with it:
Prayer Page – In times when humanity disappoints,
perhaps when even our own thoughts and behaviors disappoint,
it is an important act to call out, to name and claim, the consequences of our wrongs.
And in times of distress it is a prophetic act to call out, to name and claim, our belief that peace, love, joy, and hope are what we are born for, and are possible in our world.
Leader: We believe that we have failed to see Christ AND
People: We believe that we can wake up and serve Him by serving others.
We believe that we have waited for someone else to rescue us AND
We believe that we can be the change we want to see.
We believe that we have hidden the Light for far too long AND
We believe that Christ’s Light can shine whenever we open ourselves to be Christ’s presence in the world.
We believe, even when we are discouraged.
We believe, that when we are discouraged,
raising our voices for justice will offer
… more Peace!
… more Love!
… more Joy!
… more Hope!
… and more Light!
Believe, with a hopeful heart!
Believe, and shine your light!
Believe, because the song we sing is sung for all!
And now let the weak say, “I am strong;”
let the poor say, “I am rich
because of what our God has done for us.”
Believe!
And now – call out a name, a place, a people, a situation, you are lifting to the Lord in prayer …. “Have mercy on us, O Lord.” [Lord’s Prayer] Amen.
– Christmas Joy Offering & Pledge Cards and our Offering (4449 N Nevada St, Spokane, 99207 ; or click HERE, or text 833-976-1333, code “Lidgerwood”)
This Advent Season – while we all are suffering to some degree because of the COVID pandemic and all of the hoopla and restrictions that goes with it, our closing song is what is known as Christmas Carols of Resistance:
Today’s “Carol of Resistance” was written on 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It is said that, inspired by seeing babies pushed in strollers in New York City while the dire threat of nuclear war loomed, Noel Regney wrote, “said the night wind to the little lamb,“ and “pray for peace, people everywhere.” The “star dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite” can be interpreted as the star of Bethlehem but also what a nuclear missile looks like in flight. The composers said in an interview later that it was difficult to actually sing the song that year without crying. Indeed, our prayers for peace continue and the need to protect the children of the world and secure a future for them are as dire as ever. As the last song in our series, let us hear this Carol of Resistance, “a song high above the trees” with our voices “big as the sea”:
Expedition Song – Do You Hear What I Hear?! …. led by Donna Stone singing (our suggestion is no congregational singing, but if you’re wearing your masks appropriately, who would know who is singing?).
Next Sunday, like we did today – please RSVP to us if you plan to attend so we can properly set up – and please CALL IN or email or text – so we can share with you what the plans will be – whether we will be allowed to continue to meet or not.
We close with this benediction: In this Advent Season of waiting know this …
We wait for justice but we do not wait to work for change;
We wait for restored health but we do not wait to work to heal;
We wait for wholeness but we do not wait to work at binding brokenness;
We wait for peace but we do not wait to work to eliminate hatred.
And so, my friends, like bells ringing out the news
that the sun still shines even on dark, cloudy days,
fill the night left in darkness with messages of hope.
Go into your lives humming the tunes that keep that hope alive in you
and that spur you on in your work of justice and reconciliation.
Raise your voices and repeat after me…
“We believe even when!”
“We believe even when!”
Amen!
Resources:
McFee, Marcia; Worship Design Studio; Advent 2020.
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