“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” ~ Mark 1:1 What is the most important part of the Advent and Christmas seasons? For some people it is probably all the opportunities to celebrate with family and friends, the exchange of gifts and the delicious food – holidays, after all, is the perfect time to spend with family after all. Others may find it is the familiar music which wafts through the air: the carols and holiday classics that remind us of years past and … [Read more...]
Jesus is Coming – Sermon for the First Sunday of Advent 2018
First Sunday of Advent - December 2, 2018 Alice J Stewart So... our reading from the Gospel of Luke today sounds... scary. All those signs and portents and sufferings that precede Jesus' return don't sounds terribly pleasant. But when we meet Jesus again in his full glory, everything is going to change. And change of any sort is accompanied by suffering among us mortals. Small changes, like rearranging the church furniture, can be slightly uncomfortable at first. Ordinary life … [Read more...]
Between Two Worlds – Sermon for Advent 2
“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”- 2 Peter 3:9 I want to begin today with a modern day parable: For the Kingdom of God may be likened to business owner who hired two women who worked as coworkers for many years. When each woman was hired, the owner warned them that the job did not come with a pension, and that one day their retirement would be upon them, advising them to … [Read more...]
Tell Me What You See
“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another? Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” – Matthew 11:3-4 “God is going to restore Israel’s Glory Days”; “God is going to kick out those Roman foreigners who make our lives hell.” “The Messiah is going to come and drain the swamp of political corruption in Jerusalem.” “God is going to Make Israel Great Again!” … [Read more...]